Douluo Dalu - Volume 01-48

by Tang Jia San Shao

  “Little freak, do you know where I went this time?”

  Tang San snapped:

  “How could I know what an old freak like you is up to?”

  Along with his mood recovering, he clearly became a lot more relaxed.

  Dugu Bo grinned, saying:

  “I went to exchange pointers with an old friend.”

  “Eh? Win or lose?”

  Tang San asked.

  The green light in Dugu Bo’s eyes became agitated,

  “I didn’t win, and I didn’t lose, it was at least a draw. Haha.”

  Tang San mocked:

  “Only a draw, what’s there to be proud about.”

  Dugu Bo curled his lip, saying:

  “You know farts. Every time I fought that fellow before I would be beaten into the dirt, battered and exhausted, if I didn’t rely on poison, I would be dead long ago. But this time he was the dirty one, were it not for this old man being compassionate and merciful, perhaps I’d have killed him.”

  Tang San started, if Dugu Bo said this, then his opponent was definitely a Title Douluo. Otherwise, how could Dugu Bo be beaten ragged?

  “Your strength progressed?”

  Dugu Bo said with immense pride:

  “That’s not it. This fellow’s spirit power has reached ninety sixth rank, considered an expert among Title Douluo, with even more astonishing power behind him. This time he almost fell, you tell me how I couldn’t be excited. Of course, this was also thanks to you.”

  “Me? How is it related to me? That was a ninety sixth ranked Title Douluo, I’m forty something ranked.”

  Dugu Bo grinned:

  “Still remember those Cluster Soul Chasing Life Taking Balls you gave me? Really can’t know without using, but they scared me out of my skin. This time it should have been me who lost. At that time, I was already forced back and prepared to run, but I suddenly remembered that nice thing you gave me. So I pulled it out and used it. I didn’t expect that thing to really be so scarily powerful. That idiot ate at least seven or eight poison darts, and all of a sudden it let me turn the tables. In the end he had no choice but to take to his heels and run. Hahahaha.”

  Thinking back at the happy sight, Dugu Bo couldn’t help laughing.

  Cluster Soul Chasing Life Taking Balls? Tang San hadn’t used them since he made these hidden weapons. Suddenly, a great flash of divine light lit up his mind, his brain suddenly becoming sharp. ‘Hidden weapons. Hidden weapons, I’m from Tang Sect, I have hidden weapons.’

  ‘That’s right, Blue Silver Grass might not be a formidable spirit, but just like Teacher said, its plasticity is still extraordinarily formidable. If, if I can combine ny Blue Silver Grass with the hidden weapons I inherited from Tang Sect, then, what will the result be?’

  His heart suddenly throbbed breathlessly. Tang San swallowed a big gulp of saliva. His mind was already impatiently reflecting on how he should combine Blue Silver Grass with the mysteries of his hidden weapon secret lore.

  Dugu Bo saw Tang San suddenly tremble after hearing about him using the Cluster Soul Chasing Life Taking Balls. He immediately became lifeless, and also couldn’t help start.

  “Little freak, what is it?”

  “Ah? It’s nothing. Old freak, thank you for enlightening me, I’ve already figured it out.”

  Dugu Bo assumed the appearance of a capable person,

  “Me saving you can’t be free of charge. I already used up those Cluster Soul Chasing Life Taking Balls. Don’t you still have some? Give me another two. I can trade for something. Or pay.”

  Tang San stared at Dugu Bo,

  “Trade farts, take them.”

  Four dark green spheres flew straight at Dugu Bo.

  Dugu Bo was so scared he jumped, flustered catching the four Cluster Soul Chasing Life Taking Balls, grumbling:

  “Stinking brat, are you after my old life! What if they exploded? Are you after my old life!”

  Tang San smiled:

  “If I didn’t have even this much confidence, how could I even make them. Moreover, with my spirit power, even if they really exploded, could they injure an old freak like you?”

  Dugu Bo cautiously loaded the four Cluster Soul Chasing Life Taking Balls into a spirit tool, satisfied saying:

  “These things of yours, not only is the attack range great, but the penetrating power is great. Especially after colliding. The more violently they collide, the more spirit power I use, the greater the piercing power. It’s a pity they’re not poisonous enough. Otherwise, they would be even scarier.”

  Tang San reminded Dugu Bo:

  “Old freak, don’t depend on them too much. Even though the Cluster Soul Chasing Life Taking Balls have great power, as hidden weapons, what’s most important is surprise. When confronting an opponent on the same level, if you lose the element of surprise, their effect won’t be so good. As for the poison, originally when I made them I didn’t have suitable drugs on hand, and even though I’ve gained some later, it’s very difficult to reinforce the poison after they’ve already been formed.”

  Dugu Bo grinned, saying:

  “That’s no good. Make some more.”

  Tang San smiled wryly:

  “You think they’re candy? It’s easier said than done. It requires a great amount of time. Right now I’m participating in the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament, spare time must all be used for cultivating, how could I make them. Let’s talk about it once the tournament is over.”

  Dugu Bo nodded, saying:

  “I heard you already passed the qualifiers. Next should be the ranking competition. With a little freak like you overseeing it, you should be able to get a good place, perhaps you’ll even enter the top three.”

  Tang San smiled:

  “Why not champions? Don’t you have that much confidence in me?”

  Dugu Bo shrugged, saying:

  “That’s not a question of confidence. In front of absolute strength, what use is confidence? If you can enter the top three, that’s already a good achievement. There was never any doubt about who would win this tournament.”

  Hearing Dugu Bo say this, Tang San couldn’t keep his heart from twitching,

  “Eh? Since you say as much, do you know some team that’s especially strong?”

  Dugu Bo sighed, saying:

  “How is Spirit Hall so powerful? It’s because they recruit so many Spirit Master experts. Apart from the seven great schools, practically all formidable Spirit Masters belong to Spirit Hall. No one can possess more information about Spirit Masters and factors for cultivation than Spirit Hall. Under Spirit Hall’s careful fostering, a group of elite Spirit Masters will emerge with each generation. This time is no different. I’ve heard that Spirit Hall has a few little juniors with astonishing talent, even the Supreme Pontiff praises them as Spirit Hall’s Golden Generation, the masters of the future. And it’s precisely them that are representing Spirit Hall in this year’s Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament. They’re all barely more than twenty, and there’s no need to doubt their strength. Spirit Hall provided them with cultivation resources and outfitting in all areas, how could common advanced Spirit Master academies compare. Even you couldn’t do it. You’re after all still too young, perhaps you can catch up to them in another ten years.”

  Dugu Bo was a Title Douluo, naturally he wouldn’t talk without thinking. Hearing him say this, Tang San’s mood immediately turned serious.

  “Since you say this, Spirit Hall is determined to win this tournament?”

  Dugu Bo nodded, saying:

  “Don’t you know what the prize is for the final champions in this Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament?”

  Tang San blankly shook his head.

  Dugu Bo snorted coldly,

  “Originally Spirit Hall was preparing to give those things directly to those geniuses of the Golden Generation, but were opposed by the elders of Elder Palace. As a result, the Supreme Pontiff comprom
ised and decided to give them some training, and that’s this tournament. And Spirit Hall took out those things that were originally going to them as rewards for the champions. Tell me, how couldn’t they be determined to win?”

  “What are those things?”

  Tang San curiously asked.

  Dugu Bo retorted:

  “To Spirit Masters, what’s most precious?”

  Tang San’s heart twitched,

  “Don’t tell me it’s a spirit bone?”

  Dugu Bo shook his head,

  “No, not one, but three.”

  “What?”

  Tang San turned pale with fright. Three spirit bones? What kind of concept was that? Something like spirit bones was a divine existence to Spirit Masters. Any one spirit bone could give a Spirit Master an enormous boost. Three spirit bones, that wasn’t something that could be weighed with money.

  Dugu Bo said:

  “These three spirit bones were set aside by Spirit Hall, left behind by their passed away elders. Since the Supreme Pontiff dares take them out as reward for the champions, you can imagine their confidence in their athletes. Do you still have thoughts of being lucky?”

  “Of course.”

  Tang San said without the slightest hesitation,

  “Since they’ve taken them out, there’s no need for them to take them back again. Old freak, do you know the levels of Spirit Hall’s athletes in the tournament, and what their spirits are?”

  Chapter 108: Flash Of Understanding

  Part 1 (TL by Bagelson)

  Dugu Bo couldn’t help staring blankly as he saw the suddenly blossoming radiance in Tang San’s eyes,

  “Little freak, don’t be feverish. Didn’t you understand what I just said? Those spirit bones aren’t for you to dream of.”

  Tang San didn’t speak, what is called ‘take what you hear to be false, only believe it when you see it’. Raising his right hand, faint blue light bubbled out of his palm, and under his precise control, only one tiny Blue Silver Grass stretched its way out. That was just one blade of grass, seemingly no different than wild blue silver grass. The appearance of the spirit, naturally also meant the spirit rings appeared.

  Yellow, yellow, purple, black. Four spirit rings hovered quietly. The yellow rings of light were bright and spirited, the purple spirit ring noble and threatening, but that black spirit ring was just like a bottomless abyss, brimming with terrifying charm.

  “You……”

  Dugu Bo shot to his feet, his gaze going through myriad changes in an instant as he looked at Tang San, a strict imposing manner abruptly burst out of him, pressing in on Tang San from all directions.

  Under the effect of the external pressure, Tang San’s four spirit rings brightened. Only the Blue Silver Grass in his palm still swayed softly.

  “No, this is impossible.”

  Dugu Bo rubbed his eyes hard, shaking his head again, carefully staring at that black spirit ring over Tang San.

  Tang San smiled slightly, saying:

  “Did you forget? Turning the impossible into possible is what I’m best at. Do you think I can match Spirit Hall’s people now?”

  Dugu Bo drew a deep breath, slowly suppressing his shock, saying something Tang San hadn’t expected,

  “Give up on this tournament. With your age, you can still participate next time. At that time, there shouldn’t be anybody who could oppose your team.”

  “Why?”

  Tang San stared wide-eyed.

  Dugu Bo lowered his voice:

  “If your strength was still like before, or perhaps if your fourth spirit ring was only on the thousand year level, then I wouldn’t be worried. But this is different. Your fourth spirit ring reaching the ten thousand year level will bring you endless troubles. Do you think Spirit Hall wouldn’t take note of you? If you were Spirit Hall and encountered a genius like this, what would you do? There are only two options. Subdue or destroy. If my guess is correct, then right now your information is at least laid out on a platinum bishop’s desk. Spirit Hall wouldn’t try to act behind your back, they would completely exploit this tournament, arranging for you to have an ‘accident’ on stage in a just and honorable match. To Spirit Hall, the rules of the tournament is only a game to toy with.”

  Tang San smiled wryly:

  “So you’re saying you still aren’t optimistic about me?”

  Dugu Bo looked deeply at him,

  “There are three people in Spirit Hall’s so-called Golden Generation. I don’t know their specifics, and I also don’t know what their spirits and spirit abilities are. But I can tell you one thing: among these three, the one with the lowest spirit power is fifty first rank, and the other two are fifty second rank. They’re all only twenty three or twenty four years old. As they broke through the fiftieth rank and obtained their fifth spirit rings, the Supreme Pontiff personally awarded them Spirit Hall’s Purple Record Medal, and they also set Spirit hall’s record. And of the others forming their team this time, nobody has less than forty fifth ranked spirit power. This is all I know.”

  Even though Tang San had always known Spirit Hall was formidable, it was only now that he understood just how frightening.

  Fiftieth rank, even three at fiftieth rank…… And the rest were all over forty fifth rank. What did this signify?

  Even though Tang San had absolute confidence in himself, now he saw a chasm that really was difficult to bridge. The lowest members on the other side were higher ranked than his side’s highest ranked. Could they really prevail over opponents like these?

  Seeing Tang San’s alarmed expression, Dugu Bo sighed, saying:

  “At your age, your current level is even more frightening than theirs, let alone when you still have the external spirit bone. Don’t think too much about it, there will be chances. As long as you don’t waste time, there will be a day when you surpass them.”

  Tang San suddenly smiled. Perhaps it was because of Dugu Bo’s pointer undoing his issues, but right now his mind was incomparably incisive.

  “Old freak. Didn’t you say it just now? As a Spirit Master, confidence is vital. If I really avoided a confrontation now, the blow to my confidence would be unimaginable. So what if we lose? Even if we can’t defeat them, don’t tell me we can’t defend ourselves? Only all out battle can show the gap between both sides. I won’t give up.”

  Looking at Tang San, something unconsciously crept into Dugu Bo’s eyes,

  “Forget about it, I don’t care about you. Just do as you wish. I’ll leave first. After returning from so far away, I still haven’t had a meal. I’ll go scavenge.”

  Finished speaking, jade light flashed, and Dugu Bo’s lofty silhouette was already gone.

  A warm feeling spread. Dugu Bo had just returned but came to see him first, that wasn’t for the sake of those Cluster Soul Chasing Life Taking Balls, but out of concern for him. By now there was nothing left of the initial intense vigilance.

  Even though their ages differed by multiples, Tang San still sensed a feeling similar to Grandmaster from Dugu Bo, even so much that there was something of camaraderie, spanning the difference in years.

  With Dugu Bo gone, the first thing Tang San did wasn’t to cultivate, nor was it to reflect, but to sleep.

  Two days and two nights without rest had long ago already overtaxed his mind. Without sufficient rest, how could he start to test his vision? Therefore, he didn’t hesitate to choose to rest, and moreover very quickly entered dreamland.

  ……

  The dazzling platinum bishop’s office, an expansive room with an area surpassing two hundred square meters, arranged with all kinds of precious toys.

  Salas sat behind a massive, somewhat exaggeratedly gorgeous desk. In front of him was a file, a file transferred from Nuoding City.

  It had to be said that Spirit Hall was incredibly efficient. In just a month they had found this kind of needle in a haystack document by searching the records the Spirit Halls in each town.

  It was already the seven
th time Salas had read this document, but in his heart he still didn’t dare believe what he was looking at was real.

  The documents in front of him was a Spirit Master profile, for a Spirit Master named: Tang San.

  The profile was very detailed. From the first time Tang San registered at Spirit Hall, confirming his status as Spirit Master, to each time he drew the Spirit Master stipend and each title upgrade after obtaining a spirit ring. All the details were there.

  What kind of spirit rings he obtained, what rank spirit power, this wasn’t what had made Salas read it seven times. The reason why he repeatedly looked it over was actually only one number, a number representing age.

  Fourteen, only fourteen years old. Still several months away from fifteen. Spirit Ancestor over fortieth rank. Spirit Ancestor at fourteen. Still with a fourth spirit ring at the ten thousand year level.

  Clapping a hand to his forehead, Salas really didn’t want to believe it was true.

  Standing, Salas walked over to a bookcase behind the desk, raising a hand to pull out a thick book. With a burst of mechanical sounds, the bookcase slowly moved to the side, exposing the wall.

  On the wall was a square metal plate, emitting faint spirit power fluctuations. Clearly, this metal plate was a spirit tool. Pressing his right hand to it, immediately, a layer of faint red light emitted from the metal plate, instantly covering Salas’ palm.

  With another burst of mechanical sounds, the square plate fell inwards, exposing a square space. The space wasn’t large, only one square chi[1], with a pile of documents inside.

  Salas simply rummaged through and pulled out a file marked with the words ‘Top Secret’.

  There were only three sheets of paper inside the file, with three profiles. Salas quickly looked them over, and very soon found what he was looking for.

  “Fifteen, sixteen, sixteen, the youngest of those three was still fifteen when reaching fortieth rank spirit power.”

  Abruptly closing the file, Salas quickly closed the hidden space with a peng sound. Returning to his desk with big strides, he once again picked up Tang San’s data, looking at that number for the eighth time.

  “Still one year earlier than the Golden Generation. Blue Silver Grass, trash spirit? Truly interesting. It’s fortunate he only has Blue Silver Grass. But this Tang San’s spirit power growth rate is a bit too fast. Full innate spirit power Blue Silver Grass. It seems it should be a variation.”