Qian Qizhou stared in disbelief at the shocking, tragic scene unfolding in the distance.
A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast had actually chosen the most resolute path, sacrificing itself to that Clear Sky Sect disciple!
Before he could recover from the sacrifice, the situation changed yet again!
Tang Hao, enduring heart-rending pain, had eyes that turned completely blood-red. A frenzied aura, powerful enough to destroy heaven and earth, burst from within him.
He threw his head back and roared like a wild beast. In the next instant, every Soul Ring surrounding him—
including the one he had just obtained, glowing with an eerie red light, the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring—shattered with a deafening crash all at once!
An unimaginable, terrifying energy exploded in an instant, surging madly into the Clear Sky Hammer in his hands like a tidal wave.
The enormous warhammer bore a force far beyond its limits and let out an overloaded hum. Its pitch-black head turned a heart-stopping dark red.
"Great Sumeru Hammer!"
Tang Hao roared and swung the Clear Sky Hammer, charged with all his power, at Qian Xunji, Gui Mei, and Yue Guan.
Everyone was focused on Tang Hao. Only Qian Qizhou noticed the flash of red that vanished in the sky.
The composure and sneer on Qian Xunji's face turned to shock in an instant. He urged his Martial Soul to its limits in an attempt to defend himself, while Gui Mei and Yue Guan hurriedly unleashed their Ninth Soul Skills.
But—
"BOOM!!!"
A devastating shock wave swallowed everything.
Holy Light shattered, the Strange Chrysanthemum withered, and the ghostly shadow wailed!
Qian Xunji's defenses were smashed apart. He spat blood and flew backward like a kite with its strings cut, his aura instantly dwindling to its weakest.
Gui Mei and Yue Guan also spat blood as they were blasted away, crashing heavily to the ground.
The force of a single strike had severely wounded three Titled Douluo at once!
A moment later, the dust slowly settled. Tang Hao was all that remained, leaning on his Clear Sky Hammer amid the ruins.
He put away his Martial Soul and said to Qian Xunji, "Leave."
Seeing that he made no further move—and with the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast already having sacrificed itself—Gui Mei and Yue Guan forced themselves to endure the pain and backlash in their bodies and struggled to their feet.
They helped the gravely wounded Qian Xunji up and said to Tang Hao, "Tang Hao, the Spirit Hall will remember this."
With that, the three of them left.
The backlash from Ring Detonation, together with his severe injuries, had nearly pushed him to the brink of collapse.
As Qian Xunji and the others disappeared completely into the distance, the final breath he had been forcing himself to hold finally eased.
His body swayed violently. Unable to remain standing, he dropped to one knee with a heavy thud.
He had spared Qian Xunji partly because he feared bringing disaster upon the Clear Sky Sect.
But more importantly... he could no longer fight.
The backlash from Ring Detonation, along with the injuries he had sustained in battle, had pushed his body to the brink of collapse.
Only the faint cries of the infant in his arms could keep a last shred of consciousness alive in him, preventing him from sinking into darkness.
Just then, a figure quietly landed in front of him.
Tang Hao struggled to raise his head, and his blurred vision slowly came into focus.
A young man stood before him, with a rare head of long golden-purple hair. Most astonishing of all, his features bore a striking resemblance to Qian Xunji, who had just left!
Tang Hao's heart jolted. He fought through the pain, trying to summon his Clear Sky Hammer, his eyes filled with wariness and hostility.
At a time like this... could the Spirit Hall really be trying to wipe them out?
Qian Qizhou regarded the man on the brink of collapse with interest.
He wasn't afraid Tang Hao would attack him. Without time to recover, Tang Hao couldn't beat him now.
"You... oh, you've just reached the rank of Titled Douluo, though in a rather brutal way."
"Perhaps you'll become this generation's Clear Sky Douluo? Congratulations. What's your name?"
Tang Hao was taken aback by the sudden assessment and question, but the other man seemed to bear no hostility.
He fell silent for a moment, then replied hoarsely, "Tang Hao. And who might you be?"
Qian Qizhou glanced casually to one side, walked over to a relatively flat boulder, brushed the dust off it with a graceful sweep, and sat down calmly.
"Let's make a deal," he said bluntly. "I watched the entire battle from a distance."
"You should still have a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Bone in your possession, right?"
"Only for an instant, but I saw it. You fooled Qian Xunji into thinking you absorbed it along with the sacrifice."
That was the whole reason he had come to see Tang Hao. A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Bone... It would be a shame to let it go.
At that, Tang Hao flew into a rage. He jerked his head up and glared at Qian Qizhou. "You! How dare a mere Soul Elder make such wild claims!"
The instant his words fell, the smile vanished from Qian Qizhou's face.
"Vmmm—!"
The crown above his head hummed, unleashing an immense pressure.
He slowly raised his eyes. His pupils had turned a pure, unbroken purple—cold, imposing, murderous.
A terrifying aura descended with a crash, pressing hard against Tang Hao.
The fury boiling inside him was snuffed out at once, and his eyes filled with incredulous shock!
How could it be... How could a child possess an aura like this?
The infant in his arms was startled by the sudden change and began wailing.
Yet that cry was like a basin of cold water, instantly snapping Tang Hao out of the fevered haze of anger and pain and forcing him to suppress the turmoil within.
Still, he kept his eyes fixed on Qian Qizhou, full of suspicion and resentment.
Qian Qizhou spoke at last. "Now, do you think we can talk?"
Tang Hao sighed. "Go on."
If he hadn't just fought a fierce battle, how could he have let a brat like this threaten him...
As if he had seen through Tang Hao's thoughts, Qian Qizhou nodded and openly admitted, "You're powerful. If you were at full strength and uninjured, I wouldn't be your match right now."
Still, he bore no grudge against this man and had never even met him before. He wasn't about to kill him and take his treasure.
"I won't take advantage of your weakened state. Give me that Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Bone, and in exchange, I can bring your Soul Beast back to life."
Tang Hao froze. As if a drowning man had seized the last reed, he struggled to lean forward. "Is that true?! Can you really bring Ah Yin back to life?!"
But the overwhelming joy lasted only an instant. Reason and despair surged back at once, snuffing out the flame that had just kindled in his eyes.
He shook his head sharply, his voice full of doubt and bitterness. "No... No way! How could you possibly do that?"
"The sacrifice is complete. It can't be reversed! You're only a Soul Elder. Even if you're exceptional, how could you defy the laws of heaven and earth?"
As he spoke, he fixed his gaze on Qian Qizhou, searching his face for any sign of deception or hesitation.
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