Chapter 299: Clear Sky Sect, Come at Me All Together
A blinding strike cut through all of Tang San's defenses, slamming into the body of the Clear Sky Hammer with a piercing screech. Yet, within moments, the hammer's shadowy glow faded, vanishing altogether as the remaining force of the Shredding Sky Claw ripped into Tang San.
"Ugh!" Tang San groaned as blood poured from a gaping wound on his chest, deep enough to expose bone. Crimson soaked through his blue robe, spilling down between the mask and his skin.
"Tang San!" Tang Xiao shouted, his voice thick with worry. Halting his pursuit of Ling Yuan Douluo, he shot through the air toward his nephew with explosive speed.
"Do you think I'll let you reach him so easily?" Ling Yuan Douluo sneered as she altered her path, intercepting Tang Xiao with rapid, strategic attacks.
"Are you seeking death?" Tang Xiao's eyes flashed coldly as he glared at Ling Yuan Douluo. Despite being a titled Douluo herself, she wasn't his match in strength. But her speed and precision made her a troublesome opponent.
"My mission is to stall you, nothing more. As long as you don't reach Tang San, I won't have to force you." Ling Yuan Douluo's laugh was playful, yet her stance remained defensive, her graceful form floating just out of Tang Xiao's reach.
While they remained locked in this standoff, Dai Yao struck.
In a flash, Dai Yao appeared directly in front of the wounded Tang San, smirking coldly. Grabbing Tang San by the head, his eight wings unfurled as he ruthlessly smashed Tang San into the rocky cliffside, sending shards of stone plummeting down the gorge. Carefully, he kept his grip on Tang San's mask, shielding his exposed face.
"What happened, Tang San? Weren't you going to kill me?" Dai Yao's voice dripped with mockery as he sneered.
Still gripping Tang San's head, Dai Yao's wings powered downward, dragging him along the cliffside. A deep trench marked their path as rubble rained into the abyss below. When he finally pulled Tang San out from the jagged rock, his back was a bloody mess, his once blue hair matted with blood. Barely clinging to life, his breath grew faint.
"Damn, did I actually kill him?" Dai Yao muttered to himself. But seeing the faint blue glow from Tang San's right leg, he relaxed. Thanks to the Blue Silver Emperor's spirit bone, Tang San would survive, if only just.
"Tang San!" Seeing Tang San's desperate state, Tang Xiao's reason snapped as his spirit power erupted wildly, creating shockwaves in the air. Realizing the imminent danger, Ling Yuan Douluo swiftly retreated, only managing to steady herself by suppressing the rising blood in her throat.
"Dai Yao, pull back!" she shouted urgently.
Dai Yao glanced back to see Tang Xiao's furious approach and immediately tossed Tang San's limp form into the gorge below, before shooting into the sky.
Faced with a choice, Tang Xiao clenched his fists but ultimately veered toward his nephew, catching Tang San as he fell.
Looking at Tang San's faint glow and sensing his weak but steady breath, Tang Xiao sighed with relief. "Ah Yin… so this is your spirit bone, saving your son once again."
Holding Tang San carefully, Tang Xiao ascended toward the cliffside with restrained energy, ensuring he didn't worsen Tang San's injuries. When he reached the peak, Tang Yuehua rushed forward.
"Brother, how is Tang San?" she asked, her voice thick with worry.
"He's alive, thanks to the spirit bone's protection. Had that kid known the true extent of Tang San's spirit bone abilities, he wouldn't have survived," Tang Xiao answered grimly.
In reality, Dai Yao had gone as far as he could without delivering a fatal blow; with the Blue Silver Emperor spirit bone, Tang San's healing abilities would gradually restore him.
"Tang Yuehua, look after Tang San. I'm going to deal with Spirit Hall," Tang Xiao declared, handing Tang San over to her. Turning, he shot an icy glare at the figures of the Spirit Hall titled Douluos above, a cold fury visible in his eyes.
"Brother, please be careful," Tang Yuehua urged, watching him ascend into the sky with worry etched across her face. Three titled Douluos from Spirit Hall was no small threat; even the Clear Sky Sect was now staring into the abyss.
As Tang Xiao vanished into the clouds, Tang Yuehua knelt beside the unconscious Tang San, her heart twisting with grief and anger. "Damn Spirit Hall," she whispered, clutching his bloodied hand, her eyes glaring up at Dai Yao.
In the sky, the three titled Douluos of the Clear Sky Sect faced off against the three titled Douluos from Spirit Hall. Tang Xiao stood at the center, flanked by the Second and Seventh Elders.
Fixing his gaze on Dai Yao, Tang Xiao's voice echoed like thunder. "Hand over Dai Yao now, or none of you will leave the Clear Sky Sect alive!"
The sound of his ultimatum reverberated through the air, leaving no doubt about his resolve.
"Such arrogance from the Clear Sky Sect," Ghost Douluo rasped, sneering.
"Weren't you all the ones insisting that this fight was solely between them?" Chrysanthemum Douluo mocked. "But now that Tang San's been defeated, suddenly we're not allowed to leave?"
The Clear Sky Elders stood speechless, unable to respond to the pointed remark. The world might have once bowed to them as the top sect, but now facing Spirit Hall, they couldn't impose the same authority as before.
Tang Xiao's glare turned sharper. "So, you're determined to protect Dai Yao?"
Tang Xiao's chilling voice rang out as he raised the massive Clear Sky Hammer in his hand, shadowy power swirling ominously. Outwardly, the Clear Sky Sect had three titled Douluos, all wielders of the formidable Clear Sky Hammer spirit, a clear advantage against the three titled Douluos from the Spirit Hall.
The Second and Seventh Elders exchanged a look, both releasing their spirits, each marked by nine resplendent spirit rings. The sheer pressure from their power weighed down on even their own disciples, leaving them breathless.
Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo immediately moved to shield Dai Yao, their combined eighteen spirit rings flaring into life, while Ling Yuan Douluo appeared at Dai Yao's side, clutching his collar, ready to teleport them both away if needed.
As the tension mounted, Chrysanthemum Douluo sneered, "You think you can just take someone from Spirit Hall? Take one more step, and the Clear Sky Sect will cease to exist. Don't say you weren't warned."
Unbeknownst to the Clear Sky Sect, three titled Douluos from the Hall of Consecration lay in waiting nearby. With six titled Douluos altogether, the Spirit Hall was fully prepared to obliterate the Clear Sky Sect.
Tang Xiao's voice dropped ominously. "So, you're bent on seeking your own doom." But just as he was about to make a move, the Second Elder placed a hand on his shoulder, leaning in to murmur with an uneasy tone, "Sect Master, something feels off. These three aren't fools. They know they're outmatched yet show no fear… It's like they're hiding something."
There was wisdom in his words. As one of the few survivors of the Spirit Hall's purge years ago, the Second Elder possessed an uncanny intuition for danger. Tang Xiao's eyes narrowed, reevaluating the three titled Douluos from Spirit Hall with a darkening expression. He couldn't afford to gamble with the future of the Clear Sky Sect.
If they exposed their full strength only to kill the three Spirit Hall Douluos, they risked inviting annihilation. But if they let Dai Yao go, the Clear Sky Sect's future would be bleak.
The standoff resumed, as tense as ever.
Seeing the Clear Sky Sect's hesitation, Dai Yao sensed that things weren't going as planned. He couldn't allow the Clear Sky Sect to back down now, or his mission would fail. With a glance at Ling Yuan Douluo, he stepped forward, his voice ringing with taunting derision.
"What's this? You lose, so now you plan to kill your opponent? So this is the so-called conduct of the great Clear Sky Sect?"
The Seventh Elder, fiery-tempered as ever, barked angrily, "Boy, how we act is none of your business! You have yet to pay for the injuries you caused to our disciples!"
Dai Yao laughed, his voice laced with mockery. "Oh, that's rich! So I'm not allowed to fight back if you're trying to kill me? But fine, I'll give you all a chance—a chance to avenge yourselves!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo started to interject, but seeing the resolve in Dai Yao's eyes, he held back, positioning himself protectively at Dai Yao's side.
Hearing this, Tang Xiao's brows furrowed, his cold gaze fixed on Dai Yao. "Speak, then. What's your proposal?"
Dai Yao's mouth curled into a smirk as he raised his voice, ensuring all the Clear Sky Sect disciples could hear him. "The so-called mighty Clear Sky Sect—just a bunch of cowards who can't even last a round against me. If you don't believe me, come at me! All of you!"
His taunting voice echoed through the sky, leaving the two hundred disciples momentarily stunned before a tidal wave of enraged shouts erupted.
"Arrogant punk! Dare insult the Clear Sky Sect? You must be tired of living!"
"If we don't beat the breath out of you today, then we aren't fit to call ourselves disciples of the Clear Sky Sect!"
Frustration and anger boiled over in the crowd. The years spent in bitter seclusion, the recent defeats of Tang Long, Tang Hu, and Tang San—all had stoked their resentment. Now, Dai Yao's challenge was the spark that set their rage ablaze.
Tang Long, Tang Hu, and many of the second-generation disciples clenched their fists, ready to charge across the iron chain bridge and attack at Tang Xiao's word.
Tang Xiao instantly understood Dai Yao's strategy—to break the spirit of the Clear Sky Sect.
If two hundred disciples were to attack and still fail to defeat Dai Yao, the Clear Sky Sect would be left humiliated, unable to hold their heads high. Such a loss would shake their confidence and potentially end their progress as spirit masters.
Yet the Clear Sky Sect's very creed revolved around courage and advancement—defeating any enemy with a single, decisive strike. And now, Dai Yao had trampled upon their pride; if Tang Xiao refused, the disciples' fury would undoubtedly turn against whoever held them back.
Dai Yao had laid a cunning trap, and Tang Xiao had no choice but to spring it. His only option was to hope that his two hundred disciples could triumph over Dai Yao.
Tang Xiao closed his eyes, taking a deep, steadying breath. If they failed, the shame would be his to bear.
"What's wrong?" Dai Yao taunted. "Afraid to take me on, even with two hundred against one?"
"You've lost your mind!" Chrysanthemum Douluo muttered to Dai Yao, his voice low and tense. "That's over two hundred opponents, all wielding the Clear Sky Hammer! Even you can't handle that."
"Trust me, Chrysanthemum Douluo. I've got this. Besides, even if I fall, you and the others will get me out, right?" Dai Yao replied with a reassuring smile.
After a pause, Chrysanthemum Douluo sighed. "I can't believe I'm following you into this madness."
Ghost Douluo and Ling Yuan Douluo exchanged glances, and Ling Yuan Douluo smiled. "Dai Yao, do as you see fit. To witness you defeat the entire Clear Sky Sect alone would be a privilege. And if you should fall, I know Qingluan will save you—if only to avoid losing his connection to Wutong."
Dai Yao nodded with a grin. Tang Xiao's voice rang out coldly, "You're charging headlong into death, Dai Yao. When you fall, I hope you remember today's choice."
He had made up his mind—if Dai Yao managed to defeat every Clear Sky disciple, he would not hesitate to kill him here, regardless of the cost.
"Clear Sky Sect disciples!" Tang Xiao's voice boomed like rolling thunder.
"Present!" Over two hundred voices responded as one, each disciple quivering with suppressed rage.
The sheer hatred in their voices made even the titled Douluos of Spirit Hall shudder.
"Kill Dai Yao!" Tang Xiao declared. "Whoever brings me his head will be rewarded with a spirit bone!"
In an instant, the disciples erupted in cheers, their fervor igniting like wildfire.
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