...
Midnight.
Soto City's nightlife was just beginning, and the streets were still brightly lit.
Xuan Hao led the slightly tired group, who had just finished their battle, back to the Soto Grand Hotel, chatting and laughing.
However, the moment Xuan Hao stepped onto the hotel entrance steps...
He suddenly sensed a dangerous aura that was extremely subtle yet felt like a needle pricking his back.
This aura was hidden in the shadows less than a hundred meters from the hotel, appearing and disappearing intermittently.
It was clearly being deliberately suppressed, but the murderous aura unique to top-level experts could not be concealed.
"Tang Hao..."
Xuan Hao paused slightly, a knowing glint in his eyes.
This old guy had been holding back for months, but he finally couldn't resist and came knocking on my door.
Xuan Hao didn't make a fuss on the spot, nor did he show any unusual behavior.
He led the girls into the hotel lobby as usual, escorted them back to their respective rooms, and told them to get some rest.
After settling everything in, Xuan Hao walked out of the Soto Hotel alone.
He stood at the hotel entrance, glanced up at the night sky, but didn't look around.
Hidden in the shadows, Tang Hao noticed Xuan Hao's actions and raised an eyebrow hidden beneath his cloak.
He considered himself a master of concealment, but he hadn't expected this kid to actually be able to detect his presence.
"However, this is good, it saves me the trouble of luring him out."
Tang Hao sneered inwardly.
Immediately, an extremely subtle yet tangible transmission of soul power pierced the night like a sharp arrow, directly entering Xuan Hao's ears:
"Come with me."
Before the words were even finished, the black figure hidden in the shadows moved like a ghost, skimming along the edge of the building and silently speeding away from the outskirts of Soto.
Xuan Hao lightly touched the ground with his toes, and his figure instantly transformed into a blurry afterimage, hanging slowly behind Tang Hao, following closely behind.
The two sped along in the night, one after the other.
Not long after, Xuan Hao followed Tang Hao to a desolate, rocky valley a hundred miles away from Soto City.
"Why did you bring me to this desolate place so late at night instead of sleeping?
Is something wrong?"
Xuan Hao stopped, put his hands in his pockets, looked at the black-robed figure standing on the boulder not far away, and asked casually.
Tang Hao slowly turned around, took off his black hood, revealing a weathered yet dignified face.
He looked down at Xuan Hao, and a hint of doubt flashed in Tang Hao's eyes when he saw the boy's almost irrational calmness.
Does this kid really not recognize who I am?
Or does he have some terrifying trump card behind him that makes him so fearless?
"Aren't you afraid of me?"
Tang Hao's voice was low and hoarse, like muffled thunder.
"What are you afraid of?"
Xuan Hao asked in confusion, "Are you worried that your body odor from not showering for months will bother me?"
"You sharp-tongued brat!"
Tang Hao snorted coldly, too lazy to waste any more words.
He decided to first crush this kid with absolute strength, completely shattering his arrogance, and then slowly interrogate him!
"boom--!"
With a deafening roar, an enormous black hammer, wrapped in dark gold magic runes, instantly appeared in Tang Hao's hand.
At the same time, a terrifying pressure unique to a Title Douluo erupted from his body like a volcanic eruption, instantly enveloping the entire desolate valley!
Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, red!
Nine spirit rings of different colors, representing the highest level of power in the spirit master world, slowly rose beneath Tang Hao's feet. In particular, the last spirit ring, a hundred thousand-year spirit ring emitting an eerie red light, stained the night with a tragic blood color!
"Then what?"
Faced with this terrifying pressure that could instantly shatter the spirits of any low-level Soul Master, Xuan Hao merely narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone even carrying a hint of amusement.
As he spoke, a violent aura, no less powerful than that of a Title Douluo, suddenly surged from Xuan Hao's body!
"Buzz—!"
Accompanied by a strange fluctuation of soul power.
Yellow, purple, red, black, black, black!
Six spirit rings, defying the norms and common sense of the spirit master world, slowly rose and hovered beneath Xuan Hao's feet.
Level 69!
When Tang Hao saw the third dazzling red spirit ring at Xuan Hao's feet, the once-renowned Haotian Douluo completely lost his mind!
"A...a third spirit ring that takes a hundred thousand years to form?!"
Tang Hao's eyes widened, his weathered face filled with disbelief.
How is this possible?!
How could a human body withstand the violent energy impact of a 100,000-year-old soul beast when it's only at the third soul ring stage?!
Unless... a sacrifice?!
"What's up?"
Xuan Hao spoke again, his tone now tinged with impatience, "If there's nothing else, I need to go back and rest.
I have to lead the team in special training tomorrow, so I don't have time to stay here with you in the cold wind."
Tang Hao took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the shock in his heart, and quickly regained the composure befitting a Title Douluo.
He did not respond.
"Whoosh!"
In the next instant, Tang Hao's burly figure vanished from the spot!
Without any probing or using any soul skills, he relied on his terrifying physical strength, gripped the Clear Sky Hammer tightly, and with a terrifying aura that could destroy the world, he ruthlessly smashed the hammer down on Xuan Hao's head!
"Good timing!"
Faced with this ferocious attack, Xuan Hao did not dodge.
His short, silver-white hair instantly transformed into a dazzling crimson gold under the surge of his soul power.
And his originally deep sky-blue eyes completely transformed into fierce, savage, and bloodthirsty vertical pupils!
An ancient, savage, and terrifying aura erupted from his body!
Xuan Hao bent his knees slightly, his right fist fiercely gathered power backward, and then, accompanied by a deep dragon roar, without any fancy techniques, he simply threw a punch upward with pure physical strength!
"Bang--!!!"
A punch and a hammer collided violently in mid-air!
Like a collision between Mars and Earth, a terrifying shockwave, visible to the naked eye, swept through the entire desolate valley from the two of them in an instant, crushing the surrounding boulders into dust in a flash!
However.
After the attack, neither side gave an inch, but a deep shock flashed in their eyes at the same time!
Although Xuan Hao had already made full mental preparations for Tang Hao's unparalleled power before this.
However, this was the first time in all these years that he had faced such an unreasonable and domineering pure power in actual combat!
He had sparred with Yue Guan, Gui Mei, and even Gu Rong, the Bone Douluo, and Chen Xin, the Sword Douluo, when he was in Heaven Dou City and Spirit Hall.
However, the power of those titled Douluo was either biased towards the bizarre or towards the sharp.
None of their power possessed the extreme domineering force of Tang Hao's—a force so devastating, so relentless, as if it could shatter the heavens and earth!
On the other hand, Tang Hao was even more shocked than Xuan Hao! In fact, he was so terrified that his scalp tingled!
His initial intention with this hammer strike was to finish the job quickly, thinking he could first use overwhelming force to render the boy incapable of resistance, and then properly interrogate him about Xiao Wu.
He was well aware of the power of his hammer strike.
Even most level 80 Soul Douluos on the continent could only temporarily avoid its edge, utterly powerless to withstand it head-on!
But!
The Xuan Hao in front of me is clearly only a level 69 Soul Emperor!
Not only did he not back down, but he actually blocked his ferocious hammer blow head-on!
Read 20+ chapters ahead at Patreon
patreon.com/TaroYamato
patreon.com/TaroYamato