"What's this?"
Everyone present, being spirit masters, could clearly see the abnormality in Tang San. His body was surrounded by a sinister aura of resentment and uncontrolled killing intent—undeniable marks of a fallen spirit master. It wasn't that merely possessing killing intent made someone a fallen spirit master, but the heavy blood and resentment around Tang San were unmistakable.
"Wow, Tang San really is a fallen spirit master!"
"Oh no, my idol! I used to think he was a cold, aloof prince, but it turns out he's like this in private!"
"Long live the Spirit Hall! Capture this fallen spirit master already!"
The audience erupted into chatter, voices overlapping in a chaotic blend of shock and condemnation.
Yu Xiaogang's eyes widened in disbelief. Tang San, his prized disciple, had truly fallen, and the Spirit Hall hadn't slandered him. Yu Xiaogang suddenly felt like all his years of dedication had gone to waste. His pride in raising Tang San from a seemingly useless Blue Silver Grass spirit into something extraordinary was now shattered.
As the truth sunk in, Yu Xiaogang suffered a second blow. The strain was too much, and blood surged up from within him, causing him to cough violently before collapsing into unconsciousness.
Tang San's eyes glowed with a murderous light as he gazed greedily at Gu Yi. The powerful aura surrounding Gu Yi made Tang San feel that if he could devour it, his own strength would skyrocket like never before. Behind him, the Eight Spider Lances, which had once been severed by Dugu Bo, now emerged fully intact, gleaming menacingly.
"Oh? So, you want to devour me?" Gu Yi sneered at Tang San's posture and disdainfully increased the pressure of his aura. Gu Yi's Evil Domain was already perfected, far beyond the capabilities of Tang San, who was only a spirit ancestor in the 40-something levels. The once ferocious Eight Spider Lances drooped under Gu Yi's oppressive aura, and Tang San's body trembled, sweat pouring out in rivulets of blood.
It was clear that Tang San couldn't withstand Gu Yi's sheer power.
The pressure of a true strong spirit master was a dual assault—mental and physical. Gu Yi had added the power of his perfected Evil Domain, which was especially lethal to fallen spirit masters like Tang San.
"Take this hammer!"
Suddenly, a massive Clear Sky Hammer descended from the sky, aimed directly at Gu Yi. If the hammer struck, it wouldn't just destroy the arena but would also endanger the audience seated nearby. The person wielding the hammer clearly didn't care about the collateral damage.
"Tang Hao?!" Salas, recognizing the figure wielding the Clear Sky Hammer, immediately became apprehensive. Tang Hao had been a wanted man by the Spirit Hall for years, notorious for his incredible combat achievements. Just thinking about Tang Hao's past feats made Salas uneasy. He knew that if he tried to face Tang Hao directly, he wouldn't even be able to last a single blow.
At last, the long-anticipated showdown was about to begin. Gu Yi looked up at Tang Hao, who floated in the sky.
Finally, it was time to settle the score from their previous encounter.
Back then, Tang Hao's formidable nine-ringed explosive power had pushed him to the level of a demigod, almost ending Gu Yi's life. If not for the protection of the Evil God's power, Gu Yi would have perished.
But now, Gu Yi was no longer the same. His spirit had evolved into a divine spirit, and his body housed a spirit core—a power beyond his era. His Evil Domain had reached perfection, and every aspect of his strength had improved dramatically.
"Salas, take care of this man," Gu Yi instructed, before rising into the air. As he activated the Heaven Devouring technique, his spirit core frantically absorbed the surrounding energy. Although a year of nurturing had significantly boosted the spirit core's capacity, it couldn't fully absorb the massive influx of energy from the sky.
In the sky above Heaven Dou City, a dense cloud of energy gathered, linking directly to Gu Yi. His meridians were filled with raw power, stretching his newly evolved, god-level physique to its limits. When he reached the brink of overloading, Gu Yi halted, not eager to overexert his Heaven Devouring technique too soon.
With a resounding boom, Gu Yi's single punch met the descending Clear Sky Hammer, sending it flying. Even Tang Hao, wielding the hammer, was forced to retreat a few steps under the blow's impact. The sheer force of Gu Yi's attack was too much, even for Tang Hao, a man who had spent years mastering his hammer.
"You've been working hard, it seems," Tang Hao remarked, observing Gu Yi's newfound strength. Even though he had been advancing steadily himself, Gu Yi's meteoric rise in power seemed unstoppable.
"This is all you have to say? You're not leaving here today," Gu Yi's tone was icy as he glared at the nearly recovered Tang Hao. He couldn't fathom how Tang Hao had managed to heal so quickly from their last encounter.
"You think you can stop me?" Tang Hao's nine spirit rings exploded in unison, leaving only a single blood-red ring intact. He activated his Martial Spirit True Body, enlarging the Clear Sky Hammer tenfold. Compared to the hammer's immense size, Tang Hao himself looked like an ant.
When spirit masters reached the seventieth rank, they could activate their Martial Spirit True Body, allowing them to fully unleash their spirit's power. The Clear Sky Hammer, known as the strongest offensive martial spirit on the continent, coupled with Tang Hao's immense strength, was an unstoppable force.
The air around the hammer twisted, distorting space and disrupting the surrounding energy. The pressure it exerted was unbearable.
Salas, who had been holding Tang San in place, struggled under the oppressive force. Even with his near-Title Douluo strength, breathing became difficult.
Panic swept through the arena.
"Are we going to die?"
"Is this the end?"
Despite his composure, Emperor Xue Ye felt uneasy. But years of ruling had trained him to keep his calm, even when the situation was dire.
"Ning Sect Master, can Gu Yi really stand against Tang Hao?" Emperor Xue Ye asked Ning Fengzhi.
"Your Majesty, don't worry. I'm not sure if Gu Yi can win, but he can certainly hold his own," Ning Fengzhi reassured him. Having witnessed Gu Yi's strength firsthand, he knew that even if Gu Yi couldn't defeat Tang Hao, he wouldn't go down easily.
Feeling a little more at ease, Emperor Xue Ye sat back down, his mind racing as he watched the unfolding battle.
As the Clear Sky Hammer descended, Gu Yi gathered all his power into a single punch. Every ounce of his strength, speed, and technique was focused on this strike.
At this level, techniques became irrelevant. It was all about pure power, and Gu Yi's punch met the hammer head-on.
BOOM!
The impact was deafening, and the audience felt their ears ringing, their heads spinning from the sheer intensity of the clash. Even the sound waves from the collision were unbearable for the weaker spectators.
This punch wasn't just a display of raw power; it was layered with subtle forces designed to cause maximum internal damage.
(End Of Chapter)