"If his first soul ring is a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, doesn't that mean he can use this soul skill endlessly while in his Martial Soul Avatar state?"
In the distance, Zhao Wuji and Flender were also stunned by the sight before them.
Seeing Qin Xiao unleash the Thunder Tai Tan soul skill again, Flender instantly thought of all its implications.
Who wouldn't fear a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Skill that could be unleashed endlessly?
"Too powerful!"
"His Holiness the Thunder Emperor is simply too powerful! Forget anything else-if that Thunder Tai Tan self-detonation went off another couple of times, wouldn't it blast both Tang Xiao and Tang Hao to death?"
Zhao Wuji grew more and more excited.
"Old Zhao, stop blurting out the truth."
Flender rebuked Zhao Wuji under his breath.
His Holiness the Thunder Emperor might not fear two Titled Douluos from the Clear Sky Sect working together, but even if the two of us were tied together, we still wouldn't be a match for either Tang Hao or Tang Xiao.
If those brothers decided to vent their anger on us, we couldn't take it.
"Uncle Jian, now I understand why you lost to Qin Xiao."
"With such a terrifying first soul skill available for repeated use, even Uncle Gu would find him a headache."
A rare gravity filled Ning Fengzhi's voice.
"Haha, Sect Master, don't let this boy fool you."
"If he could truly use a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Skill endlessly, wouldn't he be invincible?"
Sword Douluo shook his head with a chuckle, then offered his conjecture. "A Hundred Thousand Year Soul Skill is still a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Skill. Even if it belongs to his first ring, its consumption must be considerable. Given Qin Xiao's soul power, I think two consecutive uses are already his limit."
"Only twice?" Ning Fengzhi paused.
Hearing that, Sword Douluo smiled helplessly. "Sect Master, what do you mean, 'only'? That lightning-struck brat's actual soul power is only rank ninety-two. Even I would struggle to use such a powerful Hundred Thousand Year Soul Skill once. For him to use it twice in succession is already defying the heavens..."
"Well..."
Ning Fengzhi froze, then shook his head with a rueful smile. "Uncle Jian, if you hadn't reminded me, I'd have forgotten he was rank ninety-two..."
Gulp...
Outsiders watched the spectacle; insiders saw the workings beneath it.
Tang Hao swallowed hard.
Only someone actually facing Thunder Tai Tan could understand how much courage it required.
Especially after that savage self-detonation, which had left a considerable shadow over Tang Hao's heart.
"Big Brother, what should we do?"
Tang Hao knew that in his condition, he could not withstand Thunder Tai Tan's attack, so he could only see whether his dear elder brother had a solution.
"Brother Hao, withdraw first. Leave this place."
"With you here, I have to protect you, and that ties my hands."
Facing Thunder Tai Tan's relentless advance, Tang Xiao spoke immediately.
"Big Brother, I think you're right! Take care!"
Tang Hao answered without the slightest hesitation.
Huh?
Tang Xiao was somewhat stunned. That answer seemed rather too decisive.
He had originally thought it would take some persuasion to make Tang Hao withdraw.
The next moment, everyone saw Tang Hao turn into a streak of light and leave the battlefield as though fleeing for his life.
Tang Xiao was stunned again at the sight. What the hell?
I told you to withdraw, not abandon me and run...
Tang Xiao felt as though he had been set up.
And the person who had done it was his own younger brother...
Qin Xiao's gaze flickered slightly. So one of them has finally left?
"Great Sumeru Hammer, Ring Detonation!"
Suddenly, a thunderous shout on the battlefield drew everyone's attention.
Crack, crack, crack...
Amid a succession of cracking sounds, Tang Xiao's sixth, eighth, and ninth soul rings shattered almost simultaneously.
Surging soul power poured into the Clear Sky Hammer like a raging river.
Immediately, the bucket-thick Clear Sky Hammer swelled to the thickness of a water vat.
At that moment, Tang Xiao's strength underwent an earthshaking transformation as well.
"The Clear Sky Sect's secret arts truly defy the heavens!"
"Judging by cultivation alone, Tang Xiao is now fully at rank ninety-seven."
Sword Douluo's pupils contracted slightly at the sight, and he could not help praising it.
"Ah, secret arts."
Beside him, Ning Fengzhi also sighed. "Without those secret arts of the Clear Sky Sect supporting the Clear Sky Hammer, how could it hold the title and standing of the world's foremost tool martial soul?"
"Self-detonate!"
By then, Thunder Tai Tan was already very close to Tang Xiao. Qin Xiao made an immediate decision and issued the command to Thunder Tai Tan.
"Clear Sky Nine Absolutes, Break!"
The Clear Sky Hammer in Tang Xiao's hand carried an inexplicable power. As he brought it down, the blow distorted space itself.
Much of the storm of lightning and soul power generated by Thunder Tai Tan's self-detonation in front of him was blasted apart as well.
Yet it still could not change his fate of being swallowed by the blast.
"It looks like Qin Xiao is in trouble this time."
At that moment, everyone present thought the same thing.
That included Sword Douluo, Ning Fengzhi, and Tang Xiao...
Indeed.
Tang Xiao's figure had now reappeared before everyone's eyes.
However, enduring Qin Xiao's ferocious attack had not come without a price.
His aura was noticeably weaker than before.
But.
Qin Xiao looked even worse.
The imposing Thunder Emperor Armor had shattered.
His cultivation could be said to have plummeted a thousand fathoms; he was now only at rank ninety-two.
"Qin Xiao, even if you can still unleash that sinister self-detonation attack, it can no longer do anything to me."
"And I can take your life with a single hammer blow!"
Tang Xiao was not exaggerating in the slightest.
As one waned, the other waxed.
Even Flender and Zhao Wuji could see that Tang Xiao's strength was indeed several levels above Qin Xiao's current strength.
"Uncle Jian, be ready to save Qin Xiao at any moment."
"With my support, Tang Xiao cannot possibly be your match, even after Ring Detonation."
Behind Sword Douluo, Ning Fengzhi spoke quietly.
This time, Sword Douluo's brows were tightly furrowed, and he said nothing.
Battles between experts changed in an instant. He had to watch closely.
However.
Just then, Qin Xiao made a strange move. His hands continuously formed seals, and one peculiar, mysterious symbol after another appeared.
Without question, what Qin Xiao was unleashing was the Thunder Emperor Finger of the Thunder Emperor Precious Technique!
"What the hell is that?"
Tang Xiao frowned.
Instinctively, a sense of foreboding rose in his heart. He knew he could not allow Qin Xiao to complete this strange skill, no matter what.
He bent his body, gathered his strength, and shot toward Qin Xiao like a meteor.
At that very moment, countless precious technique runes enveloped Qin Xiao. Then he extended his right index finger and pointed lightly at Tang Xiao.
Boom-crack!
A finger formed from lightning, like a pillar holding up the heavens, crushed down mercilessly toward Tang Xiao.
Before that finger, Tang Xiao's figure looked utterly insignificant!
Crack.
Crack.
The first thing to meet the Thunder Emperor Finger was the Clear Sky Hammer in Tang Xiao's hand.
Yet to Tang Xiao's horror, the Clear Sky Hammer-the world's foremost tool martial soul, which he had taken pride in since childhood-was crushed to pieces by a single finger?!
"How is this possible?"
"This is absolutely impossible!"
"He's clearly an arrow at the end of its flight! How can he still possess such combat power?"
The shock in his heart reached an indescribable height.
But the next moment, an irresistible force slammed him mercilessly into the dust.
"What soul skill is that?"
"How can it be so powerful?"
Everyone who witnessed it was dumbfounded.
None of them had expected the battle to turn so quickly. Tang Xiao, who had just been swaggering as though none could challenge him, had been struck down into the dust.
"Uncle Jian, that's not fair. Why didn't you tell me Qin Xiao had such a powerful soul skill?"
Ning Fengzhi spoke with a hint of complaint.
In truth, he could hardly be blamed.
After all, he had just broken into a cold sweat over Qin Xiao's safety.
There was nothing wrong with grumbling a little.
"Sect Master, you're wronging me here. I truly have no idea what this soul skill is. When that lightning-struck brat fought me, he never used it at all..."
Facing Ning Fengzhi's complaints, Sword Douluo looked utterly innocent.
But the next moment, he suddenly remembered something Qin Xiao had said.
"Wait, could this be the soul skill he said even he was afraid of?"
The more Sword Douluo thought about it, the more certain he became. "To think that brat wasn't just running his mouth-he really had that kind of strength!"
Meanwhile.
The dust on the battlefield cleared.
Tang Xiao's figure appeared before everyone once again.
He was kneeling on the ground in utter dejection.
His meridians had ruptured. Even if he survived, he would be a cripple for the rest of his life...
Tang Xiao knew all too well how severe his injuries were.
Tap, tap, tap...
Qin Xiao walked up to Tang Xiao, one step at a time.
"Why?"
Tang Xiao asked hoarsely.
"You want to ask why I didn't use such a powerful soul skill against Tang Hao, right?" Qin Xiao smiled.
But his smile was filled with coldness.
Tang Xiao fell silent.
Because Qin Xiao was right.
Qin Xiao said calmly, "Tang Xiao, you've been wrong about one thing from beginning to end. That trash Tang Hao was never my target."
"What?"
"There's a deep blood feud between you and him. How could you not want to kill him?"
Tang Xiao was stunned at first and simply refused to believe Qin Xiao's words.
"Do you think I have any reason to lie to you?"
Qin Xiao cast Tang Xiao a disdainful glance.
"Sect Master Tang, he truly isn't lying to you..."
At that moment, Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo entered the battlefield.
"One is a gravely injured rank ninety-five Titled Douluo. The other is a rank ninety-five Titled Douluo with astonishing combat strength, who is also the master of a sect. If you had the opportunity to eliminate one of them, Sect Master Tang, whom would you choose?" he asked, looking at Tang Xiao.
So that was it!
Those caught in the game were blind, while those watching saw clearly. After Ning Fengzhi's explanation, how could Tang Xiao fail to realize that the latter meant him?
Ning Fengzhi said calmly, "I believe Sect Master Tang has his answer now. If I were choosing, I would certainly eliminate the latter as well."
"Wrong. I was wrong from the very beginning..."
Tang Xiao's heart suffered another heavy blow.
"But Brother Hao has successfully escaped your clutches. One day, he will come for revenge."
That was the only thing Tang Xiao could take comfort in.
However.
Qin Xiao's next words dealt him another painful blow.
"Let me tell you something else. If Tang Hao hadn't left, I would have been the one defeated today."
"I could only unleash Thunder Tai Tan twice. The first time wounded you both, and the second frightened Tang Hao away and forced you to use Ring Detonation.
"And although Thunder Emperor Finger barely consumed any soul power, it wore down my mental will. I could only use it once within a short period, and my current fighting strength was only on par with an ordinary Titled Douluo..."
"To tell you the truth, if Tang Hao hadn't left, I never would have used Thunder Emperor Finger. I would have been the one fleeing today."
Qin Xiao revealed this secret to Tang Xiao through a private voice transmission.
The relief in Tang Xiao's eyes vanished.
First came shock, then regret.
"Brother Hao, did you hear that?"
"If you'd just fled a little more slowly, today would have ended differently."
Tang Xiao regretted it so bitterly that his guts seemed to turn green.
Had he known, he never would have told Tang Hao to leave first, no matter what.
Hadn't he brought this disaster upon himself?
"When you're reincarnated in your next life, remember to keep your eyes sharp. Find a good family, and don't provoke anyone you shouldn't."
Qin Xiao was deeply satisfied by the regret written all over Tang Xiao's face.
Simply killing Tang Xiao would have let him off too easily.
Breaking Tang Xiao's spirit was what Qin Xiao truly wanted.
Now, he had achieved his goal.
"What did you say? You're going to kill me?"
Tang Xiao froze, then began to panic.
"Anyone who kills must be prepared to be killed."
Qin Xiao's voice was icy, and arcs of lightning already coiled around his palm.
"No, don't!"
Tang Xiao panicked. "I'm the master of the Clear Sky Sect, the greatest sect in the world! Whatever you want, I can give it to you. Besides, the Clear Sky Sect has many powerful experts. If I die, you'll be inviting enormous trouble!"
Even a man like Tang Xiao was filled with terror in the face of death.
"Just a whole sect of turtles hiding their heads in their shells. Do you think I'm afraid?"
"Even if they don't come looking for me, I'll fight my way into the Clear Sky Sect!"
Qin Xiao shook his head, not taking the Clear Sky Sect seriously at all.
After all.
According to the original story, the Clear Sky Sect still had several elders besides Tang Xiao.
And there was also their patriarch, Tang Chen, far away in Slaughter City.
However, since they were already enemies, Qin Xiao would show them no mercy.
So what if they were powerful?
He had a system and knew the plot.
No matter how powerful they were, there was always a way to destroy them.
At worst, Qin Xiao figured no one within the Clear Sky Sect's mountain stronghold could withstand his assassinations.
As for Tang Chen, although he was powerful, he had already lost his sanity and would not be difficult to deal with.
"Besides, I might not be the Clear Sky Sect's greatest enemy, might I?"
Qin Xiao suddenly smiled.
At the sight of that smile, a chill ran down Tang Xiao's spine. He had a feeling something terrible was about to happen.
"Think about it. Tang Hao already got a great many of the sect's disciples killed, and in the end, the Clear Sky Sect sealed its mountain gates and became a turtle hiding its head in its shell."
"And now he's gotten his elder brother, the sect master, killed too. Will those elders in the sect forgive him?"
Qin Xiao smiled. "Who knows? Your Clear Sky Sect might be the first to purge him from its ranks."
Well...
Tang Xiao's pupils abruptly contracted.
He knew that what Qin Xiao said was entirely possible.
Within the sect, from the elders down to the disciples, resentment toward Tang Hao, their outcast, ran deep.
If something happened to him as well, the sect might really move to purge Tang Hao from its ranks.
"No, I can't die! I absolutely cannot die!"
"Otherwise, the Clear Sky Sect and Brother Hao will both truly be finished."
Tang Xiao stopped looking at Qin Xiao and turned his pleading gaze toward Ning Fengzhi, as though he had found his last straw to cling to.
"Sect Master Ning, Sect Master Ning, you have to save me!"
Tang Xiao said desperately, "Our Upper Three Sects are branches of the same tree, as close as family!"
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