"Tons… tons… tons… ha!"
Lucien tipped his jar back, guzzling happily as they trudged into the mountains.
What joy! Before departure, Xiao Xuexue had asked him if he needed anything. He answered honestly: wine, and nothing else.
Now, with dozens of jars tucked into his soul guide, he strode with confidence. The only thing souring his mood?
Qian Renxue had disguised him for this mission—like a haggard uncle in his thirties, with a scruffy beard and ugly scars.
Lucien grimaced. Ugly!
Snake Lance Douluo and Dolphin Douluo were dark-faced, veins twitching at the sight.
Here they were, marching to face the infamous Tang Hao… while this brat downed liquor one step at a time, from Heaven Dou City all the way to the mountain forest.
"Old Snake," Dolphin Douluo muttered as they neared, "this mountain range… it must be the one Miss marked."
"Correct," Snake Lance answered grimly. He waved to two scout teams behind them. "Advance forward. Report any abnormalities at once."
"Yes!"
Two squads of Soul Emperors vanished swiftly into the trees.
Moments later, the cries of startled birds rang overhead.
"Everyone—on guard!" Snake Lance barked.
But when he turned, his words caught.
That drunkard Lucien, who had been swaying moments ago—his eyes now gleamed like steel. The long black sword in his hand oozed a sinister mist.
He tilted back once more from his jar. "Tons… tons…"
Snake Lance nearly fell over. Still drinking? At this moment?
Suddenly—
A murderous aura swept the forest, so overwhelming that every Soul Emperor dropped to their knees, their fighting will shattered instantly.
The two Titled Douluo stiffened. Even though they'd braced themselves, the raw dominance strangled their chests. Only one man could radiate such a killing field.
And then he appeared.
A hulking, slovenly figure emerged from the forest. Hair wild, beard tangled, clothes ragged. He looked more like a savage black bear than a man.
But the aura…
They froze in disbelief. Tang Hao.
Had only twenty years passed since his disappearance? How had the once-dashing Haotian Douluo become… this?
"Two Title Douluos," Tang Hao said flatly. "Martial Soul Hall's dogs, I presume?"
His voice dripped disdain.
He had long suspected this place was under watch. In fact, he'd already been preparing to move Ah Yin elsewhere. But before he could—another group of enemies delivered themselves to his door.
Lucien stepped forward at that moment, driving his sword point into the earth.
Waves of black sword qi erupted outward, colliding violently with Tang Hao's murderous aura.
Snake Lance and Dolphin felt their crushing pressure suddenly lighten. Their hearts skipped.
This boy… He's actually forcing back Tang Hao's killing field?!
Perhaps it wasn't a mistake, after all, bringing him.
Tang Hao's dark eyes narrowed. His gaze fell on Lucien's blade.
That sword throbbed with a horror he hadn't felt in years. For a mere Soul King, this youth's presence was far beyond reason. His five spirit rings shone bright—yet it was the aura pouring from his sword that chilled him.
When that sword grows with him… it may surpass even the madness of Slaughter City.
Could such talent truly exist in today's Douluo Continent?
The two Douluo exchanged grim nods.
"Martial Souls, full release!"
Nine rings rose beneath them, their bodies shifting into lethal forms.
Dolphin Douluo swelled grotesquely, body ballooning into a venomous hedgehog wreathed in purple mist. Snake Lance Douluo's body blurred forward, his spear thrusting with shadows like shimmering serpent tongues.
"Two clowns," Tang Hao sneered.
His nine rings lit one after another—and the Clear Sky Hammer crashed into his hands, dark red ninth ring glowing ominously.
The mountain range shook as his raw power detonated. The serpent spear shadows shattered instantly; the hedgehog's poison mist dispersed like smoke before a storm.
The two Titled Douluo hissed inwardly. Even holding back, Tang Hao's strength was incomprehensible.
"This is trouble!"
Tang Hao's expression chilled further. "Since Martial Soul Hall dare come to me—none of you leave alive."
While Tang Hao's attention was fixed on the two Douluo, Lucien's aura dimmed to nothing. Quiet as shadow, he slipped around the battlefield, sword at his side.
And soon, a soft rumble reached his ears. A valley ahead, a waterfall crashing down into a deep pool.
But what caught him was the scent. His nose twitched.
Wine.
He followed it eagerly, pushing through spray until he stood before the roaring falls.
"The smell's coming from behind that waterfall," he muttered.
Sword qi surged. With one slash, he blasted aside the crashing water and dashed through in the brief gap.
Behind it sat several jars lined against the rock.
"Ha! Wine!"
Ecstatic, Lucien snatched up an altar and gulped—
"Ptttft!" He spat the liquid all over.
"Bah! What trash is this? Rough, sour swill… it burns like firewood ash!" He grimaced.
He liked wine, yes—but bad liquor was worse than poison. Drinking this, he felt, might even weaken him.
And then… his eyes snapped to the corner.
There, sprouting softly against stone, was a single stalk of Blue Silver Grass.
But unlike any ordinary blade, this one shone with nobility. Its veins traced delicate, intricate patterns; its body swayed gracefully in the mist.
Lucien's mouth gaped.
"What kind of bastard leaves such a lovely little grass hidden away like this? Unacceptable!"
He marched closer, kneeling, his tone solemn. "Come on, little one. Let me take you out, see the sun properly."
The grass shook violently, leaves trembling as though answering him.
Lucien grinned. "You agree! You're excited already, can't wait any longer."
He raised his arms gallantly. "Alright, alright—don't worry. I'll take you away right now."
The Blue Silver Grass trembled furiously in response.
--
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