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Knowing that her side didn't have an advantage in high-level combat power, Zhu Zhuqing came out swinging without holding back. Except for her sixth soul skill, which was a defensive one, she used everything she had—her state, attacks, and even her clone soul skills—all at once. Instantly, she split into three and charged toward Tang Hao, Tang Xiao, and the Blood Fiend.
The Blood Fiend's face was filled with resistance—he knew exactly how mismatched he was against Zhu Zhuqing. He wanted nothing more than to go after weaker opponents.
Tang Hao and Tang Xiao exchanged a tacit glance before simultaneously unleashing the Hao Tian Nine Absolutes Technique, managing to hold back Zhu Zhuqing's three White Tigers.
Realizing her strategic goal hadn't been achieved, Zhu Zhuqing wasn't frustrated. Instead, the three White Tigers suddenly dispersed, roaring toward the sky as they collectively opened a vast Sacred Domain.
In an instant, Tang Hao, the Blood Fiend, and the four Star Luo Emperor allies felt their breaths catch, overwhelmed by a powerful sense of suppression.
It had been said earlier that whether it was deeply cultivated evil soul techniques or just dabbling in them for breakthroughs, any association with such techniques automatically made one vulnerable to sacred attributes.
Though Tang Hao hadn't cultivated evil soul techniques, his Killing God Domain originated from the Asura God—a notorious figure among evil soul masters—and was fundamentally incompatible with sacred attributes, making him equally susceptible to suppression.
Of course, if Tang Hao's direct superior were Tang San, who held dual god positions, Tang San could have pulled some strings to infuse a bit of the Sea God's sacred power, preventing Tang Hao from being suppressed by Zhu Zhuqing's Sacred Domain. Even in the worst-case scenario, he wouldn't have been suppressed this harshly—his strength had been cut in half.
But alas, reality didn't allow for "ifs." Now Tang San was being watched like a hawk, unable to make any sneaky moves.
The others were still manageable—they were only facing some Soul Douluo-level minions. Even with their strength halved, they weren't easy prey.
However, Tang Hao and Tang Xiao were now directly confronting Zhu Zhuqing in her level-100 White Tiger Descent state. Such a drastic drop in power could cost them their lives.
At this moment, Zhu Zhuqing exuded murderous intent as the three White Tigers simultaneously pounced toward Tang Hao.
Zhu Zhuqing understood that having a bird in hand was better than two in the bush. Eliminating one strong enemy first would save a lot of trouble, allowing her to gradually wear down the others afterward.
"Brother Hao!" Tang Xiao bellowed, immediately activating the Hao Tian Shield and positioning himself in front of Tang Hao.
Only then did Tang Hao snap out of the mental shock caused by Zhu Zhuqing's roar when she unleashed her domain. Seeing this scene, his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
"Big Brother!"
The hereditary Supreme Techniques of the Hao Tian Sect indeed had something to it.
But how could Tang Xiao, at level 97, possibly withstand a level-100 White Tiger amplified by extreme attributes?
In an instant, the hammer-shaped illusion of the Hao Tian Shield shattered, and dozens of golden Qi rushed toward Tang Xiao with terrifying speed.
Though caught off guard, Tang Hao couldn't afford to hesitate. With a mental roar, he unleashed the Ring Detonation technique, shattering all his soul rings below ten thousand years, forcibly boosting his state before swinging his Hao Tian Hammer.
"Ling Tian Strike!"
The mountain-like Hao Tian True Body collided fiercely with the golden Qi, producing a spine-chilling sound.
A flicker of astonishment passed through Zhu Zhuqing's eyes. She hadn't expected Tang Hao's desperate burst to block her focused attack.
But Tang Hao wasn't as composed as Zhu Zhuqing thought.
Though powerful, the Ring Detonation was a self-created soul skill comparable to a divine technique. Without sufficient preparation, it inflicted far more damage on the user than regular use.
But at this moment, Tang Hao's mind was free of distractions. He only knew one thing: he had to protect his older brother, Tang Xiao, no matter what.
Decades ago, he had already wronged Tang Xiao once because of Ah Yin. Later, he wronged him twice more due to sect issues, and recently, three times over Tang San. For someone who had always revered his older brother and considered himself a loyal servant of the sect, this guilt was almost unbearable.
"This time, no one is allowed to harm my big brother!"
With this conviction, Tang Hao let out a primal roar in his heart and unleashed the ultimate secret of the Ring Detonation technique before his True Body could collapse and backfire.
Great Sumeru Hammer—Nine Rings Explode Simultaneously!
In an instant, a torrent of primal soul energy surged into Tang Hao's True Body, not only triggering his Killing God Domain but also breaking through Zhu Zhuqing's attack head-on.
!?!??
Zhu Zhuqing stared in disbelief at the scene. This wasn't scientific!
But Ye Wen, watching from the shadows, wasn't surprised at all. After all, he had thoroughly analyzed the soul master cultivation system.
First, could a genius in an extraordinary world truly be called a genius if they couldn't fight above their level?
Second, the Ring Detonation was a divine technique comparable to the second golden awakening of a body martial soul. Yes, a divine technique—it was originally designed to be perfectly controlled only by gods, so much so that it was later sealed away by the author himself.
Third, although Tang Hao's current cultivation level was 97, no—in his explosive state, Ye Wen could clearly see that Tang Hao had broken through to level 98.
After level 95, each level gap represented about a 20% difference in combat power. Therefore, a Limit Douluo was at most only twice as strong as a level-95 Super Douluo.
However, this rule was quite flexible due to individual differences in martial souls and soul masters. It was best to take it with a grain of salt.
Though Tang Hao was often portrayed as mediocre, he had been chosen as the sole candidate to become the next Hao Tian Douluo among the Hao Tian Sect's many talents. His aptitude was beyond question.
With a base level of 98, combined with hundred-thousand-year soul rings and the soul power equivalent to a Title Douluo in his first eight rings, plus the enhancement from his evolved Killing God Domain, Tang Hao's overall strength undoubtedly reached the pinnacle of Limit Douluos.
What he lacked now was the qualitative transformation of his soul energy into divine power.
On the other hand, though Zhu Zhuqing was empowered by the White Tiger Descent, her foundation was still that of an ordinary level-95 Super Douluo.
Level 100 was the limit.
At this moment, the gap between the two sides was rapidly closing.
But after a brief moment of surprise, Zhu Zhuqing's mindset remained unaffected by Tang Hao's sudden burst. Her soul power erupted again, and the three White Tigers fiercely pounced toward Tang Hao.
Tang Hao was a genius, but Zhu Zhuqing was no less talented.
In fact, in some ways, Zhu Zhuqing was even more remarkable. She possessed the courage to break through her own predicaments and fight fearlessly.
If Zhu Zhuqing had started with Tang Hao's background and innate talent, she might not have been inferior to him!
Now both Tang Hao and Zhu Zhuqing were locked in a bloodthirsty battle, leaving no room for Tang Xiao to intervene. Even the residual shockwaves nearly gravely injured him.
"My goodness, is my younger brother really this powerful!?" Tang Xiao muttered.
At this moment, the Blood Fiend flew over and said, "Master Hao Tian, since we can't contribute here, let's go elsewhere and make ourselves useful. Staying here will only get in the way of the higher-ups."
Tang Xiao instinctively nodded but quickly shook his head. "No, I must stay here. The Great Sumeru Hammer, though powerful, is a technique with a time limit. I need to be here to prevent any mishaps."
The Blood Fiend nodded thoughtfully. He seemed to have uncovered a hidden secret of the Hao Tian Sect—after all, nearly everyone who had witnessed the Great Sumeru Hammer in action was long dead.
But the Blood Fiend had no ulterior motives. Though Tang Hao's Great Sumeru Hammer was formidable, the presence of Tang San above him was even more intimidating. He thought to himself, serving Tang San wasn't entirely unacceptable—after all, he was a god.
Watching from the shadows, Ye Wen frowned. He hadn't expected Tang Hao to explode to this extent. While the Great Sumeru Hammer had a time limit, Zhu Zhuqing's White Tiger Descent did too.
"It seems it's time to play my hand. But for Tang Hao… I'll use this card."
Ye Wen murmured softly, lightly tapping his fingers in mid-air. Invisible spatial ripples spread outward.
Meanwhile, Tang San, who had been watching the spectacle with Bo Saixi, was grinning ear to ear. He had fully recognized his side's advantage. At this rate, the victor of this internal war within the Star Luo Empire would undoubtedly be him.
But just as Tang San was basking in his triumph, a sudden jolt from his bloodline caused his expression to change.
"What is this!?"
As previously mentioned, the Great Sumeru Hammer was undoubtedly a divine technique. Even after transforming his divine body with divine power, Tang San hadn't abandoned his twin martial souls but instead retained the fragile Blue Silver Grass bloodline as a hidden explosive reserve.
And now, the disturbance originated from it.
Soon, Tang San realized why this anomaly had occurred.
Almost in the blink of an eye, Blue Silver Grass sprouted from nowhere, spreading across the sky and separating Tang Hao and Zhu Zhuqing.
Zhu Zhuqing was momentarily stunned, then her face lit up with joy. As a member of the Medical Alliance, she naturally recognized what this was.
"I knew Elder Ye Wen hadn't abandoned me—reinforcements are here!" Zhu Zhuqing's heart leapt with excitement.
But Tang Hao, blinded by rage, hadn't yet realized what was happening. He continued to frantically unleash the Nine Supreme Techniques of the Hao Tian Sect. However, catching a whiff of that familiar fragrance, he froze mid-air.
"A—"
With a dazed look, Tang Hao tried to utter the name that had haunted him, but soon felt a sharp pain in his chest. His expression changed abruptly, and he quickly retreated.
"Heh, you're quite quick to dodge, Tang Hao. You've got a bit of a rat's cunning, no wonder that person always calls you 'Rat,'" Ah Yin mocked.
Tang Hao had no time to respond. After spitting out several mouthfuls of blood, he forcefully shaped a new heart with his soul power to keep his blood flowing.
Ah Yin's attack had been a killing blow. Amidst the overwhelming Blue Silver Grass, fueled by years of resentment, her strike had pierced straight through Tang Hao's heart.
But top-tier experts were hard to kill—it was a universal truth. In their original world, Tang Hao could use soul power to create prosthetics, so naturally, he could also craft a heart. For experts like them, unless their entire being or soul was destroyed, they weren't easily killed.
Hearing that familiar voice, which had never spoken to him so harshly before, Tang Hao's eyes turned crimson with rage. Like a man-eating demon, he roared in mid-air.
"You damned beast, who are you!? I won't allow anyone to speak to me with that voice!"
But Tang Hao didn't attack. Any soul master worth their salt knew that low-level plant-type spirit beasts were already difficult to kill. This plant-type spirit beast that had severely wounded him must be at least a hundred-thousand-year level. With his single-target Hao Tian Hammer, it would be even harder to kill her.
After all, Tang Hao specialized in overpowering foes with brute force!
At this moment, Tang Xiao hurried over to shield Tang Hao again.
But even Tang Xiao's gaze was wavering. That voice wasn't just haunting Tang Hao—it resonated deeply with Tang Xiao as well.
Just then, another mocking laugh echoed from amidst the Blue Silver Grass.
Suddenly, the towering Blue Silver Grass began to twist and spin wildly before retracting rapidly in one direction.
All traces of tenderness had vanished from Ah Yin's eyes, replaced by an icy coldness. She looked down at Tang Hao and Tang Xiao with disdain.
"It's been a long time, Tang Hao, Tang Xiao."
The brothers' hearts ached. Though they hadn't confirmed Ah Yin's identity, her familiar face and voice reminded them of the gentle Ah Yin from the past. Their once beloved younger sister would never speak to them like this!
Tang Xiao, having served as sect leader for decades, quickly regained his composure. Clenching his teeth, he glared sharply at Ah Yin.
"You despicable wretch, how dare you impersonate my sister-in-law! Ninth Soul Skill—Overwhelming Ling Tian Thunder Breakthrough!"
But no one noticed the fleeting struggle in Tang Xiao's eyes as he swung his hammer.
Undoubtedly, Tang Xiao had once harbored feelings for Ah Yin. But compared to the sect and his younger brother, he ultimately couldn't face his own heart.
Now, Tang Xiao chose the sect and Tang Hao again. Whether Ah Yin had truly resurrected or not, he couldn't betray these two more important entities.
Though Ah Yin had now reached the level of a two-hundred-thousand-year ferocious beast, just as soul masters varied in strength due to their martial souls, Ah Yin, though a beast, wasn't suited for combat.
If a standard hundred-thousand-year soul beast equaled level 95, Ah Yin's strength was at most level 94. However, because she belonged to the hard-to-kill plant type, her overall difficulty to defeat was now around level 97. But against Tang Xiao, a powerhouse at level 97 specializing in brute force, she found herself struggling.
The reason Ah Yin had managed to ambush Tang Hao at level 98 was mainly due to his momentary lapse in focus. Otherwise, with her current strength, it wouldn't have been so easy to wound him.
However, facing Tang Xiao's aggressive assault, Ah Yin didn't attempt any defense.
Because—
Roar!
Another tiger's roar rang out as Zhu Zhuqing charged toward Tang Xiao without hesitation.
After a brief moment of reflection, Zhu Zhuqing had clarified her role in this battle. She was undoubtedly the main attacker, while Ah Yin was there to support her.
If she didn't step up now, when would she?
This was the perfect moment to showcase the raw power of a frontline powerhouse soul master!
Watching the clash between the two sides, Ah Yin smiled elegantly.
"How eager you are, young lady. But this is war, and I don't have much time for idle chatter.
Let's settle our past grievances today, Tang Hao."
With that, Ah Yin let out a slightly deranged laugh before shifting forms once more.
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