"Sword technique: God-Demon Dual Slash!"
Brilliant sword light split heaven and earth, bearing straight down on him.
Sword and hammer collided.
In the sky, after a brief moment, light suddenly blazed forth. Its dazzling radiance illuminated the earth, followed by an enormous, explosive roar. A violent presence surged outward, obliterating every tree within dozens of meters.
"Where's that thunder coming from? Flender, where's that thunder coming from?"
Shrek Academy on the outskirts of the woods was naturally roused by the tremendous commotion. Zhao Wuji, his body wrapped in numerous bandages, hurriedly leaped out of his room and sought out Flender, who was also outside.
Flender was staring fixedly at the distant explosion, his eyes reflecting its dazzling brilliance.
"Old Zhao, that's no thunder. There are powerful experts fighting over there!"
With the extraordinary eyesight of his Cat Owl Martial Soul, Flender could see farther and more clearly.
Thus, he could see that powerful experts were fighting, but he could not make out their identities.
"A Soul Master could cause a commotion like that? Could both fighters be Titled Douluo?" Zhao Wuji looked astonished. Just how powerful must both combatants be to cause such a disturbance? Either one could easily kill him in an instant.
Meanwhile, inside Shrek Academy's dormitory, Xiao Wu was the most apprehensive of all. Aside from Four-Eyed Cat Owl Flender, she had the clearest understanding of the two combatants' strength.
That presence undoubtedly belonged to human Titled Douluo.
Xiao Wu had faced human Titled Douluo herself.
She would never forget that moment for as long as she lived: several human Titled Douluo had broken into the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest, and her mother had been murdered by human Soul Masters while covering her, Da Ming, and Er Ming.
Yet the two fighting now possessed even more terrifying strength. Their presences both surpassed those of the human Titled Douluo who had hunted them that day.
Elsewhere, Tang San was also jolted out of his cultivation by the tremendous commotion. Looking at the distant light, he felt his heart tighten for no reason, as though he were about to lose someone important.
"Dad..."
In the devastated woods.
Sword Douluo stood with his hands behind his back, the Seven Injuries Sword hovering before him.
Though his presence fluctuated, he was physically unharmed, with only a little dust staining his white robes.
Opposite him, Tang Hao propped his Clear Sky Hammer against the ground. His presence was feeble, wounds across his body had split open, and blood poured out.
"Tang Hao, to still possess such strength despite all your hidden injuries, you barely live up to the title of Clear Sky. Given enough time, perhaps you really could approach your grandfather Tang Chen's level of strength. A pity..."
From the moment they struck, it had been destined that they could not let Tang Hao leave unscathed today.
Tang Hao naturally understood this as well.
Moreover, Tang Hao had already been burdened with hidden injuries, and the fierce clash just now had caused them to erupt completely. Even if he managed to escape by a stroke of luck, he was now beyond saving and would not have long to live.
At death's door, all Tang Hao could think of and do was make one final contribution to his sect, as recompense for having implicated it through his own actions before.
Slowly raising the Clear Sky Hammer, Tang Hao turned his gaze toward Ning Fengzhi.
He immediately hurled the Clear Sky Hammer, which had already shrunk back to its normal size.
Though it was not large, the Clear Sky Hammer carried considerable weight. Its spinning body hurtled toward Ning Fengzhi with a howling wind.
"Wishful thinking! You wouldn't have had a chance even at your peak, let alone as you are now!"
Bone Douluo snorted coldly. With a sweep of his Bone Dragon Martial Soul's skeletal wings, he successfully intercepted the Clear Sky Hammer's flight path and swept it away.
Yet what happened next left Bone Douluo shocked and filled with lingering fear.
After the Bone Dragon Martial Soul's skeletal wings deflected it, the Clear Sky Hammer, which should have been stopped, continued spinning along an arc. It successfully bypassed Bone Douluo and continued hurtling toward Ning Fengzhi.
This was Tang Hao's application of the Swinging Character Art and Entangling Character Art of the Clear Sky Nine Absolutes.
Bone Douluo instantly realized that Tang Hao had plotted against him. Or rather, Tang Hao had known from the outset that he would certainly be able to intercept the Clear Sky Hammer's attack.
Thus, he had factored all of it into his calculations, imparting enough spin to the Clear Sky Hammer that it could use Bone Douluo's interception to accelerate a second time toward Ning Fengzhi.
Even though this hammer strike did not carry Tang Hao's full strength, Ning Fengzhi was only an auxiliary system Soul Saint. This strike was enough to take his life!
With Tang Hao's wretchedly weakened body, even trading his life for another's could not take down either Sword Douluo or Bone Douluo. The only life he could trade for was Ning Fengzhi's.
If Ning Fengzhi died, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would inevitably fall into chaos. Even with Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo still holding the fort, the sect would face a period of turmoil.
Moreover, without the seventy-percent amplification from Ning Fengzhi's Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo would no longer be so terrifyingly powerful.
"Fengzhi!"
Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo both rushed back to help, especially Bone Douluo.
This had been his mistake. If anything truly happened to Ning Fengzhi, it would be his responsibility, his dereliction of duty!
Sword Douluo swung his Seven Kill Sword, sending a streak of Seven Kill Sword Qi shooting over.
But Tang Hao had plotted against the unsuspecting. Having prepared in advance, how could he let Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo easily stop this final blow?
No matter how fast that Seven Kill Sword Qi flew, it remained just short of catching up to the spinning Clear Sky Hammer.
At that moment, even the usually refined and composed Ning Fengzhi could not help showing some panic as the Clear Sky Hammer flew toward him to decide his life or death.
"Sigh, I still have to do it."
A soft sigh sounded from the woods.
In the flash of a spark, stark white bones suddenly rose around Ning Fengzhi. They encircled him, forming a half-humanoid skeleton that protected him within.
Tang Hao was also dumbfounded by this sudden change, but his gaze quickly locked onto the center of the half-humanoid skeleton.
A youth stood beside Ning Fengzhi.
It's him!
Tang Hao had been secretly following Tang San, so he had naturally witnessed everything at Shrek Academy.
He had also personally witnessed the Soul Ring configuration and strength Gu Yang had displayed during the admissions test.
Even he, a genius hailed as the continent's youngest Titled Douluo, could not help feeling defeated when comparing himself to Gu Yang at the same age.
Now, wonderful-this brat actually dared recklessly stand in front of his Clear Sky Hammer.
Since you've delivered yourself to me, I'll take you down as well!
The current sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, along with its child of the future-such a blow would be enough to inflict devastating losses on the sect!
Seeing Gu Yang suddenly appear using his Fifth Soul Skill, Ning Fengzhi reacted at once amid his delighted surprise.
He hurriedly activated his Soul Power. "Seven treasures turn forth, glazed tiles appear. Fourth: defense! Seventh: soul!"
Beneath Ning Fengzhi's feet, his fourth and Seventh Soul Rings shone in turn. Two beams of light shot from the spinning Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda and sank into Gu Yang's body, making the half-humanoid skeleton gleam and become more complete.
Clang!
At last, the Clear Sky Hammer struck the half-humanoid skeleton. The impact hit instantly, forcing Gu Yang back several steps.
The ribs of the half-humanoid skeleton's chest even suffered a visible dent.
Yet it was only a dent. In the end, the Clear Sky Hammer failed to break through Gu Yang's Soul Bone Soul Skill and was stopped outside.
Seeing his attempt fail, Tang Hao was instantly flooded with unwillingness and a sense of defeat.
Tang Hao did not understand why Gu Yang could block his attack. All he knew was that with such a young disciple in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Clear Sky Sect was in danger!
As for Sword Douluo, who had nearly been outmaneuvered, he naturally felt far from pleased. Turning his wrist, he sent the Seven Kill Sword Qi straight at Tang Hao.
Facing the incoming Seven Kill Sword Qi, Tang Hao did not dodge, nor could he.
At that moment, countless memories resurfaced in Tang Hao's heart.
His travels across the continent with his elder brother Tang Xiao in their youth, getting to know Ah Yin and falling in love with her...
Yet all of it had now become passing clouds and smoke.
All that remained in the end was Tang Hao's boundless guilt toward his sect.
"Grandfather, Father, Big Brother... I'm sorry. I've let you down..."
At last, the Seven Kill Sword Qi pierced Tang Hao's body, taking all his life with it.
Clear Sky Douluo Tang Hao had fallen!