The Black-Robed Man's Identity, Er Ming Severely Injured

Facing the roar of the Titan Giant Ape, the man in the black robe did not change his expression, simply raising his right hand and gripping the air.

A massive hammer, pitch-black and archaic in design, appeared out of thin air in his grasp. The handle was about one and a half meters long, devoid of any ornate decorations, possessing only the texture of the purest power.

"Clear Sky Hammer!"

Tang San exclaimed in his heart, his eyes filled with incredulous shock.

Although there were subtle differences between the Clear Sky Hammer in the black-robed man's hand and his own Clear Sky Hammer martial soul, there was no difference between them in essence.

And then, a sight appeared that left everyone—including Zhao Wuji, who was about to launch an attack—instantly stunned.

One ring, two rings, three rings... a full nine soul rings, as if rising from the netherworld, emerged one after another from beneath the black-robed man's feet, rising and circling him!

Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, red!

The first eight soul rings were the optimal configuration Yu Xiaogang had spoken of, but the energy fluctuations radiating from the final ring were enough to make one's heart tremble.

A red soul ring! A hundred-thousand-year red soul ring!

A Title Douluo! A Title Douluo possessing a hundred-thousand-year soul ring!

Dai Mubai and the others stood frozen on the spot; they never expected that in the span of a single day, they would encounter both a hundred-thousand-year soul beast and a Title Douluo with a hundred-thousand-year soul ring!

However, this was not the end.

Just as the red hundred-thousand-year soul ring flared with brilliant light, the black-robed man suddenly raised the Clear Sky Hammer in his hand and gave it a slight twist.

Beyond that red soul ring, the first eight soul rings on the man's body suddenly erupted with blinding light at the same time, and then shattered with a boom!

A terrifying energy, impossible to describe in words, surged madly into the pitch-black Clear Sky Hammer the moment the soul rings shattered!

The size of the Clear Sky Hammer in the man's hand did not increase, but the aura it radiated surged several times over in an instant! The black-robed man's momentum now even suppressed the hundred-thousand-year Titan Giant Ape standing before him!

Xiao Qing, standing on Thunder Feather, had been somewhat dazed when the black-robed man first appeared, struggling to recall any Title Douluo from the original story associated with the Shrek group.

But after thinking it over, aside from Tang Hao, that idler and king of slacking off, none of the other Title Douluo connected to the Shrek group had any reason to hide their identity.

It was only when Xiao Qing saw the hundred-thousand-year soul ring appear beneath the man's feet that he dared to confirm the newcomer was Tang Hao!

Wearing the black robe, Tang Hao raised the Clear Sky Hammer and utilized Ring Detonation, instantly detonating his first eight soul rings.

Xiao Qing thought that if it weren't for the fact that the last soul ring belonged to Tang San's mother, Tang Hao would likely have detonated that one as well, just to teach the Titan Giant Ape a lesson and force Zhao Wuji and the others to take Tang San seriously.

Tang Hao gripped the surging Clear Sky Hammer with both hands, the muscles in his arms bulging, his black robe fluttering without wind.

He did not use any flashy moves; he simply raised the hammer high above his head and then, facing the Titan Giant Ape that had already charged to his front, he brought it down in one simple, heavy strike!

This strike had no light effects from soul skills; it was merely the concentrated power of the first eight soul rings, brought down with the sheer force of Tang Hao's own strength!

"BOOM--!!!!!"

A sonic boom erupted from the position of Tang Hao and the Titan Giant Ape.

Centered on the point of impact, a visible, semi-circular black shockwave expanded violently outward!

Everything in its path was kicked up into dust several meters high; countless giant trees as thick as a man's embrace turned to powder the moment they touched the shockwave, not even given time to show the process of exploding.

The Titan Giant Ape let out a roar mixed with pain, shock, and disbelief.

Its massive arms didn't even have time to fully cross in front of its chest before the black shockwave and the Clear Sky Hammer in Tang Hao's hand slammed solidly into its abdomen!

"BANG!!!"

A dull, extreme impact sound that made hearts seem to stop beating.

The Titan Giant Ape's mountain-like body was thrown backward through the air as if it were a boulder tossed by a catapult!

It flew backward at an astonishing speed, too fast even for Zhao Wuji to track; Xiao Qing and the others only knew that the Titan Giant Ape had snapped countless giant trees along its path, plowing a trench nearly a hundred meters long into the ground.

It finally came to a halt amidst the wreckage, kneeling on one knee, using its two thick, powerful arms to desperately brace against the ground to keep from collapsing entirely.

Powerful air currents carrying soil, wood chips, and gravel swept outward like the most violent sandstorm.

Xiao Qing, standing on the back of Thunder Feather, along with Zhao Wuji, Tang San, and the others on the ground, scrambled to find cover, yet they were still blown about, barely able to open their eyes.

It took a full dozen breaths before the sky-obscuring dust slowly dissipated.

Xiao Qing stood on Thunder Feather's back, his gaze piercing through the fading dust toward the direction of the Titan Giant Ape.

He saw that the King of the Forest, who had been so arrogant before, was now kneeling on one knee in a deep crater, its once sleek and glossy black fur on its chest and abdomen a mess, stained with mud and its own dark red blood.

Its massive head hung low, and from the corners of its mouth, trickles of dark red blood dripped continuously, pooling into a small puddle in the crater it had created.

Its chest heaved violently, each breath causing more blood to spill from its mouth; it was clearly suffering from severe internal injuries.

A single strike. A single hammer blow.

A Title Douluo with a hundred-thousand-year soul ring, using a desperate strike at the cost of shattering his first eight soul rings, had actually sent the Titan Giant Ape—a hundred-thousand-year soul beast known for its strength and defense—flying a hundred meters and left it vomiting blood and severely wounded!

No wonder, during the final battle, even after Tang Hao had wasted so many years, he could still trade blows with those high-ranking priests.

The entire forest fell into a deathly silence, save for the heavy panting of the Titan Giant Ape and the sporadic cries of distant soul beasts.

Everyone was so shocked by this earth-shattering strike, which transcended their understanding, that they lost the ability to speak.

Zhao Wuji's Avatar of the Martial Soul had long since dissipated; he stood there, gazing at the back of the black-robed man, his eyes filled with unparalleled awe and terror.

Tang San stared fixedly at the pitch-black Clear Sky Hammer; having studied with Yu Xiaogang for so long, Tang San naturally knew that a martial soul would be influenced by one's parents.

His Twin Martial Souls were inherited from his parents, and now, seeing an unknown Title Douluo possessing a Clear Sky Hammer similar to his own, Tang San could not help but speculate about what relationship this person before him might have with him.

Tang San first ruled out his father, Tang Hao; based on his observations over the years, if his father possessed such strength, he certainly would not have ended up as a drunken madman like before.

Tang San felt that the person before him must be a relative of his father, which would explain why his father knew how to forge.

If it were a family possessing hammer-type Martial Souls, it would be strange if they did not have forging skills.

The Titan Giant Ape slowly raised its head, its lantern-like giant eyes filled with pain and fury, but more than that, a sense of incredulous terror.

It stared fixedly at Tang Hao, who stood before it wielding the Clear Sky Hammer; although his aura was slightly withered due to the shattering of his spirit ring, he remained standing, and a low, threatening roar emanated from its throat.

Yet, despite roaring for a long time, the Titan Giant Ape remained in place without making a move. It had been truly frightened and awakened by that hammer strike.

Looking at the bright red hundred-thousand-year spirit ring at Tang Hao's feet, the Titan Giant Ape knew that the black-robed man before it had not yet fully formed the intent to kill it, otherwise, he would have shattered this hundred-thousand-year spirit ring as well!

The human before it possessed the power to truly threaten or even kill it! Perhaps, running away now was the best choice for it.

Otherwise, if it continued to stay here, it might be killed by that black-robed man to have its spirit bone harvested!