Er Ming Retreats, Xiao Wu Disappears

The desperate hammer strike Tang Hao unleashed at the cost of shattering his first eight spirit rings did more than just severely wound the Titan Giant Ape Er Ming; it violently smashed through the beast's obsession with finding Xiao Wu, forcing it back to its senses.

The excruciating pain radiating from its abdomen made Er Ming realize in an instant that this seemingly unremarkable human in the black robe possessed the power to truly kill it.

If it continued to entangle itself here, even if it managed to fight to the death, it would undoubtedly suffer irreparable damage or perhaps even fall.

Its initial impulse had been to approach and take Xiao Wu away, but faced with the threat of death, that urge was forcibly suppressed.

"Roar..."

With a low growl filled with pain and unwillingness, Er Ming's eyes first fixed on the black-robed figure, then darted toward the distant crowd to catch a glimpse of the figure that haunted its soul.

Xiao Wu had quietly retreated behind the others during the chaos, using the smoke and trees as cover, and was not fully exposed to Er Ming's direct line of sight, though her scent had already been locked onto.

I cannot stay here! I will die! This thought took precedence.

Er Ming endured the churning agony in its gut, its forelimbs exerting sudden force to heave its mountain-like body upright.

It no longer hesitated, not even daring to roar another warning at the black-robed man. With a stumbling gait, it turned away, ignoring everyone else, and broke into a heavy, panicked run, plunging deep into the jungle.

It did not choose the path it had come from, nor the direction Xiao Qing and the others were retreating toward, but instead veered off to the side to completely avoid the black-robed man's line of sight.

With every step it took, the ground still trembled, but its pace had lost its previous ferocity and unstoppable momentum, replaced instead by a sense of wretchedness and panic.

Watching a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast—the King of the Forest who had just been chasing them with nowhere to run—transformed into a battered, fleeing monkey after a single hammer blow, was a sight to behold.

The psychological impact this scene had on Xiao Qing, Zhao Wuji, and the others was even more intense than when Tang Hao had first swung that hammer. It was a direct, brutal realization of the gap in absolute power.

After the Titan Giant Ape's aura had completely vanished from his perception, Tang Hao, who had delivered that strike, retracted the Clear Sky Hammer and the brilliant red Hundred-Thousand-Year Spirit Ring beneath his feet.

The moment the Clear Sky Hammer vanished, his body swayed almost imperceptibly. Shattering his first eight spirit rings was a feat that demanded a massive toll and backlash, even for him.

Yet, to prevent the Titan Giant Ape from returning, he stood firmly in place, appearing as though that strike had been nothing more than a casual gesture.

Should I kill that severely wounded Titan Giant Ape?

The thought flashed through Tang Hao's mind, only to be immediately dismissed. In his current state, hunting down a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast that was desperate to escape and still possessed considerable combat strength carried significant risk; it could easily result in mutual destruction.

More importantly, beyond obtaining a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Bone, killing it held little meaning for him, as his spirit rings were already full.

For now, ensuring the safety of his son, Tang San, was the top priority.

Tang Hao turned slowly, his wide black hood obscuring most of his face. His gaze swept calmly across the shaken group from a distance.

His eyes lingered briefly on Zhao Wuji before resting for a long moment on Tang San.

Though the expression beneath the hood remained hidden, in that instant, Tang San felt as if he had been completely seen through.

Zhao Wuji finally snapped out of the immense shock and the daze of having narrowly escaped death.

He hurriedly stepped forward, cupping his hands and bowing solemnly toward the black-robed figure, his tone filled with heartfelt gratitude and lingering fear:

"Many thanks to you, Senior, for saving our lives! This Humble One is Zhao Wuji of Shrek Academy. I do not know your esteemed name, but in the future..."

His words remained unfinished.

Because the moment he raised his head from his bow, the black-robed figure had already vanished into thin air.

There was no surge of spirit power, no distortion of the air, not even a lingering afterimage; he had disappeared without warning, as if he had never been there at all.

Only the devastated battlefield, the dust and faint scent of blood still hanging in the air, and the indelible memory of that hammer strike in everyone's hearts served as proof that what had just occurred was no hallucination.

Zhao Wuji's hands remained frozen in mid-air, the expression of gratitude on his face solidified, eventually giving way to a hint of embarrassment and a deeper, profound awe.

He slowly lowered his hands, staring at the empty space where the black-robed man had vanished, and sighed, muttering to himself: "Clear Sky Douluo Tang Hao. It really was him."

When that Clear Sky Hammer had appeared, Zhao Wuji had already suspected as much; combined with that terrifying cultivation and spirit ring configuration, he was now certain.

Looking across the entire continent, with the Clear Sky Sect having closed its gates and hidden from the world for many years, who else could possess such power as a Title Douluo, other than the man who had once shaken the continent as the youngest Title Douluo in history, Tang Hao?

As for why Tang Hao had appeared here by such a coincidence, and why he had gone to the lengths of shattering his spirit rings to save them...

Zhao Wuji cast a subtle glance out of the corner of his eye at Tang San, who was still staring in the direction where the black-robed man had disappeared.

A sudden realization dawned on Zhao Wuji, and he thought to himself:

I never expected that this kid would be the son of the Clear Sky Douluo! No wonder, no wonder his talent is so monstrous, and his temperament so steady and resilient... He truly hasn't tarnished his father's reputation in the slightest.

This discovery caused Zhao Wuji's evaluation of Tang San and the importance he placed on him to instantly soar to a new level. With a father like that, Tang San's future was destined to be anything but ordinary.

The crisis seemed to have been temporarily averted.

The Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast had been scared off, and the mysterious Title Douluo had departed. As their nerves, stretched to the breaking point, suddenly relaxed, a wave of intense exhaustion and lingering fear washed over them.

"Don't just stand there! Check your injuries and take inventory of your remaining supplies! Move quickly; this is no place to linger. The scent of blood and the commotion from earlier might attract other soul beasts. We must leave the Star Dou Forest as soon as possible!"

Hearing Zhao Wuji's command, the group finally snapped out of their respective thoughts and began frantically checking themselves and their packs.

Tang San also recovered from the shock and contemplation regarding the Clear Sky Hammer and the identity of the black-robed man.

He shook his head vigorously; now was not the time for such thoughts, as leaving the forest safely was the primary objective. He turned his head instinctively, habitually searching for Xiao Wu.

"Xiao Wu?"

His gaze swept past those beside him—she was not there. He looked toward Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, who were counting supplies—she was not there. Beside Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar—she was nowhere to be found.

Tang San's heart sank, and a sense of foreboding instantly flooded his mind.

"Xiao Wu? Xiao Wu!"

He raised his voice, his tone shifting and straining with urgency.

Hearing this, the others stopped what they were doing and looked around.

"Wasn't Xiao Wu just here a moment ago?"

Ning Rongrong asked in confusion, recalling that amidst the chaos, she seemed to have seen Xiao Wu right beside her.

"Yeah, I even saw Tang San holding her hand when we were running."

Ma Hongjun scratched his head.

Upon hearing this, Tang San's face turned deathly pale; he forced himself to calm down as his brain raced to recall the events.

When the black-robed figure appeared and swung that hammer, triggering a heaven-shaking explosion and a cloud of dust, he, like everyone else, had been stunned by the sight and instinctively dodged the shockwave and flying debris.

Could it be that they were separated at that very moment?

His attention had been completely captured by that Clear Sky Hammer and the identity of the black-robed figure, to the point that he had—he had completely failed to notice when Xiao Wu was no longer by his side!

"Xiao Wu is gone! Teacher Zhao! Xiao Wu is gone!"

Tang San lunged in front of Zhao Wuji, his voice trembling with panic and self-reproach, his eyes filled with frantic distress.

He dared not imagine what kind of danger Xiao Wu would face alone in this perilous Star Dou Forest, having just survived the pursuit of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast!