Chapter 227: Recovering What Was Lost
"Ugh!"
The old man was once again knocked back by a palm strike from the black-robed evil spirit master. He couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood as he quickly expelled the evil energy that had invaded his body.
His eyes grew more serious.
For spirit masters, their strength depended not only on their spirit power level but also on their age.
At the same spirit power level, older spirit masters struggled to compete with younger ones because, while they might have the experience, they lacked the strength.
This old man was already over 150 years old, with not much time left. He could only exert 80% of his strength at best.
Furthermore, his opponent was an evil spirit master. The sinister and strange energy from his attacks seemed to erode the old man's remaining vitality, making it even harder for him to fight.
"Old man, is that all you've got?" The hooded evil spirit master let out a sinister laugh, his voice as chilling as an owl's screech in the night. "Level 97? How pathetic."
The evil spirit master was feeling exhilarated. Despite advancing quickly in strength, he rarely had the chance to face someone of the same level, especially after reaching the level of a titled Douluo. He usually remained hidden to avoid attracting too much attention.
It was simple: if his powers were exposed too early, it would lead to relentless pursuit and assassination attempts. This fear had kept him cautious, only killing ordinary people or harvesting spirits from graveyards to boost his strength.
After hiding for so long, this was his first time openly fighting a strong opponent of the same level. To his delight, this supposed equal couldn't last a single round against him.
His excitement was swelling to unprecedented levels.
"We evil spirit masters are so strong! No one at the same level can match us! There's no reason for us to hide anymore!"
A new ambition was ignited within him.
No more hiding like rats. It was time for evil spirit masters to establish their own force!
A powerful name was required for this force.
People might call them "evil spirit masters," but he would reclaim the word "holy" for them, placing it at the forefront of their organization. He would create a world where no one dared to call them evil ever again!
The Holy Spirit Cult! Yes, that name was perfect. One day, he would become the leader of the Holy Spirit Cult!
As ambition burned in his heart, he turned back to his opponent with eyes full of disdain.
"Worm!"
Yes, in his eyes, this frail old man was just another bug.
Killing him would be an honor.
Perhaps every evil spirit master had some level of obsession or madness in them. Despite being a powerful level 97 spirit master, this one lacked the rationality that should have come with his strength.
"Worm? Who are you calling a worm?"
A voice suddenly interrupted.
"You!" the evil spirit master sneered, but in the next moment, he realized something was wrong.
The voice wasn't coming from the old man in front of him.
He turned his head hastily, only to see a blue-gold spear filling his vision.
The spear dominated his entire field of view. Its energy was so vast and overwhelming that even the space around it rippled.
It was as if the world had plunged into a boundless darkness, with the blue-gold spear being the only source of light, piercing through everything.
No!
No!!
The evil spirit master's pupils constricted.
He recognized this spear all too well.
There was only one other spear in the world that could rival it.
This was the spear of Buddha's Hand Douluo, Tang Qianqiu.
Why was he here?
The evil spirit master's mind raced, but his reaction was quick.
Letting out a screech, he summoned countless vengeful spirits that screamed and wailed in the air, producing a sickening wave of energy.
Under his control, these spirits swarmed toward the spear like moths to a flame, only to disintegrate before even touching it. But their sacrifice had slowed the spear down by a fraction.
In that brief moment, the evil spirit master decisively transformed into countless streaks of blood light, scattering in every direction.
"Hmph!"
Tang Qianqiu snorted coldly, his Blue Silver Overlord Spear splitting into countless projections, shattering one streak of blood light.
However, there were too many. The evil spirit master had acted too decisively, and even though Tang Qianqiu gave his all, several streaks of blood light still managed to escape.
The evil spirit master's voice, filled with boundless hatred, echoed across Star Luo City.
"Tang Qianqiu, I am Zhongli Qing, leader of the Holy Spirit Cult! I will have my revenge!"
"Holy Spirit Cult..." Tang Qianqiu's expression darkened. "Damn it!"
The evil spirit masters had already formed their own organization?
...
"What are your plans next, Keke?"
Dai Youyuan's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. After their more intimate conversation, he was even more pleased with his nephew.
Despite all the hardships he'd endured, Keke remained kind and thoughtful—a rare quality indeed.
Because of that, Dai Youyuan couldn't help but start thinking about Keke's future.
After all, as far as he knew, he was Keke's only living family.
"My plans…"
Keke thought for a moment, a conflicted look crossing his face. After a while, he finally spoke up, "Second Uncle, can I stay here?"
"Stay in Star Luo City? Of course," Dai Youyuan said. To him, that was no big deal.
Although he was stationed in the Eastern Army, as a prince of the Star Luo Empire, he had his own residence in Star Luo City. Letting Keke live there wasn't a problem.
"No... I mean, I want to stay here at the restaurant and keep working as a waiter," Keke bit his lip but said it out loud.
He had been so happy every day working at the restaurant. Even though it was busy and tiring, he found the work fulfilling.
Seeing customers smile after he served them food was incredibly rewarding!
If only his cooking skills were better. Then he'd get even more satisfaction from making his own dishes for the customers.
"Uh…" Dai Youyuan hadn't expected that. He raised an eyebrow and looked at his nephew with newfound interest. "Now that you know you're part of the royal family, don't you want a better life?"
"A better life..." Keke was momentarily stunned. Then, shaking his head, he broke into a radiant smile. "Second Uncle, I think my life is already pretty good. Isn't it?"
"Are you sure? Maybe you should think about it a little more?"
"No need, Second Uncle. I really like my life right now."
Dai Youyuan fell silent for a while, recalling everything he had seen of Keke over the past few days.
During the last ten days, he had spent two hours in the restaurant each day, slowly savoring the food while observing Keke.
Despite the hard work of being a waiter, Keke had always worn a warm, genuine smile, never complaining. He treated every customer with kindness and respect.
Just as Keke had said, he truly seemed to love his life.
Dai Youyuan felt a mix of emotion and internal conflict.
Truthfully, he had his own plans for Keke's future.
With Keke's kind nature, if he were to train alongside Dai Youyuan in the Eastern Army, he could grow into a great person faster.
But those were Dai Youyuan's own wishes. What mattered most was Keke's choices and desires.
After coming to this realization, Dai Youyuan finally smiled.
"Alright."
With that, Dai Youyuan stood up and began walking downstairs.
"Second Uncle, are you leaving?"
Keke's eyes widened, filled with reluctance.
To Keke, Dai Youyuan was like a father figure. Whenever he was around, Keke felt warmth and security.
"Leaving? No, I'm not leaving anymore. But..."
"Your Second Uncle…. need to go and reclaim something he've lost over the years."
Dai Youyuan's smile was lighthearted.
"I've lost enough. There are some things I can't afford to lose anymore."
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