Douluo Dalu - Volume 01-48

by Tang Jia San Shao

  “Tai Long, if you don’t want your father to die, stop attacking immediately. Otherwise I won’t be able to save him.”

  Even if Tai Long was a bit impulsive, he still wasn’t an idiot. Hearing his father could still be saved, he immediately sobered and stopped chasing Tang San.

  Eight Spider Lances poking the ground, Tang San reached Tai Nuo’s side, raising an Eight Spider Lance and piercing into Tai Nuo’s back. Circulating his spirit power, the black energy in Vigorous King Tai Nuo’s body could clearly be seen extending to the Eight Spider Lances.

  Right now, the expressions of the students standing around the great hole and watching Tang San were all brimming with reverence. If they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, who could believe that a thirty something ranked Spirit Elder could be capable of defeating a close to sixtieth ranked Spirit King?

  It seemed to them that this was a complete victory.

  Apparently Tai Nuo didn’t have any means of retaliating before Tang San.

  The poison arrived quickly and left quickly, in a moment Tai Nuo’s wounds were flowing with blood. Tang San had been training with Eight Spider Lances for a long time, and by now he could control them perfectly. Withdrawing the Eight Spider Lances poison, he poked a series of acupuncture points on Tai Nuo to stop the bleeding.

  Tai Long stared blankly at Tang San doing all this.

  If in the morning he still had been unable to accept it because he and Tang San possessed the same level of spirit power, then by now Tang San had already become an unreachable existence in his eyes.

  He couldn’t understand how, at the same thirty seven ranks, this seemingly very ordinary youth in front of him could be so much stronger than himself. It was no wonder Xiao Wu had chosen him.

  Tai Long couldn’t know that the gap between Tang San and Tai Nuo, even if it was twenty one ranks of spirit power, Tang San could completely make up for ten ranks with an external spirit bone, and even more rely on the techniques of the Tang Sect.

  And Tai Nuo hadn’t even been able to use his fifth spirit ability. Overall, this whole fight had been completely under Tang San’s control.

  He undoubtedly displayed the fighting ability of a control system Spirit Master. The ability to control the overall situation with the precision of a calculator.

  Withdrawing Eight Spider Lances within his back, Tang San nodded to Tai Long,

  “Alright, I’ve already removed the poison. However he should feel a bit weak over the next few days. Have him rest for three days after returning, he mustn’t get angry, mustn’t use spirit power, and he’ll naturally recover. Your father caused this hole, you settle it.”

  Tai Long looked at Tang San with a complicated expression. He should thank Tang San for saving his father, but his father’s injuries had also been caused by this fellow.

  Tang San didn’t care about Tai Long’s reaction. Exerting himself against the wall of the pit, in two leaps he crawled up to the surface.

  With such a great alarm at the Academy gate, how could it not alert the teachers. But by the time they arrived the fight was already at its end, and they only saw Tang San fire the Godly Zhuge Crossbow, and subdue the enemy with Eight Spider Lances.

  They even forgot to stop the fight.

  As Tang San came out of the big hole he was immediately surrounded by several teachers wanting to talk to him. Tang San directly used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to pass through the crowd, and in a few flickers he had already disappeared.

  “Ge, wait for me.”

  Xiao Wu’s face was somewhat unsightly as she swiftly chased after Tang San.

  But the teachers naturally couldn’t leave like that. Whether it was this giant hole they didn’t know whether to laugh or cry about, or the numerous students gathered, everything had to be handled by them.

  Tang San went straight back to his dorm. Just like at Shrek Academy, he was still sharing a room with Oscar here. Right now Oscar wasn’t here, up to something unknown.

  As Tang San entered the room, even before he had stopped walking, he coughed up a mouthful of blood with a belching sound. His originally serene expression had already become pale.

  Indeed, Tang San had prevailed over Tai Nuo, but the victory was very dangerous. That was after all an opponent with twenty ranks of strength more than him. Moreover, Tai Nuo’s strength was really a bit excessive. Most crucially, Tang San didn’t know the opponent’s spirit abilities.

  When Tai Nuo used his fourth spirit ability ‘Power Quake’, even though Tang San reacted extremely quickly, in the end he couldn’t completely avoid it. The surging energy currents and the sand and stones splashing from the ground both caused him considerable harm. However he forced down the reaction, without showing the condition of his injury on the scene.

  Tang San knew that if it wasn’t for his body being forged at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well for half a year, adding the transformation from the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Infernal Precious Apricot, he would’ve been unable to endure even a single attack, and been struck down immediately.

  Even relying on his endurance had barely been enough to withstand the opponent’s attack. Tang San was far from well, the energy channels within his body as if burning. Despite the support of his spirit power and Eight Spider Lances, after attacking Tai Nuo he had already been an arrow at the end of its flight.

  After barely managing to absorb the poison within Vigorous Kind Tai Nuo’s body, how could he still stay at the scene? He couldn’t manage to explain to the teachers, and returned here directly.

  Until now, just as he relaxed.

  Standing there and gasping for breath, Tang San couldn’t hold back a sigh. Despite taking the immortal treasure herbs, as well as with the support of Eight Spider Lances and the Tang Sect techniques, the spirit power gap still wasn’t so easily overcome.

  If in case he encountered an opponent with a spirit that just countered his own, he wouldn’t be able to obtain victory like today.

  However, the fight today had let Tang San ascertain one thing: the other ability of Eight Spider Lances, Drain.

  As early as the first time Tang San experimented with Eight Spider Lances he could somewhat sense that Eight Spider Lances seemed to absorb some energy from that big tree. And as he used it a few times later, Tang San discovered that once Eight Spider Lances had pierced into the opponent, it would absorb and give him a certain energy, even though this wasn’t too clear, and moreover this energy would disappear after a time, it was still there.

  Like just now, whether it was when Tang San pierced Tai Nuo or removed the toxin, Tang San had this kind of feeling. The absorption of Eight Spider Lances apparently absorbed the opponent’s energy, and after absorbing it could last for about an hour or so.

  He had never drained deliberately, this was just something the Eight Spider Lances provided him.

  Tang San really wanted to try it, the effect if he completely drained an opponent with his Eight Spider Lances. But it was after all very rare to meet opponents he had to kill, and just in case the Eight Spider Lances drain ruined the opponent, it would be a grave disaster to his inner qualities.

  Today’s conflict with the Tai family father and son, it was nothing more than a common conflict.

  “Ge, are you alright?”

  Xiao Wu forced her way through the door, and with one look at Tang San coughing up blood she hurriedly supported his arm.

  Tang San shook his head with a smile,

  “It’s nothing, I just suffered a bit of shock. Tai Long’s father’s strength was one of the most powerful I’ve encountered among Spirit Masters. Such a complete strength Spirit Master would have an extreme cultivation method, otherwise if he was a bit faster, I might have lost.”

  Xiao Wu led Tang San to sit on the bed,

  “Ge, you actually prevailed over a Spirit King. It’s already caused a sensation in the Academy. If you hadn’t run away quickly, by now you might be surrounded by a herd of students and teachers. When I chased after you I alr
eady saw several teachers negotiating with Tai Nuo. I fought a lot of people before at Nuoding Academy, but I still never saw someone’s family come out. Ge, this time you beat Tai Long’s father, won’t his grandfather really come out?”

  After speaking the last line, Xiao Wu couldn’t help first smiling. Tang San also smiled, his impression of Tai Long’s father wasn’t bad, and if Tai Nuo hadn’t insulted Xiao Wu he wouldn’t have launched such a powerful poison attack. Even Tang San himself didn’t quite dare believe he could defeat a Spirit King.

  Xiao Wu looked at Tang San sitting opposite her on the bed, and unhappily said:

  “I don’t know where that Big Sausage Uncle has run off to, he’s gone just when he’s needed.”

  Tang San drew in a sharp breath, his internal organs cramping. He knew the injuries he had sustained weren’t light,

  “Xiao Wu. You go back to rest first, I want to cultivate a bit to alleviate the injuries to my energy channels.”

  Part 2 (TL by Bagelson)

  “No, I’m not leaving. I’m staying here to watch you, otherwise what if someone comes looking for trouble? Ge, you cultivate, I’ll keep watch over you.”

  Tang San nodded, sitting crosslegged on the bed, congregating the Mysterious Heaven Skill within his body and slowly circulating it.

  Tai Nuo finally departed Shrek Academy leaning on Tai Long’s arm. He didn’t know how long it had been since he last felt this weak. Even though the poison was gone, it still seemed to have exhausted him to the point where even walking was an issue.

  Humiliation, disgrace, pain, unwillingness, all kinds of emotions filled his chest. How could he have expected to actually stumble into a ditch, losing to a still not even fortieth rank youth, that kind of feeling was even more difficult to endure than the physical pain.

  Tai Long supported his father’s arm, not daring to speak a single word. Once Tai Nuo had handed over the money for restoring the ground in front of the Academy gate, those teachers had let them leave. They had even given them a preferential price for being an Academy student.

  Fortunately Shrek Academy wasn’t near the city center, so even though they had caused a lot of noise they still hadn’t drawn the attention of the city guard.

  Tai Long understood Tai Nuo’s current mood from experience, he had felt much the same when he was beaten by Tang San. But his father was both stronger and older than him, and naturally his pain would be even deeper.

  “Da, are you alright?”

  While stepping far away, Tai Long cautiously asked. He was very familiar with his father’s tempestuous temper.

  But Tai Long was surprised to find that Tai Nuo didn’t vent his anger on him and had a very serene expression,

  “Son, your loss wasn’t any injustice, even your father couldn’t succeed. It’s no wonder you couldn’t beat him. Do you know that kid’s background?”

  Tai Long shook his head blankly,

  “He came to class for the first time today. I-, I saw him sitting next to Xiao Wu, that’s why I wanted to pick a fight with him. You also know I like Xiao Wu.”

  Tai Nuo stared at Tai Long,

  “For the sake of a woman, you directly profited. How you are like your father in those years. But you didn’t make a mistake, for the sake of the woman you like you must advance bravely. Back then I chased after your ma just like that. But in those days I challenged a lot of Spirit Masters that were more powerful than me. How it must vex you now to be unable to defeat someone younger than you, this isn’t just the result of hard work.”

  Tai Long carefully disputed it:

  “But, father, I seem to be cultivating the fastest in the history of our clan, even when you were my age you weren’t as strong as me.”

  “Scoundrel, what are you trying to say?”

  Tai Nuo glowered.

  Tai Long helplessly said:

  “My meaning is that it isn’t your son not living up to expectations, but rather that the opponent is too strong. I really don’t know how that kid has cultivated, it seems he’s no more than fifteen or sixteen, how could he possess such formidable spirit power? Don’t tell me he’s a person from the seven great schools?”

  Hearing his son’s words, Tai Nuo couldn’t help shiver in his heart, lowering his voice to say:

  “Let’s go back first. To my knowledge there isn’t any formidable school with a Blue Silver Grass Spirit. I really wouldn’t have expected Blue Silver Grass to be able to become this formidable. Especially those last several strands he used, even my defense couldn’t completely block them, otherwise I wouldn’t have been poisoned. Let’s go, we’ll go back to ask your grandpa, maybe he knows.”

  “Grandpa?”

  Tai Long’s facial expression immediately became bitter,

  “No need. Father, we both lost so much face, if we let grandpa know, he won’t just sort us out. Besides, if by some chance the elder runs off to our Academy just like you, I won’t be able to keep studying.”

  Tai Nuo snorted,

  “One of our clan’s strength is protecting weak points, so what? You have an opinion? We have to inform your grandpa about this. I still don’t believe a child is capable of being that strong. Listen to what the elder says, visiting to stir up trouble isn’t losing face. Losing face is stirring up trouble and still letting others leave. If your father can’t release this anger, it’ll choke me to death.”

  The two sturdy silhouettes gradually disappeared into the distance. Father and son both with faces swollen like pig heads, complexions white like paper. It was really one sorry figure after another.

  ……

  Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School

  Ning Rongrong sat on a sofa in the main hall and constantly swung her slender legs, her red lips pouting so hard one could hang a soy sauce jar from them.

  She had been back for more than half a day but there wasn’t a trace of her father, and her excitement was gradually weakening.

  In front of Ning Rongrong was an old man with a withered face slowly sipping tea. Even though he was sitting down, his stature was still astonishing. It wasn’t that he had the robustness of swelling muscles, but his whole frame was extremely astonishing.

  When he sat in the originally very spacious sofa he clearly made it seem narrow.

  His clothes seemed to be entirely propped up by his skeleton, muscles and skin were both withered, his eye sockets were deep caves, and if seen late at night it would simply be like an immense cranium. On his scalp were only a few sparse wisps of white or grey hair. Where he could be ugly he was ugly.

  “My little princess, don’t be angry. I’m sure your father will be back quickly.”

  The withered old man put down his teacup, speaking to Ning Rongrong.

  His voice was extremely hoarse, like the wind rustling dead leaves, giving listeners a bad feeling.

  Ning Rongrong leapt up from the sofa, running over to sit in the withered old man’s lap. With her fair skin, next to the enormous old man she was like a doll. Raising her hands she grabbed the old man’s white hair,

  “I don’t care, someone has been gone for so long, but when returning with great difficulty daddy isn’t present. Isn’t he deliberately hiding from me? Grandpa Bone, you have to back me up.”

  The shriveled skin on the withered old man’s face twitched once, somewhat not knowing whether to laugh or cry saying:

  “My little princess, you shouldn’t keep playing with that little withered grass on your grandpa Bone’s head. Otherwise I’ll really become bald, and be even more teased by that cheap grandpa Sword of yours. You want me to support you, what can I do, don’t tell me there’s still someone in the school who would tease you?”

  Ning Rongrong pondered, and said:

  “This as well. Hmph, no matter, anyway once daddy returns I’ll definitely have him give me something nice to appease me. Grandpa Bone, you have to speak on my side.”

  In order to keep the few remaining wisps of hair, the withered old man had no choice but to helplessly nod rep
eatedly. If his current appearance was seen by outsiders from the Spirit Master world, who knew how startled they might be. That the most secretive among Title Douluo, Bone Doluo, would be treated like this by a little girl, perhaps nobody would believe it even if told.

  “I knew grandpa Bone was the best.”

  Ning Rongrong didn’t seem to feel a bit like this old grandpa Bone was ugly, kissing him hard on the cheek and the jumping off his lap.

  Watching the lively Ning Rongrong, a warm indulgence was revealed in the Bone Douluo’s eyes. He could be said to have watched Ning Rongrong grow up, and this little she-devil’s spoiled nature could be said to have been caused by him and Ning Rongrong’s other grandpa Sword.

  “I heard our little she-devil has returned? Where is she, Rongrong, come quickly, let daddy have a look.”

  At this moment someone finally arrived to lift the siege.

  Hearing this voice, Ning Rongrong first excitedly wanted to run meet him, but then remembered she was still angry and hastily faced in the other direction, turning her back to the door.

  That charming appearance seemed a bit funny to the Bone Douluo sitting on the sofa.

  Part 3 (TL by Bagelson)

  A timid and elegant middle aged man stepped into the hall accompanied by a white dressed old man. If Tang San and Xiao Wu had been here now they would certainly have recognized him, precisely the person they met before at the auction house, that even prince Xue Xing didn’t dare provoke.

  And this man was also Ning Rongrong’s father, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School’s master, enjoying the name of the Continent’s foremost Support Spirit Master, Ning Fengzhi.

  Ning Fengzhi looked at his daughter and hurriedly walked forward,

  “Silly girl, what are you doing with your back to daddy. It’s been a year. Daddy missed you so much!”

  Ning Rongrong turned around sharply,

  “Missed me? It would be a wonder if you didn’t long for me to be away from home.”

  Ning Fengzhi seeing his seething daughter couldn’t help but inwardly feel his heart fall. First sitting down on the sofa he held out a hand to pull over his daughter, but didn’t expect Ning Rongrong to turn around and dodge away.