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"You shouldn't have come."
"But we're here now. Hand over that 100,000-year spirit beast, Tang Hao, or don't blame us for being ruthless."
"Then come and try! A little ghost, a chrysanthemum, and a bird dare to act so arrogantly in front of my Hao Tian!"
"The one acting arrogantly is you!"
The battle erupted with a thunderous clash.
Tang Hao didn't hold back. He unleashed the Hao Tian Nine Absolutes, intending to widen the battlefield and prevent the fight from affecting Ah Yu's childbirth.
Even without obtaining his ninth soul ring, under the enhancement of the Hao Tian Nine Absolutes, Tang Hao was still able to trade blows evenly with the three Title Douluos, all below level 96.
But human strength has its limits. No matter how strong Tang Hao was, he was still at a disadvantage against three Title Douluos.
"Waaah!"
At this moment, the cry of a newborn echoed from nearby. Tang Hao's heart leapt with joy, but it also gave Qian Xunji and the others an opening. They struck him down, sending him flying as blood spurted from his mouth.
Soul masters had physical capabilities far surpassing ordinary humans. Ah Yu, who had just finished giving birth, walked out of the house holding her child and saw Tang Hao's dire state.
Looking at the three charging Title Douluos—each with the standard configuration of two yellow rings, two purple rings, and five black rings—she felt a wave of despair.
At this rate, not only would she and her child die, but Tang Hao would lose his life as well.
With a reluctant glance at the crying infant in her arms, Ah Yu's eyes softened yet hardened with resolve.
Her mind drifted back to events from five years ago when a mysterious god had left her a life-saving soul skill.
"I hope that god didn't deceive me. Child, forgive your mother for leaving first."
Tears streamed down her cheeks as Ah Yu rushed toward Tang Hao.
"Hao Ge, I entrust the child to you!"
A blinding pillar of crimson light shot into the sky.
Seeing this, Tang Hao's heart surged with hope, but outwardly, he appeared devastated.
"No! Ah Yu!"
But Ayu couldn't afford to think about anything else. She placed the wrinkled newborn into Tang Hao's arms, and her body gradually turned ethereal, transforming into a red soul ring adorned with two golden edges that fused onto Tang Hao's Hao Tian Hammer.
An overwhelming surge of power erupted.
Tang Hao's cultivation, previously stuck at level 90, skyrocketed to level 93 thanks to the immense soul power provided by Ah Yu's sacrifice.
Outside the ritual, Qian Xunji gritted his teeth in frustration. He had personally led this mission to hunt the 100,000-year spirit beast so his daughter could obtain a 100,000-year soul ring in the future, far surpassing others.
Thinking of his daughter, he swelled with pride. With an innate soul power of level 20, she was a top-tier genius destined to inherit the Angel God position.
"Damn you, Tang Hao! You've wasted the soul ring I prepared for my daughter. Since that's the case, I'll take it out on your soul bones!"
However, Qian Xunji didn't know that Tang Hao possessed a full set of soul bones. Otherwise, in the original story, he wouldn't have been unable to absorb A Yin's 100,000-year soul bone.
The sacrificial ritual ended quickly.
Looking at the child and a seed in his arms, Tang Hao's initial joy vanished, replaced by a profound sense of loss. During the sacrifice, he had clearly sensed Ah Yu's deep love for him, which shook him to his core. A wave of intense guilt overwhelmed him.
"Ah Yu!" Tang Hao screamed in anguish, his bloodshot eyes glaring fiercely at Qian Xunji and the others.
"Give me back Ah Yu!"
Like a man possessed, Tang Hao swung his Hao Tian Hammer, now wrapped in terrifying streaks of violet lightning.
Unlike Ah Yin, the Thunder Prison Vine was a top-tier offensive plant-type spirit beast. Its enhancement to the Hao Tian Hammer far surpassed what Ah Yin could provide.
This shocking display even made Qian Xunji, Ghost Douluo, and Chrysanthemum Douluo recoil instinctively. They sensed that if they were hit by that hammer, they would undoubtedly be injured.
But Tang Hao's grief fueled his complete eruption. He unleashed the Exploding Ring Technique, which placed immense strain on his body.
The explosive force shattered the constraints of the dual-stasis field, directly injuring the three Title Douluos present.
Qian Xunji, as the leader, bore the brunt of Tang Hao's ferocious assault.
As the saying went online: "One generation of Hao Tian, one generation of kings; generation after generation, the Hao Tian Hammer dominates the Pope."
Qian Xunji, a contemporary of Tang Wei, found himself struggling even against Tang Hao, the younger generation. This filled him with shame and frustration.
Though Qian Xunji's talent ranked low among the generations of Angel Douluos, he still carried the pride of an Angel. He defiantly clashed with Tang Hao.
But without the support of numerous secret techniques and soul bones, Qian Xunji was no match for Tang Hao. The outcome was inevitable.
Under the assault of the Exploding Ring Technique and the Hao Tian Nine Absolutes, Qian Xunji's chest bones shattered, blood poured from his seven orifices, and his six angelic wings collapsed. He fell to the ground, staining his pristine robes.
Still, as a Pope and a Super Douluo, Qian Xunji relied on his mastery of soul power to forcefully stabilize his broken ribs, suppressing the excruciating pain as he struggled to rise.
"Damn it! My father was once crushed under the Hao Tian Hammer, and now I've brought even more shame to our ancestors, losing to Tang Chen's grandson." Qian Xunji thought bitterly.
But born with inferior talent compared to Tang Hao, what could he do?
In the cursed world of Douluo Continent, cultivation depended not only on innate soul power but also on personal aptitude and inheritance.
Each stage oppressed the next, suffocating soul masters beneath its weight. Though the Hao Tian Hammer was inherently weaker than the Angel martial soul, the Hao Tian Hammer suppressed the number-one Angel martial soul through the inheritance of countless sect techniques.
Blinded by rage, Tang Hao wanted to continue swinging his Hao Tian Hammer and end Qian Xunji's life. But at the last moment, reason prevailed, and he stopped.
"Damn it! I can't kill him. He's the Pope of the Spirit Hall. The Spirit Hall's influence is too great. If I kill him, the Hao Tian Sect will be implicated.
You bastard, consider yourself lucky to have a good background, or I'd definitely kill you."
Finally, reason triumphed over the murderous intent in his mind.
Enduring the discomfort coursing through his body, Tang Hao cast a hateful glance at Qian Xunji, who lay prostrate on the ground, before leaping away.
Meanwhile, Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo staggered over. Though the earlier attack hadn't targeted them specifically, as lower-tier Title Douluos, they were still gravely injured.
The overwhelming force combined with rampant lightning—ordinary soul masters wouldn't stand a chance against it.
"Your Majesty, are you alright?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo, who had suffered less damage, hurried forward to check on Qian Xunji.
It didn't matter if they died, but if Qian Xunji perished, they would be forced to follow him to the grave.
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