Spirit Bone Compensation, Tang Hao Loses an Arm

(Regarding the controversy surrounding Tang Hao, see the author's note at the end of this chapter. I'm really not making things up.)

Tang Hao was, after all, the Clear Sky Douluo, a ruthless man who had fought his way out of Slaughter City.

The instant the heavy sword touched his heart, his body moved before his mind could react.

The phantom of the Clear Sky Hammer suddenly solidified, dark red patterns bursting across it as nine Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet!

Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, red!

The pressure of a level ninety-five Title Douluo erupted without reservation!

Tang Hao's figure flashed as he swung the Clear Sky Hammer backward, carrying a piercing sonic boom as it smashed toward the burly figure behind him.

He showed no mercy with this strike. Whoever the other party was, anyone daring to press a sword to Tang Hao's heart had to pay the price.

Tie Xiong did not retreat either. The Ironblood Heavy Sword swept upward and steadily caught the Clear Sky Hammer.

Clang!!!

The deafening crash of metal against metal exploded through the courtyard.

Yet strangely, the tremendous sound seemed as though someone had covered its mouth. Though loud, it vanished completely after traveling barely three feet beyond the courtyard wall.

At some point, a dark red Soul Power barrier had enveloped the entire small courtyard, locking every sound inside.

Tang Hao's pupils abruptly contracted. The other man had not only caught his full-force strike, but still had enough strength to set up a soundproof barrier?

"You—"

Tie Xiong gave him no chance to speak. The heavy sword's momentum suddenly shifted, changing from a block into a downward press.

The flat of the blade struck the hammerhead of the Clear Sky Hammer, and an absurdly immense force traveled down the handle.

Tang Hao felt his tiger's mouth tremble violently, his entire right arm going numb as the Clear Sky Hammer nearly flew from his grasp.

This old bastard's strength... how could it be so great!

Tang Hao gritted his teeth and stomped his left foot down. The blue bricks shattered, sending broken stones flying.

Using the recoil, he forcibly pulled away, then swung the Clear Sky Hammer once more.

This time, it was no longer mere brute force, but his signature technique, the Chaotic Wind Hammer Technique!

First hammer, second hammer, third hammer...

The hammer strikes came in an endless stream, each heavier than the last. Dark red hammer shadows wove an impenetrable net through the air as they pressed down on Tie Xiong.

Tie Xiong's expression did not change, and he did not move an inch. With left blocks and right parries, every sword strike precisely hit the Clear Sky Hammer's points of exertion.

Just as Tang Hao's Chaotic Wind Hammer Technique reached the sixth strike, one blow from the sword scattered his stance. He staggered backward and crashed into the courtyard wall.

The courtyard wall remained completely intact. Protected by Tie Xiong's Soul Power, not even half a flake of plaster had fallen away.

Tang Hao's back pressed against the cold bricks as his chest heaved violently and blood burst from his mouth.

Meanwhile, that old bastard across from him had not even disturbed his breathing!

"Level ninety-six..." Tang Hao forced the words through clenched teeth. "Who exactly are you?!"

Tie Xiong pressed his sword against Tang Hao's heart again. "Clear Sky Douluo, this old man respects you as a true man. But you never should have set your sights on my lord."

My lord?!

A storm surged through Tang Hao's heart!

A level ninety-six expert would be a Hall of Worship-level figure in any force on the continent!

At Spirit Hall, he would be a major figure in the Hall of Worship. At the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, he would be worshipped outright!

Was this kind of man serving a twelve-year-old boy as his lord? Had he gone mad, or had the world gone mad?

No, no. Ye Hua must have an unfathomably powerful background for this old man to serve him as his lord!

But why was someone like that, just like him, hiding away in Holy Soul Village? Could he be hunted too?

Tang Hao's mouth twitched. Then Grandmaster's talk of martial soul mutation and surging Soul Power finally made sense!

"Senior," Tang Hao said, forced to yield, "Tang has offended you tonight."

"If you let me go, I, Tang Hao, swear in the name of the Clear Sky Douluo that I will never trouble your lord again from this day onward!"

"Let you go?" Tie Xiong's heavy sword remained firmly pressed against his chest. "Whether to let you go depends on what my lord says."

Tang Hao's expression completely collapsed.

He was Tang Hao, the Clear Sky Douluo!

Back then, he had never lowered his head even before the Pope of Spirit Hall!

Now, it was bad enough that an unknown old bastard had beaten him into submission. He even had to let a child decide whether he lived or died?

This was going too far!

But with his heart under threat, he had no room to act recklessly!

Tie Xiong extended his left hand and pressed his five fingers against Tang Hao's head.

An overwhelmingly tyrannical stream of Soul Power poured into Tang Hao's body, rampaging through his meridians and completely sealing the Soul Power in his dantian.

Tang Hao let out a muffled groan. His level ninety-five Soul Power was frozen solid, and he could no longer mobilize even a trace of it.

Tie Xiong grabbed Tang Hao by the collar, pushed open the door, and threw him onto the living room floor.

Having received Tie Xiong's signal, Ye Hua had already been waiting there. He had even casually set up a soundproof barrier around Xiao Wu's room.

Tang Hao struggled to raise his head. Seeing the child before him, not even as tall as his waist, holding a teacup with his legs crossed, made his face twitch viciously.

"Blacksmith," Ye Hua said as he set down his teacup. "Long time no see."

Hearing that form of address, Tang Hao wanted nothing more than to chop off Ye Hua's head and throw it into the blood pool of Slaughter City!

But circumstances were stronger than him. In the end, he could only force out a smile uglier than crying. "Ye Hua... right?"

"Come to think of it, you and Xiao San came from the same village. You could be considered fellow villagers, so for the sake of that connection..."

"Fellow villagers?" Ye Hua sneered. "No, no, no. Who would dare be fellow villagers with you and your son?"

"The four affiliated clans died and were wounded because you caused trouble and then went into hiding."

"And as for me, when your son Tang San stole my enrollment spot in Holy Soul Village, where were you?"

"When your son forced me to give up my future, and everyone in the village thought it was only natural, where were you then?"

Tang Hao cursed inwardly.

You have a Super Douluo as your protector, yet you came to Notting City for some damn junior Soul Master academy!

If you could not attend that cafeteria's overpriced, disgusting school, your future would be ruined, right?

To hell with you. With a background like yours, even Heaven Dou Imperial Academy would be honored to have you!

You pretended to be weak and tricked my son, and now you have the nerve to question me instead?

But he did not dare say any of that aloud. His Soul Power was sealed, and the heavy sword was still pressed against his back!

"Tell me, then. How do you intend to settle tonight's matter?" Seeing Tang Hao remain silent, Ye Hua smiled as he raised his teacup and took a small sip.

Tang Hao fell silent. What could he do?

Experience told him there was only one answer: take the loss.

"Not talking?" Ye Hua smiled faintly. "Old Tie, he should have a Spirit Bone on him, right?"

"The former greatest genius of the Clear Sky Sect couldn't possibly be without something valuable. Take a Spirit Bone from him!"

"You!" Veins bulged across Tang Hao's forehead.

"What, unwilling?" Ye Hua was in no rush. "Then I'll take your life and your son's life instead."

Tang Hao's curse caught in his throat, and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets!

That was right. If he died, who would protect Tang San? That useless Yu Xiaogang?

If he died here tonight, Tang San would be finished for good. Ye Hua would never spare him!

"Fine." Tang Hao ground his teeth. "One Spirit Bone in exchange for Xiao San's life and mine!"

Ye Hua nodded.

Tie Xiong's heavy sword moved away from Tang Hao's back.

Tang Hao clenched his teeth, grabbed his own left arm with his right hand, and violently twisted and tore—

Crack!

The crisp sound of bones breaking rang especially clearly through the living room.

Tang Hao's face instantly turned deathly pale, beads of sweat rolling down from his forehead, but he forcibly held back even a single scream.

Blood gushed from the stump at his left shoulder, staining half his clothes red. Even his Soul Power plummeted, dropping directly to level ninety-two.

With his trembling right hand, he held out the severed arm. The hand at its end was still twitching faintly.

Tie Xiong accepted the severed arm and poured Soul Power into it. A moment later, he extracted an arm bone glowing with dark golden light.

Soul Power patterns faintly flowed across its surface, radiating a heavy and savage aura. It was clearly the Thirty-Thousand-Year Vajra Giant Ape Left Arm Spirit Bone.

Tie Xiong presented the Spirit Bone to Ye Hua. Ye Hua accepted it and casually stored it in the Azure Jade Bracelet.

But he had not expected that obtaining a Thirty-Thousand-Year Spirit Bone would bring an unexpected gain as well!