Chapter 214: The Return of the External Soul Bone, A Great Battle Begins
"Good work, Flender!" Yu Xiaogang said with genuine relief.
Then he turned to Liu Erlong, his voice softer. "Erlong, let's move up to the tree as well. If there's danger later, we'll use our Martial Spirit Fusion Skill immediately to protect Xiao San."
Yu Xiaogang knew Liu Erlong didn't exactly have a favorable opinion of Tang San.
Last time, only because of Tang San kneeling to acknowledge Yu Xiaogang as his father had she agreed to let him continue cultivating at the Blue Tyrant Academy.
He knew he had to take her feelings into account.
"Fine," she replied simply, grabbing him and leaping lightly to the enormous tree above.
Everything was now ready. All that remained was for Tang San to absorb the spirit ring.
Moments later, Tang San also leapt up and sat cross-legged on the massive branch, beginning to absorb the ring.
Liu Erlong and Yu Xiaogang stood guard beside him, while Flender took position on the highest branch, watching the surroundings alertly.
Everyone remained tense and vigilant.
Not far away, Tang Hao's heart swelled with pride. He had seen the entire battle—how his son single-handedly defeated the Human-Faced Demon Spider.
His growth was astonishing—his combat mastery surpassing any peer of his age.
A sense of certainty welled within Tang Hao's chest. This fourth spirit ring—it would definitely produce an external spirit bone.
"Flender did well—very cautious," Tang Xiao remarked approvingly.
"Brother, do you sense anything unusual?" Tang Hao asked, still uneasy.
Tang Xiao smiled confidently. "Within the range of my spiritual detection, not a single soul master nearby.
Don't worry, Hao. With the two of us here, no one—no matter who—could harm him.
And if a large battle breaks out, the fluctuation will reach Heaven Dou City in an instant. The Titled Douluo of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan will surely come inspect."
Tang Hao finally exhaled, tension fading slightly.
He was overanxious—too invested as a father.
Deep underground, within a hazy gray aura, two blue-clad figures stood side by side.
"Patriarch Yu, you're still not acting?"
One of them, a tower of muscle nearly two and a half meters tall, was the Mad Dragon Douluo, spirit: Earth Dragon—a pure dragon-type spirit, one of Spirit Hall's hidden powers.
That Spirit Hall went to such lengths to conceal him spoke volumes. His strength had earned Bibi Dong's personal approval.
He was level ninety-four—a Titled Douluo whose dominance among his peers was unmatched.
Now under orders to cooperate with Yu Yuanzhen to hunt down Tang San, the Mad Dragon Douluo was brimming with aggressive confidence.
"They say Tang Hao is unmatched—I, the Mad Dragon, will test that claim today!"
"No rush," Yu Yuanzhen said coldly. "Wait until Tang San finishes absorbing the spirit ring."
Last time in Soto City, after his conversation with Yu Xiaogang, he learned that Tang San had gained an external spirit bone from the Human-Faced Demon Spider in the Star Dou Forest.
That bone, however, had later been stolen by an evil soul master.
If Tang San had chosen to hunt another spider, it could only mean one thing—he wanted another external spirit bone.
If they struck now, they might gain the bone themselves along with their revenge.
Yu Yuanzhen's hatred burned deep; yet the lure of such tremendous profit kept him calm.
Both he and the Mad Dragon Douluo were lurking beneath the forest floor, using the Mad Dragon's Earth Burrow technique—an ability granted by his Earth Dragon spirit.
They refrained from using spiritual detection and instead listened through subtle vibrations in the soil to gauge movements above.
Thus, Tang Xiao's mental scans had failed to detect them.
Though the Mad Dragon Douluo found such caution unnecessary, he still deferred to Yu Yuanzhen's plan.
After all, opposing the Clear Sky Sect meant gambling the entire Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's future.
Once Tang Hao learned of this, reprisals would be inevitable.
Caution was survival.
Meanwhile, far away at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Dugu Feng watched the scene unfold clearly through the spiritual pearls he had implanted within Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing.
He saw everything.
Tang San had used the Clear Sky Hammer and the Zhuge Crossbow to slay a seven-thousand-year Human-Faced Demon Spider.
Clearly, he sought to replicate the moment in the Star Dou Forest when his external spirit bone had manifested.
Through the Emerald Dragon Serpents' reconnaissance, Dugu Feng also knew that Tang Hao and Tang Xiao were nearby.
The serpents' stealth was impeccable, and since the brothers weren't even hiding their own presence—standing boldly barely three hundred meters from Tang San—all four Titled Douluo were now within one area.
Four Titled Douluo in one place—Dugu Feng's anticipation rose. The upcoming battle promised to be spectacular.
Time flowed quietly as everyone awaited the outcome of Tang San's absorption.
Yu Xiaogang watched with anxious eyes as Tang San's body trembled.
He had pushed his limit by more than two thousand years—it was dangerous.
Nearby, Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, Oscar, Ma Hongjun, and Ning Rongrong all focused intensely.
If Tang San succeeded, they could follow this same path: defeating spirit beasts filled with resentment to increase the chance of soul bone drops.
The thought electrified them.
At last, the air shifted. Small beads of blood on Tang San's skin solidified, and faint blue light coalesced into a purple glow—the telltale sign of spirit ring integration nearing completion.
"He did it!"
Flender and Yu Xiaogang both cheered.
But their excitement only grew—for this was just the prelude. The crucial moment was coming: would the external spirit bone reappear?
Tang San could feel his power surging, his heart pounding with exhilaration. He focused inward, watching as his internal vision revealed something familiar.
The bones along his back turned deep violet-black, throbbing with energy.
Spirit power and the remnants of the Human-Faced Demon Spider's essence gathered at his spine—and fused.
That familiar pain struck him again, but this time, his face showed only joy.
"It's really happening—an external spirit bone!"
His upper body convulsed. Then, with a cracking sound, eight long, purple-black spears burst from his back—once again forming the terrifying Eight Spider Lances.
The sight left Flender and the others stunned with awe.
"Xiao San," Yu Xiaogang's eyes glistened with tears, "you are the most gifted spirit master I have ever seen. You will become the strongest Titled Douluo on this continent—I'm proud of you!"
Tang Hao and Tang Xiao, too, could no longer restrain their excitement.
They quickly moved closer.
It was an external spirit bone—a treasure beyond price.
Even within the mighty Clear Sky Sect, there were only three ordinary spirit bones in total, yet this was something far more precious—an external bone capable of endless evolution.
Their hearts swelled with pride and disbelief. Tang San's future outshone even their own, perhaps even that of their ancestor Tang Chen himself.
Through him, the Clear Sky Sect would rise again.
Their excitement reached its peak—until their faces suddenly darkened in horror.
From the depths below, an enormous aura surged upward.
A furious voice thundered, shaking the forest.
"Old dragon! If you dare harm my son—I'll eradicate your entire clan!"
Tang Hao roared in fury.
His oppressive might erupted like a mountain splitting open, and a massive black hammer engraved with red patterns manifested in his grip.
Nine soul rings flared around him—the crimson light of his final rings illuminating the forest like day.
"Break!"
The Clear Sky Hammer shot forward, the same one-hand throwing technique Tang San had just used—but multiplied in strength a thousandfold.
(END CHAPTER)
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