Chapter 304: Tang Chen's Slap Nearly Kills Tang San
"Pfft—"
"Pfft—"
"Pfft—"
The Killing King was like a colossal mincer, rampaging anew through the slaughter. And his crimson Slaughter Domain ceaselessly absorbed fresh blood, darkening in color to an extreme degree.
Meanwhile, over a hundred Clear Sky disciples gradually formed up in a formation, hefting their Clear Sky Hammers. Between bursts of thunder, a great array took shape. This array's shape was a two-tiered cylinder: on the lower tier, the disciples raised their Clear Sky Hammers to channel spirit power; on the higher tier, Tang Hao—uplifted by the elders' spirit power—hung in midair, since he was only a Soul Sage who couldn't fly.
Above Tang Hao's head shimmered words of the "Clear Sky Nine Absolutes." Though they appeared simple, they radiated a formidable presence.
Lightning flared around Tang Hao's eyes as he drew on the array's fearsome spirit power. His own level soared higher and higher. Ever since his spirit power dropped to Soul Sage, one of his yellow rings had vanished – but now, with the formation's help, it reemerged.
"Splurt—!"
Again, the Killing King decapitated several clan disciples with a single sword sweep, shaking himself from his slaughtering trance and glancing toward the Clear Sky Formation—toward Tang Hao in its center. He sensed a certain threat.
With an abrupt flap of his fleshy wings, he whipped up fierce gales to blow aside the fearless and unrelenting clan disciples, clearing a path. He ascended toward the array.
At that moment, a stocky figure appeared behind him and locked him in a firm embrace.
"Master, do it now!"
This was Titan, patriarch of the Strength Clan, calling Tang Hao "Master."
"Strength Clan, hear me—fight to the death! Buy time until Master is ready!"
Roused by Titan's lead, numerous Strength Clan disciples leapt to latch onto the Killing King's thighs, arms, waist—using raw might to prevent him from taking off.
"You worthless ants!"
A ferocious wave of soul power exploded from the Killing King's body, blowing away everyone aside from Titan. Then the bat-like wings folded back, pressing Titan's body. Titan felt as though caught in a hydraulic press. Despite his powerful physique, the Killing King's unyielding strength only grew fiercer, his bones cracking "ka-cha, ka-cha."
About to lose consciousness, Titan mustered his last bit of strength to lift his head. He saw Tang Hao within the formation—now re-manifesting his second yellow ring at his feet. Tang Hao stood on four black and one red ring, with two purple rings previously detonated (meaning they couldn't reappear for three days). Titan let out a faint smile.
"Master, serving you was the pride of my life…"
With another resounding "ka-cha," the Killing King's fleshy wing fully crushed Titan, spraying shards of bone and gore. Titan was irreversibly dead.
Unfurling his wings once more, the King jettisoned Titan's remains with a surge of soul power, muttering coldly, "Lowly wretch, wasting my time!"
"Clear Sky Clan disciples, pull back! As far as you can!!"
Tang Hao's rough, domineering shout rang out.
Within the array, flooding him with spirit power, Tang Hao had finally reclaimed Title Douluo rank. Suspended above the formation, he no longer needed the elders to hold him aloft. If someone else used the formation to forcibly attain Title Douluo, it would take them a while to do what Tang Hao did instantly. But since he was already a Title Douluo in the past, regaining that threshold let him use Title Douluo abilities.
Tang Hao's gaze shone with grim resolve. The array forcibly elevating him to Title Douluo placed immense strain on his body. Only the four spirit bones he still possessed allowed him to endure it. But if he then unleashed ring detonations as well, the backlash might utterly destroy his body.
But to protect the Clear Sky Clan, if he died, so be it. He only had left the duty to pass on the Grand Sumeru Hammer's teachings—Tang San already knew them. Sacrificing himself for the clan, awakening the old ancestor—at least he could burn his life force in one last blaze.
"Old bat! You can't withstand this hammer! You're merely occupying my grandfather's body—barely able to use a tenth of his true power!"
"Worm!"
Blood-lust flickered again in the Killing King's eyes. He flapped his wings and lunged for Tang Hao in the middle of the formation.
Tang Hao's Killing God Domain erupted at full force. The swirling murderous aura coalesced into a massive scarlet giant, clutching a towering Clear Sky Hammer the size of a small mountain.
"That's still not everything—Nine-Ring Detonation!"
Tang Hao's two yellow, four black, and one red ring all turned golden at his feet. In gleams of gold, each ring shattered—the forceful energies flooding into his body. That crimson giant turned wholly golden, overshadowing its bloody hue. Even the hammer turned gold, a radiant golden sun.
Inside that golden sun, Tang Hao spurted blood from his mouth and wounds under the joint backlash of the formation and ring detonation. Patches of chestnut hair turned white before everyone's eyes.
Despite that crippling injury, his gaze remained steadfast. He roared in fury, slamming the immense hammer downward at the Killing King.
Confronted with that golden sun, the King's Slaughter Domain—laden with endless blood—was instantly blown away. Even the unstoppable domain was forced back, shrinking steadily. Death hovered before him.
He would die—certainly die!
So echoed his thoughts. With the domain blown aside, he had no way to meet that blow himself. There was but one choice: swap in Tang Chen.
In an instant, the King's crimson eyes went pitch-black, and a hoarse elder's voice roared, "Rakshasa!"
Tang Chen, still busy hammering Bibi Dong to a pulp while she repeatedly regenerated, sensed an enormous golden sun overhead. Reactively, he grasped the Clear Sky Hammer. No time for the Grand Sumeru Hammer—he triggered his hundred-thousand-year ninth ring. Hundred-thousand-year ring skills activated instantly, even faster than mere century ring skills. Bibi Dong's Spatial Rend Abyssal Strike was similarly instant, though she could charge it by absorbing death aura.
Tang Chen's blood-hued Clear Sky Hammer glowed with sinister runes; he swung it single-handedly up to meet the golden sun. Hammer and sun clashed.
Far away—still tens of kilometers from the clan—Qian Xunji's group could see a colossal golden sun over the mountaintop. Red and gold light pulsed, and then a massive mushroom cloud soared upward, blanketing nearly a third of the Heavenly Clear Mountain. A deafening roar shook the land for who knew how many kilometers. The dreadful shockwave uprooted countless towering trees and shredded them; clouds in the sky were also swept aside.
Tang Yuehua, Tang San, Tang Tian, and Tang Hu stared, stunned. Had the Clear Sky Clan been obliterated?
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