I've also recently started a new translation, please check it out and show your support! Douluo: Seven Kill Shock the World
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Time rewinds slightly, within the battlefield.
Seeing that all three battle-type Soul Sages from Lan Ba Academy had been successfully restrained by him, though their infiltration and assassination plan had turned into an outright assault, and there was also an unexpected food-type Soul Sage at Lan Ba Academy, Cang Xiong still felt quite satisfied.
After all, as long as he kept Liu Erlong and the others occupied, Lan Ba Academy wouldn't have any other battle-type Soul Sages left, let alone any battle-type Soul Sages capable of flight.
With that in mind, sending "Han Bing" and "Lie Yan," two flying-type Soul Sages, to kill Chu Chengzhou—a mere Soul Ancestor—should be a piece of cake, right?
Even if Chu Chengzhou's summoned Fire Phoenix exerted bloodline suppression on "Han Bing" and "Lie Yan," due to the vast difference in soul power levels, it shouldn't pose much of a problem.
For now, after temporarily repelling the combined attacks of Liu Erlong and the others with a single move, Cang Xiong seized the brief opening and glanced toward the sky.
"What?!"
Instantly, Cang Xiong's eyes widened in disbelief.
In the air, a streak of golden light shot out. Without dodging or blocking, "Han Bing" was instantly struck, his head obliterated by the golden beam. His decapitated body began plummeting from the sky.
As for "Lie Yan"? He had died even earlier. By now, his headless corpse was nearly crashing into the ground.
"Fifth soul skill, Gravity Crush!"
"Fifth soul skill, Skyward Flame!"
"Fifth soul skill, Eagle Feather Barrage!"
Startled, Cang Xiong momentarily lost his rhythm. However, Liu Erlong and the others, seasoned veterans of countless battles, didn't waste a moment. Their soul rings flashed brightly as they launched another wave of attacks.
"Hmph! Sixth soul skill, Golden Bear Shield!"
As a Soul Douluo and one of the few top-tier experts on the continent, Cang Xiong instinctively activated his defensive soul skill upon sensing danger.
Boom—!
Enormous pressure descended from all directions. Flames surged, and arrow feathers pierced through, accompanied by thunderous explosions.
However, the two-thousand-year defensive soul skill of a Soul Douluo wasn't something a Soul Sage's ten-thousand-year offensive soul skill could break. Cang Xiong managed to block Liu Erlong and Flender's attacks with a glowing golden energy shield around his body.
As for Zhao Wuji's Gravity Crush? It wasn't an offensive soul skill but rather akin to domain-like abilities—though far less potent than true domains, it couldn't be countered by ordinary offensive or defensive measures.
"Sixth soul skill, Dragon Shadow Breaker!"
"Sixth soul skill, Starlight Array!"
At this moment, two Sixth soul skills descended upon Cang Xiong, who was surrounded.
It was Li Yusong and Lu Qibin, who had earlier evacuated the students away from the battlefield, joining the fray.
Though both were only Soul Emperors, far weaker than Cang Xiong at the eight-ring level, they could still provide support. At the very least, they added some chaos to Cang Xiong's predicament.
Shortly after their arrival, two more figures arrived from outside the academy, each radiating six perfectly balanced soul rings. Without hesitation, these two Soul Emperors joined Liu Erlong and the others in surrounding Cang Xiong.
These two weren't anyone else—they were the guards Ning Fengzhi had stationed outside the academy to protect his precious daughter.
With intruders attacking Lan Ba Academy late at night, and his young mistress inside the academy, the two guards couldn't just stand idly by outside. After spotting Ning Rongrong safe and sound, they immediately began assisting Liu Erlong and the others.
Had these two Soul Emperors been Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Tower soul masters, the presence of even one six-ring Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda soul master would've boosted the main attributes of Liu Erlong and the others by 70%, allowing them to utterly dominate Cang Xiong.
Facing a temporary team consisting of four Soul Sages and four Soul Emperors, even if these eight lacked perfect coordination, Cang Xiong found himself overwhelmed, feeling like a lone man fighting against many hands.
At this point, Cang Xiong couldn't help but entertain thoughts of retreat.
There was no helping it—"Han Bing" and "Lie Yan," the flying-type Soul Sages, were dead, and while his own strength was considerable, he couldn't fly.
Chu Chengzhou, the target, had a summoned Fire Phoenix. As long as he maintained distance, tonight's assassination (or outright assault?) plan by the Spirit Hall would inevitably end in failure.
With that in mind, continuing the fight was meaningless. Moreover, Liu Erlong and the others weren't pushovers either. If he stayed here any longer, he might actually meet his end.
But while Cang Xiong wanted to flee, Chu Chengzhou wasn't about to give him the chance.
Roar—!
A deafening bear roar echoed as Little Bai's Blessing soul skill amplified Big Bear's attributes. Even with some resistance, Big Bear's overall power skyrocketed. Additionally, he unleashed two innate soul skills, his massive dark-golden claws gleaming brilliantly as he charged toward Cang Xiong like a land-based tank.
Before Big Bear reached him, the pure bloodline aura of a Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear filled the battlefield, weakening Cang Xiong's aura by over 20%.
The Golden Rampage Bear possessed traces of Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear bloodline, making it an excellent bear-type martial soul under normal circumstances—even surpassing Zhao Wuji's Strong Golden Bear in quality.
However, when facing Big Bear, whose bloodline was derived from the Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear, Cang Xiong's Golden Rampage Bear martial soul was inferior to even lower-quality beast-type martial souls.
"A Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear?!"
Upon seeing Big Bear's towering figure and the terrifying sharpness emanating from his claws, Cang Xiong exclaimed in a trembling voice, his strength suppressed.
Already struggling against overwhelming odds, and now facing a Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear that could suppress him, Cang Xiong could almost see himself meeting his end at Lan Ba Academy tonight.
Roar!
Big Bear wasted no words. With a mighty roar, he charged toward Cang Xiong, raising his right arm—thicker than Cang Xiong's waist—and swung a claw down fiercely.
Recognizing Big Bear, Cang Xiong naturally understood the prowess of the Dark Golden Terror Claw Bear. Knowing its unparalleled offensive capabilities, which could force even Title Douluos to retreat at the ten-thousand-year mark, he hastily retreated.
Whoosh—
At this moment, Chu Chengzhou, positioned high in the distance, released his right hand. A faint whistling sound followed as a Titanium Armor-Piercing Arrow, infused with metallic soul power, transformed into a streak of golden light and shot forward at incredible speed.
In an instant, the Titanium Armor-Piercing Arrow crossed a hundred meters, striking Cang Xiong squarely in the lower back.
Pfft—
The sound of the arrow piercing flesh rang out. Emitting a three-inch-long blade-like edge, the Titanium Armor-Piercing Arrow effortlessly penetrated Cang Xiong's protective soul power, embedding itself over two inches deep into his muscular lower back.
Only because a Soul Douluo's physical resilience far surpassed that of a Soul Sage, and because Cang Xiong's martial soul was currently active, enhancing his physical toughness, did the arrow fail to create a gaping hole. Had it been a regular Soul Sage, Chu Chengzhou's surprise attack would've created a clean pass-through wound.
"Seventh soul skill, Golden Rampage Bear True Body!"
Sensing excruciating pain in his lower back, as if his kidneys had been damaged, Cang Xiong was enraged. Without hesitation, his seventh soul ring lit up, activating his Martial Soul True Body.
Instantly, a towering golden bear, approximately three zhang tall, with bulging muscles and covered in golden fur, appeared on the battlefield.
For most seven-ring soul masters and above, the Martial Soul True Body wasn't something to be used lightly.
While the Martial Soul True Body granted immense power boosts, once its duration ended, the soul master would enter a weakened state.
Unless the martial soul was exceptionally powerful and the seventh soul ring was of high age, this cost was unavoidable.
Clearly, though Cang Xiong's martial soul was decent, it wasn't top-tier, and his seventh soul ring wasn't significantly stronger than those of his peers. Thus, he couldn't avoid the weakened state after using the Martial Soul True Body.
But desperate times called for desperate measures. Without activating the Martial Soul True Body, death was certain. With it, there was a chance to escape. The consequences of post-use weakness were something he had to ignore for now.
Seeing Cang Xiong activate his Martial Soul True Body, Liu Erlong and the others naturally followed suit.
Dragon roars, eagle cries, and bear roars echoed in succession as enormous figures of a crimson dragon, owl, and bear True Bodies appeared on the battlefield.
With Cang Xiong activating his Martial Soul True Body, knowing the disparity in strength, Li Yusong and the other four withdrew from the battle, leaving the field to Liu Erlong, Zhao Wuji, and Big Bear, who had also activated their Martial Soul True Bodies.
Looking at Cang Xiong's massive Golden Rampage Bear true body, Chu Chengzhou, positioned high in the distance, frowned.
Previously, without the Martial Soul True Body's enhancement, his Titanium Armor-Piercing Arrows couldn't pierce Cang Xiong. Now, with the opponent's defenses even thicker, this was becoming quite troublesome.
Indeed, for an archer, the most frustrating opponents were those who were either too fast to hit or had defenses too strong to penetrate.
Still, Chu Chengzhou didn't just stand there. Holding his bow in his left hand and drawing arrows with his right, he fired off Titanium Armor-Piercing Arrows in quick succession, streaks of golden light flashing across the night sky.
Although the Titanium Armor-Piercing Arrows couldn't deal fatal damage to Cang Xiong with his Martial Soul True Body active, they still had some effect. With enough arrows, sooner or later, he'd wear down this big bear.
Meanwhile, at the Tian Dou Spirit Hall.
Detecting intense fluctuations of soul power emanating from the direction of Lan Ba Academy, and noting that the commotion had persisted for several minutes, Salas couldn't help but frown.
What was going on?
I only sent them to assassinate a measly Soul Ancestor. How could these three make such a huge racket?
"Worthless fools!"
Salas cursed inwardly.
Such a commotion would surely be noticed by every high-level soul master in Tian Dou City.
At this moment, Salas began praying that Cang Xiong and the others would complete their mission and die on the spot, rather than being captured alive.
It was during the Soul Master Tournament, and this was the capital of the Tian Dou Empire. After causing such a disturbance, Cang Xiong and the others were definitely not getting away.
Anyone daring to cause trouble in Tian Dou City would not be spared by Emperor Xue Ye.
Without a doubt, the royal guest council from the palace was already en route to Lan Ba Academy.
Though the Tian Dou Royal Family only had Dugu Bo as a Title Douluo-level elder, they had no shortage of ordinary Soul Douluo-level guests.
Given that Cang Xiong and the others' plan seemed to be faltering, once the royal guests arrived, their chances of escape would be virtually zero.
Of course, for the Tian Dou Spirit Hall, losing a Soul Douluo and two Soul Sages was painful for Salas but not unbearable. What worried him was the possibility of the Tian Dou Empire or the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect catching wind of this.
It wasn't that Salas doubted Cang Xiong and the others' loyalty to the Spirit Hall—it was that the Tian Dou Empire had ways of prying information from someone.
They didn't even need to resort to gruesome torture; finding a mental-type soul master with hypnotic abilities would ensure that even childhood secrets, like sneaking peeks at a neighbor's widow bathing, would come out.
Assassinating talented soul masters from rival factions was an underhanded tactic.
If they hadn't been caught red-handed, it wouldn't matter, but if they were exposed, the Spirit Hall would find itself in a very passive position.
And the key issue was that this assassination plan was entirely Salas's initiative.
Taking initiative to do something beneficial for the Spirit Hall would earn rewards if successful, but if it failed? Then the blame would fall squarely on him.
Despite these thoughts, Salas led a few elite members of the Spirit Hall toward Lan Ba Academy.
Crying wolf?
No, no, no—I'm a member of the Soul Master Tournament organizing committee. With an incident occurring at a participating academy, how could I not go and check the situation?
If I sat idly by, wouldn't that clearly implicate my Spirit Hall?
Moreover, if I were present, I could take timely corrective actions in case of any unexpected situations.
Salas's predictions were accurate.
Less than two minutes after Cang Xiong activated his Martial Soul True Body, a flying-type Soul Douluo from the Tian Dou Palace arrived in the night sky.
Not long after, several eight-ring royal guests also arrived.
Cang Xiong was already barely a match for Liu Erlong and the others working together. With the addition of the royal guests, the tide of battle turned sharply, leaving him only able to endure blows.
Seeing more and more royal experts gathering, Cang Xiong, realizing escape was hopeless, was filled with despair.
"Chu Chengzhou, the empire will not let you go!"
In his desperation, Cang Xiong shouted, and the next moment, an incredibly violent surge of soul power erupted from his body.
"Not good, this guy's going to self-destruct!"
One perceptive royal guest exclaimed.
"Hmph Eighth soul skill, Binding Chains!"
An Imperial Guest Elder with black chains as his martial soul snorted, his eighth soul ring lighting up. A chain as thick as a thigh shot out, binding Cang Xiong in place. Everyone immediately retreated at full speed.
The next second.
Boom—!
Like a high-powered missile detonating, a small golden mushroom cloud rose over Lan Ba Academy. The intense energy shockwave from the self-explosion of a Soul Douluo spread instantly to the nearby student dormitory building.
In an instant, dust and debris scattered everywhere. In Liu Erlong's anguished gaze, the student dormitory building, which had cost a significant amount to construct, was reduced to rubble.
With the battle settled, Chu Chengzhou, positioned in the air, put away his Flowing Gold Soul-Severing Bow and instructed Xiaohong to descend toward Xiao Wu and the others.
"Brother, are you alright?"
Xiao Wu asked with concern, pulling Chu Chengzhou close.
"I'm fine. These petty thieves can't harm me."
Chu Chengzhou waved dismissively.
"Chu Senior, didn't that big bear just shout before dying that 'the empire won't let you go'? Could it be that tonight's three assassins came from…"
Ning Rongrong trailed off, glancing meaningfully at Dai Mubai nearby.
Dai Mubai: "..."
There were only two empires on the continent, but it was obviously impossible for the Tian Dou Empire to be involved. Therefore, the "empire" Cang Xiong referred to must have been the Star Luo Empire.
Since Chu Chengzhou and Dai Mubai didn't get along, could it be that Dai Mubai, out of jealousy, had sent Star Luo Empire experts to assassinate Chu Chengzhou?
In reality, it wasn't as Ning Rongrong imagined. The phrase "the empire will not let you go" was simply Cang Xiong, loyal to the Spirit Hall, using to mislead and confuse.
There weren't many top-tier forces on the continent—only the Spirit Hall, the two empires, and the upper three clans.
The Hao Tian Sect was in seclusion, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan remained neutral, and Lan Ba Academy's name clearly suggested ties to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. They wouldn't stoop to assassinating their own students, so framing them was impossible.
Additionally, Chu Chengzhou was close to the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect, and the Tian Dou Empire was allied with them. This meant that, barring prior grievances, the only parties capable of orchestrating Chu Chengzhou's assassination were the Spirit Hall or the Star Luo Empire.
Moreover, compared to the Star Luo Empire, outsiders would find it far more likely that the Spirit Hall was behind this.
Cang Xiong was extremely loyal to the Spirit Hall. Since the plan had failed, his goal was naturally to clear suspicion from his own faction and pin the blame on the Star Luo Empire.
Regardless of whether the blame stuck in the end, it was ultimately beneficial and harmless for the Spirit Hall.
Seeing Dai Mubai's darkened expression nearby, Chu Chengzhou raised an eyebrow.
He believed that Cang Xiong and the others weren't from the Star Luo Empire but rather more likely from the Spirit Hall.
Cang Xiong chose to self-destruct rather than be captured alive, demonstrating his extreme loyalty to his backing faction. Someone so loyal wouldn't reveal their origins while carrying out such underhanded deeds.
Moreover, if Cang Xiong and the others were from the Star Luo Empire, they would've surely consulted Dai Mubai, who was in the same academy, beforehand.
Dai Mubai was somewhat aware of Chu Chengzhou's strength and intelligence. Yet, judging by the lack of caution shown by the two ice-and-fire flying Soul Sages earlier, it was evident they were unaware of his true capabilities.
Thus, it was almost certain that tonight's three assassins weren't from the Star Luo Empire.
Having ruled out the Star Luo Empire, the remaining suspect was undoubtedly the Spirit Hall.
Coincidentally, Chu Chengzhou had displayed "slightly exaggerated" strength on the arena earlier today. Knowing his closeness to the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect, it was plausible for the Spirit Hall to strike covertly.
If he had to guess, the mastermind behind this was likely Salas, the Master of the Tian Dou Spirit Hall.
After all, his exposure of partial strength occurred just this morning. Bibi Dong, far away in the central Holy Spirit City, wouldn't have had time to receive intelligence about him.
Furthermore, Salas was a textbook villain in the original storyline, unable to tolerate talented soul masters outside the Spirit Hall who were close to other factions.
Cold-hearted, powerful, and motivated, pinning this on Salas made perfect sense!
That said… People always pick on the weak. Given the Spirit Hall's immense strength and the lack of evidence, perhaps framing the Star Luo Empire wouldn't be bad?
For one thing, it would provide justification to ostracize and suppress Dai Mubai. Additionally, leveraging this incident could win him Zhu Zhuqing's guilt?
From Zhu Zhuqing's perspective, if it weren't for her, Chu Chengzhou merely bullying Dai Mubai in the academy wouldn't warrant such drastic action from the Star Luo Empire.
Of course, Chu Chengzhou had already noted this incident in his mental ledger.
Chu Chengzhou: Salas, you're courting death!
This debt wouldn't just be settled with Salas. Chu Chengzhou thought it necessary to collect interest from Little Fox and Big Angel.
Hmm, perhaps a certain charming widow wouldn't be bad either?
With a plan forming in his mind, Chu Chengzhou's gaze toward Dai Mubai turned hostile.
"Ning Rongrong, don't slander recklessly. My family acts with integrity and would never engage in such dishonorable deeds!"
Under Chu Chengzhou's unfriendly gaze, Dai Mubai felt a chill run down his spine and hurriedly defended himself.
"Tsk, even you don't believe your own words, do you?"
Ning Rongrong scoffed, rolling her eyes.
Among major factions, it was common practice to eliminate talented individuals from rival factions through covert means—even their own Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect did the same.
"Dai Mubai, I hope you can provide evidence proving your innocence!"
Chu Chengzhou said sternly.
"Chu Chengzhou, this has nothing to do with me! You must've offended someone outside, right?! The Spirit Hall is far more suspicious!"
Dai Mubai retorted angrily. Evidence? This had nothing to do with him—what evidence could he possibly have?!
Such an obvious frame-up, and you can't even see through it?
Or are you, Chu Chengzhou, afraid to offend the Spirit Hall?
"Young man, watch your words!"
Before Chu Chengzhou could respond, a chilling voice sounded in Dai Mubai's ear.
Turning his head, Dai Mubai saw Salas, the Platinum Priest of the Spirit Hall and Master of the Tian Dou Spirit Hall, clad in white robes and accompanied by two attendants, walking toward them.
Upon arriving at Lan Ba Academy, Salas had learned that "Han Bing" and "Lie Yan" were dead, and Cang Xiong had self-destructed. Though the assassination attempt on Chu Chengzhou hadn't been traced back to the Tian Dou Empire or the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect, and Cang Xiong's final words had pinned the blame on the Star Luo Empire, Salas felt both anguish over the losses and a hint of satisfaction.
Though the Spirit Hall had sacrificed a Soul Douluo and two Soul Sages, adding trouble for the Star Luo Empire wasn't a bad outcome.
However, before he could revel in this for long, he heard a presumptuous young man slandering his Spirit Hall in the distance. Salas's expression immediately darkened.
Every member of the Spirit Hall was a devout follower of the sacred Angel God. How could they possibly engage in such disgraceful acts?
Slander, pure slander!
Unable to tolerate this, Salas immediately stepped forward. If not for concerns about public perception, he would've ordered the young man seized and "entertained" properly.
Dai Mubai: "..."
I'm finished. Spreading rumors about the Spirit Hall and being caught red-handed by the Master of the Tian Dou Spirit Hall.
Seeing Salas approach, Chu Chengzhou narrowed his eyes, a trace of killing intent rising in his heart.
Fortunately, tonight's luck was on his side—he had discovered these uninvited guests in time. Had he already fallen asleep or still been immersed in virtual reality games, an ambush might've caught him off guard, and he might've been forced to concede defeat on the spot.
After all, while he had ways to deal fatal blows to Soul Sages, without preparation, he wouldn't withstand a surprise attack from a Soul Sage-level expert.
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