Overwhelming Strength, Tang Hao Fainted with Rage

"Pfft!"

Tang Hao spat out a mouthful of blood, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes. He immediately used the secret technique he prided himself on: Ring Detonation.

As his First Soul Ring exploded, a stream of yellow energy flowed into the Clear Sky Hammer. With a fierce and mighty presence, he smashed it at the Ice Empress once more.

"So this is Ring Detonation. Interesting." The Ice Empress's gaze shifted, but she still chose to take the blow head-on. The spectral Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion she had conjured swung both pincers.

Tang Hao came at her with fearsome force, only to be slammed hard into the ground once again, vomiting blood.

"Damn it..." Enduring the terrible pain in his body, Tang Hao activated the Ring Detonation secret technique again. His second, third, and fourth Soul Rings exploded at once, sending three streams of energy into the Clear Sky Hammer.

But it still did no good.

The Ice Empress was an old man toying with a naughty child.

"Freeze."

The Ice Empress softly uttered a single word. The spectral Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion spat out a ray of ice-blue light that struck the Clear Sky Hammer, sealing it in ice in an instant.

Then the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion swung both pincers and shattered the Clear Sky Hammer.

His Martial Soul vanished, and his Soul Power dispersed.

Tang Hao spat out another mouthful of blood, flecked with bits of flesh.

Repeated heavy blows, coupled with his two uses of the Ring Detonation secret technique, had brought his old injuries raging back. He was now as good as dead.

Tang Hao lay on the ground like a dead dog, his breath weak, as though he might die at any moment.

If any other Level 95 Titled Douluo had suffered such injuries, death would have been certain.

The fact that Tang Hao was still alive was already a testament to his strength.

"Tang Hao, let me teach you a lesson too: when squeezing persimmons, pick the soft ones." Beiming Yuan looked at Tang Hao with a calm expression.

The Ice Empress stood beside Beiming Yuan, looking at Tang Hao coldly. "So weak."

"You... cough, cough, pfft!" Tang Hao could barely speak now. He kept coughing and spitting up blood, and he seemed to have aged more than a decade.

"For the sake of your status as the renowned Clear Sky Douluo, I won't kill you. I'll spare your life."

Beiming Yuan smiled, then abruptly changed tack and said with ill intent, "But the Clear Sky Sect will have to pay a price for you."

"No... you can't." At the mention of his sect, Tang Hao found strength from somewhere and hurriedly said, "A man should answer for his own deeds. The sect had nothing to do with this..."

His grandfather's whereabouts were unknown, which was as good as being dead.

He had already dragged the sect down. If he caused a Peerless Douluo to come knocking at its doors as well, ten thousand deaths would not atone for his sins.

"How very loyal."

Beiming Yuan chuckled softly and continued, "How about this? I'm a kind man, so I can give you a choice, as long as you answer one question."

"What question?" Tang Hao asked, forcing himself to endure the terrible pain.

"If the Clear Sky Sect and your wife were placed before you, how would you choose?" Beiming Yuan asked meaningfully.

"You... pfft!" Tang Hao's eyes turned bloodshot, and he panted like an ox. Once again, he failed to hold it in and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Beiming Yuan dodged in time, avoiding being splashed all over with blood.

"You have three breaths to choose. Otherwise, Bing'er and I will go to the Clear Sky Sect right now. If we don't kill a few of your Titled Douluo, you'll really think there's no price to pay for offending me," Beiming Yuan said.

"Beiming Yuan!" Tang Hao was beside himself with anger, but all he could do was rage helplessly.

"One breath has passed."

"You..."

"Two breaths have passed."

Beiming Yuan's voice lingered in Tang Hao's ears like a demonic sound from hell.

With the three breaths Beiming Yuan had given him nearly up, Tang Hao cried out, "I choose! I choose! I choose the Clear Sky Sect!"

Having made his choice, Tang Hao closed his eyes in anguish, his heart filled with guilt. Ah Yin, I'm sorry...

After that pang of guilt, Tang Hao suddenly remembered that Ah Yin wasn't here. Even if he chose the Clear Sky Sect, she wouldn't know.

So it was fine!

Yes, it was fine. He didn't need to feel guilty!

Tang Hao breathed a sigh of relief.

Little did he know that, in a secluded corner, the Snow Empress was holding the potted Blue Silver Emperor in one hand.

The Blue Silver Emperor had gone still, disappointment emanating from her entire body.

She knew she couldn't blame Tang Hao, that it was Beiming Yuan who was forcing him, but hearing his answer still made her heart ache.

"Tang Hao, if the Clear Sky Sect knew how loyal you were to it, I imagine it would be delighted."

Beiming Yuan smiled and said lightly, "Actually, I asked how you would choose. I didn't tell you to choose just one. You could have chosen both."

"What a pity. In your heart, the sect will always come before your wife and child. I really feel sorry for them."

"Beiming Yuan, you... pfft!" Rage struck Tang Hao to the heart. He spat out another mouthful of blood and fainted dead away.

Hidden from sight, the Blue Silver Emperor, held by the Snow Empress, hadn't listened closely. All she heard was that "she mattered less than the Clear Sky Sect," and she grew even more despondent.

Even a villain like Beiming Yuan could feel sorry for her, yet Tang Hao... sigh.

"He's fainted already? How boring." Looking at the unconscious Tang Hao, Beiming Yuan had never really intended to kill him.

Killing Tang Hao just like that would truly have been boring.

Keeping him alive to torment him slowly would let Beiming Yuan continue reclaiming the fortune on him while giving himself some amusement.

Besides, even if he didn't kill Tang Hao, given his current condition, he would hardly live much longer anyway. He had only a year or two left.

Ring Detonation was powerful, but its backlash was just as fierce. Tang Hao's body was already a broken shell, and forcibly activating it was undoubtedly like jumping back and forth in front of the gates of hell.

"Swish-"

Just then, a strange rustling came from a nearby stretch of mountain forest that was still relatively intact.

"Xiao Yuan, someone's coming," the Ice Empress said. Then she vanished, returning to the shadows to stay with the Snow Empress.

Before long, two figures landed in front of Beiming Yuan.

The newcomers were none other than the two deans of Shrek Academy.

The dean, Flender, was known as the Four-Eyed Cat Owl, a Level 78 Soul Saint.

The vice dean, Zhao Wuji, was known as the Immovable Wisdom King, a Level 76 Soul Saint.

"Beiming Yuan?" Zhao Wuji looked at him in surprise. "Why are you here? What happened just now?"

"So you're Beiming Yuan."

Flender was surprised as well. Then he looked at Tang Hao lying on the ground, his face full of confusion. "Who is this man? Why is he so badly injured?"

"He's Tang Hao."

Beiming Yuan said.

"What! Tang Hao? Clear Sky Douluo!" Flender and Zhao Wuji were startled, their voices filled with shock. "How did His Excellency Haotian end up like this?"

"Earlier today, I beat up a kid named Tang San. He's his son, and his father wasn't happy about it, so he wanted to beat me up too."

"Unfortunately for him, he wasn't strong enough and got dealt with by my protector instead. He's barely hanging on to life for now."

Beiming Yuan explained.

Hearing this, Flender and Zhao Wuji were even more shocked.

This was Tang Hao, Clear Sky Douluo, yet Beiming Yuan's protector had beaten him into this state. Just how strong was that protector? And what was Beiming Yuan's background?

"Beiming Yuan, you..." Flender swallowed, looking at Beiming Yuan with a respectful expression.

"Dean, Teacher Zhao, I'm a little tired, so I'll head back and rest. I'll leave him to you." Beiming Yuan smiled and waved, then turned and left.

"...All right."

Flender smiled and nodded.