Tang Hao's Strongest Strike

Back then, Tang Hao had cried out for help, but Lin Mian had paid him no heed.

He had a good personal relationship with Tang Chen, but he would not betray his principles for Tang Chen.

Moreover, his relationship with Qian Daoliu was much the same as with Tang Chen. He was even less likely to betray his principles while also offending Qian Daoliu.

Thus, events developed according to the original plot. The Blue Silver Emperor sacrificed herself, Tang Hao broke through to become a Title Douluo, killed two of Spirit Hall's Title Douluos, and severely wounded the Pope of Spirit Hall.

But unlike before, Tang Hao came to resent Judgment Hall. He believed that Ah Yin had died because Lin Mian had refused to act.

Lin Mian did not know what Tang Hao was thinking, nor did it matter to him. He was not surprised either. In his eyes, Tang Hao was simply a love-struck fool.

As far as Lin Mian was concerned, Tang Hao could be a love-struck fool, and he could hate him if he wished. But if he dared lay a hand on Judgment Hall, then he could not blame Lin Mian for showing no mercy.

A flicker of hatred flashed through Tang Hao's eyes.

The events of more than a decade ago remained vivid in his mind.

If the Judgment Douluo had acted, Ah Yin would never have died.

It was all his fault that Ah Yin had died!

His son had done nothing wrong, yet Judgment Hall had captured him as well. This was truly going too far.

Everyone in this Judgment Hall branch had to die, even if only as interest on the debt from back then.

Sooner or later, he would trample the Judgment Douluo beneath his feet and avenge what had happened.

Having decided to act, Tang Hao no longer delayed.

He also understood that he could not leave behind the slightest trace this time. If the Judgment Douluo found out, he would surely be hunted down.

No matter how much he hated Lin Mian, he knew that he was absolutely no match for that legend at present.

In the dead of night, Tang Hao vanished into the Judgment Hall branch. He could not use the Clear Sky Hammer; the traces would be too obvious, and it might easily injure Tang San.

At this moment, assassination was the best choice.

Just as Tang Hao quietly approached one of Judgment Hall's guards, a hand seized his shoulder. Then the enforcers and everyone else, Tang San included, all fainted.

"Who is it?"

Tang Hao's terrified voice escaped his mouth.

"Let's talk somewhere else. This is not a suitable place to fight." Lin Mian did not conceal his voice. There was no need to.

Tang Hao's pupils constricted. He had heard that voice before. It belonged to the strongest man on the continent.

His body began to tremble. He had not expected his thoughts to be exposed before that man.

"No, I'm not leaving."

Tang Hao knew that he was absolutely no match for this man. If he left this place, there would be only death awaiting him.

If he stayed here, this man might be wary of harming Tang San and not dare to act.

"I'm not discussing this with you. Did you think I didn't know what you were thinking? You want to stay here, but do you think you can?"

"I..."

Suddenly, Tang Hao realized that he could not speak, and his body was rapidly shifting through space.

He wanted to resist, only to discover that he could not mobilize even a trace of Soul Power. His body seemed completely restrained by an immense force of Soul Power.

Was this the strength of the strongest person in the world? How could the gap be so vast?

The question surfaced in Tang Hao's mind.

He had originally thought that while the Judgment Douluo was powerful, he could not possibly leave him without even the strength to fight back.

Only now that they had truly faced each other did he understand how laughable his thoughts had been.

This was probably power approaching that of a god, wasn't it?

Had the Judgment Douluo already become a god?

What Tang Hao did not know was that although a Limit Douluo was powerful, they could not render him unable to use even a trace of Soul Power. Not even his grandfather, Tang Chen, could come remotely close to such a feat.

The only reason was that Lin Mian was simply too far beyond the norm.

If not for his goal of creating a God King Divine Position, Lin Mian could become a god at any time.

Less than a quarter of an hour later, the two finally stopped.

They were surrounded by desolate open ground. Within twenty miles, there was not a single trace of human habitation.

Lin Mian set Tang Hao down and released the restraints on his body.

"You can speak now." His cold voice rang out.

"Your Excellency the Arbiter, I know I was wrong. Please, for my grandfather's sake, spare my life."

Without hesitation, Tang Hao dropped to his knees with a thud, no longer caring about his pride.

Knowing defeat was certain yet still resisting was not courage. It was stupidity.

Lin Mian looked at him coldly.

"In the fifty years since Judgment Hall was founded, there have been many who wanted to kill, or had already killed, members of Judgment Hall. Their endings were all the same: death!"

"What makes you think you are any different from them? Because you are Tang Chen's grandson?"

"I... I..."

Tang Hao was drenched in sweat. He was truly panicking.

"What are you panicking for? Didn't you just want to attack our Judgment Hall personnel?"

"Tang San is your son? He was merely captured, not executed, yet you wanted to kill people. This cannot be so simple. What exactly made you do this?"

"Tell me, and I can return your Soul Bones to the Clear Sky Sect."

Tang Hao had already calmed down. He was more than a decade younger than Lin Mian and had grown up listening to Lin Mian's legends.

He knew Lin Mian's temperament even better. Knowing that he would surely die today, he stopped pleading.

"Because I hate you. More than a decade ago, if you had acted, you could have saved Ah Yin, but you did not.

"Ah Yin died. It was all your fault. You could have acted, so why didn't you?"

"I hate you. I hate you for not saving Ah Yin, so I will destroy Judgment Hall and make you understand the pain of having what you love destroyed."

Tang Hao's face had already twisted with madness.

Lin Mian had not expected that to be the reason.

Tang Chen was such a hero, yet he had a grandson like this. It was truly lamentable.

"For Tang Chen's sake, I will give you one chance. Use your strongest move. Consider it a send-off for your death."

"Fine. Today, let me see just how powerful you, the legend of the continent, truly are."

"Great Sumeru Hammer!" Tang Hao roared, his voice like a great bell resounding across the heavens.

His nine Spirit Rings began to pulse violently, as though answering Tang Hao's will.

Then, an astonishing scene unfolded. All of Tang Hao's Spirit Rings slowly separated from his body and floated in the air.

Yet Tang Hao did not hesitate. He was proud; even in death, he wanted to leave his own mark behind.

He extended his left hand and clenched it fiercely. The Spirit Rings shattered like glass with a bang, turning into countless streams of light that instantly merged into the Clear Sky Hammer.

At that moment, a faint golden glow spread across the Clear Sky Hammer's surface. The patterns on its hammerhead grew clearer as well, as though proclaiming the terrifying power it was about to unleash.

Lin Mian had to admit that the Clear Sky Sect's ultimate technique did possess some real power.

If this hammer strike landed, there were likely few people on the entire continent who could withstand it.

Naturally, he was not among them.

Even Tang Chen's version of this move had failed to defeat him back then, much less Tang Hao's current one.

"Since I was young, I have heard your legends. When I was six, I even witnessed your fierce battle with my grandfather. To fight you today is my honor. I also want to see what kind of pressure my grandfather faced that day."

"Come, then. Great Sumeru Hammer, Nine-Ring Detonation."

Boundless power surged from Tang Hao's body.