Although Tang Hao was disabled, his domineering presence had lost none of its former force.
He glared at the heavens, his eyes full of suspicion.
"Who's behind this Sky Curtain?"
"Are they making a fool of my Clear Sky Sect?"
"How could my Clear Sky Sect possibly be ranked sixth?"
"Ordinary factions aren't even worthy of carrying my Clear Sky Sect's shoes!"
The Clear Sky Sect elders and disciples around him were just as incensed, shouting one after another.
"Exactly! They must have made a mistake!"
"This ranking is unfair!"
"Which wild god thought this was funny?"
No one could accept this as fact.
Just as the Clear Sky Sect was filled with voices of protest,
the golden light above the Sky Curtain flared once more, and that majestic voice boomed directly in everyone's minds.
[Power Ranking, sixth place: rewards distributed!] [Sect Master Tang Xiao receives a God's Gift reward: Martial Soul evolution, second stage—Primordial Chaos Hammer!] [Sect member Tang Hao receives a God's Gift reward: complete restoration!] [Restoration details: backlash from the Clear Sky True Body, missing limbs, old hidden injuries, blocked meridians... all perfectly healed, returning him to his peak condition!] [All other Clear Sky Sect disciples gain three levels of Soul Power!]
As the voice faded, several golden pillars of light shot straight down from the Sky Curtain, instantly enveloping the entire Clear Sky Sect.
Tang Xiao felt the Clear Sky Hammer in his hand grow scorching hot. An ancient, primordial aura awakened within it.
Chaos-colored patterns appeared across the hammer's once-black surface. Its weight multiplied several times over, and a terrifying power capable of smashing through the void surged through his body.
The Primordial Chaos Hammer!
A being that surpassed top-tier Martial Souls!
Meanwhile, an even more astonishing change was taking place in Tang Hao.
Beneath the golden light, flesh writhed and grew at a visible speed from his once-empty sleeves and trouser legs.
His severed arm regrew!
His broken leg was restored!
The hidden injuries he had suffered from years of draining his life and forcibly using the Great Sumeru Hammer melted away like snow beneath the blazing sun.
A soul power so immense it seemed to reach its very limit burst from Tang Hao's body and shot into the sky!
"Roar—!"
Tang Hao couldn't help letting out a long howl. It thundered through the air, sending rocks tumbling down from the surrounding mountains.
He sprang up from his wheelchair!
His feet planted on the ground, as steady as a mountain.
He flung out his arms, brimming with explosive strength.
The Clear Sky Douluo who had once shaken the Pope Palace with his hammer and struck terror into Spirit Hall had returned!
And this time, Tang Hao was in his prime, with no injuries to hold him back!
Golden light poured like a waterfall from the heavens.
The Clear Sky Sect grounds fell deathly silent.
Everyone stared, frozen, at the divine pillars of light descending from above, forgetting even to breathe.
The Clear Sky Hammer in Tang Xiao's hand had completely changed.
The once-black, heavy hammer now shimmered with chaotic light. The intricate patterns on its head seemed to have come alive, and each flicker caused the surrounding space to buckle slightly.
This wasn't the pressure of Soul Power, but the pure weight and majesty of the tool Martial Soul itself.
The Primordial Chaos Hammer!
Tang Xiao felt a power unlike anything he had ever known filling his body. He almost thought that a single swing could smash a hole in the sky.
But even more astonishing was Tang Hao.
Wrapped in golden light, the former Clear Sky Douluo was undergoing a rebirth that was transforming him from head to toe.
Flesh writhed, and bones crackled.
A brand-new arm grew from his empty sleeve at an astonishing speed. Its skin was as fresh as a baby's, yet it brimmed with explosive strength.
The meridians in his broken leg reconnected, and new flesh formed.
Even his aged, careworn face was rejuvenated by the golden light. Its wrinkles smoothed away, his white hair turned black, and he once again looked like the spirited young man he had been in his prime.
A moment later, the light faded.
Tang Hao abruptly opened his eyes, and two sharp gleams shot from them like lightning.
He took a deep breath, his feet planted on the earth. It was a feeling of stability he hadn't known in a long time.
No one supported him. He didn't tremble.
He stood firmly, his back straight as a spear piercing the heavens.
The hidden injuries that had once tormented him without end were now completely gone.
Soul Power surged through him like a mighty river, more refined than even at the height of his former power.
"So this is... a God's Gift?"
Tang Xiao's voice trembled as he looked at the hammer in his hand, then at his brother, who seemed reborn.
It was too unreal.
A mere ranking had brought down such heaven-defying rewards?
What manner of being was behind this Sky Curtain?
"Big brother."
Tang Hao clenched his new fist, feeling the sensation in his fingertips. His voice was hoarse, yet full of strength.
"It's real."
"The Golden Ranking is real!"
"If the rewards are real, then my Clear Sky Sect really is ranked sixth."
At that moment, the Clear Sky Sect elders and disciples who had been clamoring about unfairness and claiming the ranking was fake all fell silent.
No one dared to question it again.
Instead, a feverish excitement began to spread through the crowd.
Sixth place had earned them rewards like these.
What would it be like to make the top three—or even claim the top spot?
On the back hill of the City Lord Mansion in Godwind City,
Venti was still lying in the grass, now with a freshly opened bottle of apple cider in hand.
He raised the bottle and waved it at the Golden Ranking in the sky, as though toasting from afar.
"Now that's a generous gift."
"To casually restore lost limbs... The power behind this is even more interesting than I imagined."
He tipped back the bottle and took a swig. The crisp drink slid down his throat, leaving a pleasantly cool sensation.
Just then, light footsteps came from behind him.
She had tried to tread softly, but how could she fool the ears of the wind?
Without turning around, Venti asked lazily,
"Xiangxiang, you're in such a hurry. That's not like you."
It was Bai Chenxiang.
She wore a fitted outfit of pale purple that hugged her graceful figure just right. The pair of transparent wings on her back were still unfolded, making it clear she had flown here at full speed.
At the sound of Venti's voice, the urgency on Bai Chenxiang's face gave way to a blush.
She stopped beside him and looked at the young man sprawled in the grass, with none of a city lord's airs. Her eyes were full of adoration she made no effort to hide.
Even after all these years, her master was still so handsome.
His carefree, unrestrained nature was like the wind itself—impossible to catch, captivating, and yet leaving her anxious that she might lose him.
"Master..."
Bai Chenxiang called softly, her voice gentle, touched with a young woman's shyness.
She crouched down and reached out with slender fingers to gently straighten Venti's collar, ruffled by the wind.
Her fingertips brushed the skin at his neck, making her heart skip a beat.
"All right, that's enough fussing."
Venti smiled and sat up, casually setting down the half-empty bottle. His emerald eyes twinkled as he looked at Bai Chenxiang.
"Tell me, what happened?"