NABC Chapter 132 The Twilight Hermit's Meeting
Chapter 132 The Twilight Hermit's Meeting
Chapter 132 The Twilight Hermit's Meeting
Shrek Academy, Poseidon Island.
Na'er clung tightly to Ya Li's sleeve, her little head peeking out from behind Ya Li. Looking at the massive black dragon that blotted out the sky in mid-air, a thoughtful glint flashed in her beautiful eyes: "Where did this black dragon come from? Although it is indeed a dragon, its appearance is far too strange, and even its aura is extremely ominous—"
Just as she was pondering, in mid-air, within the two opposing pillars of light, two figures moved almost simultaneously!
"The Roar of the Black Dragon!"
Acnologia's roar resounded through the heavens and earth, and jet-black dragon breath poured out of his mouth like a waterfall. Wherever it passed, space shattered inch by inch, and with the power to destroy everything, it swept towards Yunming.
"Support the heavens, shoot down the sun!"
Yun Ming's voice also carried an indomitable spirit. He raised his spear high, and the golden runes behind him burst forth with dazzling light, all the power concentrated on the tip of the spear.
The next second, he thrust his spear out!
A golden spear beam pierced the heavens and the earth, tearing through the sky and colliding violently with the pitch-black dragon breath!
"boom--!
'
The deafening explosion rang out again, this time dozens of times more powerful than before!
At the moment of impact, the surrounding space seemed to be emptied, plunging into a brief, deathly silence.
Immediately afterwards, an enormous black hole suddenly appeared, centered on the point of collision!
The black hole spun wildly, emitting a terrifying devouring force that spread outwards.
This is a spatial rift!
The attacks of the two had reached the god-level, and their terrifying power had exceeded the limits that this space could withstand!
"Mr. Jin! Please protect the children below!"
Yun Ming roared, and the golden light around him erupted once more as he exerted all his strength to forcibly freeze the enormous black hole.
He knew very well that once this black hole got completely out of control, the entire Seagod Island, and even the entire Shrek Academy, would be reduced to nothingness!
"Buzz—!"
Just then, the ancient golden tree in the center of Poseidon Island slowly emitted a soft golden light.
The light spread out like flowing water, forming an incredibly strong protective shield that enveloped all the teachers and students on Poseidon Island.
"I never imagined that there were such powerful beings among you humans."
From the void, Acnologia's voice echoed, tinged with resentment, "This time, we have fallen. But humans, remember this—I will return!"
As soon as he finished speaking, his figure transformed into a black streak of light, quickly disappearing into the space without a trace.
Upon seeing this, Yun Ming's expression darkened.
He borrowed the power of a half-god to forcibly close the damaged spatial rift, and immediately spread his divine energy to scan all directions.
No matter how hard he searched, he could no longer detect Acnologia's presence.
"Did you let him get away?"
Yun Ming's heart sank, and his grip on the spear tightened slightly.
Through their brief exchange, he was certain that the black dragon was an extremely formidable opponent. Its strength was in no way inferior to his own at the peak of the quasi-god level.
It is definitely not a good thing to let such a powerful soul beast, which is full of hostility towards humans, escape!
"What a pity—"
Yun Ming turned his gaze towards the direction of the golden ancient tree, a hint of regret flashing in his eyes. "If Elder Jin could have intervened and used the power of the golden ancient tree to set up a barrier, trapping me and that black dragon in the same space, there might have been a chance to kill him!"
From the very beginning of the battle, he had secretly communicated with the consciousness of the Golden Tree using his mental power, hoping that Elder Jin would take action and set up a life barrier.
In a battle between strong individuals, determining a winner is not difficult.
However, to completely kill the opponent, unless there is an absolute difference in strength between the two sides, it will be difficult to stop them if they are determined to escape.
Just like back then, Yun Ming had driven the Ghost Emperor, the Dark Blood Demon, and other evil soul masters to the brink of despair several times. However, because they were determined to escape when they saw the situation was not good, even someone as strong as Yun Ming could not completely keep the Ghost Emperor and the others.
Hades Douluo: Harosa is an exception.
Back then, the opponent relied on his Limit Douluo cultivation level to force his way into Shrek Academy, thinking that even if he couldn't win, he could escape unscathed, but he ended up making a mess of things.
He was trapped in the inner courtyard of Shrek Academy by his teacher, Tianjuan Douluo, who used the power of the Golden Ancient Tree, and was eventually beaten to death.
If Elder Jin had been willing to intervene and set up a life barrier, he would have been able to trap that black dragon here.
Even if this process requires a large amount of the Golden Ancient Tree's life energy, it's all worth it as long as we can kill that black dragon!
Unfortunately, when faced with his spiritual communication, Jin Lao directly refused, citing insufficient life energy.
"The Golden Tree has accumulated the power of successive Sea God Pavilion Masters. Can it really run out of energy so easily?"
A fleeting thought of doubt crossed Yun Ming's mind, but he quickly dismissed it.
They've run away, so be it. The most important thing now is to clean up the mess at the college.
Yun Ming took a deep breath, slowly put away his battle armor, and turned to walk towards the golden ancient tree below.
Shrek Outer City.
Lu Xingchen, in the form of a black dragon, traversed the space and then began to sort out the gains of this trip.
First of all, it felt great. Although I didn't manage to kill that old woman Long Yeyue, I still gave her a good beating, which was a way of getting revenge for being harassed by that old woman before.
Secondly, this battle deepened his control over his own power and also allowed him to learn more about the Golden Tree.
"Yun Ming's strength is indeed formidable. If it weren't for the fact that I secretly added an extra layer to the identity of Acnologia at the last moment..."
With the amplification of that layer of power, that attack just now should have at least caused some minor injuries.
Lu Xingchen recalled the final showdown with Yun Ming. In that seemingly evenly matched clash, he actually gained the upper hand.
Yun Ming was hesitant to act rashly, as he had to exert all his strength while also protecting the Shrek teachers and students below, making it impossible for him to unleash his full power.
Lu Xingchen, on the other hand, showed no restraint and focused solely on unleashing his full power. With the added boost from his hidden strength, he managed to create the illusion of a draw.
Of course, all of this is based on the premise that he only used the power of his identity as Acnologia and did not use other means.
"This great battle can be kept secret for a while, but not forever."
Lu Xingchen's eyes flickered, and he had his own plans in mind. "The name Acnologia will soon spread throughout the entire Douluo Continent. When that time comes, I wonder if separating this identity will allow me to directly manifest a quasi-god-level imaginary clone?"
This was one of the real purposes of his trip.
The Otto clone that Lu Xingchen separated from was only at the Soul King level because of its low level of recognition.
But this time is different. He caused a ruckus at Shrek Academy and clashed head-on with the Sky-Supporting Douluo Yun Ming. Such earth-shattering actions will inevitably be recorded by various forces, accumulating a massive amount of recognition for the identity of Acnologia.
The higher the level of recognition, the more complete the power of the separated clones.
Under Lu Xingchen's deliberate control, the black dragon he transformed into only possessed the combat power of a quasi-god at its peak. Any higher and he would be punished by the tribulation lightning of the plane, while also attracting the attention of certain people.
It was only because the people of Shrek City had been living in comfort for too long that, with their intentions thwarted, he was able to easily break into Shrek Academy with his peak quasi-god strength.
"And the Golden Tree, it was indeed completely controlled by Ah Yin. However, Ah Yin seems to be a bit stingy. In the end, she was only willing to protect those Shrek Academy students instead of spending a lot of life energy to create a barrier. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been so easy for me to get away."
Previously, Yun Ming's secret attempt to contact the Golden Ancient Tree with his mental power naturally could not escape Lu Xingchen's perception.
To his surprise, the golden ancient tree was too self-absorbed and completely refused to cooperate with Yun Ming.
Lu Xingchen also had some guesses about this. It was probably because Ah Yin wanted to save energy so that she could condense a life soul ring for her great grandson, Tang Wulin, in the future.
"--This is?"
Just then, Lu Xingchen, who was traversing the spatial passage, suddenly detected an extremely subtle aura through his spiritual senses, which was flying towards Shrek Academy.
It was a feeling similar to that he had when he transformed into Acnologia, an aura belonging to the same soul beast race.
Even though the other party had tried its best to conceal its aura and had also made some disguises, in Lu Xingchen's spiritual perception, which was at the level of a third-level god, this aura was still too obvious.
"It's the aura of a dragon, such a pure dark aura. It doesn't seem to be Zi Ji, so it must be Di Tian."
95
Lu Xingchen quickly made a judgment. With a thought, he immediately understood Di Tian's intention. Di Tian had probably sensed the aura of an unfamiliar dragon and wanted to investigate.
"Play with him for a bit."
A sly smile curved Lu Xingchen's lips as he deliberately slowed down his spatial traversal, releasing a faint wisp of dragon might.
Emperor Tian, who was moving swiftly through the void, instantly caught sight of this wisp of dragon might.
The familiar dragon aura, carrying a chilling sense of oppression, caused him to abruptly stop in his tracks as he flew towards Shrek Academy.
"Such a pure dragon aura!"
A sharp glint flashed in Di Tian's eyes. "It's that unfamiliar dragon from before!"
Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately changed direction and, following the guidance of that dragon's might, chased after it like an arrow released from a bow.
Shrek Outer City, a desolate suburb.
"boom--!"
A beam of black light fell from the sky like a meteorite, crashing heavily to the ground and kicking up clouds of dust.
Acnologia appeared in human form, cast his gaze into the void, and said calmly, "The unfamiliar being who has followed me all this way, do you want to fight me?"
"Buzz~"
The moment the words fell, ripples suddenly spread through the surrounding space, like the surface of a lake tossed with pebbles, rippling outwards in layers.
Di Tian's figure slowly emerged from the void, dressed in black with a resolute face.
He didn't reply immediately, but instead looked at Acnologia with a suspicious gaze, his brows furrowed tightly.
It can't be wrong.
The aura emanating from the person before me was indeed that of a genuine dragon.
Judging from its appearance, it is a purebred black dragon, and its bloodline purity is definitely no weaker than his, but why does it make people feel so uncomfortable?
For a moment, Di Tian was unsure of the other party's background. Although he had served as a personal guard of the Dragon God in the past, he was also familiar with the situation within the Dragon Clan.
If the other party were just an ordinary black dragon, it would be normal that he hadn't heard of it. But the black dragon in front of him clearly had a bloodline purity that had reached the level of a dragon king!
The birth of a true dragon of the Dragon King level was a major event, even in the ancient times when the dragon race was at its peak. It was impossible for him not to have heard a word about it.
"Is it a dragon that hatched after the dragon race was defeated? Or is it a true dragon whose bloodline has reverted to its ancestral form?" Di Tian pondered rapidly in his mind, his doubts growing deeper and deeper.
Just as he was pondering, Acnologia seemed to be angered by his silence.
"It seems you're not planning to communicate."
Acnologia snorted coldly, his dark soul power erupting instantly, raging outwards like a furious tidal wave, even suspending the rubble on the ground: "Then make your move! Let me see just how much skill you, this cowardly coward, really possess!"
A terrifying pressure swept out, and the aura of a quasi-god was released without any concealment, making the surrounding air thick and sticky.
Di Tian's pupils contracted, and a storm of shock surged within him: "It really is a quasi-god! At least a ferocious beast that has survived eight heavenly tribulations!"
He quickly raised his arm, his aura of a soul beast no longer concealed, and shouted, "Wait! I mean you no harm! I am a dragon, just like you!"
"Same race?"
Acnologia slightly subsided his aura, but the wariness on his face remained.
He sized Di Tian up and down, his eyes full of scrutiny: "What brings you here?"
Di Tian took a deep breath, his face solemn: "Our soul beast race has been oppressed by humans for far too long. In recent years, humans have continued to expand, encroaching on our living space and hunting our own kind. The soul beast race has reached a critical juncture of life and death."
He stared intently at Acnologia, his voice tinged with fervor: "Now, it's time to sound the horn of rebellion! I want to invite you to join us in overthrowing human rule and making dragons great again."
"You?"
Acnologia chuckled, his tone full of disdain, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.
"Of course it's not just me."
Di Tian remained unperturbed and continued, "The great being of the Dragon Clan has been resurrected! She possesses supreme power and wisdom, and I believe that under her leadership, the Soul Beast Clan will surely regain its dominance over this continent!"
He looked at Acnologia with anticipation in his eyes: "I cannot go into the specific details right now. But if you are willing to come with me, I can take you to see that great being right now and discuss the plan for revival with her."
Although Di Tian was delighted to see his fellow clansmen, he had lived for tens of thousands of years and was extremely meticulous.
Unless this fellow clansman is willing to accompany him to meet the Lord, he will never reveal a single word about the grand plan for the revival of the soul beasts.
Once he saw his lord, Di Tian believed that with the Silver Dragon King's "astounding wisdom," he would surely be able to subdue this powerful kinsman before him.
As for whether doing this is somewhat reckless?
Di Tian was not worried at all.
The Lord possesses seventy percent of the Silver Dragon's essence. Even if this fellow clansman harbors treacherous intentions, he will absolutely not escape the Lord's discerning eyes.
"The great beings of the dragon race?"
Acnologia raised an eyebrow, his face still bearing that disdainful expression. "Boring! I have my own ideas and will not submit to anyone!"
Di Tian shook his head, his tone tinged with helplessness: "I admit you are very strong, but you may not understand the current situation on the continent. Humans have completely become the masters of the continent, their influence is everywhere, and their powerful figures are as numerous as clouds."
"Take Shrek Academy, for example. In the human world, there are at least three other forces that are on par with them. Add to that the increasingly terrifying power of the soul-guided technology developed by humans, and the top-tier combat forces hidden in the shadows—"
Di Tian advised in a tone of someone who had been through it all: "You were able to escape unscathed this time entirely because the human side was negligent and lacked sufficient intelligence about you."
But next time, when they are prepared, it won't be so easy for you to escape from such a large group of powerful individuals.
However, Acnologia was completely unmoved by his words, interrupting him with a cold look in her eyes: "We already know the situation of the human world very well from the Twilight Hermits, and we don't need you to say anything more here."
"The Twilight Hermits' Society?"
Di Tian frowned even more deeply. He had never heard of this name before. Was it some unknown small organization?
But if it were a small organization, would this member of the same clan have made a point of mentioning it?
Acnologia noticed his confusion and added calmly, "It's an organization founded by a group of ambitious individuals hiding in the shadows, trying to interfere with the world's course. We joined it by chance."
He paused, his tone still calm: "This attack on that so-called Shrek Academy was also due to a message that was secretly passed to me by a member of that organization. They said that Shrek Academy's strongest fighter was out today and hoped that I would cause a ruckus and disrupt their plans."
"I didn't know the member's identity, nor did I understand why he did it, but he offered a reward that appealed to me, so I agreed."
It turned out to be the case.
Di Tian's eyes flashed, and most of his doubts were resolved. No wonder this fellow clansman would suddenly attack Shrek Academy.
He did not doubt the existence of this organization, because there were indeed quite a few secret organizations on the mainland.
Moreover, given Acnologia's strength, it's unlikely he would fabricate a nonexistent organization to fool him.
"As long as we are both dragons, this is all I can tell you."
Acnologia said no more, raised his right hand, and a wisp of dark soul power condensed at his fingertips. He gently touched the void and said, "Farewell."
As he moved, a deep spatial gate slowly formed in front of him, emitting faint spatial fluctuations.
"etc!"
Di Tian quickly spoke up, trying to persuade him to stay.
He still had too many questions he hadn't asked: Why did this black dragon suddenly appear?
Where had they been hiding all this time?
What are the specific details of the Twilight Hermit Society?
This information may be of great significance to the revival plan of the Soul Beast race.
The spatial gate slowly closed. Acnologia glanced back at Di Tian, the coldness in his eyes undisguised, his tone carrying an undeniable warning: "This ends here, my kin. We are ultimately not on the same side as you. If you continue this entanglement, I will also consider you my enemy!"
!!!
Di Tian's outstretched hand froze in mid-air.
He glanced instinctively in the direction of Shrek City, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes.
If he had been threatened like this ten thousand years ago, given his pride as a beast god, he would have certainly attacked without hesitation.
After all, he was the patriarch of the Black Dragon Clan. In terms of bloodline and strength, he did not believe he was weaker than his opponent.
Especially since Acnologia was also a black dragon, it further fueled his competitive spirit.
But time eventually wore down the beast god's sharp edges and crushed his pride.
The Soul Beast race is currently weak, and every strong member is crucial; they simply cannot afford internal strife. Moreover, the Lord's grand plan for revival requires secrecy, and their whereabouts must not be exposed here.
If a fight were to actually break out, and a battle at the quasi-god level were to erupt, it would inevitably alarm the Spirit Pagoda and the Shrek Academy.
If they were to detect the fluctuations in the Beast God Emperor's soul power, then we would be in big trouble!
"well----"
A long sigh echoed through the empty suburbs.
Di Tian finally stopped, watching helplessly as the spatial gate slowly closed, and Acnologia's figure completely disappeared into the void, leaving only faint spatial ripples and a mess on the ground.
Meanwhile, inside Shrek Academy.
A sacred song quietly rose up, lingering in the sky above Poseidon Island like heavenly music.
Countless palm-sized phantoms of angels of light were born from Yali's soul power. They waved their crystalline wings and held miniature golden scepters as they soared and darted among the ruins and the wounded.
The soft light that fell from the top of the scepter, like stardust, landed on the severely injured inner elders, slowly repairing their broken meridians and flesh, and dispelling the dark energy remaining in their bodies.
"Heal."
-
Ya Li gently placed her hand on the face of the unconscious Long Yeyue, and her gentle soul power emanated from her, healing the injuries on the other's face.
On an open space not far away, Yun Ming was standing with the Tang Clan members, solemnly exchanging information.
He had already put away his four-word battle armor, "Yun Nian Ya Li," but a faint divine pressure still lingered around him. His brows showed a trace of lingering fatigue, but more than that, they exuded composure and solemnity.
That's roughly how it happened.
Yun Ming's voice was deep and clear, reaching the ears of everyone present: "I was temporarily away handling some business today, and in just one hour, a terrifyingly powerful black dragon soul beast launched a surprise attack on Shrek Academy."
"This beast is extremely strange. It does not belong to any of the ferocious beasts recorded in the ancient books of Douluo Continent. It is an unknown existence that has never appeared before, and its strength has already reached the level of a quasi-god."
He looked at the amorous Douluo Zang Xin opposite him, his eyes filled with a solemn admonition: "Brother Zang Xin, I hope you will have the disciples of the Tang Sect pay close attention to any unusual movements in the near future, and be sure to be cautious."
"I have fought that black dragon head-on and could clearly feel its deep hostility towards humans. There may be other hidden reasons behind its attack on Shrek Academy."
Zang Xin, dressed in a blue robe, with a handsome face, now looked solemn: "Brother Yunming, rest assured, the Tang Sect and Shrek Academy are of one heart and mind, and our fates are intertwined. Now that your academy has suffered such a calamity, our Tang Sect will naturally not stand idly by. We will stand with you through thick and thin, and guard against risks from all sides together."
Thank you.
Yun Ming nodded slightly, feeling somewhat relieved. With the support of the Tang Sect, a steadfast ally, Shrek Academy's pressure might be somewhat alleviated.
"Waaah~"
As the two were talking, Long Yeyue's injuries were visibly healing as Ya Li's healing power continued to penetrate deeper.
Upon opening her eyes, Long Yeyue witnessed the tragic state of Shrek Academy.
Poseidon Island is devastated, the light emanating from the ancient golden tree has dimmed considerably, and the elders of the inner courtyard have suffered heavy losses.
Long Yeyue's heart sank, and an indescribable anger and heartache instantly swept over her.
She knew very well that Shrek Academy's high-end combat power had been depleted by nearly half in today's battle alone.
Leaving aside the deceased inner elders, it will take a considerable amount of time for these injured elders to fully recover.
This means that Shrek Academy will face a severe shortage of high-end combat power for a long time to come.
Meanwhile, various forces on the mainland have always been eyeing Shrek Academy covetously, and as the number one academy for millennia, it has made many enemies.
Now that their strength has been weakened, those dormant forces will certainly not let this opportunity pass, and various tests and provocations will be inevitable.
The thought of the potential crisis facing the academy, and of the elders who fought valiantly to protect it, made Long Yeyue's body tremble violently.
The trembling was not due to fear or pain, but rather stemmed from extreme anger and resentment.
"Sister Yue!"
"Elder Long!"
Yun Ming and Zang Xin noticed Long Yeyue's awakening immediately, and the two quickly stepped forward.
However, when they saw Long Yeyue's trembling body and the raging fury in her eyes, the two couldn't help but exchange a glance, a sense of worry rising in their hearts.
They knew Long Yeyue's temperament all too well.
The Light and Dark Douluo was arrogant and fiery throughout her life, and she was always the one who made others suffer. When had she ever suffered such a serious injury?
Given her personality, she would never wallow in self-pity; her current loss of composure must mean she was extremely angry.
Thinking of this, Yun Ming quickly comforted her, "Sister Yue, don't be angry. No one expected that a soul beast would be so audacious as to attack our Shrek Academy directly. This happened suddenly, it wasn't because we were negligent in our precautions, so you don't need to blame yourself too much—"
"Self-blame?"
Long Yeyue suddenly raised her head, interrupting Yun Ming's words.
She abruptly stood up, her body still somewhat weak, yet her spine remained straight. Her eyes flashed with an almost ferocious light, and her voice, filled with gritted teeth and hatred, roared, each word a sharp, veiled cry: "What am I to blame myself for? This was no accident! It was a conspiracy! A conspiracy by the Spirit Pagoda! I, Long Yeyue, will never forgive them!"
"what?"
Yun Ming and Zang Xin were stunned, their faces filled with astonishment and confusion, and they both looked at Long Yeyue.
Spirit Pagoda?
How could this be related to the Spirit Pagoda?
That black dragon was clearly an unknown soul beast, so how did it suddenly become part of the Spirit Pagoda's conspiracy?
The two looked at each other, their eyes filled with confusion.