Haotian Falls

Seeing this, Yue Guan and Ghostly Charm did not hesitate in the slightest. Their seventh soul rings lit up beneath their feet as they unleashed their Martial Soul Avatars to withstand Tang Hao's strongest strike.

Bibi Dong rose from the luxurious carriage and stood in front of Qian Renxue and Bi Zihan. She released her first martial soul, the Death Spider Emperor. Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, red—nine soul rings flashed around her as she prepared to forcibly take Tang Hao's strongest attack.

The necklace around Bi Zihan's neck emitted a pale blue glow. The light spread outward, instantly increasing the overall attributes of Bibi Dong, Qian Renxue, and himself tenfold.

However, the necklace's range was limited, so Qian Daoliu, Yue Guan, and Ghostly Charm were not within the area of enhancement.

Bibi Dong felt the sudden enhancement and found it somewhat strange, but she did not dwell on it. Instead, she used her Soul Power to form a barrier before her to block Tang Hao's attack.

The moment Yue Guan and Ghostly Charm came into contact with the Clear Sky Hammer, their clothes instantly shattered. Their bodies were blasted away by the overwhelming force, and both spat out blood in midair before crashing heavily onto the ground.

Facing the incoming Clear Sky Hammer, Qian Daoliu swiftly retreated. Pale golden Soul Power spread from his hands, blocking the force and energy carried by the hammer.

Bibi Dong's Soul Power continuously gathered before her. When the Clear Sky Hammer swung down, cracks appeared throughout the luxurious carriage beneath them. It soon shattered apart, sending splinters flying in every direction.

But with Bibi Dong's formidable Soul Power blocking the attack in front of them, neither Qian Renxue nor Bi Zihan suffered any substantial injury.

The lingering energy fluctuations from the Clear Sky Hammer continued spreading in all directions. The Hall Guard Knights surrounding the blacksmith shop were swept by the energy waves and immediately sent flying, smashing onto the hard ground.

Tang Hao's condition at this point could only be described as terrible. He had already suffered severe internal injuries, and the energy produced by using Ring Detonation had long surpassed the limit his body could endure.

The only reason he could still stand was because he was supporting himself with the Clear Sky Hammer in his hand and relying on his immense willpower. Otherwise, even standing would have been impossible for him now.

"Ring Detonation. If Tang Chen were the one using it, this old man might give him a wide berth. But you, Tang Hao, do not have that strength. This is nothing more than the struggle of a dying man." With his hands behind his back, Qian Daoliu walked toward Tang Hao as leisurely as if he were taking a stroll.

"If my grandfather were presiding over the Clear Sky Sect, how could our Clear Sky Sect fear your Spirit Hall? And how would your Spirit Hall dare to casually wage war against the Clear Sky Sect?" Tang Hao looked at Qian Daoliu mockingly, paying no heed to either his predicament or his physical condition.

"Words are useless. Even if Tang Chen were here today, you would not be able to escape." Looking at Tang Hao before him, Qian Daoliu gathered pale golden Soul Power in his hand and struck Tang Hao in the chest with his palm. The overwhelming Soul Power instantly shattered Tang Hao's heart meridians.

The Clear Sky Hammer in Tang Hao's hand vanished, and his body collapsed limply onto the ground. He was clearly dead beyond doubt. With Tang Hao's death, the soul bones he possessed naturally fell away and became ownerless items.

Qian Daoliu picked up the six soul bones that had fallen to the ground. After examining them, he found that they were all high-quality soul bones, each of considerable age.

Holding the soul bones, Qian Daoliu walked over to Qian Renxue and said, "Xue'er, put away these six soul bones. They may prove useful in the future."

"Mm, alright, Grandpa!" A smile appeared on Qian Renxue's face as she accepted the soul bones Qian Daoliu handed her and placed them into her Soul Tool.

"Alright, the matter is settled. It is time for us to leave. Elder Yue Guan and Elder Ghostly Charm, as well as many Hall Guard Knights, have suffered serious injuries. They need time to recuperate." Bibi Dong could not help but shake her head as she looked at Tang Hao's fallen body.

But when she recalled the sudden enhancement from earlier, Bibi Dong turned her gaze toward Bi Zihan. If that enhancement remained in effect, it seemed that she could contend with Qian Daoliu in terms of strength.

However, the thought came quickly and vanished just as quickly. She had sensed that the enhancement had been released from Bi Zihan, so she had no intention of asking about it.

Yue Guan and Ghostly Charm approached somewhat unsteadily and said, "Your Holiness, are we returning to the Spirit Hall Branch now?"

"We will return to the Spirit Hall Branch to recuperate for a few days before heading back to Spirit City. So many Hall Guard Knights have been injured, and some have even died. This is still a considerable loss for us." Bibi Dong swept her gaze over the Hall Guard Knights who were gradually regrouping, then headed directly out of Holy Soul Village.

Since the luxurious carriage had been destroyed, they could only walk back to the Spirit Hall Branch in Nuoding City. Fortunately, Holy Soul Village was not far from Nuoding City, only about an hour away.

Following behind Bibi Dong, Bi Zihan pondered the scene of Tang Hao using Ring Detonation. On the surface, Ring Detonation involved exploding one's soul rings, gathering the energy within them into the martial soul, and then releasing that energy through the martial soul.

Then, in theory, as long as he fused his soul rings together and used something capable of bearing their energy as a vessel, he could release the energy within the rings and roughly replicate Ring Detonation.

Moreover, the energy released by his soul rings would certainly be extremely powerful. As for whether he could successfully replicate it, Bi Zihan did not know for the time being. After all, theory was ultimately just theory. Whether it could be replicated successfully still required practical experimentation.

After the group returned to the Spirit Hall Branch, they each found a place or room to rest. Those who were uninjured meditated and cultivated, while the injured focused on recovering from their wounds.

After returning to his room, Bi Zihan sat on the bed and thought for a while before deciding to first comprehend sword intent, then attempt to replicate Ring Detonation.

After all, he was only one step away from reaching the realm of sword intent. Replicating Ring Detonation, on the other hand, was merely a theoretical idea. He had not even figured out exactly how to put it into practice.

He sat cross-legged on the bed and closed his eyes. A sharpness like that of a sword continually gathered around him. When that sharpness reached its peak, Bi Zihan seemed to enter a mysterious and profound state.

At that moment, his heart was calmer than ever before, like a pool of stagnant water—still, without the slightest ripple.

Before his eyes, countless paths seemed to appear, each leading toward an unknown direction. At the entrance to every path stood a sharp sword radiating boundless edge.