Chapter 254: Toying with Yu Yuanzhen
"Your Majesty Hao Tian!" From not far away, the group of elite Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan members assigned by Yu Yuanzhen to Tang Hao came rushing over.
Although Yu Yuanzhen had divided his men in half, Tang Hao had not allowed this half to act with him.
The leading Soul Douluo stepped forward and immediately saw Tang Hao attacking wildly at a silver-haired youth.
However, all of Tang Hao's attacks were blocked by two figures who had just revealed themselves.
Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo had arrived at the scene.
Their sudden appearance made the faces of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan elites turn grim.
As Titled Douluo well-known across Spirit Hall, who among them wouldn't recognize these two?
"Tang Hao, it's only a soul bone. There's no need to become so violent over it," Chrysanthemum Douluo said in his soft, cold tone, smiling faintly as he looked at him.
"Old Chrysanthemum! Get lost if you don't want to die!" Tang Hao's eyes were bloodshot as he glared at Luo Ling, but with Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo blocking the way, he had no chance to pursue him.
"My thanks to both of you, Excellencies, for saving my life," Luo Ling said with a respectful bow toward the two Douluo.
He had arranged everything beforehand. Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo were only meant to appear "by chance," rescuing him at the critical moment.
As for Xiao Wu, Luo Ling had cast a Phantom Veil upon her, making her invisible.
"Tang Hao! What's going on here!" Yu Yuanzhen arrived with the rest of his clan's elites, his expression darkening as he took in the scene before him.
"Old Dragon King?" Chrysanthemum Douluo's eyes narrowed upon seeing him, his tone turning cold.
"Old Dragon King, to think you'd side with Tang Hao! The father and son have already been branded as evil cultivators and are wanted by Spirit Hall. Don't tell me your Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan has allied with such scum?" Chrysanthemum Douluo's voice carried cutting disdain.
Yu Yuanzhen's face grew tense as his gaze flickered between Luo Ling and the two Titled Douluo.
He had already feared their activities being exposed, and now they had run directly into Spirit Hall's people.
Thinking quickly, Yu Yuanzhen shook his head and said in a harsh tone, "Old Chrysanthemum, don't accuse me falsely! I only came because I sensed the disturbance here!"
At the same time, he transmitted a covert message to Tang Hao, instructing him to pretend they were strangers, to avoid exposing their cooperation and the Blood Demon Ritual.
Tang Hao trembled with rage but knew he couldn't act recklessly. If word got out, their new alliance would be crushed by Spirit Hall's forces.
"I'm after Luo Ling," Tang Hao growled. "Since when does Spirit Hall intervene on behalf of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo shook his head. "We have nothing to do with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Our only target here is you, the wanted criminal."
"Tang Hao, will you come quietly, or should we act ourselves?"
"Just you two?" Tang Hao sneered in contempt.
"Yu Yuanzhen," Tang Hao suddenly barked, "I'll hold off these two. All you have to do is kill Luo Ling. I'll only take one of his soul bones—the rest are yours!"
"When Xiao San absorbed his spirit ring just now, a twenty-five-thousand-year soul bone appeared—but Luo Ling stole it! And with his two hundred-thousand-year rings, he must have at least two hundred-thousand-year soul bones!"
Tang Hao's fury had overcome all caution. He no longer cared about restraint or alliances—he just wanted Luo Ling dead.
He didn't know exactly how many soul bones Luo Ling possessed, but the one he truly wanted back was Ah Yin's. Compared to that, the fresh one that just dropped meant nothing.
Yu Yuanzhen's eyes flashed with greed.
If what Tang Hao said was true, then Luo Ling carried at least three soul bones, two of which were hundred-thousand-year ones. No soul master alive could resist such temptation.
Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo's faces darkened.
Yu Yuanzhen, patriarch of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, was a name that carried weight across the entire continent. Coupled with the clan's secret Dragonification Technique, his strength was monstrous.
Even though the two Douluo had been enhanced by immortal herbs, fighting both Tang Hao and Yu Yuanzhen simultaneously would be nearly impossible.
Still, they weren't too worried. Luo Ling's power was already considered by Spirit Hall's upper echelon to be nearly on par with a Titled Douluo's. With his bizarre spirit abilities, even if he couldn't win, escaping would be easy.
The atmosphere hung heavy in silence. Yu Yuanzhen did not immediately strike.
As the clan leader, he had to think of things from his clan's perspective. Killing Luo Ling would offend the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, while Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo would undoubtedly spread news of the event across the continent.
In that case, stories of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and Tang Hao joining forces to slay a member of the Glazed Tile Sect and steal soul bones would spread everywhere.
After a long pause, Yu Yuanzhen finally spoke in a deep voice.
"Luo Ling, I've heard of you. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect both belong to the Upper Three Sects. Though Tang Hao wants you dead, we have no conflict with you."
"So here's my proposal—hand me the soul bone you took, and you can leave peacefully."
Yu Yuanzhen had ultimately chosen to avoid tearing things apart.
Tang Hao trembled with fury, but there was nothing he could say.
Sure, he could expose Yu Yuanzhen's involvement with dark cultivation—but then what?
If Yu Yuanzhen fell, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, the Heaven Dou royal family, and even the Clear Sky Sect would all be dragged down with him.
They were all bound together now by the Blood Demon Ritual, and that secret could never be spoken aloud.
Luo Ling looked at both of them, amused by their hypocrisy.
He then drew out the soul bone he had snatched earlier from Tang San.
It glowed with crystalline green light, pulsing with vibrant life force—a fine soul bone indeed.
Yu Yuanzhen's eyes lit up. To gain such a treasure without lifting a finger would be an easy victory for him.
Even if the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect got angry later, he could always argue that Luo Ling had originally stolen it.
As for Tang Hao, Yu Yuanzhen shot him a sidelong glance. The bone's recovery would come from Luo Ling; what did Tang Hao have to do with it anyway?
But just as Yu Yuanzhen imagined obtaining the bone without a fight, Luo Ling smiled—and tossed the soul bone toward Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo.
"My thanks to you both, Excellencies, for your timely help. Please accept this soul bone as a small token of my gratitude," Luo Ling said with an easy smile.
Chrysanthemum Douluo caught the soul bone in surprise, still processing what had happened.
Both he and Ghost Douluo were temporarily stunned—but none more so than Yu Yuanzhen, who stood there frozen until Luo Ling's calm voice reached his ear.
"Patriarch Yu, I've already given the soul bone to Elder Chrysanthemum. If you still want it… you can take it up with them," Luo Ling said indifferently.
Yu Yuanzhen's face flushed crimson with rage as he glared daggers at Luo Ling.
"Boy, do you truly think I don't dare kill you?"
(END CHAPTER)
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