A Cannon to Kill a Mosquito, That's Definitely a Tang Family Move

Tang Xiao gripped his hammer with both hands, his eyes brimming with confidence.

At thirty meters long, the Clear Sky Hammer could crush anyone into a meat patty with a single strike.

Yan Lingji smiled at the sight, her eyes devoid of any panic or fear, holding only a casual, effortless composure.

If this were in the past, she definitely would have said, "Little brother, could you really bear to hit me?"

She would have accompanied the words with those watery eyes to unsettle her opponent's mind, seizing the chance to strike.

But ever since she followed Zhao Linchuan, her temperament had changed.

Although she remained somewhat playful in private, she was an incredibly dignified woman in front of outsiders.

With a thought, seven soul rings—black, black, black, black, black, red, red—suddenly rose from beneath her feet, circling her body and rotating slowly.

Five black ten-thousand-year soul rings and two blood-red hundred-thousand-year soul rings shone against one another in the sunlight, radiating heart-palpitating energy fluctuations.

The two blood-red soul rings were particularly dazzling, like two miniature suns tamed to orbit her, staining the surrounding air with a faint crimson hue.

"Mystic Bird Vermilion Bird—Descend!"

Yan Lingji spread her arms, her voice as cold as frost.

"Screech—!"

A crisp bird cry exploded instantly in the void!

The sound was clear and far-reaching, echoing in the heavens and earth for a long time.

The sky turned vermilion.

The seventh blood-red soul ring circling Yan Lingji flew into the sky, rapidly expanding—one zhang, ten zhang, a hundred zhang—like a blood-colored full moon hanging in mid-air, shrouding the entire arena in a faint red glow.

Following that, a Mystic Bird Vermilion Bird, vermilion as blood, slowly flew out from the gap in the center of the soul ring.

"Screech—!"

It spread its wings, spanning a full hundred meters, blotting out the sun.

White flames burned upon its wings; every feather seemed woven from the purest fire, noble and majestic.

Its crystalline white eyes overlooked all living things, carrying a divinity that transcended the mortal realm.

With a gentle flap of its wings, the vermilion soul light spread like a tide in all directions, shattering the clouds and mist for dozens of miles until they vanished without a trace.

The sky became clear and transparent, blue as polished glaze.

On the ground, Tang Xiao knelt on his knees, his massive Clear Sky Avatar having dissipated at some point.

A heavy pressure descended from the sky, like a mountain pressing onto his shoulders, forcing his entire body to the ground.

He braced his hands against the floor, gritting his teeth and using every ounce of his strength to try and stand, but the pressure was too great—so heavy that his spine creaked under the strain.

"Five black... two red?"

He lifted his head with great difficulty to look at Yan Lingji, his eyes filled with unbelievable horror.

"How, how is this possible—?!!"

"Ant."

Yan Lingji's voice was cold as frost, carrying a detached sense of superiority, like a god looking down upon dust.

"You dare to look directly at my majesty?"

A flash of white light appeared in her hand, and the Vermilion South-Bright Fire Sword was already in her grasp.

A warm red halo flowed across the blade, the white gem at the crossguard shimmering in the sunlight, and the tip of the sword trembled slightly, emitting a clear, resonant hum.

Tang Xiao watched Yan Lingji, his whole body trembling; he wanted to resist, but he could not.

The vermilion bird in the sky pinned him down; the pressure was heavy as a mountain and vast as the sea, leaving him unable to lift even a single finger.

He was incapable of any effective counterattack. If Yan Lingji wanted to kill him, he was nothing more than a bound lamb, unable to put up any defense.

"Stop! We surrender—!"

A crisp voice rang out from the Clear Sky Sect's resting area.

Tang Yuehua waved her arms, shouting regardless of her image, her voice sharp and urgent:

"We surrender! Stop fighting!"

Yan Lingji turned her head to glance at Tang Yuehua, then withdrew her gaze, letting it fall back upon the kneeling Tang Xiao.

"Boring."

She spoke softly, and with a casual slash of the Vermilion South-Bright Fire Sword, a vermilion bird with a three-meter wingspan burst from the tip of the blade. It burned with white flames, trailing long tail-fire as it lunged straight at Tang Xiao!

"Ah—!"

Flap, flap—!

After a scream, Tang Xiao was ruthlessly struck to the ground by the vermilion bird.

The white flames exploded upon him; though not fatal, they burned away his robes and hair entirely.

He lay on the ground completely bare, his skin smudged with soot in patches of black and white. His hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes were all gone, and his bald head glinted with a pale, bluish sheen under the sunlight.

At this moment, he looked just like a hairless monkey.

"Hahaha--!"

Laughter erupted instantly.

The sound surged from all directions, wave after wave like a rising tide, one after another, deafening in its intensity.

Some people laughed until they doubled over, some slapped their thighs, some wept with mirth, and others even slid right off their chairs.

The jeering and pointing threatened to drown out the entire arena.

On the ground, Tang Xiao's face turned the color of liver.

He scrambled to roll over onto his stomach to cover his shameful parts, then fumbled in a panic to pull a robe from his soul storage device. He donned it with trembling hands, his fingers shaking so badly that it took several attempts to tie the sash.

Once dressed, he scrambled to his feet and bolted toward the rest area with his head hung low, his pace so hurried and frantic that he nearly tripped over his own hem.

He looked utterly wretched, even more humiliating than Tang Hao.

The discussions in the spectator stands were like a pot boiling over.

"What is wrong with these Clear Sky Twin Stars? How could they lose to two women?"

"Pah, they're just overhyped."

"I agree. In my opinion, the Clear Sky Sect is nothing special."

"The Clear Sky Sect has really embarrassed themselves this time; their two strongest men beaten by two women without a shred of resistance."

"Who's to say otherwise? The number one sect under heaven? Hah..."

The mockery rose and fell, wave after wave.

In the VIP gallery, Tang Zhen's face grew darker and darker, until it was as black as ink.

He clenched his fists until they cracked, his teeth gritted, his entire body trembling slightly.

Meanwhile, Qian Xunji's expression grew brighter, the amusement in his eyes deepening until he radiated the satisfaction of someone who had just achieved a great victory.

If not for the need to maintain his own image, he would have leaned against the wall and had a good, long laugh.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the urge to "take flight," and turned to look at Tang Zhen, his smile fading slightly into an expression of "I am also quite helpless."

"Sect Master Tang, the common folk are ignorant; I hope you will not take offense."

"It would be a great loss if you were to ruin your health over the idle gossip of street urchins."

If Qian Xunji had said nothing, it would have been better; but with these words, Tang Zhen's complexion shifted instantly from livid to liver-colored, and then from liver-colored to a deep, bruised purple.

His eyes bulged, bloodshot veins mapping his sclera, his chest heaving violently as his breathing grew as ragged as a bellows.

At this moment, the classic combination of bloodshot eyes and heavy, bovine panting was perfectly replicated on Tang Zhen!