The atmosphere was tense, and battle was about to erupt.
Tang Hao stood in the sky above Spirit Hall, his Clear Sky Hammer held across his body as nine Soul Rings slowly revolved around him.
His overwhelming Soul Power had already left many of the young Soul Masters below pale-faced and struggling to breathe.
Facing encirclement by four Titled Douluo, Tang Hao let his gaze linger on them for only a few seconds before turning back toward the nearby Papal Palace.
Fighting four opponents alone, and at Spirit Hall's headquarters no less, he had no chance of winning. He knew that perfectly well.
Moreover, the old man in special robes beside the new Pope, Qian Juechen, gave him a sense of pressure unlike anything he had ever felt before.
Killing Qian Juechen today was already impossible.
But since he, Tang Hao, had dared to come, he had no intention of leaving empty-handed.
This coronation ceremony had gathered factions from across the continent, with countless Soul Masters watching.
As long as he could smash the Papal Palace down with a single blow in front of everyone, all the might Spirit Hall had displayed today would become a joke.
Even if he had to detonate a few Soul Rings and suffer more injuries, he would spare no cost.
Qian Juechen sat on the Papal Throne, watching Tang Hao with an indifferent expression.
Tang Hao had dared to cause trouble at his coronation and publicly humiliate Spirit Hall by bringing up Qian Xunji's death. If he escaped unscathed today, Qian Juechen might as well stop being Pope.
Without any change in expression, Qian Juechen flicked his hand forward.
"Seize him!"
The moment that brief command left his lips, Yue Guan, Gui Mei, Demon Bear, and Ghost Leopard, who had long been waiting, all sprang into action at once.
The singular velvet sky chrysanthemum in Yue Guan's hand instantly merged with him. Countless golden petals broke away from its center and turned into razor-sharp blades, forming a Chrysanthemum Storm that attacked Tang Hao head-on.
Ghost Leopard Douluo's body rapidly became insubstantial. Like a black shadow, he reached Tang Hao's left side in the blink of an eye, his pitch-black leopard claws slicing through the air with a shrill whistle as they struck straight at Tang Hao's waist and abdomen.
Demon Bear Douluo was even more direct. With a low growl, his body rapidly swelled, thick black fur covering him from head to toe. His arms grew immensely powerful, and he raised his enormous bear claws before slamming them down at Tang Hao's head.
As always, Ghost Douluo used the other three Douluo's frontal assault to hide in the shadows, waiting for a chance to deliver a lethal strike.
The four Titled Douluo went all out from the moment they attacked, for they knew who they were facing: the Clear Sky Douluo, who had created countless legends.
They also knew that if they failed to capture this villain today, Spirit Hall's dignity and the new Pope's reputation would be trampled into the dirt. If the Pope and Spirit Hall lost face, they, as elders, would be finished too.
Facing their combined assault, Tang Hao gripped his Clear Sky Hammer tightly. The fifth Soul Ring beneath his feet suddenly lit up, and he twisted at the waist, sweeping the enormous hammerhead outward with a thunderous rumble.
The flower blades filling the sky took a direct hit from the Clear Sky Hammer and instantly exploded into countless fragments.
The remaining force surged onward, making Yue Guan's robes flap violently. He crossed his arms in front of him and was driven back more than ten meters before finally steadying himself.
When it came to bottom-tier combat strength, Yue Guan truly had no equal.
Of course, Tang Hao had not come out ahead either. Ghost Leopard Douluo had already pounced from the side, his nimble claws tearing through Tang Hao's Soul Power barrier and swiftly leaving several wounds across his waist and abdomen.
Tang Hao grunted, anger flaring in his eyes. He swung his fist back at Ghost Leopard Douluo, but the latter did not clash head-on with the Clear Sky Hammer. Instead, he used the brief opening while his opponent swung his hammer to swiftly put distance between them.
Just as Ghost Leopard drew Tang Hao's attention, Ghost Douluo emerged from the shadows behind Tang Hao, his gray-black ghost claws stabbing straight toward his chest.
Tang Hao instinctively sensed the chill behind him. His Clear Sky Hammer immediately changed direction and swept backward, but the massive hammer passed through Gui Mei's chest as though it had struck nothing more than an intangible shadow.
By then, Ghost Douluo's real body had already appeared on the other side.
"Sixth Soul Skill, Phantom Ghost Shadows!"
Dozens of ghostly shadows lunged at Tang Hao at once, indistinguishable from the real thing. The other Titled Douluo coordinated their attacks, sealing off every route of escape.
Tang Hao roared in fury and swung his Clear Sky Hammer again and again, pushing the force-generating method of the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer to its limit. Every blow unleashed a powerful shock wave, each strike building on the last and continually driving back the attacks approaching him.
The battle in midair had reached a fever pitch, growing ever more intense.
Many of the young Soul Masters still in the spectator stands could no longer endure it. The shock waves had left quite a few bleeding from their ears, their eyes bloodshot.
Several Soul Masters with lower cultivation had even passed out.
Even so, few were willing to leave.
An ordinary Soul Master might never witness a battle between Titled Douluo in their entire life.
And today, four Titled Douluo were besieging the Clear Sky Douluo, Tang Hao. Compared with this life-and-death struggle, the earlier Soul Fighting between those young disciples had been worlds apart.
Everyone stared fixedly into the sky, afraid to miss even the smallest detail. They also hoped to learn some of these powerhouses' unique combat techniques from the battle.
Just as the shock waves grew stronger and were about to reach the VIP seats, synchronized footsteps suddenly sounded from every direction.
The Angel Legion had finished assembling its formation. Hundreds of Soul Masters released their Martial Souls at once, their vast Soul Power swiftly linking together in the air to form an enormous protective barrier that enclosed both the Papal Palace and the spectator stands.
Tang Hao's expression changed at the sight. He swung his hammer with all his strength at the newly formed golden barrier, but the blow merely sent broad ripples across its surface without shattering it.
Seeing this, Tang Hao's expression darkened further. It seemed Spirit Hall had prepared for his arrival well in advance.
From the four Titled Douluo attacking together to the Angel Legion forming its ranks, the entire process seemed perfectly orderly. Even the Palace Guard Knights tasked with maintaining order stood calmly at their assigned posts.
The new Pope remained seated firmly on the Papal Throne, calmly watching it all.
That cold attitude, as though everything was firmly under his control, enraged Tang Hao more than any words could.
It was the other man's way of telling him that his appearance today posed no threat whatsoever, either to Spirit Hall or to the Pope himself.
"Spirit Hall!"
Tang Hao roared in fury and abruptly turned, his Clear Sky Hammer crashing toward the charging Yue Guan and Gui Mei with domineering Soul Power.
He no longer intended to keep fighting them. Facing four Titled Douluo at once had already left him with numerous injuries and consumed most of his Soul Power.
If this continued, Spirit Hall's people would wear him down until he died. He would be nothing more than a monkey in a zoo, putting on a show for these people without achieving his goal at all.
Facing Tang Hao's all-out strike, Yue Guan thrust both hands forward and unleashed the Sevenfold Sky-Piercing Chrysanthemum Formation. Countless petals gathered into a barrier in front of him, shielding both himself and Old Ghost.
The Clear Sky Hammer slammed down. Yue Guan's petal barrier held for only a moment before shattering under the tremendous force.
The Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo were both driven backward, their faces flushed red and blood already spilling from the corners of their mouths.
The Clear Sky Hammer was hailed as the world's strongest tool Martial Soul, and its explosive power in a head-on clash was truly terrifying.
Tang Hao seized that fleeting opening, stamped down hard against the air, and shot straight toward greater heights.
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