Chapter 476: The Death of Tang San? A Mysterious Savior
In the sky, thick, dark clouds loomed as a brilliant golden beam shot through a circular opening, casting its light over the stunned Tang San below. The intense energy gathering above, like an impending volcanic eruption, filled everyone with dread.
"Xiao San! Be careful!" Tang Xiao's voice was filled with desperation and fear.
If Tang San died, he couldn't face his brother.
The four elders, equally anxious, saw the golden rings binding them beginning to dissipate, but they were too far from Tang San to help. Only the Seventh Elder, who was near him, had any chance of intervening. However, even if the Seventh Elder hadn't been demoted from his Title Douluo status, he still wouldn't be able to withstand such a terrifying attack.
Was Tang San truly fated to die here? Was the Hao Tian Clan destined to face such ruin?
Standing in the light, Tang San looked up at Dai Yao's figure with a mixture of rage and resignation. He could feel the overwhelming danger of the soul skill above him; no matter how he calculated, he could see no possible escape. This was certain death unless he somehow endured the soul skill's full power.
For the first time, Tang San felt powerless.
"Xiao Wu, it seems… I can't keep my promise after all…" he whispered, his lips trembling.
At that moment, the Seventh Elder stepped forward, detonating all eight of his spirit rings with a clear shattering sound. With his spirit power surging from the explosions, he returned to the Title Douluo level, even exceeding his previous power.
"Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique!"
Holding the Hao Tian Hammer, the Seventh Elder positioned himself in front of Tang San and shouted fiercely.
With his spirit rings detonated, the Seventh Elder could no longer use his soul skills and could only rely on the Hao Tian Clan's ultimate techniques. Apart from the Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique, the clan's most powerful skill was the Great Xu Mi Hammer.
However, only the most exceptionally talented Hao Tian Clan disciples could master the Great Xu Mi Hammer. The technique was so advanced that, historically, only one disciple per generation could master it. In the current generation, although six members of the clan were Title Douluo, not all of them had been able to master the Great Xu Mi Hammer.
Thus, the four elders could only use the first half of the skill—ring explosion. Any more detonations would risk their lives as their bodies couldn't handle the massive energy influx, potentially resulting in instant death.
The Seventh Elder detonating eight spirit rings at once was effectively a death sentence.
"Seventh Elder!"
"Elder Seven!"
Tang Xiao and the four elders shouted in desperation as they rushed toward Tang San, throwing their Hao Tian Hammers in a last attempt to block the attack.
Watching the Seventh Elder's determined figure, Tang San's heart trembled.
The Seventh Elder was willing to sacrifice himself, to give Tang San even the smallest chance of survival. All those old grievances, the difficulties the Seventh Elder had once caused him out of loyalty to Tang Hao, suddenly felt insignificant.
"Radiant Sun and Moon Golden Array!"
At that moment, a golden formation appeared beneath Tang San's feet. From it, a majestic golden dragon rose, coiling around him, shielding him from the deadly energy above. Its aura was formidable, approaching the level of a Super Douluo.
This was one of Tang San's trump cards: the Golden Iron Triangle's martial soul fusion skill.
After taking control of the Tian Dou Empire, Tang San had given Grandmaster some of the empire's rare treasures, allowing him to break through level thirty and gain his third spirit ring. Additionally, both Flender and Liu Erlong had reached the Spirit Douluo level, significantly boosting the power of their martial soul fusion skill, making it far more powerful than it had been when they were once helpless against Dugu Bo.
"Xiao San, we'll protect you!" came Grandmaster's firm voice from within the dragon.
"Teacher, please, leave me here! If you try to block this, you'll be gravely injured or even die!" Tang San cried, his tone urgent.
"Xiao San, don't try to dissuade us. I know your father is the mighty Tang Hao, and I may not be worthy to claim that role, but after all these years, you've come to mean as much as a son to me. As a father, how could I stand idly by while my son faces life and death alone?"
Grandmaster's voice was filled with fatherly affection.
Hearing these words, Tang San felt a tremor in his heart.
In his previous life, he was a disciple of the Tang Sect and had never known a father's love. On Douluo Continent, he did have Tang Hao as a father, but he hadn't experienced paternal love until much later, after awakening his martial soul. For him, Grandmaster was both a teacher and a father figure, and hearing these heartfelt words wrapped him in a warm sense of comfort.
"Even if I die today, it doesn't feel so tragic," Tang San thought, smiling faintly.
He felt as if he had gained a father again.
But before he could utter the words "father," a chilling, emotionless voice echoed across the heavens as the sky turned blood-red.
"Eighth Soul Skill—Fallen Deity!"
With these words, a massive white-hot energy pillar descended from the sky. Hao Tian Clan elders, palace guards, and the citizens of Tian Dou City could only watch in horror as the pillar of light engulfed the Seventh Elder, the golden dragon, and finally, Tang San himself.
The Seventh Elder's Hao Tian Hammer resisted momentarily before gradually turning to ashes; the golden dragon, claws spread wide in a valiant stance, met the energy pillar only to vanish in an anguished scream, a sound that echoed chillingly.
"Seventh Elder! Xiao San!"
"Elder Seven! Young Clan Master!"
Tang Xiao's composure shattered as he roared in grief, his veins bulging with rage. The four elders, equally devastated, were seething with fury and desperation.
Yet their terror deepened as they felt the energy emanating from the pillar, even from a distance of several kilometers. Their skin felt as if it were burning, and their ears rang with the roar of the energy surge, leaving them unable to hear anything else besides the crackling devastation.
What kind of power could produce such overwhelming energy? They could barely imagine the agony the Seventh Elder and Tang San must be enduring under that blinding light.
"The only time I've seen such destructive power was in my great-grandfather…" Tang Xiao thought, a flicker of reason surfacing amid his raging fury.
Moments later, the energy pillar finally receded, leaving a massive crater where it had struck. Shrek Academy, once grand and vibrant, was now nothing but a charred pit stretching for thousands of meters. Everything within had been vaporized. The blackened ground occasionally emitted bursts of white steam, and at the crater's deepest point, a faint orange glow of magma was visible far below.
Seeing the destruction before them, the surviving soldiers scattered in terror, fearing that if they were caught in the wrong place, they would share the fate of their unfortunate comrades and turn to ashes.
"It's over."
High above, Dai Yao gazed down at the massive crater with a look of melancholy. To see the main character of the original story die by his hand stirred complex feelings within him. Once, he had been moved by Tang San and Xiao Wu's love story. Now, losing such a powerful rival left him feeling strangely empty; on his path as a spirit master, his only remaining opponent was himself.
Suddenly, he sensed something unusual.
In his state of omniscience, Dai Yao detected a powerful, foreign presence at the bottom of the crater, and alongside it, four faint and struggling auras.
His heart skipped a beat.
The mysterious aura shone like a beacon in his "omniscient" view, comparable in strength to Bo Saixi, the Grand Worshipper of Sea God Island, if not stronger. But unlike Tang Xiao and the others, who had briefly enhanced their power through ring explosions, this aura was genuinely profound and steady.
In the current continent, only a few individuals could possess such strength—figures like Bo Saixi, Qian Daoliu, and Tang Chen.
Among spirit beasts, there were a few of this caliber: the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, Di Tian, and the Evil Emperor—perhaps even the Snow Emperor.
Without hesitation, Dai Yao turned and bolted, his eight wings beating furiously as he shattered the sound barrier, transforming into a streak of light as he fled into the sky.
"What is this? How did an Ultimate Douluo suddenly appear and protect Tang San? Damn it! The protagonist just refuses to die! I took so many of Tang San's opportunities, diminished his luck, and yet, at the moment he's about to die, some unexpected factor shows up," Dai Yao cursed silently, feeling a storm of frustration.
"Who exactly is this powerful figure? I've sensed Bo Saixi and Qian Daoliu's aura before, and it doesn't match this presence. It's unlikely to be either of them. Tang Chen is a possibility; as one of the twin peaks of the spirit master world, he has the strength of an Ultimate Douluo and might have a reason to save Tang San."
"Among spirit beasts, only a few could achieve this power. The Deep Sea Demon Whale King is likely not involved, as he's still in his underwater lair, and Tianmeng Iceworm is out of the question—despite his million-year cultivation, he can't defeat fierce beasts."
"That leaves Di Tian or the Evil Emperor," Dai Yao thought. "The Evil Emperor is far off on the Sun Moon Continent, so the only likely option is Di Tian! But why would Di Tian save Tang San? There's no reason!"
"Still, I can't rule out Di Tian. Right now, I need to focus on escaping. I've lost most of my spirit rings, and my strength is severely diminished. Unless I reveal my Chaos Green Lotus martial spirit, I'm as good as dead."
With his heart heavy, Dai Yao pushed himself to flee even faster.
"You won't escape!"
Seeing Dai Yao's retreat, the Sixth Elder exploded with rage, detonating his fifth, sixth, and seventh spirit rings in succession as he chased after Dai Yao, his Hao Tian Hammer blazing with lightning as it tore through the sky.
The Fifth Elder's aura had vanished entirely, his body reduced to ashes under Dai Yao's attack. The loss of his dear friend and comrade, the Seventh Elder, was unbearable. Even if it cost him his life, he would see Dai Yao pay in blood.
"Fifth Elder!"
In response, the Second, Third, and Fourth Elders also detonated several of their spirit rings, joining in the pursuit of Dai Yao.
Dai Yao's golden hair streamed behind him as he glanced back at his pursuers, thinking to himself:
"I'm flying in the opposite direction from Bing'er and Xue Wu. As long as I keep the elders chasing me, they'll escape safely. If that mysterious Ultimate Douluo also gives chase, I'll have no choice but to reveal my Chaos Green Lotus martial spirit."
Reflecting on the sudden turn of events, Dai Yao let out a sigh of regret.
"If I'd come to Tian Dou City prepared, having replenished my missing spirit rings by hunting spirit beasts, I wouldn't have needed the Sea God's Thirteen Forms or any strategies to kill Tang San. Just my basic skills alone would have been enough to defeat the Hao Tian Clan's Title Douluo."
"But what's done is done, and no one could have anticipated the sudden crisis at the Elemental Academy."
"Once this ordeal is over, I must replenish my spirit rings as quickly as possible," he resolved.
Seeing the gap between him and his pursuers grow, Dai Yao slowed down just enough to keep the elders chasing him, while he kept his "omniscience" on high alert for any surprise attacks from the Ultimate Douluo.
In the skies of the Tian Dou Empire, a white figure streaked across the horizon, vanishing before the people below could even gasp. Moments later, four powerful auras pursued it, roaring like thunder as they raced through the heavens.
Back in Tian Dou City, over the ruins of Shrek Academy, Tang Xiao was perplexed.
Why had Dai Yao suddenly fled? Even if he couldn't use that powerful restraining skill again, it wasn't like him to retreat. Could it be an ambush?
Casting a worried glance at the Second Elder and the others as they pursued Dai Yao, he thought, Even if they can't kill him, they should be able to escape without trouble. The Second Elder is with them; everything should be fine.
With that, Tang Xiao turned his attention to the dark crater below.
He had an unshakable feeling that Tang San was still alive. This intuition was the reason he stayed behind instead of joining the pursuit of Dai Yao.
Just as he was about to descend to inspect the crater, a powerful aura surged upward, and a moment later, several figures appeared before Tang Xiao.
Among them were the critically wounded Tang San and the Golden Iron Triangle.
Standing protectively before Tang San was a middle-aged man with jet-black hair and a stern, majestic bearing. The sheer intensity of his aura struck fear into Tang Xiao's heart. Collecting himself, Tang Xiao hurriedly bowed and said:
"Thank you, Senior, for saving Xiao San. Whatever you may need, the Hao Tian Clan will do our utmost to fulfill."
The black-haired man cast a cold glance at Tang Xiao before turning back to Tang San.
"Tang San, there's something I need to discuss with you," he said slowly.
Despite his weak state, Tang San forced himself to stand and bow. He was acutely aware of this man's overwhelming power, far surpassing even the likes of Bibi Dong. With this man's help, the Tian Dou Empire's crisis could be averted.
"Senior, you saved my life. Whatever you ask, I am bound to comply. But as ruler of the Tian Dou Empire, I have responsibilities to its people, so I must first hear what it is you wish to discuss," Tang San said respectfully.
The man nodded slightly.
Cautiously, Tang San asked, "Might I know Senior's name?"
The man looked at him briefly before responding in a calm tone:
"Di Tian."
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