Sudden Enlightenment, The Rise of the StarsOutside Hanhai City.
On the vast, boundless sea, the sky suddenly darkened, and countless bolts of lightning struck down. Amidst the lightning, a snow-white sword light cleaved the sky, and a tremendous explosion unleashed terrifying waves. A white figure burst through a gaping hole in the waves tens of meters high, then flew back at top speed.
The powerful wind pressure carved a deep groove into the originally calm sea surface.
A moment later, the water surface calmed down, and the ripples still carried the afterglow of the battle.
The figure that flew backward was none other than Dai Yao.
Dai Yao stood with his hands clasped in front of his chest, trembling slightly, his blood surging within him. Withstanding Sword Douluo's eighth soul skill was truly a struggle. Sword Douluo's eighth soul skill was arguably in no way inferior to the ninth soul skill of an ordinary Title Douluo.
Dai Yao flew backwards repeatedly, trying to deflect the force of Sword Douluo's sword, but how could a Soul Emperor like him defend against Sword Douluo's attack without taking any damage?
His figure retreated at the speed of light, swept across the coastline, flew back to the land, and crashed into the mountains, only then did he absorb the force.
After a while, Dai Yao gradually calmed the turbulent blood in his body and leaped out of the ruins. Looking at his disheveled appearance, he couldn't help but smile helplessly.
"Sword Douluo is really ruthless."
Ever since he was engaged to Ning Rongrong and the other three women, the three titled Douluo—Sword Douluo, Bone Douluo, and Poison Douluo—have been forcibly beating him under the guise of "training" him.
However, a few days later, Poison Douluo had to leave the team because his strength was no longer sufficient to easily defeat Dai Yao. After consuming the Eight-Cornered Ice Grass and the Fiery Apricot Blossom, Dai Yao gained immunity to all toxins, rendering Poison Douluo's most potent Azure Scale Serpent Venom ineffective.
Poison Douluo's skills are mostly focused on poison. Apart from that, although he can still defeat Soul Douluo-level powerhouses, the situation won't be as overwhelming.
For Dai Yao, whose overall strength was already comparable to that of a Soul Douluo, Poison Douluo would have to use his ninth soul skill to defeat him. However, this was merely a friendly spar, not a life-or-death struggle, so there was no need to use the ninth soul skill.
Moreover, the mere sight of Dai Yao's blood-red 100,000-year spirit ring terrified Poison Douluo. Realizing his own weakness was insufficient, Poison Douluo immediately left the trio.
As time passed, the remaining two swordsmen and bones gradually lost their desire to teach Dai Yao a lesson for Ning Rongrong's sake. Dai Yao's strength was truly beyond their imagination.
Although Dai Yao was still a Soul Emperor, he was already able to hold his own against them. The Thunder Eight Extremes Collapse, which compressed soul power eight times, forced Sword Douluo to use his eighth soul skill to deal with it. Although he broke through Dai Yao's soul skill, it was hardly a glorious thing.
He's a level 96 Title Douluo!
Just as Dai Yao leaped out of the ruins, a sword light shot straight from the seaside and hovered above his head.
Sword Douluo's snow-white sideburns fluttered slightly as he looked down at the unharmed Dai Yao, and he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He only wanted to avenge Ning Rongrong, and never intended to injure Dai Yao. However, facing Dai Yao's Thunderous Eight Extremes Collapse, he couldn't easily break through it.
He tried his best to control the power of his soul skills, but the aftershocks generated by the collision of soul skills were beyond his control.
Fortunately, Dai Yao was not injured.
Thinking of the soul skill Dai Yao had just used, a look of shock flashed in his eyes, and he said in a deep voice:
"Dai Yao, I saw you use this self-created soul skill before. I never expected that you could improve it to such an extent in just a few years. In my opinion, even Dugu Bo's ninth soul skill cannot compare to your self-created soul skill in terms of pure attack."
Dai Yao cupped his hands in a respectful greeting. While Sword Douluo wanted to avenge Ning Rongrong, he had also benefited greatly. To be able to compete with the continent's top experts was something countless people dreamed of.
Xie Dao:
"Thank you for your guidance, Your Majesty. However, I seem to have encountered a bottleneck regarding this self-created soul skill. The principle of this self-created soul skill is to continuously compress the soul power in the body and then burst it out instantly. However, after I compressed the soul power in my body eight times, no matter how I tried, I could not break through again."
"Therefore, I could only try to use my fourth spirit ring to control the power of lightning and introduce the power of lightning into this self-created spirit skill, which is how I achieved a power comparable to a titled Douluo's spirit skill."
Upon hearing this, Sword Douluo's lips twitched slightly. He compressed his soul power within his body eight times. Just how terrifying must his physical strength be?! Even among Title Douluos, in terms of physical attributes alone, there are probably few who can rival Dai Yao.
He lowered his longsword, came to Dai Yao's side, and after a moment of silence, slowly said:
"I'm not an expert in compressing soul power, so I can't offer much advice on the bottleneck you're facing. However, many things are interconnected; when one path is blocked, try a different one. You might be surprised by the results."
Sword Douluo slightly raised his head, a look of reminiscence on his face, and said:
"Back then, I was obsessed with the sword, severing all emotions and desires, trying to reach the state of oneness between man and sword that my father spoke of. But no matter how I tried, I always ended up failing."
"The long-term unfulfilled desire made me start to wonder if I had gone in the wrong direction. After I obtained the ninth spirit ring, I finally understood. What I should pursue is man controlling the sword, not the sword controlling man. From then on, my mind was clear, and I naturally achieved the state of one sword with heaven and earth and man and sword as one."
"Since you can't find the way forward in your own exploration, why not turn around and look at the world? Maybe you'll find the answer you're looking for."
Sword Douluo's words flashed through Dai Yao's mind like a flash of inspiration, making him feel as if he had been electrocuted, and goosebumps rose all over his body.
Dai Yao's pupils slowly dilated, losing focus. Years of painstaking research into the theory of compressing soul power surged through his mind like a storm, colliding and merging...
Upon seeing Dai Yao's appearance, Sword Douluo was suddenly startled.
"This kid actually had an epiphany? What terrifying talent! If Dai Yao can successfully break through his bottleneck, I'm afraid no one except a Super Douluo could withstand this move..."
Sword Douluo knew that Dai Yao's sudden enlightenment was a rare and precious opportunity, comparable to missing out on a soul bone. Therefore, he stayed by Dai Yao's side, waiting for Dai Yao to wake up.
The wind rises and falls, the sun rises and sets.
Three days later, Dai Yao slowly woke up, opened his eyes, and his pupils gradually focused.
"This is a huge gain. I've been stuck on the Eight Extremes Collapse technique for a long time, unable to complete the ninth compression. Although there is an 'eight' in Eight Extremes Collapse, nine has always been the extreme number. This move should still have one last compression."
"Sword Douluo's words made me completely understand and I found a way to complete the ninth compression."
"After nine compressions, the power of Thunderous Eight Extremes Collapse is probably comparable to the ninth soul skill of a Super Douluo!"
Dai Yao thought with some excitement.
"Kid, you're finally awake?"
Just as Dai Yao was reveling in the joy of his breakthrough, Sword Douluo's voice came over.
Dai Yao turned around and saw Sword Douluo standing not far from him. Beside Sword Douluo, Ning Rongrong was smiling sweetly at him.
Dai Yao smiled and exchanged a glance with Ning Rongrong, then thanked Sword Douluo:
"Thank you for your guidance, Your Majesty. I have benefited greatly from it."
Sword Douluo shook his head and said, "No, you shouldn't thank me, but thank yourself. What I said isn't actually that important. Without your usual deep accumulation of knowledge, even if I spoke eloquently, I wouldn't be able to make you understand."
"What you lack is just a trigger, an inspiration, to break through your bottleneck. The decisive factor is not me, but yourself."
Dai Yao still insisted:
"Your Majesty is right. However, without your guidance, this lack of inspiration might have trapped me for the rest of my life."
Sword Douluo was taken aback. What Dai Yao said made sense. You know, there are countless hardworking geniuses in the world who lack that little bit of inspiration, which prevents them from ever solving their own problems.
"Grandpa Jian, Dai Yao has just woken up. Why are you talking about these things? Let's go back quickly."
Ning Rongrong tugged at Sword Douluo's arm and said in a soft, coquettish tone.
A hint of kindness appeared on Sword Douluo's face as he smiled at Dai Yao:
"Alright, Dai Yao. You don't need to address me as Your Majesty anymore. You are Rongrong's husband, so just call me Grandpa, just like Rongrong does."
Dai Yao's heart stirred, and he said:
"Yes, Grandpa Jian."
Although Sword Douluo repeatedly asked him to call him Grandpa, Dai Yao had refused the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's invitations several times and eventually joined the Spirit Hall. Therefore, feeling sorry for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's kindness, he did not use such an intimate address to address Sword Douluo.
Sword Douluo glanced affectionately at Ning Rongrong. Although he was a Title Douluo, he also had his own selfish motives. He didn't mind using his connections to give Ning Rongrong and Dai Yao more time together. He smiled and said:
"Alright, I'll leave Rongrong to you for now. I'll head back first. If you dare to bully Rongrong, don't blame me for being impolite."
Dai Yao looked at Ning Rongrong, who shyly turned her head away, and then smiled:
"Okay, Grandpa Jian."
Immediately, Sword Douluo leaped onto the Seven Kill Sword, its sword light soaring into the sky and disappearing into the horizon.
As the sword light faded into the distance, Dai Yao arrived beside Ning Rongrong. Seeing the weariness hidden beneath her smile, a thought struck him, and his smile gradually vanished. He said:
"Rongrong, you didn't wait here for me for three days, did you?"
Ning Rongrong nodded gently and chuckled:
"Don't worry, I've already taken care of the sect's finances. My short absence won't cause any trouble. Besides, Sister Yan also wanted to come see you, but as the acting sect leader, she has many things to handle, so she has to stay in the sect and asked me to come and keep you company."
Dai Yao's heart skipped a beat.
Compared to the sect, Ning Rongrong was far more important. During this time, he had come to know the sheer volume of finances the sect needed to manage, and Ning Rongrong was able to handle them all with remarkable efficiency. Although she was quite skilled at this, it still required a great deal of time and effort.
Moreover, Ning Rongrong also had to help take care of Lou Gao.
This had left Ning Rongrong with little time for cultivation, but now that she had come to visit, she had still managed to handle all the sect affairs.
The beauty's kindness is profound.
These four words came to Dai Yao's mind.
He gently grasped Ning Rongrong's delicate hand, as if feeling the traces of those hands caressing countless ledgers and papers. He sighed heavily, gazing into Ning Rongrong's clear, autumn-like eyes, and whispered:
"Rongrong, thank you for your hard work."
As Dai Yao held her hands, Ning Rongrong felt a strange electric current coursing through her body, sending shivers down her spine.
She gently embraced the man she had longed for day and night, closed her eyes, and listened to his heartbeat. Hearing Dai Yao's words of gratitude, she felt that all her efforts had been worthwhile.
"I'm willing."
Ning Rongrong said softly.
Dai Yao felt a pang of pain in his heart, increasingly feeling that he owed Ning Rongrong a great deal. He and Ning Rongrong had been in a relationship for so long, yet he had never spent a single day alone with her. Back in Longxing City, he was either planning the establishment of the Qinglian Sect or scheming against Tang San.
After finally escaping the Star Luo Empire and returning to the Heaven Dou Empire, Zhu Zhuqing and Feng Wutong appeared by his side, leaving him even less time to spend with Ning Rongrong.
Gazing at the sunset on the horizon, where the boundless water shimmered with gold, a thought stirred within him, and he said to Ning Rongrong:
"Rongrong, I'll take you somewhere."
Ning Rongrong asked in confusion:
"Where?"
Amid Ning Rongrong's gasp, Dai Yao supported her back and legs, lifting her into his arms. Then, eight pairs of wings on his back suddenly unfurled, and with a powerful flap, he soared into the sky.
Feeling the powerful wind pressure, Ning Rongrong was hesitant to open her eyes.
After a long pause, Dai Yao finally stopped. He said gently:
"Alright, Rongrong, we're here."
Ning Rongrong slowly opened her eyes, her clear eyes suddenly focusing, her face filled with amazement.
Below them stretched the vast sky. The once colossal Hanhai City, viewed from this vantage point, appeared to be only the size of a fist. In the distance, the sky was ablaze with crimson clouds, the boundless sea reflecting the vibrant red, a truly magnificent sight.
Ning Rongrong stared blankly at the beautiful scenery for a long time before realizing that she was thousands of miles in the sky.
The fierce winds high in the sky whipped Ning Rongrong's hair. Although she was a Soul Master, she had never been to such a height before. If she fell, she would surely be smashed to pieces.
She instinctively gripped Dai Yao's neck tightly, a hint of fear appearing on her pretty face.
"Don't worry, nothing will happen. Even if you fall, I'll protect you. I've never been there for you in all this time. Consider this my way of making amends."
Dai Yao comforted him.
He was confident enough that he wouldn't make a basic mistake like losing control and falling.
Upon hearing this, Ning Rongrong's eyes flickered, her red lips pursed slightly, and her delicate body stiffened with fear before slowly disappearing. Lying in Dai Yao's arms, gazing at the sunset over the sea, she felt an urge to stay in this moment forever.
······
night.
The salty sea breeze swept across the land as Dai Yao carried Ning Rongrong back to Hanhai City.
Upon returning to the Azure Lotus Sect and landing on its rooftop, they discovered that Dugu Yan was already waiting for them there.
"Finally decided to come back?"
Dugu Yan crossed her arms and snorted coldly. Although she had asked Ning Rongrong to accompany Dai Yao, she couldn't help but feel a little jealous seeing the two of them so intimate.
Dai Yao gently put his arm around Dugu Yan's slender waist, without saying much. After a moment, Dugu Yan's jealousy gradually subsided, and she couldn't help but roll her eyes at Dai Yao, saying:
"I'm really doomed because of you."
Then, Dugu Yan's expression darkened slightly, and after a moment's hesitation, she said:
"It's a good thing you came back, otherwise I would have gone to look for you. There's something very important I need to tell you."
Seeing Dugu Yan's expression, Dai Yao felt a bad premonition and asked:
"What's up?"
Dugu Yan took a deep breath and solemnly said:
"News has come from the Star Luo Empire: they have captured Prince Dai Hengyu and will execute him soon!" (End of Chapter)