Chapter 268: The Fifth Soul Skill - White Tiger Titan Transformation
As the door opened, several fierce-looking but visibly weakened soul beasts came into view.
With his extensive knowledge, Dai Yao immediately recognized their types. The first was a Red-Eyed Tiger King, the second a Ghost Tiger, the third a Silvermoon Wolf King, and the last—a Titan Snow Demon. Each was over 30,000 years old, with the Titan Snow Demon nearing 40,000 years. Any ordinary Soul Emperor would be reluctant to attempt absorbing such a powerful ring.
"Looks like Bibi Dong knows me all too well," Dai Yao thought, slightly bemused. All four soul beasts were highly suitable for him. The first three were rare and powerful species. The Red-Eyed Tiger King, famously slain by Dai Mubai in the original story, had provided him with a right arm bone. The Ghost Tiger, as he recalled, had once been drawn out by Tang San's mystical incense in the Sunset Forest. Meanwhile, the Silvermoon Wolf King was introduced in Peerless Tang Sect as Huo Yuhao's formidable fourth soul ring. But the Titan Snow Demon was by far the rarest of the lot.
According to ancient lore, the Titan Snow Demon was descended from a Titan Giant once blessed by the Ice God, containing traces of divine blood, making it one of the rulers of the Far North.
Each soul beast, especially the Titan Snow Demon, was a rarity that the Spirit Hall had captured and carefully preserved. For Dai Yao to receive access to them for his fifth soul ring was an honor indeed.
"Dai Yao, these four were personally selected by the Pope herself. Have you made a choice? If none suits you, we can arrange for a visit to any soul beast forest to find one that does."
Standing beside him, Ferdinand's face lit up with a proud smile. Behind him, three red-robed bishops watched, their eyes filled with a mix of skepticism and curiosity. They'd heard of Dai Yao's feats, but witnessing a young soul master who planned to absorb a 30,000-year soul ring was nearly incomprehensible.
Dai Yao, however, knew exactly which soul beast he wanted. His gaze remained firmly on the colossal Titan Snow Demon, which towered over twenty meters in height.
The Titan Snow Demon was the most valuable among the four, containing a trace of godly blood, just like his Thunder Fury Vine. While the Thunder Fury Vine had denser godly blood, the Titan Snow Demon's bloodline was still precious and extremely rare.
More importantly, the Titan Snow Demon would boost his physical capabilities, which was exactly what he needed. He already had powerful attack skills—his White Tiger Thunder Strike could reach the might of a Soul Douluo's full attack, his Eight Extremes Collapse could rival his fourth soul skill, and his Dark Gold Terror Claws would grow stronger as his soul power rose.
In addition, his relentless spear training had strengthened his close-combat capabilities, especially with the lethal power of his Execution Spear.
Aware of his focus, Ferdinand's face turned serious. "Dai Yao, you should understand that the Titan Snow Demon is not an ordinary soul beast. In fact, several Soul Sages reconsidered absorbing its ring due to its extreme strength and ferocity. I would not have offered it for selection if the Pope herself had not insisted. Now that you understand the risks, are you sure you want to go through with this?"
"Yes," Dai Yao replied firmly.
Ferdinand let out a resigned sigh. "The young...always keen to test their limits. Very well, then. Prepare yourself."
"Thank you, Grandfather Ferdinand." Dai Yao bowed respectfully.
After a brief period of meditation, he opened his eyes, renewed and ready. With a steady hand, he drew his weapon, delivering a precise, swift strike to the Titan Snow Demon's weak point. As life left the beast's enormous frame, a soul ring of deep black emerged, emanating an aura of staggering power. The three other beasts, sensing the soul ring's presence, let out low growls of fear.
Dai Yao resumed his meditation, and the black ring, seemingly drawn by an invisible force, floated towards him, enveloping his body.
Half an hour later.
The three bishops stood in stunned silence, watching Dai Yao surrounded by the pulsing, nearly tamed soul ring.
"He's actually doing it," whispered the Soul Sage-level bishop, his face pale with disbelief.
The remaining two bishops, both Soul Douluos, were similarly struck. The sight of a fifth-ring Soul King absorbing a ring from a 40,000-year-old Titan Snow Demon challenged everything they thought they knew about soul mastery. Among average soul masters, achieving even a ten-thousand-year fifth ring was a rare feat. But this?
"Gifted beyond measure…" whispered one Soul Douluo, awe replacing his earlier doubt. They now fully understood why the Pope and the Titled Douluo elders held Dai Yao in such high esteem. The skepticism that had clouded their initial impressions was gone.
At last, the turbulent soul ring steadied around Dai Yao, its energy fully integrated, its fierce resistance dissolved. He exhaled and rose, taking in the silent, astonished looks of the bishops and Ferdinand.
His heart stirred, knowing he had taken yet another step toward his destiny.
The Spirit Hall now possessed not only the Golden Generation's trio of prodigies but also the terrifying strength of Dai Yao. With these figures reaching Titled Douluo status one day, the Pope's vision of unifying the continent seemed far closer to becoming a reality.
Ferdinand watched Dai Yao with a look of fatherly pride. Having observed him since childhood, Ferdinand knew well the sacrifices Dai Yao had made to reach his current level of mastery. Dai Yao's four personal attendants were no less proud, their eyes filled with admiration. Now bonded to Dai Yao's fate, his success meant their own honor and standing would rise along with his. If Dai Yao were to reach Titled Douluo status, they too would be held in high regard. By then, many would likely aspire for their daughters to serve as attendants to someone of his caliber.
Taking a long breath, Dai Yao felt the potent black soul ring steadily sink into his body. His torn meridians, strained to the point of breaking, were now revitalizing at a visible rate. A tingling sensation replaced the previous searing pain as the rejuvenating force coursed through his entire body.
Having repeatedly pushed his limits with advanced-level soul rings, Dai Yao was no stranger to the grueling process. But the pressure from the Titan Snow Demon's ring had been unlike any he had previously endured. As before, his meridians strained to their limits under the ring's formidable power, only to be gradually mended by a soothing green glow. In the end, the green energy proved victorious, subduing the ring's energy.
To his joy, his soul power had already advanced to Level 53, inching close to Level 54.
"It's done!" Dai Yao opened his eyes, bringing forth the soul ring to inspect. Its luminous black gleam, like polished obsidian, radiated a mesmerizing intensity.
"White Tiger Titan Transformation—triples all physical attributes for one hour. Incredible…"
The ring's power left him awestruck. This Titan Snow Demon ring granted him an astonishing skill that even doubled the strength increase of his third soul skill, the White Tiger Darkgold Transformation. With both abilities active, his attributes would see a combined fivefold boost. Dai Yao felt confident that with a fivefold increase, he could wield his Eight Extremes Collapse technique at its most powerful level—eight times compressed force. In his usual state, he was already formidable. With such an amplified enhancement, he'd become an opponent most would hardly dare to challenge.
However, these powerful soul skills had a steep cost in soul power, which could be daunting to maintain. Fortunately, Dai Yao's liquid soul power contained energy reserves several times that of an average soul master of his level, allowing him to utilize these skills for longer periods.
"Dai Yao, perhaps it's time to rein in your soul ring. Look, your attendants are struggling to withstand its pressure," Ferdinand said with a light chuckle.
Dai Yao turned to see his attendants visibly affected by the soul ring's aura. The three Soul Elders among them had flushed faces, while the Soul King-level Peacock was breathing heavily, her hands clenched tightly as she fought to bear the strain. Feeling the vast difference between her strength and his, Peacock grew ever more resolute in her loyalty to Dai Yao and more determined to chase after such strength.
He promptly withdrew the soul ring, allowing his attendants to breathe freely again.
"Thank you, Grandfather Ferdinand, and thank you, bishops, for your protection." Dai Yao bowed in gratitude.
"Oh, it's no trouble at all…" The bishops, all smiles, radiated a warm kindness. If their subordinates had seen their typically icy commanders acting so congenially, they would have been shocked to doubt their identities. Yet, such were the benefits of immense power; strength had a way of drawing favor from even the most distant souls.
Now Ferdinand gestured dismissively with a smile.
"Alright, Dai Yao, enough of the formalities. Look at yourself—covered in blood! Go clean up. Later this afternoon, accompany me to see the Pope. There's an important matter awaiting your presence."
Curious, Dai Yao couldn't help but ask, "What sort of matter?"
Ferdinand's gaze grew serious as he conjured a soundproof barrier with his soul power. Leaning in, he whispered two words: "Soul Hunt."
A chill ran through Dai Yao. The meaning behind those words was profound.
The Soul Hunt signaled an impending onslaught against the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan—an eradication of any who might resist the Spirit Hall's ambitions. This would make the Spirit Hall's intentions painfully clear to all, finally prompting the two empires to rally against it. Without Tang San's future intervention, the Spirit Hall's unification of the continent would have been nearly inevitable.
As he reflected on recent events, Dai Yao sensed an underlying purpose behind it all.
First, Bibi Dong had arranged for the Serpent Spear Douluo to teach him spear techniques and then provided him with a rare and powerful soul beast. And now, immediately after he absorbed his new ring, he was to participate in discussions on the Soul Hunt.
Until now, Dai Yao had never attended any of the Spirit Hall's meetings. He had been focused solely on his training, but he sensed that Bibi Dong had deliberately planned this sequence of events.
A looming sense of unease gnawed at him—he felt as though he were caught in an intricately woven net, one that was slowly, inevitably, closing in around him.
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