"Haotian's true body!"
Tang Hao's roar split through the sky, and a phantom identical to him rose up behind his back—an illusory manifestation of his true body. Darkness rippled outward as he activated the realm of Slaughter, spreading an oppressive Killing God Domain that made every soul master in range shiver.
But his target wasn't Bibi Dong. Nor was it the Martial Soul Hall.
It was Lu Yuan.
The massive Clear Sky Hammer in his hands shook the heavens, its momentum surging straight toward the young man in the distance.
"Seventh Soul Ability—Seven Kills True Body!"
Chen Xin, his expression sinking into calm determination, merged completely with the radiant Seven Kill Sword. His aura flared as his martial soul avatar burst forth.
"Sixth Soul Skill—Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Sect!"
The Seven Kill Sword pointed skyward. Thousands of blades of pure sword light gathered, then descended like a torrential rainstorm.
Booming shockwaves rolled across the air.
Tang Hao's response was brutal. "Ring Detonation!"
With a chilling crack, five spirit rings around him shattered one by one. The resulting surge of power pressed relentlessly against Chen Xin, strengthened further by the Killing God Domain.
"The Clear Sky Hammer! Chaotic Cloak!"
Tang Hao's hammer spun wildly in his grasp, swinging dozens of times in a blink. Each strike carried earth-shaking force.
Before those massive strikes could land, five rays of light fell upon Chen Xin—Ning Fengzhi's support abilities blooming. Despite his hatred for Martial Soul Hall, he would never allow anyone, even Tang Hao, to harm Lu Yuan.
"Eighth Soul Ability—Move Mountains and Fill Seas!"
Chen Xin unleashed everything. Twelve sword shadows exploded from his Seven Kill Sword and clashed furiously against the incoming storm of hammer-shadows. Each collision was a raging tempest of sword qi and brute force, the air itself trembling. Title Douluo battled fiercely, their power far beyond what Contras dared to approach. To ordinary masters, this was no battle—it was a war between gods.
But Tang Hao's killing intent was never meant for Chen Xin.
"Killing Assault!"
His body blurred. The detonation-enhanced strength bypassed Chen Xin entirely, locking straight onto Lu Yuan. The domain's auxiliary powers sharpened his speed, attack, and precision as he homed in on the soul guidance device tied to Lu Yuan's waist.
His instincts screamed at him—Ah Yin's aura was inside. It had to be.
Even amidst his madness, Tang Hao's mind was chillingly clear. He couldn't possibly defeat all these enemies combined. But no matter the cost, he would retrieve Ah Yin and flee with Tang San.
"The third soul skill—Sword Wings Fly Like Swallows!"
Chen Xin cursed inwardly, rushing to intercept again. But Tang Hao's choice was shamelessly vicious.
"Bastard—you want to steal my wine!"
Lu Yuan instantly understood his intent. That soul guidance device wasn't just any item—it held his most precious treasure.
That was his pride, his dignity. He would never let it be wrenched away.
"Fifth Soul Ability—Absolute Wind Slash!"
Lu Yuan's body erupted with blazing sword intent. With a single stroke, a brilliant slash compressed into pure sword qi tore toward Tang Hao.
Clang! Sparks sprayed wildly as the titanic hammer collided with the searing arc of sword energy.
"Sixth Soul Ability—Gale Sword Dance!"
Lu Yuan followed up with a relentless flurry, slashing seventeen overlapping sword rays that ripped apart the space around Tang Hao.
But Tang Hao answered with overwhelming power.
"Grand Sumeru Hammer!"
The Clear Sky Hammer expanded monstrously—ten meters, twenty, thirty—until it towered like a mountain, bearing down fatal and unstoppable.
Chen Xin's heart froze. He was still too slow.
"The third spirit ability—Death Spider Web Bind!"
At the critical moment, Bibi Dong intervened.
Eight enormous purple webs burst from behind her, toxic miasma radiating from every thread. They expanded, coiling around Tang Hao's colossal hammer mid-swing.
"AH—!"
Tang Hao roared like a mad beast. His killing intent spiked so violently that he ignored the backlash of internal injuries.
All he could see was Lu Yuan's soul device. All he could feel was Ah Yin's presence.
Two of Tang Hao's soul rings detonated in an explosion of force, shredding the spider webs apart as his hammer hurtled downward once more—aimed directly at Lu Yuan's skull.
"Xiao Yuan!"
Chen Xin's chest tightened. Even he couldn't withstand that strike head-on, let alone Lu Yuan!
BOOM!
A demonic aura erupted from Lu Yuan at the last instant. His entire body lit aflame with black fire, his eyes pitch-black whirlpools of infernal light. He looked like a devil resurrected from the depths of hell.
"Big Brother Lu Yuan!"
Bai Chenxiang cried out desperately. Her grandfather Bai He's words echoed in her mind. Clutching a small medicine bottle, she hurried forward—only to have Dugu Bo yank her back roughly.
"Little girl! Do you have a death wish? Even Contras can't approach that battlefield right now!"
"But Big Brother Lu Yuan is in danger!" Bai Chenxiang's eyes filled with tears. "This medicine can save him!"
Dugu Bo faltered. He didn't know whether to believe her… until another voice cut in.
"It's true!"
Zhu Zhuqing's affirmation came sharp and quick.
Lonely Goose also chimed in firmly. "Grandpa, don't hesitate—I confirmed it before. Give it to him!"
Dugu Bo clenched his jaw. From strangers he might hesitate, but not from his granddaughter. He took the vial with grim resolve. Only he had the timing and cultivation to deliver it.
Meanwhile, black aura seethed violently from Lu Yuan. Chen Xin's eyes snapped wide. He knew this feeling—he had seen it the day Lu Yuan awakened his martial soul, standing against fate with the same abyssal energy.
The falling hammer met the surging sword.
BOOM!
A thunderclap of destruction shook heaven and earth. To everyone's shock, Lu Yuan—merely a Soul Emperor—did not falter. He clashed evenly with Tang Hao. His strength, in that moment, was far beyond ordinary Title Douluo. Even Tang Hao himself staggered back in disbelief.
What kind of horror was this boy?
Bibi Dong's gaze hardened, eyes narrowing. For once, she did not press Tang Hao further. She focused instead on Lu Yuan. The change in him was far too strange to ignore.
And before anyone could recover, a bone-chilling howl split the air from the direction of Elder Hall.
Several figures flew down in a rush.
"The third spirit ability—Death Spider Web Bind!"
A massive violet web whipped out—not at Tang Hao, but entangling Lu Yuan instead!
"What the—?!"
Yue Guan and Gui Mei were dumbfounded. Weren't they supposed to be suppressing Tang Hao? Why were they capturing Lu Yuan instead? Their expressions screamed confusion, question marks practically glowing above their heads.
But Lu Yuan was no ordinary prey. His raging infernal flames flared higher, and with a feral roar, he ripped the giant spider web apart by brute force.
"Take Lu Yuan down!"
Bibi Dong's voice resounded with indomitable authority. Her pressure slammed across the battlefield like crashing waves, suppressing even Chen Xin.
Yue Guan and Gui Mei hesitated only for an instant. Her goals might be mysterious, but orders from the Pope were absolute.
"The third soul ability—Ghosting Phantom Shift!"
Gui Mei's speed soared, darting forward like a moving shadow.
"Fourth Soul Ability—Lonesome Appreciation!"
Yue Guan launched with legs lit by radiant soul power, slashing with blades of light.
RUMBLE—
A hammer bigger than a house dropped in their way. Dark red, unmistakable.
"Damn you, Tang Hao!" Yue Guan nearly coughed blood. "Are you out of your mind?!"
This block allowed Tang Hao the perfect chance to escape. And instead of rushing away with his son, the brute had chosen to wade back into the chaos, clashing against Martial Soul Hall's pursuit recklessly.
"This man must be insane!" Yue Guan's frustration boiled over. At this point he was convinced—Tang Hao's "rescue of his wife" was nothing but an excuse. He was deliberately opposing Martial Soul Hall.
"This one is mine!" Tang Hao snarled, swinging his hammer again. He didn't care about Lu Yuan's survival. What mattered was preventing Martial Soul Hall from seizing him.
The nearby crowd of soul masters watching from the sidelines exchanged frozen looks.
"Wait… who's fighting who now?"
"Hell if I know! Who's even on whose side anymore?!"
It was pure chaos. Alliances shattered mid-battle. A bloody brawl turned into a tangled snarl of twisted loyalties, betrayal, and clashing purposes.
Yu Tianheng was grinding his teeth. "Don't ask me—I can't understand this mess either!"
The battlefield of gods surged wildly, exploding into a storm that no one dared step into.
And at the very heart of it stood Lu Yuan, demon fire swirling, his black eyes glaring forward as all sides fought over his fate.
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