The Battle Ends, Tang Hao Escapes

"Grandpa Bone came too!"

Ning Wen's eyes widened at the sight of the newcomer, and warmth surged through him.

He hadn't expected Ning Fengzhi to value him so highly. Ning Fengzhi had sent both of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's Sect-Guarding Douluo.

But when Ning Wen heard the Voice Pack, he suddenly felt embarrassed.

Come on, what's wrong with you?

Grandpa Sword and Grandpa Bone were kind enough to protect me in secret.

And you're complaining?

Without them, I'd have had to waste a life-saving trump card.

Don't bite the hand that feeds you!

[Hmph. They think they can force This Seat to owe them a favor and bind me to mortal karma? Impossible! Not a chance!]

[This Seat has the pride of a God King. I will never accept your kindness!!!!!]

Ning Wen: "..."

The pride of a God King, and you'll never accept their kindness?

If you won't accept it, I will!

Chen Xin's and Gu Rong's faces darkened ominously.

The pride of a God King, is it?

Too good for a favor from mortals, are you?

Then today, we'll make you accept one.

"Gu Rong!" Tang Hao's expression changed too.

He already had his hands full facing Sword Douluo Chen Xin.

Now Bone Douluo Gu Rong had joined him.

Gu Rong was known as the world's strongest defensive Soul Master.

And Chen Xin was the world's strongest offensive Soul Master.

Together, their offense and defense would have been formidable even for Tang Hao at his peak, let alone now.

"Bone Transformation into Myriad Forms!"

Looking up at the massive hammer in the night sky, Gu Rong roared. Countless plates of hard, deathly white bone armor erupted across his body.

Enormous bone wings unfurled behind him with a boom. Rows of spikes gleamed coldly, blotting out half the night sky.

At the same time, thousands of sword lights converged upon the Seven Kill Sword. The Seventh Soul Ring blazed, and the Seven Kill Sword Martial Soul Avatar erupted into being!

In an instant, an illusory sword dozens of meters long hung in the night sky. Its biting sword intent stilled the wind around it, and every tree and blade of grass bowed beneath it.

"Strike!"

Chen Xin gave a low shout and closed his hands around an invisible hilt.

Clang!

The giant sword swept down. Dazzling silver light slammed into the dark-red, violent shadow of the hammer in midair!

Boom—!!!

A devastating shockwave burst outward from the point of impact. Towering ancient trees were ground to powder by the blast, bottomless fissures split the earth, and dust blotted out the moon and stars.

Gu Rong stood firm at the front in his transformed body. Layer upon layer of bone barriers held like bedrock, stopping every raging aftershock.

[Tang Hao is nothing but a clown in This Seat's eyes.]

[Had This Seat not wanted to watch father and son turn on each other, Tang Hao would already be ash. I would never have let him run wild here.]

Ning Wen was baffled.

Tang Hao and Tang San turn on each other? Are you sure?

Tang Hao, maybe. But knowing Tang San, there's no way he'd attack his own father.

Then again... perhaps there is a way.

If Tang San learned that his father caused his mother's death, that would be quite a sight.

Wait, isn't that what a villain would do?

No. I'm an exemplary successor to socialism. How could I think that way?

The Voice Pack must be rubbing off on me.

Yeah, that's definitely it.

Still, Ring Detonation really is powerful.

In the original story, Tang Hao detonated all nine rings and withstood a God Level attack. Tang San was even more absurd: with Ring Detonation, he could match Qian Renxue, the Angel God, and even force her to use a divine defensive technique.

In theory, if Tang San detonated all nine of the hundred-thousand-year red rings on his Clear Sky Hammer, along with a God Level Soul Ring, his burst of power could reach God Level.

Xiao Wu's face had gone pale. She gripped Ning Wen's sleeve tightly, her wide eyes fixed on the dust-choked battlefield. The thought of what might have happened left her shaken.

Billowing dust rolled through the hills. Rubble and scorched earth pattered down from the sky.

High above, the violent force of the collision slowly dissipated.

Fine cracks covered the overlapping layers of white bone armor on Gu Rong's body, and several jagged fractures ran along his enormous wings.

He had taken the blow head-on. Even with his reputation as the world's strongest defender, he had not come away unscathed.

Chen Xin's expression was grave. A thin trickle of blood slipped from the corner of his mouth.

This Soul Detonation Secret Technique was terrifying.

If Gu Rong had not blocked most of the attack, even Chen Xin would likely have been badly wounded.

And Tang Hao had been in poor condition to begin with.

No wonder the Clear Sky Sect was called the Number One Sect Under Heaven.

Tang Hao was not faring well either. His clothes hung in tatters, and his aura had weakened considerably.

He held the hammer in one hand, his body trembling beyond his control. Blood kept spilling from his mouth in great gulps, staining his chest red.

The ten-meter Clear Sky Hammer rapidly dimmed and shrank, returning to its plain, dark form as a short hammer.

The power of Ring Detonation came fast and faded just as quickly.

Damn it. I can't keep fighting!

Tang Hao knew his condition all too well. If he had been facing Sword Douluo Chen Xin alone, that would have been one thing.

But with Bone Douluo Gu Rong there too, he might not defeat them even if he detonated all nine rings.

He absolutely could not die before destroying Spirit Hall.

"Tang Hao, still want to fight?" Gu Rong asked with a sinister smile.

Tang Hao looked up, his bloodshot eyes locked on the two men.

"Chen Xin. Gu Rong. I, Tang Hao, will remember what happened today."

With that, Tang Hao vanished in a flash.

"We finally drove him off."

Gu Rong withdrew his Bone Dragon Martial Soul. The jagged white bones covering his body slowly receded beneath his skin. Looking somewhat pale, he let out a long breath.

If Tang Hao had truly fought to the death, neither of them could have been sure they would escape unscathed.

Chen Xin also dismissed his Seven Kill Sword Martial Soul Avatar, the silver light withdrawing into the blade.

He looked toward Ning Wen, something unreadable in his gaze.

A moment later, Chen Xin and Gu Rong quietly departed as well.

Silence settled over the hills.

All that remained was devastation: giant trees snapped in half, deep trenches crisscrossing the ground, and blackened earth, all bearing mute witness to the battle.

The night wind swept through, carrying the smell of scorched soil.

"Let's go. We'll rest in Notting City tonight and set out tomorrow."

Ning Wen turned to Xiao Wu, who was still shaken, and gave her a gentle smile.

He had only come out to draw Tang Hao into attacking.

Now that he had achieved that, there was no reason to stay.

"Okay." Xiao Wu nodded obediently.

Neither spoke on the way back into the city under cover of night.

Few lights remained along the streets. Most shops had long since closed, with only an occasional candle glowing through a window.

Ning Wen walked with a spring in his step. He was clearly in a good mood.

His trip to Notting City had achieved exactly what he had set out to do.