Chapitre 200: [DD]: 200
After the previous incident, Canghui Academy had already been warned. Han Li thought he could get away with it, but it seemed like this time he wouldn't be so lucky either.
Han Li didn't intend to kill and steal Shi Nian's soul bone. To him, Shi Nian's head soul bone was good, but that was all. It wasn't something he was desperate for.
At most, maybe someday in the future, he might casually mention this information to others, allowing them to kill and loot for the equipment to gain favor, but he hadn't planned on taking action himself.
But now, even if he didn't act, someone else had their eyes on it.
That person in the black robe—Han Li didn't even need to guess. He knew it must be Tang Hao. No one else could have sensed that faint fluctuation just now.
It was clear that Shi Nian was in a bad mood.
Who wouldn't be upset when their trump card was defeated after being used just once?
Although he knew the follow-up would still have some effect, it definitely wouldn't be as glorious as securing consecutive victories.
Han Li felt a bit sorry for him. It was just the butterfly effect. After all, in the original story, Elephant Armored Academy had been eliminated early due to Salas' manipulations, while Canghui Academy had endured, only to turn into idiots after just one match.
In comparison, the current situation was already pretty good.
It was just unfortunate for Shi Nian, who hadn't targeted anyone this time. He had only trapped Yu Xiaogang in a nightmare, yet Tang Hao had seen through the soul bone skill and set his sights on him.
This was a soul bone, and not just any soul bone—a head soul bone, the most precious type, focused on spiritual power.
It wasn't just Tang Hao—if it had been Sword Douluo or Bone Douluo, they might have made the same choice.
Moreover, Shi Nian didn't have a good reputation. Even if he died, people would just think he had been killed in revenge, and the Canghui Academy didn't have the strength to avenge him.
So, the three of them followed each other—Han Li following Tang Hao, and Tang Hao following Shi Nian, with Shi Nian leading the way to a tavern.
As a teacher at a senior academy and a highly respected guest, Shi Nian was quite wealthy. Unlike Flender, who was always strapped for cash, Shi Nian had been mingling in the Heaven Dou Empire for years and was very familiar with Heaven Dou City.
After a series of twists and turns, Shi Nian arrived at a rather elegant pavilion. He flashed a token at the attendant at the door and was respectfully invited in.
At this point, Tang Hao found himself in a somewhat awkward situation.
Though he wasn't short on money, his lifestyle didn't involve carrying much cash. After searching his entire body, he found only two silver soul coins and 30 copper soul coins.
Looking at the pavilion in front of him, Tang Hao knew that the money he had wasn't enough to cover the cost.
Since he had come to track Shi Nian, he couldn't reveal his true face. Comforting himself with that thought, he found a corner to squat in and waited for Shi Nian to come out.
Not far behind him, Han Li witnessed the whole thing. He wanted to laugh but managed to hold it in.
However, unlike Tang Hao, Han Li had no intention of squatting in a corner. It was obvious that Shi Nian wasn't going to come out anytime soon, so Han Li figured it was better to find a place to rest.
Using his ability to block everyone's senses, Han Li walked straight into the pavilion without alerting anyone, found an empty room, and went inside.
Then, he took out some juice from his wristband and started drinking. He didn't drink alcohol, and while sipping, he kept an eye on Shi Nian. As long as Shi Nian stayed there, Tang Hao wouldn't run off.
To be fair, Shi Nian knew how to enjoy himself. In the next room, he was drinking wine, watching dancers, and soothing his mood. He was just short of saying, "Keep the music going, keep the dancing going," to fully release his emotions.
Han Li also benefited a little, getting a small taste of the local customs of the Douluo Continent. It was quite pleasant.
Shi Nian knew how to unwind—he stayed there until nightfall, even having dinner before finally leaving the pavilion. By then, his mood seemed to have improved.
As for Han Li, he was someone who had transcended lowly interests.
Well, to be honest, he was only interested at first. After half an hour, he had already lost interest in the song and dance. He had seen too much of this in his previous life, and it all felt a bit dull. He left a small part of his attention outside and sank into cultivation.
Before stepping out of the pavilion, Shi Nian used his soul power to dispel the effects of the alcohol.
As an unpopular Soul Sage, Shi Nian was always cautious. The fact that he had managed to eliminate all his enemies and remained active to this day had a lot to do with this habit.
Perhaps due to waiting for too long, or maybe because he was already irritable, Tang Hao—never known for his good temper—couldn't help but release a bit of killing intent when Shi Nian stepped out of the pavilion.
Shi Nian's footsteps paused for a moment, but then he continued moving forward. However, his state was no longer as clear as it had been before. His body started to sway slightly as if he were drunk.
Tang Hao didn't find this suspicious. After all, Shi Nian had been inside for nearly half a day, and given that they were in Heaven Dou City, where security was excellent, it wasn't unusual for him to be in this state.
As Shi Nian staggered forward, he began to think about whether he had offended anyone recently.
After a while, he shook his head. Honestly, he couldn't think of anyone. Most of the people he had grudges with had already been personally dealt with, and there shouldn't have been any lingering threats.
So, it must have had something to do with the Soul Master Tournament. After thinking for a long time, Shi Nian could only come to this conclusion. It was probably related to his Seven-in-One Fusion Skill.
With that thought, Shi Nian changed his path away from the academy's base and headed outside the city.
Because of Tang Hao's earlier unusual behavior, and since Shi Nian was a spiritual-type soul master, he had been observing Tang Hao for a while and realized that when it came to tracking, Tang Hao was a complete amateur.
This person had been following him without using any spiritual power, nor was there any fluctuation of soul power. Instead, they were simply using the cover of the crowd to trail him. It was only because he was skilled at masking his gaze that Shi Nian hadn't noticed earlier.
It was most likely a spy from some faction, or perhaps someone who overestimated their abilities. Otherwise, they wouldn't just be tailing him.
A cold glint flashed in Shi Nian's eyes. He never considered the possibility that the person following him might be stronger.
He was a Soul Sage, and on the entire continent, that made him a like god. Most people stronger than him were high-ranking members of factions—none of whom would bother with something as trivial as tailing.
"If you like following me, then keep following," Shi Nian thought viciously. He wanted to see just who dared to target him. With that, a trace of malice rose in his heart, and he quickened his pace toward the outskirts of the city.
Behind him, Tang Hao also noticed that Shi Nian had sped up.
"Has he realized?"
Tang Hao wondered. But seeing the direction he was heading, Tang Hao smirked coldly to himself.
"Heading out of the city? That suits me just fine."
With an unspoken understanding between them, the two left the city, one following the other, heading toward the wilderness.
Above them, Han Li silently followed as well.
Once outside the city, Shi Nian suddenly accelerated, darting into a small forest by the roadside. All traces of his drunkenness vanished.
Tang Hao wasn't surprised. From the moment Shi Nian changed course and sped up, he had already guessed that Shi Nian had been faking it. Although he didn't know when Shi Nian had discovered him, it didn't matter.
If Shi Nian were an agility-type soul master, Tang Hao might have been worried about catching up. But unfortunately for Shi Nian, he wasn't.
So, when Shi Nian decisively entered the small forest, Tang Hao didn't rush. He maintained his pace and continued to follow leisurely.
This was his prey. There was no escape!
Inside the grove, Shi Nian had already hidden himself, eyes fixed on the entrance. His expression was somewhat sinister and cruel.
He had gone drinking in the first place because he was in a foul mood. He hadn't expected someone to tail him, and the little peace of mind he had regained was now disrupted again. But that was fine—he could vent his frustrations on this person.
Tang Hao, though he looked down on Shi Nian and didn't believe Shi Nian could harm him, knew that the world of soul masters was full of strange martial souls and soul skills. Shi Nian was among the best in that regard.
Before entering the grove, Tang Hao activated a full range of defenses. Then, using his spiritual power, he quickly located Shi Nian, who was hiding behind a tree, ready to attack.
"Found you!"
Almost simultaneously, both Tang Hao and Shi Nian had similar thoughts, and a smile appeared on each of their faces.
"Brutal Dream."
From behind the tree, the words rang out softly in Shi Nian's mind, and his head began to glow faintly as he decisively activated his soul bone skill in perfect sync with his martial soul.
A lion uses its full strength even when hunting a rabbit. That was Shi Nian's philosophy.
Although he enjoyed watching others die in agony and liked to show off when his enemies were about to die, this didn't mean he was careless.
Whenever he made a move, he gave it his all. Only when his opponent was utterly helpless would he reveal himself. These two things didn't conflict.
Tang Hao, of course, noticed Shi Nian's actions. However, he didn't try to dodge. This type of attack wasn't something one could avoid even if he wanted to.
A spiritual attack, huh? It's quite similar to the one Canghui Academy displayed, Tang Hao thought, but he wasn't concerned.
After all, he had a soul bone from the Clear Sky Sect's inheritance. Of course, he also had a head soul bone. It wasn't part of the official inheritance sequence, but it was still top-tier. Otherwise, how do you think he had blocked Qian Xunji's Angelic Roar back in the day?
However, neither of them noticed that a faint trace of red spiritual power had quietly mixed in with Shi Nian's attack when Brutal Dream was activated, shooting toward Tang Hao.
Buzz
Tang Hao's body froze in place. His mental defenses had been breached, and his expression became dazed as he fell into the illusion of Brutal Dream.
Seeing Tang Hao's reaction, Shi Nian smiled and stepped out from behind the tree.
"Too bad I can't see what this guy is thinking. But I'll find out who sent him."
While maintaining the Brutal Dream illusion, Shi Nian walked toward Tang Hao. As long as his opponent hadn't broken free from the illusion, he could attack him in the real world if he wanted to.
But right now, he was more interested in finding out which faction Tang Hao belonged to. This was important for how he would handle things during the Soul Master Tournament and his time in Heaven Dou City. If Tang Hao was from a small faction, he wouldn't hesitate to exact revenge.
Shi Nian reached Tang Hao, unceremoniously pulling back the hood that concealed his face. But when he saw the face beneath, he couldn't help but take a few steps back in shock.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone