Chapter 388: Epiphany, Winds Stir in Star Luo
Outside Seaward City.
The vast ocean stretched out endlessly, a deep darkness covering the sky as bolts of lightning slashed through it, illuminating a scene of intense battle. Amid the lightning, a white sword light split the sky, triggering a powerful explosion and sending massive waves roaring in all directions. A figure in white was launched back through the cascading waters, leaving a trail as they flew through the air.
It was Dai Yao.
Hands crossed defensively in front of him, Dai Yao struggled to steady himself against the Sword Douluo's eighth spirit ability. The sheer power of that attack—comparable to a typical Titled Douluo's ninth spirit ability—sent his blood churning.
He tumbled backward, wind whipping around him as he attempted to dissipate the force of Sword Douluo's strike. His backward trajectory took him from the sea over the coastline and across solid ground, where he finally crashed into a mountainside, the impact leaving a large crater in its wake.
After several moments, Dai Yao regained his balance and rose from the debris, glancing down at his disheveled state with a wry smile. "Sword Douluo sure didn't hold back."
Ever since his engagement to Ning Rongrong and the other three women, Sword Douluo, Bone Douluo, and Dugu Bo had taken it upon themselves to "train" him, sparing no effort to push him to his limits. Within days, Dugu Bo had reluctantly withdrawn from this team of "trainers"—not because he was unwilling but because he could no longer easily overpower Dai Yao. Dai Yao's immunity to poison rendered Dugu Bo's strongest weapon ineffective, leaving him outmatched without needing to resort to his ninth spirit ability.
Over time, even Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo's motivations to "teach him a lesson" began to wane, impressed as they were by his astonishing progress. Dai Yao's strength had grown to the point where he could not only spar with them but also push them to use high-level abilities. When Dai Yao unleashed his self-created "Thunder Eighth Collapse" technique, Sword Douluo had been forced to counter with his eighth spirit ability—an unexpected outcome for someone of his experience. It was a humbling realization for Sword Douluo, a Level 96 Titled Douluo, to be bested by a Spirit Emperor's self-created technique.
As Dai Yao emerged from the crater, he was met by a flash of sword light above him.
Sword Douluo hovered, his silver hair blowing in the wind as he observed Dai Yao with a calm expression that betrayed a slight hint of relief. Though he'd wanted to discipline Dai Yao for Ning Rongrong's sake, he hadn't meant to injure him. But Dai Yao's "Thunder Eighth Collapse" had been more potent than expected, forcing Sword Douluo to use greater strength in his response than he'd planned.
Relieved to see Dai Yao unscathed, Sword Douluo descended, joining him at eye level. "Dai Yao, when I first saw you use that self-created technique, I hadn't expected you to improve it so quickly. Frankly, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the raw offensive power of this move rivals a typical Titled Douluo's ninth spirit ability. Incredible work."
Dai Yao gave a respectful nod. This extended training with a top-tier master like Sword Douluo had benefited him immensely. "Thank you, Sword Douluo. However, I feel like I've hit a bottleneck with my technique. The concept behind Thunder Eighth Collapse is to continuously compress spirit power in my body until releasing it in a burst of force, but once I reach the eighth compression, I can't seem to push beyond that. To overcome this limitation, I've had to infuse my fourth spirit ability to harness thunder's power."
At this, Sword Douluo raised an eyebrow, suppressing a look of amazement. The level of physical resilience Dai Yao must possess to compress his spirit power eight times over was staggering—even among Titled Douluo, very few could hope to match it.
Sword Douluo descended from his sword to stand beside Dai Yao, placing a contemplative hand on his chin before he spoke. "I'm no expert in the finer points of spirit power compression, so I can't offer you a specific solution to break through. But sometimes, pursuing the same path too rigidly creates a dead end. Perhaps, when one approach fails, you should consider another angle. A fresh perspective often yields surprising results."
Sword Douluo's expression softened, as if reminiscing, as he continued, "When I was young, I obsessed over perfecting my swordsmanship, believing that severing all emotion would lead to the realm of man and sword as one—a state my father once described. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't achieve it. It was only after I obtained my ninth spirit ring that I realized my mistake."
Sword Douluo's eyes grew sharp, his tone thoughtful. "I was chasing after the sword, when I should have let the sword follow me. Once I freed myself from my blind pursuit, I gained clarity and naturally achieved a union with the sword."
Sword Douluo's words resonated like a lightning bolt through Dai Yao's mind, sparking an understanding he hadn't reached before. He felt a surge of electricity course through his veins, and his heart raced as his mind whirled with new ideas.
Dai Yao's eyes unfocused as he delved into the implications of Sword Douluo's advice, the years he'd spent honing his compression technique now morphing and colliding in his mind in a whirlwind of revelation.
Realizing Dai Yao's state, Sword Douluo smiled faintly, though a note of awe flickered in his gaze. "This kid's talent is terrifying. To enter a state of epiphany just from a few words… If he manages to overcome this bottleneck, his Thunder Collapse technique could become lethal to all but Super Douluo."
Heeding the significance of this moment, Sword Douluo stayed close by to ensure Dai Yao remained undisturbed.
Wind rose and fell, day and night passing as the sun rose and set.
Three days later, Dai Yao stirred and slowly opened his eyes, vision refocusing as he returned to the present.
"The breakthrough was monumental… For so long, I've been limited to eight compressions in Thunder Collapse, but true mastery means reaching nine compressions, not eight. Sword Douluo's words cleared my path. Now that I can complete the ninth compression, the resulting power could rival a Super Douluo's ninth spirit ability."
Dai Yao's excitement was hard to contain as the possibilities unfolded in his mind.
"Awake at last, kid?" came Sword Douluo's familiar voice, bringing Dai Yao back to reality.
Turning, Dai Yao saw Sword Douluo standing nearby, a pleased yet intense look on his face. Ning Rongrong stood beside him, smiling brightly.
Dai Yao exchanged a smile with Ning Rongrong, then turned to Sword Douluo and bowed deeply. "Sword Douluo, I can't thank you enough. Your guidance has helped me reach an understanding that I would have struggled to find on my own."
Sword Douluo shook his head. "No, Dai Yao, you've achieved this through your own dedication and insight. Without your foundation of hard work, my words would've fallen flat. Only your own efforts made this breakthrough possible."
"You're only lacking a spark—an inspiration to break through your bottleneck. The decisive factor isn't me; it's yourself."
Dai Yao persisted, "Your words are wise, Your Eminence. However, without your guidance, I might have been trapped by this missing inspiration for the rest of my life."
Sword Douluo paused in thought. Dai Yao had a point. Many hardworking geniuses remained stagnant because they lacked that single moment of clarity to resolve their struggles.
"Grandpa Sword, Dai Yao has only just woken up—why are you discussing such things? Let's go back quickly," Ning Rongrong said, tugging on Sword Douluo's arm and gently pleading.
A trace of affection crossed Sword Douluo's face. He smiled warmly at Dai Yao and said, "Very well, Dai Yao. There's no need to call me 'Your Eminence' anymore. You're Rongrong's husband. From now on, just call me Grandpa, like she does."
Dai Yao felt a warmth in his heart and responded, "Yes, Grandpa Sword."
Although Sword Douluo had urged him to use that title many times in the past, Dai Yao had refrained. After declining the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's invitations and ultimately joining Spirit Hall, he had felt undeserving of their goodwill.
Sword Douluo glanced lovingly at Ning Rongrong. Although he was a Titled Douluo, he had his own selfish desires. He didn't mind using his influence to give Ning Rongrong and Dai Yao more time together. Smiling, he said, "Alright, I'll leave Rongrong in your care for now. But if you dare bully her, don't blame me for being merciless."
Looking at Ning Rongrong, Dai Yao noticed her shyly turning her head away. He chuckled and replied, "Understood, Grandpa Sword."
With that, Sword Douluo leapt onto the Seven Kill Sword. A flash of light streaked across the sky, and he was gone.
As the sword light disappeared into the distance, Dai Yao approached Ning Rongrong. Noticing the fatigue behind her smile, his own faded as he asked, "Rongrong, don't tell me you've been waiting here for me for three days?"
Ning Rongrong nodded slightly with a soft laugh. "Don't worry, I've already handled the sect's finances. A brief absence won't cause any problems. Yan-jie wanted to come see you as well, but as the acting sect leader, she has too many responsibilities to leave. So, she asked me to come and accompany you."
Dai Yao was taken aback.
To him, Ning Rongrong was far more important than the sect. He knew how overwhelming the financial matters of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect were. Though Ning Rongrong excelled in such tasks, the effort and time required were immense.
On top of that, she had to help take care of Lou Gao. It left her with almost no time to cultivate. Yet she had still made sure to handle all her responsibilities before coming to visit him.
Grace of a beauty, Dai Yao thought to himself as these words surfaced in his mind.
Taking Ning Rongrong's slender hand, he felt the faint calluses left by countless hours spent poring over account ledgers. Sighing deeply, he gazed into her gentle, water-like eyes and said softly, "Rongrong, you've worked so hard."
As Dai Yao held her hands, Ning Rongrong felt a strange current of warmth flowing through her, tingling pleasantly.
She leaned into the man she had longed for day and night, listening to his heartbeat with her eyes closed. Hearing his heartfelt gratitude made all her efforts feel worthwhile.
"I'm happy to do it," she murmured.
Dai Yao felt a pang of guilt. Although they had been together for so long, he had never spent a full day with Ning Rongrong alone. Back in Longxing City, he was always busy planning the Qinglian Sect's establishment or caught in a battle of wits with Tang San.
Even after escaping the Star Luo Empire and returning to the Heaven Dou Empire, Zhu Zhuqing and Feng Wutong had joined him, leaving him even less time for Ning Rongrong.
Looking at the sunset over the vast waters, with its golden glow stretching endlessly, Dai Yao's heart stirred. He turned to Ning Rongrong and said, "Rongrong, let me take you somewhere."
"Where?" Ning Rongrong asked curiously.
Before she could react, Dai Yao scooped her up, supporting her back and legs. Eight pairs of radiant wings unfolded behind him, and with a powerful thrust, they soared into the sky.
The strong wind pressure made Ning Rongrong hesitant to open her eyes.
After a while, Dai Yao stopped. His voice was gentle as he said, "We're here, Rongrong."
Slowly opening her eyes, Ning Rongrong froze, her autumn-like gaze wide with amazement.
Below them was an endless expanse of sky. The massive Vast Sea City looked as small as a clenched fist from this height. Beyond the horizon, the sky was painted in hues of red and gold, and the endless sea mirrored the fiery sunset, creating a breathtaking view.
Ning Rongrong stared at the scene, her face full of awe. Only after a long moment did she realize they were at an incredible altitude.
The harsh winds tugged at her hair. Though she was a Spirit Master, she had never been this high before. One wrong move could mean certain death.
Fear gripped her as she clung tightly to Dai Yao's neck, her pretty face showing traces of fright.
"Don't worry, nothing will happen. Even if we fall, I'll protect you," Dai Yao reassured her. "I've never properly spent time with you, and today, let this be my way of making amends."
His confidence was unwavering. With his abilities, there was no risk of any mishap.
Hearing his words, Ning Rongrong's heart softened. Her nervousness gradually faded, and she relaxed in his embrace. Watching the sun set over the sea, she wished this moment could last forever.
Night
The salty sea breeze swept across the land as Dai Yao carried Ning Rongrong back to Vast Sea City.
Upon arriving at the Qinglian Sect, they landed on the rooftop and saw Dugu Yan already waiting for them.
"You finally decided to come back?" Dugu Yan said with a huff, her arms crossed. Although she had encouraged Ning Rongrong to spend time with Dai Yao, seeing their closeness still sparked a hint of jealousy.
Dai Yao gently wrapped an arm around Dugu Yan's waist without a word. After a brief pause, Dugu Yan's jealousy dissipated. She gave him a sideways glance and muttered, "You're really something else."
Her expression grew serious as she hesitated briefly before saying, "It's a good thing you're back. Otherwise, I might've had to come find you myself. There's something important I need to tell you."
Noticing her tone, a sense of foreboding rose in Dai Yao's heart. "What is it?" he asked.
Dugu Yan took a deep breath and solemnly replied, "We've received news from the Star Luo Empire. They've captured Prince Dai Hengyu and plan to execute him soon."
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