DD Spiritual Sword [569-571] (Patreon)

Chapter 569: Sacrifice – Ultimate Douluo Jun Tianlin

"He's actually unmoved!" The Silver Dragon King was stunned. She hadn't expected this lecher Tianlin to be so calm. She considered herself, in human form, to be a peerless beauty—far surpassing even the little angel he'd once risked his life to protect in the Star Dou Forest.

"What's wrong?" Tianlin asked in confusion.

"Nothing. It's just that you've upgraded a bit in my heart. You used to be a purebred lecher, but now you're a lecher with principles. For that, I'll allow you to call me by my name—Gu Yuena—instead of Silver Dragon King. After all, that's just a title." Gu Yuena smiled.

Tianlin broke out in a cold sweat. "A lecher with principles? Haha, should I feel honored?"

The Skydream Iceworm inside him sighed. "Looks like we're getting a new big sister. Xiao Bai, you'd better prepare yourself. This new boss lady probably won't be as gentle as Nuwa's descendant, nor is she any saint."

"Really? But my mother once said the Lord was a great leader." Xiao Bai scratched his head, too simple to understand why his mother and Uncle Skydream had such different views of the Silver Dragon King.

Actually, that was normal. To other soul beasts, the Silver Dragon King's dedication to the clan made her a universally recognized leader. But for Skydream Iceworm, she'd known his plight yet said nothing as his origins were siphoned away by the fierce beasts. Since she didn't treat him as her subject, why should he acknowledge her as his sovereign?

…

The power of the sacrificial array lasted for several days, gradually pouring entirely into Tianlin's body. After the six platinum, gold, red-gold, blue-gold, green-gold, and purple-gold soul rings of the Holy Spirit Pearl, three more silver rings appeared.

The silver torso bone was also absorbed into Tianlin's body.

The Silver Dragon King was amazed at Tianlin's physical endurance. She'd thought it would take at least a month or two to condense three soul rings and fuse the soul bone, but he finished in just a few days.

Now Tianlin's soul power had reached the peak of level 99. Except for lacking the divinity of a god, in terms of sheer strength, even a typical third-rank god wouldn't be his match, and he could even fight a second-rank god on equal terms.

The Silver Dragon King's soul rings gave Tianlin the soul skills he wanted. The seventh ring, of course, was the True Body of the Martial Soul, greatly enhancing his five-elemental immortal arts.

The eighth soul skill was a yin-attribute immortal art. The Gold Dragon King and Silver Dragon King represented the two powers after the Dragon God split: Gold for yang, Silver for yin. Her soul rings unlocked yin-attribute immortal arts, which didn't surprise Tianlin.

The four yin-attribute immortal arts were:

Godbinding Seal: A powerful single-target control skill said to restrain even gods.

Dreamless Sleep: Area control, forcing enemies into slumber.

Heavenly Demon Soul Seize: A special immortal art—though the chance of success is very low, especially against stronger opponents, if it succeeds, it ignores differences in strength and kills the target instantly. In other words, Tianlin could have a chance, however slim, to insta-kill even a first-rank god or god-king. But with his current power, the odds are negligible.

Demonic Spirit Rebirth: The strongest yin-attribute attack, forcibly extracting an enemy's soul and sending it to the underworld.

The ninth soul skill, like the Demon Sword's ninth skill, wasn't four separate techniques but a fusion: Total Attribute Manipulation. Its effect was simple but domineering—freely harmonizing all attributes within his body.

This meant that in the future, Tianlin could perform combination immortal arts like "Stars Fall, Earth Moves" or "Inferno Ignition" at will, without needing talismans—skills like Wind Dew Drink, Spirit Blood Curse, Soul Redemption Light, Snowstorm, Demonic Possession, Fiery Lightning, Inferno Ignition, and Stars Fall, Earth Moves.

It looked like just one soul skill, but it actually amounted to over ten.

"No wonder it's the Silver Dragon King's soul ring. From now on, I have mastered all immortal arts. Once I become a god, I can continue to study the path of immortality," Tianlin thought, very pleased—but he didn't let joy get the better of him.

The power from the Silver Dragon King's ring and bone couldn't be wasted. Tianlin pushed the bone-tempering method to its limit. Who knew to what level his soul bones could be strengthened by such immense power?

He also needed to use the Silver Dragon King's last torso bone to complete his soul bone armor. To do all this, he had to cultivate for a while longer above the Lake of Life.

At this moment, the Silver Dragon King's soul finally arrived in Tianlin's spiritual sea. In front of her were a cute, chubby boy and a handsome young lad.

With her cultivation, she recognized them instantly.

"You're Xiao Bai, Snow Empress's well-behaved son, right? Nice to meet you." Gu Yuena smiled at Xiao Bai.

Xiao Bai politely saluted, "Greetings, Lord. My mother told me about you—if I ever met you, I must show respect. You are the king all soul beasts respect."

"Hmph, Xiao Bai, you'd better add 'except for me' to that last part. I don't recall anything about her deserving my respect," Skydream Iceworm grumbled.

Gu Yuena looked at Skydream. "You're that golden-patterned Iceworm from back then, right? I heard you changed your name to Skydream. Nice name. I know you don't recognize me—because of my inaction, right?"

"As long as you know. Even if you've made peace with Xiao Tian, that doesn't make us friends. In Xiao Tian's spiritual sea, let's mind our own business and not exchange another word," Skydream said coldly. Of all the soul beasts, he respected the Silver Dragon King the least.

Gu Yuena's soul floated over, startling Skydream into a fighting stance.

"Hey, what do you want? Stay back! Want to fight? We're both just souls now, but I've reached the million-year level. With Xiao Tian getting stronger, my soul power has been restored to its peak, as good as a god-level expert. Even you can't bully me here."

But Gu Yuena didn't intend to fight. She simply bowed. "Sorry. I apologize for my inaction back then. Because you lacked combat ability, I wanted to strengthen the fierce beasts for the future of soul beasts, so I sacrificed you. Though I had no selfish motive, I truly wronged you. You were my subject; I shouldn't have ignored you."

"Hmph, I was almost drained to death back then. You think a light apology is enough? No matter what, I'll never forgive you," Skydream turned away. Such a deadly grudge isn't so easily forgotten.

Gu Yuena was troubled. She wanted to compensate him, but as just a soul, what could she give?

Suddenly, inspiration struck. She'd heard a rumor that Skydream liked the Ice Empress.

"Um, Skydream, I can't do much for you. But after we both become divine beasts, I can put in a good word for you with Ice Empress. I think she'll give me some face. Could you forgive me for that?" Gu Yuena asked tentatively.

After all, this was Tianlin's spiritual sea. Even while cultivating, Tianlin could hear everything clearly.

But Gu Yuena was being naive. No matter how much Skydream liked Ice Empress, he wouldn't forget a life-and-death grudge for such a small favor.

Skydream's shoulders shook—Tianlin guessed he was furious at being insulted.

But the next second, Skydream turned around, grinning, "Oh, Lord, what are you saying? Sacrificing a few years of my origin for the soul beast future is nothing—I'll recover eventually. Why would I be angry over something so small? Haha!"

"You really mean you'll put in a good word for me with Bingbing?"

Gu Yuena nodded dumbly, thrown by his sudden change of attitude.

Skydream beamed, "Then it's settled! Lord, you're my new big sister now. Let bygones be bygones—we should all move forward!"

Tianlin twitched—he'd still underestimated Skydream's shamelessness. Compared to his beloved Bingbing, what were life and cultivation? No wonder he's the world's most lovesick soul beast!

Chapter 570: Star Luo's Crushing Defeat – Dugu Bo, Battlefield Weapon

While Tianlin was focused on cultivating, the continent was undergoing earth-shaking changes.

On the Star Luo Empire side, after Dai Tianjue heard of the Spirit Empire's surrender, he abandoned all agreements, sent emissaries in various directions to the Heaven Dou Empire, and hastily prepared for siege warfare.

He was determined to reclaim Gengxin City. Otherwise, even if Star Luo allied with Heaven Dou, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could attack Star Luo's heartland through the city.

As for the fates of Dai Weisi and Zhu Zhuyun, he no longer cared. Worst case, he could spend thirty years raising new heirs. Sons were less important than the imperial throne.

Unfortunately, he was one step behind Ning Fengzhi and Tianlin. The two had already anticipated his move and sent Dugu Bo and Yin Yang with 300,000 troops.

Star Luo originally had 1.4 million troops. They didn't take the 300,000 seriously, but not long ago, their 700,000-strong force lost 400,000, and the remaining 300,000 were badly wounded.

So Dai Tianjue had to swap these troops with the original border garrison to defend the city, while the border troops became the main assault force.

Of the 700,000 intact troops, he left 100,000 to guard the capital and threw the remaining 600,000 into battle—a true all-out effort.

But this number was exactly within Ning Fengzhi's calculations.

Siege warfare was different from open battle; success usually required two to five times the enemy's numbers, ideally tenfold to minimize casualties. In the Douluo Continent, soul masters reduced that ratio, but Star Luo lacked enough soul masters.

So Ning Fengzhi sent exactly half of Dai Tianjue's numbers.

As Gengxin City was empty, Dai Tianjue had used a siege strategy, dispersing his 600,000 troops. The main force was at the south gate; the north gate had fewer than 50,000.

Yin Yang led a thousand elite soul masters in a night raid on the north gate, almost annihilating the defenders, then 250,000 main forces entered from there before Dai Tianjue could react.

Even so, he still had over 500,000 soldiers—twice the enemy's numbers—so he launched a counterattack, even fighting Yin Yang personally.

While they fought fiercely, Dugu Bo led 50,000 to block all escape routes and personally launched a surprise attack on the Star Luo rear army.

Dugu Bo showed what it meant to be a "battlefield weapon." Alone, he became the nightmare of hundreds of thousands.

He first released his Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor poison as a mist, killing 20,000-30,000 Star Luo soldiers in half an hour.

Then he used the Aromatic Silk Beauty borrowed from Yang Wudi to dissipate the poison. War inevitably meant killing, but deterrence could reduce slaughter.

The dead became a warning. After the mist cleared, Dugu Bo released a new poison, the Snow Swan Kiss, which spread even faster and was more potent, but only paralyzing, not lethal. In a short time, over 200,000 were immobilized.

Faced with this, Dai Tianjue could only retreat. Dugu Bo's poison spread too quickly—if this continued, his whole army would die. As for the paralyzed 200,000, he couldn't care anymore; they were as good as dead.

These 200,000 became abandoned pawns. The sight of their comrades turned to blood terrified them.

At this moment, Dugu Bo promised: those who surrendered would be spared and cured.

Most immediately surrendered. Dugu Bo pretended to cure them with a fragrant flower he distributed—its only effect was a pleasant scent.

He told them that those who smelled it were cured; in twelve hours, they'd recover.

The soldiers wept for joy—they would live after all. The sight of their comrades melting into blood had terrified them.

In truth, Dugu Bo's poison only lasted a day anyway, and those with higher cultivation would recover even faster.

Dai Tianjue tried to retreat along a side road but ran into a 50,000-strong ambush Dugu Bo had set up, losing tens of thousands more.

But with Dai Tianjue present, Dugu Bo ordered his men not to pursue, or most would be killed by him instead.

The survivors fled to Star Luo like frightened birds. Dai Tianjue had heard Dugu Bo was deadly in group fights, but not to this degree—the poison mist spread was unreal. If Dugu Bo unleashed poison without restraint, apart from titled douluo or soul sages and above with resistance, the entire continent would be doomed.

With the Snow Swan Kiss, if unopposed, Dugu Bo could theoretically wipe out the whole continent.

In the end, only about 170,000 soldiers returned to Star Luo, and with the 300,000 from the previous battle, the continent's top military nation now had less than 500,000 men, all defeated.

The rest were either killed or surrendered—they were no match for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Now Dai Tianjue finally understood what Heaven Dou had felt facing the Spirit Empire—no matter how many troops, against overwhelming titled douluo, they were powerless.

Those good at group warfare could slaughter thousands at a time; even those less skilled could assassinate generals in a million-strong army.

Why did they ever think their million troops could ignore the Spirit Empire and Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?

Now Dai Tianjue didn't dare make a move. He called back most of his troops and fortified the capital, hoping the emissaries sent to Heaven Dou would bring good news.

He'd heard Heaven Dou had developed many hidden weapons and formed a Tang Army—perhaps they'd make a difference.

But if Dai Tianjue didn't attack Gengxin City, Gu Ran, once he arrived, was ready to counterattack from Gengxin southward, aiming to conquer all Star Luo lands in short order and end the nation.

Chapter 571: Emperor Xue Ye Dies, Xue Beng Ascends

If Star Luo could still resist, Heaven Dou was in even worse shape. With fewer than 400,000 battered soldiers, they were no match for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

When Emperor Xue Ye learned of their alliance with the Spirit Empire, he coughed blood and fainted in his new palace.

Xue Beng stayed at his father's bedside day and night—whether out of sincerity or formality, he was dutiful.

All the ministers gathered in the palace, knowing Emperor Xue Ye likely wouldn't last the night.

"Traitors!" Emperor Xue Ye coughed blood and roared, "I trusted Ning Fengzhi so much—gave him the capital to fend off the Spirit Empire, even provided troops and supplies. In the end, he joined forces with them, disregarding the people. Ning Fengzhi and Jun Tianlin are true traitors!"

"Father, please calm yourself. It was my fault for misjudging the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Outwardly, they allied with the Spirit Empire, but according to my sources, Jun Tianlin and Sword Douluo defeated Bibi Dong and Qian Daoliu, then somehow conjured a million-strong army to surround the Spirit Empire—so really, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect conquered them. They aim to unify the continent." Xue Beng blamed himself. If he hadn't urged yielding the capital, the Sect wouldn't have grown so powerful.

But, if they hadn't yielded, Heaven Dou would have been destroyed without the Sect's help. Whether that decision was right or wrong, no one could say.

The three education commissioners secretly scoffed. They served Heaven Dou, but knew the truth: giving up the capital wasn't out of goodwill.

Their original plan was to let the Spirit Empire and the Sect wear each other down, then swoop in. Now, how could they blame the others for striking first?

Only Tang Yuehua pondered deeper: perhaps the real turning point wasn't giving up the capital, but the death of the Grandmaster. Ning Fengzhi and Jun Tianlin had foreseen this, using the plan to frame the Clear Sky Sect and draw Bibi Dong's focus to Heaven Dou, pulling her forces from Star Luo.

Ning Fengzhi's fake indifference was just to buy time, letting Bibi Dong push to Heaven Dou's heartland before striking, then surprising Star Luo's troops at Gengxin and pushing north, surrounding the Spirit Empire into surrender.

"The kingly path to unification!" Tang Yuehua murmured. If she still couldn't see the strategy, she wasn't worthy of her reputation.

She didn't know when Jun Tianlin and Ning Fengzhi had allied with Tuoba Xi and the Balak Kingdom. If it was before the war began, they were truly terrifying—planning so far ahead.

"Xue Beng, it's no use debating right or wrong now. Your father won't last the night. Tomorrow, you'll be the new Emperor of Heaven Dou." Emperor Xue Ye grasped Xue Beng's hand weakly. "Just remember: never give up an inch of our land."

"Yes, Father! I will not fail you—I'll protect every inch of Heaven Dou's territory!" Xue Beng promised tearfully.

Hearing this, Emperor Xue Ye nodded with relief, then his hand slipped lifelessly away.

But promises are one thing; keeping them is another. "Never yield an inch"? Everyone present knew who held the capital now. With the Sect and Spirit Empire allied, no one could resist them. Xue Ye's words were wishful thinking.

The imperial doctor checked, then knelt and sobbed, "Your Highness, the Emperor has passed away."

The room erupted in tears. Though Emperor Xue Ye and Xue Beng weren't beloved by commoners, their policies greatly benefited the nobility, who truly respected them.

A nation cannot go without a ruler, especially in wartime.

…

The next day, Xue Beng ascended as Emperor under the gaze of Prince Xue Xing and all ministers.

Thus, Emperor Xue Beng took the stage of history.

Meng Shenji sighed, thinking, "Heh, Emperor Xue Beng, how long will your throne last under the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's army?"

He actually favored surrender, believing that unification and restored order would benefit the continent most.

Meng Shenji was loyal, but not blindly so.

Yet he knew Xue Beng's personality—better to break than bend—he would never surrender. The war would continue.

…

Meanwhile, Tai Tan had been busy. The Tang Army had grown to 40,000, each as deadly as a rank-40 soul master—an elite soul master force. Now, it was finally time for this trump card to appear.

Tai Tan believed that with a surprise attack, the hidden weapon corps could inflict maximum losses on the Sect's soul master army.

He'd also exhausted all of Heaven Dou's precious ores to forge two ultimate hidden weapons: Buddha Fury Tang Lotus and Torrential Pear Blossom Needle, one each due to limited time and materials.

To use these weapons to their fullest, Tai Tan, like Lou Gao in the original story, chose to sacrifice—though he didn't sacrifice himself, but found a random person.

The Buddha Fury Tang Lotus was for the Sect's elite, the Fusion Corps—only dozens strong, each group led by a soul douluo with a Glazed Tile Pagoda soul master as deputy.

Each group could unleash a seven-in-one fusion technique, boosting the leader to titled douluo level.

This corps had once killed over ten thousand under Xue Beng with just two dozen men. Now, as soon as they appeared, the Buddha Fury Tang Lotus would wipe them out in one blow.

The Torrential Pear Blossom Needle targeted titled douluo. Tai Tan's main target was, of course—Tianlin!