"No—!" Chrysanthemum Douluo watched as the massive golden halberd blade burst through Ghost Douluo's back. Blazing golden light instantly spread across every part of Ghost Douluo's body. He let out a frenzied roar and pushed his speed to its absolute limit, sending his Martial Soul, the Heavenly Imperial Chrysanthemum, hurtling toward Tang San.
But he knew, in this moment, it was already too late. Ghost Douluo, a Titled Douluo, had no chance of survival. The death energy emanating from his body dissipated the instant the great halberd pierced through his back. Ghost Douluo's body was completely frozen in place, unable to move.
The Sea God's Trident weighed one hundred and eight thousand jin. Forget the fact that Ghost Douluo's body had already been corroded by the Sea God's Light during the clash, his death energy severely weakened — even if he had been in peak condition, trying to block the Sea God's Trident with his bare palms was utterly impossible. Tang San's Soul Power was not far below his own, and his raw strength was vastly superior. Combined with the full release of the Sea God's Trident's power, even Tang Chen, the former strongest human on the continent, would have needed a divine artifact of comparable quality to withstand it.
Sssss — Ghost Douluo's body was purified amid the torrential Sea God's Light, dissolving into a wisp of black smoke that rose into the air. A black Soul Bone fell from his remains. The Sea God's Trident retracted, and the barb on the smaller left blade caught the Soul Bone neatly. At the same instant, Tang San activated Instant Transmission. In the next moment, he was already a hundred meters away. He did not approach the two Forest Kings. Instead, he retreated rapidly. If he charged forward, his true objective of rescuing them would be exposed, and he would be cornered by five Titled Douluos including Bibi Dong. But retreating would not — it would widen the distance and plant seeds of doubt in his enemies' minds about his intentions. The fact that Bibi Dong had not reacted in time showed she was wary of changes happening on Da Ming and Er Ming's end.
Several thunderous explosions erupted from the spot where Tang San had just been, especially from the full-power strike of the Heavenly Imperial Chrysanthemum, which carved a massive crater into the ground spanning a hundred meters in every direction.
"Old Ghost!" Chrysanthemum Douluo screamed in anguish, rushing to the place where Ghost Douluo had been killed. Trembling, tears streamed down his face.
He had been with Ghost Douluo for over sixty years — an entire cycle. Their bond ran deeper than blood brothers. Now, watching Ghost Douluo die so suddenly, with his very bones destroyed, Chrysanthemum Douluo was consumed by grief.
For Chrysanthemum Douluo and everyone else present, everything had happened far too fast — so fast they had not yet processed it. From the moment the cloaked figure appeared to Ghost Douluo's death, it had all unfolded in a flash of lightning. To insta-kill a Titled Douluo — that was inconceivable. Even as an ambush, it was something they had never heard of. Though Bibi Dong prided herself on her overwhelming power, even she would need to unleash her strongest Soul Skill to have a chance at instantly killing a Titled Douluo.
Tang San had managed it, but not because his strength surpassed Bibi Dong's. A large part of it was luck — the Sea God's Trident's suppression of Ghost Douluo was simply too severe. Adding in the advantage of a surprise attack from behind, and the result was a clean kill. Naturally, Ghost Douluo's complete lack of knowledge about the Sea God's Trident had also been a critical factor in Tang San's success.
In the instant after teleporting, Tang San's body disappeared once more into the forest. He activated a small-scale Blue Silver Domain, effortlessly concealing his presence. At the same time, the Azure Sea Protection Shield reactivated, rendering him invisible once more.
He did not go back for the Soul Bone Ghost Douluo had dropped. He simply stored it quickly into his Myriad Treasure Pouch. Gripping the Sea God's Trident, Tang San circled around from another direction. To avoid detection by Bibi Dong, he fully contained his spiritual power within the protection of the Azure Sea Protection Shield. In this way, even if the Sea God Douluo Bo Saixi were standing right here, as long as he did not attack, it would be extremely difficult to sense him.
Ghost Douluo's sudden death shocked Bibi Dong as well. She had previously been confident that no one could stop her from taking down the two Forest Kings, but the insta-kill of an elder — and not just any elder, but Ghost Douluo, who possessed a Martial Soul Fusion Technique — instantly sent her rage soaring while her wariness spiked. The spiritual power she had been focusing on the two Forest Kings instantly spread outward as she scanned her surroundings with heightened alertness. She simultaneously ordered the four remaining Titled Douluos to return to her side.
This operation had already cost two Titled Douluos. Though Bibi Dong did not care about their lives personally, these were among the core forces of the Spirit Hall Empire. It was impossible not to feel the sting.
"Your Majesty, Old Ghost… you must avenge him!" Chrysanthemum Douluo, who had always been perfectly obedient to Bibi Dong, could no longer control his emotions. The other three Titled Douluos looked on in silence, a mournful sense of shared fate — the grief of watching one's kind destroyed — stirring in their hearts.
"Elder Yue Guan, calm yourself. Elder Ghost's death grieves me deeply. This enemy is powerful — potentially not weaker than I am. Do not stray more than ten meters from me. Stay vigilant. We will kill the two Forest Kings first, before this drags on."
Bibi Dong's voice carried embedded spiritual power, and under the impact of the sonic wave, the four Spirit Hall elders felt their minds clear. Chrysanthemum Douluo's expression softened somewhat, though the venom in his eyes only deepened. His sharp gaze swept the surroundings, wishing he could tear the one who had killed Ghost Douluo into a thousand pieces.
Tang San had retreated to a distance, neither contacting Da Ming and Er Ming nor attempting another attack. Watching as Bibi Dong led the four Titled Douluos forward with cautious steps toward the two divine beasts, he remained perfectly still, quietly waiting.
Da Ming and Er Ming had witnessed Ghost Douluo's death with their own eyes. As Soul Beasts, they were extraordinarily sensitive to scent. Though Tang San held the Sea God's Trident and his body was wrapped in the cloak, they immediately recognized his scent. The eyes of both divine beasts lit up.
As the saying went, it was easy to add flowers to brocade, but true kindness was a gift in the hour of need. With so many Spirit Hall experts bearing down on them, Tang San's timely arrival filled the nearly despairing hearts of both divine beasts with warmth. They became even more convinced that Xiao Wu had chosen the right person. And the strength Tang San had displayed left them stunned. The radiance emanating from the Sea God's Trident had made even them tremble.
Hope rekindled. Da Ming and Er Ming exchanged a glance and shifted from a collapsed posture to prostrate positioning. Faint energy fluctuations began coalescing around them. As the saying went, a centipede does not die even when broken in half — let alone a mighty hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast. Though they were grievously wounded, under the strain of pushing past their limits, their respective auras went from scattered back to dense and weighty. Tang San's appearance had brought them not only hope, but confidence — not the confidence to survive, but the confidence not to become Bibi Dong's Soul Rings.
Bibi Dong's expression, hidden beneath her purple carapace, was grim. Her originally flawless plan had been disrupted by the sudden enemy. Waiting for the two Forest Kings to succumb to their own poison was no longer realistic. The hidden enemy had evaded her spiritual power detection, which spoke volumes about his strength. If he launched a surprise attack at the last moment and managed to kill even one of the two divine beasts, it would be an enormous loss for her. The man was fast, could turn invisible, and possessed devastating offensive power — he was very likely a speed-type Titled Douluo. Yet, as far as Bibi Dong could recall, there was no speed-type Titled Douluo of that caliber.
The Sea God's Trident had also shaken her. She was someone who stood close to that realm, and that sacred aura filled her with instinctive revulsion. The golden trident was a divine artifact — of that, there was no doubt.
Advancing steadily, Bibi Dong simultaneously transmitted her spiritual voice to the four Titled Douluos beside her. "In a moment, I will attack the two Forest Kings. You four guard all four directions. No matter which direction that person appears from, you must block him until I finish off both Forest Kings. Understood? Ghost Douluo died because of a surprise attack and elemental suppression. Do not be afraid. With proper preparation, it will not be easy for that person to kill any of you. Do not disgrace your status as Titled Douluos."
The stronger one was, the more accurately they could assess an opponent. Bibi Dong's judgment was spot-on. Tang San was powerful, but launching a surprise attack against four fully prepared Titled Douluos was out of the question. Insta-killing a Titled Douluo was not something that could be pulled off every time.
Da Ming and Er Ming glared at the approaching five members of the Spirit Hall Empire, emitting continuous low growls. Earth-yellow light radiated from Er Ming's body, while cyan light flickered across Da Ming's form, especially around the two horns on his bull head, which rippled outward with rings of blue-green energy.
Bibi Dong's expression was solemn. Facing the death throes of two hundred-thousand-year Soul Beasts demanded utmost caution even from her — let alone with a hidden enemy lurking nearby.
Her body swayed, and her upper half stooped forward. The purple-black carapace across her body spread in an instant, and her entire form transformed into an enormous spider. The green hairs on her eight legs all shifted to purple, and her entire body radiated a hazy purple glow. Everywhere she passed, the earth withered to scorched yellow.
The four Titled Douluos accompanying her simultaneously sidestepped, moving away from the purple light emanating from her body. This was Bibi Dong's Martial Soul True Body — the Death Spider Emperor.
The purple glow intensified sharply. The black eighth Soul Ring arranged on Bibi Dong's body suddenly blazed to life. Blinding purple light solidified to the left of her body, and within the flickering light and shadow, another Death Spider Emperor materialized — identical to the original.
This was the first Martial Soul's eighth Soul Skill of Bibi Dong: Spider Emperor Clone. The effect of the Spider Emperor Clone: using a Soul Skill to create a clone that possessed one hundred percent of the original's power, with no intelligence, requiring direct control.
That one hundred percent power was not limited to physical strength — it included Soul Skills as well. Though only the first seven Soul Skills, not the eighth or ninth.
Under Bibi Dong's control, the Spider Emperor Clone bounced forward, landing in front of Bibi Dong's main body. Together they accelerated, like two streaks of purple afterimages, charging toward Da Ming and Er Ming.
The third Soul Ring blazed bright, and two sheets of purple webbing shot from both bodies simultaneously, shrouded in hazy violet mist, engulfing Da Ming and Er Ming. The webs expanded rapidly in midair, and despite the two divine beasts' enormous size, by the time the webs reached them, they were large enough to ensnare them both.
At the same time, the fourth Soul Rings on both Bibi Dong's main body and the Spider Emperor Clone lit up. Purple-black spurs longer than a meter densely covered every surface of both bodies, and the purple carapace thickened considerably. This was her fourth Soul Skill: Thorn Spider Armor. A single-target defensive skill, with the added poison spurs carrying lethal toxin.
Under these circumstances, Bibi Dong was going all out, leaving no weakness in her defense even while on the offensive.
Just then, Bibi Dong's advancing body suddenly faltered. Her ever-present spiritual power detected two spiritual fluctuations entering her range of detection — and those two fluctuations were connected to Da Ming and Er Ming. The spiritual power that had appeared was of an extraordinarily high level, undetectable even by the other four Titled Douluos, let alone something they could sever.
What is he doing? The question erupted unbidden in Bibi Dong's mind, and her charging body ground to a halt. In the next instant, she clearly saw both divine beasts' eyes light up.
Then two bursts of yellow-green light appeared from behind them, expanding instantly in midair — perfectly intercepting the two sheets of webbing she had released. Web against web — this was Tang San's Spider Web Bind.
With his attack launched, Tang San's figure simultaneously revealed itself. But in the very next instant, Tang San, Da Ming, and Er Ming all moved at once.
This time, the body Tang San revealed was blue-gold. Blue-gold light erupted in every direction like a tidal wave, instantly transforming the surrounding area into a vast ocean of blue and gold. This was the Blue Silver Domain: Myriad Manifestations.
Da Ming and Er Ming roared in unison. The Slowing Domain and the Gravity Control Domain unleashed simultaneously. Cyan and yellow auras spread outward alongside the Blue Silver Domain. Whether Bibi Dong or the four Titled Douluos, they all immediately felt their entire bodies lock up as if frozen. Under the full-power release from Da Ming and Er Ming, their movement speed plummeted across the board.
"Attack!" Bibi Dong bellowed. Though she had brought six Titled Douluos, not one of them possessed a domain. Only she herself had the ability to deploy one. Blazing purple light surged from her body as she attempted domain against domain. But in the end, Bibi Dong's effort was thwarted. The purple light she released was blocked by a surging tide of life energy, unable to reach the feet of Da Ming and Er Ming.
Indeed, Bibi Dong's domain ability was formidable — it absolutely surpassed those of Tang San and the two divine beasts. However, facing three domains simultaneously with only her own, she was inevitably suppressed. Moreover, this was the Star Dou Great Forest, the optimal environment for the Blue Silver Domain. Her domain power was completely blocked, and within that blue-gold world, she simultaneously lost sight of Tang San, Da Ming, and Er Ming.
Bibi Dong's domain was called the Death Domain — the innate domain of the Death Spider Emperor. Its effects were extremely formidable. At her current cultivation level, the domain possessed three major effects: a ten percent boost to all of her own attributes, a twenty percent reduction to all enemy attributes, and the prevention of any concealment skills or teleportation-type skills within the domain's range. It also generated spiritual suppression, increasing her own spiritual power strength by twenty percent while weakening her opponents' spiritual power by twenty percent. And its most terrifying effect was the toxic environment.
Within the domain's range, everything was permeated with the Death Spider Emperor's lethal toxin — corrosive, spreading rapidly, and capable of reducing an opponent's speed by ten percent. Once infected, the body would continuously deteriorate until death. If deployed on a battlefield, it would be catastrophic for ordinary soldiers.