DD Black White [427-428] (Patreon)

Chapter 427: Fish in the Jar

"Marshal, we can't go on like this!"

Xuanji Douluo rushed to Dai Hao's side, his expression solemn.

"Their tracking soul tools are too powerful. We can't shake them at all. It even looks like they're deliberately herding us away. It's like they're trying to lead us to a specific place."

Did Dai Hao not see it?

Of course he did. He had long realized that the army of soul engineers chasing them from behind wasn't attacking at full force. Instead, it was a cold, methodical hunt, constantly grinding down their physical stamina and soul power, compressing their space to maneuver.

"I know."

Dai Hao gritted his teeth and smashed apart a boulder that had just rolled over from the side, blown here by a soul tool cannon.

"But we have no choice. Before night falls, we have to cross the First Sky Line and enter deeper into Star Luo territory. Otherwise…"

He didn't finish, but everyone understood the outcome.

Once, they had nearly been encircled by this well-equipped legion of soul engineers. If that happened again in these mountains and ruins, they would be nothing but lambs waiting to be slaughtered.

Yet the Sun Moon Empire clearly had no intention of giving them that chance.

All of a sudden, dozens of points of light flared to life without warning on both sides of the low hills ahead—soul tools charging up.

"Ambush, be careful!"

Dai Hao's pupils shrank abruptly as he shouted a stern warning.

But it was already too late.

Dozens of thick beams of energy didn't shoot at their ranks, but instead blasted straight toward the narrow exit of the mountain path in front of the team.

"Boom—!!"

With a violent explosion, the exit was completely blown apart. Massive rocks and earth mixed together and came crashing down, instantly sealing off their only way out.

"It's over…"

Someone in the group whispered in despair. Panic began to spread.

At the same time, the soul engineer army that had been trailing behind them suddenly accelerated, surging forward from three directions like a black tide.

No longer concealing themselves, they advanced in a neat formation. Cold metal armor, and countless soul tool muzzles all pointed this way, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression.

The legion slowly parted, and a massive soul tool command vehicle emerged from among them. It was like a beautiful moving fortress.

Inside the vehicle, a woman in military uniform, her face expressionless—Ju Zi—looked down indifferently at the remnants of the Star Luo army.

"Duke White Tiger, we finally meet."

Her voice, amplified by a soul tool, echoed clearly over the battlefield. It was utterly calm, without the slightest ripple, as if she were simply narrating some unrelated fact.

"The Mingdou Mountain Range is already the territory of my Sun Moon Empire. Tell me, how long can you defeated generals last?"

Dai Hao took a deep breath, pushed aside his men, and looked up at Ju Zi.

Even in such a desperate situation, he still maintained the pride of an imperial duke.

"You're the commander of this army? I didn't expect it to be a woman. And such a woman… really not one to frown even as kings rise and fallen generals turn to bandits."

He said nothing more, but the implication was clear: he knew she would never let Duke White Tiger surrender without a fight. That was only wishful thinking.

"Stubborn."

Ju Zi shook her head slightly and lowered her gaze onto Dai Hao's embarrassed yet resolute face.

So this is him.

This was the man whose very name had once shrouded her childhood in nightmares, the root cause of her family's destruction.

For revenge, she had plunged headlong into the struggle for power, wearing the tiger's skin to climb step by step to her current position.

And now, the enemy stood before her, trapped in total despair. His life and death rested in the palm of her hand.

Why then…?

Why did she not feel the pleasure of revenge in her heart?

A vague, inexplicable emptiness quietly spread through her chest.

Was it because she had grown up? Because she had seen a wider world? Or because she had been soaked too long in the quagmire of power, until her heart had gone numb?

Of course, she knew it had been Dai Hao who led the Star Luo army into Sun Moon territory back then. The war had dragged in her father, a simple cook who was conscripted and ultimately died on the battlefield. Her mother's depression had stemmed from that as well.

Yet if she thought about it calmly, both empires were at war for their own rulers. As the Star Luo commander, it was only natural for Dai Hao to attack the enemy. The ones who had truly allowed their citizens to be sent to the front and die were the corrupt and incompetent royal family of the Sun Moon Empire, who had failed to guard the border.

She had pinned all her hatred on Dai Hao—this was, in a sense… misdirected anger.

Perhaps, all these years, she had used this seemingly unshakable hatred to support herself, to justify every choice she had made.

The hatred existed, yes. The sight of her parents' deaths still tore at her heart. But that hatred was no longer as pure and blazing as it once was. It had become entangled with too many other things, blurred and faint.

These thoughts flashed through her mind like lightning, leaving no trace on her indifferent face.

She merely raised her hand slightly and issued an emotionless command.

"In that case… send the Duke a proper warhorse. All forces, attack."

The instant the order was given, heaven and earth seemed to change color.

Hundreds of soul cannons roared at once. Beams of flame, icy rays, and explosive clusters of energy surged forth like a tidal wave of destruction, pouring down on the encircled remnants of Star Luo.

At the same time, newly-developed floating gun platforms, hidden within the legion, rose into the air. They emitted a special field that interfered with the flow of soul power. There were also high-level restraining soul tools, designed specifically to shackle top-tier experts—blasting out chains of energy to limit the movements of Dai Hao and Xuanji Douluo.

"White Tiger Legion, fight to the death!"

Dai Hao threw his head back and roared skyward. His seventh soul ring abruptly flared—White Tiger True Body.

He transformed into a colossal ferocious tiger, eyes bloody-red. With a furious leap, he charged straight toward the direction where the soul cannon barrage was fiercest, trying to carve out a path of survival for his subordinates.

Xuanji Douluo also roared. His martial soul, the Xuanji Umbrella, blossomed in midair, turning into a massive barrier as he desperately withstood the attacks from the flank.

The soldiers of the First Soul Division all had bloodshot eyes. Every kind of soul skill erupted outward like molten gold, colliding with the soul tool beams. Explosion after explosion of rampant energy blossomed across the battlefield.

This was an unequal slaughter.

In terrain, numbers, and equipment, the soul engineer army possessed absolute superiority. Each display of soul skills from the Star Luo side meant their soul masters were burning through their remaining soul power—or dying in the flames.

By contrast, the firing of the soul engineer army seemed almost inexhaustible.

Soul masters turned to ash in the violent blasts. Some soldiers were pierced by beams and collapsed where they stood. Blood dyed the scorched earth, and severed limbs flew in all directions.

To protect a few young soul masters, Xuanji Douluo took a grade-9 soul cannon beam through the shoulder as it punched through his barrier. His entire left arm vanished in an instant. He merely snorted through his nose, his face pale as paper, and continued to prop up the crumbling defense.

Dai Hao, in his White Tiger True Body, took even more blows. New wounds appeared one after another, his white fur matted with blood and scorch marks.

He fought with desperate bravery, tearing apart several soul-tool mechas that tried to get close. But under the dense bombardment, the area in which he could move grew smaller and smaller.

Ju Zi watched it all indifferently, watching the enemy who had ruined her family struggle in despair, watching his soldiers fall one after another.

"Execute the final plan."

Through a soul tool communicator, she issued orders to a special operations unit lurking in the shadows.

A moment later, a faint, almost imperceptible beam of light shot out from far away, yet its penetrating power was terrifying. It locked directly onto Duke White Tiger Dai Hao and the severely injured Xuanji Douluo.

It was a fatal strike launched by a grade-9 soul engineer.

"Duke, be careful!"

Xuanji Douluo, with the sharp perception of a Titled Douluo, sensed the danger instantly. He abruptly shoved Dai Hao aside and, at the same time, used the last of his soul power to raise the Xuanji Umbrella one final time.

"Bang—!!"

The thin beam of light pierced the umbrella's defense and bored straight through his chest.

"Uncle Xuanji!"

Dai Hao's eyes nearly split. Xuanji Douluo's body stiffened. He looked down at the charred hole in his chest, then looked at Dai Hao. His lips moved, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, no sound came out. His body slowly toppled backward, and his breath faded rapidly.

"Commander!"

The remnants of the First Soul Division let out a collective roar of grief and rage.

Tears filled Dai Hao's tiger eyes. He knew he could hesitate no longer.

"Everyone, obey my orders!"

He roared, shaking the ground.

"Scatter! Break apart and run! Break through in all directions—go one by one. Return to Star Luo and report to His Majesty that Dai Hao… has failed the Emperor's grace!"

With that, he no longer paid any attention to the pursuers behind them, nor did he try to break out. Instead, he turned and charged straight into the core of the soul engineer army alone, choosing death as his destination.

He was using his own life as a decoy, to wrest one last thread of survival for his men.

The White Tiger Guards and the soldiers of the First Soul Division wanted to follow, eyes red with madness, but were forcibly flung back by Dai Hao's soul power.

"Go!!"

Watching the duke rushing toward death like a falling meteor, the remaining Star Luo soldiers let out unwilling sobs. In the end, with tears in their eyes, they seized the brief chaos Dai Hao had created and scattered like raindrops into the shattered mountains and forests, fleeing in all directions.

Ju Zi stared at the lone, charging Duke White Tiger. A flash of complicated emotion appeared in her eyes again, but it was quickly buried under a deep, icy coldness.

"Concentrate your fire."

Countless soul cannons swiveled in unison, their barrels locking onto that solitary, resolute white figure.

Just as the destructive energy, gathered by innumerable soul cannons, was about to swallow Duke White Tiger Dai Hao—

"Father!!"

A roar full of panic and determination rang out from the side and behind.

The next instant, a fierce, boundless aura surged skyward like wolf smoke. The sharp sound of someone cutting through the air at shocking speed sliced across the battlefield.

The first to arrive was Dai Hao's eldest son, Dai Yueheng.

He wore blood-stained White Tiger armor, eyes crimson. Clearly, he had just gone through a series of brutal battles. Behind him were powerful Titled Douluo of the Star Luo Empire's army and a contingent of reinforcements who were equally exhausted, but whose morale burned high.

"Star Luo Empire's Xuanguang Douluo has arrived!"

"Lieyang Douluo is here!"

Two Titled Douluo struck at the same time. One swung his domain of radiant light, turning it into countless rotating shields that accurately blocked the barrage in front of Dai Hao. The other turned into a blazing sun, sweeping forth with tyrannical flaming soul power, blasting the vanguard of soul tool batteries into scrap.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The savage explosions were forcibly stopped before they could reach Dai Hao and even rebounded somewhat. The energy impact still left Dai Hao's qi and blood churning, forcing him back several steps—but it saved his life.

"Yueheng?!"

Seeing his son clearly as he rushed closer, Dai Hao's expression did not show joy. Instead, his face changed drastically, and he berated sharply:

"You little brat, who told you to come back?! Didn't I order you to immediately fall back to the rear, use the natural terrain to establish a second defensive line?! What do you mean by disobeying military orders?!"

Dai Yueheng rushed to his father's side, stubbornly standing in front of him. He spoke hurriedly:

"Father, if I hadn't come, you and the other brothers would all have died here today. The Empire has sent reinforcements. This is our last chance. I couldn't just stand by and watch you—"

"Confused! Letting softhearted sentiment direct your will like a woman's kindness!"

Dai Hao cut him off, his voice shaking with fury.

"You are a soldier. How can you abandon your duty for personal feelings?! This time you haven't just wasted all we've fought for so far, you've also dragged the Empire's last mobile force and reinforcements into the mire with you!"

As if to confirm Dai Hao's words, Ju Zi, sitting atop the command vehicle, did not show the slightest surprise in the face of this sudden change. Instead, she looked even calmer.

She lifted her hand gently, as though brushing away a speck of dust.

In the next instant, the battlefield shifted again.

In the shadows of the surrounding mountains—where there had seemed to be nothing before—the air rippled like water. A highly-equipped soul engineer group appeared silently like ghosts, exuding a dark, chilling aura. The emblems on their chests read: "Evil Sovereign Soul Engineer Legion," one of the Sun Moon Empire's guardian legions.

The moment they appeared, they seized every advantageous firing position. Cold muzzles locked onto the newly arrived Star Luo reinforcements.

At the same time, brilliant starlight suddenly flared in the sky.

An old man clad in a gorgeous robe of stars appeared high above. Nine soul rings sparkled with starlight around him, and his overwhelming pressure almost blanketed heaven and earth.

This was one of the Sun Moon Empire's Three Great Soul Masters—Starry Sky Douluo, Ye Yulin.

"Buzz—!!"

A scorching wave of air surged from the opposite direction, dyeing the sky a blazing red.

Another powerful soul engineer legion emerged, its banner embroidered with a phoenix reborn from ash—the Fire Phoenix Soul Engineer Legion.

In an instant, the reinforcements Dai Yueheng had brought, together with the original remnants of the White Tiger Army and the First Soul Division, were surrounded by three of the Sun Moon Empire's main forces. There was no longer any path of retreat.

Rather than improving, the situation had plunged into an even more hopeless ambush.

Seeing this, Dai Hao's face turned ashen. His last shred of wishful thinking was utterly shattered.

He gave a bitter smile, glancing around at the faces full of terror, resolve, or shock. Finally, his gaze rested on the profile of his son, Dai Yueheng—trying to be resolute, yet unable to hide the despair in his eyes.

"Do you see now, Yueheng…"

Dai Hao's voice was full of endless weariness and an undertone of grief.

"We… have long been like turtles in a jar, surrounded and intercepted on all sides. It's not that we didn't try our best—it's that they've been waiting all this time for you, the fresh troops, to plunge into the net… Their planning and patience are truly terrifying."

Dai Yueheng understood in that moment. His face instantly turned deathly pale.

He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms. Blood flowed between his fingers and dripped to the ground. He fully understood then what devastating consequences his anger and impulsiveness had brought.

…

Chapter 428: Total Annihilation

Dai Hao took a deep breath. It was as if he forced all his emotions back down, leaving only the final iron-blooded dignity of a soldier.

He clapped Dai Yueheng heavily on the shoulder and spoke in a low voice.

"We're too far in now—saying anything more is pointless. Since we're here… we fight."

He straightened his blood-stained back. His eyes were like torches as he swept his gaze over the surrounding enemies. His voice rang out across the battlefield like a tiger's roar.

"The White Tiger Duke's Mansion has never feared death or clung to life! Today, I, Dai Hao, together with my eldest son, Dai Yueheng, stand here. For the Star Luo Empire, we will spill our last drop of blood. All of you, follow me—fight to the death!"

"Fight to the death! Fight to the death! Fight to the death!"

The remaining Star Luo soldiers were infected by Dai Hao's resolve. They raised one final roar, and a tragic aura surged toward the sky.

Yet none of them—not even Ju Zi—knew that, not far from the battlefield, in the distorted shadows of space, a black-robed figure was quietly watching this scene.

It was Huo Yuhao.

Through spiritual detection, he clearly and vividly saw the scene of "fatherly love and filial piety" between Dai Hao and Dai Yueheng, saw them preparing to die shoulder to shoulder.

Dai Hao's courage and his determination to sacrifice his life for his country stirred a wordless pride in Huo Yuhao's heart—Look, this is the source of his bloodline, a man who dares defy the heavens, a fearless commander.

But at the same time, jealousy and rage, like poisonous snakes, crazily gnawed at his heart, nearly overwhelming his reason.

Why?

Why could Dai Yueheng stand openly at his father's side, fighting together, being scolded and protected?

Why had Dai Hao never cared about the safety of Huo Yuhao and his pitiful mother, letting them be bullied at home, until his mother finally sank into depression and died?

Everything he had now—just a fraction of it—had once been something he didn't even dare to hope for: this father-and-son bond, now paraded before his eyes in dazzling, mocking clarity.

The muscles on Huo Yuhao's face twitched uncontrollably. Beneath the black robe, his hands clenched so hard that his knuckles crackled.

Hidden in the shadows, his eyes were now full of boundless anger and pain, twisted by a tangle of near-distorted emotions.

He watched as Dai Hao desperately tried to protect Dai Yueheng and his men, and as Dai Yueheng in turn took risks to save his father… This moving tableau was, to him, the sharpest sarcasm and the cruelest punishment.

"How touching… What a great father and son bond…"

Huo Yuhao squeezed the words out between his teeth in a hoarse, low voice, like a storm on the verge of breaking.

He might once have hesitated. But at this moment, after witnessing all of this, the flames of "revenge" in his heart burned fiercer than ever.

He no longer wanted only to destroy Duke White Tiger's faith and career. He wanted this "great" father to taste a despair deeper and more painful than what his mother had suffered.

The death net the Sun Moon Empire had so carefully woven finally began to close mercilessly.

Under Ju Zi's command, the Evil Sovereign and Fire Phoenix Soul Engineer Legions coordinated perfectly with Starry Sky Douluo Ye Yulin's grade-9 soul tools to begin the final strangulation of the encircled Star Luo remnants.

High above, countless detection-type soul tools hovered like cold eyes, feeding every tiny movement and soul power fluctuation of the Star Luo forces directly back into Ju Zi's command network.

In the face of this technological superiority, which felt almost like a dimensionality-reduction attack, the famed military talent of Duke White Tiger Dai Hao suddenly seemed pale and powerless.

"Break through on the left wing. Xuanguang Douluo, I'm counting on you!"

Dai Hao was covered in blood. His White Tiger True Body had already collapsed, yet his roars still carried authority.

"Don't worry, Duke!"

Xuanguang Douluo bellowed. His Xuanguang Domain was unleashed to its limits, trying to punch a hole through the encirclement.

But what awaited them was the link-type soul tool formation the Evil Sovereign Soul Engineer Legion had long since set up.

Countless dark rays wove together into a net of death, shredding the Xuanguang Domain in an instant. At the same time, multiple grade-9 soul cannon beams struck from different angles. Xuanguang Douluo's protective soul power shattered like paper paste. This powerful Titled Douluo didn't even have time to scream before he turned to flying ash in the blinding light.

"Xuanguang!!"

Lieyang Douluo's eyes nearly burst from their sockets. Flames raged wildly across his body as he struggled to fight, but he was tightly bound by starlight chains cast by Starry Sky Douluo Ye Yulin. Meanwhile, the Fire Phoenix Legion's fiery bombards drowned him in a sea of explosions.

One after another, generals and noble powerhouses loyal to the White Tiger bloodline fell, like candles in the wind, under the crushing disparity in power and overwhelming advantage in technology.

They fought desperately, then retreated, then fought again, retreating for dozens of miles, leaving behind a trail of blood and corpses of Star Luo soldiers. Yet they still couldn't break through the iron-barrel encirclement.

"Father, be careful!"

Dai Yueheng shoved the exhausted Dai Hao aside, his own chest pierced by a sharp soul beam in his place.

The White Tiger armor on his body shattered like porcelain. Blood spurted forth like a fountain.

"Yueheng!!"

Dai Hao caught his son's soft, collapsing body. His tiger-like frame shook violently, his voice hoarse with desperation.

Blood spilled endlessly from Dai Yueheng's mouth. He stared at his father, eyes full of reluctance and attachment. Finally, his head lolled to the side, and his breath stopped.

Watching his son die in his arms, and seeing his generals fall one after another, Dai Hao's mind nearly collapsed.

He looked up at the sky and let out a beast-like howl of grief. One by one, his last guards fell beside him.

In the end, there was no one left by his side. Only him, standing alone in a mountain of corpses and sea of blood, surrounded by countless soul masters and the cold muzzles of the Sun Moon Empire's soul cannons.

The White Tiger phantom behind him finally dissipated, revealing his true body—covered in wounds and caked in blood.

He barely managed to hold up his broken battle knife and glanced around at the enemies' indifferent or mocking gazes.

After a miserable smile, firm resolve settled on Dai Hao's face.

He knew that if Duke White Tiger of the Star Luo Empire were captured alive, it would deal a devastating blow to the Empire's morale.

"Your Majesty… I have done all I can…"

He muttered in a low voice, then suddenly lifted the battle knife in his hand and, without hesitation, slashed it toward his own throat.

The sharp edge cut into his skin, and beads of blood seeped out.

On the high platform, Ju Zi watched calmly. Her heart was tranquil, even with a hint of relief.

She did not order anyone to stop him. Capturing him alive would indeed be better. Yet deep down, she still wanted to see the blood of this "enemy" who had entangled half her life spilled right here, to witness the end of that blurred childhood hatred.

But at that critical instant—

A strange black shadow that seemed to devour all light swept across the center of the battlefield at a speed beyond perception.

The next second, centered on Dai Hao, the space within a radius of several hundred meters suddenly twisted and distorted.

Every soul master and soldier within that area, even the mighty Starry Sky Douluo Ye Yulin, felt their vision blur. Their consciousness plunged into an endless dark abyss. Countless eerie whispers and illusions echoed in their ears.

They saw their deepest fears, what they desired most, their most painful memories… In that moment, the entire elite encirclement plunged into a collective spiritual illusion.

"Who is it?! What evil spirit dares throw my army into chaos?! Break it!!"

Ye Yulin was a top-tier expert. Less than three seconds after falling into the trance, he suddenly awoke with a roar. Starlight erupted from his entire body, and a violent shockwave of soul power blasted out like a storm, shattering the spiritual illusion around him.

With his roar, other soul engineers and soldiers began snapping out of the muddy confusion as well.

But in this one or two seconds of extreme chaos—

The Duke of White Tiger, Dai Hao, who had been about to commit suicide in the center of the encirclement, had vanished without a trace along with that strange black figure.

Only the half-embedded broken battle knife and a few not-yet-dried drops of blood remained on the ground.

"Where is he?!"

Ye Yulin was both shocked and furious. His formidable spiritual power swept across the battlefield like quicksilver, but he could no longer sense Dai Hao's presence.

Standing on the platform, Ju Zi's expression truly changed for the first time.

The killing game she had so carefully arranged had ultimately failed.

Who possessed such bizarre means that they could snatch someone away, right under the eyes of Starry Sky Douluo and two elite soul engineer legions?

All possible forces flashed through her mind.

The Star Luo royal clan?

Impossible.

Xu Jiawei and Xu Jiujiu had already reached a tacit understanding with Jing Hongchen: the White Tiger line and its branches were abandoned pieces on the board. They were hoping to borrow the Sun Moon Empire's hand to get rid of Dai Hao; there was no way they would send someone to rescue him.

The Heavenly Soul Empire?

They could hardly protect themselves. They'd almost been wiped out on the Jadefield Plains. How could they spare any strength to cross the border and save a foreign duke?

The Dou Ling Empire?

Even less likely. They did not have any top-tier experts, much less anyone capable of such unpredictable methods.

"Who is it?!"

Ju Zi frowned, murmuring to herself.

Soon, however, a piece of top-secret information from Haiyuan City about the new leader of the Holy Spirit Cult surfaced in her mind.

"So it's… him."

Ju Zi immediately understood, but doubt in her eyes only deepened.

"According to our intel, doesn't he hate Dai Hao just as much? Why would he save him?"

She truly couldn't grasp Huo Yuhao's motives.

But in any case, the mission was not completely failed.

Ju Zi suppressed the distracting thoughts in her mind. Her voice turned cold again.

"The Evil Sovereign Soul Engineer Legion is to immediately begin a fan-shaped search. All high-altitude detection-type soul tools to full power. Search for any suspicious spiritual fluctuations or energy traces. Bring him back alive if possible, or bring his corpse."

"Yes!"

As she watched the soul engineer legion move swiftly, Ju Zi felt a surge of exhausted excitement.

She turned around and gestured to the Fire Phoenix Soul Engineer Legion.

"Let's go."

Revenge… had she gotten it?

Although Dai Hao's life and death were still uncertain, the foundation of the White Tiger bloodline had been severed. Dai Yueheng had fallen in battle, and the forces loyal to him had been almost completely eradicated.

The nightmare that had once weighed her down seemed to have finally vanished.

Yet, for some reason, there was none of the relief she had imagined would come after revenge. There was only endless fatigue and… emptiness.

She boarded the vehicle without once looking back at the blood-soaked, scorched earth.

It seemed that the war that belonged to her was over.

…

Consciousness struggled free from endless darkness and chaos, like a drowning man finally breaking through the surface of the water.

Dai Hao suddenly opened his eyes, breathing heavily. The last memories on the battlefield flashed repeatedly in his mind like a nightmare—blood-soaked earth, the desperate roars of his men, Xuanji Douluo's shattered umbrella, Lieyang Douluo's burning flames… and, most of all, the moment when Dai Yueheng shoved him away, his own chest lit by a beam of light, the burning sensation of blood splashing across Dai Hao's face, and his son's last reluctant, affectionate gaze.

"Yueheng…!!"

He growled in pain, hand flying unconsciously to his neck. There, he could only feel a shallow, dried smear of blood.

His memories stopped at him slashing his own throat—and then that ghost-like black figure approaching, followed by bizarre illusions and twisted space.

Who was it?

Who saved me?

He suddenly rolled over and sat up, scanning his surroundings warily.

He was on a desolate hillside. The gloomy sky hung low and heavy, and the air was thick with the scent of soil and grass.

His gaze was immediately drawn to a figure not far away.

A black-robed person stood with their back to him, quietly facing a lonely grave.

A grave…

Dai Hao's pupils shrank. It felt as though an invisible hand had clamped down on his heart.

How could he not recognize it?

It was the grave he had built many years ago—for the woman he had loved and failed, Huo Yun'er—filled with endless guilt and sorrow.

Why had he been brought here?!

Huge confusion and a faint premonition surged in his chest.

"Who are you?"

Dai Hao forced his battered body to stand. His voice was hoarse, laced with vigilance.

"Why did you save me? Why bring me here?"

The black-robed figure slowly turned around.

Under the hood, his face was obscured, but Dai Hao could feel a cold, razor-sharp gaze boring into him.

Without answering, the man lifted his hand and gently pushed back the hood. A pale hand also rose, holding a simple-style dagger that glinted with a cold, white light.

The moment he saw the dagger clearly, Dai Hao felt as if struck by lightning. His expression changed dramatically.

"The White Tiger Dagger?!"

He cried out. This was the symbol of the White Tiger Duke's bloodline. He could never mistake it.

"That's… why is that in your hand?!"

But the instant the words left his mouth, he froze. A terrifying thought crashed through his mind like a bolt of lightning.

He jerked his head toward the solitary grave, then back to the black-robed man's vaguely familiar face. At last, he connected it to a memory: a student from Shrek Academy, Huo Yuhao, and that Spirit Eye martial soul.

He clearly remembered that Huo Yun'er's martial soul was Spirit Eyes.

At the start of the tournament, he had been shocked when he first saw Huo Yuhao's Spirit Eyes. Later, when Huo Yuhao revealed his second martial soul, the Ultimate Ice, he had dismissed it as coincidence and forcefully suppressed that ridiculous guess.

Now…