Tang Hao, locked in by that terrifying pressure, knew there was no escape, he had no choice but to fight.
"Martial Soul True Body!"
"Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Technique!!"
Veins bulged across Tang Hao's body as he roared, unleashing his full power. His Martial Soul True Body transformed him into a towering phantom, like a giant descending upon the mortal world. In an instant, eighty-one hammer strikes erupted from him.
Layer upon layer of massive hammer shadows surged toward Lu Feng like a crushing tidal wave.
And then,
A flash of cold light.
A gleam so sharp it seemed to pierce through the darkest void of the universe, crossing endless time and space, materializing in this very moment as a slender, unassuming willow-leaf dagger.
It shot forward, straight through the storm of hammers.
No flourish.
No wasted motion.
Not even the faintest ripple of soul power or sound.
Just a single blade.
Simple.
Unadorned.
Yet—
Sssshhhk—!
It tore through the air.
Tore through space.
Tore through the hammer storm!
Unstoppable.
Unblockable.
The blinding dagger-light pierced straight through Tang Hao's shoulder, exiting from his back in a spray of blood.
"AAAGHH—!"
Tang Hao screamed, blood gushing from his mouth as he plummeted from the sky, crashing into the ground with a thunderous BOOM! Dust exploded outward from the crater.
Defeated.
A single strike and Tang Hao was crippled.
No matter how enormous his hammer, no matter how many strikes he unleashed, no matter what tricks he pulled none of it could withstand that one small, ordinary-looking blade.
The crowd was petrified, their scalps tingling, breath frozen in their throats.
The gap was this vast?!
One move.
Just one move.
The Clear Sky Douluo, the man who had once forced even Spirit Hall's Pope Qian Xunji to retreat, was in Li Xunhuan's eyes nothing more than an insect to be crushed at will.
Effortless. Casual. As easy as breathing.
Tang San's entire body trembled like a leaf in a storm.
"T-This… is this the true pinnacle of the Tang Sect…?"
Compared to this, his hidden weapons the sleeve arrows, the Zhuge Crossbow were nothing but child's play.
Even the "Guanyin's Tears", the number one hidden weapon recorded in the Mysterious Heaven Record, paled in comparison.
"Guanyin's Tears" relied on catching the opponent off-guard, striking when they revealed an opening.
But Li Xunhuan's blade?
It struck head-on, with absolute certainty—once locked on, there was no escape.
It was the pinnacle of righteousness, the epitome of unstoppable force.
What he wielded wasn't just a flying dagger—it was the very concept of the blade itself.
An intangible, inevitable law of the universe.
Lu Feng hovered in the sky, his long hair and robes fluttering like a deity's.
"Those who dare oppose the Merchant Alliance, no matter how far they flee, will perish!"
His voice, booming like divine judgment, echoed across Nuoding City, shaking every soul who heard it.
That blade intent—more terrifying than any killing aura—locked onto Tang Hao once more… and this time, Tang San as well.
THUD!
Covered in dust and blood, Tang Hao scrambled out of the crater, dignity forgotten, and dropped to his knees.
"Your Excellency! This humble Tang was wrong! I had no idea Lu Feng was part of the Merchant Alliance! Please, spare us this once!"
Li Xunhuan was simply too strong.
Tang Hao knew—even if he detonated all his soul rings, he couldn't win. Running wasn't an option either.
And even if he could escape, Tang San couldn't.
If this Peerless Douluo turned his wrath onto his son, all his hopes would be shattered.
Besides, bowing to a 99th-ranked Peerless Douluo wasn't that shameful.
Lu Feng knew Tang Hao still had his "Ring Detonation" trump card. If he truly fled, chasing him down would waste precious time—and the experience card's duration was limited.
More importantly…
Tang Hao was the father of Tang San, the Child of Destiny.
Shrouded in his son's fortune, killing him was nearly impossible.
That earlier strike should have pierced his heart, yet at the last moment, Tang Hao's body had shifted unconsciously, diverting the blade to his shoulder.
Such was the power of fate.
Forcing the issue and killing him now might invite backlash from the laws of fate itself.
Far better to siphon away their fortune instead.
Since Tang San was the source of this destiny, the main target was clear—drain his luck and seize his opportunities.
Lu Feng feigned contemplation before speaking coldly:
"Considering your cultivation wasn't easily attained, I'll spare you. But you will admit to deceiving the Blue Silver Emperor, Ah yin. Refuse and after today, neither you nor your son will draw another breath."
"This…" Tang Hao's face twisted like a bitter melon.
He loathed the idea of confessing—and couldn't fathom why a Peerless Douluo would demand this—but survival outweighed pride.
"I… I can do that. But Your Excellency… could you at least not make this public? Allow me some dignity…"
He wrapped his voice in soul power, ensuring only Lu Feng could hear.
"Fine."
Lu Feng's reply was ice. "You have my word—as Li Xunhuan—that this won't be spread."
Tang Hao nearly sighed in relief.
A Peerless Douluo's promise was absolute. With that assurance, only those present would ever know—and a little intimidation would seal their lips.
"Then I… I admit it. I wronged Ah yin. I deceived her. But if she hadn't sacrificed herself to me, the Spirit Hall would've hunted her down anyway. I merely… made the most of the situation. "
"Made the most of it?"
So this was his true mindset.
Lu Feng had almost thought Tang Hao carried some remorse for his actions.
But that phrase—uttered so casually—erased all doubt.
"Hah. 'Making the most of it'—how noble of you." Lu Feng's voice dripped scorn. "Yu Xiaogang! Transcribe his confession. Have him sign it."
"Y-Yes! At once, Your Excellency!"
Yu Xiaogang nearly tripped over himself in eagerness.
He hadn't expected a Peerless Douluo to know his name.
Within moments, the document was drafted. Hands trembling, Yu Xiaogang passed it to Tang Hao for his signature, then delivered it to Lu Feng, now standing calmly on the ground.
Not that Yu Xiaogang was any better.
Beneath his "honorable master" façade lurked a scheming, manipulative soul.
In the original timeline, he'd colluded with Tang San to betray Qian Renxue for the sake of power in the Heaven Dou Empire.
As for Bibi Dong's death?
He bore at least half the blame—despite her having once favored him, even granting him a Spirit Hall Elder Token.
And Tang San?
He'd happily taken piles of Spirit Hall gold as subsidies over the years.
The truth was clear: both were vipers.
Birds of the same feather.
But there'd be time to deal with Yu Xiaogang later.
"Hand over Ah yin's soul bone."
Lu Feng tucked away Tang Hao's signed confession and issued his next demand.
To resurrect Ah yin, her soul bone was essential.
Tang Hao's face turned ashen, but he had no choice—he reluctantly surrendered the Blue Silver Emperor's leg bone, originally reserved for Tang San.
Lu Feng's expression remained icy. "Good. Now, one final matter—I'll be taking the soul bones from your body."
"WHAT?! No—Your Excellency, you promised to spare me—!"
Tang Hao's voice cracked in panic.
The two 10,000-year soul bones embedded in his arm and leg were heirlooms of the Clear Sky Clan. Losing them wouldn't just mean amputation—his cultivation would plummet, stripping him of his Title Douluo strength.
"I spared your life. That doesn't mean you escape punishment."
Lu Feng didn't bother waiting for consent. Light flashed in his hand—
"SHHKKT! SHHKKT!"
Two swift strikes later, the bones were wrenched free.
"You said it yourself—'making the most of the situation.' Consider this my version."
Tang Hao howled, collapsing to the ground. To his credit, he clenched his jaw, refusing to scream further as he desperately channeled soul power to slow the bleeding of his cultivation.
But the damage was done.
His rank tumbled like a waterfall—from Title Douluo down to a mere Soul Sage in the 70s before stabilizing.
The agony wasn't physical.
This was a fate worse than death for a man who'd once stood at the pinnacle.
Minutes ago, he'd made a grand entrance as the Clear Sky Douluo, the crowd prostrating in awe.
Now? A crippled, broken Soul Sage, missing an arm and a leg—a pitiful sight.
The contrast couldn't have been crueler.
Why… why did I even show myself?
After over a decade in hiding, nursing his wounds, waiting for the perfect moment to reclaim his glory—this was his reward?
"Hiss…"
Yu Xiaogang and the academy headmaster sucked in sharp breaths.
This Peerless Douluo didn't hesitate to sever limbs and strip power—yet no one dared call it unjust.
In a world where strength ruled, seizing soul bones was commonplace. By sparing Tang Hao's life, the Peerless Douluo had been downright merciful.
He'd brought this upon himself by targeting a member of the Merchant Alliance.
But one thing was clear: this elder was fiercely protective.
His earlier declaration "Those who oppose the Merchant Alliance will perish, no matter how far they flee!" was no empty threat.
With those words, who would ever dare challenge the Alliance again?
******
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