Those Who Wield Hammers Aren't Necessarily Fools, but Those Who Take Them Head-On Definitely Are!

The expressions of the five members of the Red Star Group from Spirit Hall changed slightly at the same time.

They had originally estimated Tang Hao to be at the High-Level Soul Ancestor rank, but they had not expected him to have already broken through to Soul King.

Between Soul King and Soul Ancestor lay the vast gulf of an entire major realm.

Most importantly, there was the Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring.

A 9,999-year Soul Ring was only one year short of a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring, but once it reached ten thousand years, both its Soul Skill and power underwent a transformation.

Whether it was a Soul Master's mental strength or physical body, both had reached a certain level.

Coupled with the constant tempering of Soul Power and the might of Soul Skills,

they were not something anyone below Soul King could casually challenge.

Song Xinghe lowered his voice. "This is troublesome."

Chu Yueyao did not turn around, and her voice remained calm. "Stick to the plan. So what if he's a Soul King? It isn't one against five."

Tang Hao took in their reactions, and his smile became even more arrogant.

"What? Spirit Hall's elites are scared already? Don't worry, I'll go easy on you. After all..."

He paused, his tone filled with undisguised contempt.

"If I smash you all to pieces, Spirit Hall won't look too good either."

Qin Poyue clenched his teeth for a moment.

Just as he was about to lose his temper, Lu Shuanghua's voice rang out coolly.

"People who talk too much usually lose quickly."

Tang Hao raised a brow and looked at her with interest. "Oh? Quite a few stubborn ones, aren't there?"

"Begin."

Qin Poyue took a deep breath, leveled his spear forward, and poured Soul Power into it. A layer of dark golden light spread across the shaft.

"Release!"

The instant his words fell, the five members of the Red Star Group released their martial souls almost simultaneously.

Soul Rings appeared beneath the feet of all five.

The Soul Elders had three Soul Rings, while the Soul Ancestors had four.

All of them were the optimal yellow, yellow, purple, purple configuration.

Their configurations were orderly and their auras condensed. They were clearly elites who had been carefully cultivated.

At the same moment, the five members of the Clear Sky Sect also released their martial souls.

A flash of golden light passed over Tai Tan's body. His arms abruptly swelled by a full size, muscles bulging all over his body with a bronzed sheen.

A thick layer of grayish-white armor covered Niu Gao's body, and his figure grew taller out of thin air, making him look like a massive rhinoceros walking upright.

A pitch-black spear appeared in Yang Wudi's hand. Its tip gleamed with a cold light as a sharp, evil-breaking aura spread from the weapon.

A pair of grayish-white wings unfurled behind Bai He. His body floated slightly upward, his feet hovering a few inches above the ground, and he seemed so light that the wind could carry him away at any moment.

Meanwhile, rings of Soul Rings lit up beneath Tang Hao's feet.

Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black.

The standard Soul King configuration.

The dark golden patterns on the Clear Sky Hammer seemed to come alive, flowing with a heavy radiance beneath the morning sun.

Yet he did not rush forward. Instead, he rested the Clear Sky Hammer on his shoulder and stood where he was with great interest, as though preparing to watch the show first.

"You four, go first."

Tang Hao lifted his chin at Yang Wudi and the others. "Let me see how long Spirit Hall's elites can hold out."

Yang Wudi did not waste words. With a shake of his spear, he shot forward first like a bolt of black lightning.

"Go!"

Tai Tan let out a thunderous roar. His fists collided with a dull metallic boom as he charged out after Yang Wudi.

Niu Gao dropped to all fours and kicked off fiercely, charging straight ahead like a gigantic rhinoceros toward the front of the Red Star Group's formation.

Bai He beat his wings and rose several meters like drifting clouds. He traced an arc through the air, waiting for an opportunity to break through from the flank.

The four attacked nearly at once, each from a different direction. Their coordination was not as precise as the Red Star Group's, but their individual strength was ferocious. The four attacks formed a closing net, pressing in from the front and both sides.

The Red Star Group's formation tightened instantly.

Song Xinghe slammed down his Black Iron Heavy Shield and stood at the front. "Iron Wall!"

A layer of dark light spread across the shield's surface.

Immediately after, his third Soul Ring lit up. "Immovable Mountain!"

An invisible protective force field spread out from him, enveloping the four teammates behind him and reducing allied damage by forty percent.

Niu Gao's charge struck first.

"Boom!!"

The impact of the Armored Giant Rhino came crashing in like a small mountain. Song Xinghe grunted, his feet plowing two trenches half a foot deep into the Green Oak Rock, but he withstood it head-on.

The light on the shield's surface flickered violently, yet it never shattered.

Niu Gao frowned. "Hard enough!"

Almost at the exact moment Niu Gao slammed into Song Xinghe, Tai Tan's iron fist came roaring in from the side, aimed directly at Song Xinghe's exposed right shoulder beyond the shield.

Golden light wrapped around that punch. It was tremendously powerful, and if it landed solidly, Song Xinghe's right arm would at least be dislocated.

But Qin Poyue had already blocked it with his spear.

"Clang!"

The Mountain-Splitting Spear collided head-on with Tai Tan's iron fist, sending sparks flying.

Qin Poyue was forced back half a step by the impact, but with a shake of his spear, he redirected Tai Tan's force. Then a returning thrust forced Tai Tan to withdraw his fist and retreat.

"Your opponent is me."

Qin Poyue said heavily, holding his spear across his body.

Tai Tan grinned. "Fine, then I'll smash you first!"

The two became entangled in combat. Tai Tan's fists whipped up the wind with every blow, while Qin Poyue's spear strikes were sharp and fierce. For a time, neither could gain the upper hand.

At the same time, Bai He's figure had swept down from high above to hover over the Red Star Group's formation.

He held a short blade in each hand and dove like a hunting hawk, targeting Chu Yueyao and Lu Shuanghua at the rear.

One was long-range suppression, while the other was the control core. Clearly, they were the tactical pivot of the Red Star Group.

But Chu Yueyao reacted faster than he had expected.

The Moonlight Bow rose almost along Bai He's diving path. A silver-white arrow tore through the air, aimed directly ahead of his descent.

Bai He was forced to make a sharp turn in midair, changing direction to avoid the arrow, but the rhythm of his ambush had already been broken.

Just as he was about to readjust, a second arrow followed close behind, forcing him to climb once more.

"Tch, she's a pretty accurate shot."

Bai He muttered as he began shifting directions irregularly in the air, searching for another chance to break in.

On the ground battlefield, Yang Wudi's spear stabbed repeatedly into the gaps in the Red Star Group's formation like a venomous snake.

His attacks were incredibly fierce, every thrust carrying evil-breaking force. If one struck, it would surely pierce through their defenses.

But he was facing Duan Qinghe.

The Green Snake Blade and Soul-Breaking Spear collided continuously in midair, producing a dense series of clanging sounds.

Duan Qinghe was extremely fast, his figure elusive and unpredictable. He never allowed Yang Wudi's spear tip to lock onto him.

Though his frontal strength was inferior to Yang Wudi's, he relied on agile footwork and tricky counterattacks to forcibly keep the inheritor of the Soul-Breaking Spear pinned in place.

"Is dodging all you know how to do?"

Yang Wudi's spear stabbed into empty air, irritation creeping into his voice.

Duan Qinghe curled his lips. "Being able to dodge is a skill."

"Hmph!"

Their battle grew increasingly intense, and neither could do anything to the other for the time being.

On the field, it was four against four, and the battle had reached a stalemate.

The Red Star Group's teamwork was clearly more seamless. Song Xinghe held the front line, Qin Poyue restrained Tai Tan, and Duan Qinghe kept Yang Wudi occupied.

Chu Yueyao suppressed Bai He, while Lu Shuanghua stood at the deepest point of the formation. Icy blue patterns of light continued spreading outward as she searched for the best opportunity to strike.

Although the four from the Four Single-Attribute Clans possessed considerable individual strength, their coordination ultimately lacked structure. Each fought their own battle, allowing the five members of the Red Star Group to drag them into a war of attrition through coordinated tactics.

In the stands, Bibi Dong watched with great interest.

"Hmm... the coordination of those five from Spirit Hall is indeed quite good. In a one-on-one fight, aside from Qin Poyue and Lu Shuanghua, the other three probably wouldn't be able to defeat their opponents."

Qian Renxue nodded. "But in a team battle, they can hold their ground instead. Still..."

"Tang Hao hasn't made a move yet."

Bibi Dong hummed. "That guy is still watching the show."

Luo Jiuyou's gaze remained fixed on Tang Hao.

He could tell that Tang Hao was not truly "watching the show."

He was observing the Red Star Group's formation, looking for weaknesses.

A true powerhouse never relied on brute force alone.

Tang Hao might have been arrogant with his words, but his battle instincts were sharper than most people's.

Who said those hammer-wielding brutes from the Clear Sky Sect were fools?

They were not fools.

Tang Chen made Qian Daoliu take his great hammer head-on. Tang Hao made the Blue Silver Emperor sacrifice herself. Tang San made the Soft Bone Rabbit sacrifice herself.

Were they really fools??

How many people could make soul beasts willingly offer themselves as sacrifices?

Yet that father and son had accomplished it one after the other.