The God of Life's Protective Streak

"Tang Hao, as a Title Douluo, you should understand the preciousness of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast." Clearly, Dugu Bo had no intention of giving up on Xiao Wu.

It was not just for Ye Qingzhou, but even more so for his precious granddaughter.

Tang Hao ignored Dugu Bo and looked toward Ye Shuyuan, as if asking for his opinion.

Ye Shuyuan naturally noticed Tang Hao's gaze and spoke indifferently: "My opinion is the same as Dugu Bo's."

Hearing the decision of both Ye Shuyuan and Dugu Bo, Tang Hao no longer spoke in a gentle tone.

He had originally intended to keep the inscrutable little fellow by Ye Shuyuan and Dugu Bo's side, but since they were unwilling to leave even a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast for him, then that little fellow would certainly not be left for him either.

Beneath Tang Hao's feet, nine soul rings slowly rotated and ascended: two yellow, two purple, four black, and finally, that blood-red soul ring that seemed to have condensed from fresh blood, flickering with a heart-stopping radiance under the sunlight.

"Since you refuse to listen to reason, then do not blame me for being heartless."

Tang Hao considered himself a reasonable man; facing two Title Douluos with whom he had prior dealings, his first instinct was not to fight, but to reason.

Since they would not listen to his logic, he had no choice but to take action.

The moment the Hundred-Thousand-Year soul ring appeared, the pupils of Ye Shuyuan and Dugu Bo contracted sharply.

A Hundred-Thousand-Year soul ring!

Suddenly, they realized why the former Pope of Martial Soul Hall, Qian Xunji, had led a team to hunt down Tang Hao.

If it were truly because of this soul ring, then it all made sense.

Watching Tang Hao prepare to engage them, Ye Shuyuan and Dugu Bo no longer bothered with polite conversation: "If you wish to strike, then we shall accompany you!"

Ye Shuyuan and Dugu Bo did not show weakness; the Nine Heart Begonia hovered in Ye Shuyuan's hand, and Dugu Bo entered his martial soul avatar state.

Two yellow, two purple, and five black—the classic soul ring configuration of a Title Douluo—slowly rose from beneath the feet of Ye Shuyuan and Dugu Bo.

Tang Hao's gaze turned cold instantly. Without further words, the sixth black soul ring beneath his feet lit up.

The Clear Sky Hammer in his hand emitted a dull hum, and a pitch-black hammer shadow, carrying the power to destroy the heavens and earth, smashed straight down toward Dugu Bo.

This strike had no flashy techniques, no complex variations; there was only pure, crushing power.

"Seventh Soul Skill, Martial Soul Avatar!" Dugu Bo's pupils contracted violently as his soul rings lit up simultaneously. The Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor avatar was instantly unleashed, and dark green scales covered his entire body.

Dugu Bo transformed into a thirty-meter-long, water-vat-thick giant green serpent.

He used his physical body to forcibly withstand Tang Hao's sixth soul skill.

"Dugu Bo, I will assist you!"

Ye Shuyuan's ninth soul ring lit up, the Nine Heart Begonia bloomed, and vast life energy was injected into Dugu Bo's body.

Their Ye family's Nine Heart Begonia had only ever possessed one soul skill from beginning to end.

That was all-encompassing healing.

Ye Qingzhou hid in a corner, watching the battle between Dugu Bo and Tang Hao.

Does this Tang Hao really have to fight inside Nuoding City?

Possessing only the cultivation of a Soul Ancestor, he could not rashly intervene in a battle between Title Douluos and could only watch from afar.

It was truly maddening.

Dugu Bo was already the weakest among all Title Douluos.

Facing Tang Hao, who was stronger than him, even if Tang Hao was heavily injured and had Ye Shuyuan's help, Dugu Bo was simply no match for him.

Tang Hao was also holding back.

Fighting in the small city of Nuoding was not ideal; all he wanted was to drive them back.

He brandished the Clear Sky Hammer in his hand, aiming at Dugu Bo, who had transformed into the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor:

"I will give you one more chance. Abandon the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast and leave that little fellow behind. If you two leave, I can let bygones be bygones."

Since he could not discern the cultivation of that child, it meant that there was a power even greater than his own protecting him from within.

He could not simply let him leave.

He had to take him away, make him a good friend to Tang San, and have him contribute to the revenge he and his son sought against Martial Soul Hall.

Wait, what?

Ye Qingzhou, who was watching the battle from the corner, had a look of confusion on his face.

How was he involved in this?

He hadn't done anything at all.

Following the direction Tang Hao was pointing, Ye Shuyuan and Dugu Bo looked simultaneously toward where Ye Qingzhou was hiding.

Tang Hao was actually setting his sights on Ye Qingzhou?!

Ye Shuyuan and Dugu Bo refused in unison: "Impossible, keep dreaming your delusional daydreams."

"Refused again. Medical Saint, Old Poison, this is what you forced me to do."

A fierce glint flashed in Tang Hao's eyes.

Almost the moment the thought arose, his figure vanished from where he stood. It wasn't that he disappeared, but rather, he was simply too fast.

Before Dugu Bo and Ye Shuyuan could even react, Tang Hao's figure had already arrived before Ye Qingzhou.

Ye Qingzhou attempted to resist, but the moment his Magnolia was about to manifest, Tang Hao showed not a shred of mercy.

That rough, calloused hand clamped onto Ye Qingzhou's throat like an iron vice.

Tang Hao did not use his full strength, but this force was still far beyond what the nine-year-old Ye Qingzhou could handle.

"Stop!" Ye Shuyuan and Dugu Bo roared in unison, both launching their attacks.

Tang Hao applied a bit more pressure, using Ye Qingzhou to threaten Ye Shuyuan and Dugu Bo: "Halt. If you take another step forward, don't blame me if my hand slips."

Hearing Ye Qingzhou's pained cry, Ye Shuyuan and Dugu Bo stopped in their tracks.

Ye Shuyuan's hands clenched into fists inside his sleeves, his knuckles turning white, his voice laced with irrepressible fury: "Clear Sky Douluo, holding a junior hostage—is this what a Titled Douluo should be doing?"

Tang Hao fell silent for a moment, a flash of complexity crossing his eyes, yet he ultimately did not let go.

"I gave you a chance once already; it is you who failed to seize it."

With his throat constricted, Ye Qingzhou struggled to breathe.

At that very moment.

A beam of emerald-green light erupted without warning from the center of Ye Qingzhou's brow, sweeping out in all directions.

Tang Hao bore the brunt of the impact, his hand forced away from Ye Qingzhou's throat by a power beyond description.

Sent reeling, Tang Hao tumbled across the ground again and again.

He suppressed the shock in his heart, staring fixedly at Ye Qingzhou, who was now hovering in mid-air.

"This guy..."

Ye Shuyuan and Dugu Bo exchanged a glance before rushing to either side of Ye Qingzhou.

Ye Qingzhou spoke, but the voice that emerged was not his own; it was a sharp, feminine rebuke: "Is this what a Titled Douluo of Douluo Continent amounts to?"

"To not even spare a nine-year-old child—how utterly shameless!"

"You enjoy bullying the weak with your strength, do you? Then let me experience this 'bullying' of yours!"

As the words fell, Ye Qingzhou slowly raised his right hand, fingers slightly splayed. With a casual gesture, divine power surged forth, washing over Tang Hao's body.

"You... you are..." Upon hearing that voice of absolute majesty and irresistible authority, Tang Hao's face turned ashen.