Chapter 81 97.98. Tang Hao: This Is Not the Opponent I Wanted
After Tang Lie fled, he ran into another force blocking Tang Hao.
This force was led by Elder Tang Zhe.
Tang Zhe, Level 94 Title Douluo, title Zhetian!
Tang Lie, sobbing and sniffling, cried out, "Uncle Zhe, please settle this for our branch of the family!"
"What happened?" Tang Zhe asked.
"Tang Hao—Tang Hao is utterly inhuman. He slaughtered my son for the sake of a soul beast. My father is probably in dire straits too." Tang Lie wailed.
"You say that happened? Quickly take me there." Tang Zhe hurriedly said.
So Tang Lie led Tang Zhe and his party to the site of the prior battle.
Tang Lie could see two huge pits smashed by the Haotian Hammers.
He knew one pit held his precious son Tang Qizhen's body; the other pit was—
Tang Lie anxiously walked to the other pit and saw a blood-and-flesh smear in the hole.
Tang Zhe jumped into the pit, examined the remains, and after confirming repeatedly, said with sorrow, "This is Elder Tang Qi."
Tang Lie muttered in disbelief, "Impossible. My father is a Title Douluo—how could Tang Hao, a Soul Douluo with only eight soul rings, have killed my father? It's impossible." Yet even his refusal to accept it could not change the fact.
In the other pit, the Haotian Sect disciples who had accompanied them confirmed the other body: Tang Lie's son Tang Qizhen.
The brutality of the scene filled all present Haotian disciples with boundless fury.
Seeing Tang Lie dazed, Tang Zhe sighed. In a single day, it was pitiful that Tang Lie's father and son had both died beneath Tang Hao's Haotian Hammers—this grudge would be enormous.
Tang Zhe said, "Tang Hao is a monster who destroys all moral bounds. Nephew, your uncles and elders will avenge this."
"Definitely, we must kill that beast Tang Hao, and that ten-thousand-year soul beast and the bastard born of it." Tang Lie's eyes were red, and he roared like a raging ox.
Tang Zhe ordered Haotian disciples to retrieve the two bodies and take them back to Haotian Sect, then repeatedly confirmed the facts with Tang Lie. In the end Tang Zhe still found it hard to believe.
There were no signs of a fierce fight on site—Tang Qi and Tang Hao's duel had been settled in one move.
A Soul Douluo one-shotting a Title Douluo—how could that be possible?
"According to reconnaissance, Tang Hao escaped into the canyon ahead, Elder Tang Zhe." A Haotian disciple reported.
Tang Zhe nodded. "Even Elder Tang Qi fell to that beast. I alone may be insufficient to take him down. Contact the elders of the other squads."
Tang Lie's eyes reddened as he pleaded, "Elder, please do not contact the Sect Leader. I want blood for blood. If the Sect Leader gets involved, he will surely minimize it."
Tang Zhe nodded.
Soon Tang Zhe joined with two other forces.
One was led by Elder Tang Po, Level 92 Title Douluo, title Potian.
The other was Tang Mie, Level 93 Title Douluo, title Mietian.
The three forces entered the canyon, pursued, took a shortcut and caught up with Tang Hao. A certain God King gave a crucial tip from an unseen corner.
Tang Hao was traveling through the valley with A Yin and Tang San.
His plan was to pass through this Tiangu Ridge into the Lìma Plain ahead, which neared Spirit Hall's Spirit City. If he continued to destroy a few Spirit Hall outposts, he wouldn't fear the Spirit Hall's ignorance—he could force Qian Xunji out.
Thinking of how in his previous life he gained the ninth ten-thousand-year soul ring with Qian Xunji and company, and the great renown of Haotian Douluo, Tang Hao was impatient.
Qian Xunji, come quickly. My Haotian hammer is already ravenous.
"Tang Hao, you filth—where do you think you're going?" A fierce shout came from the rear of the canyon, interrupting Tang Hao's daydream. From the irresistible shock of soul power behind him he knew another Haotian Sect Title Douluo was present.
Judging by the voice, it was the Haotian Sect's Potian Douluo. Tang Hao's face went pale—this was not the opponent he wanted.
"Why? Why does the sect pursue me relentlessly?" Tang Hao's eyes reddened and he panted.
Facing the sect's pursuit, he dared not slaughter with abandon as he would the Spirit Hall. For the moment, the only option was to flee and shake off their pursuit.
The Haotian Sect's Title Douluos behind him used soul power to fly through the canyon, constantly closing the distance. Tang Hao, hugging Tang San with one arm and pulling A Yin with the other, quickened his pace through the canyon.
They chased and were chased. Suddenly a tremendous fluctuation of soul power appeared ahead. He saw a tiny point quickly growing larger—someone was coming straight at him.
"Tang Hao, you wretch, where are you going?" The tiny point swelled into a clear figure. Tang Hao saw it was Haotian Sect's Mietian Douluo, stepping with nine soul rings beneath his feet, Haotian Sect pursuers blocking Tang Hao's front.
"Another Haotian Sect Title Douluo." A Yin's face showed a bitter smile.
"Don't be afraid, A Yin. I'll protect you." Tang Hao's forehead broke into a cold sweat.
"Don't act so sanctimonious. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have fallen into this state." A Yin was not moved by Tang Hao.
Tang Hao didn't reply. Hugging Tang San and holding A Yin, he used the moment when the two Haotian forces were about to converge to change direction and dart toward another passage in the canyon.
Behind him, after Tang Mie and Tang Po's forces merged, the two elders ordered, "Tang Hao is up ahead. Chase him!"
Tang Hao threaded between jagged rocks, pursued by two Title Douluos. At that moment, a gigantic Haotian Hammer suddenly fell from the sky ahead, crashing down.
Tang Hao hastily dragged A Yin and Tang San away; the mound he'd been standing on was flattened by the massive hammer.
After avoiding the blow, Tang Hao looked ahead to see a Haotian Sect Title Douluo hovering in the sky, nine soul rings revolving beside him.
"That's Elder Tang Zhe." Tang Hao's face twisted. Counting the previously fallen Tang Qi and the two elders behind him, Haotian Sect had mobilized four Title Douluos to hunt him.
If those four had been Spirit Hall elders, Tang Hao would have been pleased—another Spirit Hall Title would have died under his Haotian Hammer, adding to his renown. But these were his own sect's seniors.
"Glorious Haotian War Hammer, majestic Haotian Sect. That the number-one sect of Haotian could produce someone who harms brothers, kills fellow disciples, slaughters elders, and consorts with soul beasts—this is bound to be a calamity." Tang Zhe looked down at Tang Hao coldly.
Behind, Tang Mie and Tang Po's chasing forces closed in, encircling Tang Hao, A Yin, and Tang San. Now Tang Hao had no route of escape except to fight.
In the Divine Realm's Eternal Temple overview, Tang Hao was surrounded in a triangle by three Haotian Sect Title Douluos, nearly without escape.
Huo Yuhao sneered, "Tang Hao, still want to run? The saying goes 'one general's glory built on ten thousand bones.' Three Title Douluos—that's the capital I gave you for making your future terror across the world. Don't disappoint my generosity."
Tang Hao's heart was filled with anger, grievance, and inner conflict.
Anger that the Spirit Hall weren't here—weren't they supposed to come and die so their blood would carry Tang Hao's fame?
Resentment that his own sect pursued him so relentlessly—he never wanted to stand against Haotian Sect.
The conflict: to maintain his image before A Yin and to protect Tang San, Tang Hao had to stand against his sect—and confronting his sect was what he most wanted to avoid.
With no retreat possible, Tang Hao summoned his Haotian Hammer and shouted to the three elders, "Three elders, I Tang Hao bear no enmity with the sect. Why must you force me so?"
"You lie." Tang Lie stepped forward, teeth clenched. "You had no enmity? When you killed my son and my father, you didn't think like that."
Tang Hao said with guilt, "I will give an account for Elder Tang Qi and nephew Qizhen one day." Once Tang San ascends to godhood, he could make amends for the sins Tang Hao has committed over the years.
"Hahaha, they're dead—how will you account for them? You and that beast-born brat will pay with your lives." Tang Lie spat venomously.
Ignoring Tang Lie's murderous gaze, Tang Hao faced the three elders. "Three elders, I do not want to be your enemy. Please let my family go."
"Hahaha, what a joke." Tang Mie reappraised Tang Hao. "It has come to this—Tang Hao, do you still not know what you've done? Do you expect us to spare you?"
Tang Po's eyes grew cold. "Tang Hao, there is a sect law forbidding internal killing. You not only harmed brethren but killed fellow disciples and elders. You have violated Haotian Sect's code—how can you simply walk away?"
Tang Zhe looked at A Yin, then at Tang Hao. "Tang Hao, it seems you've been bewitched by that ten-thousand-year soul beast. Capture that soul beast, kill that beast-born, seize Tang Hao."
Haotian Sect Soul Sages and Soul Douluos, under Tang Zhe's command, charged at Tang Hao.
Tang Hao clenched his fists and ground his teeth. In his previous life Tang San had led Haotian Sect to overthrow the Spirit Hall and made Haotian Sect flourish for tens of thousands of years. Why—why did the sect treat his son like this?
Tang Hao knew Tang San had just been born; he had not yet shown his twin martial soul talent, nor revealed the heavenly power of his several ten-thousand-year soul rings and godly potential.
Haotian Sect failed to see his value and regarded his pure son as a wolf-thief sired child—this was to be expected.
But why would the sect deny him time to develop? He couldn't tell them he was a reborn man, that this child would become a God King of the Divine Realm and under his protection Haotian Sect would destroy the Spirit Hall and enjoy millennia of prosperity.
A suffocating anger rose within Tang Hao.
Facing the Haotian disciples closing in, he summoned the Haotian Hammer, used Haotian Body Protection, and repelled each approaching disciple with hammer strikes.
He dared not activate the Killing God Domain, fearing he would slaughter his sect's disciples.
The three elders stood on three heights watching Tang Hao fight in the center, each hammer blow driving away any disciple who dared approach.
"We should strike," the three elders said.
They summoned their martial souls, opened their soul rings, and attacked Tang Hao.
Tang Hao lifted his head; his gaze was grave. He swung the Haotian Hammer and engaged the three in battle.
In the sky, four Haotian Hammers clashed back and forth. The collision of immense hammer forces sent ripples through space.
Before long, Tang Hao fell into the unfavorable position, hammered back step by step.
It proved that Tang Hao without opening the Killing God Domain was a different person from Tang Hao who had opened it. Now he had only Level 90 soul power—powerful enough against some lower Title Douluos, but not sufficient against these three wielders of Haotian Hammers.
"Tang Hao, surrender." Tang Zhe had gauged Tang Hao's ability—though one Title Douluo might not take him, they could overpower and press him. How Tang Qi died remained a mystery.
"Only eight soul rings—why rush to self-destruction?" Tang Po's hammer rained down like a storm, leaving Tang Hao only able to parry and not counter.
"I truly cannot fathom how Elder Tang Qi fell to you." Tang Mie sneered, "You have only eight soul rings. The domain of a Title Douluo is still too early for you."
Divine Realm, Eternal Temple.
Watching, Huo Yuhao could see Tang Hao's thoughts at a glance. He said, "You refuse to cheat because you don't want to harm your sect brethren? But do you really have that choice?"
Huo Yuhao's gaze shifted to Tang Hao's living talismans—Tang San and A Yin.
Because the other Haotian disciples' attention remained fixed on Tang Hao and the three elders, they overlooked those two.
"Everyone has a weak spot, don't they? Tang Hao—this talisman of yours, can you switch it on and off as you please?" Huo Yuhao said with a cold laugh.
Haotian disciples were astonished by Tang Hao. A Soul Douluo who hadn't entered the Title Douluo ranks could fight the three elders like this. Although Tang Hao was being driven to defeat, his fall was only a matter of time.
While everyone's eyes were fixed on the sky, Tang Lie reacted first. He looked at A Yin and Tang San in the center, resentful: Tang Hao, you killed my son and my father—I will let you taste the pain of losing loved ones.
"What are you waiting for? This is the perfect chance—kill that beast-born mutt, seize that ten-thousand-year soul beast, and force Tang Hao to comply."
(END CHAPTER)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/LightKira10