Chapter 51: The Wager Match Begins, One Minute
Half an hour passed quickly.
Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena, Center Stage.
The air was thick with excitement and restlessness.
At that moment, spotlights suddenly flared to life atop the massive dome.
In the next instant, a pair of Soul Power wings coalesced behind a woman. She flew gracefully from one side of the stage and hovered in the center of the air.
Holding a microphone, her gaze swept over the boiling sea of people below as she spoke in an impassioned tone:
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena! Up next is the wager match between the Clear Sky Sect's Young Lord Tang Hao and Shura!"
"First, let us welcome the Clear Sky Sect's Young Lord Tang Hao with our warmest applause and cheers! He is a Level 58 attack system Battle Soul King, Martial Soul: Clear Sky Hammer!"
"Tang Hao! Tang Hao! Tang Hao..."
"Clear Sky! Clear Sky! Clear Sky..."
The deafening waves of sound instantly ignited the entire Great Martial Soul Arena.
Countless people waved their arms; some even stood up in excitement, their faces filled with adoration and fanaticism.
Amidst the cheers, Tang Hao strode confidently toward the stage.
Upon stepping onto the stage, he slightly raised his chin and scanned his surroundings, a proud smile playing on his lips.
The host announced loudly once more:
"Next, let us warmly welcome Shura! A Level 55 Battle Soul King, Martial Soul: Blood Sword!"
"Shura! Shura!"
Compared to the fervor of Tang Hao's entrance, the cheers for Su Mo's appearance were significantly fewer, yet still deafening.
After all, his invincible streak at the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena these past few days was plain for everyone to see.
Soon, where the lights converged, Su Mo could be seen walking slowly toward the stage with a calm pace.
He still wore that eerie mask, hiding his face and revealing only a pair of deep, profound eyes.
Soon, Tang Hao and Su Mo stood facing each other on the stage.
Tang Hao gave a cold snort. "Shura, it's not too late to admit defeat now, lest you lose too pathetically later."
Su Mo stood with his hands behind his back. Beneath the mask, the corners of his mouth curved up as he chuckled softly. "One minute."
His voice clearly reached the ears of everyone present.
"What one minute?" Tang Hao's brows furrowed, clearly not understanding the meaning.
Not just Tang Hao, but the surrounding audience was also bewildered, looking at each other in confusion, unable to figure out what Su Mo had up his sleeve.
Su Mo said calmly, "If I don't defeat you within one minute, consider it my loss."
The moment these words were spoken, the entire venue fell silent.
Immediately after, a burst of laughter erupted like a tidal wave.
"Did I hear that right? He said he'd defeat Tang Hao in one minute?"
"Haha, this is killing me! Is this Shura here to perform a comedy routine?"
"Tang Hao is a Level 58 Spirit King and possesses the world's number one Weapon Spirit. He has never been defeated among his peers. For Shura to want to beat him in a minute—how is that possible?"
Clearly, almost everyone took Su Mo's words as a massive joke, their eyes filled with the mockery one might show a clown.
On the stage, Tang Hao's face darkened completely.
A surge of anger rushed to his head, causing the veins at his temples to throb slightly.
One minute?
This fellow, hiding his head and tail, actually dared to boast that he could defeat him within a minute?
Since childhood, as the favored genius of the Clear Sky Sect, when had he ever been so looked down upon?
In his view, Su Mo's words were not just a slight against him personally, but a slight against the world's number one Weapon Spirit, and a slight against the Clear Sky Sect itself!
He stared fixedly at Su Mo, gritting his teeth. "Good, very good. I want to see exactly how you plan to win against me in this one minute!"
At this time, the host in mid-air announced loudly: "Now, will both sides please prepare!"
The instant the host's voice fell, Tang Hao took a step forward, his Aura surging violently.
With a clench of his palm, the Clear Sky Hammer took shape in his hand.
Simultaneously, five Soul Rings of the optimal configuration—two yellow, two purple, one black—slowly rose.
In the next moment, Tang Hao held the Clear Sky Hammer, pointing the head at Su Mo:
"Tang Hao, Level 58 attack system Battle Soul King, Martial Soul: Clear Sky Hammer. Please advise!"
The surrounding audience held their breath, their eyes locked onto Su Mo. Everyone was anticipating his Martial Soul and Soul Ring configuration.
Since he dared to make such a wild boast about one minute, everyone thought he would finally show his true colors this time.
Some even began to speculate if Su Mo's Soul Ring configuration would be even more terrifying than that of the Spider Empress, as Shura's strength was supposedly even greater.
However, after a brief moment, everyone's expressions froze on their faces.
Su Mo stood in place, still with his hands behind his back, without making a single move.
He hadn't just failed to release his Martial Soul; he hadn't even assumed a basic combat stance.
He just stood there, as calm as a breeze.
Seeing this, the fire in Tang Hao's eyes grew even fiercer, and the veins on the hand gripping the Clear Sky Hammer bulged.
"Kid, what is the meaning of this?"
"It's nothing. Beating you doesn't require a Martial Soul."
As soon as Su Mo said this, the crowd went into an uproar. Almost everyone thought he was being far too arrogant.
Hearing this, Tang Hao became even more enraged, breathing heavily like a bull, his eyes turning red.
"Fine! Since you're looking for death, don't blame me!"
In this tense moment, the host in mid-air raised their arm high and then swung it down sharply, their shrill voice piercing the air:
"Match—Start!"
"Clear Sky Nine Absolutes, Crumble Art!"
The moment the host's voice fell, Tang Hao was the first to strike.
Clearly, he was thoroughly enraged, using a Clear Sky secret technique right from the start.
He kicked off the ground violently, charging toward Su Mo like a cannonball launched from its barrel.
His speed was astonishingly fast, leaving a trail of afterimages across the arena.
In the blink of an eye, he arrived before Su Mo. The Clear Sky Hammer in his hand carried the momentum to shatter mountains and split the earth as it smashed straight toward Su Mo's face!
This hammer strike was heavy and powerful; if it hit, he would likely be killed or severely maimed.
Facing this thunderous blow, Su Mo did not intend to meet it head-on.
Just as the Clear Sky Hammer was about to connect, the External Soul Bone, Black Gold Sword Wings, suddenly released from Su Mo's back!
With a violent flap of the wings, Su Mo shot up like an arrow from a bow, his body lifting off the ground just in time to evade Tang Hao's aggressive strike.
Boom—!
Tang Hao's hammer missed its mark and smashed heavily into the arena floor.
The hard ground instantly exploded, sending stone fragments flying as cracks spread outward like a spiderweb, showing just how terrifying the power behind Tang Hao's strike was.
'So fast!' Tang Hao was startled when his strike failed to land.
He snapped his head up, about to pursue Su Mo in the air, only to see a brilliant, dazzling emerald-green light suddenly erupt from Su Mo's right arm.
Indeed, this was Su Mo's hundred-thousand-year Spirit Bone.
Su Mo knew very well that Tang Hao was different from his previous opponents. He mastered many Clear Sky secret techniques, and his true strength was far beyond what appeared on the surface, capable of unleashing staggering combat power.
If he relied solely on Soul Power condensation to form a sword, it would be impossible to defeat Tang Hao.
A sword formed from Soul Power would likely shatter after only a few hammer blows.
Rather than wasting time maneuvering, it was better to end it quickly.
"That is..." Tang Hao's pupils suddenly constricted.
"Not good!"
Tang Hao clearly felt that the Aura erupting from that Soul Bone was extremely terrifying, far exceeding even the Legacy Soul Bones of their Clear Sky Sect.
Tang Hao wanted to dodge, but it was simply too late.
Su Mo's right hand suddenly reached out, making a grasping motion toward Tang Hao on the ground from a distance.
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