Chapter 224: Shadow of the Evil God
"This is…"
When black air began to seep from Dai Yuheng's body, the terrifying aura sent a chill down Duke Baihu's spine—even though he was an eight-ring Soul Douluo. A sudden dread rose within him, a dread that clawed at memories buried deep in the annals of their bloodline.
In that moment, Dai Hao remembered a truth he had long ignored.
The Evil-Eyed White Tiger—once the symbol of power and terror—had been the foundation upon which the Dai Clan built the Xingluo Empire over ten thousand years ago. Fused from the raw might of the White Tiger and the intimidation of the Evil Eye, it had stood at the peak of martial spirits during a time when true power was still scarce.
Especially after Dai Mubai became a god, the prestige of the Evil-Eyed White Tiger even outshone the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.
But time changed everything.
With the rise of the Sun Moon Empire and the advent of powerful new martial spirits, the Evil-Eyed White Tiger was gradually unmasked. Beneath its fearsome name, it was revealed to be little more than an ordinary White Tiger Spirit enhanced by a strange ocular condition. When tested in battle, its power could not match the Star Crown Martial Spirit.
And so, dethroned and humiliated, the Dai Clan lost its royal status—its legacy fading like a dying ember.
Still, one mystery persisted: though rare, White Tiger spirits could mutate—and one such evolution was the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger.
Unlike the Evil-Eyed White Tiger, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger was truly a terrifying martial spirit, one whispered to carry the trace will of an Evil God. Such spirits offered immense power—but at a cost. Possession. Madness. Annihilation.
"Dark Demon Evil God Tiger?"
Dai Hao muttered in horror as he stared at the sinister black mist coiling around his son's body. If this truly was the beginning of a transformation, then Dai Yuheng's future was uncertain—brimming with both potential and peril.
A top-tier martial spirit was a double-edged sword.
Teeth clenched, Dai Hao made a decision. He couldn't take the risk. After spirit possession, he raised his palm and prepared to cripple Dai Yuheng, removing this unstable threat before it bloomed fully.
He had other sons. Others who bore the White Tiger Spirit. The Duchess was dead, but he could always take more concubines and produce more heirs. At his age, it wasn't too late.
But just as his White Tiger Destruction Kill struck forward, a barrier erupted before Dai Yuheng—blocking the fatal blow effortlessly.
Startled, Dai Hao's eyes widened as he saw a new soul ring emerge from Dai Yuheng's body. In addition to his original six—two yellow, two purple, and two black—a seventh ring appeared: blood-red, like a 100,000-year soul ring, but radiating a strange and unnatural aura. This was no ordinary soul ring; its energy echoed with something ancient and malevolent.
"Father, what are you doing?"
Dai Yuheng's voice was cold, void of filial warmth. Once, he had admired Duke Baihu. That admiration died when he returned from defeat and learned the truth—that the man who lectured him about controlling desire had indulged in every carnal excess.
After his loss to Xiao Qiang, his father turned his back on him, ignoring his existence. His mother, by contrast, had stayed by his side, aged prematurely, and fought to restore his dignity.
And now, she was dead. Her soul torn away.
"Yaoheng, you actually resisted the Evil God's will… Incredible! You are truly my son!" Dai Hao exclaimed, joy flickering in his eyes.
Like so many of Tang Jia San Shao's archetypal fathers, Dai Hao shared the same pattern—great power, high status, but utterly absent in responsibility. They offered no guidance, no warmth, yet always reaped the rewards in the end.
Tang Hao had let a toddler take care of him, showed no concern when Tang San awoke his spirit or faced execution by Spirit Hall. But once Tang San revealed his twin spirits, Tang Hao embraced him proudly. In the end, he ascended to the God Realm, basking in glory he hadn't earned.
The father of Long Haochen in Shen Yin Wang Zuo was much the same.
Dai Hao? He was the worst of them all. Cold, selfish, and shameless—he abandoned his children when they fell, only to come crawling back when they rose.
Dai Yuheng saw through it now.
"It's not a victory. I've only delayed being controlled by him," Dai Yuheng said darkly. "But you—how could you let them treat my mother like that?"
His gaze cut through his father like a knife. In two years of suffering, his mother's devotion had been unshaken. Meanwhile, Dai Hao had acted as if neither of them mattered.
Feeling the scorn in Dai Yuheng's eyes, Duke Baihu sighed and muttered, "I am a father, too."
…
Far away, under the serene light of the Yin-Yang Ice and Fire Eyes, Xiao Qiang frowned as he examined his spirit energy.
"A hundred-thousand-year soul ring can only raise one level of spirit power. Extreme Ice is really too slow at boosting power," he muttered.
He couldn't help comparing himself to Tang San of Douluo Dalu, who had soared from level 80 to 83 after absorbing a hundred-thousand-year soul ring.
"Still, seventeen years old and already level 81—your speed is more than fast enough. Even Tang San couldn't match that," came a voice of reason within him.
"True," Xiao Qiang conceded as he looked down at the pool. Beneath the mystical waters of the Yin-Yang Ice and Fire Eyes, dragon souls and bones slumbered. With his luck, perhaps even a dragon pill awaited.
A new chapter had begun. One of vengeance, divine secrets, and a bloodline once disgraced—but now darkly reborn.