章 108: Assassination of a Lifetime (1)
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"Once again, how did he even convince all of us for this... method of suicide?" Xie Xan inquired. Aside from the few chittering noises of small insects, nothing else of note could be heard. As Xie Xan stated, this was quite possibly a suicide so even Olivia and Caihong were given a chance. They chose this chance to stay away from the monster that the small group planned to attack and flew off. This time for good, it seemed like.
"He said something about this day being the greatest achievement of our life..." Liu Erlong mumbled.
"And we all were sleepy and no way I would have let Ka-ul try to bark and bite against a Titled Douluo," Bibi Dong hissed.
"Yes, too sleepy," Hu Lana smiled wryly but she looked the most nervous of them all. Even Xie Xan looked quite tempered in just these short days of assassination. Ah Yin, as usual, stood in the center and her domain was already spread out. She was silent since the moment Ja Sun left to lure out Ground Devil. If previously everyone thought only this act would get him killed, when the group learned about his fourth and fifth spirit abilities, finally, they let out a breath of relief.
"He never did answer the cultivation of his fifth spirit ability, right?" Liu Erlong.
"No, I think he said it's above 50000 years," Hu Lana tilted her head.
"That's not an answer. I'm definitely older than 20 years old. This statement doesn't actually answer the question like— what is your age?" Bibi Dong crossed her arms, "But enough about this. When Ah Yin signals, Xan and Lana will move forward and hide. Since Ka-ul said he will hide you, then he will be able to achieve it. But Ah Yin, make sure to keep an eye out for them. Anything can happen. When Ground Devil falls into your Spirit Fusion Ability, all of us will strike at once... but only long-range attacks to stall time until I and Ka-ul can infect Ground Devil enough. Alright?"
Everyone nodded.
---
"Eeny, meeny, miney, moe," Ja Sun chimed. He hadn't left the courtyard yet. After all, their payment lasted till noon. Moving out before would be eating a loss and he needed a place to stay anyway.
"I can't believe Olivia and Caihong left... I hope they come back. What do you think?" Ja Sun looked to his side and matched the gaze of the most handsome man he had ever seen— himself.
To be specific, there were four clones of Ja Sun standing around him with a dazed expression. Clutching the Sigh of Immortal, Ja Sun exhaled deeply. Now, he finally realized the true value of this S-ranked artifact. This item simply made his fifth spirit ring unstoppable.
Fantasy Clone: The user spends the entirety of one's spirit energy to create a clone that can utilize any spirit ability except the fifth spirit ability. The clone can be controlled using the mental connection and last as long as they aren't deprived of their mental energy or the user wishes to expend all their energy into a single attack or wish to dissipate it. The clone is unable to absorb mental energy from the surroundings unless the user injects its own spirit energy.
Expending his entire spirit energy was of no issue to Ja Sun. After all, he had a massive battery known as Sigh of Immortal to quickly recover his spirit energy and that's what he did. He cheated his way into creating four clones. However, these clones only attacked or moved when he ordered them. Even with Ja Sun's perfect control, controlling four clones to attack variously, position, and abilities weren't as simple as a 'four plus four' situation but rather a geometric increase in difficulty. Not to mention the fact that if he tries to use his other techniques like Gentle Tactics, he would need to use his utmost concentration which will leave him with openings.
Of course, Ja Sun wasn't going to do that. These clones are expendable and they will be treated as such. Since he only had 5 spirit skills, and the fifth one couldn't be used, the clones could only use four of his skills and the best part was, these clones didn't release any spirit rings. So he didn't even need to control that aspect.
Also, aside from the Fiery Golden Pupils, the clones didn't copy the Vajra Gauntlets, spirit bones, or the Life-Death Spirit Cauldron in his world of consciousness. These items seemed exclusive to Ja Sun itself.
But...
A purple light flashed from Ja Sun's forehead. This was a purple-colored miniature Ja Sun that shot into one of the clones and instantly, Ja Sun could control one of the clones better than the others.
Without any hesitation, Ja Sun placed the Sigh of Immortal on the body of the clone with the Death Astral Combatant because this time, he was truly going for the break and he needed a suicide bomber that could muster every ounce of energy. It would be this clone. Even when he had four clones, Ja Sun didn't just want all of them to be cannon fodder. After all, these clones didn't let out an ounce of spirit energy go to waste because of his own realm of self. These clones could keep the spirit energy flowing without leaking in an unbreakable cycle.
With a thought, Ja Sun disguised the three clones that he can only control on instincts as random bounty hunters. Strong and ferocious looking. Meanwhile, the one controlled by the Death Astral Combatant was the same kind as the one who sneak attacked Ground Devil when he was focused on Ja Sun. This form of attack had already proved its effectiveness and to use these tactics again, Ja Sun needed to completely change the environment and his own and the opponent's pace.
"On three..."
Ja Sun smiled as the first to leave was none other than the one controlled by the Death Astral Combatant. He wasn't disguised but was covered completely and instead of making an escape to the city, he hid himself in some corner.
"3... 2..."
Ja Sun gulped.
"1!"
He and the three clones instantly used their second spirit rings. Ja Sun finally thought of disguising the spirit ring itself using his spirit bone ability and wrapped his black spirit ring in a purple halo.
As they shot out, with a massive gale, everything within the courtyard was ruined and the group shot out from a glass exit with a shattering sound that attracted attention instantly.
Their destination wasn't the exit of the city. But one general direction.
"Agghhhhoooooooooo!"
A long howl, angered and furious, shook the city. It did, physically and literally. The ground shook as a dense spirit energy suffocated the spirit energy and the four spears of light instantly swayed. While the three following Ja Sun instantly scampered onto the ground, Ja Sun flew high into the sky. Titled Douluo or not, Spirit Beast or not, just that howl, just that sense of oppression range all the alarms in Ja Sun's head, and an excited smile stretched onto his lips.
This was exciting.
Much more exciting than stabbing a Shark to death.
Many instantly fell unconscious. Almost everyone under the rank of 40 instantly collapsed without exception. And those higher than that weren't any better. Not even Ja Sun. After all, the overbearing pressure instantly tore through the control of his wings, and his muscles were forcefully contracted.
A direct confrontation against this opponent, most likely a Titled Douluo instantly shot Ja Sun into his most vulnerable situation but without an ounce of panic, he dispersed his lower pair of wings into multiple feathers, instantly dispersing a bit of pressure as his third 'purple' spirit ring sprung and the entire city bathed in piercing white light that countered the pressure. His voice filled with spirit energy, Ja Sun roared loudly. Almost howling like a beast as he challenged the source of oppression with an insult that the opponent had never faced even against his worst enemies.
"You better have your fill of dicks because I'm the last pounding you'll ever handle!"
Ja Sun shot into the sky like a waning silver moon. Without any hesitation, he activated his spirit beast transformation and the intensity of the Bright World only grew more before abruptly disappearing. Ja Sun felt his pieces leaving the city finally. All chips were in place while Ja Sun's mad insult echoed in the city.
---
"As the boy said, do you want your fill before leaving? I can come back later," Redstar smiled in amusement while Ground Devil silently jumped through the window.
*Crash*
His size, of course, wasn't enough to go through the window as he easily broke out of the surrounding wall with rubble falling on the street. Unfortunate souls unconscious under the fall of rubble almost lost their life but found their life in a thin strand of red mist that corroded the rubble into dust.
But Ground Devil didn't care. Like a golden meteor, just that instead of falling, he shot up with a golden-brown trail behind him. Even if called 'Ground' Devil, his speed in the air was something Ja Sun could only pray to match as he recreated the smaller pair of wings on his back and rocketed towards a single direction. Even taking the clouds as a cover, Ja Sun couldn't evade Ground Devil.
"Bastard! Get here!" Nine rings floated around the large individual. His once neat black hair now flowed as wildly as Ja Sun's silver hair. Ground Devil's unrestrained presence once again pressured the city and only a few individuals could even see the chase occurring above the cloud.
"Why? That eager for your destined pounding?" Ja Sun's body instantly brightened and Ground Devil scowled. His built momentum melted under the sharp light and his fifth spirit ring instantly revealed a deep black light in contrast and seven pillars of golden brown light formed around Ground Devil.
'Earth Prison!' He snorted and the pillars shot out with an even greater speed and momentum. Ground Devil couldn't lock onto Ja Sun but he could still see through the curtains of silver light. However, surprisingly, Ja Sun's limbs glimmered. In the cover of silver light, it was hard to even note this change and his first 'purple' spirit ring emerged quietly.
After turning a black spirit ring, his first skill: Silver Burst enhanced all of his limbs by 70%, and concentrating the effects on four of his wings, the comprehensible quality of his Silver Light Wings increased by 140% each! His speed grew by more than twice and Ja Sun instantly left Ground Devil in dust momentarily until the seven pillars caught up, surprising Ja Sun momentarily.
Without the effect of Bright World, Ja Sun once again felt Ground Devil's pressure.
'Got you!'
Ground Devil grinned ferociously. His eighth spirit ring revealed a glare of dark light that seemed to cover the barely passed city with a shadow and Ground Devil opened his mouth wide. Ja Sun, who had mental energy even more ferocious and unreasonable than Ground Devil saw it and instantly shouted, "Hey, you've done some practice! Almost nine of soft ones can fit in there!"
'Terror Howl!'
Ground Devil's eyes cracked with fury and he let out a golden speck of light from his mouth. This small speck instantly grew in size until it took the shape of an almost ten-meters high golden bear and charged at Ja Sun midair, closely following the seven pillars of light.
'Oh, my god,' Ja Sun scoffed, dispersing his lower wings to expel the rising pressure once again while his remaining two spirit wings were boosted by 280% each!
This only increased Ja Sun's speed while the other feathers sharply shot towards the seven pillars of light but even before he could cut off his connection, Ja Sun's feathers melted due to the sheer difference in spirit energy and he coughed a mouthful of blood with his ears buzzing. This was his first time feeling the spirit skill backlash but the pain was hardly worth mentioning.
'Alright... halfway there and already have two spirit skills almost up my ass,' he narrowed his eyes before charging into a large cloud and emerging almost instantly let out Bright World before emerging from the cloud. Due to Ground Devil's own fervor and Ja Sun's Bright World, Ground Devil failed to notice that when Ja Sun shot out of the cloud, the cloud itself wasn't affected. As if this particular Ja Sun was some form of a phantom.
"Get back here!" Ground Devil growled but 'Ja Sun' silently flew and this time, strangely, Ground Devil's spiritual pressure failed to affect Ja Sun's body which only startled the Titled Douluo and made him more fervent in his chase. If Ja Sun was on the ground, he would have already been caught and the only reason he is still able to extend the time of chase is because of Ground Devil's own lack of experience in flying, and well... the fact that he had mental superiority.
---
"That... was Ground Devil Douluo," Tang Xiao muttered.
"And who's that?" Tang Hao gulped.
"An elder of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan," Tang Xiao whispered while looking at the gradually disappearing trail of golden when the world a bit away from the city was brightened by a silver sun once again. Clearly, even Bright World had its limit.
"Yang Ren, take care of all the unconscious men. Hao, go bring up Dai Mu and Tang Yuehua. We will wait for two days as agreed and then we leave... I really hope Ka-ul lives even if crippled."
"He just insulted a Titled Douluo. That ship has long sailed," Tang Hao scowled and spat before turning around. He truly wanted Yuehua to grow as a spirit master but it would seem that the knowledge may never enter their hands until they make a solid deal with the Spirit Hall for necessary information.
'Strength... I want to be like them... like him. Insulting Titled Douluos here and there...' Tang Hao clenched his fists and realized that even as a Spirit Sage, he couldn't have done what Ja Sun did who had spirit energy much less than him.
---
'Man, my spirit energy is really the greatest of my vice,' Ja Sun silently floated in the cloud as he sent Ground Devil to a wild goose chase.
This is just the first phase of the plan and Ja Sun was tasked with the greatest burden not only because this was his idea entirely but also only because he could do this. Ja Sun happily follows Bibi Dong due to his aversion to additional responsibilities and burdens but his strength was high. Too high that even Bibi Dong was confident that with a bit of luck, Ja Sun might complete the first and the most taxing task: To exhaust Ground Devil Douluo. To make him as angry, rattled, and mentally, physically, and spiritually exhausted as possible.
Even Bibi Dong might have already lost her life. After all, Ja Sun could be considered the mix of Liu Erlong's explosiveness, Xie Xan's versatility, Hu Lana's illusive tactics, and Bibi Dong's poisonous and fatal strikes. The only one who he couldn't easily resemble was Ah Yin and her pure orthodox control tactics.
Maybe he could if he simply created an illusion of countless vines striking his opponents. Just like how he created his Illusion flying ahead and attracting Ground Devil's ire by simply 'ignoring' him. Poor Ground Devil didn't even realize that he was chasing an illusion for almost a few minutes, giving Ja Sun the necessary time needed to recover his spirit energy. After all, even if Final Buddha Array increased the quality of his spirit energy, the Myriad Step Refining Array's only objective is to quickly refine spirit energy. That's what Ja Sun did.
By now, a strange figure had already arrived near Ja Sun. This was one of his four clones. The one controlled by the Death Astral Combatant headed straight for the forest while the remaining three were hidden around on the ground behind various mounds, watching dazedly. Ja Sun only called one of them because it was time.
*Boom*
The pillars instantly struck 'Ja Sun' a few meters away from Ground Devil. The moment the seven pillars pierced Ja Sun's body, the golden bear-shaped charging attack struck the illusion and exploded. This all happened in the same instant and Ground Devil instantly realized that his eight spirit ability did not explode because of touching... this Illusion, a shadow, but his fifth spirit ability's pillar that pierced the formless Illusion.
His body instantly turned and on cue, the clone shot out from the cloud but four more Ja Suns followed behind before moving around each other and dispersing in five different directions.
Scowling, Ground Devil let out his mental energy but much to his surprise, he could barely see through any of them. But it was enough for him. Given that Ja Sun wasn't expending all his mental reserves to use the enhancement of his Fiery Golden Pupils, it wasn't strange that Ground Devil could find something serious.
With another burst of spirit energy, Ground Devil once again created seven pillars of light. Four pillars chased the most 'flimsy' of the figures because Ground Devil didn't want to take chances while the remaining three chased after the solid form.
But this time, 'Ja Sun' was more rash. He instantly activated his Bright World and actually shot towards the pillars of light before dispersing his wings into feathers to push himself through a bit more, dodging the collapse of the three pillars of light. Ja Sun wanted to exhaust Ground Devil and the only way to do it wasn't just by constantly running away. A Titled Douluo can fight for days against opponents below their level before running out of gas. So, Ja Sun had to mix it up. Attack, run, dodge, and annoy Ground Devil at the same time to make him use his stronger abilities more often.
"Huff!" Ground Devil saw his target disappearing in a purple mist before he could even reach him and instantly recalled the scene of the dark-skinned individual sneak attacking him.
'Clones and illusions...' Something clicked in Ground Devil's mind.
There is no Titled Douluo. But...
'His strength is frightening,' Ground Devil quivered but then this sense of caution itself ignited rage greater than before. At this moment, Ja Sun had retreated far away while two of his clones flew simultaneously in two opposite directions.
"For a Titled Douluo, you sure love children. When you eat little boys' legs, do you also like chewing on their third leg?"
Ja Sun cackled loudly. To be specific, his clone did. And instantly, Ground Devil felt a bit cold. Rage vanished, cold intent flickered and he droned out the entirety of insults as his nine spirit rings instantly collapsed into specks of light that merged into his fat body. Fur sprouted from the entirety of his physique. Golden fur. His smooth feet and hands grew and turned into golden claws with his face growing fierce.
'Oh... that's what's going on, huh,' Ja Sun snickered internally while watching everything from a close distance.
"You're dead, why hold back then?" Ground Devil whispered. His transformation wasn't a spirit master's beast transformation or spirit avatar.
The two clones after reaching adequate distance stopped and gazed at Ground Devil without any fighting intentions. High in the air, a triangular formation was already created with two ends of the triangle being two of Ja Sun's clones and the last one being Ground Devil.
Currently, Ground Devil's appearance matched the 'pests' gnawing away at the Star Luo Empire— Beasttaken. More specifically, a Beartaken.
With his dark eyes already flickering in gold, Ground Devil slowly descended on the barren ground that surrounds the Dragon Rising City.
"Do you even know why I am chasing you?"
Ground Devil whispered but his voice seemed to resonate with the surroundings. The two clones remained silent and Ground Devil gave a malevolent smile.
"It isn't only the Star Luo Palace that wants you dead. Someone—"
Before he could complete, Ground Devil frowned before scoffing. The information on who wanted him dead didn't interest Ja Sun, too much. After all, as long as he lives, that individual or organization may try again. What Ja Sun was curious about was the sudden pause.
Who could control a surely 100000-year-old Beartaken and even make him stop in his tracks?
***
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