Tang Chen was in no hurry to attack Ye Tian. Instead, he slowly approached.
In his eyes, crushing Ye Tian was as simple as crushing an ant.
When refining pills, fresh ingredients were best.
He couldn't just refine Ye Tian in the middle of the Star Dou Forest, surrounded by soul beasts.
So, Ye Tian still needed to live for a while.
However, just as Tang Chen was approaching Ye Tian—
Xuan Miaoyin, with a solemn expression, stepped in front of Ye Tian.
She spoke coldly:
"King of Slaughter, don't forget, the you who emerged from the City of Slaughter isn't even as strong as a Title Douluo anymore!"
"If you dare step forward again, don't blame me for being rude!"
Hearing Xuan Miaoyin's warning, Tang Chen's disdainful smile grew even more pronounced.
"Heh, indeed, I am not what I once was. If an ordinary Spirit Douluo were here, I might have to use some tricks to deal with them."
"But you?"
"Hmph!"
Tang Chen snorted coldly and waved his hand.
"Asura Hell Domain!"
As soon as he spoke, ripples of black energy rose beneath his feet.
These ripples did not spread outward from Tang Chen but instead moved in a straight line, swiftly enveloping Xuan Miaoyin.
Sensing the black ripples approaching, Xuan Miaoyin's face beneath her black veil changed dramatically.
She immediately let out a painful scream.
Threads of black soul power continuously seeped from her body, linking to Tang Chen, as if draining her dry.
"Ah!"
Xuan Miaoyin's limbs stretched out uncontrollably, her legs trembling, unable to muster any soul power.
Tang Chen, on the other hand, looked pleased, stretching his arms and laughing cruelly:
"Did you think that just because the City of Slaughter was destroyed, the restriction on you would be lifted?"
As he finished speaking, Tang Chen's expression turned ice-cold.
"This is the fate of betraying me!"
As the King of Slaughter, Tang Chen ruled over the evil soul masters of the City of Slaughter not just with strength—
But also through restrictions placed on his subordinates.
With these restrictions, he could easily locate any of them.
And regardless of their strength, he could completely drain their power.
The power of an evil soul master came from blood fiend energy, and once it was drained, they became no different from ordinary people.
Tang Chen's gaze was vicious as he coldly glanced at Xuan Miaoyin.
"I will make you experience a fate worse than death before killing you as a warning to others!"
Watching this unfold, Ye Tian clapped his hands and praised:
"King of Slaughter, quite the impressive technique."
"…However, it seems you've overlooked something."
As he spoke, several Taiyi Divine Needles appeared in Ye Tian's right hand.
"Hmph, a mere non-soul master like you dares challenge me?"
Tang Chen mocked Ye Tian mercilessly, then curled his left index finger.
"Go ahead, show me what you've got."
Ye Tian maintained a bright smile to mislead Tang Chen.
"I have many skills, but… not for you!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the Taiyi Divine Needles in his hand shot out.
However—
Tang Chen saw everything clearly.
Though his power had plummeted due to the destruction of the City of Slaughter, leaving him only as strong as a Soul Douluo—
His combat instincts and danger perception remained.
Ye Tian's supposedly quick attack looked painfully slow to him.
"Trivial tricks," Tang Chen sneered disdainfully.
Ignoring Ye Tian's slow movements—
The power of these golden needles alone was too weak to harm him.
This young man severely underestimated his strength.
Still, despite his contempt, getting stabbed would be unpleasant.
So, Tang Chen spread his left hand and lightly swiped downward, forming a blue soul power barrier between himself and Ye Tian.
"So impatient? I already told you, these needles aren't for you."
Ye Tian smirked, deliberately provoking Tang Chen.
Hearing this, Tang Chen's pupils shrank.
Sure enough, none of Ye Tian's needles even touched his soul power shield.
Seeing this, Tang Chen was furious. This brat couldn't even aim!
"You're toying with me!"
"Damn right I am!"
Ye Tian crossed his right hand over his chest, conjuring four more Taiyi Divine Needles between his fingers.
Then, with his left hand, he discreetly smeared Mandala Poison onto the needle tips.
This top-tier poison might not be enough to kill a former Limit Douluo like Tang Chen—
But it could momentarily weaken him.
"Go!"
Ye Tian shouted as he launched the needles again.
The moment they flew, beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
He had squeezed out every last drop of his limited soul power.
"You still dare to deceive me?!"
Tang Chen was utterly enraged. Stepping forward, his palm formed a claw, reaching for Ye Tian's throat.
Taking Ye Tian alive to refine into a pill would be best—
But that didn't mean he couldn't accept a dead Ye Tian.
This brat's earlier mockery had thoroughly provoked him.
As the King of Slaughter, how could he tolerate such disrespect?
"Die!"
Just as his words fell, a sharp voice came from behind him—
"The one who should die is you!"
Hearing this, Tang Chen instinctively turned his head—
Only to see Xuan Miaoyin leaping up, transforming into a bat, and slashing at him with razor-sharp claws.
Seeing this—
Tang Chen was utterly shocked. "How did you break free from the Asura Hell Domain?! Impossible!"
His Asura Hell Domain was a divine gift!
And not from just one god— but two: the Asura and Asura Hell Gods!
Their powers intertwined within him—
Creating the one and only Asura Hell Domain in all of Douluo Continent!
Any evil soul master tainted with blood fiend energy who entered this domain—
No matter how powerful— would be completely at his mercy!
Breaking free was impossible!
Yet Xuan Miaoyin shattered what he had always believed to be true.
"Nothing is impossible," Ye Tian replied lazily. "If you seal the acupuncture points that exchange soul power with the outside world, wouldn't that prevent it from being drained?"
Hearing this, Tang Chen stared at Xuan Miaoyin—
And sure enough, several golden needles were embedded in her black robe, sealing key acupuncture points.
Tang Chen's fists clenched so hard they cracked.
Ye Tian's previous words— had been truthful all along.
Completely beyond his expectations.
But at this moment, realizing it was useless.
Breathing heavily, Tang Chen braced his legs and abdomen, murmuring:
"Clear Sky Hammer."
A golden hammer adorned with ancient engravings instantly appeared in his right hand.
Eight soul rings lit up in succession around him.
Facing his former subordinate, Tang Chen dared not be careless.
He knew Xuan Miaoyin's ruthlessness—
A single mistake could mean disaster.
Yet—
He still miscalculated.
The moment he summoned the Clear Sky Hammer—
A sudden numbness spread through his left hand.
Then his entire body stiffened.
An overwhelming sense of weakness and powerlessness flooded his mind.
The Clear Sky Hammer slipped from his grip and fell to the ground.
Mechanically lowering his head, Tang Chen saw four needle marks on the back of his left hand.
Due to the blood fiend energy surging within him—
The immense pressure in his veins forced out black droplets of blood from the tiny wounds.
Seeing this ink-black blood—
Tang Chen stared at Ye Tian in disbelief.
"You… you ambushed me!"
Hearing Tang Chen's serious accusation—
Ye Tian couldn't help but laugh.
A life-or-death battle— and he expected honor?
Absolutely ridiculous.
If that were the case, then Tang Chen shouldn't have suddenly appeared in front of him.
After all, such tracking was far from honorable.
Facing Tang Chen's serious questioning, Ye Tian waved his hand earnestly:
"I already warned you just now, how can this be considered a sneak attack?"
Before Tang Chen could refute—
Xuan Miaoyin's attack had already arrived:
"King of Slaughter, today I shall personally end you!"
"Bat Venom Fangs!"
Facing the incoming attack, Tang Chen's face showed nothing but shock—no other emotion could be found.
He no longer had time to talk to Ye Tian.
The will to survive drove him to bite down on his tongue, swallowing a mouthful of vital blood.
This temporarily freed him from weakness, giving him some strength.
As one of the once-strongest combatants of the Douluo Continent,
Even though Tang Chen was no longer at his peak, his battle instincts remained.
In comparison, Xuan Miaoyin's attack seemed immature.
Tang Chen pressed his legs together, exerting force from both his calves and thighs, causing his entire body to fall toward the ground.
Xuan Miaoyin's attack was incredibly fast, which also meant she couldn't change direction in a short time.
She struck nothing but air.
Tang Chen pressed a palm against the ground, using the momentum to push himself upright again.
However, his weakened body didn't allow him to linger.
Like a shooting star, he vanished on the spot.
Xuan Miaoyin, having missed her target, couldn't stop her momentum and crashed heavily into the ground.
Ye Tian hurried forward to help her up: "Xuan Miaoyin, are you okay?"
Xuan Miaoyin weakly waved her hand: "I'm fine, it's just that the King of Slaughter's suppression on me is too overwhelming."
"In just a few seconds, my strength was nearly drained."
Before fighting the King of Slaughter, Xuan Miaoyin had anticipated this outcome.
After all, she had followed the King of Slaughter for more than ten years.
She was well aware of his methods.
Because of this, she had even devised several countermeasures.
But in the end, she didn't get to use any of them.
If Ye Tian hadn't acted in time to seal her acupoints,
She might have lost her life here today.
Staring in the direction Tang Chen had fled, Ye Tian toyed with the Sea Jiao Pearl in his hand, slightly regretful.
If only the action of retrieving the Flood Dragon Pearl from his storage space hadn't taken so long.
Otherwise, with just the full-force strike of Poseidon stored within the pearl, Tang Chen would have perished here.
But even though Tang Chen had escaped, Ye Tian didn't walk away empty-handed.
Ye Tian, intrigued, walked toward the battlefield.
Lowering his head, he looked at a golden, ancient, intricately patterned Clear Sky Hammer.
Tang Chen's Clear Sky Hammer was, after all, a divine weapon.
Though Ye Tian was not a Soul Master and couldn't wield the small hammer,
Simply obtaining it was already a great gain.
Ye Tian bent down and reached out to pick up the Clear Sky Hammer.
However, an awkward situation unfolded.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't lift the small hammer, which was barely larger than a palm.
"Let me try." Xiao Ying, who had been watching from a distance, saw that the battle had ended and approached.
She curiously gazed at the golden hammer at Ye Tian's feet.
A flash of surprise crossed her eyes: "Isn't this the martial soul of the Clear Sky Clan? The Clear Sky Hammer?"
"…No, no." Xiao Ying shook her head in denial: "A Soul Master's martial soul exists in an energy form, but this hammer is made of real metal."
"What exactly is going on?"
Her eyes were filled with confusion as she looked up at Ye Tian.
Faced with Xiao Ying's doubts, Ye Tian had no intention of explaining. He simply said indifferently,
"Probably because the Clear Sky Hammer is too famous, that evil Soul Master just now must have forged an enchanted weapon in its likeness."
Hearing this, Xiao Ying nodded, half understanding.
Then, she grasped the handle of the Clear Sky Hammer with both hands, took a deep breath, and tried to lift it.
But—
It was completely useless.
Even after channeling her soul power, the Clear Sky Hammer remained firmly in place.
"This is unbelievable. My strength exceeds a thousand jin, yet I still can't lift this hammer."
Xiao Ying clicked her tongue in amazement.
In the end, she had no choice but to give up trying to pick up the Clear Sky Hammer.
At this moment, Xuan Miaoyin, who had taken Ye Tian's soul power recovery pill, weakly approached him.
She spoke meaningfully: "This hammer is a true divine weapon—it is not something an ordinary person can move."
Hearing the words "divine weapon," Xiao Ying took a deep breath.
Her imagination could no longer grasp just how precious this weapon, resembling the Clear Sky Hammer, was.
A divine weapon could only belong to a Titled Douluo at the very least, right?
In reality, Xiao Ying was still underestimating it.
Even an Ultimate Douluo wouldn't necessarily own a divine weapon.
After listening to Xuan Miaoyin, Ye Tian raised an eyebrow: "Do you know a way?"
Hearing this, Xuan Miaoyin smiled faintly: "I followed the King of Slaughter for quite some time, of course I know how to pick up this divine weapon."
"Stop keeping us in suspense, hurry and tell us." Ye Tian was quite eager.
Since the divine weapon was already in his possession,
Leaving it behind would only benefit others.
That was something he absolutely wouldn't do.
Seeing Ye Tian's impatience, Xuan Miaoyin didn't beat around the bush:
"There are actually three ways to lift the Clear Sky Hammer."
"The first is to possess the bloodline of the Clear Sky Clan. I heard that the King of Slaughter himself was born in the Clear Sky Clan. Naturally, those with the same bloodline can lift the hammer with ease."
Hearing this, Ye Tian curled his lips: "That's useless information."
None of his subordinates were from the Clear Sky Clan.
And he wasn't about to hand over a divine weapon to a Clear Sky Clan disciple—it would be like handing a lamb to a tiger.
"The second method is to use divine power to wield the weapon."
"After all, divine weapons are meant to be wielded by gods."
At this point, Xuan Miaoyin added, "However, divine power isn't exclusive to gods. Their inheritors can also possess this power."
Hearing this lengthy explanation, Ye Tian waved his hand dismissively.
"Even a god's inheritor might not necessarily be able to lift it."
At this moment, wasn't he himself the inheritor of Poseidon?
Yet he still couldn't lift the Clear Sky Hammer.
Ye Tian's eyes gleamed with anticipation: "What's the third method?"
If even this third method failed to let him lift the Clear Sky Hammer,
Ye Tian would truly feel like he had suffered a huge loss.
After all, he had used up all the Mandala poison on Tang Chen.
Mandala poison was a hundred times more precious than natural treasures.
The amount used on Tang Chen alone was worth three million gold soul coins.
If he lost three million gold soul coins and still had to leave the Clear Sky Hammer behind for Tang Chen or Tang San to retrieve,
Ye Tian would consider it a personal disgrace.
It would be a complete loss, in every sense.
Xuan Miaoyin raised her gaze and said, "The third method is actually quite simple."
"And that is blood recognition."
"Of course, this isn't just any blood. A slight mistake, and one could be counterattacked by the divine weapon's power, putting their life at risk."
(End of Chapter)
Guys, I apologize for being inactive for a long time. Some poisonous bug had bitten me on my arm on multiple spots which I mistook for some allergy and things got bad. My skin literally got burnt cuz of the poison and the wounds took days to recover.