Douluo: Starting with an Engagement to Zhu Zhuqing

Chapter 181: The Great Elder

In the White Tiger Mountain Range, the largest and most imposing peak was the forbidden zone of the Dai family, and no one was allowed to approach. Here, isolated from the rest of the world, lived the only Titled Douluo of the Star Luo royal family, revered as the Flame Tiger Douluo and known as the Great Elder.

The mountain was connected to four slender peaks covered in dense, verdant forest on one side. On the other, however, it bordered a treacherous cliff. Jagged rocks lined the cliff face, weathered by years of wind and rain into a deep indigo hue. Small, hardy trees clung to life in the harsh landscape, adding a touch of green to the unforgiving stone.

In a hidden cave carved into this sheer cliff, an ominous energy pulsed from within. The few birds brave enough to venture close would flee in terror, leaving droppings in their wake, as if sensing the terrifying presence inside.

The Fifth Elder and his companions arrived at the cave's entrance, exchanging tense glances, each reading the same concern in the others' eyes.

"Let's go," said the Second Elder, stepping forward and leading the way into the cave, the others following closely behind.

After walking several hundred steps, the Second Elder suddenly stopped. The other elders stiffened, knowing they had reached their destination.

They looked up at a massive stone door, its surface engraved with intricate symbols that shimmered faintly. This door was no ordinary stone—it was reinforced with legendary Coldsteel, nearly indestructible and immovable, except by a Contra-level spirit master skilled in strength-based attacks.

Taking a deep breath, the Second Elder reached into his soul tool and pulled out a badge marked with the family's white tiger crest—a symbol of his rank as an elder. He pressed the badge into a slot in the door, where it fit perfectly. The door's engravings began to glow, illuminating a fierce, spectral tiger head that seemed to glare menacingly at the assembled elders.

With his gaze lowered, the Second Elder spoke respectfully, "Please, Great Ancestor, grant us your audience."

After a moment, the stone door slowly opened, and a figure emerged from the shadows.

The man appeared ancient, with unruly white hair and a weathered face, his expression as timeless as the mountains. But despite his disheveled appearance, he exuded an undeniable dignity and power. His eyes seemed to pierce to the depths of the ocean and flash with the intensity of lightning, leaving the proud elders standing before him feeling as insignificant as children.

"What brings you here?" he asked, his voice calm, without a trace of irritation at being disturbed.

The Second and Fifth Elders exchanged a look, and the Fifth Elder stepped forward, determined to deliver the news without personal bias.

"Great Ancestor, a genius spirit master from the royal family has defected to Spirit Hall. Among his peers, he is unmatched in skill, and he has a high likelihood of becoming a Titled Douluo."

"The royal family?" the elder repeated softly, a trace of fatigue flashing in his eyes. However, the look passed quickly, leaving the other elders wondering if they had imagined it.

"Where did he flee?"

"Spirit Hall."

At the mention of Spirit Hall, the Great Elder turned his head, his eyes flashing with an intense, suffocating power that emanated without restraint. The Second Elder, catching a glimpse of this aura, asked in delight, "Great Ancestor, have you advanced beyond Level 95?!"

The Great Elder exhaled slowly, calming himself, and gestured for silence. Then he turned to the Fifth Elder and asked, "What kind of talent does he possess?"

The Fifth Elder responded, "Innate full spirit power, fifteen years old, already at the Spirit Elder level. His second ring is a thousand-year spirit ring, and his fourth ring... is a ten-thousand-year spirit ring."

The Great Elder paused, his expression grave. "A genius among geniuses indeed. To achieve Spirit Elder at such a young age, and with such a formidable spirit ring configuration—given time, he is destined to become an Ultimate Douluo."

The other elders gasped, stunned by his words. As members of the Dai family, they knew well what an Ultimate Douluo represented.

A being beyond peer, unrivaled in the world—a true powerhouse.

Though they trusted the Great Elder's wisdom, his words seemed inconceivable. Here they were, still struggling to reach their limits as Contras, far from even Titled Douluo status, let alone the peak of Titled Douluo.

The Great Elder's gaze swept over each of them, pausing on the scholarly Fourth Elder before finally returning to the Second Elder.

"I would like to hear your thoughts on how to handle this young Dai Yao," he said. "Second Elder, Fifth Elder, you may speak first."

The Second and Fifth Elders glanced at each other before the Second Elder took a step forward.

"Great Ancestor," he began, "as you said, that young defector could one day become an Ultimate Douluo. Based on what we know, he harbors deep resentment toward our family. In time, he may pose a grave threat to us."

"Therefore, we must take preventative action. It is crucial to eliminate him before he strengthens his ties to Spirit Hall. If we wait any longer, the chance to act will slip away."

The Fifth Elder, furious, shouted, "Second Brother, you're completely wrong! Dai Yao is young, unable to distinguish right from wrong, and was likely swayed by Spirit Hall. His actions were a foolish mistake, but they are understandable."

"We still have time to make amends. If we bring him back to the family and he sincerely repents, I'm sure the family can find it in their hearts to forgive him."

The Second Elder shot back, "Forgive him? Nonsense! He's a defector—his actions reveal he has no loyalty to our family. The ancestral laws are sacred and unchangeable. His very existence as a potential threat demands that we eliminate him at once."

Hearing the mention of loyalty, the Fifth Elder's anger flared as he remembered the agony in Dai Yao's voice during his escape from the battlefield. He thought bitterly, Loyalty? After everything he's endured, who could still speak of loyalty?

Seeing the escalation, the Third Elder interrupted. "Enough! Both of you. We will present this to the Great Elder for judgment."

The Second Elder retorted sharply, "Young and inexperienced? Is that supposed to excuse his crime? Betraying the empire deserves nothing less than death, and as a prince, he deserves even worse! If he felt any loyalty to the family, he wouldn't have defected in the first place!"

"All he faced were some minor hardships—a test from the family! But instead, he defected. Unforgivable!"

His words stirred varied reactions among the others. The Third Elder sighed slightly, while the Fourth Elder's expression remained cold and unmoved, his silence laced with disdain.

"You…" The Fifth Elder glared angrily at the Second Elder, ready to counter his words, but the Great Elder, who had been listening impassively, raised a hand to silence them.

"No more arguing. I understand both of your perspectives," he said calmly. "Second Elder, you want to eliminate Dai Yao before he grows any stronger. Fifth Elder, you want to give him a chance to return to the family. Third Elder, what do you think?"

The other elders turned to the Third Elder, eager to hear his opinion. The Third Elder, with his usual mild manner, chuckled softly.

"I think we should give him a chance. Let him know the family's stance—if he returns and admits his mistake, we can forgive him. But if he refuses, then we take action to eliminate him."

The Great Elder's expression remained unreadable as he shifted his gaze to the Fourth Elder.

"And what about you, Fourth Elder?"

All eyes were now on the Fourth Elder. The Second Elder looked on with disdain, the Third Elder shot him a brief side glance, and the Fifth Elder regarded him quietly. The Fourth Elder, with his scholarly appearance and cold, detached expression, returned the Great Elder's gaze without a trace of fear.

"I have no opinion."

For the first time, the Great Elder, whose face had been stoic until now, let out a faint sigh.

"Fourth Elder, you're still the same. Some things need to be let go. If you could move past that old wound, perhaps you'd finally break through your Spirit Douluo bottleneck and reach Titled Douluo."

"But I can't let it go."

The Great Elder glanced at each of the other elders, as if on the verge of saying something more to the Fourth Elder, but the words went unsaid.

"Great Elder, how should we handle Dai Yao? The decision is yours," the Second Elder said respectfully, still eyeing the Fourth Elder's inscrutable expression as if seeking some answer.

The Great Elder began pacing slowly, leading them toward the cave's entrance. The other four elders exchanged glances and followed in silence.

Looking out over the vast sea of clouds, the Great Elder's gaze turned contemplative. "I have heard all of your opinions. Second Elder, you are too rigid; Fifth Elder, too sentimental; and Third Elder, always walking the middle path, unwilling to offend anyone."

"These are not necessarily flaws. In fact, these traits are the very reason each of you has advanced to the Spirit Douluo level."

"But when it comes to Dai Yao," he continued, his tone hardening, "you are all nothing more than frogs at the bottom of a well!"

The anger in his voice was clear. Though the three other elders heard his criticism, none dared protest. The Second Elder, his tone respectful, asked, "Great Elder, please enlighten us. Where did we go wrong?"

Instead of answering directly, the Great Elder's expression grew solemn as he asked, "Who is our true enemy?"

The question was so simple that the three other elders hesitated, unsure. "The… Heaven Dou Empire?" they replied uncertainly.

For over a decade, conflict had simmered between the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires. Only the retreat of the Clear Sky Clan had brought a temporary calm to the continent. To many, the two empires naturally saw each other as their main adversaries.

The Great Elder's disappointment was evident as he turned to the silent Fourth Elder. "Fourth Elder, you answer."

The Fourth Elder straightened at the command, sensing the Great Elder's displeasure. "Our true enemy is Spirit Hall."

"Spirit Hall?" The other three elders exchanged bewildered looks.

"Why Spirit Hall? Isn't our enemy the Heaven Dou Empire?" they asked in confusion.

The Great Elder shook his head, his tone filled with exasperation. "You three have learned nothing over the years."

"The Douluo Continent is held in a tenuous balance, divided among the two empires and Spirit Hall. The empires control the civilian population and a small portion of the spirit master community, while Spirit Hall shares influence over spirit masters with the Seven Great Clans and other factions."

"Though spirit masters are powerful, their numbers are few, and most people see them merely as supplemental forces in war."

"But over ten years ago, when Spirit Hall forced the Clear Sky Clan to retreat, I began to understand the true terror of Spirit Hall's power. The so-called strongest clan vanished from public life almost overnight, all because Spirit Hall demanded it."

"The power balance among the clans and Spirit Hall is gone. Today, Spirit Hall dominates the spirit master world. There is no longer a fair division."

"At present, Spirit Hall stands on the verge of monopolizing the spirit master community," he continued.

The Second Elder still looked skeptical. "Great Elder, isn't that a bit of an exaggeration? Spirit Hall may be strong, but they're still few in number."

The Great Elder scoffed, his expression darkening. "What if they unite with the kingdoms and duchies?"

The elders went silent, each feeling a chill run down their spine.

If Spirit Hall joined forces with the smaller kingdoms and duchies, their combined conventional and spirit master forces would rival any empire. And should Spirit Hall succeed in eliminating the Seven Great Clans, the entire spirit master community would become loyal to Spirit Hall alone. Not only would this alliance bridge the gap in conventional strength, but it would grant Spirit Hall an overwhelming advantage over both empires.

In such a case, with Spirit Hall commanding both conventional and spirit master forces, they would become the strongest power in the land.

And if one of the empires were to weaken due to internal strife, leaving it vulnerable, Spirit Hall might even seize the opportunity to attempt a unification of the Douluo Continent.

If that happened, who could possibly stop them?

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