"Now."
Tang Hao squinted his eyes, quietly releasing his soul power as he infiltrated Ye Renxin's room.
Ye Renxin's room was adjacent to Ye Lingling's. At this moment, a Soul Douluo-level soul master was stationed outside their rooms with others, guarding them. However, perhaps because it had been such a long time without any incidents, fatigue was written all over their faces. Their attention was divided, and none of them noticed a Title Douluo sneaking in.
Inside the brightly lit room, Ye Renxin sat at his desk, diligently recording the day's medical cases.
Patient conditions, illnesses, causes, treatments—
Ye Renxin meticulously documented everything and added small notes to each case. Fully immersed in his work, he didn't seem to notice someone had entered his room.
Looking at the completely defenseless Ye Renxin, Tang Hao sneered coldly, quickly stepping up behind him. He raised his hand, palm transformed into a blade, ready to strike Ye Renxin on the back of the neck to knock him unconscious and abduct him.
But just as Tang Hao's hand was about to touch Ye Renxin, a golden barrier suddenly appeared around him. It not only enveloped Ye Renxin but also pushed Tang Hao several steps back.
"Who's there?"
Ye Renxin abruptly looked up and saw Tang Hao, who had been repelled. His gaze filled with disbelief.
Glancing at the golden barrier that had protected him, Ye Renxin instinctively touched the gift he had received from Dugu Bo before his departure. His heart churned like a stormy sea.
"A soul bone skill? You anticipated me?"
Feeling the soul power fluctuations outside the door, Tang Hao snorted angrily, his eyes flashing with annoyance. His left arm lit up as the soul bone skill hidden within was activated.
Tang Hao's entire body was equipped with top-tier strength-enhancing soul bones, significantly boosting his physical capabilities. These soul bones also granted him formidable soul skills, which was why Tang Hao was confident he could abduct both Ye Renxin and Ye Lingling without exposing his martial spirit.
With two soul bone skills activated, Tang Hao's arms became even thicker and stronger than a typical strength-type Title Douluo's. As his fists pounded repeatedly, the golden shield trembled violently but still held firm without breaking.
Neither Ye Renxin nor Tang Hao knew the true nature of this golden barrier. They had no idea how such a thin shield could withstand the full-force attacks of a Title Douluo. In reality, a soul engineer would instantly recognize the barrier's design.
It was a Level-6 Invincible Golden Body shield, capable of withstanding the full-strength attacks of a Title Douluo for three seconds. Though it would be destroyed after a single use, even on a battlefield of Title Douluos, such a shield could prove decisive.
In less than three seconds—just over two—a Soul Douluo stationed outside the room burst in. With his martial soul activated, he transformed into a humanoid figure with a canine head, his entire body cloaked in fierce flames.
This Soul Douluo's martial soul was the Hellhound, a top-tier fire attribute martial soul. At Level 83, he was a formidable fighter, recognized as one of the stronger Soul Douluos on the continent. But facing the sudden intrusion of a powerful enemy, Tang Hao had no intention of retreating. Soul power surged through his body, and multiple soul bone skills were activated.
Activating his left leg bone, a thin shield formed over Tang Hao's body. Ignoring the Hellhound Soul Douluo's attacks, Tang Hao closed the distance between them. Then, activating his torso bone skill, his body swelled with power, and his right arm delivered a devastating blow.
Tang Hao's right arm bone and left leg bone were heirlooms of the Clear Sky Clan, possessing exceptional quality. They were among the treasures passed down by Tang Chen, who had acquired them from fallen soul masters. Even by Title Douluo standards, these soul bones were extraordinary.
Caught off guard, the Hellhound Soul Douluo was struck square in the chest by Tang Hao's punch. His ribs shattered instantly, fragments piercing his organs, and he was flung away like a broken rag doll. Crashing through the wooden door, he collided with the reinforcements behind him, scattering them like bowling pins.
A cluster of soul masters was sent flying by the impact, unable to resist the force. They smashed through the inn's walls and landed in the courtyard outside.
Although Tang Hao was often criticized, no one could deny his talent and combat prowess. As a Soul Douluo, he had once broken the leg of a Title Douluo from Spirit Hall. As a quasi-Title Douluo, he had even held his own against Qian Xunji, who was accompanied by two Title Douluo bodyguards. Setting aside his personality and character, Tang Hao's talent and combat abilities made him one of the continent's most exceptional figures. The only reason he wasn't labeled a once-in-a-century or millennium genius was because of his grandfather Tang Chen, not because his talent was lacking in any way.
Even injured and without summoning his martial soul, Tang Hao's raw strength allowed him to crush most Soul Douluos and even contend with ordinary Title Douluos.
Ye Renxin summoned his martial soul and was about to provide support. However, before he could react, he noticed that nearly all reinforcements had been thrown out of the range of his soul skills. He immediately felt a sense of foreboding.
The gap between a Title Douluo and lower-tier soul masters was immense. With the element of surprise, Tang Hao didn't even need his martial soul to incapacitate a strong Soul Douluo in a single strike.
Just as Tang Hao thought he'd succeeded, a sudden chill swept through his entire body. Without hesitation, Tang Hao summoned the Clear Sky Hammer, swinging it wildly in all directions. His violent soul power surged, forcing the hidden assailants to reveal themselves.
A muscular man clad in green stepped forward. Around him, nine soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, black—emerged, marking him as a Title Douluo.
Staring at the face, Tang Hao froze for a moment before recognizing the individual by his aura.
"Dugu Bo! You poisonous old snake, ruining my plans!"
"A mere sneaky rat dares to talk about grand plans?"
Dugu Bo sneered as he charged forward, releasing his soul power without hesitation. The overwhelming energy transformed into the illusory form of the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor, which lunged toward Tang Hao with its jaws wide open.
Feeling the immense threat, Tang Hao's pupils shrank. His fifth soul ring lit up as he unleashed the Sky Shattering Strike to counter the attack. Without lingering, he immediately retreated, aiming to escape Dugu Bo's range.
He wasn't afraid of Dugu Bo alone. The problem was that Dugu Bo had the continent's top healing-type soul master, Ye Renxin, backing him. As long as Ye Renxin's soul power wasn't depleted, Dugu Bo was nearly unkillable. Tang Hao knew he had no chance of winning against such a combination.
But Dugu Bo had no intention of letting Tang Hao go.
"Eighth Soul Skill: Time Stop!"
Dugu Bo roared as his eighth soul ring lit up. The power of time surged forth, locking Tang Hao in mid-air. Instinctively, Tang Hao activated his Deathgod Domain the moment Time Stop descended.
While the Deathgod Domain was powerful, it wasn't designed to counter time-based soul skills. However, the activation of the domain unexpectedly triggered the Asura God's divine consciousness within Tang Hao. Sensing the power of time, the Asura God violently stimulated Tang Hao's body, forcibly unleashing his latent strength to break free from Time Stop.
Feeling the surge of power within him, Tang Hao considered counterattacking, but the Asura God's consciousness immediately overrode his thoughts.
Without hesitation, the Asura God's consciousness manipulated Tang Hao's body, forcing him to flee the battlefield at full speed, leaving Dugu Bo and Ye Renxin behind.