Douluo: When the piano sounds, the hidden weapon returns to the factory

Just as the six figures clashed fiercely in the night sky, their soul skills exploding in a deafening roar, Qian Renxue's golden eyes narrowed, and she was about to remove her disguise and reveal her true form to join the battle. But Feng Yao suddenly raised his hand, his slender fingers gently pressing on her fragrant shoulder.

"Don't rush." ​​His voice was soft, but carried an undeniable firmness. "A hasty move will only distract the two seniors from protecting you."

Qian Renxue turned her head and saw Feng Yao's eyes gleaming calmly in the moonlight. His fingertips lightly caressed the strings of the Fuxi Qin, and he whispered, "Our mission is to find the weakness in the Haotian Formation." The music transformed into invisible ripples, silently probing the battle situation. "The Trinity formation is powerful, but there must be gaps to be found."

In the distance, Dugu Bo's poisonous mist clashed fiercely with the golden light of the Haotian Hammer, while Feng Yao's gaze, like that of a hawk, locked onto every movement of the three elders.

Qian Renxue nodded slightly. She had restrained herself from making a move earlier precisely because she understood this principle well. In the hearts of She Long and Ci Xue, her safety was always more important than the success or failure of the mission—if she rashly joined the battle, the two elders would inevitably be distracted by protecting her, which might inadvertently expose a weakness.

"boom--"

Amidst deafening explosions, six figures clashed fiercely under the night sky. Blinding bursts of soul power erupted one after another, illuminating the entire front courtyard of the palace as if it were daytime. As the battle intensified, the six Title Douluos simultaneously activated their Martial Soul True Forms:

Dugu Bo transformed into a hundred-meter-long azure serpent king, its poisonous mist obscuring the sky and sun;

The serpent spear in She Long's hand suddenly swelled, transforming into a ferocious giant python;
Blood surged around Ci Xue, coalescing into a giant porcupine.

The martial spirit true forms of the three Haotian Sect elders were even more astonishing—three Haotian hammers as large as mountains stretched across the sky, and each swing caused the space to tremble!

Qian Renxue and Feng Yao stood at the edge of the battlefield, their robes fluttering wildly in the raging hurricane of soul power. Their eyes were sharp as they watched every subtle change in the battle, searching for that fleeting opportunity to win.

Feng Yao stared at the battlefield, a flash of understanding in his eyes. Some things still apply in this world where Soul Masters are revered. The difference between humans and animals lies in whether or not they know how to use tools, and the strength of Soul Masters is naturally affected by this.

The situation on the field is already clear:
With the advantage of his serpent spear, She Long was able to barely parry the blows. Each collision between the spear and the Haotian Hammer produced dazzling sparks.

Dugu Bo and Ci Xue were completely on the defensive, and could only rely on ranged soul skills such as poison mist and blood waves to maneuver. Every dodge was fraught with danger.

"If this continues..." Feng Yao frowned, sighing inwardly. Faced with the Haotian Sect's exquisite combined attack formation, their three members were fighting individually, and defeat was imminent. The three elders' coordination was flawless; every strike contained a hidden follow-up, while their side could only struggle to keep up. The rate at which their soul power was being depleted was also vastly different.

Just as the battle reached a stalemate, an invisible wave suddenly spread out from Feng Yao's body. In an instant, the space within a hundred meters seemed to be muted—falling leaves froze in mid-air, the surging aftershocks of soul power remained still, and even the howling night wind seemed to freeze.

The three elders of the Haotian Sect were simultaneously shocked and turned their gazes toward Feng Yao.

"A domain?!" The Fifth Elder exclaimed in surprise, his expression turning solemn as he frowned slightly. The Sixth and Seventh Elders exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes—this was clearly the power of a domain, a power that even many Title Douluos had failed to master!

The three Haotian Sect elders did not feel any obvious suppression and continued to unleash their soul power to attack Dugu Bo and his companions. However, when their Haotian Hammers missed their targets one after another, they realized something was wrong—their opponents' dodging movements had suddenly become fluid and graceful, as if they could predict their every attack!
In the perception of Dugu Bo and his companions, a wondrous change occurred on the battlefield: the whistling of the Haotian Hammer cutting through the air, the footsteps of the elders, and even the subtle rustling of clothing were all clearly audible. Enhanced by Feng Yao's domain, these sounds transformed into precise battle predictions.

"Something's wrong!" The Fifth Elder suddenly realized that he couldn't hear the slightest sound of air being cut when he swung the Clear Sky Hammer. The Sixth and Seventh Elders were also horrified to discover that the sound of the hammer's wind, which they relied on to judge the trajectory of their attacks, had vanished!

This realm had quietly stripped them of their most relied-upon combat senses! The three elders were shaken to their core, experiencing for the first time in battle the fear of losing control. Meanwhile, Dugu Bo and his companions grew stronger with each battle, their counterattacks targeting the weaknesses in their techniques.

Despite the overwhelming soul power of the three Title Douluos, Feng Yao's domain, though unable to completely imprison their movements, maintained its unique sonic interference effect without diminishing. Within its domain, the transmission of sound was entirely under his control, creating a bizarre "silent battlefield."

"The three seniors, please hold out for now while I find an opportunity to break the formation." Feng Yao's voice, transmitted through the power of his domain, clearly reached the ears of Dugu Bo and the other two, but went completely unnoticed by the Haotian Sect elders.

Dugu Bo's emerald green snake eyes flickered slightly, and She Long and Ci Xue nodded almost imperceptibly in acknowledgment. The three immediately changed tactics, abandoning direct confrontation and instead using hit-and-run tactics to restrain their opponent and buy time for Feng Yao.

Feng Yao sat cross-legged, with the Fuxi Qin (a type of zither) placed horizontally in front of him. His slender fingers gently stroked the strings, yet no sound was made—all the sound waves transformed into invisible ripples within his domain, silently probing every flow of soul power within the Haotian Formation.

On the distant palace wall, a leaf drifted slowly down, but the moment it touched the area, it mysteriously froze in mid-air.

The Seventh Elder's expression changed drastically. He urgently opened his mouth to call out to the Fifth and Sixth Elders, only to find to his horror that his two elder brothers did not respond to his words at all! In this strange realm, even the sound of lips opening and closing was completely erased.

He tried using soul power, a technique commonly used by Soul Saints, to transmit sound, but the sound waves vanished without a trace once they left his body, like a mud ox sinking into the sea. As for the more advanced spiritual power transmission? At their level, the three of them were far from breaking through level ninety-five.

Cold sweat beaded on the Fifth Elder's forehead. He saw his Seventh Brother's lips move but couldn't make a sound; this eerie experience sent chills down even through a seasoned warrior like himself. The Sixth Elder tried to send a message using the sound of the hammer whistling through the air, but discovered in despair that—in this domain, even the booming sound of the Clear Sky Hammer had vanished without a trace!
The three were like people trapped in transparent amber, seemingly close yet separated by an invisible chasm. This unprecedented sense of isolation threw the Haotian Elders, who usually relied on their combined attacks, into disarray. Meanwhile, Dugu Bo and his companions moved with ease, their every move, in absolute silence, targeting the weaknesses in the Haotian Elders' coordination.

The Seventh Elder's eyes flashed with a fierce light as he stared intently at Feng Yao, who was playing the zither in the distance. The veins on his hand, gripping the Haotian Hammer, bulged, but he dared not rashly break the formation—in this eerie, silent domain, if the three of them separated, the advantage of the combined attack formation would vanish.

The situation on the field has reached a strange stalemate:

The three elders of the Haotian Sect formed a triangular formation back to back, their soul light flickering on their bodies, yet they hesitated to launch an attack.

Dugu Bo and the other two tacitly distanced themselves, taking the opportunity to calm the surging soul power within their bodies.

Feng Yao's fingertips danced lightly across the strings, the musical rules within his domain shifting with his will. Qian Renxue noticed that the breathing rhythms of the three Haotian Elders began to become erratic—in this absolutely silent environment, the fear of not even being able to hear their own heartbeats was gradually eroding their fighting spirit.

A fallen leaf drifted down onto the open ground between the two sides without making a sound. This eerie silence was more suffocating than any deadly attack.

Feng Yao's voice, like an invisible ripple, clearly reached the ears of the three elders in the silent realm: "It would be a wise choice for the three of you to withdraw now."

Upon hearing this, the Seventh Elder flew into a rage, flames flashing on his Haotian Hammer as he glared angrily at Feng Yao. The Fifth and Sixth Elders, however, had uncertain expressions, their cloudy eyes shifting slightly—they knew perfectly well that in this strange domain, the advantage of their combined attack formation had vanished.

The Fifth Elder glanced at Xue Beng, who was being protected within the formation, and saw that the Fourth Prince was already ashen-faced and his legs were trembling uncontrollably. Was such a prince really worthy of their Haotian Sect's support?

A night breeze swept by, swirling up a few withered leaves. In this suffocating silence, for the first time, the two elders of Haotian began to waver in their resolve regarding this mission.

Seeing the three remain silent, Feng Yao closed his eyes slightly, and his vast spiritual power spread out like a tide, carefully sensing the trajectory of soul power flow in every part of the Haotian Formation. The strings of the Fuxi Qin moved without wind, creating invisible ripples within the domain.

Just as the three Haotian Elders attempted to communicate with their eyes and gestures, a sharp glint flashed in She Long's eyes: "Now!"

Dugu Bo's Azure Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Poison Mist erupted first, its blood-prickling streak turning into a crimson rainbow aimed directly at the Sixth Elder, while She Long's serpent spear flashed like lightning, piercing straight at the Seventh Elder's throat! The attacks of the three Title Douluos erupted in silence, without the slightest warning or the sound of air being torn apart.

The Fifth Elder hastily raised his hammer to block, only to see Feng Yao suddenly pluck a string on his zither—"Zheng!" A visible sonic ripple struck precisely the weakest point of the Haotian Formation. The three elders were horrified to discover that the soul power connection they had painstakingly maintained had momentarily faltered under this attack!
Under Feng Yao's meticulous perception of spiritual power, the mysteries of the Haotian Formation gradually became clear—the Haotian Hammers of the three elders were mutually attracted, forming a subtle resonance of soul power. Whenever one of them swung the hammer with all their might, the inertia of the other two's recovery would, through a special soul power bond, add extra power to the third person's hammer strike, just like the gravitational interaction between celestial bodies in the universe.

Even more ingenious is that the Seventh Elder's Martial Soul Clone ability gives this formation wings—the clone's Clear Sky Hammer can also participate in this energy transfer, greatly increasing the formation's maximum power. Feng Yao can even "see" those invisible threads of soul power weaving a precise energy network between the four Clear Sky Hammers.

"I see." A look of understanding flashed in Feng Yao's eyes. This method of using leverage is similar to the "using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds" principle in Tai Chi. He lightly stroked the strings of the zither, beginning to selectively interfere with the most critical nodes of soul power connection.

Qian Renxue noticed that as Feng Yao's zither music changed, the coordination of the three elders began to show subtle sluggishness—like a grain of sand suddenly mixed into a precision machine. Dugu Bo and the other two immediately seized the opportunity, their attacks becoming increasingly fierce. The Seventh Elder's clone tried several times to fill in, but the invisible sound waves preemptively interrupted the transmission of soul power.

Feng Yao suddenly understood—the brilliance of the Haotian Formation lay in its construction of a precise soul power resonance system. Disciples participating in the formation didn't need to directly attack; they only needed to release the Haotian Hammer at a specific location and infuse it with soul power. This allowed them to transmit the power to the attacker through martial soul resonance. This explained why Tang Xiao was able to fight the three elders of the Spirit Hall alone using this formation. "I see," Feng Yao thought to himself. "When the Haotian Hammer feels weightless under the enhancement of this formation, the user's soul power consumption, physical burden, and attack speed all experience a qualitative leap." He couldn't help but recall a similar combined sword formation from the Wind Sword Sect—unfortunately, limited by the quality of the martial soul and the disciples' cultivation levels, it never truly shone in the original work.

With fingertips lightly caressing the strings, Feng Yao began to selectively interfere with those key nodes of soul power. Each pluck precisely interrupted a forming energy transmission. Qian Renxue noticed that the three elders' attacks began to show an unnatural sluggishness, like a precision machine suddenly jammed with a grain of sand.

"Found it!" A glint flashed in Feng Yao's eyes, and he suddenly plucked out a series of rapid notes. The sound waves pierced the weakest point of the formation like sharp arrows—the soul power link between the Seventh Elder's clone and his main body!
"Three seniors," Feng Yao's voice precisely reached Dugu Bo and the other two through his domain, "Concentrate your firepower on that elder who can create clones! Even if you can't severely injure him, you must exhaust his soul power—once his clone ability fails, the formation's power will be greatly reduced!"

Before the words were even finished, Dugu Bo's Azure Phosphorous Serpent King Poison, She Long's Serpent Spear Cold Light, and Ci Xue's Blood-Red Raging Waves all changed direction at the same time, attacking the Seventh Elder like a storm!
The three elders of the Haotian Sect were shocked, realizing the situation was dire. The Seventh Elder's expression changed drastically—his previously effortless defensive rhythm was suddenly disrupted, and the pressure on him increased sharply. He appeared to be struggling to defend himself against the combined attacks of the three.

"It was that brat's trick!" The Seventh Elder gritted his teeth and glared at Feng Yao, only to see the latter calmly playing the zither, a confident smile playing on his lips. Each tremor of the zither precisely disrupted the connection between his clone and his main body's soul power. Most terrifyingly, in this eerie, silent domain, they couldn't even utter a sound to warn their companion!

At that very moment, eight dazzling soul rings flowed around Feng Yao like a galaxy falling from the sky—yellow, yellow, purple, black, black, black, black, and the moment the last blood-red ring appeared, the air in the entire domain trembled!
"A 100,000-year soul ring?!" The pupils of the three Haotian Elders suddenly contracted, and for the first time, a look of horror appeared on their faces. The Haotian Hammers in their hands trembled involuntarily, an instinctive shudder when their martial souls faced absolute suppression.

"Seventh Soul Skill - Martial Soul True Body!" Feng Yao shouted, and a phantom a hundred feet tall appeared behind him. The ancient patterns on the zither flowed with a primordial aura, and with each string plucked by the enormous phantom, the soul rings around Feng Yao lit up.

In an instant, one to four spirit rings lit up simultaneously. Feng Yao's slender fingers pressed on the strings, his eyes gleaming with an all-knowing light—the method to break the formation was already firmly in his grasp!
"It's been a long time since I've exerted myself so fully," Feng Yao thought to himself, his fingertips lightly brushing across the strings. "I wonder if I can play the Burial Song of a Title Douluo today?"

As his fingers plucked the strings, Fuxi's true form emitted a deafening roar. The music, which began as a gentle stream, instantly transformed into a monstrous wave! Terrifying fluctuations of soul power surged within the domain, even causing space itself to distort and tremble.

The three Haotian elders' expressions changed drastically, and a strong sense of alarm rose in their hearts. Each note of the zither seemed to strike directly into the depths of their souls.

Dugu Bo and the other two were also startled by the terrifying fluctuations in soul power, their hearts pounding wildly. The poisonous mist of the Azure Phosphorous Serpent King unconsciously subsided a bit, and She Long and Ci Xue even took a half step back in subconsciousness.

"That little bastard." Dugu Bo's snake eyes narrowed sharply, and he cursed inwardly, "Could he be planning to deal with me too?" He glanced at the distance between himself and Feng Yao and began to consider whether he should move further away first.

She Long's spear trembled slightly, and sweat beaded on his forehead as he pierced the blood—only then did they realize that the always smiling young man actually possessed such terrifying strength!

Dugu Bo and the other two retreated in perfect unison. They knew Feng Yao's methods all too well—at times like these, the farther away the better!
Seizing this fleeting opportunity, the three elders of the Haotian Sect gleamed with intense light in their eyes. With a simultaneous roar, they hurled their Haotian Hammers with all their might!
"boom--"

Three giant hammers, imbued with terrifying soul power, slammed into Feng Yao, while the three elders, propelled by the recoil, were sent flying like meteors, vanishing into the night in the blink of an eye. Only three massive breaches remained in the palace wall, and a stunned avalanche stood frozen in disbelief.

"Bang!" The three Haotian Hammers slammed heavily onto the ground, shaking the entire palace. After the dust settled, Xue Beng stood alone, his face ashen. He stared in the direction where the three elders had disappeared, his legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground.

Feng Yao watched the Haotian Sect elders flee into the distance, a slight smile playing on his lips, as the surging soul power around him receded like a tide. "The casting time is still too long," he muttered to himself.

With the combat experience of a Title Douluo, why would he stand there dumbly and wait for his opponent to unleash such a powerful move unless absolutely necessary?

"Loading bar? What loading bar?" Qian Renxue blinked her bright golden eyes, looking confused.

Feng Yao smiled gently and shook his head: "It's nothing." He reached out to brush the fallen leaves from her shoulder. "The important thing is, we won this time, Xue'er."

Qian Renxue gazed in the direction where the Haotian Sect elders had departed, a hint of resentment flashing in her golden eyes: "It's a pity I couldn't keep them here forever." Her fingers unconsciously clenched her sleeves.

Feng Yao gently shook his head, the moonlight casting a soft silver glow on his gentle features: "Xue'er, this is the best outcome for now. If we were to truly kill the Haotian Sect elders, it would only force them to come out in full force. At that point, your plan would still fail."

“But they now know about the connection between the Empire and the Spirit Hall,” Qian Renxue said, her red lips pressed into a tight line.

Feng Yao chuckled upon hearing this, lightly tapping her palm with his fingertip: "After you ascend the throne, you can simply declare that the cooperation with the Spirit Hall is merely a temporary measure." A sly glint flashed in his eyes, "It's a perfect opportunity to give that old fox Ning Fengzhi a warning."

Qian Renxue's delicate brows furrowed slightly: "What if they insist on not believing me?"

Feng Yao chuckled softly, his fingertip lightly touching her brow: "They have no choice but to believe it." He gazed in the direction the Clear Sky Sect members had departed, his voice growing deeper, "Even if the Empire is truly connected to the Spirit Hall, the Clear Sky Sect would never dare to easily antagonize the entire Heaven Dou Empire—that is precisely why they decisively retreated today."

A morning breeze ruffled the stray hairs on his forehead, revealing his insightful eyes: "The affairs of the world are never simply black and white. No matter how powerful the Haotian Sect is, it must weigh the pros and cons."

Before Feng Yao could finish speaking, She Long, carrying the ashen-faced Xue Beng, tossed him like trash at Qian Renxue's feet. As for the Soul Saint who had sworn to protect Xue Beng to the death, he had already been pierced through the heart by the Serpent Spear and lay in a pool of blood.

"Second Brother," Xue Beng trembled, forcing a fawning smile that was more like a grimace. "I was wrong, it was all that old bastard Xue Xing's fault! He said you had a problem, and he was right! He was the one who ordered it!"

Qian Renxue looked down at her groveling younger brother, a playful smile curving her lips. "Oh? You want to trade your life for your uncle?" She slowly adjusted her cuffs. "That's a clever idea, after all, I always have to give my uncle some face."

Upon hearing this, Xue Beng felt as if he had been granted a pardon and nodded repeatedly like a lapdog. But then Qian Renxue suddenly changed the subject, her voice as cold as ice: "Then do you think... with these seniors here, that old man would dare to point fingers at me?"

Xue Beng's face turned deathly pale, and the hope in his eyes turned to despair. "Xue Qinghe!" he suddenly roared hysterically, "You colluded with the Spirit Hall and betrayed the empire's foundation! You will die a horrible death!"

Qian Renxue didn't even bother to lift her eyelids, and simply waved her hand lightly at She Long.

"puff--"

A flash of cold light from the spear pierced Xue Ao's throat in an instant. Blood splattered onto the white marble steps, resembling a bewitching spider lily. This cunning fourth prince, with his eyes wide with resentment, finally collapsed slowly in the very game he had orchestrated.

Dugu Bo looked at the avalanche's corpse, a complex emotion flashing in his aged eyes. He stepped forward, cupped his hands towards Qian Renxue, and said, "Girl, death is the end. For the sake of my help today, could you please spare that old bastard Xue Xing?" He stroked the poison pouch at his waist, his voice low, "If he hadn't saved me from Ju and Gui back then, I wouldn't have the chance to stand here and help you today."

Qian Renxue's expression turned solemn, and she nodded earnestly: "Senior, you flatter me. I am deeply grateful for your help this time, and I will certainly grant this request."

Dugu Bo nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Feng Yao: "Alright, that kid is dead. Those old fogies from the Haotian Sect probably won't come back to die." He turned to leave, then stopped. "Yan Yan will be out of seclusion soon. Go visit her when you have time."

Before he could finish speaking, the dark green figure had already transformed into a streak of light and disappeared into the morning mist, giving Feng Yao no chance to reply.

Qian Renxue gazed in the direction Dugu Bo had left, a hint of admiration flickering in her golden eyes: "Senior Dugu is indeed a man of deep affection and loyalty."

Feng Yao chuckled upon hearing this, a sly glint in his eyes: "Xue'er, you should be thanking me."

Qian Renxue's body shimmered with golden light as she reverted to her true form. She gave a soft snort, a hint of reproach appearing on her exquisite face: "Oh? Should I thank you for giving me another little sister?"

Upon hearing this, She Long and Ci Xue, who were standing nearby, immediately and discreetly disappeared into the shadows, afraid of being drawn into this "family matter."

Feng Yao raised an eyebrow, smiling as he put his arm around her shoulder: "If Yan Yan weren't so important to you, senior, you would be facing four Title Douluos today." He paused deliberately.

The rising sun fully emerged above the horizon, bathing the embracing couple in a warm golden glow. Qian Renxue feigned annoyance, glaring at him, but ultimately couldn't suppress a smile. In the distance, on the palace walls, several early-rising larks chirped merrily, as if witnessing this rare moment of tenderness after the thrilling night battle. (End of Chapter)