Chapter 214: Eight Extremes Burst vs. Disorder Splitting Wind
The Clear Sky Hammer glowed with a dark, ominous light, radiating sheer weight and power, as if destined to crush any foe in its path. Meanwhile, a faint white aura surrounded Dai Yao's right fist, revealing his audacious choice to meet the world's most formidable tool spirit head-on with nothing but flesh and bone.
Boom—boom—boom—
Thunderous echoes resounded through the arena as dark and white light flashed with each impact. The audience watched, spellbound and speechless, as every collision created a concussive force on par with a typical Spirit Master's fourth spirit skill. With every clash, the explosive power between these two prodigies grew, pushing closer to the limits of the Spirit Elder rank.
Watching from the sidelines, Feng Xiaotian's astonishment turned into a torrent of inner turmoil. He had always prided himself on his Twin-Headed Storm Wolf spirit and his own unique skill, the Gale Wolf's Thirty-Six Slashes. Even after Dai Yao had bested him in combat, he had clung to the idea that he still held an edge with his reserved ultimate technique. But witnessing this duel between Tang San and Dai Yao shattered his confidence. Tang San's Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Technique and Dai Yao's Eight Extremes Burst both displayed a raw, unparalleled ferocity that rivaled—if not exceeded—his prized technique.
Perhaps for the first time, Feng Xiaotian felt a true sense of defeat. Here before him were two genuine prodigies, leagues beyond even his own potential.
In the VIP stands, the gathered dignitaries watched, eyes alight with awe. Sword Douluo Chen Xin, whose gaze usually remained indifferent, seemed particularly intrigued. Though these techniques posed no threat to someone of his rank, he saw potential—two young mountains rising, ready to overshadow even the legacy of Tang Chen and Qian Daoliu, whose legends had shaped the spirit master world.
"If only you two were born a decade or so earlier," Chen Xin thought wistfully, "or if I were younger, what a privilege it would be to face you both in battle." Sighing deeply, he added, "But alas, I am old. Even the sharpest sword must rust with time, and one day, it will be your era to forge the next legends."
Standing beside him, Ning Fengzhi's thoughts were more pragmatic.
"These are true prodigies," he mused. "Either one of them could sustain a clan's reputation for a century. And compared to them, the talents within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan are but future Spirit Douluos at best. Once Uncle Sword and Bone Douluo retire, who will stand strong for our clan? It's a painful irony for an auxiliary clan like ours—known as the best support in the world, yet still relying on Attack Douluo to uphold our honor."
For a brief moment, Ning Fengzhi's heart was shrouded in sorrow.
"Triple Compression!"
"Quadruple Compression!"
"Quintuple Compression!"
Dai Yao's Eight Extremes Burst had now reached fivefold compression, while Tang San had struck his twenty-fifth hammer blow. After yet another explosive clash, both fighters steadied themselves, their gazes meeting again, sharp and unyielding.
Seeing the unrelenting determination in Tang San's expression, Dai Yao felt a hint of unease. Ever since the duel began, his confidence in victory had wavered. The sheer force of the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer lived up to its fearsome reputation, while his own Eight Extremes Burst still had room to improve.
To decisively defeat Tang San, Dai Yao knew he would need to employ his Chaos Green Lotus spirit. However, here in Heaven Dou Empire's territory, the risk of doing so was too great. Even the mere potential of possessing twin spirits was enough to spark endless ambition and strife among the region's powerful forces. With the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's delicate mediation, he'd managed to secure a tenuous truce allowing him safe passage, but revealing his second spirit would shatter that agreement instantly, drawing all forces against him.
Thus, he was determined to keep his second spirit hidden unless absolutely necessary.
The battle was deadlocked. Now it was a contest of endurance, pitting the full might of Tang San's Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer against the extreme compression limits of Dai Yao's Eight Extremes Burst.
The repeated collisions had left Dai Yao's right fist trembling. Without the enhancement from his White Tiger Dark Golden Transformation, his flesh and bone would have long since succumbed to Tang San's hammer, reduced to little more than pulp.
"It's time," Dai Yao thought, as a surge of spirit power from his core cascaded into his arm, spreading cool energy across his skin and calming the burning sensation in his bruised fist.
The compressed energy on his right arm distorted the surrounding air, creating a gravitational pull of sorts. Those watching felt an inexplicable terror rising within as they looked upon the dark void swirling around his arm, knowing full well that, were they to face it, it would mean certain death.
The Sixfold Compression was a feat beyond what anyone in the arena could have imagined.
As the ground beneath him fractured and caved, stone splinters rose and hovered in the charged atmosphere, suspended by the pressure surrounding Dai Yao.
The scene left onlookers gasping. Such exclamations of disbelief had become almost routine throughout this duel, but each new display of power continued to captivate.
Tang San felt a chill creeping into his heart as he watched Dai Yao's strength rise to new heights. The memory of Dai Yao's feigned weakness against Huo Wushuang gnawed at him now; it had all been a ruse to obscure the limits of his Eight Extremes Burst.
"Thirty-Sixth Hammer!" Tang San shouted, his voice rising over the chaos.
Boom!
Fist met hammer, unleashing an invisible shockwave that sent many female spirit masters recoiling, covering their ears against the blast. They looked on, horrified, as their hearing dulled, leaving them disoriented as if submerged in water.
Tang San felt a metallic tang rising in his throat, biting down to suppress it as he fought to contain the hammer's recoil. A trickle of blood traced the edge of his mouth. At this point, the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Technique was no longer under his control.
In his current state, Tang San could manage a maximum of forty-eight strikes—a feat previously thought possible only through the medicinal boost of the Eight-Petal Iceflower and Fiery Apricot Delicate.
This was the first time he had fully unleashed the Clear Sky Hammer, discovering an unexpected synergy between it and the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Technique. This potent combination unlocked a terrifying power he hadn't thought possible.
Yet it came at a price; the Clear Sky Hammer was incredibly taxing. Though he could use rotational force to redirect its momentum, bringing it to a halt was nearly impossible. By the time he reached his twenty-fourth strike, Tang San could no longer control the relentless power coursing through him.
Still, he fought on, driven by sheer willpower, astonished by Dai Yao's ability to match him blow for blow. But he could not relent. Once he reached the forty-eighth strike, Dai Yao would be locked in the hammer's gravitational pull, sealing his fate.
The haunting image of Xiao Wu's suffering lingered in Tang San's mind, a reminder of his vow beneath the moonlit sky—that anyone who harmed her would have to walk over his dead body. Now, with the chance to amend that broken promise, Tang San's heart pulsed with deep remorse. The gentle spirit he typically displayed was overtaken by a bone-chilling resolve, his clenched fists shaking with intensity as he eyed Dai Yao.
With each deafening collision on the battlefield, the expressions on the VIPs' faces gradually shifted from mild interest to grave seriousness. The formidable soul power displayed in this battle was far beyond what the typical referee could mediate, so they readied themselves to intervene at a moment's notice if things went too far. They were determined to end this fight swiftly should it threaten to turn deadly.
The arena itself was a war-torn landscape, its surface pocked and cracked from the sheer force of their blows. In the midst of this destruction, silence reigned between the two fighters, broken only by their labored breathing. They were both at their limits now, testing their endurance and strength of will to see who would falter first.
"Dai Yao, you're indeed strong, worthy of admiration for making it this far against me. But you made a grave mistake… you dared to harm Xiao Wu," Tang San intoned, his voice cold as he gripped the Clear Sky Hammer tighter.
But Dai Yao, sensing the killing intent in Tang San's words, merely laughed, though it almost made him choke. "A soul master who steps into the arena has to be ready to get hurt! You think you're the only one allowed to inflict pain? What kind of twisted logic is that?"
Tang San's expression betrayed his confusion, and Dai Yao chuckled, then laughed harder. "So it's never even occurred to you, has it? That's because you're just like all those 'esteemed' clan heirs—arrogant and blind to everyone else!"
He continued, his tone scathing. "You go around posing as a commoner, but in truth? You're no ordinary soul master. No, you're practically royalty in this world." Dai Yao sneered. "Look at your background: son of the most powerful Clear Sky Clan, grandson of Tang Chen, one of the world's twin legends, and son of Tang Hao, the youngest Title Douluo. Not to mention…"
He trailed off deliberately before switching the subject. "In terms of birthright, there's no one above you! You, with your twin spirits, Blue Silver Grass and Clear Sky Hammer, probably even outshine the talents of our very own Pope!"
"Sure, you could probably choose who lives and who dies for harming Xiao Wu. Sparing their lives would be a mercy only you could bestow. But not everyone fears your lineage, Tang San. Sometimes you have to defend what's yours with your own fists." Dai Yao leaned in closer, adding with a sneer, "The problem is, your fists just aren't hard enough!"
Dai Yao was fully aware of Tang San's intent to kill him, but he was equally resolved. If rebelling against Tang San was a matter of survival, then fighting him with all he had was only natural.
Both combatants, reaching the peak of their endurance, stood on the precipice. Dai Yao's soul power was compressed to an almost solid state within his right arm. Now, at sixfold compression, the Eight Extremes Burst would just be enough to meet Tang San's forty-eighth hammer, leaving no room for error.
"This is it," Dai Yao thought, feeling a strong sense of destiny. He summoned the remaining power in his body, releasing his White Tiger Eight Wings. The eight shining wings unfurled from his back, eliciting gasps of shock from the spectators as they watched his form swell with newfound strength.
The wings spread wide, their appearance reducing the strain on his right arm and allowing him to focus all remaining power there. With this, Dai Yao was compressing enough energy to reach a sevenfold burst—just enough, perhaps, to match Tang San's forty-eighth hammer blow with a fraction more power.
Tang San's face showed a rare hint of panic as he observed the change. He was familiar enough with Dai Yao's tactics to realize he was preparing a lethal move.
"No!" Xiao Wu cried out from the sidelines, her voice filled with desperation as she sensed the danger. The rest of the Shrek team mirrored her worry, while Yu Xiaogang, in a reckless bid to help, was pushed back by the force of the two warriors' clashing spirit power.
Boom—
White light met dark in a thunderous explosion. In the immediate aftermath, a powerful shockwave surged outward, sending debris flying toward the audience like a hailstorm of shattered stone and dust. Those with quick reflexes activated defensive soul skills to shield themselves, but even so, the residual force left their faces stinging and bruised.
As the dust settled, a thick cloud obscured the arena, concealing the final outcome of the battle from view.
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