"Humph!"
Pufferfish Douluo gave Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo a look of utter disappointment. How on earth did two fools like them ever become elders of Spirit Hall? He simply couldn't fathom it!
He stepped up the stairs onto the viewing platform and frowned, sizing Lin Yi up.
He looked like a completely ordinary kid. Ordinary looks, ordinary aura, ordinary clothes.
His eyes were devoid of light, and even exuded a hint of sorrow—the only thing that actually made him look like someone trying to end his own life. Pufferfish Douluo did not know what Flame Eagle Elder had been through; otherwise, his impression of Lin Yi might have changed slightly. But right now, he felt nothing but disdain and anger, especially after being egged on by those two idiots below.
"May I ask who Your Excellency is?" Lin Yi raised his head slightly and looked at Pufferfish Douluo.
Based on the feedback from his spiritual power probes, he could sense the vast soul power surging within this person. A Titled Douluo, beyond a doubt. His appearance looked somewhat familiar, though he couldn't recall his specific title at the moment. But he was definitely one of the elders of Spirit Hall.
It seemed another elder had arrived, though he wondered when the Supreme Elders would finally show up.
"You're not worthy to know who I am."
Pufferfish Douluo gave Lin Yi a cold look, then glanced around the viewing platform he had built.
"Someone important is coming to Spirit Hall tomorrow, and your platform is blocking the road. I'll give you two choices now: dismantle this platform yourself, or be killed by me."
"I choose the second option." Lin Yi answered with a calm expression.
Pufferfish Douluo nodded, casting another look at Lin Yi, feeling a sliver of admiration for his guts. It seemed this kid really was intent on seeking death.
"Very well, I'll grant your wish."
"Wait!" Lin Yi suddenly raised a hand.
Pufferfish Douluo frowned, a sneer of disdain curling the corner of his lips. "What's the matter? Regretting it now?"
Lin Yi shook his head and smacked his lips.
"I can tell you're desperately determined to get rid of me, but I suggest you use a soul skill you're actually confident in. I'm really quite hard to kill. Please."
Pufferfish Douluo froze. If the youth didn't have some sort of backing, he surely wouldn't dare utter such words.
Pufferfish Douluo looked back at Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo again. Both idiots nodded solemnly in his direction.
Fine, what harm was there in humorizing him? He could just use a slightly powerful attack to test whether the kid would drop any treasures, and then hurry back to report to Your Holiness the Pope. He couldn't afford to waste time here like those two morons and do something unreliable.
"Very well." Pufferfish Douluo nodded.
A smile finally broke across Lin Yi's face.
This smile made Pufferfish Douluo even more perplexed; he could sense that Lin Yi was genuinely happy. Wanting to die this badly? What a weirdo.
Pufferfish Douluo released his soul power. This time, the fluctuations were far more intense than anything Lin Yi had felt from him before. At the same time, the phantom of a massive red blood pig appeared behind Pufferfish Douluo, its body plump and radiating fighting spirit. The sharp spikes covering the blood pig were Pufferfish Douluo's most formidable weapon, each one incomparably hard and carrying lethal venom.
Red light flashed in Pufferfish Douluo's eyes, and his red hair stood on end like steel needles.
Then, around his body, his eighth black soul ring slowly rose, emitting a dark, gloomy light. The intense soul power shockwave forced every soul master back, save for Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo.
"Eighth Soul Skill: Bloodthirsty Pig Spear!"
Pufferfish Douluo raised his thick right arm, his fingers slightly curled. From the blood pig behind him, crimson spikes continuously flew out, condensing in his hand into a red spear radiating a murderous aura.
The red spear was about three meters long, suffused with a red, eerie light, and carried a thick, bloody stench mixed with the smell of venom. The long blood grooves on it were terrifyingly cruel—a single hit meant instant death!
Seeing the spirit released by Pufferfish Douluo, Lin Yi finally realized who he was. During the Battle of Jialing Pass, when facing Yang Wudi, Pufferfish Douluo hadn't even had the chance to release his eighth soul skill before he was heavily injured and ultimately died of his wounds.
To think that this eighth soul skill—never seen in either the anime or the novel—was going to be unleashed upon him now.
Perfect! Come on, I'm waiting!
Pufferfish Douluo stared at Lin Yi with his red eyes, the muscles in his arm bulging as he shifted the grip on the blood-red spear. The tip of the spear locked in on Lin Yi's heart.
"Prepare to die!" he roared, lunging forward with a full-force thrust!
"Clang!"
The tip of the red spear struck Lin Yi's chest, actually producing the sound of a tolling bell.
Immediately afterward, the incredible happened.
"Crack!"
The sharp tip of the spear shattered...
Yet the momentum of the spear drove Pufferfish Douluo forward! And thus followed the jaw-dropping spectacle that came next.
"Crack, crack, crack—"
The blood-red spear appeared to pierce into Lin Yi's chest, but in reality, it broke apart inch by inch, fragments flying in every direction, utterly failing to penetrate even a fraction of an inch into his flesh.
In the end, Pufferfish Douluo's right fist pressed directly against Lin Yi's chest.
He stood dumbfounded.
Because the entire spear had shattered completely...
After executing his soul skill, all that remained was a fist, with the fragments of the spear scattered all over the ground!
This—this—this was simply too absurd!
That was his Eighth Soul Skill he had just unleashed!
Pufferfish Douluo stepped back a few paces in disbelief.
Lin Yi looked at the data panel.
[Blood lost: 135,687]
[Remaining HP: 999,999,653,241]
[Damage Level: Black (Intermediate)]
[Random Reward: Trunk Spirit Bone (10,000 Years)]
[Host Reward: External Spirit Bone (100,000 Years)]
Pufferfish Douluo's eighth soul skill damage was slightly lower than he had expected, likely because he had just recently advanced to Titled Douluo and his spirit quality wasn't top-tier.
However, the dropped reward took Lin Yi by surprise.
His luck was pretty good; it turned out to be the most precious kind of spirit bone—a trunk spirit bone!
"Damage 135,687, classified as Black Intermediate damage."
Lin Yi turned his head to look at Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo. The two clowns were currently staring eagerly in this direction...
Lin Yi cleared his throat and continued, "Congratulations on setting the highest damage record so far. You are hereby awarded a Black Intermediate level reward."
"Damn, damn, damn!" Chrysanthemum Douluo jumped up in anxiety!
The record had been pushed all the way to 130,000; breaking it would be even harder now!
Pufferfish Douluo was still in shock over the fact that his eighth soul skill had achieved nothing at all. He wore a blank, bewildered expression in response to everything Lin Yi was saying.
"What black? What record? What 130,000? What reward?"
Lin Yi looked at him calmly. "The reward dropped by your attack."
Pufferfish Douluo swallowed hard. "What is it?"
Lin Yi flicked the black ball of light in his hand toward Pufferfish Douluo. As the orb floated through the air, it gradually transformed into a massive trunk spirit bone.
Pufferfish Douluo's eyes widened. Clutching the spirit bone, he collapsed backward onto the ground.
"A trunk spirit bone, ten thousand years. You're quite lucky; your very first spirit bone reward is a trunk spirit bone straight out of the gate."
Hearing this, Pufferfish Douluo trembled from head to toe. The spirit bone in his arms was searing hot, burning fiercely against his heart.
The entire venue fell into absolute silence, quiet enough to hear a pin drop.
Lin Yi scratched his ear. "Remind me, Your Excellency, who were you again?"
Pufferfish Douluo immediately clutched the spirit bone and knelt on the ground, terrified. "This humble one is Pufferfish Douluo!"
Lin Yi frowned and pointed at himself.
"Who am I?"
"You're my father!"