Word Count: 2,863 Words
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"Well said, we truly are enemies on a narrow path..."
Tiger Arm Douluo Chen Hu withdrew his right foot backward, followed by his left foot pulling back half a step. His hands moved with the retreating steps, drawing back to form fists at his lower abdomen with knuckles facing forward.
"Death Abyss Douluo, others may fear Ultimate Martial Spirits, but we of the Body Sect do not!
Body Martial Spirits are born from the fortune of heaven and earth. This old man wants to see if you can withstand these tiger arms of mine!"
Body Sect members revered only Body Martial Spirits, which were parts of their own bodies. Moreover, they were recognized across the Douluo Continent as Spirit Masters who relied least on spirit skills, spending their entire lives honing their combat techniques.
Chen Hu was the Body Sect's Chief Elder, a Rank 96 Titled Douluo. His combat technique was developed by observing tiger-type spirit beasts, capturing their form and essence, and transforming it into fist techniques!
Tiger Form Fist!
Chen Hu began to transform the moment his words fell. The demonic tiger tattoos on his arms blazed with light as one black and one white giant tiger awakened, and an intense silver light enveloped his body.
Body Martial Spirit Silver-ranked Second Awakening, 100% amplification!
Nine spirit rings—two yellow, two purple, and five black—rose powerfully beneath his feet. His seventh spirit ring flashed as violent spirit power surged forth. The underground space seemed to unleash a giant, wave-like fluctuation of spirit power outward.
"Death Abyss Douluo, pay for my disciple's life!"
In his Martial Spirit Avatar state, Chen Hu's arms were exceptionally thick. The tiger claws he manifested resembled five short spears condensed together. He stomped his right foot heavily on the ground, propelling his body like a cannonball toward the Death Abyss Bone Dragon.
The black and white fur on Chen Hu's arms streamed backward as he pounced forward. His five fingers spread and curved inward like claws while he opened his mouth wide, releasing a deafening tiger roar!
The roar originated from his dantian, condensed in his throat, and channeled energy through both arms to increase his might, making enemies tremble upon hearing it and lose their will to fight!
Neither Ling Bai nor the Death Abyss Bone Dragon harbored any emotion like fear. The former sneered coldly while the latter responded to Tiger Arm Douluo with an earth-shaking dragon roar. A blood-red vortex containing eight fierce illusions gathered at the center of its dragon claws!
Dragon roar met tiger howl as wind and clouds changed color. Both dragons and tigers were apex spirit beasts, and when their characteristics were applied to Martial Spirits, they were equally supreme. The tiger fist and dragon claw collided without any flourish, and the explosive force of that instant made the entire underground space tremble!
The simple contact contained unmatched killing intent, and both sides felt their opponent's formidable strength. Tiger Form Fist used form as the fist, intent as the spirit, joints to generate force, and qi to propel power. Chen Hu's fist momentum was ferocious, each punch like a fierce tiger descending a mountain.
With the dual amplification from the Silver-ranked Second Awakening and Martial Spirit Avatar, the force behind his tiger fists was extraordinarily terrifying. The moment the Death Abyss Bone Dragon's claws made contact, it immediately felt a mountain-like pressure transmitting from them.
Destructive spirit power fluctuations were attached to the fist. Even a small mountain would have been shattered by this tiger fist. Fortunately, dragon bones were hard and heavy, allowing the Death Abyss Bone Dragon to withstand the Tiger Form Fist's destructive force.
Chen Hu gritted his teeth tightly as both fists grew numb. A sinister power transmitted from those blood-red dragon claws as Ultimate Death pervasively corroded his fists. The fur on his fists gradually withered until he could already see the flesh and blood beneath!
"Hah!"
If this dragged on, he would surely die!
At this thought, the phantoms of the two demonic tigers behind Chen Hu suddenly became clearer. His ninth, pitch-black spirit ring flickered, and a majestic tiger's roar resounded. It was as if all the energy in the surrounding world had condensed within his body as he took a heavy step forward.
Ninth Spirit Skill, Raging Tiger Through the Forest!
Chen Hu's entire body flew up, showing no defensive intent. Wrapped in intense, dual-colored spirit power, he launched a frenzied close-combat assault against the Death Abyss Bone Dragon. The two giant tigers also pounced, tearing and biting fearlessly!
With qi flowing smoothly from his crown to his dantian, he advanced with nimble footwork, striking with both palms and claws. Chen Hu fully unleashed the might of his Tiger Form Fist, continuously venting the anger in his heart. But as he fought on, he suddenly sensed something amiss. He looked up with a sense of foreboding and met the Death Abyss Bone Dragon's crimson pupils, noticing the human-like mockery within them and strange demonic patterns around its eye sockets!
Death Abyss Spider Emperor's Third Spirit Skill, Necromancer Eye!
Chen Hu involuntarily shuddered, and his Tiger Form Fist offensive became noticeably sluggish. The Death Abyss Bone Dragon's eyes were chilling and cold. He felt as if he stood there naked, his entire body seen thoroughly without any secrets remaining.
The Death Abyss Bone Dragon had evolved from a Spectral Bone Dragon through a contract with the Death Abyss Demonic Scythe. It could use the spirit skills of Ling Bai's second Martial Spirit, the Death Abyss Spider Emperor. Necromancer Eye had already allowed it to see the weakness of Tiger Form Fist!
Blood-colored light exploded within its pupils as its dragon claws crossed. A massive X-shaped light blade traced a tragically beautiful arc through the underground space!
Death Abyss Spider Emperor's Fourth Spirit Skill, Eternal Scar!
Boom—
Chen Hu's upper body clothing completely exploded under Eternal Scar's attack, revealing his solid muscles. Blood sprayed wildly as he was sent flying through the air.
He crashed into the ground like a torn sack, his breathing heavy and ragged, like a wheezing bellows.
"To think he broke Tiger Form Fist's vital point with one strike..."
Chen Hu struggled to his feet, the hideous mark on his chest dripping with blood. He had no time to care about mere injuries; the Death Abyss Bone Dragon was rapidly approaching, and the black-haired youth standing atop its head resembled the God of Death wielding his scythe!
"Damn it, how did the Body Sect provoke this monster!" Chen Hu cursed inwardly.
Deep in Illustrious Virtue Hall's underground space, only he and Death Abyss Douluo remained. His pleas to heaven and earth went unanswered. Now, with his vital point broken and severely injured, Eternal Scar and Ultimate Death were continuously killing his body's cells. He understood his chances of survival today were slim.
But he was unwilling to accept it!
He was the Body Sect's third-ranking member and not particularly old. He had future opportunities to advance to Rank 97 or even Rank 98 Titled Douluo. He shouldn't die as insignificantly as a feather!
"Death Abyss Douluo, this old man isn't that easy to kill!"
A ferocious glint, like that of a beast fighting to its death, appeared in Chen Hu's eyes. He fiercely wiped the blood from his mouth as the black and white demonic tiger tattoos instantly merged into his body. His arm bones produced a series of popping sounds like beans, and his hands completely transformed into the claws of one black and one white tiger-type spirit beast!
Ling Bai paused for a moment upon seeing this, then smiled. "Two 10,000-year spirit bones. My luck is pretty good today..."
Chen Hu said coldly, "If you want this old man's spirit bones, the prerequisite is that you survive!"
Both his arms had absorbed spirit bones: his left arm, a 50,000-year Hell Ghost Tiger King, and his right arm, an 80,000-year Vajra White Tiger King.
These two Tiger King spirit bones perfectly matched Tiger Form Fist, thus creating a generation's Body Sect Chief Elder, Rank 96 Tiger Arm Douluo Chen Hu.
The two tiger claws scraped against each other, creating a sharp, teeth-grinding sound in the underground space. Chen Hu let the hot blood flow freely from his chest while staring intently at the Death Abyss Bone Dragon—or more accurately, at Ling Bai atop its head!
He believed he had found Death Abyss Douluo's weakness. Death Abyss Douluo's Bone Dragon Martial Spirit could fight separately from his body, but this also meant Death Abyss Douluo lost the physical enhancements of a Beast Martial Spirit, leaving his own physical defense extremely weak!
Chen Hu couldn't hold on much longer, but before dying, he would take Death Abyss Douluo down with him!
50,000-year Hell Ghost Tiger King Left Arm Spirit Bone Skill: Hell Shadow Clone!
80,000-year Vajra White Tiger King Right Arm Spirit Bone Skill: Vajra Indestructible Body!
Chen Hu split from one into five. Five identical figures charged straight at Ling Bai, somehow moving even faster than he had at his previous peak state.
The Death Abyss Bone Dragon shattered one Chen Hu with a swipe of its claw, while scorching bone dragon flames from its mouth swept the remaining clones. However, one clone seemed insulated from the dragon flames' high temperature. After several evasive maneuvers, it leaped into the air and charged toward the seemingly frail Ling Bai.
Those incomparably sharp tiger claws drew closer and closer to Ling Bai. The Death Abyss Bone Dragon seemed unable to defend in time. A satisfied smile of revenge fulfilled spread across Chen Hu's face as his tiger claws adjusted their angle, stabbing straight for Ling Bai's heart!
"Take my Black Tiger Heart Extraction!"
He did not feel the expected soft sensation of piercing a heart. Chen Hu passed through Ling Bai's body. On the collapsed ground, a giant tiger claw mark was seared into the earth. The spot he struck cracked and crumbled, showing this Tiger Arm Douluo's determination.
Harbinger Zhen Left Leg Spirit Bone Skill: Void!
"Pfft—"
The second skill Traceless Phantom was released. A shadowy figure silently flickered behind Chen Hu. The next second, Chen Hu violently spat out a mouthful of blood. He looked down in disbelief as eight purple-black spider lances simultaneously pierced his body.
Chen Hu's limbs twitched. He desperately opened his mouth but couldn't utter a sound. Ling Bai coldly watched Chen Hu's death throes, his eyes devoid of any pity.
The Death Abyss Spider Lances slowly brought Chen Hu before Ling Bai. With another soft 'pfft' sound, a fresh, steaming red heart pulsed faintly in Ling Bai's hand.
"Black Tiger Heart Extraction. I can do that too."
In his final moments, Chen Hu no longer felt pain. He looked at his own heart, then at the eight Death Abyss Spider Lances piercing his body. His pale lips moved, silently mouthing:
They were all deceived by you. Your Martial Spirit isn't a Bone Dragon at all...
"It's good that you die understanding."
Ling Bai nodded lightly. His five fingers suddenly clenched, and Chen Hu's heart instantly exploded. Hot blood splattered onto that handsome face, making him appear bloody and cruel.
Tiger Arm Douluo Chen Hu—dead!
With Chen Hu's death, all four Body Sect members who had once gone to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan to provoke them had now fallen. Ling Bai had also incidentally killed one Body Sect Titled Douluo and over twenty Spirit Saints and Spirit Douluos. This super sect, comparable to Shrek Academy, had suffered disastrous losses.
The battle concluded, and it was time for the exciting looting phase.
First were Tiger Arm Douluo's two arm spirit bones. Both the Vajra White Tiger King and the Hell Ghost Tiger King were elite among tiger-type spirit beasts—one fiercely powerful and the other darkly sinister. At 80,000 and 50,000 years, they were definitely high-grade spirit bones worthy of appearing at an empire's annual royal auction.
Next, he removed Chen Hu's Storage Spirit Guidance Device. A casual look nearly made Ling Bai's jaw drop.
"Seriously, buddy? You're even greedier than me…"
Ling Bai had an expression caught between laughter and tears. This old fellow Chen Hu had directly packed up and taken all of Illustrious Virtue Hall's Spirit Guidance Device blueprints. Among them were twenty-one types of Class 9 Spirit Guidance Devices that would play important roles in future continental wars, including the High-Altitude Aerial Surveillance Spirit Guidance Device, the High-Energy Compression Array Spirit Guidance Device, the Multi-Person Linked Spirit Guidance Device, and Class 9 Stationary Spirit Cannon shells.
If these were handed to a power capable of manufacturing Class 9 Spirit Guidance Devices, it wouldn't take long for them to become a Spirit Guidance Master holy land on the Douluo Continent, second only to Illustrious Virtue Hall.
Ling Bai found a letter from the Heavenly Soul Imperial Family to the Body Sect. The general meaning was as follows:
Heavenly Soul Princess Wei Na possessed exceptional Twin Martial Spirits: the imperial family's inherited Snow Lotus and the Body Martial Spirit, Spirit Brain. The Heavenly Soul Emperor had decided to have Princess Wei Na join the Body Sect, arrange an engagement with the Body Sect's Young Master Long Aotian, and designate the Body Sect as the Empire's Guardian Sect.
The Heavenly Soul Imperial Family learned from Princess Wei Na that the Body Sect would soon attack Illustrious Virtue Hall. They hoped the Body Sect would bring back some Class 9 Spirit Guidance Device blueprints to enable the Heavenly Soul Empire's rapid development.
"Guardian Sect..."
Ling Bai sighed. The Heavenly Soul Empire had ultimately abandoned the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan in favor of the Body Sect.
This was likely due to two reasons. First, the Body Sect had deep foundations, with eleven Body Martial Spirit Titled Douluos possessing formidable strength, while the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan strictly concealed information about Jianmu Douluo, leaving the outside world unaware of his condition.
Second, when the Heaven Dou Empire split a thousand years ago, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan had supported the Xue lineage of the Dou Spirit Empire, which carried the Heaven Dou imperial surname.
The Xue lineage was ultimately defeated and fled to Spirit Dou City. However, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan could not abandon its foundation in Nine Treasure City. The Heavenly Soul Imperial Family, wary of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's ancient heritage, also did not pursue the matter at the time, and both sides had coexisted peacefully.
However, the Heavenly Soul Imperial Family still harbored resentment. Coupled with Princess Wei Na's Twin Martial Spirits providing an excellent bridge to connect the imperial family with the Body Sect, the Heavenly Soul Empire decided to embrace the Body Sect.
People had their own aspirations. Whatever path they chose, they must bear the consequences.
If one day he attacked the Body Sect's headquarters and saw Heavenly Soul Imperial Family Worships standing on the opposing side, then, sorry—he would kill them all the same.
Besides the two 10,000-year spirit bones and twenty-one Class 9 Spirit Guidance Device blueprints, Tiger Arm Douluo's remaining possessions amounted to over ten million spirit gold coins and sect tokens.
Ling Bai summoned the Spectral Gate and threw the blueprints, God Sealing Altar, and the Class 9 and Class 8 Stationary Spirit Guidance Devices that Jing Hongchen had used to threaten Shrek City, all into the Spectral Demiplane.
Having lost such important items, Jing Hongchen would certainly search everyone at the Sun Moon Imperial Academy. Ling Bai would naturally be no exception. To be safe, all treasures that couldn't see the light of day had to be hidden in the Spectral World.
When he met Ning Tian and Wu Feng later, he would also need to temporarily retrieve the Golden Tortoise and the Stationary Spirit Guidance Devices in their hands.
The battle above had not yet ended; Illustrious Virtue Hall and the Body Sect were fighting inextricably. Du Busi would absolutely not retreat before Tiger Arm Douluo succeeded. Ling Bai continued along the passage, as he had not yet obtained what he wanted.
…
Illustrious Virtue Hall, Underground Secret Chamber Number Two.
The Death Abyss Bone Dragon tore open the sturdy metal door. While Secret Chamber Number Three was a top-secret storage room, Chamber Number Two was surprisingly a spacious laboratory.
However, this vast laboratory was completely empty, seemingly without a single valuable Spirit Guidance Device.
Ling Bai certainly wouldn't believe that and prepared to search thoroughly. At the same time, a figure activated a mimicry skill, sticking close to the wall and furtively inching toward the door, step by step.
The Death Abyss Bone Dragon was dozing in front of the main door when it suddenly felt an itch on one of its bones. Its dragon claw moved with a swatting sound, coincidentally sending a figure flying.
The figure landed on the ground and looked up. The evil faces of both Death Abyss Douluo and the Death Abyss Bone Dragon met his eyes. Wanting to cry but having no tears, he said:
"Lord Death Abyss, long time no see..."
Ling Bai smiled warmly. "Yes indeed, long time no see, Huo Yuhao."