Outside the City of Slaughter, within its eerie castle.
In a shadowy chamber, the King of Slaughter—clad in blood-red armor with black wings and crimson horns—stood uneasily. As he sensed a new presence approaching, his expression twisted into one of malicious glee. He eyed the young Tang San below, his voice carrying a dark, threatening tone.
"So this kid is Tang San? If the Spider Empress wants him, she can have him... but what about that Hammer King, Tang Hao?"
Ah, that's just like the Blood-Red Nine-Headed Bat King!
In theory, with his possession of Tang Chen's body—complete with its Clear Sky Hammer martial soul and all of Tang Chen's soul rings—the Blood-Red Nine-Headed Bat King could unleash overwhelming power. If he could wield that strength fully, neither Tang Hao nor Bibi Dong would stand a chance against him.
But in reality, he couldn't access the full extent of that strength. And considering his hatred for other Killing Gods appearing within the City of Slaughter, it wouldn't be surprising if he had clashed with both Tang Hao and Bibi Dong before—and likely without coming out ahead.
So, deep down, the Blood-Red Nine-Headed Bat King feared Tang Hao.
"Oh, Tang Hao? He's dead," Bibi Dong replied coolly to the King of Slaughter's inquiry.
"Dead?!" The King of Slaughter's reaction to the news was instant and intense. As the realization that Tang Hao was gone sank in, a wave of unrestrained joy surged through him.
As the ruler of the City of Slaughter, he considered himself its supreme power. But he'd always been haunted by two major threats—Bibi Dong and Tang Hao.
One of them alone, he might have managed. But if both had sought to overthrow him, he'd have been ousted from his domain, a worry that had lingered like a shadow over his ambitions. Now, with only one of those threats left, he no longer had to fear losing his throne. He couldn't suppress his inward delight.
Yet as he reveled in this unexpected turn, an unfamiliar and uncontrollable surge of sorrow and anger welled up inside him.
"No... this isn't right!" The King of Slaughter's expression contorted, and he let out a pained scream as he clutched his head. He had foolishly forgotten—Tang Hao was the grandson of the man whose body he had taken over! Now that the news of Tang Hao's death had hit home, the buried consciousness within the body—the original soul—began to rage and resist.
Seeing the King of Slaughter suddenly writhing in midair, howling in agony, Bibi Dong paused in surprise, her cold and regal features momentarily puzzled. On the ground below, Tang San, bruised and bloodied, had given up any hope of survival. He prepared for one last act of defiance against the Spirit Hall.
"Spirit Hall! You killed my father!" Tang San's voice was raw with fury as he struggled to his feet, his bloodshot eyes glaring up at Bibi Dong. His chest heaved with labored breaths as he bellowed, "I might not have the strength to avenge him now, but if I survive, I swear I will make you pay!"
He believed that perhaps, just like in his past life, he might find a way to escape death once more. If he could reincarnate into the Douluo Continent again and grow strong, he would stop at nothing to avenge Tang Hao and himself.
Bibi Dong, however, merely responded with a scornful smirk, finding no weight in Tang San's threats. After all, every year the Spirit Hall executed countless dark and fallen spirit masters, many of whom had made similar promises. Yet, they all met the same fate—buried beneath the earth, their existence extinguished for the good of the continent.
Meanwhile, back in the Heavenly Dou City, Lin Yu, busy refining pills in his alchemy chamber, sensed Tang San's defiant thoughts through the mental imprint he'd placed on him. He couldn't help but let out a derisive chuckle.
"Does Tang San think he can reincarnate again?" Lin Yu mused. "What's he going to do, end up in some far-off land and try to relive his glory days?"
For both Bibi Dong and Lin Yu, Tang San's bravado was laughable. But for the King of Slaughter, it was the last straw. The declaration reignited Tang Chen's spirit within the stolen body, breaking the Blood-Red Nine-Headed Bat King's control over him.
In an instant, Tang Chen's soul surged to the surface, reclaiming control of his own body.
"Spirit Hall, you dare to kill my grandson? I'll make you pay with your lives!" Tang Chen roared, his voice filled with grief and rage. He summoned forth his mighty Clear Sky Hammer, which blazed with red lines and launched himself at Bibi Dong in a fury.
"Seventh Soul Ring—Martial Soul True Form!"
"Grand Sumeru Hammer: Ring Detonation!"
With a thunderous cry, Tang Chen activated his seventh soul skill, assuming his martial soul's true form, and then detonated the first six of his soul rings. The surge of power flowed directly into his Clear Sky Hammer, making it swell with raw, chaotic energy.
A torrent of power erupted from Tang Chen, making the Clear Sky Hammer grow even larger, its head glowing with a fierce mix of yellow, purple, and black hues. The sheer force behind it was enough to cause even the earth beneath them to tremble.
Bibi Dong, realizing that the King of Slaughter had suddenly transformed into a furious Tang Chen, barely had time to process the change. But her instincts saved her.
Always wary of the King of Slaughter, she acted quickly, using the teleportation ability of her ten-thousand-year-old Soft Bone Rabbit leg bone to dodge Tang Chen's first hammer strike. She then followed up by summoning her Death Spider Emperor martial soul, launching a barrage of webs and other restraining techniques to keep Tang Chen at bay.
But Tang Chen, now fully embracing his role as the protector of his family's last hope, fought like a cornered beast. He detonated one ring after another, each blast sending shockwaves through the air as he forced Bibi Dong back.
He roared with every strike, his fury and desperation manifesting in his blows. Finally, after exhausting even Bibi Dong's formidable defenses, Tang Chen managed to push her outside the borders of the City of Slaughter.
Gasping for breath, his body covered in wounds both new and old, Tang Chen turned to his great-grandson, ensuring that Tang San and Yu Xiaogang made it safely into the City of Slaughter.
But as soon as they were gone, his strength gave out. The Nine-Headed Blood Bat King's spirit surged back, wrestling control of the body away from him.
With a grimace, the King of Slaughter's features twisted back into their previous, sinister form, his expression dark and bitter as he regained control. He seethed at the struggle he had endured, but a part of him knew that Tang Chen's sacrifice had allowed the boy to slip through his grasp.