Review: Gains and Losses

Begonia Pavilion, Lake Heart Island.

The heavy rain in the sky had gradually weakened, and the scattered dark clouds had thinned.

Ye Xilan held an umbrella as she treated the wounded amid the post-battle ruins on Lake Heart Island.

Under the healing of the Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul, anyone who had not died on the spot could be saved.

However, she had no way to reattach severed arms and legs.

"Pavilion Master, the casualties have all been counted."

After she healed another wounded person, her Handmaiden, Qing He, appeared behind her with pursed lips.

Ye Xilan remained calm. "Tell me."

"Yes. There are fifty-three wounded, forty of them seriously injured. But thanks to your timely treatment, Pavilion Master, there have been no further losses."

"However, there are also fifty dead. Among them, four healing Soul Masters from our Begonia Pavilion died."

Ye Xilan's expression remained calm, but upon hearing this, her gaze could not help but darken slightly.

Begonia Pavilion had never had many healing-type Soul Masters to begin with.

At most, there had only been twelve healing-type Soul Masters.

With four dying at once, nearly half had been lost.

"I understand. Also, has the Clear Sky Douluo returned?" Ye Xilan asked softly.

Qing He lowered her head. "Pavilion Master, not yet."

By now, everyone on the island knew that the patient the Pavilion Master had received a month ago was the Clear Sky Douluo.

After all, Chrysanthemum Douluo had made no effort to hide it when he called Tang Hao's name.

Even though the people of Begonia Pavilion who remained on Lake Heart Island rarely concerned themselves with news from the outside world, it was impossible for them not to know who Tang Hao was by now.

Ye Xilan fell silent for a moment, then waved Qing He away. She needed to continue treating the wounded.

"Yes, Pavilion Master."

Qing He bowed and turned around, but a burst of delighted cheers suddenly rang out across Lake Heart Island.

Confused, Qing He looked up and saw a tall figure at the island's dock, carrying a corpse as he walked toward them.

That was the Clear Sky Douluo!

"Pavilion Master!" Qing He cried in delight, but before she could turn back around—

The Pavilion Master she had called out to had already drifted lightly toward the dock on Lake Heart Island.

The faint smell of blood could not be washed away even by the rain. Tang Hao raised his head as an umbrella silently appeared above him.

Ye Xilan's eyes shimmered as she looked at him, then at the corpse of the Titled Douluo in his hand.

Tang Hao suddenly smiled. "Spirit Kite Douluo, a level ninety-two assault-type Titled Douluo."

"Here is the body."

Bang! The corpse struck the ground before everyone.

Spirit Kite Douluo.

The people of Begonia Pavilion around them erupted in excitement and shock. Even if they had overestimated their speculation, they would never have dared to estimate it this highly.

After all, in the world of Soul Masters, Titled Douluo and Soul Masters beneath that rank were essentially people from two entirely different levels.

In many people's eyes, even slaughtering everyone in Begonia Pavilion would not be worth the weight of a single broken finger from a Titled Douluo.

Amid the shocked excitement and cheers, Ye Xilan pursed her lips and, smiling faintly, stored the corpse in her Storage Soul Tool.

"Your Excellency, thank you."

Tang Hao shook his head. This disaster had been brought about by him in the first place.

Still, he had gained some understanding of the strong-devour-the-weak principles of the Douluo Continent.

He knew there was no need to say more at a time like this. Besides, what he needed most now was rest.

Looking at the cheers around him and feeling the weakness within his body, Tang Hao said to Ye Xilan, "Prepare a quiet room for me."

"Yes, Your Excellency." Ye Xilan's voice grew respectful.

Most of the buildings on Lake Heart Island had been destroyed. After all, under the aftershocks of a battle between Titled Douluo—

Ordinary buildings found it difficult to remain standing.

However, the buildings by the shore of the great lake remained intact.

Ye Xilan arranged an exquisite and quiet room for him, then sent people to guard and attend to him nearby.

Inside the room, Tang Hao sensed that the surroundings were safe, and the waves of weakness within his body could no longer be suppressed.

During this pursuit, he had detonated all eight of his Soul Rings again.

He had hammered Spirit Kite Douluo to death. Of the ten Soul Saints who had followed her, only two had escaped.

Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo had also been severely wounded by him. Without a month or two of recuperation after returning, they would basically be unable to recover their full strength.

Especially Ghost Douluo.

Tang Hao recalled how Ghost Douluo's Ghostly True Body could clearly negate the physical attacks of his Clear Sky Hammer.

Yet to protect Chrysanthemum Douluo, Ghost Douluo had taken an Explode Ring attack head-on and been blasted unconscious.

If Ghost Douluo did not lie in bed for ten days to half a month after returning, he absolutely would not wake up.

Tang Hao smiled, feeling rather pleased.

Even the pain from his injuries seemed slightly less severe.

"However, the weakness I exposed in this battle was far too great."

"If I encounter Spirit Hall's Titled Douluo again in the future, my lack of combat awareness will definitely hold me back badly."

Tang Hao frowned. Although he had driven back Spirit Hall's attack this time—

And had gained quite a lot from it.

He had killed a Titled Douluo.

But it had also exposed one of his current major flaws.

His combat awareness was poor.

Right now, he was like someone who had clearly looked up a strategy guide and knew what moves to use against a particular monster, when to hold back, and how to land a killing blow.

Yet once the fight truly began, he ignored every bit of that strategy.

He got carried away, his eyes turned red, and he insisted on smashing the monster to death head-on!

That was why, despite already knowing about the Martial Soul Fusion Skill of Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, he had failed to react when he was immobilized at the very beginning.

Spirit Kite Douluo had nearly killed him with a single blow.

This was simply an utter disgrace to Transmigrators.

"Ha."

Tang Hao sighed. He even realized that, when he wanted to make up for this weakness, he had no idea how to do so.

After all, let alone fighting and killing people, he had never even killed a dog before.

At most, when he went home for the New Year, he had helped slaughter a few chickens.

He only saw blood once a year.

Thus, Tang Hao shook his head and gave up on the thought of improving his combat awareness.

This was simply not something that could be resolved in a short time.

Perhaps only after many battles and bloody fights could he improve his combat awareness.

"Still, I may not be able to make up for the weakness in my combat awareness, but I can try making the other planks of my barrel longer."

Tang Hao pondered. He suddenly recalled the new barrel theory that one of his former bosses had preached to him while he was working.

It meant that having a short plank did not matter. As long as the other planks were long enough, one could tilt the barrel and still hold more water.

Although he knew that boss had fed him that motivational nonsense solely to exploit him as free labor—

To make him keep working tirelessly under him.

And stop him from changing jobs.

But now, that boss was probably tucked away in some corner of some unknown world, while that new barrel theory surfaced in Tang Hao's mind once more.

Motivational nonsense was still motivational nonsense, but sometimes it really could be useful when applied properly.

For instance, as long as he was strong enough in every other aspect—his body, Martial Soul, and Soul Power—stronger than everyone else.

And stronger by an entire level!

Then his lack of combat awareness would not matter at all!

After all, no matter how strong one's combat awareness was, it could not overcome overwhelming strength!

A fist the size of a bowl.