Under the night sky, Dai Tao fled at great speed, but Xiao Hei, the summoned Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, was even faster.
Not having run far, Dai Tao was caught up by Xiao Hei.
Upon catching up, Xiao Hei immediately moved to restrain him, while Chu Chengzhou activated Soaring Golden Light and flew two hundred meters away from the Nether White Tiger, calmly providing ranged support.
In terms of overall strength, Chu Chengzhou, at the Soul Saint level, was significantly weaker than this Nether White Tiger. While he could provide assistance, he wasn't suited to serve as a frontline fighter. This arduous task was best left to Xiao Hei, who had no fear of death.
This was to prevent the desperate tiger from making a last-ditch counterattack that could drag him down with it.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—"
Streaks of perfectly interwoven crimson and yellow light flashed across the night sky. One after another, the Flowing Gold Armor-Piercing Arrows, specifically designed to pierce through soul power defenses, penetrated deeply into the massive body of the Nether White Tiger.
At this moment, aside from the overwhelming hatred and anger surging in his heart, Dai Tao also felt an immense sense of frustration.
This black tiger summon beast, possessing domain powers and exuding an evil aura, was already stronger than him. Though he wasn't completely defenseless, he was clearly on the defensive, at a disadvantage.
Now, with the addition of Chu Chengzhou, whose soul power level was low but whose attack power was absurdly high, Dai Tao was utterly overwhelmed.
"Damn it!"
Dai Tao cursed in frustration.
Seeing that his speed couldn't match the enemy's and that escape was impossible, he had considered bypassing this black tiger and targeting Chu Chengzhou instead.
After all, if Chu Chengzhou were to die, the black tiger, as his summoned beast, would naturally dissipate, resolving the crisis. However, reality didn't allow for such a plan.
This guy seemed to have mastered some extraordinary flying technique—he was not only fast but also exceptionally agile.
Every time Dai Tao advanced, Chu Chengzhou retreated. Every time Dai Tao retreated, Chu Chengzhou advanced like sticky glue, always maintaining a distance of about two hundred meters to unleash cold arrows, impossible to shake off.
Chu Chengzhou: Retreat when the enemy advances; advance when the enemy retreats—let's kite them!
Moreover, with this incredibly powerful and evil black tiger summon beast restraining him, Dai Tao simply couldn't redirect his focus to target Chu Chengzhou.
"Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom—"
Thunder rumbled as numerous gray lightning spheres, brimming with evil energy, exploded on the Nether White Tiger.
"Thud thud thud thud thud thud thud—"
Accompanied by flashes of lightning, a continuous barrage of arrows rained down. Each razor-sharp Flowing Gold Armor-Piercing Arrow pierced through the surface soul power defenses and embedded itself deep within the massive Nether White Tiger.
Against Xiao Hei, the summoned Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, Dai Tao could at least put up some resistance despite being on the defensive.
But now, with the added threat of Chu Chengzhou's "treacherous arrows," Dai Tao was completely overwhelmed, unable to retaliate.
For a moment, Dai Tao, bereft of options, couldn't help but feel a growing sense of despair.
He knew that if this continued, the only outcome awaiting him was death.
This wasn't due to excessive soul power consumption from the martial soul fusion technique—Dai Tao was a Level 95 Title Douluo, and his wife Zhu Yuelian was a Soul Douluo. Their soul power levels were both high, so they could still endure.
However, Chu Chengzhou's archery was overwhelmingly powerful, and his attack frequency was extremely high. The threat he posed was even greater than that of the evil black tiger summon beast before him.
The reason lay in the nature of the martial soul fusion technique. Unless pre-activated, a soul master's soul skills and soul bone skills couldn't be used while in the fusion state.
Moreover, the Nether White Tiger lacked defensive capabilities, and Dai Tao himself didn't possess any self-created defensive techniques. Faced with the combined attacks of man and beast, all blows had to be endured by the Nether White Tiger alone.
Faced with such high-power, high-frequency attacks, the Nether White Tiger, lacking effective defensive means, wouldn't last long.
In the blink of an eye, another half-minute passed, and the situation became increasingly unfavorable for Dai Tao.
After enduring another half-minute of relentless bombardment, the aura of the Nether White Tiger began to grow chaotic. Dai Tao faintly sensed that he was nearing the limit of his ability to maintain the Nether White Tiger form.
And just then, an intangible domain force spread from afar.
Instantly, Dai Tao felt a powerful pressure weigh down on his Nether White Tiger, causing its speed and agility to plummet drastically.
There was no need to guess—it was Xiao Ming, the summoned Titan Giant Ape, arriving after the conclusion of another battlefield.
Already on the brink of collapse and clearly outmatched, the arrival of another Titan Giant Ape, whose strength rivaled his own, caused Dai Tao's heart to sink into the abyss.
'Yue Lian, I'm sorry!'
Dai Tao painfully addressed his wife in his heart, a flicker of resolve appearing in his eyes.
Even if he were to die today, he must take Chu Chengzhou down with him!
Otherwise, the empire, having lost all its foundations, would be unable to withstand Chu Chengzhou's slaughter. Even the White Tiger Family, with its countless years of heritage, would face extermination.
'Brother Tao, we've been married for over sixty years. Let's be husband and wife again in our next life!'
Faced with this desperate situation, knowing her husband was about to use his final trump card, Zhu Yuelian declared without hesitation.
'Yue Lian, let's be husband and wife again in our next life!'
The next moment, after enduring three more Flowing Gold Armor-Piercing Arrows, Dai Tao voluntarily canceled the martial soul fusion technique Nether White Tiger, which was on the verge of losing control.
Instantly, the massive Nether White Tiger in the air dissipated, revealing Dai Tao and Zhu Yuelian's figures.
Seeing the large tiger he had been beating suddenly vanish, Xiao Hei momentarily froze, but his actions didn't stop. The descending tiger claw changed direction, aiming toward Dai Tao and Zhu Yuelian.
As the claw descended, Zhu Yuelian, resolute in her decision and with no time to activate defensive measures, willingly stepped forward to meet the incoming blow.
"Thud—"
The sound of flesh being pierced echoed as blood blossomed. The sharp tiger claw directly penetrated the chest of Zhu Yuelian, an Agility Attack Soul Douluo.
Yet, despite the claw piercing her chest, there was no trace of fear of death on Zhu Yuelian's face. With great difficulty, she turned her head to look at her husband.
She had lived nearly eighty years and hadn't advanced to the Title Douluo level. Her lifespan wasn't much longer than that of an ordinary person, and she didn't have many years left. If their grandchildren's tragic deaths could be avenged, dying a few years earlier meant nothing.
In her final moments, Zhu Yuelian saw a brilliant sapphire glow flash on her husband's forehead.
"Soul Bone Skill: Spiritual Shockwave Explosion!"
Accompanied by a thunderous roar, a sapphire light instantly spread outward. Immediately afterward, Zhu Yuelian's consciousness fell into eternal darkness.
Under the night sky, the sapphire light swept through, engulfing everything within hundreds of meters. Whether it was Chu Chengzhou, the summoned Dark Demon Evil God Tiger Xiao Hei, or the recently arrived Xiao Ming, the summoned Titan Giant Ape, all fell into a dazed state.
The only one still able to move, Dai Tao, surged with turbulent soul power and rapidly flew toward Chu Chengzhou in the distance.
------------------------------------------------------
Join my Patreon to read an exclusive novel – 'Douluo: Rebuilding Hao Tian Sect'
40+ Chapters Ahead: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)