Chapter 503.
"It's like watching a battle between gods... This White Pontiff is too strong... It feels like he's overwhelming Senior Chenxin..."
Oscar muttered with disbelief, stuffing a big sausage into his mouth.
"Just half a year ago, he only fought Senior Chenxin to a draw. How has his strength grown so much, so fast?"
Indeed, in the skies above, the White Pontiff hovered calmly in midair—unmoved, untouched.
By contrast, Sword Douluo looked flustered and worn, struggling to parry each incoming strike. He was barely managing to stay aloft.
"Not necessarily," Tang San shook his head.
"Look at Senior Chenxin's aura—it's rising. I think he might be holding back for a reason..."
Just as he finished speaking—
Boom!
A massive sword shadow struck down from the heavens, sending Sword Douluo crashing into the forest below. A colossal crater exploded where he landed, and a nearby mountain shook violently under the force.
Tang San: "…"
"Grandpa Sword!!"
Ning Rongrong's voice cracked as her eyes welled with tears. She moved to rush forward, but Zhu Zhuqing quickly grabbed her arm.
"Don't," Zhu Zhuqing whispered calmly. "He'll be fine. If you go out now, you might become a target and distract Senior. That would only make things worse."
Ning Rongrong froze in place, startled by the warning.
Above them, the clouds parted—
A divine sword of light descended like a heavenly judgment, aiming directly for where Sword Douluo had fallen.
Everyone's eyes widened in shock.
But just before impact—
Whoosh!
A blinding radiance erupted from the forest, soaring high into the sky. A terrifying wave of spirit power blasted outward, shaking the mountains and tearing through the sky. The sword light was shattered.
Everyone stood in stunned silence.
"What... is that?" Ma Hongjun dropped his grilled sausage, his mouth hanging open.
"It's a breakthrough..." Tang San's voice trembled with excitement. "Senior Sword Douluo... he did it. He's broken through! Before, he was stuck at the peak of Rank 96, unable to advance—but this life-and-death battle pushed him through to Rank 97! Incredible!"
The overwhelming soul energy made it clear—a powerful new Titled Douluo had emerged.
All eyes turned toward the epicenter of the explosion.
There, rising from the dust and debris, was Sword Douluo.
Bathed in radiant light, he extended both arms and—bam!—caught the White Pontiff's descending sword head-on.
With a roar, he hurled it aside. The divine sword trembled and was knocked back into the air.
Hahaha...!
Sword Douluo's white hair whipped around in the wind as he laughed madly. His aura surged higher than –ever before. His soul power now blazed with newfound intensity.
The barrier that had stopped so many Titled Douluos in history... he had just shattered it.
"White Pontiff," Sword Douluo shouted, his voice echoing across the mountains, "Thank you for being my whetstone. With your sword, I have stepped into Rank 97!"
He rose into the sky once more, his body pulsing with terrifying energy. His gaze burned with pride and battle-lust as he stared down the White Pontiff.
Tang San and the others erupted in cheers.
"Senior Sword Douluo is incredible!" Ma Hongjun whooped.
"I bet the White Pontiff's fuming right now! That breakthrough must've really gotten under his skin!"
"I heard," Dai Mubai chimed in, grinning, "that the White Pontiff's cultivation method is based on erasing emotions. He's basically emotionless."
"Right," Tang San nodded. "I've seen that too. Even in battle, he rarely reacts."
Just then, another figure soared into the sky from the distant forest—it was Dugu Bo.
Everyone was stunned again.
"Old Poison?!"
Tang San blinked, then laughed in realization.
"So that's it... This was all a setup. Sword Douluo must have planned from the beginning to use this battle to break through—and Dugu Bo was part of the backup plan!"
Everyone nodded in agreement. Dugu Bo wouldn't have waited this long to intervene unless it was coordinated.
Only Zhu Zhuqing remained silent, her gaze fixed on the figures in the sky.
"Congratulations."
The White Pontiff was silent for a long moment. Then, finally, he withdrew his sword and descended to Hu Liena and the others.
The trio immediately stepped onto their swords.
Without another word, the White Pontiff leapt into the air, landed on his own sword, and said in a calm voice:
"There will be a next time."
With that, the four turned into streaks of light and vanished across the sky.
"Tsk tsk. 'Congratulations?'" Ma Hongjun snorted.
"I bet he's furious. That was probably just to save face."
Then, mischievously, he nudged Bai Chenxiang.
"Don't move!" Bai Chenxiang snapped, glaring at him. "You're still injured, fatso. Trying to die early?"
Even under her stern glare, Ma Hongjun wasn't discouraged. Her beauty made his heart flutter, and pain was a small price to pay.
Just then, Sword Douluo descended from the sky and landed beside the group.
Everyone quickly rushed over to greet him.
"Grandpa Sword, are you alright?" Ning Rongrong rushed over, worry written all over her face.
Sword Douluo smiled gently and shook his head. "Though I've broken through, my power hasn't fully stabilized yet. I need some time to adjust. But the White Pontiff likely doesn't have much soul power left either. If we had fought with all our strength, even he wouldn't have been easy to deal with. Luckily, he chose not to press the fight."
Dugu Bo chuckled as he glanced around at the group.
"Old Sword and I were secretly protecting you the whole way. We didn't expect someone from the Soul Hall would actually show up... Judging by the situation, they're most likely heading to Sea God Island. You'll need to be extra careful once you go to sea—out there, you're on your own."
Everyone nodded solemnly.
The mainland's situation was becoming more chaotic by the day. As Titled Douluos, Sword Douluo and Dugu Bo couldn't afford to leave easily, and just getting them this far had been no small task.
"Senior Sword, congratulations on reaching Rank 97!" Tang San and the others expressed their heartfelt admiration.
After this intense battle, aside from Xiao Wu, the group felt a rekindled sense of teamwork and trust among themselves. Especially toward the end, Shen Lingqi and Bai Chenxiang had synchronized seamlessly with them.
The happiest one, of course, was Ma Hongjun—his bond with Bai Chenxiang had clearly taken a step forward.
Rather than moving on immediately, the group decided to rest and recover on the spot. To their surprise, they discovered a soul bone on the corpse of one of the Wolf Thief Kings.
It turned out that one thief had charged directly at them while another had targeted Hu Liena—one of them had dropped the a soul bone, making it a rewarding encounter.
That evening, the nine of them sat around a warm bonfire, their bodies close and their spirits even closer. The atmosphere was cheerful and relaxed as they discussed the day's battle.
"Fatty, you did great today," Oscar teased with a smile.
Ma Hongjun scratched the back of his head, grinning sheepishly.
Bai Chenxiang snorted beside him, but her lips curled up involuntarily into a smile.
Suddenly, Ning Rongrong looked over at Zhu Zhuqing, who had been quiet, and asked, "Zhuqing, are you alright? You seem a bit off tonight."
Zhu Zhuqing blinked and hesitated. Then she slowly shook her head. "I'm fine… I just want to be alone for a while."
The group fell silent. But it wasn't hard to guess who Zhu Zhuqing was thinking about.
Ning Rongrong pouted. "What are you even thinking about? I'm not—"
Everyone: "…"
Suddenly, Oscar pointed into the distance and exclaimed, "Captain? Why are you here?!"
He stood up, waving enthusiastically.
The group immediately turned to look—until Ning Rongrong realized Oscar was bluffing again.
"Oscar!!"
She turned red with rage. "You tricked me again!"
Everyone burst into laughter.
Shen Lingqi playfully smacked Oscar a few times and said, "Don't worry, Rongrong. I'll help teach him a lesson for you."
Oscar immediately started pleading for mercy, grinning all the while.
Zhu Zhuqing chuckled softly, her mind drifting to a certain familiar figure. She sighed quietly to herself.
In the middle of the playful chaos, Tang San held out the soul bone they'd found and passed it to Dai Mubai.
"Who would've thought the Wolf Thief King would drop a soul bone? Boss Dai, you take it. It's our shared trophy from this battle, but it suits you best."
It was a leg bone.
Dai Mubai accepted it without hesitation. Among the group, there was no need for formality.
"It's a pity," Oscar added, "There were two Wolf Thief Kings, remember? The other one must've dropped a soul bone too. I saw it get taken away by someone from Soul Hall while we were still mid-air."
"Still," Dai Mubai said thoughtfully, "we should be grateful. Getting even one soul bone is a huge win. Plus, Senior Sword broke through—it's a major victory. Oh, and Sister Lingqi's white ale is amazing."
But in truth, their greatest gain wasn't the soul bone or the breakthrough. It was the return of their deep mutual trust—especially with the integration of the two newcomers.
Of course, Ma Hongjun still felt like the biggest winner tonight.
"Still, we can't get complacent," Tang San said seriously. "Even though only the Golden Generation showed up from Soul Hall, don't underestimate them. You saw it yourselves—their strength is real. And since we're near the coast, it's almost certain they're heading –to Sea God Island too."
At that, everyone's expressions turned serious.
The conclusion was obvious. If Soul Hall was targeting Sea God Island, then their own journey ahead would be far more dangerous.
"Don't worry," Dai Mubai said confidently. "Soul Hall's influence weakens near the coast. Once we're out at sea, they'll be even less of a threat. If those three think they can take us out there—they're dreaming."
The sea might be free from Soul Hall's control, but that didn't mean it was safe.
There were still countless dangers awaiting them in the deep blue beyond.
On the other side, Hu Liena and her companions had indeed managed to obtain a soul bone.
"Teacher, this soul bone…" Hu Liena sat atop a wide flying sword along with Yan and Xie Yue, glancing at the White Pontiff with a slight tilt of her head.
Throughout the journey—and even now as they headed out to sea—the three of them referred to the White Pontiff not by his title, but simply as "teacher."
Wang Feng gave the soul bone a quick glance and said, "Distribute it among yourselves. You all performed well in this battle. Fighting under such heavy pressure and coming away with only minor injuries is no small feat."
Hearing this praise, the three of them visibly brightened. There was nothing more fulfilling than receiving recognition from their teacher.
"Brother Yan, you take these two agility-based soul bones," Hu Liena said after some thought. "I don't need them. Judging by its energy, this soul bone likely enhances the Wolf Thief King's close-combat abilities, and its soul skill should be related to that too. I don't have much use for it at the moment."
Over the years, each of them had already acquired at least one soul bone, and Hu Liena herself had three, not counting her external soul bone. Yan and Xie Yue also had one each, thanks to Soul Hall's strong support.
After handing over the soul bone to the two of them, Hu Liena walked over to Wang Feng and spoke softly:
"Teacher–, I don't blame you for what happened today. Those Titled Douluo are too cunning…"
She was referring to the moment when Sword Douluo tested the Sword Stone and broke through during the battle.
'Of course you don't blame me,' Wang Feng thought privately. 'If I hadn't subtly intervened, Sword Douluo wouldn't have broken through.'
Naturally, he hadn't directly acted against the Wolf Thieves. What he sensed was Sword Douluo's aura and his potential breakthrough during a life-and-death moment. So he acted—partially—to test if Sword Douluo truly had the potential to ascend to the next level.
And it worked.
If a real battle had taken place, Wang Feng could've activated all seven blood patterns. In that scenario, Sword Douluo wouldn't have lasted more than a few moves.
That final sword had already landed on him.
By all accounts, Wang Feng's gamble had paid off.
'Looks like this entire experience was worth it', he mused internally.
Still, he kept a calm demeanor and said casually, "Are you trying to comfort me? Seems like your training isn't rigorous enough. Add a thousand catties to your load. While you cultivate, reflect on today's battle—and on the upcoming test on Sea God Island."
As he spoke, several sharp energy blades fell on Hu Liena's back and thighs, increasing her gravity load. Her body immediately sank under the pressure.
Hu Liena didn't argue. She simply glanced at Wang Feng, then silently walked aside to begin cultivating.
The flying swords carried them forward. By the following day, they had reached the Heaven Dou Empire's largest coastal city—Hanhai City.
From the air, Wang Feng surveyed the vast expanse of the city.
It resembled a massive medieval coastal fortress, grand and imposing. Off in the distance, the endless blue sea stretched all the way to the horizon.
It was nearly dusk. The setting sun dyed the ocean in hues of red and gold. The sea shimmered like molten metal as waves gently rippled across its surface. The sun had dipped low, only half visible above the edge of the world. This breathtaking view left the three younger soul masters in awe—it was their first time seeing the sea.
"It's beautiful," Hu Liena murmured, her eyes full of wonder as she took in the dazzling scene.
From afar, one could occasionally spot aquatic soul beasts causing great swells as they moved through the waters.
Looking down, they could see Hanhai City's harbor below, lined with enormous ships.
'These ships are massive,' Wang Feng thought to himself. 'This city is no ordinary port.'
At that moment, numerous large vessels were sailing back into port from distant seas, giving the entire harbor a lively, bustling atmosphere.
Yet, curiously, no ships were heading out.
Without delay, Wang Feng led the group down toward the city.
In the skies above, aerial patrols of soul masters could be seen maintaining order—evidence of the city's strict management.
These patrolling soul masters were from both the Soul Hall and the official forces of Hanhai City.
Although the Soul Hall's influence was relatively weak in coastal regions, it was clear they hadn't relinquished control over critical cities like Hanhai City.
...…
Please support me and read atleast 20 chapters ahead at my patréon.
patréon.com/PrimorDious.
I'll be very grateful. Thanks.