Douluo: Starting with an Engagement to Zhu Zhuqing

Chapter 29: One Move

In the air, Feng Wutong launched several probing attacks. The more she tested Dai Yao, the more unnerved she became. Each time she dove down to strike, she failed to harm him and even risked being caught by him in a counterattack.

Observing him from above, she saw that he remained in a defensive stance, seemingly without any opening. Anxiety crept into her mind. Dai Yao, aware of his disadvantage in the air, stayed on the defensive, barely using any soul power. Meanwhile, her continuous flying drained her soul power at a much faster rate.

At this rate, she would run out of soul power before Dai Yao did. And she couldn't risk engaging him on the ground; fighting a White Tiger Spirit in close quarters would be a disaster.

Desperate, she focused her remaining soul power, emitting a loud, clear cry as her yellow soul ring glowed. The surrounding fire elements gathered, forming a fiery red vortex that centered around her beak.

"First Soul Skill—Blazing Fire Line!"

Orange flames shot from Feng Wutong's mouth, forming a long jet of fire aimed directly at Dai Yao. The blazing line of fire illuminated the dark night, and Zhang Xiaofan felt a surge of worry. He knew how powerful Feng Wutong's first soul skill was. Though she was only a Level 13 soul master, her attack's strength was unmatched among her peers.

Zhu Zhuqing, too, widened her eyes, eager to see how Dai Yao would handle this challenge.

As the fire shot toward him from above, Dai Yao showed no sign of panic. He had already gauged her strength in the opening exchanges and realized her attacks weren't strong enough to break his defenses. While the fire looked fierce, it didn't pose much danger to him.

"Burst Step!" he yelled, infusing his feet with soul power and launching himself off the ground with a powerful stomp. A cloud of dust rose, obscuring him momentarily as cracks spread across the ground where he had stood.

An instant later, a shadow shot up from the dust cloud, speeding toward Feng Wutong in the sky like a missile.

"Burst Step? Is that his first soul skill? But why didn't his soul ring light up?" Feng Wutong was puzzled, though she felt a flash of excitement as he approached.

"This fool! Rushing headfirst into my Blazing Fire Line—he's practically asking for death. Nobles—they never know how to actually fight. Just a bunch of entitled weaklings." Her heart filled with disdain.

"Why would he choose such a stupid move? How reckless," Zhang Xiaofan muttered, frustrated by Dai Yao's apparent recklessness.

"No, he's going to try to break through her soul skill head-on," Zhu Zhuqing thought, realizing his intent. She felt a wave of shock.

A blazing orange fire line cut through the air, hurtling downward, while a figure shot up from the ground, charging straight into the fiery blast. The small figure seemed almost laughable against the intense fireline, like an insect defying a towering mountain.

In that moment, Dai Yao's deep yellow soul ring began to glow as he calmly uttered two words:

"First Soul Skill! White Tiger Barrier!"

A white barrier appeared in front of him, just as the fire jet reached him.

The sight left Feng Wutong stunned. "So that's his first soul skill. Then what was that other move? A self-created soul skill?"

Realization dawned on both Zhang Xiaofan and Zhu Zhuqing as they watched the battle. It suddenly became clear to them what the foot-powered leap had been.

They both froze in shock, whispering the words in unison:

"A self-created soul skill."

They had never seen anyone use such a skill. Only the legends spoke of people who could.

"Even if your first soul ring is close to its limit, your choice is foolish," Feng Wutong said, her voice trembling with confidence. "My Blazing Fire Line will reduce you to ash!"

Her confidence stemmed from the academy's third "unbeatable" soul master, who had once admitted the power of her first soul skill was exceptionally high.

But just as her fire collided with Dai Yao's barrier, the impossible happened. His White Tiger Barrier held firm, splitting her fiery line cleanly in two. From the ground, it looked as if the fire line had been sliced by a razor-sharp blade.

The split flames veered off in opposite directions, their intensity waning.

"This is impossible! How could his first soul skill have such defensive power?" Cold sweat ran down Feng Wutong's face, her disbelief turning to panic.

Why was a soul master with lower soul power so powerful? Her strongest attack had been shattered head-on!

"No, this can't be happening!" She poured the last of her energy into her flames, making them burn brighter. The orange flames licked at Dai Yao's White Tiger Barrier, which glowed white hot.

His ascent didn't slow. Like a blade, he continued to slice through her fire line, closing in on Feng Wutong.

"What kind of monster is this?!" Fear flooded Feng Wutong's mind, but she held her fire desperately, refusing to let up.

Her struggle, however, was in vain.

A hand gripped her swan-like neck, cutting off her attack. Pain shot through her, and the flames sputtered into a few weak sparks before dying out.

Her spirit possession faded, and she lost the ability to fly. Bound by gravity, she plummeted to the ground, Dai Yao's hand still gripping her neck.

"A landslide victory! Feng Wutong couldn't even put up a fight against the Fourth Prince!" Zhang Xiaofan muttered in awe, struggling to process what he had just witnessed. Dai Yao's win had come so effortlessly.

Feng Wutong was a notoriously tough opponent among one-ring soul masters, known for her powerful soul skill and the advantage of flight. Many struggled against her, unable to defend against her fiery attacks or even reach her.

It was this combination of skills that had given her the confidence to challenge Dai Yao, even knowing his spirit was the White Tiger.

Zhu Zhuqing, initially captivated by Dai Yao's strength, recalled her own experience with him. Seeing him gripping Feng Wutong's neck, she couldn't help but rub her own, remembering the chilling sensation of his grip.

Dai Yao gazed coldly into Feng Wutong's tear-streaked face as she glared up at him, full of pain and resentment.

"You lost," he said, his tone unyielding.

Tears streaked down Feng Wutong's face as she choked out a reply, her voice thick with grief and bitterness:

"I lost."

She had prepared herself for the possibility of losing, but never for a defeat so absolute.

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