Douluo: Starting with an Engagement to Zhu Zhuqing

Chapter 194: Trampling the Netherworld White Tiger

"First Spirit Skill—Big Sausage!"

Seeing Dai Mubai injured, Oscar wasted no time, immediately casting his first spirit skill and tossing a restorative sausage to Dai Mubai.

Dai Mubai clenched his teeth against the pain in his chest, took a bite of the sausage, and swallowed. As the restorative sausage took effect, the pain in his chest subsided noticeably. He took a breath, glancing up at Dai Yao. His once-fragile cousin, who he had left behind in the Star Luo Empire, now stood tall and unbreakable, powerful enough to shatter all of Dai Mubai's defenses.

The same technique—Eight Extremes Collapse—had defeated him all those years ago. And now, eight years later, the very same move, now perfected, had once again crushed him. Dai Mubai stood there, dazed, the pain of defeat searing his heart more deeply than his injuries.

"Eight years ago, I underestimated him and lost," Dai Mubai reflected bitterly. "I have carried that shame every day since, even masking it with my carefree facade, but never for a moment have I stopped training. Leaving Star Luo, coming to Heaven Dou—it was all to push myself beyond my limits. And yet, after all this, the result is still… this?"

Dai Mubai's face contorted into a pained smile, his body trembling as his confidence crumbled. His sense of pride and determination was shattered along with his White Tiger Protective Barrier. Dai Yao had already become a haunting shadow in his mind, an insurmountable obstacle.

In his daze, he felt the grip of Tang San's Blue Silver Grass tighten around his waist, anchoring him back to reality. Tang San met his gaze, calm yet reassuring, and spoke with quiet strength:

"Dai, we're here with you. We'll always stand by you."

Ning Rongrong and Oscar turned to him, offering supportive smiles. Even Ma Hongjun, high above, gave him a signal with a trail of fire.

Their words melted away his bitterness, and he turned to Zhu Zhuqing, who smiled softly back at him. The shame lifted from his heart. Yes, he may have lost to Dai Yao, but he had his team behind him. He wasn't alone.

"Watch out! Dai Yao's coming again!"

Tang San's warning snapped him back to attention as he saw Dai Yao's body surge with power, his thousand-year black spirit ring blazing. Electricity crackled through the air, filling the arena with arcs of lightning that left Shrek's team wincing in pain.

"It's… Dai Yao's fourth spirit skill!" Shui Bing'er murmured in awe from the sidelines.

Onlookers who had previously seen Dai Yao's fourth spirit skill were already on edge. The audience erupted in astonished cheers, remembering the devastating might Dai Yao had unleashed upon Shenfeng Academy, and again against Tianshui Academy, forcing Shui Bing'er to concede defeat. The crowd could barely contain their excitement as they realized they would witness this skill again.

On the battlefield, Shrek's expressions grew grim. They understood the power of Dai Yao's ten-thousand-year spirit skill better than anyone. The release of this skill could destroy everything they had worked to defend.

Tang San looked to Dai Mubai with urgency. "Dai! We must stop him from fully charging that skill."

Dai Mubai nodded, his golden hair tousled as he prepared for action. Shrek had only one hope—to use their fusion skill, the Netherworld White Tiger, to halt Dai Yao's charge.

"Zhuqing!" Dai Mubai called out as he surged toward Zhu Zhuqing in a beam of white light. His earlier injuries were inconsequential. His team needed him to stand in Dai Yao's path.

Understanding his intent, Zhu Zhuqing met Dai Mubai's gaze. She nodded and transformed into a dark shadow, merging with him. The two energies collided, creating a powerful surge of soul power.

"ROAR!"

With a thunderous tiger roar, a massive translucent white tiger, nearly thirty meters long, materialized on the battlefield. Its muscles rippled with strength, and its eyes gleamed with an icy aura, its very presence striking fear into the hearts of onlookers. Even the most battle-hardened teams felt the chill of dread as they watched the formidable Netherworld White Tiger.

Ning Rongrong's voice rang out as she retracted her buffs from Ma Hongjun and Xiao Wu, channeling them all into the Netherworld White Tiger. "Seven Treasures Glazed Tile—One, Power! Two, Speed!"

Twin beams of light entered the massive tiger, solidifying its form and further amplifying its strength. Even Feng Xiaotian felt a chill. Ordinary audience members could hardly breathe, overwhelmed by the tiger's imposing aura.

The Netherworld White Tiger strode forward, each step creating craters in the arena floor as it charged straight toward Dai Yao, ready to stop him from fully charging his skill. Within seconds, the tiger closed in on him.

"So, they don't want me to complete my charge?" Dai Yao thought with a faint smirk as he easily tore away Tang San's Blue Silver Grass that tried to restrain him. He quickly grasped their strategy.

If his ten-thousand-year skill charged fully, it could obliterate even Shenfeng Academy in a single strike. But what they didn't realize was that he only needed the right conditions to reach that level of devastation. Without those conditions, his attack would "merely" equal a Spirit Sage's strike.

"Fine then, you don't want me to charge? I'll just use it without charging!"

With a slight grin, he signaled Zhu Zhuqing to withdraw, declining the strategy to unleash their own fusion skill.

He bent his legs, gathering power. With a thunderous stomp, he launched himself high into the air. Cracks spidered across the ground where he had stood, chunks of stone shattering underfoot as he took flight, staring down at the Netherworld White Tiger below.

The tiger locked eyes with him, its massive gaze unflinching. Dai Yao's liquid-like spirit power surged as his ten-thousand-year ring began to shine with ominous black light.

The once-bright sky grew dark as storm clouds gathered overhead, silver lightning cascading across the heavens in a spectacle that split the world in two. A forest of lightning bolts descended from the sky, creating a blinding electric display that eclipsed the tiger's terrifying aura.

"Fourth Spirit Skill—White Tiger Thunder God Strike!" Dai Yao's voice boomed from the sky.

A deafening silence fell over the arena as the lightning storm paused midair. Every person in the audience was stunned into silence, feeling a sense of doom emanating from the dark clouds.

The Netherworld White Tiger glared upward in defiance, but there was a flicker of fear in its eyes. And then, without warning, the barrage of lightning struck down with thunderous roars, leaving the audience awestruck.

Dai Yao slowly lifted his right leg, channeling the descending lightning onto it. His shoe instantly melted under the thunderous might, and the fabric of his pant leg ignited, exposing his calf to the roaring thunder.

Above him, the sky converged into a massive inverted cone of lightning with Dai Yao's foot at its apex, directing all that fierce energy straight at the Netherworld White Tiger on the ground. As the colossal lightning column stretched downward, Dai Yao stomped his foot fiercely onto the giant tiger's head, driving the full force of thunder into the fusion beast.

Boom!

A resounding crash shook the arena as thunder descended, striking the Netherworld White Tiger squarely on the head. The proud creature's head was forced downward, its massive legs buckling as it sank lower under the crushing force. A powerful wave of pressure rippled through the arena, leaving everyone breathless and in shock.

The Netherworld White Tiger's eyes gleamed with defiance, struggling to lift its head and roar, yet it could only emit a low, muted growl of frustration under Dai Yao's relentless weight. The crowd erupted in astonishment.

Witnessing Dai Yao's overwhelming power, countless spectators gaped, filled with disbelief. With lightning crashing around him, bathing him in a godly aura, Dai Yao appeared like an unstoppable force, embodying pure divine power. Even Shrek's ultimate fusion skill, the Netherworld White Tiger—enhanced by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Tower—was pinned down, unable to rise. The audience was stunned by the sheer power Dai Yao wielded.

"This guy is terrifying," muttered Huo Wushuang, swallowing hard as he observed Dai Yao's devastating might. As a power-type spirit master, he felt an unexpected sense of admiration and respect. Standing beside him, Huo Wu watched in awe, lips slightly parted, speechless at the sight before her.

Thinking back to her fight with Oakland Academy, a pang of frustration rose in her chest. Oakland's victory had been undeniable, but Dai Yao hadn't even needed to use this fearsome soul skill against her. Instead, he had tactically intercepted her at the moment she cast her skill, catching her off guard and securing victory.

"He could have beaten us fair and square but chose to attack me when I wasn't ready! Dai Yao, even if I don't win in the upcoming qualifiers, I'll teach you a lesson!" she vowed, clenching her fists as a determined gleam flashed in her eyes.

She wasn't the only one shocked by the display. Every academy present was stunned into silence, and even some of the guests in the VIP seats leaned forward, entranced by the action unfolding in the arena.

For the Shrek Seven Devils, however, the scene felt nothing short of hopeless. Without Ning Rongrong's support, Xiao Wu and Ma Hongjun were struggling against their opponents. Ma Hongjun's cries and Xiao Wu's grunts of pain echoed through the arena.

Tang San's gaze darkened as he glared at Zhu Zhuqing. The situation only worsened by the second. Ning Rongrong was exhausted, gasping for breath as her azure eyes dimmed with fatigue. The support she provided to the Netherworld White Tiger was severed, and Tang San could feel his teammates' control beginning to slip.

Then he noticed it—like a dim flicker—the Netherworld White Tiger's translucent body was fading, the fusion state unraveling.

Buzz, buzz, buzz—

A cacophony of bad news rang through Tang San's mind. The cries of his teammates, the killing intent from their opponents, the roaring crowd, and Xiao Wu's pained gasps—all of it merged, overwhelming him. And in the midst of it all, a foreboding sense of impending defeat weighed heavily on his mind.

He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to focus. His gaze darted over the battlefield as he gathered his spirit power, sending his Blue Silver Grass snaking around his teammates' waists, pulling them together. Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing were also pulled back into the Shrek formation as the fusion state of the Netherworld White Tiger finally disintegrated.

"Seize the moment and finish them off!"

With this shared intent, every member of Oakland surged forward in unison, their spirit power flaring as they bore down on Shrek's scattered formation. Dai Yao's fourth spirit ring gleamed once more as thunder gathered overhead, ready to strike with unstoppable force.

In the stands, gasps rippled through the crowd. Spirit masters from all participating academies watched in stunned disbelief. Dai Yao was casting his ten-thousand-year spirit skill again—without pause or rest. Ordinary spirit masters would have required time to recover, but here he was, summoning another fearsome storm.

The audience held its breath, mesmerized. They were witnessing an astonishing display of power.

In the battle arena, Oakland's advance surged forward with merciless force, determined to shatter Shrek's defenses. Shrek had reached their limit; the Seven Devils, the chosen ones of destiny, now stood on the brink of their first real defeat.

In Shrek's waiting area, Flender heaved a resigned sigh, and Liu Erlong turned away, unable to watch. Only Grandmaster continued to stare at Tang San, his fists clenched tightly.

"Defeating us won't be so easy!" Tang San's voice rang out defiantly.

"Featherweight!"

The Shrek Seven Devils took a deep breath, each one striving to make themselves as light as possible. Tang San swiftly consumed Oscar's third spirit skill, the Illusionary Mushroom Sausage. Suddenly, a pair of transparent wings unfurled behind him, stunning the audience as he used his Blue Silver Grass to lift his teammates into the sky.

With his swift movements, Tang San pulled everyone into the air, save Ma Hongjun, who was already airborne. In that split second, Dai Yao's thunderous strike hit the spot where they had just stood, sending a shower of debris flying.

As dust and stone settled around him, Dai Yao straightened, looking up with a somber gaze. He recognized this move—it was Tang San's famous "Sky Universe" maneuver used against the Elephant Armor Academy.

(End of Chapter)

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