The Titan Giant Ape Appears, Tang Hao Arrives

Xiao Wu stood beside the campfire, looking up at the enormous figure.

She quickly sent it a message in her mind.

Er Ming,

Thanks for coming to see me.

They're all my friends. Whatever you do, don't hurt them.

But you can give the one called Tang San a scare. Teach him a little lesson. He's the one over there beside me.

The Titan Giant Ape dipped its head slightly, as if in reply.

Then it reached out, a huge hand covered in black fur slowly extending toward Xiao Wu.

Flender reacted instantly, shouting almost at the same moment, "Run! Scatter to either side! Don't try to stand your ground!"

Everyone sprang into action. Zhao Wuji grabbed Ma Hongjun by the collar and hauled him back.

Shao Xin and Li Yusong shielded Oscar and Dai Mubai from either side. A chess piece already hovered over Lu Qibin's palm, but he did not make a rash move.

Zhu Zhuqing moved the instant the Titan Giant Ape reached out.

Like a shadow, she pushed off the ground with her toes and glided backward into the shade of the trees.

Ye Lin reacted a fraction faster than even Zhu Zhuqing.

His body seemed to make the decision at that same instant.

His left arm wrapped around Xiao Wu's waist, while his right swept Ning Rongrong off her feet.

With one tucked under each arm,

he drove Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to its limit and leaped back in a single stride.

The leap carried him several feet higher and dozens of feet farther than an ordinary jump.

The moment Ye Lin landed with Ning Rongrong, she instinctively grabbed his arm.

She let go as soon as her feet touched the ground and drew her hand back, as though nothing had happened.

Tang San moved too.

He pulled several throwing knives from his pack, gripped their handles between his fingers, and flicked them out with both hands.

The hidden weapons whistled through the air toward the Titan Giant Ape.

One struck its shoulder, another its outer arm, while several more hit the surging Soul Power protecting its body and bounced away midflight.

The knives hit the Titan Giant Ape's fur with a string of faint clinks, like pebbles striking a bronze wall. They fell to the ground without cutting a single hair.

Tang San did not stop. He sent out a second volley of knives and shouted,

"Aaaaah! Stay away from my Xiao Wu!"

"Don't touch my Xiao Wu!"

The Titan Giant Ape looked down at him.

Its moonlike eyes shifted slightly, looking baffled.

What's with you?

Sister Xiao Wu asked me to teach you a lesson, and I didn't even know what excuse to use.

Now you've handed me one.

The others had all retreated some distance. Watching Tang San stand there flinging knives, they fell silent.

Everyone else was running, yet he, a support-type Soul Master, was hurling knives like mad without even scratching the ape.

Ma Hongjun leaned against a tree and wiped away a cold sweat. He glanced toward Tang San, then muttered to himself,

What's wrong with him? We're all running, and he's over there fighting. Worse, he can't even land a hit.

Oscar did not look at Tang San. His hands moved rapidly, and a pale golden glow began gathering in his palms.

His third Spirit Ring lit up, and he called out his chant.

"True Mushroom of Flying Together!"

The light took shape in his palm, forming a small golden mushroom.

He kept channeling Soul Power, summoning mushrooms one after another, ready to hand them out at any moment.

He could summon ten flying mushrooms. If everyone flew at the speed of a Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent, a minute would take them far from here and greatly improve their chances of survival.

The Titan Giant Ape looked down at Tang San, its moonlike eyes shifting slightly.

Then it opened its mouth.

A deep roar exploded from its chest.

The shock wave raced along the ground in every direction.

Dead twigs and leaves were swept up by the blast, forming a visible ring of rushing air that violently shoved everyone nearby back.

Flender crossed his arms before him and staggered several steps before regaining his balance.

The blast slammed Zhao Wuji into a tree, his back striking it with a dull thud.

Ma Hongjun grabbed Oscar's shoulder, and the two of them were knocked to the ground. They rolled a short distance before stopping.

The Titan Giant Ape paid no attention to those it had blown away.

It looked down at the tiny figure by its feet.

Tang San stood a few steps in front of it, still dazed by the roar.

The Titan Giant Ape glanced at him and, while everyone was still stunned and dizzy,

reached for Xiao Wu again with its massive hand.

This time it moved a little faster, scooping her securely into its palm and curling its fingers around her without hurting her in the slightest.

Only one thing remained. It raised its foot.

That foot was as large as a small hut, covered in thick black fur like a miniature hill.

As it rose, moonlight traced its edge, and its shadow fell squarely over Tang San.

Tang San's pupils contracted sharply.

He lay on his back in the fallen leaves, watching the foot rise slowly, blot out the moonlight overhead, and loom closer and closer.

The shadow deepened until it felt as though the entire sky were falling on him.

I'm done for.

I'm done for!

I'm the reincarnation of a God King!

I dominated the continent in my last life. I haven't even gotten started in this one, and Er Ming's going to step on me?

No! Every muscle in his body trembled. His fingers dug into the earth, packing his nails with dirt and shredded leaves.

But he had neither the strength nor the time to dodge.

His eyes were wide, the ever-growing sole reflected in his pupils.

Of course, the Titan Giant Ape had no intention of crushing Tang San to death.

It had already arched its foot, leaving a hollow beneath the middle where Tang San would fit unharmed. It would still scare him half to death.

Pleased with its own cleverness, the Titan Giant Ape decided it would take credit for this in front of Sister Xiao Wu later.

The foot hung over Tang San's head, its shadow engulfing him and shutting out every trace of light.

He could feel the wind pressure from its sole bearing down on his face.

He closed his eyes and gave up resisting.

"You beast! How dare you!"

A voice as powerful as thunder erupted from the forest.

At the sound of it,

most of Tang San's fear and despair vanished.

He recognized the speaker at once.

He had heard that voice countless times. It had accompanied him through much of both his lives. It was his father's voice.

Clear Sky Douluo. Tang Hao.

A black-and-gold flash came crashing in from the side. It was a massive hammer.

The hammer slammed into the Titan Giant Ape's flank.

With a thunderous boom, the blow sent the Titan Giant Ape's enormous body flying sideways.

It snapped two towering trees and crashed into a thicket, throwing up a cloud of dust and shredded leaves.

A figure stood before Tang San, tall and broad, wearing a loose black cloak. His hood hung low, hiding his face.

He turned slightly, shielding Tang San behind him, the massive Clear Sky Hammer gripped in his hand.

Beneath his feet, nine Spirit Rings slowly rose.

Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, red.