"You all should go. I can't just leave like this!"
Taitan's massive fists clenched tightly as he surveyed the collapsed buildings around him, the ruins crushing his tribe members beneath them. His once imposing and stern face now appeared weary and burdened. He turned to his old friends standing beside him and gave a bitter smile.
"Old Taitan, you…"
Niu Gao started, but he fell silent as his gaze shifted to the fallen buildings and the trapped members of the Strength Clan. The cries and pleas for help echoing from beneath the rubble told him everything. He glanced toward the sky where Tang Hao was hurtling toward them. At that moment, it became clear what Tang Hao's plan was.
Not only was Tang Hao trying to draw Spirit Hall's wrath toward the Strength Clan, but he also knew the tribe was vulnerable with so many members trapped. He was counting on Taitan's honor and loyalty to his people—manipulating him.
"Damn it! That despicable Tang Hao!!"
Realizing the extent of Tang Hao's shamelessness, Niu Gao's fury boiled over. He slammed his foot into the ground, veins bulging from his neck as he roared in anger. The vile treachery reminded him of Tang Hao's clan, the Clear Sky Clan, and Tang San—self-serving and manipulative to the core. How could Taitan have ever sworn loyalty to such people?
Meanwhile, seeing Tang Hao rapidly approaching, and with his tribe in danger, Taitan had no choice but to act. Letting out a furious roar, his martial spirit surged to life. In an instant, he transformed into a massive, black-furred, powerfully built giant gorilla, the embodiment of the Great Strength Gorilla Martial Spirit. Pounding his chest with thunderous force, Taitan charged straight toward Tang Hao.
"Master, don't worry! I'll protect you!!"
"Damn it!"
Niu Gao's fury only intensified as he watched his old friend run toward danger, spouting empty words of loyalty to that treacherous man. Though Taitan was only trying to stabilize the situation, the fact that he had to lower himself to such a level for someone as deceitful as Tang Hao was infuriating.
"Old Taitan, I'm coming to help you!"
Despite his rage and his hatred for Tang Hao, Niu Gao couldn't abandon his friend. Letting out a battle cry, he unleashed his martial spirit, transforming into a gigantic, armored rhinoceros. Charging forward, he joined Taitan in the fight, slamming into the Spirit Hall Douluo with a deafening roar.
Seeing that both Taitan and Niu Gao had come to his aid, Tang Hao felt a glimmer of hope. It didn't matter if their actions were sincere—what mattered was that they were now involved. He dropped lower in the sky, bringing the battle into the middle of the Strength Clan's territory. With Tang Hao descending, the Spirit Hall Douluo had no choice but to follow suit.
As Taitan leaped into action, slamming a powerful fist into the transformed form of Demon Bear Douluo, he let out a defiant bellow.
"Stupid bear! You'll have to get past me if you want to harm my master!"
Meanwhile, Niu Gao, in his massive rhinoceros form, let out a thunderous snort as he charged headlong into the Serpent Spear Douluo, whose martial spirit had transformed into a massive, dual-headed snake. The two clashed violently, locking horns, so to speak.
Up in the sky, Bibi Dong stood with regal composure, her eyes cold as she observed the battlefield. She had seen everything. Tang Hao was beyond redemption. To save himself, he had callously endangered the lives of Taitan's tribe, forcing Taitan into the fight. It was clear that Tang Hao planned to drag the entire Four Great Clans into his mess if he had to.
Looking down on the so-called "Hero of the Clear Sky Clan," Bibi Dong's lips curled into a disdainful smile.
"So, this is the great Clear Sky Douluo?"
Even with the help of Taitan and Niu Gao, Tang Hao's situation wasn't much better. He was still up against seven Titled Douluo from Spirit Hall, and even with all his martial techniques and ten-thousand-year spirit rings, he was barely hanging on. He was constantly being pushed to the limit, his body battered and bleeding, and it was only his desperation and the fearsome presence of his Blue Silver Emperor right leg bone that kept him alive this long.
But Tang Hao knew that his time was running out. His spirit power was depleting fast, and the injuries he had sustained were taking their toll. Even with the aid of Taitan and Niu Gao, he couldn't keep this up for more than a few minutes longer. If nothing changed, he was going to die here.
There's only one way out now…
Tang Hao's mind raced as he dodged another strike, barely keeping himself from being overwhelmed. He needed to buy more time—he needed more people to step in and distract the Spirit Hall Douluo. If he could get two more fighters to help him, just enough to split the pressure, then he could unleash his ultimate technique, the Great Sumeru Hammer, and possibly escape with his son.
But there were only two others nearby—Yang Wudi and Bai He. Unlike Taitan, they weren't in immediate danger, and Tang Hao had no leverage over them. Getting them involved wouldn't be easy.
Meanwhile, as Tang Hao desperately fought to survive, Tang San and his teacher Yu Xiaogang caught up with the battle. Tang San, still carrying the injured Yu Xiaogang, arrived just in time to witness the chaos unfold. His eyes widened when he saw Taitan and Niu Gao helping his father.
A glimmer of hope flickered in Tang San's heart.
If we can just find more help, maybe we can escape!
His eyes darted around the battlefield, and then they landed on two familiar figures in the distance.
"That's… my great-uncle!"
Tang San's heart leaped when he saw Bai He. He recognized him from the livestream—his great-uncle, the leader of the Agility Clan. Though a wave of shame washed over him, remembering how he had treated the Four Great Clans in the livestream, Tang San pushed it aside. His father's life was at stake. He couldn't afford to let pride or shame stop him.
With newfound resolve, Tang San made a beeline for Bai He and Yang Wudi.
Meanwhile, the two clan leaders were busy helping the Strength Clan evacuate their people from the collapsed buildings. They worked with calm precision, clearing rubble and rescuing those trapped beneath. Unlike Taitan, they had no intention of joining the battle. Both Bai He and Yang Wudi were clear-headed. They knew that the fight between Tang Hao and Spirit Hall was a lost cause.
There was no point in getting involved. Tang Hao was doomed.
Taitan was forced into action to save his tribe, and Niu Gao was compelled to help his close friend. But neither Bai He nor Yang Wudi felt the same obligation. They had their own families to think about, and getting involved in a battle against ten Titled Douluo would only spell disaster for the Agility and Breaking Clans.