"No, Ah Yin, don't!"
Tang Hao shouted desperately, breaking free of his restraints in an attempt to stop her.
"Something's wrong! She's about to sacrifice herself—stop her now!"
None of the Spirit Hall members had anticipated this. The event unfolded so suddenly that everyone froze for a moment. Qian Xunji was the first to react, his expression changing dramatically as he shouted the warning. Without hesitation, he slashed out with his Angelic Holy Sword, sending a golden arc of light flying.
The others followed up with their strongest attacks.
But they were too late.
Once a sacrificial offering begins, there's no stopping it.
"Farewell…"
Ah Yin's soft red lips parted as her final words echoed faintly.
"No—!"
Tang Hao's eyes widened in horror as he collapsed to his knees, crying out in agony toward the heavens.
In the next instant, a blue-silver halo erupted, covering the entire sky and land.
Everything within the ring—people, attacks, even time itself—came to a halt.
This effect was even more terrifying than the Polar Still Domain formed by the Spirit Fusion of Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo.
None of the Spirit Hall members, not even the mighty Pope Qian Xunji, could move. All attacks hung frozen in the air.
Then, Ah Yin's body transformed into a deep crimson spirit ring, attaching itself to the Clear Sky Hammer in Tang Hao's hand.
As the blue-silver halo faded, everyone regained their mobility.
Ah Yin was gone.
All that remained was a single seed and a radiant soul bone pulsing with blue-silver light, which dropped gently to the ground.
"Ah Yin—no!"
Tang Hao could only watch helplessly as Ah Yin sacrificed herself. Though he had gained her soul ring, there wasn't even a shred of joy in his heart. Clutching his face in pain, his head hung low, his body trembling with sorrow and remorse. Tears streamed down his cheeks, dripping onto the infant cradled in his arms.
The Spirit Hall crowd, realizing the situation was beyond salvage, looked grim.
"Damn it!"
Qian Xunji roared in rage, slashing his Holy Sword down in a frenzy, leveling several small mountaintops in a violent outburst.
The few titled Douluo nearby weren't interested in the Blue Silver Seed left behind. Their eyes were fixed greedily on the radiant soul bone—
The 100,000-year Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone!
But under Qian Xunji's murderous glare, they reluctantly reined in their greed.
"Spirit Hall… So this is Spirit Hall. From this day on, we are mortal enemies!"
At that moment, Qian Xunji's golden aura roused Tang Hao from his despair. Tang Hao opened his mouth wide and let out a furious, inhuman roar—a cry of a Shura from hell.
His love and guilt for Ah Yin, the regret and anguish of loss—all of it burned into one overwhelming inferno of fury.
Tang Hao suddenly looked up. His eyes turned completely blood-red. His aura surged wildly.
He directly broke through Rank 90.
Then Rank 91.
And finally stabilized at Rank 92—entering the realm of the Titled Douluo.
Even the wounds on his body healed instantly.
"Level 92… Titled Douluo?"
The sudden shift in Tang Hao's presence finally drew the attention of the five Titled Douluo from Spirit Hall. They stared in shock at the blood-red spirit ring rotating on his body. The effects of a 100,000-year ring were beyond anything they'd imagined.
Seizing the moment of their daze, Tang Hao launched his counterattack.
"Slaughter Domain!"
"Ring Detonation!"
"True Body of the Clear Sky!"
A crimson aura burst out from Tang Hao, enveloping the five enemies. It boosted his power while suppressing theirs—his strength surged by 20%.
Simultaneously, all nine of his spirit rings detonated one after another, his aura becoming utterly terrifying.
The manifestation of the Clear Sky True Body formed behind him, amplifying his might even further.
"Chaotic Wind Hammer Technique!"
His movements were too fast to follow. Everything happened in an instant.
Yue Guan (Moonlight), Gui Mei (Ghost), and Gui Bao (Shadow Leopard) barely had time to react before being smashed flying by the Clear Sky Hammer. The impact blew three massive holes into the valley walls, and the trio crashed to the ground, vomiting blood and badly weakened.
Among them, Gui Bao was the weakest and was knocked unconscious on the spot.
Yue Guan and Gui Mei were also severely injured.
Jin Ming, whose martial spirit was the Golden Crocodile and who boasted the strongest defense among them, stepped in front of Qian Xunji. Tang Hao's hammer struck him head-on, sending him skidding back several meters. His legs plowed deep grooves into the ground before he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"Great Sumeru Hammer!"
At this moment, Tang Hao unleashed his ultimate technique—
The supreme skill of the Clear Sky School.
He channeled all his spirit power into the Clear Sky Hammer. It grew to over a hundred meters tall in the hands of the Clear Sky True Body and smashed down toward Jin Ming and Qian Xunji.
"Hmph!"
Jin Ming snorted coldly, his Golden Crocodile spirit fully manifested as he fearlessly stood his ground.
But he underestimated the power of the Great Sumeru Hammer.
With all the buffs stacked upon it, the strike was far beyond his ability to withstand.
BOOM!
Jin Ming, the first to be struck, was sent flying into the valley wall and stopped breathing on impact.
"Tang Hao, you deserve to die! Angelic True Body!"
Seeing Jin Ming killed in a single blow, Qian Xunji erupted in fury.
A six-winged Angelic True Body enveloped him protectively.
"Ninth Soul Skill—Glory of the Angel!"
Qian Xunji unleashed his strongest attack. A divine beam of destruction shot from the angel's mouth.
The Clear Sky Hammer and golden light collided violently.
A devastating shockwave blasted through the valley, leveling several surrounding peaks.
The hammer and the light clashed, evenly matched, neither yielding an inch.
But this deadlock favored Qian Xunji.
As a Rank 95 Super Douluo, his soul power was nearly double that of Tang Hao, who had only just become a Titled Douluo.
Moreover, Tang Hao's explosive power was temporary—once the detonation effect faded, he'd suffer severe backlash.
But life is full of surprises.
And often, surprises are born of careful design.
A faint white orb, invisible to the naked eye, descended from the sky, trailing a wisp of red mist.
The orb entered the infant in Tang Hao's arms.
The red mist separated from it and merged into Tang Hao's body.
At that moment, Tang Hao's spirit power was almost exhausted.
But suddenly, a terrifying power of slaughter erupted within him. His crimson eyes deepened, burning even brighter.
Though his remaining soul power was almost entirely consumed by this power—
To his shock, he discovered he could control it.
His eyes flashed. He channeled the new power directly into the Clear Sky Hammer.
"Die!"
Tang Hao roared, his eyes blazing red.
In the next instant, the Clear Sky Hammer turned blood-red—
And the stalemate was shattered.
Glory of the Angel was obliterated.
"Impossible!"
Qian Xunji looked on in disbelief as the Clear Sky Hammer crashed into his Angelic True Body.
CRACK!
A sound like shattering glass rang out. The Angelic True Body crumbled instantly.
Qian Xunji was struck full force by the hammer, sent flying into the valley wall.
The impact created a massive crater. His body rebounded and slammed into the ground, blood oozing from every orifice. He lay motionless, his fate unknown.
With that final blow, Tang Hao flashed forward, grabbing the Blue Silver Seed and soul bone Ah Yin had left behind.
Then, using the last of his strength, he burst through the Spirit Hall warriors guarding the valley and fled with his infant son in his arms.
Yue Guan and Gui Mei could only stare in terror at the unfolding events. Their hearts trembled—they didn't even dare to pursue.
After a long while, the two cautiously approached to check on Qian Xunji.
His entire skeleton had shattered. Blood poured from his facial orifices. His condition was horrific—yet he still clung to life.
Jin Ming was already dead.
Gui Bao was merely unconscious.
Yue Guan carried the Pope on his back. Gui Mei picked up Gui Bao and Jin Ming's corpse and swiftly retreated toward Spirit Hall.
Thus, Spirit Hall's plan to hunt the 100,000-year Blue Silver Emperor ended in complete failure—one dead, four gravely wounded.
Jin Ming, the only son of the Second Worshipper, died on the spot.
Pope Qian Xunji was crippled for life.
Gui Bao lay unconscious from severe injuries.
Yue Guan and Gui Mei were both wounded in body and spirit.