Tang Hao's face was dark as he stood poised to strike.
As he spoke, more Soul Rings exploded one after another.
They transformed into terrifying energy, converging in the Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul in his hand. The space around it seemed to waver, as if on the verge of tearing apart.
He stepped through the air, and a pressure far stronger than before—almost as if he had returned to his peak—came crashing down toward the front.
Long Xingyu immediately went on alert, his expression tinged with surprise. Even he had to admit that Tang Hao posed a serious threat now!
"What a peculiar technique! I remember those rings of light at your feet are called Soul Rings? They're the foundation of a Soul Master's cultivation and the source of their skills."
"Destroying them so violently can indeed provide energy for a short time, but the price must be immense. You're willing to stake everything? Then I'll give this my all, too!"
Tang Hao's willingness to fight to the death to protect Tang San—
Long Xingyu wasn't surprised by it. If anything, it earned Tang Hao a measure of respect.
But the more so, the more it proved that his father-in-law had been right before he left!
That little brat who hadn't yet come into his own might truly be a "Child of Destiny." If he wasn't dealt with, he would become a huge problem in the future.
With that in mind, and out of respect for Tang Hao's resolve, Long Xingyu held his breath and gathered his focus. Holy light bloomed within him once more. This time, he held nothing back either.
"I am Long Xingyu, Divine Knight of Judgment and Trial of the Holy Demon Federation, and bearer of the Divine Throne of Apocalypse and Slaughter."
He instinctively announced his title.
At the same time, the Divine Throne emerged from within him.
It enveloped his whole body, transforming into something like armor, and a new longsword took shape in his hand.
His presence surged, and the Divine Slaughter's Domain surrounding them began to resonate and intertwine with it in a strange way.
The sight left Tang Hao staring in shock. He had been ready to risk his life, but now he gaped at Long Xingyu—more specifically, at his equipment.
A Torso Soul Bone? Or something else? Whatever it was, it had to be extraordinary to work in tandem with the Divine Slaughter's Domain. This was going to make the fight even harder.
"Tang Hao, father of Tang San."
After a brief moment of surprise, Tang Hao replied.
He paused noticeably. After some hesitation, he didn't introduce himself by title, only giving his name.
When he learned that the Holy Demon Federation's target wasn't Dai Mubai, the Star Luo prince, but Tang San, his thoughts veered off course again.
His son's cultivation was so weak that he couldn't possibly have drawn the attention of a peerless powerhouse. So could their real target be the Clear Sky Sect?
The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. His misunderstanding deepened, and when he introduced himself just now, he deliberately left out his affiliation, his guard fully raised.
He immediately raised the Clear Sky Hammer and launched a fierce assault.
Even knowing he couldn't win, he still had to buy Tang San time to escape.
He unleashed the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer, unleashing wave after wave of attacks and giving his enemy no chance to react.
Although he barely managed to inflict any damage, he kept Long Xingyu too occupied to think of anything else, forcing him to focus entirely on blocking and counterattacking.
Boom! The two sides collided head-on with tremendous force.
To give Tang San a chance to escape, Tang Hao went all out.
The Ring Detonation state, combined with the power of the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer, was so punishing that cracks began to appear in Tang Hao's skin, even though his old injuries had yet to heal.
But the results were plain to see. Long Xingyu had to use the Nine Dragons Step, leaping and weaving through the air, just to barely keep the situation under control.
"Your move is certainly monstrous. If you could maintain it indefinitely, I might not be your match either. Too bad it won't last."
Long Xingyu's voice drifted over the forest. Though the battle was fiercely contested, he remained calm.
With his outstanding combat instincts, he naturally knew how to play to his strengths and avoid his weaknesses. Who would be stupid enough to trade blows with an enemy who had suddenly powered up? All he had to do was wait for Tang Hao to run out of strength!
Sure enough, Tang Hao's aura, ferocious and powerful just a moment earlier, suddenly began to falter.
Noticing the change, Long Xingyu shifted from defense to offense and raised his sword to attack again.
The Nine Dragons Step contained nine distinct footwork patterns, each suited to combat in different circumstances.
Unlike before, when he had focused on evasion, he now moved with overwhelming force, wreathed in a boundless, murderous intent.
"Looks like this is as far as I can go."
Tang Hao even coughed up blood without needing to clash with him.
Realizing his body was nearing its limit and the backlash from Ring Detonation was about to hit, he let out a deep sigh in his heart.
He had already given everything for his son, yet still hadn't bought him much time. Then he would try one last thing.
"The Soul Rings can be repaired after they explode. But if I blow up this Divine Slaughter's Domain, I wonder what the consequences will be?"
Tang Hao gave a self-mocking smile. The intense killing intent swirling around him suddenly began to condense and compress, becoming an unstable mass of energy.
That's right! He intended to detonate his own domain. This was nothing like blowing up Soul Rings—it was genuine self-mutilation, and he might even die from it.
How could Long Xingyu not understand...
The power of domains was common enough on the Holy Demon Continent.
And now, he possessed the Divine Slaughter's Domain too. The moment he saw what was happening, his expression changed.
If he took a direct hit, he'd be severely injured at best. Seeing that his enemy was staking everything, he quickly drew his spiritual power inward, abandoning offense for defense and strengthening his guard.
"Madman!"
Long Xingyu cursed under his breath.
In the next instant, Tang Hao unleashed the energy.
He detonated his domain. The raging crimson Soul Power fused with his killing intent and surged toward its target.
The shockwaves, several times more powerful than before, spread outward once again. The force was truly earth-shattering.
Even Yue Guan, who believed he had already reached a safe distance while carrying Dai Mubai, was horrified anew by the shockwave.
His mind reeled in disbelief. What level of battle was this? Could an ordinary Titled Douluo really unleash such power?
Yue Guan wasn't the only one whose imagination ran wild at the thought.
At some distance away, the Heaven Dou contingent had been following the trail.
Qian Jun and Jiang Mo's expressions changed. Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin were equally horrified. Was Chrysanthemum Douluo really this powerful?
As they wondered, they suddenly spotted figures approaching in the distance. The Shrek group had at least been clever enough to head toward the nearer Heaven Dou City.
They happened to run into the newcomers. Hope flared in Tang San and the others, and they waved desperately as they stumbled toward them, having completely forgotten that not long ago they had planned to betray the empire.
"It's them. Looks like we came to the right place!" Because of Ning Rongrong, Ning Fengzhi knew this group.
"The two elders aren't here! Let's go check out the battle!" Seeing this, the Spirit Hall members under Qian Jun urged everyone toward the scene.
At that moment, Ning Fengzhi and the others didn't know that Tang San was Long Xingyu's target.
They therefore thought the weak Shrek group was of no consequence and continued flying ahead.
With six Titled Douluo on their side, along with a powerful support Soul Master keeping them together, they weren't worried about running into danger.
They arrived in a grand display, making no effort to hide their auras, and saw the domain explode from afar.
Crimson energy exploded within a tiny area, while murderous Soul Power rampaged everywhere. There was no way to get any closer.
At the center, the instigator, Tang Hao, had been completely swallowed by the explosion. It was impossible to tell whether he was dead.
As for the "victim," Long Xingyu, his solid cultivation and protection from his own Divine Slaughter's Domain had saved him.
Though the impact had badly injured him, it hadn't left him on the brink of death. His whole body in unbearable pain, he struggled out of the dust.
"Damn! Father-in-law was right!"
"This Child of Destiny really is hard to kill!"
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