On the Heavenly Screen, time flew like a shuttle.
With Spirit Hall's cultivation resources, Qian Xunji took only four years to raise his Soul Power from rank 73 to rank 80!
Under Qian Xunji's management, Spirit Hall also flourished, opening several Soul Master Academies across the Douluo Continent and recruiting commoner Soul Masters to train, providing Spirit Hall with an endless supply of fresh blood for its reserve of Soul Masters.
Inside the Pope's Hall, Qian Xunji sat at his desk handling Spirit Hall's affairs.
Just then, two figures came before Qian Xunji.
They were Qian Xunji's right-hand men, Yue Guan and Gui Mei. After absorbing the Soul Bones Qian Xunji had bestowed on them and cultivating for another four years, both had finally become Titled Douluos.
"Your Holiness! We just received word that Miss Ah Yin is being hunted!"
A clatter rang out, and Yue Guan and Gui Mei were just about to look up.
The next instant, Qian Xunji was already in front of them.
"What did you say?"
Yue Guan glanced up at Qian Xunji's icy expression and immediately lowered his head in fright.
"Your Holiness, we just received a message. A Titled Douluo is leading people in pursuit of Miss Ah Yin!"
The next instant, Yue Guan and Gui Mei felt killing intent suddenly descend upon the hall, making both of them tremble with fear.
"You two will leave Spirit City with me!"
Qian Xunji's icy voice rang out.
"Yes, Your Holiness!"
In the mountains near Holy Soul Village.
Two figures raced through the dark forest.
Behind them, several figures came hurtling after them.
A commanding voice rang out from afar.
"Tang Hao! Stop persisting in your folly!"
"She is a hundred-thousand-year transformed Soul Beast! By protecting her, you're making an enemy of every Soul Master. Even your status as a member of the Clear Sky Sect won't protect you!"
Conflict showed on Tang Hao's face when he heard those words.
But that conflict was soon replaced by even firmer resolve.
"Second Brother, forget it. Hurry and leave. Don't worry about me!"
Ah Yin's voice came from behind him.
"No, little sister. This happened because of me. I will keep you safe!"
A week earlier, Tang Hao, Tang Xiao, and Ah Yin had traveled to the Heaven Dou Empire. Tang Hao and Tang Xiao wanted to show Ah Yin more of the world, so they took her into an auction house.
What they had not expected was that a Soul Douluo with an unusually perceptive Martial Soul would notice something abnormal about Ah Yin there.
That Soul Douluo wanted to examine Ah Yin's true nature more closely, leading to a clash with Tang Hao and Tang Xiao.
Tang Hao and Tang Xiao revealed their identities as members of the Clear Sky Sect and frightened the Soul Douluo off, but they had not expected him to spread his suspicions immediately afterward.
The moment the news spread, it stirred up towering waves!
The three had barely left the city before numerous people intercepted them, demanding they hand over Ah Yin so they could confirm whether she really was a hundred-thousand-year transformed Soul Beast.
Naturally, Tang Hao and Tang Xiao would not simply hand Ah Yin over, so they fought battle after battle against the Soul Masters blocking their way!
Until a Titled Douluo arrived!
He saw at a glance that Ah Yin was not human!
Once her identity as a transformed hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast was confirmed, every Soul Master went mad!
Although Tang Xiao and Tang Hao had long noticed that Ah Yin was different, they still could not hide their shock when it was truly confirmed.
Faced with a Titled Douluo, Tang Xiao finally used Ring Detonation to hold him off temporarily.
Tang Hao escaped the encirclement with Ah Yin.
Though Tang Xiao was gravely injured, the Clear Sky Sect's name still saved his life. The Titled Douluo and the other Soul Masters then began pursuing Tang Hao and Ah Yin.
Hunted the entire way, the two had fled here!
The two moved swiftly, but just as they stepped forward...
Several streaks of light suddenly shot toward them from ahead.
"Clear Sky Hammer!"
Tang Hao roared, and his Martial Soul, the Clear Sky Hammer, appeared. With one swing, he sent those streaks of light flying.
"Third Soul Skill! Water Prison Cage!"
"Fourth Soul Skill! Earth Flow Formation!"
Voices rang out in the darkness. A square water cage appeared around Tang Hao and Ah Yin, and almost simultaneously, the ground beneath them turned to liquid, making their bodies sink.
"Damn it!"
"First Soul Skill! Clear Sky Shield!"
A ring of golden light formed a shield around Tang Hao.
"Third Soul Skill! Shattering Heaven and Earth!"
Tang Hao leaped high and smashed the Clear Sky Hammer in his hands into the ground.
Boom!
The next instant, the ground split apart and caved in!
The water cage and the liquid beneath their feet instantly collapsed!
The Soul Masters hiding in the shadows were also sent flying by that tremendous force.
Although they had broken free, that brief delay allowed their pursuers to catch up.
A brilliant light appeared above Tang Hao and Ah Yin as figures shot in from all around, instantly surrounding them so tightly that not even water could pass through!
"Tang Hao! You have nowhere left to run!"
"I'll give you one more chance. Leave this place!"
"All I want is that hundred-thousand-year transformed Soul Beast!"
An old man in white robes looked down at Tang Hao and spoke indifferently.
A Soul Douluo and a transformed Soul Beast-he did not take either of them seriously at all!
"If you want to take little sister away, you'll have to step over my corpse!"
Tang Hao looked at the Titled Douluo and spoke with firm resolve.
"Fine, fine!"
"Tang Hao, you're a Soul Master, yet you keep company with a Soul Beast. Even if you're from the Clear Sky Sect, no one will dare fault me for killing you today!"
Rejected so bluntly by Tang Hao, the old man laughed in his fury.
The surrounding Soul Masters stared at Ah Yin beside Tang Hao with burning greed, but none made the first move.
With a Titled Douluo present, this transformed Soul Beast was destined not to be theirs. Still, if they helped him, the Titled Douluo would not treat them poorly.
"Little sister, I'll use Ring Detonation in a moment and unleash my strongest strike!"
"Seize the chance to escape!"
Tang Hao spoke quietly to Ah Yin beside him.
"Second Brother, you've already done enough for me. You should leave!"
"I should never have come out in the first place. I've dragged you both into this!"
Ah Yin's expression was miserable as well.
If she had stayed in the Soul Beast Forest, none of this would have happened.
"Little sister, I've never blamed you. My only regret is taking you to that auction house."
"There's no time, little sister. Seize your chance to escape!"
"Second Brother!"
Ah Yin had barely spoken when Tang Hao launched himself into the air at the Titled Douluo!
"Clear Sky Hammer!"
An enormous Clear Sky Hammer appeared in Tang Hao's hands!
At the same time, eight Soul Rings appeared around Tang Hao. The next instant, all eight detonated at once!
"Aah!!"
The power released by the exploding Soul Rings gathered on the Clear Sky Hammer, instantly making it grow several times larger.
A sky-filling hammer smashed toward the Titled Douluo with terrifying might!
"Junior! You're courting death!"
The Titled Douluo's face twisted savagely as well!
"Ninth Soul Skill! Storm Heaven-Rending Claw!"
An enormous Spirit Eagle Martial Soul appeared behind the Titled Douluo. The Spirit Eagle spread its wings wide, its sharp talons viciously clawing toward the massive hammer!