Boom—
The massive White Tiger fell from the sky, smashing heavily into a mountain valley. Half its body was buried under the rolling boulders.
On its exposed upper body, multiple wounds were clearly visible. Especially a massive gash on his chest, deep enough to see the bone. Faintly, one could even see the vigorously beating heart inside his chest cavity. If this wound had extended inward just a little bit further, Dai Hao's White Tiger True Body would likely have suffered a shattered heart.
In the sky, a blinding golden light crashed down!
It looked as though it was about to claim Dai Hao's life.
"Roar—" Hearing the Vajra Giant Tiger spirit soul's furious roar, it grabbed the mountain rocks with its four paws and threw itself in front of Dai Hao's White Tiger True Body. With its maw wide open, a golden orb of light instantly condensed and erupted into a golden pillar of light, fiercely blasting toward the sky.
But the disparity in power was huge. After barely holding out for less than a single breath, the golden pillar from above instantly overpowered the Vajra Giant Tiger's attack, smashing down like a destructive force breaking through bamboo.
Fortunately, a silver-white light shot into the heavens. The Xuanji Umbrella opened wide, swiftly blocking Dai Hao's White Tiger True Body.
The silver light circulated, trying to deflect the golden pillar.
Under the mutual cancellation of the gold and silver lights, the Xuanji Umbrella was broken through. The backlash from his Martial Soul being damaged almost caused Xuanji Douluo to spit out a mouthful of blood.
"Duke."
After barely blocking the aerial attack, Xuanji Douluo—who had endured a siege and a prolonged battle—looked pale and completely bloodless.
High above at this moment, Ye Yulin had finished firing the Sun Moon Divine Needle. Though he lamented not taking Dai Hao's life, he immediately took out a Milk Bottle to begin recovering his soul power.
After all, while the Sun Moon Divine Needle was devastatingly powerful, its consumption of soul power was equally immense. He had already fired it twice today; he had to ensure he remained at his peak condition.
Even though the current situation was advantageous for them, they couldn't afford to be careless. They absolutely could not repeat the mistakes of the Fire Phoenix and Dreadclaw Soul Engineer Legions and suffer a massive fall in the shadows.
Then... Hiss— It ran out!
Ye Yulin recovered his soul power while keeping an eye on the situation below to prevent any accidents. Once he recovered, he would send Xuanji Douluo and Dai Hao to the afterlife. Meanwhile, the other experts of the Sun Moon Empire had launched a manhunt against the remaining Star Luo experts.
Their intent was to expand their victories and leave no one alive.
For instance, one Star Luo Legion Commander with the Black Water Profound Snake martial soul was being hunted by three Evil Soul Master Title Douluo. His situation had already reached the brink of being checkmated.
His Martial Soul True Body had originally been over thirty meters long, but now half of it had been severed. This was the equivalent of his lower body being completely chopped off while not in his True Body state.
The fact that he could still fight was entirely thanks to the protection of his contracted spirit soul, a Six-Winged Black Snake, as well as his own iron will forged on the battlefield. Only this allowed him to barely hold on.
But obviously, he couldn't hold on for much longer.
Because from his wound, foul-smelling black blood continuously dripped. Although his giant eyes were resolute, they had lost their former luster. Not only was his body covered in scars, but the lacerated flesh was rotting with a black corruption.
The severed half of his torso that had fallen to the ground was continuously corroding the vegetation in the mountains, showing just how toxic the attacks contained.
At this moment, while Ye Yulin was recovering and they had gained a moment to catch their breath, the Vajra Giant Tiger hurriedly shoved away the boulders crushing Dai Hao's White Tiger True Body, while Xuanji Douluo used his soul power to stabilize Dai Hao's injuries.
However, his expression at this moment was incredibly grave.
If this kept up, they were likely going to be completely wiped out.
Even...
Xuanji Douluo looked at Dai Hao, who had reverted from his True Body state and was propping himself up with a war blade. His chest was dyed with blood, and half his body was charred black. If he wasn't treated soon, it would be too late.
"Uncle Xuanji."
The White Tiger Duke, Dai Hao, held his war blade, panting heavily as he forced himself up. Though drenched in blood, his eyes remained resolute, even revealing a sense of absolute resolve.
"We can't keep going like this. If all of us are wiped out here, the Star Luo Empire is truly finished."
Xuanji Douluo looked at him and asked in a deep voice, "What do you plan to do?"
"Their primary target is me."
Dai Hao stroked the illusory yet somewhat tangible fur of the Vajra Giant Tiger, his mind already made up. "The Sun Moon experts have already formed a blockade around us. Only by unleashing a widespread attack will we have a chance to escape."
He looked at Xuanji Douluo. "I still have one Class-9 Fixed Soul Guidance Shell and three Class-8 Fixed Soul Guidance Shells on me. Combined with Xuan Snake Douluo detonating himself alongside me, there might still be a chance of survival."
"No." Xuanji Douluo's expression drastically changed, and he said angrily. "What nonsense are you speaking? I was entrusted by your father to protect the White Tiger bloodline. How could I abandon you and escape alone? If I did that, how would I face your father in the afterlife? Furthermore, if you die, the army will be shaken! By then, with morale completely lost, how could we possibly withstand the Sun Moon army!"
"Why wouldn't we?" The White Tiger Duke, Dai Hao, said calmly. "Uncle Xuanji, now is not the time for sentimentality. I'm making this decision for the future of the Empire. All of us dying here serves no purpose. Besides, as long as His Majesty is here, morale won't collapse. Moreover, you underestimate the fighting spirit of our Empire's soldiers. My death will actually help them resist the Sun Moon Empire."
An army fueled by grief is bound to win!
Xuanji Douluo understood Dai Hao's intentions. His chest heaved violently, as if in both anger and sorrow. How could he not know that what the White Tiger Duke proposed was already the best option? After all, no matter what, they couldn't let nearly half of the Empire's high-end combat power be wiped out here, right? But how could he bear to abandon Dai Hao, a boy he had watched grow up since childhood?
"Uncle Xuanji, after my death, have the entire army retreat and defend Yuming City. As for my title as the White Tiger Duke, it will be inherited by Yaoheng. I'm leaving this in your hands."
Hearing this, Xuanji Douluo sighed. "I will buy you the opportunity."
As his words fell, Xuanji Douluo took a step forward. Silver light erupted, instantly illuminating the entire battlefield.
Seizing this opportunity, he forced his voice into a single thread and contacted the dying Xuan Snake Douluo. Upon hearing Dai Hao's plan, Xuan Snake agreed without a second word. He was going to die anyway. If so, it was better to fight for a chance for the others to live.
"If that's the case, I'll take them down with me first!"
Xuan Snake Douluo let out a loud roar, and his body suddenly expanded. After all, he was already on the verge of breathing his last. He couldn't wait any longer.
His spiritually linked Six-Winged Black Snake, wanting to help him one last time, also abruptly expanded its body, enduring the attacks of the three Evil Soul Master Title Douluo and instantly locking down the surrounding area.
The next second—Boom— A terrifying bloody explosion violently erupted!
The Six-Winged Black Snake spirit soul vanished. Only a streak of flowing light suddenly escaped amidst the shockwaves of the explosion, landing in Xuanji Douluo's hand.
In this moment, everyone's attention was drawn over.
They saw three Evil Soul Master Title Douluo stumble out from the explosion. Their auras were listless. Although they hadn't lost any limbs, their bodies were covered in bloody holes; they were clearly heavily injured!
Even though Xuan Snake Douluo was dying and a newly promoted Title Douluo, and even though the three Evil Soul Masters had hair-trigger defensive soul tools, being caught in a point-blank explosion still left them severely crippled, directly stripping away the majority of their combat power.
I'm next.
The thought flashed through Dai Hao's mind. He looked at the Vajra Giant Tiger. "Huabin is in your care."
Without waiting for a response, he forcibly recalled his spirit soul back into his spirit soulual Sea.
The next second, he soared into the sky. The blood in his body seemed to boil, and his previously listless aura actually climbed to its absolute peak!
"Go!"
Dai Hao had already equipped a Class-9 Flight Soul Tool. Turning into a streak of light, he didn't fly toward the Sun Moon experts, but actually toward the Sun Moon main camp!
Simultaneously, four flashes of light ignited in succession.
"Not good!"
The Sun Moon experts present were all Class-9 Soul Engineers; naturally, they could identify exactly what those four flashes of light from Dai Hao were!
And because of this, their hearts clenched in unease.
Stop him!
They had to stop him!
Otherwise, if this explosion went off in the Sun Moon main camp, even if they managed to kill Dai Hao and hunt down the Star Luo experts, they would be unable to attack the Star Luo Empire in the short term.
By then, the other two empires would have reacted as well.
Immediately, several Sun Moon experts changed direction to intercept him. But with Dai Hao fighting for his life, how could they stop him? Thus, the remaining Sun Moon experts also changed direction.
In an instant, this gave Xuanji Douluo and the others a chance to escape.
"Go!"
With tears in his old eyes, Xuanji Douluo immediately took to the sky. Seeing this, the other Star Luo experts followed closely behind.
The only thing they could do now was flee as fast as possible.
As for Dai Hao's side.
"Defend!"
A long howl rolled in. The defensive soul tools of the Sun Moon main camp rapidly linked together, forming a joint defensive barrier.
Seeing this, Dai Hao didn't hesitate in the slightest.
Swish, swish, swish—
The four Fixed Soul Guidance Shells didn't pause for a moment. He aimed them directly below and fired them.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Concentrating on a single point, a terrifying explosion swept out. And this point became the weakest spot.
Seeing this, Dai Hao slashed out with his blade! The war blade, which was a Class-9 Soul Tool, flared with brilliant blade light. With a fierce strike, he hacked right onto the barrier.
Crack! Crack!
Amidst the sound of shattering, a crack had already opened in the soul tool barrier.
Dai Hao didn't hesitate and leaped down. And aiming right at him were the soul guidance rays of the Soul Engineer Legions.
Swish, swish, swish—
Almost the exact moment Dai Hao jumped down, a barrage of soul guidance rays fired in unison, aiming to turn Dai Hao into a porcupine.
Buzz—
A golden light flashed as the Invincible Barrier instantly activated.
And in this very moment, Dai Hao's body suddenly inflated like a balloon!
"Not good!" ×N
Seeing this, Ye Yulin and the others instantly widened their eyes.
Then...
Boom—
Along with the rise of a mushroom cloud, a terrifying explosion erupted. As far as the eye could see, the land had been reduced to scorched earth.
At this moment, Jing Hongchen looked down at the devastated scene below, as well as the dead soul engineers and countless ordinary soldiers, and furrowed his brows.
"Something's wrong. Very wrong."
"The power of the White Tiger Duke's self-destruction isn't right."
Ye Yulin stared at the ground below and nodded in agreement. "He is only a ninety-fourth-rank Title Douluo."
"It's a Class-9 Fixed Soul Guidance Shell."
At this time, Xu Tianyuan spoke up, voicing their suspicion.
But what followed was confusion. Other than the initial breach of the protective barrier, they hadn't felt the aura of Dai Hao taking out a Class-9 Fixed Soul Guidance Shell since. Because of this, they hadn't been certain just now.
"If that's the case, where did it come from?"
Ye Yulin's heart skipped a beat, and he shouted, "Quick! Check if there's any residual aura of Dai Hao left!"
Immediately, several strands of spiritual power swept down.
Ye Yulin's expression suddenly drastically changed, and he shouted, "Wait, something's wrong."
As soon as the words fell, they were followed by the roars of Jing Hongchen and the others: "There's residual spiritual power! This is the trace of an illusion!"
With their Title Douluo-level spiritual power, if they actively focused their minds, the gathered experts instantly sensed a minuscule, almost imperceptible spiritual fluctuation. Even though this fluctuation was truly incredibly weak, to the point of being negligible, this slight anomaly was enough to raise their guard.
It meant that an illusion had been formed right here just now.
Jing Hongchen was the first to react. "It's Huo Yuhao!"
The one that left the deepest impression on him was undoubtedly the illusions created by Huo Yuhao. Because of this, he subconsciously blurted out the name.
"Chase them back! They can't have gotten far!"
Saying this, the crowd of Sun Moon experts changed direction and rushed back toward the Star Luo Empire's side of the Mingdou Mountain Range.
They had finally gotten this opportunity and had already pushed Dai Hao to the brink of death; they absolutely couldn't let this duck that was already in the pot fly away now!
At the same time, on Dai Hao's side.
"Where am I?"
Dai Hao groggily opened his eyes. The scene before him was a blur. And the memories in his mind surfaced at this moment.
He remembered that just as he was about to self-destruct, he was suddenly slapped by a hand that came out of nowhere. At that time, not only did he fall into a coma, but even his self-destruction was directly halted by that palm.
In other words... he wasn't dead!
Recalling this, Dai Hao instantly snapped awake!
He violently sat up, his killing intent surging. The moment his entire aura flared up, a familiar yet distant voice suddenly interrupted all of this. "What? Do you think your injuries aren't severe enough?"
Dai Hao blanked for a moment and looked at the figure beside him. "Yuhao!?"
He saw Huo Yuhao sitting there expressionlessly. Beside him were some bandages and medicinal herbs. But to Dai Hao's eyes, those herbs could easily be called heavenly treasures.
But if Yuhao was sitting there, then where was he now?
Snapping back to reality, Dai Hao looked around, only to find himself in a confined space. No doors, no windows. Aside from the bed he was lying on and the chair Yuhao was sitting on, it was completely empty.
"Yuhao, where is this?"
"Don't call me Yuhao. We aren't that close."
Huo Yuhao didn't even look up, just focusing on his own tasks. At the same time, he wagged his little finger in front of Dai Hao.
Seeing this, Dai Hao sighed inwardly. He knew this was a reminder not to forget that they had already severed their father-son relationship.
Thus, "Young Brother Huo, where is this?"
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