Saint-Hunting Operation

"Xiao San."

A low voice sounded beside Tang San and Yu Xiaogang, and both turned around almost simultaneously.

Seeing Tang Hao missing his left leg and right arm, standing on his one remaining leg, they felt as though lightning had struck them. Their minds went blank.

How had the continent's youngest Titled Douluo ended up like this?

"Dad! Who hurt you like this..." Tang San was furious, his murderous intent so intense it nearly took physical form. Whoever had done this had already earned a death sentence.

"Your Excellency Haotian..." Yu Xiaogang's face was full of disbelief. He had never expected to see his idol again in such a state.

He could not understand who in the world could injure the youngest Titled Douluo so badly.

Even Spirit Hall had failed to do that back then!

Tang Hao shook his head. "No one could do this to me."

Despite his words, lingering fear was clearly visible in his eyes.

When three Titled Douluo had surrounded him, he had fought desperately to escape. But the battle had aggravated his old hidden injuries, and his new wounds only made matters worse. Once he was certain his pursuers could not catch him, he had collapsed unconscious.

After waking, he had wasted no time severing the arm and leg that held his soul bones to recover from his injuries. Although his soul power had fallen, anyone below the strength of a Titled Douluo could still forget about overpowering him.

"I did it myself." Tang Hao smiled faintly, stroking Tang San's head as his son threw himself into his arms.

At that point, his gaze turned ice-cold.

Knowing Tang San was full of questions, he recounted what had happened over the years.

Clearly, he did not consider Yu Xiaogang an outsider.

After all, Yu Xiaogang's father was now a member of the Clear Sky Sect.

Tang Hao began with how he had secretly protected Tang San, then described the attack by three Titled Douluo, the loss of his arm and leg, and his visit to Tang San's aunt, Tang Yuehua.

Only then had he learned how drastically the balance of power on the continent had changed, and why Chrysanthemum, Ghost, and Poison Douluo had been so powerful.

It was all because Bai Ye had supported them.

At this point, Tang Hao deeply regretted leaving Bai Ye for Tang San to deal with instead of eliminating him himself. Otherwise, none of this would have happened.

By the time he finished, tears were streaming down Tang San's face, and he had marked Bai Ye as someone he had to kill.

If not for Bai Ye, how could those three Titled Douluo have forced his own father to mutilate himself just to survive?

But as soon as he thought of the gap between himself and Bai Ye, his burning desire for revenge was doused with cold water.

With such a huge gap between us now, could I really kill Bai Ye someday?

"Ah." Yu Xiaogang sighed. Only now did he realize that he had still underestimated Bai Ye's support abilities. He also bitterly regretted clinging to his pride instead of kneeling to beg Bai Ye.

But regret could not change the past.

"Xiao San, you have to believe in yourself. You're the third person in a hundred years to possess twin martial souls," Tang Hao said, seeing what was on Tang San's mind.

Although he, too, knew his son would struggle to become Bai Ye's match, he had to comfort him now. Any further blow might send Tang San into depression.

"Yes!" At Tang Hao's words, Tang San's gaze became resolute. "Flowing water doesn't strive to lead; it strives to flow without end."

A tiger would not sire a dog. His father was the youngest Titled Douluo, and as his son, even if he could not surpass him, he should at least come close.

Once he became a Titled Douluo, how could Bai Ye possibly be his match?

"That's right, Xiao San. Remember, Spirit Hall's Supreme Pontiff also has twin martial souls," Yu Xiaogang said.

But the moment the words left his mouth, he realized his mistake. Tang Hao's expression had darkened.

Tang San, however, was puzzled.

Yu Xiaogang knew that Tang Hao had severely injured the previous Supreme Pontiff, but Tang San did not. No one had ever told him.

Tang Hao did not explain. Instead, he said, "I came this time to take part in the Saint-Hunting Operation. Although I still can't overcome what's holding me back and return to the Clear Sky Sect, you can."

"If the operation succeeds, all well and good. But if it fails..."

Tang Hao did not continue, but both Tang San and Yu Xiaogang understood.

He had already told them about the plan.

The Saint-Hunting Operation was an operation to kill Bai Ye, the Spirit Hall Holy Son.

Every Titled Douluo and Soul Douluo in the Clear Sky Sect would be deployed, naturally including Sword-Bone Douluo and Thunder Douluo, who had joined the sect.

Ning Fengzhi, a support-type Soul Sage, would also participate. Of course, he would support the powerful Howling Sky Douluo rather than the three crippled Douluo.

Clearly, they were determined to kill Bai Ye.

They all understood how terrifying he was and could not possibly allow him to continue growing.

They had chosen today to strike because Sword, Bone, and Thunder Douluo had only recently recovered from their injuries.

Even though they were deploying almost everyone, success was not guaranteed.

After all, Chrysanthemum-Ghost Douluo possessed the Bipolar Stasis Domain. If they successfully activated it and trapped them, Poison Douluo could escape with Bai Ye.

Then they would undoubtedly face Spirit Hall's overwhelming wrath.

But with Qian Daoliu there, at worst they could live self-sufficiently on the mountain and never descend again.

"Whether the Saint-Hunting Operation succeeds or not, I want you to go to the Clear Sky Sect to cultivate." Before Tang San could respond, Tang Hao turned to Yu Xiaogang.

"The same goes for you."

Yu Xiaogang could train powerful Soul Masters. Even if the operation failed, they would not be wiped out completely. In the future, they could rise again to fight Spirit Hall and avenge themselves.

Tang San agreed immediately, but Yu Xiaogang fell silent.

Naturally, he had long known that his father had been severely injured and joined the Clear Sky Sect, since Spirit Hall had announced it to the world.

He knew his father had been in the wrong for attacking first, but he still hated Spirit Hall, even with Bibi Dong as its Supreme Pontiff.

"Teacher." Tang San looked at Yu Xiaogang, his eyes full of hope.

"All right," Yu Xiaogang agreed.

"Then set out now." Tang Hao told them where the Clear Sky Sect was, then pursued Bai Ye and the others in the direction they had left.

His name was not on the operation's roster, but now that he had told Tang San everything, how could he stay out of it?

After all, he had nothing left to worry about.

At worst, he would die. He should have died years ago anyway.

Sunset Forest.

After Bai Ye's group arrived, they split up as agreed.

Poison Douluo escorted Bai Ye and Xiao Wu in one direction, while Yue Guan and Gui Mei each took a different route.

However, shortly after leaving, Yue Guan and Gui Mei met up with Spirit Hall's forces lying in ambush.

This time, Spirit Hall had deployed four Titled Douluo and seven Soul Douluo.

The four Titled Douluo who knew the plan would pretend to hold Yue Guan and the others back, while the seven uninformed Soul Douluo would pursue Bai Ye and Xiao Wu.

With all six Titled Douluo gathered, the Sacrificial Operation began.

"This is bad! An ambush! Old Poison, get Xiao Ye out of here!" Yue Guan and Gui Mei shouted.

Four Titled Douluo auras appeared, and three of them engaged Yue Guan and Gui Mei.

The remaining one chased after Bai Ye.

At the same time, seven black-clad Soul Douluo joined the pursuit.

"Xiao Ye, let's go!" Poison Douluo's expression changed drastically as he grabbed Bai Ye and Xiao Wu and prepared to flee.

Xiao Wu went deathly pale. She had never imagined they would encounter such danger immediately after leaving Shrek.

Bai Ye wore much the same expression, but his was an act.

"Who sent you?!" Poison Douluo shouted, but received no answer.

Since Poison Douluo had deliberately slowed down, their pursuers soon caught up.

"I'll hold them off! You two, run!" Poison Douluo immediately activated his Martial Soul Avatar.

"Run? You think you can escape?"

"To think there's a hundred-thousand-year soul beast here, too."

"Heh heh heh, none of you are getting away."

With their pursuers closing in, Bai Ye immediately revealed his soul rings and cast Honor Blessing on Poison Douluo, Xiao Wu, and himself.

Then he grabbed Xiao Wu and sprinted away.

Behind them, Poison Douluo and the other Titled Douluo began fighting, but the seven Soul Douluo froze.

They were bewildered.

What was going on?

Why were the higher-ups ordering us to kill the Holy Son?!

Indeed, they had not seen Bai Ye before, but the moment his soul rings appeared, they recognized him.

Their pursuit faltered, and they no longer dared to chase him.

"What are you standing around for? After them!" the Titled Douluo shouted.

"But..."

"Shut up!" A Soul Douluo had barely spoken before he was silenced. Under the Titled Douluo's oppressive aura, they did not dare disobey, despite their confusion.

Still, they had already decided to hold back. If they really killed the Holy Son, they would certainly die, whereas letting him escape would allow them to survive.

The seven Soul Douluo exchanged glances and reached the same unspoken agreement.

They would put on an act.

They would chase and shout, but never hurt him.

After all, injuring the Holy Son would make him hold a grudge.

Having cultivated to the Soul Douluo level, they understood how the world worked, and they certainly did not want to get caught up in a power struggle.

This threatened to derail Bai Ye's plan.

Had he known this would happen, he would definitely have told them about the Sacrificial Operation.

"Where do you think you're running, brat?!"

"Brat! Leave the hundred-thousand-year soul beast, and we'll spare your life!"

The seven Soul Douluo pursued relentlessly. Although they launched attacks, those attacks did little damage.

"Hm?" Bai Ye's expression changed. He immediately understood what was happening and inwardly cursed himself for failing to think everything through.

He also felt that the Sacrificial Operation was about to fall apart.

Just then, however, the Clear Sky Sect's forces arrived.

Nine Titled Douluo and twenty Soul Douluo descended upon them.

Yue Guan and the others, who had merely been putting on a show, were stunned. Tang Xiao and his group were also surprised, but he reacted swiftly and immediately ordered them to kill the Holy Son.

"This is bad! Old Poison! Get Xiao Ye out of here!"

"Hurry! The Clear Sky Sect is here!"

Yue Guan and the others shouted as they hastily moved to intercept the Clear Sky Sect's Titled Douluo.

But they had not received Bai Ye's Honor Blessing, and there were only five Titled Douluo on their side. Their opponents had nine, along with a group of Soul Douluo and Ning Fengzhi.

With the advantage in numbers, the Clear Sky Sect immediately left four Titled Douluo and eight Soul Douluo to hold them back, while the rest continued pursuing Bai Ye.

Those who stayed were naturally Tang Xiao, Chen Xin, Gu Rong, and Yu Yuanzhen, with Ning Fengzhi providing support.

Their objective was simple: kill them if possible; otherwise, pin them down and prevent Chrysanthemum-Ghost Douluo from using the Bipolar Stasis Domain.

Meanwhile, Tang Xiao and the others were thankful they had deployed everyone. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

"Tang Xiao! Do you want the Clear Sky Sect wiped out?!" Gui Mei shouted. Although both he and Yue Guan had reached level 96, they still carried hidden injuries and had no support.

Their opponents, meanwhile, consisted of three level-95 experts and one at level 97. Although three of them had maimed bodies, Ning Fengzhi was supporting them.

Despite having five Titled Douluo, they also had to contend with eight enemy Soul Douluo. They soon fell into a disadvantage and were firmly pinned down.

At that moment, Yue Guan and Gui Mei began regretting their agreement to Bai Ye's Sacrificial Operation.

But things had already reached this point. They had only one goal now: save Bai Ye, even at the cost of their lives.

Yet Tang Xiao and the others had also cast aside all concern for life and death.

At the same time, Poison Douluo, who was staging his battle, froze upon hearing the shouts. So did the Titled Douluo facing him.

By the time they recovered, the Clear Sky Sect's five Titled Douluo and twelve Soul Douluo had appeared in their sight.

"Hold them off." Poison Douluo's expression changed dramatically. He turned and flew away, intending to escape with Bai Ye.

But how could the Clear Sky Sect's elders let him have his way? The second elder immediately activated his Tool Martial Soul Avatar and unleashed his full power against Poison Douluo. The remaining four elders also activated their Tool Martial Soul Avatars.

Two elders stayed to deal with the Titled Douluo before them, while the other two led the twelve Soul Douluo in pursuit of Bai Ye.

The problem was that Poison Douluo was currently under Honor Blessing, which boosted all his attributes by 210 percent. Powerful as the Clear Sky Hammer was, the second elder could not stop him alone.

Another elder therefore came to help restrain him. Only with two against one, both wielding the world's strongest tool martial soul, the Clear Sky Hammer, did they manage to suppress Poison Douluo.

"Master, run!" Poison Douluo's eyes were bloodshot. During their time together, he had already come to regard Bai Ye as his master.

His master, who had given him a new lease on life, was facing mortal danger, yet he could do nothing to help. His anguish was easy to imagine.

"Heh heh heh, Spirit Hall's Holy Son is doomed."

Before long, the Clear Sky Sect's fifth elder caught up.

Yet the sight before him left him puzzled: eight black-clad Soul Douluo were chasing Bai Ye.

The sect master never mentioned reinforcements. The fifth elder immediately accelerated.

"This is bad! A Titled Douluo from the Clear Sky Sect!" The leading Soul Douluo's expression changed drastically. Hearing the distant battle as well, he instantly understood.

Seeing the Titled Douluo approach, he immediately ordered his teammates to turn and attack.

At the same time, he shouted, "Holy Son, run! We'll hold off this old scoundrel from the Clear Sky Sect!"

At those words, both Bai Ye's and Xiao Wu's expressions instantly changed.

They instinctively exchanged a glance. Although Bai Ye felt guilty, he feigned composure and said, "Run!"

Xiao Wu did not refuse, allowing Bai Ye to lead her away.

"Well, well! So Spirit Hall staged this whole thing. But you've done us a great favor." The fifth elder understood instantly and smiled.

After all, if this had not happened and Bai Ye had cast Honor Blessing, they would surely have returned empty-handed.

Although eight Soul Douluo were holding him back, he still had twelve Soul Douluo under his command.

"Kill him!"

"Keep that hundred-thousand-year soul beast alive!"

At the fifth elder's command, the twelve Soul Douluo activated their Seventh Soul Skills, used their various enhancement soul skills, and charged straight toward Bai Ye and Xiao Wu.

The eight Soul Douluo from Spirit Hall instantly went ashen.

"Does Heaven truly intend for Spirit Hall's Holy Son to perish?"