Chapter 266: One Year
"Spear Douluo, what brings you here?"
Dai Yao leaped down from the waterfall and respectfully approached Spear Douluo, his mind full of questions.
Firstly, he had no prior relationship with Spear Douluo. Secondly, while Bibi Dong commanded Dai Yao, Spear Douluo answered to the Grand Worshiper, serving within the Pope's Hall but always maintaining a subtle distance from Bibi Dong's ranks. This visit was thus unexpected, and Dai Yao kept a wary stance.
Spear Douluo couldn't help but admire Dai Yao's determination, recalling his focused training beneath the falls. Despite his achievements, Dai Yao never grew complacent—a trait that had helped him surpass even the Golden Generation.
Sighing, he said, "The Pope has tasked me with teaching you spear techniques. I don't know what she's thinking; you're clearly a beast-type spirit master, yet she wants me to teach you about weapon spirits. It's..." He paused, almost uttering "absurd," but caught himself in time. Noticing Dai Yao's neutral expression, he continued, "Enough talk; since this is the Pope's order, I'll do my part. Follow me."
Dai Yao quietly followed, his heart a mix of excitement and curiosity. Bibi Dong must have arranged for Spear Douluo's guidance after witnessing his supposed second martial spirit, the "God-Slaying Spear." This was a calculated move on Dai Yao's part; the God-Slaying Spear acted as a decoy to conceal his true martial spirit, the Chaos Green Lotus. Though powerful, the spear had gone unused beyond its raw, god-defying properties. Proper training under Spear Douluo could refine his skills and fully unleash the spear's deadly potential.
Reaching a small hill, Spear Douluo raised his hand, conjuring his spear and striking the ground. With precision, the earth and vegetation peeled away, exposing the bedrock below.
Pointing to the newly uncovered stone, Spear Douluo said, "True spear technique is fast, precise, and ruthless. But above all, it's about unwavering strength of spirit!"
"For your first task, take this wooden spear and shatter this rock using only force—no spirit energy allowed. The rock must break, and the spear must remain intact." With that, Spear Douluo vanished, leaving Dai Yao to stare at the massive stone slab in stunned silence.
Shattering this rock with a wooden spear... it sounds impossible, Dai Yao thought, glancing from the spear to the boulder. But if anyone could complete such a challenge, it was him.
Dai Yao carved a wooden spear, took a breath, and began his training with fierce determination. As days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, countless spears splintered in his hands, each strike teaching him a little more about Spear Douluo's method: speed, precision, and ruthlessness. Soon, he learned to strike at the rock's weak points, aiming with deadly accuracy to chip away at it without destroying his weapon.
Yet mastery lay not just in understanding but in repetition—until even the tiniest motion became second nature. Eventually, instead of needing a new spear every hour, he required only one every day. Then one every ten days. The rate of spear breakage slowed, while his pace at breaking the stone quickened. Each thrust became more controlled, more powerful.
His four maids watched in awe as Dai Yao, stripped to the waist and glistening with sweat, tirelessly wielded his spear against the unyielding stone. The mountain, which had once seemed insurmountable, grew smaller with every strike.
Three months later, in the valley, only the thunderous roar of the waterfall remained. The rock mound had been reduced to scattered rubble. After delivering a final blow, Dai Yao found himself without a target. Elation surged through him, filling him with an intense sense of accomplishment as he looked over the splintered pile of broken spears.
"Success," he whispered, unable to keep the joy from his face.
Just then, Spear Douluo appeared before him, casting a quick, astonished look at the pile of shattered rock. It had taken him a year to complete this exercise in his youth, and even then, he had been considered a prodigy. Yet Dai Yao had surpassed him, finishing the task in just three months—a feat that left him speechless.
Spear Douluo studied Dai Yao with newfound respect before speaking. "Impressive. You're truly capable. Now it's time for your second task: stand under the waterfall and shatter stones as they fall from above using only your wooden spear."
He gestured to Dai Yao's four maids. "You, carry the broken stones to the top of the waterfall and drop them from there. Dai Yao, your task is to strike fast, precisely, and ruthlessly. You must move quickly to intercept the stones, accurately strike their weakest points, and, above all, remain fearless."
"When you can accomplish this, try it with your eyes closed, relying only on sound to locate the stones." Spear Douluo smirked. As a youth, it had taken him two years to accomplish this feat, and he had never managed the blindfolded version—a challenge so difficult that it was practically a legend.
"Think you're up for it, Dai Yao?"
Dai Yao hesitated. From a hundred meters up, the stones would fall with crushing speed.
Moreover, with the waterfall's turbulence and the high speed of the falling stones, Dai Yao would need to find the weak spots in the stones' constantly shifting surfaces with perfect accuracy, shattering dozens of stones simultaneously. The difficulty of calculating the stones' precise trajectories and striking at lightning speed couldn't be overstated. Any miscalculation meant risking a painful collision, as even with Dai Yao's physique, a stone falling at that speed would be punishing.
And to complete this task blindfolded, relying solely on hearing to locate the falling stones—was this even possible?
After a moment of contemplation, Dai Yao nodded resolutely, "I accept."
This wasn't just about testing his limits. If he was to achieve his revenge, he needed to hold himself to the highest standards.
Spear Douluo looked at him, mildly astonished, as Dai Yao firmly strode to his position beneath the waterfall.
Nine Months Later
At the top of the hundred-meter-high waterfall, Peacock and Rhododendron each held a basket of stones, gazing down at Dai Yao, who appeared as a mere speck below them. That figure was their master, Dai Yao.
Over the past nine months, they had witnessed his remarkable transformation. From being bruised and battered by the stones, struggling to keep pace, to handling them with ease, Dai Yao had made astounding progress that even they, as spirit masters, found hard to believe.
During one of Dai Yao's brief rest periods, the maids had attempted the stone-shattering exercise for themselves. They found that they could barely stand on the boulder without faltering, let alone strike with any precision. Even Peacock, at the Soul King level, struggled to land a single hit with all her might, let alone shatter a stone.
Understanding the difficulty of Dai Yao's task firsthand left them in awe. Their admiration only grew, and over time, they grew deeply respectful and perhaps even enamored with his dedication. Dai Yao treated them with a rare dignity, one that subtly transcended their roles as servants. Despite their feelings, they knew the vast gap between them and the extraordinary women he often accompanied. Thus, they kept their admiration hidden, content to simply remain by his side.
Now, with her Peacock martial soul activated, feathers spreading in a brilliant fan, Peacock signaled readiness to the figures below. Egret, standing near Dai Yao with her long legs, noticed the sign and turned, calling to her blindfolded master, "Master, are you ready?"
Dai Yao responded with a slight bow, signaling his readiness. He gripped the wooden spear tightly, preparing to face the volley of stones descending from above.
Egret activated her own spirit, a clear and melodious cry echoing throughout the valley, signaling the maids atop the waterfall. Peacock and Rhododendron exchanged a glance, then tilted their baskets, sending dozens of stones hurtling downward with a sharp whistling sound.
Beneath the waterfall, Dai Yao, blindfolded, tilted his head, listening intently as he calmed his mind. Focusing inward, he blocked out all ambient noise save for the rush of descending stones. Subtle shifts in air pressure painted a mental map of the stones' locations. From his countless hours of practice, he could even pinpoint the weak spots on each stone from the vibrations they caused.
The sound of the stones' descent intensified. He adjusted his grip on the spear, his muscles coiled with anticipation.
As the stones neared him, his four maids held their breaths, unable to tear their eyes away. Their master had been practicing this blindfolded technique for the last four months, ever since completing his second task. When he'd first attempted it, Spear Douluo himself had advised him to give it a try before leaving in awe of Dai Yao's relentless progress.
After countless bruises and fractures, Dai Yao had reached the point where he could shatter nineteen stones without a single misstep. Today, he aimed to shatter twenty—his ultimate goal.
The stones plunged from the waterfall, surging toward him in a matter of seconds. Partridge closed her eyes in nervous anticipation.
Then, a breathtaking sight unfolded.
Dai Yao's spear danced, a flurry of strikes radiating from his hand like the blossoming tail feathers of a peacock. In an instant, he thrust the spear twenty times, leaving ghostly trails that lingered in the air. A split second later, a resounding series of blasts filled the valley as each stone exploded into a shower of fragments, bursting like fireworks in the sky. Only those with incredibly sharp hearing could discern the twenty distinct impacts within the larger sound.
As the shattered fragments cascaded into the lake below, Egret cheered ecstatically, jumping with joy. "Master, you did it!"
Peacock and Rhododendron descended, each beaming with joy as they looked upon Dai Yao. Partridge slowly opened her eyes, and seeing Dai Yao unharmed, felt her heart soar with relief and excitement.
Dai Yao removed his blindfold, blinking as he adjusted to the brightness. He glanced at his maids, then at the mighty waterfall. A profound sense of accomplishment washed over him as he gazed up at the patch of sky framed by the surrounding peaks.
"It's finally over," he murmured, his voice filled with satisfaction.
At this point, he felt confident his spear techniques had reached a new height. With just a wooden spear, he could now hold his own against spirit masters of similar strength. He could only imagine the devastation he'd be capable of when wielding the God-Slaying Spear.
Feeling the surging spirit power within, he chuckled. "It seems I've also broken through to level fifty. Double the rewards—both completing my training and advancing a rank."
And this time, it wasn't due to the crystalline soul shards he'd used previously. This breakthrough was the natural result of his hard work and dedication.
Now, it was time to seek his fifth spirit ring!
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