"Hao, are you alright?" Seeing Tang Hao's gloomy expression, Tang Chen, who was fleeing, couldn't help but feel a bit worried. If his mindset faltered, the path ahead would be much harder to tread.
The soul ring Tang Hao had just absorbed came from a thousand-year-old Soft Bone Rabbit. However, Tang Hao was already a level 95 Title Douluo, and with his old injuries fully healed, even if he couldn't fight as recklessly as before, defeating all under heaven, his strength was still formidable. His power wasn't much weaker than when he had a hundred-thousand-year soul ring in his half-crippled state. Combined with the ring explosion technique of the Clear Sky Hammer, his strength was not something an ordinary Title Douluo could handle.
"I'm fine, Grandfather. What's a thousand-year soul ring?" Tang Hao's tone carried confidence. "I am the Clear Sky Douluo of this generation. What storms haven't I weathered? A mere soul ring is nothing."
"Sigh—"
Tang Chen let out a soft sigh. He knew Tang Hao's mindset wasn't as strong as he claimed. After a moment of thought, he said, "When we return, I'll visit the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect. Even if it costs us something, we must find a way to increase the age of soul rings."
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Sect is too powerful. We may not get what we want," Tang Hao said helplessly, hearing Tang Chen's plan.
If the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect was still as it had been years ago, they wouldn't have needed to lower themselves.
You'd give it whether you wanted to or not.
In the world of soul masters, might makes right.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Sect had two level 98 pillars of strength—Dust Heart and Bone Douluo—along with level 95 Dugu Bo and level 92 Shui Cangyue. Dust Heart at level 98 had ring fusion, and Bone Douluo's hundred-thousand-year soul ring was incredibly mysterious. On top of that, they had a three-in-one Martial Soul Fusion Technique with Sect Leader Ning Fengzhi, which was just absurd.
While Dugu Bo's level 95 strength wasn't the strongest, his strategic value was immeasurable.
The weakest among them was the newly joined ancestor of the Tianshui City Shui Clan, the dean of Tianshui Academy, Shui Cangyue. But even she was a level 92 Title Douluo with a hundred-thousand-year soul ring as her foundation, so her strength was likely not to be underestimated.
With Ning Fengzhi's Eight Treasure Glazed Pagoda providing support, the four of them would be like fish in water.
Neither the Clear Sky Sect nor the Spirit Hall dared to act rashly against them.
No matter what, Tang Chen decided that after this, he would go to the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect to obtain the method for increasing soul ring age limits.
Whether it was Dust Heart's fifth soul ring turning from purple to black or Bone Douluo's ninth soul ring transforming from a ten-thousand-year black ring to a hundred-thousand-year red ring, both cases demonstrated that the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect possessed a cultivation secret unknown to the entire continent.
The Clear Sky Sect needed this special power to alter soul ring age limits.
For Tang Hao to once again become the undisputed Clear Sky Douluo, he had to obtain it.
As for how to obtain it…
That could be considered later.
Because, damn it, there was no time to think about it now.
Constantly dodging attacks from all directions, the Clear Sky Sect members were somewhat exhausted from fleeing.
If not for Tang Chen's formidable strength, the Clear Sky Sect's group might have all perished on this trip.
"Take this, Dragon God Claw!"
Di Tian let out a dragon roar, transforming into a streak of black light.
He flew through the forest at incredible speed, and along his path, the lush green forest withered in the blink of an eye, seemingly affected by the dark energy emanating from him.
As Di Tian drew closer, the Dragon God phantom manifested by his soul power was about to send one of the Clear Sky Sect's elders to his death.
Tang Chen's expression shifted slightly, and he slowed his pace.
The Clear Sky Hammer, influenced by his power, was enveloped in blood-red soul energy.
The hammer, originally held in his hand, expanded several times in size.
"Daring to touch my people, how bold of a mere soul beast!"
Tang Chen unleashed a skill he had learned from the Asura God's trial.
Without the Asura God's Sword, its power was greatly diminished.
Blood-red energy gathered on the hammer's surface, resembling a massive siege hammer.
Tang Chen swung the Clear Sky Hammer with fierce momentum.
"Asura God Technique—Judgment Strike!"
Under the glow of the blood-red aura, the Clear Sky Hammer was like a sharpened sword.
With a "swoosh," the hammer slashed fiercely toward Di Tian's incoming attack.
The blood-red aura transformed into sharp sword energy, surging forward with a wailing sound akin to vengeful spirits, dyeing everything around it blood-red.
"Judging me, Di Tian?"
"Brat, you're not qualified!"
Di Tian's eyes glowed red within the black mist, and the soul skill he unleashed grew even stronger.
"Boom!"
The Dragon God Claw collided with the Judgment Strike.
A terrifying explosion echoed throughout the core area.
A massive shockwave spread outward from the point of impact in all directions.
"Pfft—"
Tang Chen tasted sweetness in his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood, his body flying backward like a kite with a broken string.
"Damn it! My injuries have worsened again."
Not only Tang Chen but also the several Title Douluo accompanying him were thrown dozens of meters by the terrifying soul energy shockwave, despite Tang Chen blocking the brunt of it.
"Ancestor, are you okay?" The Second Elder, the first to notice, was alarmed by Tang Chen's pale face.
If their ancestor fell, they were done for.
A dozen hundred-thousand-year soul beasts, plus Di Tian—had the Clear Sky Sect poked a soul beast nest?
There was no escape, absolutely no escape.
"I'm fine."
Tang Chen's gaze was sharp as he wiped the blood from his mouth.
That damned Blood Red Nine-Headed Bat King had controlled his body for too long. After separating from it, he hadn't had time to recover much before rushing to watch the soul master tournament.
"Grandfather, why don't you all go first?" Tang Hao stepped forward. "I'll hold them off. Please take care of Little San for me. Let this be the first and final step of atonement for a sinner like me."
"Tang Hao, you…" The elders exchanged glances.
"Enough. In your current state, how long can you hold them off?" Tang Chen interrupted. "Do you want Little San to lose his father after already losing his mother?"
"Spirit Hall is watching us like a tiger, the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect's stance is unclear, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is just a side note. We need time for Little San to grow."
"Don't worry, someone might come to our aid."
Tang Chen said something cryptic.
"Aid?"
Di Tian emerged from the black mist.
His robust muscles and perfect proportions, combined with his defiant demeanor, marked him as a seasoned warrior.
"You will all die here today. Especially you, the former Clear Sky Sect leader and Asura God's trial candidate—you have even less reason to be spared."
Di Tian's soul energy gathered in his palm, and in an instant, a black dragon sword appeared in his right hand—his weapon, the Black Dragon Sword.
After Di Tian spoke, a burly man resembling a giant bear, with a broad back and sturdy frame, stepped out from the side, his face marked by traces of weariness.
"Hmph, my name is Xiong Jun. Remember it, humans."
"Though I don't get along with Di Tian, that doesn't mean you humans can provoke us!"
Having been struck by Tang Chen's hammer, Xiong Jun's face looked terrible, as if his heart was about to leap out of his throat.
Shortly after Xiong Jun appeared, several humanoid soul beasts emerged from all directions, one after another.