Outside the battlefield, Tang San let out a sigh of relief. His efforts had paid off—his great-uncle Bai He and Yang Wudi had been forced into the battle, significantly easing the pressure on his father, Tang Hao.
However, even though Bai He had engaged the female Titled Douluo with the Fire Hawk Spirit and Yang Wudi had taken on the Porcupinefish Douluo, his father was still up against five other formidable opponents. Among them were Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan, Ghost Douluo Gui Mei, two other Douluo with staff spirits, and the Ghost Leopard Douluo. And lurking nearby was Bibi Dong, the terrifying Spider Queen herself, waiting for the right moment to strike. Despite the temporary relief, Tang San couldn't help but worry for his father.
But Tang San was only a Spirit Elder. He had already done everything in his power. Now, all he could do was place his faith in his father.
On the battlefield, the situation had shifted. With the Fire Hawk Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo occupied, the remaining five Douluo facing Tang Hao were mostly melee fighters. Only Chrysanthemum Douluo still maintained long-range pressure. This presented a window of opportunity for Tang Hao.
Despite his seemingly desperate defense, Tang Hao was biding his time. His strategy of trading blows and risking his life appeared reckless, but it was all part of his plan. His body, constantly battered and bleeding, relied on the restorative powers of his Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone, enabling him to heal just enough to keep going.
Then, at the moment when Ghost Douluo, Ghost Leopard Douluo, Jiang Jun (Fifteen Ton Douluo), and Jiang Long (Falling Devil Douluo) launched their next attack, Tang Hao's eyes flashed with cold determination. Hidden beneath his matted hair, his gaze sharpened, and his heart roared with a battle cry.
"Great Sumeru Hammer—Ring Explosion!"
Up until now, Tang Hao had been relying on the Clear Sky Nine Absolutes and the Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique. The latter, with its ability to accumulate strength across consecutive strikes, was fearsome. At its peak, with 81 strikes, it could even injure a Limit Douluo. But against nine Titled Douluo, someone was always there to interrupt him before he could reach its full power.
So now, he would skip the buildup. It was time to explode his spirit rings and unleash everything in one go.
With an explosive roar, Tang Hao's first and second spirit rings blazed to life, their yellow light shining brighter than the sun. A flood of spirit energy surged into his Clear Sky Hammer, which swelled with devastating power.
Swinging his Hammer infused with the power of exploded rings, Tang Hao let out a savage roar and slammed it toward Ghost Leopard Douluo and Ghost Douluo.
"It's the Ring Explosion! Watch out!" Ghost Douluo shouted, panic flashing in his eyes as he hurriedly retreated. His unique spirit allowed him to become immune to physical attacks, so the impact wouldn't kill him—but Ghost Leopard Douluo wasn't so lucky.
The blow hit Ghost Leopard Douluo full force. The power of the exploded rings tore through him, and with a howl of agony, he was flung backward, blood spraying from his mouth. His arm was shattered, and his chest caved in from the impact, ribs snapping like twigs.
Tang Hao didn't stop there. As Ghost Douluo staggered back, Tang Hao detonated his third, fourth, and fifth spirit rings. Each burst of energy pulsed through his hammer, enlarging it further until it radiated a terrifying, earth-shaking force. He swung again, targeting Jiang Jun (Fifteen Ton Douluo) and Jiang Long (Falling Devil Douluo).
"Boom!"
The Clear Sky Hammer collided with the twin staves of the two Douluo. The resulting explosion of force sent both Jiang Jun (Fifteen Ton Douluo) and Jiang Long (Falling Devil Douluo) flying back, unable to withstand the terrifying might of the Hammer. A deafening crash filled the air as the two Douluo crashed into the ground, groaning in pain.
Yet Tang Hao wasn't finished. Turning his focus on Bibi Dong, who had been lurking just outside the fray, he detonated his sixth spirit ring, unleashing its power into the Hammer.
With a final roar, Tang Hao hurled the massive Clear Sky Hammer toward Bibi Dong.
"Bibi Dong!" he shouted, fury in his voice.
The gigantic Clear Sky Hammer tore through the air like a meteor, aimed directly at the Spider Queen herself. Bibi Dong's eyes narrowed. With a cold snarl, she activated the teleportation ability granted by her right leg spirit bone, narrowly dodging the incoming blow. The Hammer slammed into the ground with a thunderous impact, leaving a massive crater over twenty meters wide and ten meters deep.
By the time Bibi Dong reappeared, Tang Hao had already seized his chance. Without wasting a moment, he shot toward the outskirts of the battlefield, scooping up Tang San and Yu Xiaogang as he fled at breakneck speed.
"After them!" Bibi Dong's voice rang out in fury as she realized her quarry was escaping. "Everyone, after them!"
She shot into the sky, her cold eyes fixed on the retreating figure of Tang Hao. Behind her, Chrysanthemum Douluo, Ghost Douluo, Jiang Jun(Fifteen Ton Douluo), and Jiang Long (Falling Devil Douluo) followed suit, leaving the injured Ghost Leopard Douluo behind to lick his wounds. Meanwhile, the other Titled Douluo were still engaged with Bai He, Yang Wudi, Niu Gao, and Taitan, unable to break away.
High above the ground, Tang Hao flew at top speed, carrying Tang San and Yu Xiaogang. His body was healing itself through the Blue Silver Emperor's restoration ability, but the strain of the earlier battle weighed heavily on him.
"Father, where are we going now? The Titled Douluo from Spirit Hall is catching up! What do we do?" Tang San asked, his voice filled with concern as he glanced back using his Purple Demon Eye, spotting Bibi Dong and her group rapidly closing in on them.
Tang Hao's expression darkened as he heard his son's words. "We can't outrun them. Spirit Hall has too many agility and flying-type Titled Douluo. Your great-uncle and the others won't be able to hold them off for long, and I'm running low on spirit power."
"So what do we do?" Tang San asked, his heart sinking as he glanced back at the pursuing Douluo.
"There's only one place we can go," Tang Hao said grimly. "The Clear Sky Clan. Only they have the strength to delay Spirit Hall's Douluo long enough for us to escape."
"The Clear Sky Clan…" Tang San muttered. "But at this rate, we'll never make it in time! They're closing in too fast!"
Tang Hao's face twisted in frustration as he glanced back. He, too, could see Bibi Dong and the others gaining on them. They wouldn't make it to the Clear Sky Clan before they were caught.
How did it come to this?