Ah Yin's Sacrifice

A village in the Heaven Dou Empire.

"Ah Yin! Keep going! Almost there! The baby's almost out!"

Tang Hao watched Ah Yin lying on the bed, suffering through childbirth. His heart ached for her, and he was excited, but worry gnawed at him too.

Spirit Hall had been hunting him for a month. He had spent that month hiding with Ah Yin as her due date drew near. Now they didn't even have a midwife. All he could do was stay beside her and help.

"Ah! Hao-ge!" Ah Yin gripped Tang Hao's hand tightly.

Just then—

"Haozi! Get out here! You wounded a Spirit Hall elder over a hundred-thousand-year beast! I'm here to collect that debt!"

The booming voice, carried by Soul Power, pierced the walls and rang through the house. Even Ah Yin, in the middle of giving birth, flinched.

Seeing her frightened, Tang Hao flared with anger and summoned the Clear Sky Hammer.

"Ah Yin, wait for me. I'll deal with the people outside!" With that, he rushed out.

"Hao-ge! Be careful! Our child and I will wait for you!" Ah Yin said weakly through the pain.

Tang Hao burst outside, looked up, and froze.

What? I'm only a Soul Douluo, and you brought three Titled Douluo to corner me? Judging by his Martial Soul, the one in the middle looks like Qian Xunji, the pope of Spirit Hall. Unless I'm mistaken, he's at least level ninety-four. Is all this really necessary?

Tang Hao was no coward, but faced with this sight, he decided to swallow his pride for now.

He put away the Clear Sky Hammer and bowed to Qian Xunji.

"Your Holiness, I meant no offense. But His Excellency Liu Hong tried to take my wife. I had no choice but to fight back."

"My wife is giving birth right now. I beg Your Holiness to spare her and our child. I'm willing to answer for what I've done myself."

"Haozi, spare me the excuses. Joining yourself to a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast is an offense against heaven, and you wounded a Spirit Hall elder because of it. That crime is unforgivable!"

"But... if you hand over that Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, I might let you go for Senior Tang Chen's sake."

"I'll take good care of your wife. I'll raise her in your place!"

Qian Xunji narrowed his eyes and grinned lewdly.

Tang Hao had known from the start that they had come for Ah Yin. Even if he surrendered, they probably wouldn't spare her. But then he heard the implication in Qian Xunji's words and saw that grin.

The thought of being cuckolded struck him, and his fury erupted!

"Qian, you bastard! Take your men and leave, now! Otherwise, I'll take you down with me!"

He summoned the Clear Sky Hammer again and pointed it straight at Qian Xunji in the sky.

"Haha, Haozi, don't be so hasty. I promise that if you hand over Ah Yin, she won't come to any harm!"

"As for your child? I can raise it for you too. Aren't you going to thank me?"

"You've killed or wounded countless people of Spirit Hall, yet I'm repaying evil with kindness. Haozi, thank me! Heh heh heh!"

Beside him, Ming Zhong and Xiao Tian struggled not to laugh. Who would have thought His Holiness, usually so proper, had a taste for this? They knew his relationship with the Saintess was strained, but they hadn't realized he had been bottling things up this badly.

They had wondered why His Holiness had ordered the two of them to pretend to lose today. Was he afraid they might hurt Ah Yin? Or that killing Tang Hao would make her sad? But that didn't add up. His Holiness had also told them to push Tang Hao to his limit and force the Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor to sacrifice herself. Once she did, wouldn't she be gone?

Forget it. No point puzzling over it. They just had to follow orders.

"Xiao Tian, Ming Zhong, take Tang Hao!"

Qian Xunji pointed at Tang Hao.

In the blink of an eye, the three were locked in combat. With his level-eighty-nine Soul Power, Tang Hao held his own for a time against the level-ninety-two Ming Zhong Douluo and the level-ninety-three Xiao Tian Douluo.

Xiao Tian and Ming Zhong remembered the pope's orders: push Tang Hao as far as possible without killing him, draw out every trump card he had, and wait for the Blue Silver Emperor to sacrifice herself.

So they steadily poured in more Soul Power, their blows growing heavier.

Little by little, Tang Hao began to lose ground.

His Soul Power was draining fast, and his stamina was giving out. At this rate, defeat was only a matter of time. Worse, Qian Xunji was still hovering overhead without having made a move. Tang Hao had to end this quickly!

He had already begun silently building up the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer.

"Great Sumeru Hammer!"

Ming Zhong and Xiao Tian were sent flying.

Qian Xunji watched Tang Hao suppress Xiao Tian and Ming Zhong with nothing but the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer and Great Sumeru Hammer, without even using Ring Detonation. Tang Chen truly had been a genius to create such powerful Soul Skills.

Still, he couldn't help thinking that people on the Douluo Continent were a little foolish. Why not dodge? The Great Sumeru Hammer is so slow. Just get out of the way. Why insist on taking it head-on? Does the Clear Sky Hammer have its own gravitational pull?

He could understand Ming Zhong failing to dodge; Ming Zhong was a Soul Master specializing partly in control and partly in defense. But Xiao Tian specialized partly in assault and partly in agility. How had he failed to dodge too?

Once he got back, Qian Xunji would have to improve Spirit Hall's approach to combat and its fighting techniques. They needed to play to their strengths and avoid their weaknesses, not mindlessly trade blows.

Xiao Tian and Ming Zhong had not suffered serious injuries when they were thrown back, though they did need a moment to recover.

Looking at the two of them panting, Qian Xunji summoned his Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul. The pressure of a level-ninety-five Titled Douluo bore down on Tang Hao.

"Haozi, stop struggling. Driving back Xiao Tian and Ming Zhong has already done your grandfather and the Clear Sky Sect proud. Hand over Ah Yin, and I'll let you go. I'll raise your wife in your place!"

"Qian, you bastard! How dare you insult me!"

"Great Sumeru Hammer—Ring Detonation!"

Bracing himself against Qian Xunji's pressure, Tang Hao charged straight at him.

Qian Xunji did not dodge. He could have evaded Tang Hao, even worn him down by keeping his distance, but he wanted to feel the power of Ring Detonation for himself.

They clashed. Qian Xunji saw Tang Hao steadily gathering strength and readied himself to withstand it.

"Great Sumeru Hammer—Ring Detonation!"

Several Spirit Rings shattered at once. Rather than exploding outward, they became a surge of primal energy that poured into the Clear Sky Hammer. The hammer swelled instantly. Terrifying power churned through Tang Hao's body, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth as he suffered the backlash of shattering his rings.

"Angel Sacred Sword!"

Sword and hammer collided, unleashing a crushing wave of force.

Soul Power burst between them. Tang Hao was hurled dozens of meters, while Qian Xunji staggered back several paces.

So it really is that powerful. I used nearly ninety percent of my strength on that blow, and he still drove me back.

Qian Xunji shook out his arm. It had gone a little numb.

Tang Chen truly was a genius of his generation. In just a few decades, he single-handedly took the Clear Sky Sect from a second-rate sect to the Number One Sect Under Heaven. He developed Self-Created Soul Skills like the Clear Sky Nine Absolutes, the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer, the Great Sumeru Hammer, and Ring Detonation. If Rakshasa hadn't interfered with his Divine Trial, the Tang family's arrogance and fierce protectiveness would have made the whole world theirs long ago.

Qian Xunji even suspected Asura God had given Tang Chen special help with those Self-Created Soul Skills. Otherwise, it was simply absurd. No genius should have been that gifted!

So Qian Xunji thought to himself.

"Haozi, you've used up your tricks. I'll give you one last chance. Hand over Ah Yin."

"Never!"

Tang Hao forced himself to his feet, leaning on his great hammer.

Qian Xunji probed the house with his Soul Power. Good. The baby's been born. Time to push Haozi a little further.

"Then go wait for your Soul Beast wife in the underworld!"

"Angel Sacred Sword!"

A huge Angel Phantom with six wings gripped the Angel Sacred Sword and slashed at Tang Hao again.

"Great Sumeru Hammer—Ring Detonation!"

Tang Hao charged to meet it once more.

Hm? He's detonating them again? I thought his Spirit Rings disappeared for three days after Ring Detonation and needed at least thirty-six days to recover. Let's see how many rings you have left to detonate. I remember the original story said they fought for three days and three nights. Asura wouldn't let Tang Hao detonate his rings without limit, would he?

Qian Xunji kept the thought to himself.

At last, after clash upon clash, Tang Hao had used Ring Detonation three times in a row.

He was panting, down on one knee, with blood streaming from the corner of his mouth.

"Tang Hao! This is the final blow! Die!"

The Angel Phantom attacked Tang Hao again.

Ah Yin, our child...

Tang Hao thought it was all over.

Then several thick stalks of Blue Silver Grass shot up from the ground and blocked Qian Xunji's attack.

"Ah Yin! Take our child and run! I'll hold them off!"

Seeing the weakened Ah Yin emerge, Tang Hao forced himself to stand again.

But Ah Yin walked toward him.

"Hao-ge... let me help you!"

Emerald-green life energy surged skyward, overwhelming even Qian Xunji's Angel Holy Light.

"Ah Yin—!!!"

"No! I don't want your Spirit Ring!"

Tang Hao's eyes nearly split with anguish. He reached for her like a madman, desperate to hold her, but the sudden eruption of life force hurled him away.

Xiao Tian and Ming Zhong started forward to attack, but Qian Xunji raised a hand to stop them.

"Honestly, Haozi. You just had to fight. Look at you now—you've even fought your wife out of existence. If only you'd listened to me sooner."

In the midst of receiving her sacrifice, Tang Hao heard Qian Xunji's taunt and whipped around to face him.

"Qian Xunji—!!!"

"Haozi, my condolences. I won't ask for Ah Yin anymore, seeing as she's gone. But we still need to settle the matter of you injuring a Spirit Hall elder..."

Before he could finish, Tang Hao cut him off with a roar.

"Die with my Ah Yin! Great Sumeru Hammer—Nine Rings Detonation!"

"Holy shit! When did the sacrifice finish? You're opening with your strongest move—you'll blow up your wife!"

"Ninth Soul Skill! Angel's Glory!"

"Ninth Soul Skill! Nine Heavens' Roar!"

"Ninth Soul Skill! Heaven and Earth Sound Seal!"

Sensing Tang Hao's power, Xiao Tian and Ming Zhong hurriedly used their ninth Soul Skills to help block him.

The four mighty forces collided and struggled for several seconds. Xiao Tian and Ming Zhong were thrown back first, while Qian Xunji remained locked in a contest of strength with Tang Hao.

Boom!

The explosion sent both men flying.

Tang Hao coughed up another mouthful of blood. Blood also seeped from the corner of Qian Xunji's mouth.

Xiao Tian and Ming Zhong lay on the ground, too drained to move for the moment.

"Tang Hao! Surrender! I know you can only detonate each Spirit Ring once. You've got nothing left! Give up! You're only level ninety-two now, a full three levels below me. You can't beat me."

Leaning on the Clear Sky Hammer, Tang Hao struggled back onto one knee and spat blood from his mouth.

"Great Sumeru Hammer! Nine Rings Detonation!"

"Holy shit! Again?!"

This time, Qian Xunji had no intention of taking the blow. Once was enough for that ultimate attack.

"Third Soul Skill! Angel Charge!"

He charged backward.

Tang Hao's full-force strike hit the ground, blasting a pit dozens of meters deep.

"His Holiness is so clever? He actually dodged? Why didn't I think of that?"

Xiao Tian, still lying on the ground, spoke to Ming Zhong in astonishment.

"His Holiness truly is a genius of his generation!"

Ming Zhong gazed at Qian Xunji with admiration and agreed.

"Qian Xunji! Coward! Why won't you take this blow?"

Furious that his hammer had struck empty ground, Tang Hao roared at Qian Xunji.

Qian Xunji mocked him some more, and the two fought again. Ming Zhong and Xiao Tian lent a hand from time to time.

A day and a night later.

Still dodging Tang Hao's hammer, Qian Xunji decided it was about time. Tang Hao was at his limit. Over that day and night, he had detonated his rings a full twenty times! Five of those had been Nine Rings Detonation! Qian Xunji could hardly believe his eyes.

Can you even detonate them that many times!?

Besides, if they didn't retreat soon, the future pure and spotless Great God King Tang might starve to death.

Tang Hao used Ring Detonation one last time, sending all three of them flying.

"Cough! Cough! Tang Hao, you got lucky this time! You won't be so lucky next time!" Qian Xunji spat blood and delivered the classic villain's threat. Then Xiao Tian hauled him and Ming Zhong away over his shoulders.

"Qian Xunji! Don't run!" Tang Hao tried to pursue them, but there was no way he could outrun Xiao Tian.

He watched the three flee into the distance, then collapsed.

"Waaah!"

Tang Hao was about to fall asleep where he lay when a baby's cry startled him awake.

The child! Right! The child!

Meanwhile, in the Divine Realm.

Asura God watched Tang Hao anxiously.

Don't let my precious little treasure starve to death!