Howling Celestial Dog's First Soul Skill

Tang Hao's fury nearly exploded from his chest.

He stood in the valley, covered in blood, his robes tattered, looking utterly miserable.

But what hurt more than his body was the frustration in his heart.

Ring Detonation.

This was Clear Sky Sect's closely guarded secret, his greatest trump card for turning the tide in a desperate situation.

But the price of this trump card was far too great.

He would burn his soul rings in exchange for a brief surge in strength.

Once used, the soul rings would shatter and his soul power would plummet. Without several years, or even a decade, he would never recover.

He still had too many things to do.

Avenge himself on Spirit Hall, raise Little Three, lead Clear Sky Sect back to becoming the number one sect in the world... All of those things required strength.

Without strength, everything was empty talk.

But Yang Jian would not give him a chance to choose.

Tang Hao took a deep breath, and the fury in his eyes was gradually replaced by resolve.

Since there was no way back, he would fight.

"Good, good, good." His voice brimmed with boundless hatred. "You brought this upon yourself!"

As soon as he spoke, the soul rings beneath his feet began to tremble violently.

"Ring Detonation!"

The first soul ring exploded.

It transformed into golden light and fused into the Clear Sky Hammer.

The second, the third, the fourth...

Soul rings shattered one after another. Vast energy surged into the Clear Sky Hammer like a tide, and the patterns on its body shone to their utmost, radiating blinding light.

The eighth!

Tang Hao had detonated eight soul rings.

He left behind only the hundred-thousand-year soul ring A Yin had sacrificed for him.

His aura surged once more at that moment. A massive phantom appeared behind him, as though a true God of War had descended upon the mortal world.

The phantom held the Clear Sky Hammer and looked down upon all living beings. Wherever its gaze fell, the air trembled.

Yue Guan's expression changed drastically in the distance, and he hurriedly retreated over a thousand meters.

He could clearly sense that the power of Tang Hao's attack had absolutely reached the level of a Limit Douluo.

It was too powerful, powerful enough to drive one into despair.

Let alone a level ninety-five Titled Douluo like him, even ten of him combined would probably be crushed into meat paste by that hammer.

"Little Jian..." Yue Guan looked at Yang Jian, his eyes full of concern.

But in the next second, his concern turned into shock.

Because he saw four soul rings appear beneath the Howling Celestial Dog's feet.

Black.

Black.

Black.

Black.

Four ten-thousand-year soul rings.

Yue Guan's eyes widened, his mouth opening wide enough to fit a fist inside.

He had no idea when Yang Jian had added soul rings to the Howling Celestial Dog.

For the past six years, he had stayed by Yang Jian's side and had never seen him take the Howling Celestial Dog out to hunt soul beasts.

Yet now, four ten-thousand-year soul rings were right there before his eyes. He had no choice but to believe it.

Yang Jian's first martial soul was already so monstrous. His second martial soul, equipped with four ten-thousand-year soul rings, was surely even more formidable.

The way he looked at Tang Hao suddenly became somewhat sympathetic.

Tang Hao also noticed the four soul rings beneath the Howling Celestial Dog's feet, and his pupils contracted sharply.

Ten-thousand-year soul rings.

Four of them.

A thought flashed through his mind.

This bastard must have used some secret technique to hide his true cultivation and the number of his soul rings. Otherwise, how could a Soul King who hadn't even obtained his fifth ring fight me to this extent?

But now was not the time to think about that.

Tang Hao clenched his teeth and threw every distracting thought out of his mind.

His body merged with the phantom behind him, and he soared into the sky, charging toward the Howling Celestial Dog like a meteor.

"Die—!"

The Clear Sky Hammer came crashing down.

The enormous hammer in the phantom's hand came down with it.

This strike even created a sonic boom. The air was torn apart, releasing a deafening roar.

Yang Jian raised his head and looked at the massive hammer descending from the sky, his expression calm as still water.

He was not flustered in the slightest.

From beginning to end, the Howling Celestial Dog had never used a soul skill.

Even Yang Jian himself did not know the Howling Celestial Dog's true strength now.

Over the past six years, the Howling Celestial Dog had absorbed the essence of the sun and moon and condensed four soul rings capable of growing. Every one of them was ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine years old, just a step away from one hundred thousand years.

Let alone Tang Hao detonating eight soul rings, even if he detonated his final hundred-thousand-year soul ring, he probably still could not inflict any substantial damage on the Howling Celestial Dog.

"Howling Celestial Dog." Yang Jian spoke, his voice quiet. "Use your first soul skill."

"Oh, right. Remember to leave him alive. I still have plans for him."

"Woof!"

The Howling Celestial Dog answered, and the first black soul ring beneath its feet lit up.

Its first soul skill had no flashy name, but its effect was simple and brutal.

Enhanced bite force!

Golden light covered the Howling Celestial Dog's teeth. Every tooth became as sharp as a divine weapon, glinting with a chilling cold light.

It lifted its head, opened its jaws, and bit toward the descending Clear Sky Hammer.

"Boom—!"

An earth-shaking crash rang out.

Golden light collided with blood-red light, and the shockwave spread in every direction.

Yue Guan was pushed back several hundred more meters by the blast. He barely steadied himself, but his eyes remained fixed, unblinking, on the center of that light.

Then, he saw a sight he would never forget for the rest of his life.

The massive hammer in the phantom's hand shattered inch by inch beneath the Howling Celestial Dog's teeth.

Cracks spread from the hammerhead to the handle, from the handle to the phantom's arm, then to its shoulder and chest... Finally, the entire phantom collapsed with a thunderous crash, turning into countless motes of light that vanished into the air.

"What?!"

Tang Hao's face was filled with disbelief.

Before he could react at all, the Howling Celestial Dog's paw had already struck him.

"Bang—!"

Tang Hao was sent flying like a rag doll. His entire body smashed into the ground like a cannonball, leaving behind a crater over a hundred meters deep as dust soared into the sky.

When the dust settled.

Tang Hao lay at the bottom of the crater, covered in blood, his aura weak to the extreme.

His eyes were half-open, his consciousness already blurred as he fell into a deep coma.

The Howling Celestial Dog stood at the edge of the crater. Several shallow wounds had appeared on its body, but none of them bled.

Yang Jian walked over, looked at Tang Hao at the bottom of the crater, and praised the Howling Celestial Dog.

"Good job."

"Woof!" The Howling Celestial Dog shrank back to its normal size, rubbed against Yang Jian's calf, then transformed into a streak of white light and entered the center of his left palm.

At that moment, Yue Guan flew over and landed beside Yang Jian. Looking down at Tang Hao, who was barely alive at the bottom of the crater, he sucked in a cold breath.

Countless questions filled his mind.

When had the Howling Celestial Dog gained its soul rings?

Why was it so powerful?

But in the end, he did not ask.

Some things would naturally be explained when Yang Jian wanted to explain them.

"Just kill him."

Yue Guan looked at Tang Hao, a glint of killing intent flashing through his eyes. This threat could not be left alive.

"No rush." Yang Jian shook his head.

Yue Guan froze, but he did not ask further. He flew down into the crater and used soul power to lift Tang Hao out of the hundred-meter-deep pit, setting him on the ground.

Tang Hao lay on the ground, his aura weak and his whole body covered in blood. He looked like a corpse.

Yang Jian looked at the unconscious Tang Hao. With a flip of his right hand, the Three-Point Double-Edged Saber appeared in his palm.

He walked over to Tang Hao, raised the saber, aimed at Tang Hao's left ankle, and brought it down.