Yang Jian vs. Tang Hao

Yue Guan gave Tang Hao no time to think.

A streak of golden light flashed past.

The petals of the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum poured down on Tang Hao like a torrential rain.

Tang Hao had only just reacted when he was struck head-on by the shower of petals filling the sky.

He let out a muffled groan and was blasted away, smashing a deep crater into the ground.

"You actually ambushed me!" Tang Hao climbed out of the pit, his face filled with fury.

Yue Guan sneered. "You hypocritical bastard. Who was it that launched the first sneak attack?"

Before his words had even faded, his next attack arrived.

Golden petals intertwined in midair, forming a massive net that enveloped Tang Hao.

Tang Hao swung the Clear Sky Hammer, shattering the petals one strike at a time, but there were simply too many to destroy them all.

He had no choice but to retreat and reorganize his assault.

"Fifth Soul Skill, Sky-Shattering Strike!"

Tang Hao's aura abruptly changed. The patterns on the Clear Sky Hammer lit up with a blinding glow, and nine soul rings appeared beneath his feet—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, red!

With one hammer strike, he tore through the air, producing a sharp, piercing howl.

Yue Guan did not dare take it head-on and rapidly retreated.

But Tang Hao was even faster.

The Clear Sky Hammer, carrying earth-shattering force, slammed into the petal barrier of the Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum.

The barrier shattered at once, and Yue Guan was sent flying again.

The battle continued for more than ten minutes.

Yue Guan was smashed to the ground by Tang Hao's hammer. He spat out blood in great mouthfuls, his robes tattered beyond recognition, utterly miserable.

Tang Hao stood before him, looking down at him from above, his breathing somewhat ragged as well.

He was wounded too, but his injuries were not serious.

Tang Hao's spiritual power had been probing the surroundings the entire time.

This guy was practically beaten to death, yet no one had appeared.

It seemed he had overthought things. There was no ambush at all.

Tang Hao's heart settled, and the killing intent in his eyes grew even stronger.

Today, not only could he kill Yue Guan and weaken Spirit Hall's high-level combat strength, he could also take care of that Spirit Hall genius while he was at it.

Once he recovered from his injuries and trained Tang San, he could officially begin his revenge against Spirit Hall.

Destroy Spirit Hall!

A trace of grand ambition flashed through Tang Hao's eyes.

He slowly walked toward Yue Guan, the Clear Sky Hammer dragging a deep trench across the ground.

"Chrysanthemum Pass." His voice was low and hoarse, carrying a hint of cruelty. "Do you have any last words? I'll give you one chance."

Yue Guan clutched his chest and struggled to rise from the ground.

He knew he was no match for Tang Hao, so he looked toward Yang Jian, who was watching from afar.

"Jian. You take over."

Tang Hao stopped in his tracks.

He frowned, looking from Yang Jian in the distance to Yue Guan, his eyes full of confusion.

Was this guy brain-dead?

At a time like this, shouldn't he be telling that kid to run?

Why was he calling him over instead?

He was only a level-fifty Soul King. Though he was indeed talented, the gap in their levels was right there.

Tang Hao was not only a level-ninety-five Titled Douluo, but also possessed the Clear Sky Hammer, the world's number one tool martial soul, and had mastered the Clear Sky Nine Absolutes.

Even with the old injuries still inside him from what had happened twelve years ago, dealing with a level-ninety-eight Titled Douluo would not be a problem.

And now Yue Guan wanted a level-fifty Soul King to fight him?

Tang Hao felt as though his intelligence had been insulted.

"Uncle Yue, stand to the side and watch."

Yang Jian nodded at Yue Guan. Knowing it was time for him to step in, he flipped his right hand, and the Three-Point Double-Edged Saber appeared in his palm. Its blade lengthened in the wind, becoming roughly three meters long.

Holding the Three-Point Double-Edged Saber, Yang Jian walked toward Tang Hao.

His steps were steady, neither hurried nor slow, and his face bore no expression.

Tang Hao looked at the youth and became even more puzzled.

This kid actually dared to come?

His gaze fell upon the Three-Point Double-Edged Saber, and he could sense that this martial soul was not weak.

But that was all.

His Clear Sky Hammer was the world's number one tool martial soul.

It crushed everything!

"Good, good, good." Tang Hao sneered repeatedly, a cruel gleam flashing in his eyes. "Neither one of you takes me seriously. Very well."

He raised the Clear Sky Hammer as soul power surged wildly.

"If either of you survives today, I'm not a man!"

Before his words faded, Tang Hao shot forward.

The Clear Sky Hammer, carrying world-destroying force, smashed toward Yang Jian's head.

He had used his full strength in this strike.

He wanted to crush this Spirit Hall genius to death with a single blow and snuff out Spirit Hall's future.

Yang Jian's gaze sharpened. The Three-Point Double-Edged Saber swept through the air in a silver-white arc and met the Clear Sky Hammer.

"Boom—!"

A thunderous metallic collision exploded across the mountaintop. The soundwave spread in every direction, making even the loose stones on the ground bounce.

Both figures were sent flying backward at the same time.

Yang Jian spun twice in midair before landing steadily on the ground. The Three-Point Double-Edged Saber traced an arc at his side, dispersing all the force.

His expression remained unchanged and his breathing was steady, as though that strike had merely been a warm-up.

Tang Hao was not nearly so composed.

After landing, he staggered back several steps, each one leaving a deep footprint in the ground before he finally stabilized himself.

His expression changed.

The hand gripping the Clear Sky Hammer had gone numb, and a sharp pain came from the web between his thumb and forefinger.

He had actually gained no advantage?

He had even been pushed back?

Tang Hao stared at Yang Jian in disbelief, his mind in chaos.

From that strike just now, he could clearly feel that Yang Jian was stronger than him, and that the Three-Point Double-Edged Saber outweighed the Clear Sky Hammer by far.

Though he was deeply unwilling to admit it, the facts were right before him.

His strength was inferior to that of this twelve-year-old youth.

His Clear Sky Hammer also seemed inferior to the other party's martial soul.

"What martial soul is that?"

Tang Hao's voice was somewhat hoarse. His gaze fixed on the Three-Point Double-Edged Saber, filled with shock and wariness.

Yang Jian said nothing.

His soul rings gave the answer.

Four pitch-black soul rings rose beneath his feet.

Black, black, black, black.

Four ten-thousand-year soul rings.

Tang Hao's pupils suddenly contracted.

"First Soul Skill, Titan Transformation!"

"Second Soul Skill, Titan's Body!"

"Third Soul Skill, Titan's Power!"

"Fourth Soul Skill, Titan's Berserk!"

The four soul rings lit up one after another, and Yang Jian's aura surged wildly at that moment.

His robes snapped violently in the pressure waves.

The ground beneath his feet cracked inch by inch, unable to bear the pressure.

His strength skyrocketed.

His defense skyrocketed.

His attack skyrocketed.

With all four enhancements stacked together, the aura Yang Jian emitted no longer resembled that of a level-fifty Soul King at all.

With a thought, the Three-Point Double-Edged Saber abruptly lengthened.

Three meters, five meters, ten meters, fifteen meters.

In an instant, a gigantic fifteen-meter Three-Point Double-Edged Saber stretched across heaven and earth.

Yang Jian gripped the end of the hilt with one hand, raised the enormous blade high, and viciously swung it down at Tang Hao.

Before the blade even arrived, the biting saber wind had already pressed Tang Hao until he could barely breathe.

Tang Hao sensed the aura of death.

"Fifth Soul Skill, Sky-Shattering Strike!"

Tang Hao clenched his teeth and hurriedly poured all the soul power in his body into the Clear Sky Hammer.

The patterns on the Clear Sky Hammer shone to their utmost, radiating a blinding light.

He raised the Clear Sky Hammer.

And met the giant blade descending from the sky.

"Boom—!"

The earth shook and the mountains trembled.

The rocks atop the mountain were hurled away by the shockwave, while dust blotted out the sky.

Tang Hao only felt an overbearing, utterly unreasonable force pressing down from above. His arms trembled, his knees bent, and the ground beneath his feet collapsed.

He could not hold on any longer.

"Pfft—"

Tang Hao spat out a huge mouthful of blood and was smashed into the earth beneath him by the Three-Point Double-Edged Saber.

The ground caved in, forming a massive crater several meters deep.

Tang Hao lay at the bottom of the crater, coughing up blood in great mouthfuls. Every bone in his body felt as though it had been shattered.