The monk may flee, but the temple cannot

The words had barely fallen when a tremendous crash came from the distance.

It boomed like thunder, deafeningly loud, and even the floor beneath their feet shook noticeably.

"That commotion-a high-ranking Soul Master is fighting inside the city!"

The commotion was so great that it had practically alerted everyone in Suotuo City.

Quite a few Soul Masters were already rushing toward its source.

But before they could get close, a brutal, terrifying aura drove them all back.

Immediately afterward, a figure flew out and slammed heavily into the wall of a nearby house, instantly punching a huge hole through it.

"Ptooey! Damn it, that son of a bitch has some strength. I fucking let my guard down."

Beneath the collapsed wall, a hand reached out of the rubble.

Then came Mo Lin's cursing.

He was covered in dust, and his clothes had been worn to tatters in the fight just now.

Riiip-

With a casual tug, he tore off the clothes that had already become rags, revealing his solid chest.

Brushing the dust off himself, Mo Lin looked up at the sky.

There in the dark sky, Tang Hao held his hammer in one hand, staring coldly down at him.

He was surprised. He had never expected his opponent to withstand a hammer blow from him without a scratch.

Something's wrong!

Tang Hao realized something, but he did not choose to leave immediately.

Instead, he spread his Soul Power outward, searching his surroundings for anything suspicious.

Yet after sweeping the area, he found absolutely nothing.

Wait! That brat's gone!

Tang Hao was startled. Mo Lin, who had still been crawling through the rubble, had vanished, though he had clearly been right there a moment ago.

"Are you looking for me?"

The voice came from behind him. Without hesitation, Tang Hao swung the Clear Sky Hammer backward.

The enormous hammer hurtled toward Mo Lin with terrifying force.

But at the sight, Mo Lin did not dodge. Instead, he swung his fist straight into it.

Clang-!

Flesh collided with the hammer, producing a tremendous crash that rang across the sky.

The recoil numbed Tang Hao's hand, even splitting the web between his thumb and forefinger.

Blood seeped from the split, staining his palm red.

But compared with the pain in his palm, Tang Hao was more concerned that someone could actually meet the Clear Sky Hammer head-on with flesh alone.

"How is that possible?!"

"You've seen too little, so everything surprises you."

Compared with Tang Hao's shock, Mo Lin was far calmer.

Shaking his slightly numb hand, Mo Lin revealed a somewhat frightening smile.

"Hey, this shouldn't be all your strength, right? Put some muscle into it, or you might die a very ugly death today."

"Your Eminence, my esteemed Clear Sky Douluo."

His voice was not loud, but it was enough for the people around them to hear clearly.

Tang Hao's expression was ugly. He gripped the Clear Sky Hammer tightly, his eyes fixed on Mo Lin before him.

"Who exactly are you?"

If he still could not tell this was a setup, he would truly have lived all these years in vain.

Yet among the powerful figures he knew of, there seemed to be no information on the man before him, not even anyone remotely similar.

Neither Spirit Hall nor the Upper Three Sects had anyone like him. So where exactly had he sprung from, and why had he lured Tang Hao out?

"Does it matter who I am?"

"Shouldn't you be worrying about how to survive me right now?"

After exchanging two blows, he found that the so-called Clear Sky Douluo seemed to amount to little more than this.

The Clear Sky Hammer was not as badass as people made it out to be, either. To him, it merely felt heavier than an ordinary hammer.

Among tool Martial Souls, it was the sort that sent bricks flying through sheer strength. Its ceiling was high, but its demands on the wielder were equally high.

If Pangu were holding that hammer, for instance, he would absolutely turn tail and run.

The Dog Talisman could keep him from dying, but it had never said anything about stopping the pain.

"You want to kill me?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Forget it. I can't be bothered wasting words on you. Let's finish this quickly."

As he finished speaking, a golden light flashed through Mo Lin's eyes, and a tiny monkey appeared in his pupils.

He raised his left hand, and a small, sword-shaped soul seal emerged on its back.

Humm-!

A sword's hum rang out, and a longsword emitting a dim glow flew from his palm.

The longsword hovered in the air before Mo Lin.

"Allow me to introduce it. This sword is called Defying Heaven. It's your honor to die beneath it, you traitor to humanity."

Having peculiar tastes in food was understandable. Respect people's niche personal hobbies, after all.

But the problem was, he should not come out showing off, leaving even the chickens and dogs outside in turmoil, then act as though he had suffered some towering injustice. Wasn't that disgusting?

Mo Lin had wanted to slaughter him long ago, but the man was far too good at hiding. None of the Twelve Talismans enhanced detection, either, so he could only shelve the matter for the time being.

"You're from Spirit Hall?!"

Few people knew about what had happened back then. Apart from the Clear Sky Sect, only Spirit Hall knew the full details.

"Spirit Hall? They aren't worthy."

The instant the last word fell, Mo Lin charged straight at Tang Hao, sword in hand.

There were no fancy moves. He simply brought his sword down at Tang Hao's face.

With the Rabbit Talisman's enhancement, Mo Lin's movements were now difficult to follow with the naked eye.

But though the eye could not see him, a Titled Douluo's sense of danger was still keen.

Tang Hao raised the Clear Sky Hammer, using it as a shield before him.

Clang!

Sword and hammer collided, and the tremendous force knocked Tang Hao straight out of the sky.

His body became a cannonball, smashing directly into the street below.

A crater nearly three meters across was blasted into the bluestone-paved road.

Dust billowed inside the deep crater, obscuring everything.

But according to the great law of smoke without injury, Tang Hao was probably fine.

Mo Lin, meanwhile, stood where he was, showing no intention of approaching.

Only after roughly ten seconds did Tang Hao leap out of the crater.

Apart from looking somewhat disheveled, there was little change in him.

"Not going to lie there a little longer?"

Tang Hao's expression was grim. He had never encountered such a bizarre enemy.

That was right. His opponent was not simply strong, but bizarre.

I can't get tangled up with him. I need to retreat.

Unable to fathom his opponent's capabilities, Tang Hao had intended to ambush him when he approached, but he had never expected him to be so cautious.

The commotion here had already alerted quite a few people. He had to withdraw quickly, or something disastrous would happen.

Yet the moment that thought surfaced, his opponent saw through it as though he could read minds.

"Want to run? Go right ahead. I certainly won't stop you. But what'll become of your son afterward, I couldn't say."

Mo Lin spread his lips in his signature smile.

"You!"

Tang Hao was furious. How could anyone be so shameless?

"Are you running or not? If you are, I'll go find your son."

Mo Lin showed no intention of making him stay. He even seemed somewhat eager to shoo him away.

"You brought this on yourself!"

Tang Hao knew that unless he dealt with this man today, his son Tang San would have absolutely no chance of survival.

"Clear Sky Secret Technique · Ring Detonation!"