Douluo: Expelled From Shrek, I Awakened The Double Pupils! — Chapter 202

Chapter 202: Successful Contract, Four Spirit Abilities of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Spirit

Meanwhile, the ritual reached its climax. The swirling sphere of gray energy gradually contracted, condensing into a brilliant bead of light before sinking smoothly into the center of Liu Yuan’s forehead. The biting, oppressive cold that had previously dominated the clearing rapidly receded, replaced by a steady, rhythmic pulse of soul fluctuations that warmed the surrounding air.

A translucent figure materialized from the void. Electrolux hovered quietly, his ancient eyes sweeping over Liu Yuan’s seated form. A faint nod of approval graced the necromancer’s features before his ethereal body dissolved into motes of light, retreating back into the vast depths of Liu Yuan’s spiritual sea.

“It is over.”

Du Busi exhaled a long, heavy breath. The tension that had kept his muscles coiled tight finally unspooled. He closed the distance in a few wide strides, his sharp gaze sweeping up and down his disciple’s body to inspect for any hidden injuries. He had already witnessed Long Aotian successfully form a contract, but this was entirely different. Liu Yuan was binding a hundred-thousand-year soul beast. Even a seasoned powerhouse like the Body Sect Master had felt his heart pound against his ribs, unable to completely suppress his anxiety until the final outcome was set in stone.

“How do you feel?” Du Busi asked, his gruff voice carrying a rare trace of paternal concern.

Liu Yuan’s eyelids fluttered open. Within the depths of his deep purple Double Pupils, a fleeting, imperceptible shadow of gray darted across his irises before settling into absolute tranquility. He pushed himself off the frozen ground, a faint, confident smile playing at the corners of his lips as he casually brushed the frost and dust from his robes.

“The sensation is quite good,” Liu Yuan replied, his tone even and unhurried. “The integration was much smoother than I anticipated.”

With a mere shift of his thoughts, the air beside him rippled. A grayish-brown, translucent spiritual entity drifted out from his glabella, hovering steadily in the cold air.

This was the newly formed Soul Spirit of the Destruction Beast.

Stripped of its massive, intimidating physical form, it appeared almost delicate. Yet, its grayish-white eyes sparkled with a deep, human-like intelligence. The small beast floated gracefully around Liu Yuan’s neck, completing a slow orbit before coming to rest on his right shoulder. It nuzzled its illusory head affectionately against his cheek.

The creature radiated an aura of deep satisfaction. It possessed a clear understanding of its new reality. While it had sacrificed its mortal flesh, it had also completely escaped the looming, lethal threat of the heavenly lightning tribulation. Its current spiritual state was flawlessly stable, anchored by an incredibly deep, intrinsic compatibility with the human youth standing beside it.

Watching the harmonious interaction, Du Busi stroked his chin, a deeply gratified expression settling over his weathered features.

Long Aotian stepped forward from the periphery, his own Earth-Splitting Rhino Soul Spirit resting comfortably on his broad shoulder. He leaned in, his eyes gleaming with intense curiosity as he studied the small, grayish-brown entity. Even in its diminished state, the miniature beast exuded a chilling aura of absolute destruction.

“So this is the Destruction Beast in its Soul Spirit form,” Long Aotian remarked, reaching up to pat his own spectral companion. “It certainly carries a unique presence. Junior Brother, now that the contract is sealed, what kind of spirit abilities did a hundred-thousand-year entity grant you? My rhino provided me with three distinct skills. Considering the sheer age and tier of yours, it surely wouldn’t stop at just three, right?”

Liu Yuan turned to face him, a faint, playful smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Senior Brother, if I told you I received four, would you feel the heavens are being unfair?”

Long Aotian blinked, momentarily taken aback, before a booming laugh erupted from his chest. “With your monstrous talent, what is there to cry foul over? Let me see them. I am itching to witness exactly what kind of heaven-defying power a hundred-thousand-year Soul Spirit brings to the table.”

“Then I will have to trouble you, Senior Brother,” Liu Yuan said, giving a polite nod. “To accurately gauge the practical combat effectiveness of these new abilities, I need a sturdy target to test them against.”

Long Aotian raised a challenging eyebrow. He immediately widened his stance, his muscles coiling with latent power as he dropped into a defensive guard. “Bring it on. Let us see what you have.”

“We will start with the first spirit ability. Mental Suppression.”

Liu Yuan’s voice was a soft murmur. In response, the grayish-white eyes of the Destruction Beast perched on his shoulder flared with a piercing, spectral light.

Without a single sound or shift in the wind, Long Aotian felt an invisible, crushing weight crash down upon him. This pressure did not assault his flesh or bones; instead, it bypassed his physical defenses entirely, striking directly at his internal foundation.

He gasped softly. The dark gold soul power that normally roared through his meridians like a raging river suddenly felt like thick, freezing mud. The surging energy stagnated, its flow rate plummeting drastically. When he instinctively tried to cycle his power to mount a counterattack, a sickening sense of sluggishness dragged at his every intention.

“This is Mental Suppression?” Long Aotian grunted, forcefully clenching his fists. He could still move his limbs, but the severe delay in his internal power transmission left him feeling incredibly vulnerable. “It is not merely restricting the flow of my soul power. My very thoughts feel weighed down. My reaction speed has dropped by at least half a beat.”

Standing off to the side, Du Busi watched the exchange with hawkish eyes. He gave a slow, approving nod. “An excellent tactical skill. While the sheer suppressive force might not instantly cripple an opponent of the same rank, deploying this at the exact moment an enemy launches an attack will shatter their offensive rhythm. In high-level combat, that half-beat delay is all you need to sever their head.”

With a brief thought, Liu Yuan withdrew the invisible weight. Long Aotian immediately sucked in a sharp breath as his meridians cleared, his dark gold energy resuming its natural, violent circulation.

“Do not be in a hurry to praise it. That was merely the first,” Liu Yuan said, his tone perfectly calm. “Next is the second. I mentioned earlier that my primary goal for this contract was to acquire abilities capable of neutralizing enemy attacks. Senior Brother, launch a direct spirit ability at me.”

Long Aotian did not hesitate. His eyes sharpened, and he thrust his right arm forward. A terrifying surge of dark gold energy erupted from his flesh, rapidly condensing into a massive, spiraling drill of pure destructive force.

“Watch yourself! Earth-Splitting Horn!”

Refusing to pull his punches, Long Aotian kicked off the frozen ground, launching a devastating, head-on assault straight toward Liu Yuan’s chest.

The roaring drill of energy closed the distance in a fraction of a second. Just as the devastating attack was about to make contact, Liu Yuan calmly raised his right hand. He extended a single finger and lightly tapped the empty air in Long Aotian’s direction.

“Destruction Beast, second spirit ability. Seeing Through the Void.”

A bizarre phenomenon unfolded.

The violent, dark gold soul power spiraling around Long Aotian’s arm suddenly shuddered. The moment the outer edge of the drill brushed against the invisible barrier radiating from Liu Yuan, the attack disintegrated. It melted away like fresh snow tossed into a roaring furnace. The Earth-Splitting Horn was forcibly aborted before its true destructive might could detonate. The complex internal circuitry of the soul power had been surgically severed.

The sudden, violent interruption triggered a harsh backlash of energy. Long Aotian grunted heavily, his momentum breaking as he stumbled backward for two heavy steps. Relying on his immense physical control, he drove his heel into the dirt, forcefully steadying his posture.

Dead silence descended upon the glacial clearing.

Long Aotian stared at his empty right arm, his eyes wide with disbelief. A few paces away, the muscles in Du Busi’s face twitched violently.

“A direct, absolute interruption of a spirit ability?” Du Busi’s usually booming voice dropped an octave, laced with raw astonishment. “That was not a simple neutralization of energy. That was the fundamental destruction of the attack’s structural integrity. The practical combat value of such a technique is utterly terrifying.”

Lowering his hand, Liu Yuan looked at his senior brother with a placid expression. “The nullification window only lasts for two seconds. However, in life-and-death struggles at our level, a two-second opening is more than enough to dictate life and death.”

“There is still the third and fourth,” Liu Yuan continued, gently signaling the small beast on his shoulder.

“Third spirit ability. Mental Protection.”

A faint, spherical gray shield materialized, enveloping Liu Yuan’s entire body in a translucent dome.

Curious, Du Busi flicked his wrist, casually tossing out a condensed bolt of emerald soul power. The projectile slammed into the gray barrier with a sharp crack. The shield merely rippled like a disturbed pond, absorbing the kinetic and spiritual impact effortlessly before stabilizing. It did not even come close to shattering.

“And finally, the fourth spirit ability. Mental Empowerment.”

A brilliant light erupted within Liu Yuan’s deep purple eyes.

In that fleeting instant, he felt the boundaries of his spiritual sea violently expand. The world around him snapped into hyper-focus. His spatial perception range instantly doubled, sweeping across the frozen wasteland. More, his absolute control over the ambient energy particles in the atmosphere skyrocketed by a staggering eighty percent, granting him an almost god-like dominion over his immediate surroundings.

The complete testing of the new abilities consumed the better part of half an hour. By the time they finished, both Long Aotian and Du Busi were staring at Liu Yuan with expressions of deep, wordless admiration.

“Soul power suppression, tactical ability interruption, absolute spiritual defense, and massive mental amplification…” Long Aotian muttered, shaking his head in sheer disbelief. “Junior Brother, when layered on top of your already monstrous foundational abilities, your current combat strength has reached a realm I cannot even begin to fathom.”

Du Busi crossed his arms, his chest swelling with immense pride. Liu Yuan’s terrifying growth was the ultimate reassurance. With the continent teetering on the brink of absolute chaos, this massive surge in power guaranteed that the Body Sect possessed an unshakable pillar to weather the coming storm.

Liu Yuan opened his mouth to reply, fully intending to suggest they pack up and begin the long journey back to the sect.

Suddenly, the relaxed, confident smile vanished from his face. His expression darkened into a mask of absolute vigilance.

Driven by a primal instinct, he snapped his head up, his Double Pupils locking onto the pitch-black depths of the Glacier Rift.

The atmosphere, which had been crisp and clear just a heartbeat ago, warped violently.

A suffocating, bone-piercing aura erupted from the abyss. It was an overwhelming tide of pure malice, carrying a sickeningly corrosive stench that burned the lungs. The energy was utterly chaotic, fundamentally evil, and carried a wrongness that felt entirely alien to the natural laws of this world.

It was a presence that sent an involuntary, freezing chill racing straight down the spine.