Just as Tang Xiao was the first to react and was about to take to the air to chase after Tang Lie, who had fallen off the cliff, faint spatial ripples rose around Chu Chengzhou and his figure vanished from where he stood.
An instant later, Chu Chengzhou appeared beside Tang Lie, reached out and hauled him up, then flickered back to the original viewing spot.
He laid Tang Lie flat on the ground. Looking closely, he saw flesh and blood torn all over, blood spilling from his mouth, breath as thin as gossamer, on the verge of death. The corner of Chu Chengzhou's mouth twitched. He hurriedly activated the spirit bone skill of the hundred-thousand-year Golden Hawksbill left leg bone, Source of Life.
As golden light brimming with life flowed into his body, Tang Lie's injuries healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and his aura gradually steadied. Chu Chengzhou let out a silent breath.
Good, he was still alive. If Tang Lie died, that would get messy on the "filial" front. The old man was still an elder within Tang Yuehua's five mourning degrees. He absolutely must not just die like this.
In the blink of an eye, Tang Lie's injuries were healed, but he did not wake and remained unconscious.
"Brother-in-law, is the Seventh Elder okay?"
At this moment Tang Xiao asked with concern, and the "culprit" Tang Yuehua and the four Elders at the side also gathered around.
Tang Yuehua: Old man, you really can't cut it. Down after one move?
Chu Chengzhou waved his hand. "He's fine. He should be okay. A period of rest will do."
Tang Lie had not woken not because his physical injuries were untreated, but because of martial spirit backlash.
He could heal bodily injuries with a hundred-thousand-year healing-type spirit bone skill, but he had no means to treat soul-level trauma. Fortunately it was only martial spirit backlash and not irreparable damage.
"Aunt, about that spirit bone skill you used just now"
At Tang San's hesitant question to Tang Yuehua, everyone turned their eyes to her.
"That's right. It was a hundred-thousand-year spirit bone skill."
Tang Yuehua nodded calmly.
Gasp!
Possessing a hundred-thousand-year spirit bone skill meant having a hundred-thousand-year spirit bone, and a hundred-thousand-year spirit bone was a treasure countless spirit masters dreamed of.
For a moment, the eyes of everyone present were full of envy when they looked at Tang Yuehua, and the looks they gave Chu Chengzhou turned into awe.
A backer. A sure super backer.
Everyone understood that this hundred-thousand-year spirit bone was most likely not something Tang Yuehua obtained herself, but something Chu Chengzhou gave her.
This was a hundred-thousand-year spirit bone. If they had one themselves, even for a wife or their own son, most would be reluctant to part with it.
Tang San: If possible, I want to be called Tang Shan. Mm, Tang Shanshan works too.
"Elders, your turn."
At this time, Tang Yuehua spoke to the four Elders led by the Second Elder, Tang Bo.
The four of them: .
"Ahem, well, Yuehua, in my view we should drop this."
Glancing at the still-unconscious Tang Lie, Tang Bo spoke without much confidence.
Facts proved his niece had come prepared. Though the four of them were Titled Douluo whose strength was far beyond level 89 Tang Lie, there was no guarantee they would not end up heavily injured and unconscious. Better not to fight if they could avoid it.
"Not acceptable."
Tang Yuehua rejected it outright.
Since she meant to establish authority, she could not quit halfway. Besides, the level 89 Seventh Elder Tang Lie did not qualify. She had to subdue at least one Titled Douluo.
At this, the four Elders looked at one another. Then the Third Elder Tang Yan, Fifth Elder Tang Ling, and Sixth Elder Tang Li all turned their eyes to the leader, the Second Elder Tang Bo.
The meaning was obvious. Second Brother, you are our head. Your spirit power rank is the highest and your strength the greatest. You should take the fight.
Tang Bo: .
"Second Elder, I'll wait for you over there. We start whenever you are ready."
With that, Tang Yuehua did not wait for Tang Bo's reply but turned and walked straight to the spot where she had fought Tang Lie.
Hearing this, Tang Bo knew he had to accept.
With words like that said, if he did not, he would be a coward.
Tang Bo: Enough is enough. Your Second Uncle won't tolerate it.
Soon, on the open ground by the cliff, Tang Bo and Tang Yuehua stood dozens of meters apart.
"Uncle, can Aunt beat the Second Elder?"
Tang San asked Chu Chengzhou.
At that, Tang Xiao and the three Elders nearby pricked up their ears.
Chu Chengzhou rubbed his chin. "Shouldn't be a problem. Back when I was an eight-ring Spirit Douluo, killing Titled Douluo below level 95 wasn't much different from killing chickens."
Tang San: .
Tang Xiao: .
The three Elders: .
"Second Elder, reveal your Spirit Avatar."
On the field, Tang Yuehua spoke to Tang Bo opposite her.
To establish authority, she had to give the opponent a chance to show himself, lest people say she won without honor by a sneak attack or that a junior lacked martial ethics.
As for earlier? The Seventh Elder Tang Lie's strength was not much, just an appetizer. There was no need.
Without hesitation, Tang Bo released the Clear Sky True Body. As his seventh spirit ring lit up, a huge black humanoid phantom holding a giant hammer appeared, its Titled Douluo aura on full display.
"Niece Yuehua, be careful. Sixth spirit skill, Meteor Fall."
As he spoke, Tang Bo's sixth spirit ring flashed. In the Clear Sky True Body's hand, the giant hammer surged with black light, then was hurled with all his might, like a falling meteor, smashing straight toward Tang Yuehua.
"Spirit bone skill, Dragon Soul Intimidation."
Facing the incoming hammer, Tang Yuehua's expression did not change. Azure light blossomed at her brow. As spirit power surged, a blue divine dragon phantom rose behind her. Its maw gaped, and an invisible spiritual wave spread across the field.
Roar!
In an instant, a dragon's roar sounded. Within a hundred meters, everything seemed frozen. The giant hammer dropping at high speed was bound directly in midair.
Not only was the skill frozen. Even Tang Bo, strong as he was in the Spirit Avatar state, was immobilized the moment that spiritual wave appeared, unable to move at all.
One of the two spirit bone skills attached to the hundred-thousand-year Sea Dragon head spirit bone, Dragon Soul Intimidation, is a spiritual control-type spirit bone skill. Within its effective range, it forcibly binds everything and any target whose spiritual power does not exceed the user's. The specific duration depends on the relative strength of spiritual power.
Although Tang Yuehua's spirit power rank was a full ten levels lower than Tang Bo's, in terms of pure spiritual power this Titled Douluo was still inferior to Tang Yuehua at eight rings.
With the Wish-Fulfilling Domain that can cleanse others' hearts, Tang Yuehua's spiritual power already surpassed peers. With the hundred-thousand-year head spirit bone on top of that, to say no more, as a level 84 Spirit Douluo, Tang Yuehua's spiritual power at least matched an ordinary level 95 Titled Douluo, perhaps even exceeded it.
T/N: For 40 chapters ahead on my translations, become a p@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle