Tang Hao Appears

"Xiao Wu, you..."

"You knew? You knew all along?"

Yun Tian had not finished speaking, but Xiao Wu had already caught the strange meaning in his tone. He had known her identity as a soul beast from beginning to end.

But why had he not killed her or deceived her?

Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Rings and Soul Bones were treasures so rare that even children who had only learned the basics knew of their value.

"If you're wondering why I didn't kill you or trick you out of your Soul Ring, I won't."

Yun Tian's expression remained calm. People said Tang Hao and his son had a thing for furries, since their wives were all soul beasts in human form, but they shared many similarities. Whether Ah Yin or Xiao Wu, both had sacrificed themselves.

His current strength was nowhere near enough to rival Tang Hao. No identity, no backing—what could he possibly use to fight him?

"On Douluo Continent, strength reigns supreme. I can obtain a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring by hunting, but I could never bring myself to deceive someone for one."

From beginning to end, he had never intended to kill Xiao Wu. She bore him no grudge and had done him no wrong. Unless she crossed his bottom line, he would not make a move against her.

"Xiao Tian..."

Xiao Wu was still saying something, but Yun Tian suddenly felt the air around them grow thick. An inexplicable pressure swept over his entire body, sending chills down his spine and making every hair stand on end.

"This feeling... Tang Hao still came?!"

Yun Tian's pupils contracted. He could feel a murderous intent firmly locking onto him.

Boom!

In the next instant, Yun Tian took a fierce step forward, grabbed Xiao Wu, and activated his right leg bone. The two shot backward at high speed.

A pitch-black hammer smashed the ground where they had stood, leaving behind a huge crater.

"Who is it?!"

Qin Ming and Flender rushed over after hearing the commotion, while Tang San and the other students came running over as well.

When they saw the scene before them, they all frowned instinctively.

Yun Tian held the still-shaken Xiao Wu in his arms. Not far away, a pitch-black hammer wrapped in electric light lay on the ground, with an enormous crater blasted into the earth beside it.

"Isn't that my... hammer?! How can there be one exactly like mine?"

Tang San was also instinctively puzzled upon seeing the hammer. It looked exactly like his Martial Soul, yet its aura far surpassed his own.

"Sky-Piercing Spear. A Martial Soul I've never heard of."

"You insulted my son time and again, Yun Tian. Have you decided how you want to die?"

A black-robed figure slowly emerged from the darkness.

The black robe billowed in the wind. Tang Hao raised a hand and pulled back his hood, letting his gray-black hair whip wildly around his face. His features were etched with the wear of time, and his once dull, clouded eyes now overflowed with killing intent.

A heavy pressure spread outward. Before he even made a move, merely standing there made Qin Ming and the others' hearts tremble.

"Clear Sky Douluo, Tang Hao!!"

Qin Ming's pupils shook. Why would someone like this appear here? And judging from his words, he had come specifically to trouble Xiao Tian?

"Father?!"

Tang San's voice was filled with disbelief. His blacksmith father was actually a Title Douluo? But what followed was a surge of wild joy. If Yun Tian died, could he take Xiao Wu back? Would they stop looking down on him?

Tang Hao merely glanced at Tang San's feet, where Soul Rings manifested. His son had actually been taught by that so-called master to absorb a white Soul Ring.

Back then, he had tossed over a Mandala Snake. He had calculated everything except that Yu Xiaogang would fail to defeat it.

"Damn Yu Xiaogang! I'll settle this score with you later!"

In the corner, Yu Xiaogang inexplicably shivered. He quietly pulled Yu Tianheng away, a bad feeling rising within him. He should first take his nephew back to Shrek Academy to lie low.

As for Yun Tian, it would naturally be for the best if Tang Hao killed him. Without Yun Tian, Tang San would surely become the strongest among his peers in the future!

"Clear Sky Douluo!"

Dai Mubai instinctively retreated several steps. The Clear Sky Sect might not have been as famous in the Heaven Dou Empire, but as a prince of the Star Luo Empire, he had long heard its name like thunder!

It was not just him. The other students were all seized by panic.

A Title Douluo—and the Clear Sky Douluo at that, a powerhouse renowned across the continent!

Yun Tian forcibly suppressed the shock in his heart and kept himself calm. His mind raced at high speed. There was only one way to escape after being targeted by Tang Hao: he had to start with Tang Hao's traits!

[Gold · Haotian Lineage], [Purple · Chronic Illness Corroding the Body], [Purple · Breaking Limits in Desperation], [Blue · Frenzied Rage Befuddles the Mind], [Blue · Old Fixations Haunt the Heart]

[Gold · Haotian Lineage: Direct inheritance of the Clear Sky Sect, allowing mastery of multiple secret Haotian arts.]

[Purple · Chronic Illness Corroding the Body: Hidden injuries from his early years, coupled with old ailments caused by heavy drinking, plagued his body. Once they flared up, they could easily cause a breakdown.]

[Purple · Breaking Limits in Desperation: The more desperate the situation, the easier it is to surpass one's limits.]

[Blue · Frenzied Rage Befuddles the Mind: Once emotions spiral out of control, the user enters a berserk state and attacks without strategy, completely abandoning defense.]

[Blue · Old Fixations Haunt the Heart: Touching upon certain past events can easily shake the mind.]

"Kid, did fear turn you stupid?"

Seeing Yun Tian standing there in a daze, Tang Hao frowned and recalled his Clear Sky Hammer, then walked toward Yun Tian step by step.

"Haotian Crown, might there be some misunderstanding here?"

Qin Ming decisively stepped forward to shield Yun Tian. Though his entire body trembled and every instinct warned him not to become Tang Hao's enemy, the one at stake was his student—Xiao Tian!

"Get lost!"

Boom!

The impact from the Title Douluo blasted Qin Ming away, sending him crashing heavily into a nearby building.

The blow knocked him unconscious at once.

"System! Change Chronic Illness Corroding the Body to Chronic Illness Rending the Body!"

[Gold · Chronic Illness Rending the Body: Old ailments and hidden injuries continuously ravage the body. The moment Soul Power is activated, they flare up.]

Because its effect was far more potent, the purple trait immediately became gold.

"Tch!"

Tang Hao suddenly felt a sharp pain course through his body. He frowned, sensing his hidden injuries about to flare up as an unbearable agony flooded every part of him.

"Tang Hao, as a Title Douluo, you're actually willing to personally deal with me?"

Yun Tian sneered. Four Soul Rings—yellow, purple, purple, and black—appeared beneath his feet as he gripped the Sky-Piercing Spear tightly.

"Hmph. I originally wanted to make you my son's stepping stone, but now it seems that in every way, you have severely hindered Xiao San's growth."

Soul Power surged within him. Nine Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, red—appeared. The moment the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring emerged, the pressure on everyone present surged explosively, reaching an entirely different level from before.

"Be more careful in your next life!"

The massive hammer rose high into the air, about to smash down onto Yun Tian's head.

"Xiao Tian!!"

Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling cried out in heart-wrenching anguish.

"Fourth Soul Skill, Skyfall!"