Douluo Dalu
chapter-98

Soul Chasing, Life Taking, Yama’s Invitation

Part 1 (TL by Bagelson)

Tang San always worked hard at cultivation, never stopping. This kind of cultivation by communing with wild Blue Silver Grass made him feel as if he’d discovered some secret. Just what it was would have to be seen after a time of cultivation.

When Grandmaster heard Tang San’s explanation, he smiled faintly:

“Fine, then you go back first. Never mind them, these days of matches have been exhausting. Let them rest. Change your clothes before you leave, and mind your safety on the way.”

“Yes.”

Tang San smiled and agreed. Grandmaster’s words brought him a fatherly kind of concern and warmth. Faintly saluting Grandmaster, he didn’t bother the others who were watching the matches, and silently left the through the back.

The Shrek Academy group were all watching the matches with keen interest, and nobody noticed Tang San’s departure.

It was instead on the other side of the competitors’ viewing platform that a pair of gloomy eyes all along attentively followed Tang San, and as Tang San disappeared from the platform, that cold gaze also vanished.

Changing into proper clothes, Tang San slipped quietly out of the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena.

Right now, besides some people who hadn’t gotten tickets and some scalpers, the area outside the Great Spirit Arena was calm.

Leaving the Great Spirit Arena, Tang San stepped quickly in the direction of Shrek Academy. Right now his mind was deeply pondering how he could become even stronger, and also the mysteries of the Blue Silver Grass changes.

It was still morning, the warm light from the bright sun giving people a comfortable feeling. Tang San quite liked immersing himself in sunlight, and while contemplating the cultivation problem and walking by feeling, his whole body relaxed, unspeakably comfortable.

For some reason, Tang San felt that today the road seemed a bit long. Though he had been immersed in pondering the Heart Separation Control skill, he felt he should have already arrived at the Academy.

But raising his head to look, it seemed he was still quite a ways from the Academy.

‘Could I have been walking slower today?’ Tang San frowned, speeding up once again.

Walking and walking, Tang San’s steps suddenly slowed. Vaguely, he already felt something amiss.

The sunshine clearly shone on him, but that warm feeling was already gone. In its place a faint gloomy and cold feeling quietly spread from all around.

Slowing to a stop, the light at the corners of Tang San’s eyes immediately became vigilant. Nothing around him seemed to have changed, an endless stream of pedestrians passed around him. The distance from here to Shrek Academy wasn’t very far.

‘Could it be that I was oversensitive?’ Tang San turned his head to look in the direction from which he came, his gaze sweeping across the pedestrians around him, but he didn’t discover anything wrong. Everything was quite ordinary.

Concentrating, Tang San raised his foot once again, stepping forward, Mysterious Heaven Skill unconsciously condensing.

He trusted his own senses, and since his tempering in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, these senses had become exceptionally sharp. That keen intuition made the unease in Tang San’s heart constantly grow.

His calm demeanor kept him from speeding up once again, instead slowly walking forward. At the same time he spread his awareness as far as possible, looking for the slightest clue in his surroundings.

After walking a short time, Tang San suddenly stopped, his expression already serious. Wrong. There was definitely a problem.

Even though his senses hadn’t discovered any issue, Tang San’s mind was meticulous. From the first step until now he had altogether walked six hundred five steps. Under ordinary circumstances, he should already have reached the Shrek Academy gate.

But right now it seemed there was still a short distance to the gate. Perhaps there would have been a change in his pace, but that change absolutely wouldn’t have been so large.

Even though he didn’t know how this situation came about, Tang San immediately went on the alert. A Godly Zhuge Crossbow falling into his grasp and he directly summoned his Blue Silver Grass, not paying any attention to the pedestrians nearby.

From that trace of cold air, a faint killing intent seeped out. That was a spirit murderous enough to threaten his life.

The surroundings suddenly became very still. Those proper street sounds from before quietly faded away at the same time.

The scenery in front of him also became misty, everything turning indistinct at the same instant.

A faint silhouette gradually became clear about ten meters in front of Tang San.

“Worthy of being Shrek Academy’s most outstanding disciple. You really are very vigilant. Unfortunately, you discovered it too late.”

That was a white clothed old man, a person Tang San had met more than once. It was that Blue Sunshine Academy team’s coach, the seventy second ranked Spirit Sage Flender once warned them of, Shi Nian.

Seeing this person, Tang San couldn’t keep his heart from falling lower and lower. Quietly watching Shi Nian, he said:

“So it’s Blue Sunshine Academy’s teacher. I don’t know whether you might have stopped me here for some advice?”

Shi Nian smiled calmly, saying:

“No advice, I just need you to disappear.”

Tang San coldly said:

“For the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament?”

The corners of Shi Nian’s mouth showed a trace of a cold smile,

“I’ve always been looking for an opportunity these last few days. Unfortunately, you were always together with the other Shrek Academy students, leaving me unable to act. But today you still gave me this chance. It really is a pity you’re not one of my Blue Sunshine Academy’s disciples.”

“You want to kill me?”

The pupils of Tang San’s eyes contracted slightly.

Shi Nian snorted coldly,

“You can only blame yourself for being too outstanding. Even though the Shrek Academy team is strong, its true strength is precisely you. As long as you disappear from this world, our Blue Sunshine Academy will have the chance to advance.”

Tang San laughed grimly,

“You think that by killing me, your Blue Sunshine Academy can beat our Shrek Academy?”

Shi Nian spoke indifferently:

“If killing you won’t do it, I’ll just keep killing. Until I’ve killed enough. Perhaps that student called Dai Mubai is suitable next?”

Tang San looked at the hazy surroundings,

“You’re going to do it here? Don’t forget, this is an open street. Once you’ve killed me, don’t think you can stand up in the Spirit Master world.”

Shi Nian smiled, the expression making his wrinkles deep enough to trap house flies, a pair of cold eagle eyes flickering with cold light,

“Since I decided to act, I’ve long since made thorough preparations. You’re hoping your relation to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School will save you? Don’t worry, I wouldn’t leave behind evidence for them. Look, is this really a street in Heaven Dou City?”

The hazy scene in the surroundings suddenly became clear, and Tang San discovered to his shock that he stood in a desolate area outside of the city. Turning to look around, he could vaguely see the top of Heaven Dou City’s city walls. He judged that this should be a small grove outside the city.

Tang San reacted quickly, a sonorous sound erupting from the long ago prepared Godly Zhuge Crossbow in his hand as soon as the surroundings became clear. Sixteen sharp iron source crossbow bolts instantly smashed into Shi Nian’s chest with overbearing penetrating power.

Light flickered, and the sixteen crossbow bolts disappeared.

However, Tang San’s expression became even more serious.

No blood. Yes, even though the sixteen bolts entered Shi Nian’s chest, not a trace of blood flowed out. The sixteen crossbow bolts seemed to have disappeared in midair, they didn’t even make another sound.

Shi Nian somewhat startled looked at the Godly Zhuge Crossbow in Tang San’s hands,

“What’s that? Such a powerful weapon. Is it a spirit tool?”

Tang San didn’t reply, only quietly watched Shi Nian.

Shi Nian smiled, and this time his smile seemed quite relaxed,

“Among people your age, you’re no doubt very powerful. Even I haven’t seen a more remarkable young Spirit Master. Unfortunately, the gap between the two of us can’t be bridged by the word ‘talent’. Your weapon is pretty good, but unfortunately, everything you see right now, the position of things, they’re all part of my Brutal Dream. Even though I let you see the true scene just now, it was still an illusion. Within my Brutal Dream, I’m the ruler of everything, let alone some of the fortieth ranker like you, even Spirit Masters of the same rank as me would be unable to break free.”

Tang San’s expression became ugly, withdrawing the Godly Zhuge Crossbow in his hand into Twenty Four Moonlit Bridges.

“Tang San, do you know what the greatest pleasure in my whole life is?”

Shi Nian’s smiling expression suddenly became somewhat eccentric. If it were to be described, perhaps the word ‘perverted’ would suit him the best right now.

“What?”

Tang San weakly asked.

Shi Nian smiled slightly, saying:

“In this life, what I like the most is seeing my opponents go insane within my Brutal Dream, until they die. When I’m about to see a youth regarded as a genius degenerate like that, I’m already excited.”

“Do you have to kill me? Isn’t there any chance to save myself?”

Tang San weakly asked.

Shi Nian’s expression suddenly became severe,

“Since I’ve let you see me, do you think I would still let you go? There’s no use struggling, everything’s already without any meaning to you. Next year today will be the anniversary of your death. If people have souls, then, use your soul to watch Blue Sunshine Academy destroy the qualifiers, entering the next stage.”

Tang San didn’t say anything else, but sat crosslegged on the ground. Blue Silver Grass formed naturally, deploying into his surroundings as a slowly spiralling defense.

Part 2 (TL by Bagelson)

Shi Nian laughed out loud,

“Do you believe you can resist my spirit like this? Young man, you really are too naive. If my Brutal Dream was so easy to resist, I wouldn’t be worthy of the title Spirit Sage. Wait and see. You’ll die in extreme suffering, and this suffering will be brought on by yourself.”

Shi Nian’s voice gradually weakened, the surroundings becoming hazy once again, as if he had already moved away, already left.

Tang San sat motionless on the ground, quietly condensing his spirit power. Because of the Blue Silver Grass hovering around him, from the outside it was very difficult to see just what kind of expression he had right now.

The surroundings began to change, and Tang San discovered to his shock that the Blue Silver Grass circling around him under his control seemed to disappear. Even though he could feel its existence, there wasn’t a trace of it in his line of sight.

The surrounding scenery changed, no longer that small grove from before, but a precipice. An incomparably familiar precipice.

‘Hell’s Peak, how come I’m at Hell’s Peak?’ Tang San’s originally calm eyes suddenly opened wide.

He had left behind far, far too many memories in this place. Several meters ahead was an abyss with clouds and mist rising in spirals, and behind him, ten white silhouettes gradually grew distinct.

Lowering his head, Tang San clearly saw that his clothes had changed, that enormous ‘Tang’ character told him a lot.

‘A dream, don’t tell me that everything in the Douluo Continent was a dream? That in the end I’m still that Tang Sect disciple who offended the sect rules?’

Tang San stupidly looked ahead, becoming utterly perplexed. Those ten silhouettes gradually becoming clear completely blocked all routes of retreat. Familiar and indignant faces gradually appeared in front of him.

“Tang San, you’ve actually stolen the sect’s Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record, your evil crimes overflow to Heaven.”

“Tang San, Tang Sect raised you, taught you, what you’ve done is detested by men and gods……”

One by one, the voices constantly grew in Tang San’s mind, those faces also constantly grew. Very quickly, those ten Tang Sect elders were already in front of him, surrounding him.

“Elders, listen to me.”

Tang San couldn’t help saying.

“There’s nothing that can be said. Tang San, your crimes are great, your evil extreme, you will take the sect’s most severe punishment.”

Tang San could no longer move his four limbs, simultaneously detained by four elders, one of them had already raised his hand, internal Big Dipper qi spilling out of his palm. The palm struck his arm. Tang San emitted a blood curdling scream, his entire left arm shattering into thumb sized fragments. Pain, enlarged tenfold, instantly spread through his brain, his entire body spasming violently.

Immediately afterward was his right arm, and both legs. In front of the elder’s internal Big Dipper qi, the bones of Tang San’s body were continuously smashed, until not one intact bone remained.

However, he still wasn’t dead. His whole body constantly convulsed, but no matter how strong the pain was, his mind still worked. A working mind meant he completely endured each painful sensation that came.

The elders’ faces gradually dulled, and they left Tang San on top of Hell’s Peak, all the bones in his body in pieces. They told him they would leave him there to scream for seven days and seven nights, to die from the eagles and falcons.

Tang San’s eyes had already become hazy. The violent pain constantly swept through him, making his entire body jerk and twitch.

The scene in front of him was still Hell’s Peak, but another silhouette began to take shape.

Slender, graceful, long scorpion braid, charming young face, it was Xiao Wu.

At the same time as Xiao Wu appeared, so did another person, a forty something uncle, a vulgar uncle whose every bone had been disintegrated by Xiao Wu. Bu Le[1].

“Xiao-, Xiao Wu……”

Tang San wanted to shout, but he couldn’t utter a word. He didn’t understand. Why would Xiao Wu and Bu Le be here together?

Bu Le’s one hand tightened around Xiao Wu’s neck, and he looked at Tang San with a cold smile. And on Xiao Wu’s face was grief and unwillingness.

“Ge, Ge, help me, h-help me……”

Xiao Wu did her utmost to struggle, but no matter how she tried she was unable to escape the strange uncle Bu Le’s grasp.

Making Tang San almost weep blood was that Xiao Wu’s clothes were being torn off piece by piece by Bu Le, exposing skin like suet white jade[2].

Apart from watching Bu Le’s coarse big hands start to wander over Xiao Wu’s body, watching his mouth constantly drool and smile evilly, Tang San couldn’t do anything.

Blood began to drip from the corners of his eyes, but with all his bones broken, right now he could only look on helplessly as Xiao Wu was disgraced.

Xiao Wu’s eyes were brimming with despair and hatred, and this despair and hatred were unexpectedly completely aimed at Tang San.

‘No, don’t——’ Tang San wanted to shout, wanted to get up, but no matter what he said he was unable to move. In a moment, Bu Le’s evil hand already stretched towards…...

“Little beauty, since you can’t resist, I’ll enjoy it slowly. Uncle loves you. Hahahaha……”

Bu Le’s voice was as unpleasant as a night owl, each word like the point of a needle, piercing Tang San’s heart.

“No——”

A heart tearing, lung rending scream resounded in Tang San’s mind. He had already gone completely mad. However, the scene before his eyes became even more clear.

Bu Le’s nauseating panting, Xiao Wu’s despairing gaze, it was all magnified in his six senses.

……

Shi Nian leaned against a large tree, his seventh spirit ring constantly releasing a dazzling light, his face covered with a cruel and perverted sly smile.

Just ten meters in front of him, Tang San lay convulsing violently on the ground, Blue Silver Grass spiralling around him. Shi Nian basically didn’t need to look with his eyes, he could clearly sense that Tang San was already on the verge of collapse.

‘I haven’t had the pleasure of torturing someone to death for a very long time. It’s a pity on such a young genius, who let you go against me? Very well, I want to see just how you’ll die.’

‘I really want to see it, just what kind of illusion is he experiencing right now?’

‘My seventh spirit ability, Nightmare, can only bring out what you fear the most in your heart. What is it that this genius youth fears?’

The convulsions of Tang San’s body among the Blue Silver Grass had gradually weakened. He was only lightly twitching.

The coiled Blue Silver Grass gradually slid to the ground, and Shi Nian could clearly see Tang San with a deep red face, a trickle of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth.

‘So what if he was a genius? He still died most painfully within my Brutal Dream.‘ The smile on Shi Nian’s face became even crueler,

“It really is a pity, if my strength could reach Title Douluo, I could have seen everything he experienced within my spirit. That would have been even more perfect.”

……

Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena.

While she was focused on watching the match, Xiao Wu’s right hand suddenly trembled, a burning hot feeling in her chest.

With astonishment, Xiao Wu stretched a hand inside her chest, pulling out the unbreakable as diamond Yearning Heartbroken Red.

The Yearning Heartbroken Red seemed to have made a fantastic change. The flower was glittering with faint red light, and a burning hot draft hit her in the face.

What was this? Xiao Wu stared blankly. She didn’t know why, but looking at the red light on the petals, an intense unease welled up from the bottom of her heart.

Turning her head, she searched for the person who concerned her the most, however, she discovered that seat was already empty.

Blood colored light heralded disaster, Xiao Wu’s heart instantly tightened.

“Where did little San go?”

She nervously asked. Her loud voice simultaneously stunned the Shrek Academy group.

Grandmaster said:

“Little San said he’d go back to cultivate first.”

“Little San’s in trouble. He’s definitely in trouble.”

Xiao Wu’s hands clutched the Yearning Heartbroken Red, without the slightest hesitation running outside.

Ning Rongrong looked in the direction Xiao Wu ran,

“What’s up with Xiao Wu? Didn’t Grandmaster say little San went back to the Academy? What can happen in Heaven Dou City?”

“No matter what it is, we’ll go take a look as well.”

Dai Mubai also stood up, chasing after Xiao Wu. The Shrek Seven Devils were like siblings, and everyone got up one after another. Even though they didn’t believe Tang San would be in any trouble, just in case they still moved as a team.

……

The illusion still continued, and vulgar uncle Bu Le prepared to move to the last step, already loathsomely stuck to Xiao Wu. The whole scene constantly grew in Tang San’s eyes, that heart tearing, lung rending pain seemed to tear his heart into shreds.

At this moment, the blood red eyed Tang San suddenly changed. What changed was his eyes.

Instantly, the blood red in his eyes suddenly disappeared, and purple golden light shot out, that light instantly shattering the ‘Xiao Wu’ and ‘Bu Le’ in front of him. The illusions surrounding him practically disappeared in an instant.

Left hand clapping the ground, his body shooting up, Tang San made a half turn in the air, his right arm flinging out in this turn. Those purple golden eyes of his just met with the stupefied gaze of Shi Nian.

Part 3 (TL by Bagelson)

A noiseless black light had already arrived in front of Shi Nian without warning. As a Spirit Sage, Shi Nian reacted extremely quickly, but at this moment it was already too late to dodge. Both his arms rose in that practically impossible moment, his spirit power extremely condensed. His left arm tingled, as that black light already entered within. He hadn’t obstructed it even when when he didn’t hesitate to injure his body to urge his spirit power to the limit.

Peng——

Tang San was like a deflated rubber ball, his body spinning in midair fell heavily to the ground, gasping for breath in great mouthfuls. The light in his eyes had already recovered to normal, he used one hand to strenuously raise himself from the ground, and the other to wipe the bloodstain from the corner of his mouth.

Even though he had already blocked that black light, Shi Nian’s gaze was still lifeless, muttering:

“No, this is impossible. You’re only a fortieth rank Spirit Ancestor, how could you break my seventh spirit ability?”

Tang San looked coldly at him, leaning on a nearby tree, only with difficulty managing to stand.

“In this world, nothing is impossible. You’ve lost.”

“Hahahaha——”

Shi Nian laughed wildly,

“I’ve lost? You’re such a tiny brat, but your mouth is unexpectedly big. Even if I don’t know how you saw through my seventh spirit ability, Nightmare, do you really believe this is enough to defeat me? Really too ridiculous. With my seventy second rank spirit power, even if I didn’t use any spirit abilities, that still isn’t something you could guard against or restrain. Even if you’ve broken my ability, the conclusion hasn’t changed. Only, before you die, I’ll give you a chance. I’m very curious as to how you broke my my Nightmare divine ability. Tell me, and I’ll let you die a bit happier.”

Tang San stood there leaning against the tree,

“You’re not qualified to know, you’re just an idiot ghost. When Yama calls for your death at midnight, who dares keep you until morning? Good——bye——.”

Shi Nian first looked distracted, but immediately afterwards, his face suddenly became grotesque, his entire body standing there rigidly. Raising his right hand, pointing at Tang San, he wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t come out. Both his eyes seemed as they were about to pop out of their sockets.

Tang San still calmly looked at his opponent, as for everything that happened in front of him right now, it seemed he had anticipated it long ago.

With a peng sound, Shi Nian’s body fell to the ground. Black blood flowed from his eyes, ears, nose and mouth, his entire body already permeated with a layer of black, black blood spreading on the ground, seemingly constantly leaking out of his body. Gradually, including skin and bones, Shi Nian’s body actually vanished like smoke within that black.

Was Shi Nian’s death really so mysterious? No, of course not. Heaven is impartial. Something like luck is only relative. His death was by Tang San’s hand, or perhaps it should be said his death was by Tang San’s plan.

Shi Nian, a seventy second ranked Spirit Sage, could never have suspected that Tang San’s Purple Demon Eye was the nemesis of all illusions.

If it was the original Purple Demon Eye, perhaps it would still have been unable to break Shi Nian’s seventh spirit ability due to the difference in spirit power between them. However, after Tang San had taken the Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew, his Purple Demon Eyes had become like piercing eyes. Let alone a seventh spirit ability’s illusions, even a ninth spirit ability, as long as it was an illusion, would be unable to deceive his eyes.

As soon as Tang San had discovered something was weird, he had secretly applied Purple Demon Eye to carefully examine everything in his surroundings. Shi Nian had believed Tang San was trapped in the illusion, but in fact, Tang San had always known where he was, only he didn’t act from the start.

The difference in spirit power from forty first to seventy second rank was really far too great. Tang San knew that even if he wanted to escape, it wouldn’t be easy. Therefore, from the time Shi Nian revealed himself to begin killing him, he had created his opportunity, creating an opportunity to kill the opponent in one hit. Tang San knew that was the only chance he had to survive.

Therefore, he always waited. Even when he suffered such painful torment in the illusion, he still endured silently, only the moment Xiao Wu was truly about to be disgraced did he erupt. Even though that wasn’t the optimum opportunity Tang San wanted to find, that moment was already more than he could bear.

With Tang San’s intelligence, wouldn’t he be unaware that the shroud of Blue Silver Grass would be unable to protect him in the illusion? No, of course not. He didn’t use that Blue Silver Grass to protect himself, but rather to block Shi Nian’s line of sight. Sheltered from Shi Nian’s gaze, Tang San took out one thing from Twenty Four Moonlit Bridges, the only thing that could turn the tables in this situation.

Third ranked of Tang Inner Sect hidden weapons, Soul Chasing, Life Taking, Yama’s Invitation.

He didn’t take out his mechanical class hidden weapons, and he didn’t take out that wide area Cluster Soul Chasing Ball. Because Tang San knew he would only have one chance. If he failed, then with the difference in spirit power between them, he would die even if his opponent didn’t use his Brutal Dream Spirit. Besides Yama’s Invitation, Tang San couldn’t think of any other weapon that could penetrate the opponent’s defense.

He didn’t even use any control ability to lock down the opponent, because there was basically no need. Partly because Tang San basically didn’t have enough spare spirit power to use spirit abilities, and secondly, would Yama’s Invitation need to lock down the opponent? If it was like that, how could this hidden weapon be third ranked in Tang Sect? And how would it be famed as Yama’s Invitation?

That faint black light was condensed with Tang San’s entire spirit power. After reaching the fortieth rank in his cultivation, he possessed the strength for one attack.

Originally at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Tang San had refined three Yama’s Invitations. And now, their terrifying efficacy had been revealed.

Yama’s Invitation had a two tiered effect, also known as ‘one invitation kills twice’. Poison, undissolvable poison. Even if one cut off the limb the instant the poison entered the body, they would still be unable to prevent the poison’s instantaneous spreading. Even if it was Tang San himself, when handling Yama’s Invitation he had to boost his Mysterious Jade Hand to the limit, not daring easily touch it.

Besides the poison, even more frightening was the structure of Yama’s Invitation. Immediately after entering the body, it would disintegrate and spread through the veins, and simultaneously also follow the blood vessels to enter the heart.

This was ‘one invitation kills twice’, Yama’s Invitation left no survivors. Even Tang Sect itself didn’t have any antidote. That didn’t mean there was no way of removing Yama’s Invitation’s poison. Everything in the world had a counter, and naturally there would be antidotes for poisons. However, Yama’s Invitation really spread far, far too fast. Even if there was an antidote, there would be no time to use it.

As Yama’s Invitation entered the body one would only feel a slight tingle. It didn’t cause any pain, and once one discovered something was wrong, it was already time to die. Even with Shi Nian’s seventy second ranked spirit power, he was still only able to say a few words before he had completely turned into a puddle of black liquid.

Tang San didn’t leave right away, since at the moment he lacked the strength. How would Yama’s Invitation be so easy to use? Condensing inner strength to a point, just to the limits of what Yama’s Invitation could endure, and only then releasing it, that was the only way it could ignore defense. Any defensive Big Dipper qi was unable to obstruct the attack of Yama’s Invitation, this was where it was the most terrifying. Further adding a particular technique, and dodging became almost impossible.

Perhaps it was different in this world, after all, some formidable defensive type spirit abilities might not be unable to block Yama’s Invitation, like that Black Tortoise Spirit Master Tang San and the others met. If a spirit like Black Tortoise was cultivated to a certain degree, and unleashed some defenses beforehand, that could stop Yama’s Invitation. Unfortunately, Shi Nian was an Illusionist Spirit Master. Defense wasn’t his strong suit. Furthermore, how could he know Tang San possessed such a terrifyingly potent hidden weapon?

Panting for breath, Tang San looked at the place where the black liquid had already drained into the yellow earth, and inwardly he couldn’t help feeling a burst of lingering fear.

It was after all a seventy second ranked Spirit Sage that had wanted to kill him. If the opponent hadn’t used illusions, but rather was a power attack type Spirit Master, even if he had been able to use Yama’s Invitation to kill the opponent, perhaps it still might have ended in mutual death. In his heart, he intensely felt that his own strength was insufficient.

Even though he could be considered a genius among his peers, compared to true powers, the distance was still way too far.

Pulling out a Dragon Zoysia Leaf from the Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse and stuffing it in his mouth and recovering his strength, when Tang San prepared to harmonize his breath and return to Shrek Academy as soon as possible, out of the corner of his eye he suddenly caught a brilliant light from that puddle of black liquid that had been Shi Nian.

An intense astonishment rushed out of his heart. He was only too clear on the corrosive effect of Yama’s Invitation’s poison. Let alone clothing, even solid gemstones would be corroded into smoke by that violent poison. What thing had actually not been destroyed by that toxic fluid?

Forcing himself to his feet, Tang San cautiously approached the side of the black liquid, and as he clearly saw that brightly glittering object, the pupils of his eyes suddenly contracted.

That was a round skull, three cun[3] in diameter, entirely glittering with rainbow-colored light, seemingly like a shrunken human cranium.

Two words abruptly flashed through Tang San’s mind, making his brain completely turn blank for a moment.

Spirit bone.

Yes, this was definitely a spirit bone, and it was even an extremely precious skull bone. That Brutal Dream Spirit Shi Nian actually also had such a treasure?

Tang San didn’t feel pleasantly surprised, but rather fearful. If before, Shi Nian had used the effect of this spirit bone, then…...

[1] Vulgar strange uncle Bu Le, whose chicken was roasted by Fatty back in Suotuo City. On a related note, “strange uncle” is slang for pedophile.

[2] “Sheep fat white jade” is a high grade type of jade.

[3] 3寸 = 10 cm