Before arriving in the Star Luo Empire, Dai Yao had already prepared to fight the Grand Elder. However, to continue compressing his soul power after the fifth compression, he needed a helper to hold off the Grand Elder.
That helper was Xiao Wu.
Xiao Wu's 100,000-year soul ring has two soul skills: the first is Void, and the second is Eight-Stage Explosive Smash. In the original novel, Xiao Wu's Eight-Stage Explosive Smash severely injured Yang Wudi. Therefore, although there is no clear standard for measuring the power of the Eight-Stage Explosive Smash, it is certain that its power is extremely impressive.
Therefore, he specifically promised Xiao Wu that he would resurrect her in the future and give her freedom. After her resurrection, he would not stop her from doing whatever she wanted. However, if Xiao Wu wanted to continue to fight him, he would not show any mercy.
Compared to exposing the secret of the Chaos Lotus, reviving Xiao Wu and setting her free are minor matters.
Xiao Wu didn't agree at first, but after arriving at Wuguan, when Dai Yao asked her again, she finally agreed.
Seeing Dai Yao suddenly appear, Xiao Wu's delicate face froze slightly for a moment, then she understood what was going on. She looked at Dai Yao with a half-smile and said:
"It seems you've encountered an insurmountable crisis?"
Dai Yao frowned, a bad feeling rising in his heart. He frowned and said:
"What did you say?"
Xiao Wu's face was full of a triumphant smile. The reason she agreed to Dai Yao's conditions was so that she could deliver the final blow to Dai Yao when he faced a life-or-death crisis, completely severing his hope of survival and letting him die in despair.
Dai Yao caused her and Tang San so much pain. If it weren't for Dai Yao, she and Tang San would not have been separated, and she would not have become Dai Yao's spirit ring!
With such deep-seated hatred, why would she help Dai Yao? All her previous pretense and obsequiousness were merely for today's revenge!
"Let me tell you the truth, I can't help you! My third brother and I had to separate, and now I can only watch helplessly as he marries someone else, all because of you! I'd rather die with you today than let you ask me for help!"
Xiao Wu sneered.
She unleashed all the anger that had been pent up inside her for so long. Looking at Dai Yao's gloomy face, Xiao Wu felt incredibly relieved.
Upon hearing this, Dai Yao's face immediately darkened. He hadn't expected that even after promising Xiao Wu such favorable terms, she would still betray him. However, he didn't have time to argue with Xiao Wu now. The Grand Elder's soul skill was nearing completion, and he had to find a way to stall the Grand Elder and buy him time to compress his soul power.
I'll deal with you later.
Despite his fury, Dai Yao had no time to retaliate against Xiao Wu. He glanced at her coldly before disappearing from the mental world.
Xiao Wu went back on her word, putting him at a disadvantage in this battle. We'll settle this score later!
Sensing the undisguised malice in Dai Yao's eyes, Xiao Wu's heart skipped a beat. She suddenly realized she might have been wrong. Why was Dai Yao so calm? Was he really facing a life-or-death crisis? If not, then Dai Yao would definitely take revenge on her and her third brother!
Her pupils slowly lost focus, as if grasping at a straw, and she murmured:
"No, that's impossible. Dai Yao must be facing a life-or-death crisis, otherwise he would never need my help. That's right, that must be it!"
······
Back in the real world, sensing the powerful fluctuations of the Grand Elder's eighth soul skill, Dai Yao frowned slightly.
"This is really troublesome. Xiao Wu has put me in a bit of a passive position. Poison Douluo is being held back by the Seventh Elder, and Yang Wudi is the key figure in maintaining the stalemate on the Soul Douluo battlefield, so he can't leave either. Although my and Zhu Qing's Martial Soul Fusion Skill is quite powerful, Zhu Qing's soul power is too low, and the Netherworld White Tiger can't be maintained for long enough."
"Now that things have come to this, is revealing my Chaos Azure Lotus Martial Soul the only option?"
Dai Yao thought about it for a moment, then immediately dismissed the idea.
"The Chaos Azure Lotus Martial Soul is my last trump card, and the Grand Elder is not worthy of me revealing it! In that case, I have no choice but to withstand it head-on!"
Staring at his right fist and feeling the surging soul power within it, a resolute glint flashed in Dai Yao's eyes. As the soul power surged, six soul rings slowly emerged. Under the somewhat surprised and wary gaze of the Grand Elder, the sixth blood-red soul ring slowly lit up!
Ten Thousand Year Soul Skill - Void!
Immune to all physical attacks, and reduces soul power attacks by 50%.
The Grand Elder's eighth soul skill is clearly an energy attack, therefore, it can only negate fifty percent of its power. However, the remaining fifty percent is still no less powerful than the Star Luo Emperor's eighth soul skill. In other words, Dai Yao must withstand the Star Luo Emperor's eighth soul skill head-on.
"Although I can only be immune to 50%, the combined amplification from the White Tiger Dark Gold Transformation and the White Tiger Titan Transformation makes my defensive attributes extremely powerful, so I can give it a try. Moreover, I also have the azure light of the Chaos Green Lotus, so even if I get injured, I can recover immediately."
Dai Yao pondered this.
Although Dai Yao was using his self-created soul skill, this could only be done under the dual-amplification of the Divine White Tiger Martial Soul. Therefore, he could not directly use the Chaos Green Lotus soul skill; to use the Chaos Green Lotus soul skill, he would have to interrupt the process of compressing soul power.
The azure light of the Chaos Green Lotus is not a soul skill, so it can be used simultaneously when using the Sacred White Tiger Martial Soul.
The blood-red spirit ring shimmered with a breathtaking light. The unique fluctuation of spirit power made the Grand Elder's heart skip a beat.
"A 100,000-year-old soul skill..."
The Grand Elder's expression was extremely solemn.
The phrase "ten thousand years" carries immense weight. Only those possessing a ten-thousand-year soul ring are qualified to become among the strongest on the continent.
Tang Hao defeated the Pope in a single battle, and Bibi Dong now reigns supreme; their confidence stems from their 100,000-year spirit rings! Dai Yao possessed a 100,000-year spirit ring when he was only at the sixth level, which astonished him. Therefore, Dai Yao's 100,000-year spirit skill made him quite wary.
On the ground, several powerful figures seemed to sense something and looked up at the sky. However, thick clouds obscured their view.
"That's... the fluctuation of a 100,000-year-old soul ring!"
Someone exclaimed.
After Dai Yao used his 100,000-year-old soul skill, he did not experience the powerful soul power fluctuations associated with such a skill; his body simply became more ethereal.
The elder frowned secretly. He wasn't sure if Dai Yao was just making a show of it, but the aura in Dai Yao's right hand was making him increasingly uneasy!
"We can't delay any longer! We must interrupt his soul skill, otherwise, once he finishes it, I'll be at a disadvantage!"
The Grand Elder made up his mind, and the soul power within his body surged violently once more. The soul skill in the sky accelerated its solidification, and after a moment, the Grand Elder's eighth soul skill was completed.
The Grand Elder's eyes lit up, and his eighth black soul ring shimmered with dazzling light. The temperature in the sky began to rise rapidly, and a fiery red giant tiger dharma image slowly condensed into form. Unlike the White Tiger, the Grand Elder's martial soul was the Flaming Tiger, but in terms of attack, the Flaming Tiger martial soul was no weaker than the White Tiger, and might even be superior.
Compared to the White Tiger, the Flaming Tiger, due to its fire attribute, has more explosive attacks and also inflicts a burning effect, making it stronger in burst damage than the White Tiger martial soul. However, it is significantly weaker than the White Tiger in sustained combat.
"Go, Flaming Tiger, break through the demon!"
The Grand Elder roared.
Flames surged, the Fiery Tiger roared, and with a dazzling trail of flames, it pounced fiercely on Dai Yao.
The Fiery Tiger rapidly approached, and the surrounding temperature rose higher and higher. Beads of sweat dripped from Dai Yao's forehead, only to be instantly evaporated by the intense heat. However, Dai Yao didn't look at the Fiery Tiger; instead, he focused entirely on compressing the soul power in his right fist.
Seeing that Dai Yao made no defensive move, the Grand Elder frowned, somewhat puzzled by Dai Yao's actions, but his hands did not stop moving, and the fiery red giant tiger immediately swallowed Dai Yao, who was the size of a grain of rice.
Sizzle—
Engulfed by the Fiery Tiger, Dai Yao immediately felt an extremely violent energy, as if it wanted to tear him apart. With the dual amplification of the White Tiger Dark Gold Transformation and the White Tiger Titan Transformation, his defense was precarious. A cool aura emanated from his right leg. This was the healing effect of the Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone.
His body's broad and resilient meridians formed the final line of defense, withstanding wave after wave of fire-attribute energy attacks.
To maintain this defense, Dai Yao's soul power was rapidly depleted, but the Chaos Green Lotus immediately replenished it. With a soul power reserve of level ninety-nine, Dai Yao was practically limitless at the moment, and he had no need to worry about running out of soul power.
Moreover, he is currently maintaining a state of nothingness.
"The power of the Grand Elder's eighth soul skill seems a bit low. Even though Void has reduced its power by half, it shouldn't be this weak."
Excruciating pain shot through his limbs and bones, and cold sweat poured down his face, but Dai Yao wasn't too nervous, because he had experienced this kind of pain far too many times. Instead, he was somewhat puzzled as to why the power of the Great Elder's eighth soul skill was so different from what he had estimated.
Suddenly, he seemed to understand something, and a slight twitch appeared on his pained face:
"By the way, the Grand Elder's soul skill is fire-attribute, while Wutong's martial soul is the king of fire, which counters any flame. Perhaps it's because after Wutong and I merged, my body also gained some resistance to fire. Combined with the fire immunity of Liehuo Xingjiaoshu, the Grand Elder's soul skill was weakened so much."
Having figured all this out, he stopped focusing on the pain in his body and concentrated on compressing his soul power. Once he was completely immersed in this state, the pain in his body seemed to disappear.
Fiery red energy surged continuously, breaking through Dai Yao's meridians intermittently, only to heal instantly. Soul power was rapidly depleted and replenished, everything proceeding according to a predetermined program. Although the Grand Elder's eighth soul skill was constantly pushing Dai Yao's limits, it always failed at the last moment.
Finally, as its energy was exhausted, the Fiery Tiger gradually dissipated. Dai Yao felt an astonishing fluctuation in his arm and exclaimed with delight:
"Sixth compression complete! Continue, seventh compression!"
The Grand Elder stared in shock at the unharmed Dai Yao, unable to believe that Dai Yao had survived his soul skill without a scratch!
"How is this possible? My eighth soul skill had absolutely no effect on him! No... that's not right. My soul skill worked on him, but it was greatly weakened. Could it be because of that 100,000-year soul ring?!"
Sensing the remaining fire element within Dai Yao's body, the Grand Elder was somewhat surprised and uncertain.
But there was no time for careful consideration now. The soul skills Dai Yao was constantly completing were his death warrant. Dai Yao's willingness to withstand these soul skills with his own body was enough to prove his confidence in his self-created soul skills!
"Since you want to hold out, I'd like to see how long you can hold out!"
Having just unleashed his eighth soul skill, the Grand Elder needed some time to recover. With a surge of soul power, the giant tiger's muscles bulged, and it charged towards Dai Yao with lightning speed, closing the distance of several thousand meters in mere breaths. Its enormous tiger claws, like small mountains, smashed towards Dai Yao's head!
Close combat is a fundamental skill for every offensive Soul Master!
In the Grand Elder's eyes, his tiger claws were getting closer and closer to Dai Yao, but Dai Yao's face showed no panic whatsoever, not even the slightest reaction. He remained focused and absorbed in unleashing his soul skill. A ferocious look appeared on the tiger's face, as if it could already see Dai Yao's head being flattened.
But the next moment, his tiger claw seemed to pass through a phantom and pierced through Dai Yao's body.
A look of horror appeared in his tiger eyes as he stared at Dai Yao's illusory body. With his rich experience, he immediately understood what Dai Yao's sixth soul skill was!
"Damn it! His 100,000-year-old soul skill grants him immunity to all physical attacks! My Martial Soul True Body is completely ineffective against him!"
The Grand Elder thought with shock and anger.
For Beast Soul Masters, the strongest ability is the melee combat of their Martial Soul True Body, but Xiao Wu's 100,000-year Soul Ring just happens to counter this, leaving the Grand Elder unable to use his strength.
"The seventh time!"
Taking advantage of the Grand Elder's attack, Dai Yao completed his seventh compression. The air around his right arm trembled slightly, emitting a mournful sound, and even space itself seemed to distort.
Immediately, Dai Yao continued with the eighth compression. Just two more times, and he would complete the Eight Extremes Collapse!
Sensing the increasingly explosive aura, the Grand Elder's eyelids twitched. He stared intently at Dai Yao and said coldly:
"Boy, no wonder you dare to stand before me. Your 100,000-year-old soul skill is indeed powerful. Not only can it evade physical attacks, but it can also withstand my eighth soul skill. But I'd like to know if you can withstand this move of mine?!"
Buzz!
The ninth black spirit ring suddenly lit up.
Vast waves of soul power surged outwards like a tsunami. The surrounding air seemed to freeze, the temperature of the entire area began to rise, and the clouds below rapidly turned red, burning like flames!
Moments later, the entire cloud layer turned into burning flames!
The Grand Elder returned to human form, hovering quietly in the sky. His two hands, burning like flames, were clasped together, forming a triangle. At the very center of the triangle stood Dai Yao!
The fire elements in the world rushed towards the Grand Elder like a giant vortex, even the clouds below were swept up by it.
As the Grand Elder continued to gather fire elements, it was as if a second sun had appeared in the sky!
The stinging sensation on his skin intensified, and feeling that terrifying power, Dai Yao awoke from the compression of his soul power. Seeing the strange phenomenon in the sky, he immediately frowned.
"The Grand Elder's ninth soul skill?! How decisive! With my body, I could barely withstand the Grand Elder's eighth soul skill, but if the Grand Elder were to unleash his full power, my meridians would definitely be burned to ashes! Damn it, I only need two more times to complete it!"
Sensing Dai Yao's anxiety in her mind's eye, Xiao Wu smiled smugly:
"Haha, you're at your wits' end now! I'll watch how you die today!"
As she spoke, tears streamed down her face. With Dai Yao dead, she, who depended on him, was doomed to die as well. She would never see Tang San again.
"So noisy!"
Dai Yao cursed under his breath.
He wasn't in a desperate situation. Even if he wasn't a match for the Grand Elder, he could still teleport away safely.
But if he does this, none of the disciples of the Azure Lotus Sect below will be able to leave, and the power he has painstakingly built will be destroyed.
"Now that things have come to this, is exposing the Chaos Green Lotus the only option?"
Dai Yao struggled.
In his vision, he seemed to see himself killing the Grand Elder, returning to the Spirit Hall, being feared by countless people, and then engaging in intrigue and power struggles, with Wutong, Zhuqing, and the others being threatened from time to time.
He clenched his teeth, unable to make up his mind. His eyes were red as he looked at the Grand Elder, spitting out a few words through gritted teeth:
"Why do you always push me to the brink? Do you all want to die?"
The Grand Elder was still gathering fire element, and the temperature in the sky had already dropped significantly. When this move was fully charged, it would surely be earth-shattering!
But if he wanted to stop the Grand Elder, he had to stop the process of unleashing the 'Eight Extremes Collapse'. However, if he stopped, he would completely lose any hope of stopping the Grand Elder. Next time, the Grand Elder wouldn't give him time to gather his strength.
Dai Yao took a deep breath; he had to make a decision.
Just then, the sky suddenly darkened, thunder roared, and countless bolts of lightning flashed, clearly distinct from the fire element surrounding the Grand Elder.
A stunning figure in purple robes slowly appeared beside Dai Yao. She glanced indifferently at Dai Yao, then looked at the Grand Elder, a hint of seriousness appearing in her cold eyes. She said calmly:
"Leave it to me, I can buy you some time." (End of Chapter)