Chapter 410: The Empress's End, Resolved Vengeance
In the sky, the raging fire elements surged wildly, as if intent on consuming everything in their path. Amid the fiery tempest, a powerful force opened a space, forcing the fire back and creating a pocket of calm.
A fierce wind blew against the Grand Elder, tearing his clothes and making him look like a disheveled beggar. His expression froze as he gazed at the center of the collision between the two attacks, mouth open in shock.
When the shockwave reverberated back, he instinctively raised his arms to shield himself, surrounding his body with layers of defensive spirit techniques. Even with all that protection, he was forced back several thousand meters.
"My ninth spirit skill was... blocked?"
Feeling the residual energy wreaking havoc inside him, the Grand Elder was shaken to his core. This was his ultimate attack, the strongest move of a Super Douluo. For a mere Soul Emperor like Dai Yao to withstand it was beyond anything he had ever imagined.
"Is that brat still alive?" He swallowed his surprise, narrowing his eyes as he scanned the sky.
If Dai Yao were dead, it would be a relief—one less threat for the Dai family. But if Dai Yao were still alive and largely unscathed, then...
Just as he was deep in thought, a wave of spirit energy emanated from below the clouds. Dai Yao emerged, his four sets of wings gently flapping as he rose to meet the Grand Elder's gaze.
Seeing him, the Grand Elder's heart wavered. Dai Yao's clothes were torn, revealing his muscular frame. Blood trickled from several wounds, and his golden hair had dimmed in places, some strands even scorched. Despite the wear and tear, his spirit remained undiminished, and his aura was even stronger than before.
Painfully, Dai Yao raised a hand, spirit energy flashing in his eyes. He then hesitated, his arm lowering again. The risky move he had used to try to kill Dai Yao had not only failed but left him with considerable internal damage.
"Are you still going to fight?" Dai Yao's tone was calm as he glanced at the Qinglian Sect disciples retreating below.
Now that he had proven himself capable of blocking the Grand Elder, he could count himself among the most formidable on the continent. The Qinglian Sect disciples had left Star Luo City; he had no need to continue fighting the Grand Elder.
If the Grand Elder pursued him, the Spirit Hall would be quick to exploit the chaos, throwing the imperial palace into turmoil.
Looking at Dai Yao, the Grand Elder was struck by a vision of the once-ambitious Star Luo Emperor—yet Dai Yao's accomplishments already far exceeded the emperor's. He looked down at Star Luo City, now torn apart by war. Spirit Hall forces, opportunistic nobles, and those loyal to Dai Yao's cause filled the city with chaos.
A wave of helplessness swept over him. With the emperor's death, factions opposing the Dai family in Star Luo City had risen up, and even as a Super Douluo, he was powerless to stop the descent into ruin.
He let out a long sigh, turning to Dai Yao with tired eyes. "Is this really what you wanted?"
Dai Yao stood still, letting the wind blow through his hair, and replied in a deep voice, "No. It's what all of you wanted."
The Grand Elder's bitter smile conveyed understanding. He knew what Dai Yao meant—if they hadn't forced him into this path, Dai Yao would not have reached this point.
The Grand Elder squinted, looking up at the blazing sun. The once-glorious Star Luo dynasty seemed to burn within its light, its honor reduced to crumbling ruins covered in overgrown weeds. He saw now that he had no power left to stop Dai Yao. A mere Soul Emperor had nearly bested him—how could he hope to contend with Dai Yao in the years to come, when his power would undoubtedly grow?
"Yes, today's consequence was yesterday's cause. The world never runs out of talent. You may go—I can no longer stop you. I did all I could for my family. Do as you will with the Dai clan in the future."
Dai Yao narrowed his eyes, surprised to see the Grand Elder accept reality so quickly.
"My goal was revenge, not slaughter. With the Star Luo Emperor dead, my vengeance is nearly complete. I have no further interest in the Dai clan," Dai Yao replied calmly.
Many in the Dai family were innocent, and he held grievances only against certain elders. The Fifth Elder had been aloof but without malice; the Second Elder, however, had always sought his downfall. He had little contact with the other elders. Those who had bullied him in his youth—servants and guards alike—had already been quietly dealt with by the Empress long ago.
Of course, this didn't mean he was sparing the Dai clan. With the Spirit Hall watching closely and Tang San unable to become the Sea God, the fate of the two great empires was sealed. The Star Luo Dai family was just bones in a dying grave. Dai Yao saw no need to dirty his hands any further.
"There is, however, one person still alive. Before I leave, I need to finish things with her..." Dai Yao said coldly, and in a flash, he vanished.
The Grand Elder's eyes narrowed. He knew exactly what Dai Yao intended, and though fury and shock flared in his heart, he could only watch Dai Yao disappear. His anger eventually gave way to resignation as he sighed, "Empress, you can reap what you've sown."
He began to descend slowly.
As he approached the ground, the Star Luo soul masters gathered around him, their faces a mixture of confusion and worry. The Second Elder, though suspecting the truth, asked hopefully, "Big Brother, how did the battle go?"
The Grand Elder scanned the anxious faces surrounding him and sighed, shaking his head. "I couldn't kill him. My ninth spirit skill was blocked."
The air around them went silent. Shocked, no one could find the words to respond. A Soul Emperor, against a Super Douluo—and yet he had held his own. This feat defied belief, yet here it was, plain as day.
"This traitor... is he even human?" a palace servant growled, his voice trembling. With the emperor's death, those who had been loyal to him were now stranded and naturally harbored deep resentment against Dai Yao.
"It's all over… completely over..." The Grand Elder's words echoed in the Second Elder's mind like a thunderclap, leaving him dazed. If Dai Yao lived, he would surely die. Bitterly, he cursed the Grand Elder, "An old man who can't even defeat a Soul Emperor—what a waste of life!"
The Fifth Elder stared blankly into the distance, overcome with regret. If only he had handled things differently, if only he had been a bit more flexible on the family rules, maybe Dai Yao would not have left.
The Third Elder stepped forward, his voice charged with emotion. "Big Brother, that brat must have paid a high price to block your ninth spirit skill. Why didn't you pursue him?!"
The Grand Elder held up his withered hand with a sad smile. His arm trembled faintly, and he could feel Dai Yao's self-created skill still wreaking havoc on his body. If he pushed himself further, he would not survive much longer. If he died, the forces eyeing the Star Luo throne would pounce without hesitation.
"If I could, do you think I'd have held back?" he replied with a helpless smile.
Seeing the tremor in the Grand Elder's arm, the others understood why he hadn't pursued Dai Yao. A heavy silence fell over them. The Second Elder, still desperate, asked, "Big Brother, is there really no way to stop him?"
The Grand Elder looked away, sighing deeply. "The dragon has ascended; there is no reining him in now."
The group fell silent. Although the Grand Elder hadn't said it directly, everyone understood. If Dai Yao chose not to spare the Star Luo royal family, its erasure from the continent was only a matter of time.
The Soul Douluos nearby were struck with disbelief. A family like the Dai clan, with an unchallenged legacy stretching back thousands of years, was on the brink of collapse in a single day—all due to a former genius disciple from within their own ranks.
The Seventh Elder of the Haotian Sect clenched his remaining hand, his eyes filled with shock and fear.
"Grand Elder, since those traitors have left, I must depart as well. I need to return to the Heaven Dou Empire and report this to the Sect Leader without delay."
He spoke solemnly. The true identity of the "Asura King" and Dai Yao's hidden power were unimaginable; he had to inform Tang San immediately so they could prepare.
The Grand Elder's weary eyes flickered. With Dai Yao's looming threat from within and Spirit Hall waiting to pounce from without, Star Luo faced a perilous situation. They would need an alliance with the Haotian Sect and the Heaven Dou Empire to avoid catastrophe.
"Go," he said heavily.
The Seventh Elder nodded, then ascended swiftly into the sky, disappearing in a streak of light toward the Heaven Dou Empire. He veered eastward for a distance before finally heading northward to avoid any chance of encountering Dai Yao's party.
In the imperial harem, a scene of despair had unfolded, the sound of sobs rising and falling. Since the body of the Star Luo Emperor had been brought back to the palace, the bedrock of faith within its walls had crumbled. The palace maids wept openly, and guards stared in disbelief. Some had broken down, screaming, while the ironclad discipline of the palace had all but disappeared.
Yet no one cared about discipline now.
The Empress knelt beside the Emperor's body, as if her strength had been drained. Her trembling hands reached out to touch the man she had once loved, now cold and lifeless.
"Your Majesty..." she whispered in grief.
Despite the wall that had separated them for years, her love for the Emperor had never wavered. Seeing him lying here, lifeless, left her feeling empty.
For so long, she had prayed for his forgiveness. But now, he was dead; her pleas would remain unanswered forever.
Nearby, Dai Mubai looked at his father's body, his mind blank, his body trembling slightly. He could hardly believe that Dai Yao had actually defeated him. Though he hadn't shared a deep bond with his father, it was likely his older brother Davis had felt more connected. He wasn't overwhelmed with grief, but rather by the growing distance between his power and Dai Yao's. A sense of defeat and helplessness gnawed at him.
Suddenly, a shadow appeared behind the Empress.
"Who goes there!"
A guard called out, rushing forward to intercept the figure. Dai Mubai turned swiftly, his eyes widening when he recognized Dai Yao. In an instant, he knew why Dai Yao was here: his mother was his target. Soul power surged as he activated his spirit skills, charging at Dai Yao in a desperate attempt to stop him.
But Dai Yao barely raised a hand. Seizing Dai Mubai by the throat, he lifted him effortlessly into the air, speaking coldly, "I spared your life, Dai Mubai. If you don't value it, I won't hesitate to take it back." With a casual toss, he sent Dai Mubai crashing into the palace wall.
The guards froze in place, no one daring to intervene. A few brave souls who attempted were struck down in swift, deadly moves by Dai Yao.
With no one left to interfere, Dai Yao pulled out a Zhuge Divine Crossbow from his storage pouch and loaded it with arrows tipped with water from the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well, all the while asking, "No one can save you now. Do you have any last words?"
Dai Yao had prepared this weapon as a special gift for the Empress, ensuring that she would suffer. The water from the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well had an excruciating effect, combining extreme cold and searing heat to inflict unbearable pain.
The Empress did not turn to look at him; her eyes remained fixed on the Emperor's body, her gaze growing more vacant. She gave a bitter smile and said, "To think I would die at your hands… Leaving you alive back then has led to my ruin. Bai Su, I lost to you after all—not only in love but in raising the next generation."
Dai Yao raised the crossbow, pressing it against her back.
With a pull of the trigger, the bolts shot out, piercing through the Empress's body and pinning her to the ground. Blood spilled forth, and at each entry wound, ice formed and burned the flesh to charcoal—two opposing effects ravaging her at once. But she didn't scream. Even as she coughed blood in agony, she dragged herself forward, finally collapsing onto the Emperor's body.
She breathed heavily, a blissful smile on her face. For the first time, she was able to embrace him without being pushed away.
As her warmth faded, she died amidst the pain, her breathing coming to a final halt.
The snow, briefly stilled by the battle, began to fall once more, quickly covering both bodies in a blanket of white.
"A pitiful soul," Dai Yao murmured, looking at her lifeless form.
The Empress's cruelty toward him and his mother had always stemmed from her desperate need to secure the Emperor's love. But he was a man of ruthless ambition, devoid of true affection—only interested in conquest and control. By using the throne to threaten him, she had committed an unforgivable offense, sealing her fate.
The Empress's endless sacrifices to win his forgiveness had always been in vain.
And her bitterness had ultimately spilled over onto Dai Yao and his mother, leading them to suffer greatly. In the end, her death was not undeserved.
Looking down at the Emperor and Empress's bodies, Dai Yao raised his head to the snow-filled sky. Star Luo City lay beneath a fresh blanket of white, just as it had when he had been confined to the cold palace as a child.
"It's over," he said quietly.
Hatred had been the fuel that drove him forward, from fleeing Star Luo to finding refuge in the Heaven Dou Empire and joining Spirit Hall, growing stronger step by step until he had the power to vanquish his greatest enemies today.
Memories flickered through his mind like scenes from a dream: surviving in the palace's cold solitude, enduring humiliation at the Star Luo Imperial Academy, training relentlessly beneath the waterfall, learning discipline at the Oakland Academy, and, later, being used as a pawn by Spirit Hall...
The images faded, leaving only the sight of the Emperor and Empress's bodies.
He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, all hesitation was gone. Unfurling his eight wings, Dai Yao ascended, disappearing into the falling snow. He knew he would never return here, never set foot in Star Luo again.
From now on, he would live for himself.
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