Douluo: Yu Hao is reborn, this Tang San is different

Chapter 125 Battle against the Spirit Hall

Lead-gray clouds, like crumpled animal hides, weighed heavily on the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex clan. Autumn winds swept withered leaves across the mottled city walls, making the faded dragon totems on the walls rustle.

The gilded carriage of the Spirit Hall rolled over the long bluestone street, and the creaking sound of the wheels rubbing against the ground was particularly jarring in the dead silence.

Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan was dressed in a purple-gold robe, with chrysanthemum patterns embroidered on the cuffs fluttering in the wind, blooming eerily as if they were alive.

He took a light puff of his jade pipe, the smoke rings he exhaled twisting into skull shapes in the air: "You old scoundrel Yu Yuanzhen, aren't you going to come out and greet me?"

His voice was melodious like a woman's, yet it carried a chilling edge.

Ghost Douluo was lurking in the shadows, only revealing a pair of eyes that glowed with an eerie green light. His figure was elusive, leaving behind trails of black afterimages wherever he went.

Yu Yuanzhen slowly walked out of the ancestral hall, leaning on his dragon-headed cane. His injuries from the battle with Tang Hao last night had not yet healed, and every step he took affected the surging blood and qi in his body.

He looked at the Spirit Hall's imposing procession—twenty golden-armored guards composed of Soul Saints wielding long spears, the tips of which were condensed with dark blue soul power; and twelve Soul Emperors controlling their Martial Souls, forming a formidable formation in mid-air.

This display of force clearly indicates an intention to reduce Tang Hao and his son to ashes.

"I am deeply sorry for not welcoming you properly, Chrysanthemum Douluo." Yu Yuanzhen forced a dignified air, his silver hair disheveled in the wind. "I wonder what brings the Spirit Hall to this great event?"

Ghost Douluo's voice came from all directions, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue: "You know perfectly well what I'm asking! Has Tang Hao been here before?"

As the words were spoken, the ground suddenly cracked open in a spiderweb-like pattern, and black mist surged out, enveloping several members of the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Clan. A piercing scream rang out, and moments later, the mist dissipated, leaving only a few desiccated skeletons.

Yu Yuanzhen's pupils shrank, and a surge of rage welled up in his heart, but he had to suppress it: "It is true. That scoundrel Tang Hao rescued the rebellious son Yu Xiaogang and injured many members of my Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan." He pointed to the messy execution ground, where traces of battle still remained among the broken walls and ruins, "Look, this is what that villain did."

Chrysanthemum Douluo paced around Yu Yuanzhen, his fingertips brushing against his tattered sleeve: "Clan Chief Yu's injury doesn't seem like Tang Hao held back."

He suddenly leaned close to Yu Yuanzhen's ear, his breath sweet as orchids, "Why don't you tell us where Tang Hao is? The Spirit Hall can let bygones be bygones and even help you eliminate this major threat."

Yu Yuanzhen was torn between two conflicting emotions. He hated Tang Hao for bringing shame upon the family, and he hated Yu Xiaogang even more for challenging the family's authority. However, he was also well aware of the Spirit Hall's greed—if he revealed the news now, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan would likely become a vassal of the Spirit Hall.

But watching Ghost Douluo slaughter his clansmen at will, he felt a sense of powerlessness.

Just then, Yu Luomian rushed out from the crowd, his dragon scales shattered and his face covered in blood: "Father! Tell them! Tang Hao went towards Sunset Forest! I swear I will not rest until I avenge this!" He recalled the scene of being humiliated by Tang Hao, and the mocking look in Yu Xiaogang's eyes before he left. The hatred in his heart grew wildly like weeds.

Yu Yuanzhen closed his eyes, his aged face filled with struggle. Finally, he opened his eyes, a ruthless glint in them: "They did indeed go to Sunset Forest. However, that forest has complex terrain and many powerful spirit beasts. Even the Spirit Hall would probably be..."

"Hmph!" Chrysanthemum Douluo sneered, slamming his jade pipe heavily onto Yu Yuanzhen's shoulder. "Clan Chief Yu should mind his own business." He turned to face the group and loudly ordered, "All of you, listen up! Head towards Sunset Forest! We must find him alive or dead! His Holiness the Pope is determined to have Tang Hao's head!"

The Spirit Hall members departed in a grand procession, the dust they raised obscuring half the sky. Yu Yuanzhen watched their retreating figures, then suddenly coughed violently, blood staining his dragon-headed cane. Yu Luomian tried to help him, but he pushed him away, shouting, "It's all your fault! If you hadn't insisted on burying Yu Xiaogang alive, how could such a disaster have occurred!"

Yu Luomian stood frozen, gazing at his father's hunched back, a wave of sorrow washing over him. He suddenly realized that this conflict with Tang Hao had not only caused the family to lose face, but had also opened Pandora's box, plunging the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Clan into an abyss of no return. Meanwhile, the Spirit Hall's pursuers were closing in, following Tang Hao's trail step by step.
At the edge of the sunset forest, a cold wind howled and the leaves rustled.

An even bigger storm is brewing.

A sinister smile curled at the corner of Chrysanthemum Douluo's lips, while Ghost Douluo's figure became increasingly elusive in the shadows. They knew that capturing Tang Hao would not only fulfill the Pope's orders but also allow the Spirit Hall's prestige to shake the entire continent.

As dusk settled, the setting sun painted the forest a thick, dark purple.

The damp, decaying leaves crunched underfoot, and Tang San's Blue Silver Grass roots suddenly trembled violently—a warning sign of impending danger.

Yu Xiaogang suddenly grabbed Liu Erlong's wrist. His still-healing body trembled slightly in the cold wind, but he still forced himself to point behind him: "There is a fluctuation of soul power!"

Tang Hao's pupils suddenly contracted, and dark red soul power surged over his body like a tide.

Twenty scarlet figures swiftly descended from the treetops, the leading cardinal wearing a cloak embroidered with the emblem of a six-winged angel, the gem at the top of his scepter gleaming with an eerie purple light.

"Tang Hao, you really are here!" The bishop's voice was like a poisoned dagger. "His Holiness the Pope has ordered that your head be brought back!"

"Little San, take them away!" Tang Hao's Clear Sky Hammer phantom slowly materialized behind him, the flame patterns on its surface illuminating half the sky. His voice was low and cold, yet it couldn't hide a trace of barely perceptible anxiety. "Remember to go southwest, there's..."

"Father!" Tang San was about to speak, but Tang Hao's gaze forced him back down.

The Blue Silver Emperor Martial Soul instantly bloomed. He wrapped his arms around Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong's waists, and the Eight Spider Lances sliced ​​through the air like sharp blades, shooting towards the depths of the forest. Liu Erlong looked back and saw Tang Hao's figure growing taller and taller amidst the crimson soul power, yet also appearing increasingly lonely.

"Stop them!" The cardinal brandished his scepter, and six Soul Saints gave chase like arrows. Tang Hao snorted coldly, and his Clear Sky Hammer crashed down, instantly splitting the ground into a hundred-meter-long chasm.

The shockwave sent the pursuers flying backward, and the giant tree they crashed into exploded into a shower of wood chips in mid-air.

"If you want to get past me, first ask my Clear Sky Hammer if it will allow it!" His voice echoed through the forest, startling countless night owls.

A flicker of apprehension crossed the cardinal's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by greed.

He raised his hand, signaling the remaining Soul Masters to form a battle formation. Twelve pillars of blood-red soul power shot into the sky, intertwining in the air to form a huge phantom of an angel.

"Kill Tang Hao, and His Holiness the Pope will surely reward you handsomely!" With his roar, a spear of light condensed in the hand of the angelic phantom, piercing towards Tang Hao with a world-destroying aura.

Tang Hao neither dodged nor avoided, and all nine of his spirit rings lit up simultaneously.

The seventh soul skill, Haotian True Body, was activated, and the hundred-meter-tall phantom of the Haotian Hammer collided violently with the Angelic Light Spear. The shockwave from the violent energy explosion leveled all the trees within a radius of a thousand meters, and soil and rubble formed a huge vortex in mid-air.

Taking advantage of the situation, the cardinal launched a sneak attack from the side, shooting a purple ray from the gem at the top of his scepter. Tang Hao dodged to the side, but was then entangled by two Soul Douluos.

The three people's soul power clashed fiercely in mid-air, sparks flying everywhere. Tang Hao's sleeve was torn open, revealing his strong arms, which were covered with scars from the battle.

"Is that all you've got?" Tang Hao suddenly unleashed his power, smashing two Soul Douluos into the ground with a Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique. He turned and charged towards the Cardinal, the wind whipped up by the Clear Sky Hammer sounding like the wailing of death. The Cardinal released his Martial Soul in terror, a gigantic phantom of a poisonous scorpion appearing behind him, its venomous tail shattering inch by inch under the pressure of the Clear Sky Hammer.

"Impossible, you were clearly seriously injured." The bishop's voice was filled with fear. Tang Hao's eighth soul skill, Sky-Piercing Strike, had already landed, the blood-red hammer shadow completely engulfing his figure. After the explosion, only shattered red clothes and half a twisted scepter remained.

Upon seeing this, the remaining members of the Spirit Hall panicked. They hadn't expected that this man, who was rumored to be seriously injured, would possess such terrifying strength.

Tang Hao gave them no chance to breathe, weaving through the crowd like a ghost. Every swing of his Haotian Hammer was accompanied by a scream and splattering blood.

A thick stench of blood filled the forest, littered with severed limbs and broken pieces. Tang Hao stood amidst the mountain of corpses and sea of ​​blood, his chest heaving, yet his Clear Sky Hammer remained as steady as a rock. He gazed in the direction Tang San had vanished, murmuring to himself, "Little San, I hope you're safe."

On the other side of the forest, Tang San and the others finally shook off their pursuers. Yu Xiaogang, his eyes red-rimmed, gazed at the crimson light soaring into the sky in the distance: "Brother Tang Hao did this for us!"

Liu Erlong gripped his hand tightly, tears welling in her eyes: "He'll be alright, Tang Hao is the Haotian Douluo."

The damp moss gleamed with a bluish light under the moonlight as Tang San and his companions trudged along the edge of the swamp, their steps uneven. The putrid steam, mingled with the low hooting of owls, made every breath nauseatingly sweet and foul.

Yu Xiaogang, supporting his still-healing wound on his waist, listened to the gradually subsiding shouts of battle in the distance, and his tense nerves finally relaxed slightly: "It should be... safe for now."

Before she could finish speaking, strange ripples suddenly appeared in the air. Liu Erlong's dragon scales instantly bristled, and nine blue lightning dragon shadows surged wildly around her: "Watch out!"

A strange purple chrysanthemum fell from above Tang San's head without warning, its petals gleaming with a sharp, cold light. Tang San's pupils contracted sharply, and his Blue Silver Emperor lashed out like lightning, only to be corroded and punctured by blackened holes the instant it touched the petals.

"Well done, Tang San, no wonder he is Tang Hao's son."

Chrysanthemum Douluo Yueguan stepped out of the void, the chrysanthemum emblem on his purple-gold robe shimmering with an eerie light. He took a light puff from his jade pipe, the smoke rings he exhaled condensing into a distorted smiling face in the air. "Unfortunately, none of you are leaving today."

Tang San shielded Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong behind him, and his Eight Spider Lances shot out, their tips gleaming with a scarlet cold light: "Chrysanthemum Douluo, do you really enjoy bullying the weak?"

His voice was as cold as ice, and his mind raced as he calculated a way to escape—his father was fighting with the Spirit Hall pursuers and could not provide support in the short term; and the Title Douluo in front of him was someone they could not easily contend with.

Chrysanthemum Douluo let out a sharp laugh, his voice melodious like a woman's yet filled with chilling killing intent: "You little bastard, don't try to win with your words in front of me!"

Before he finished speaking, his third soul skill, Gathering of Cold Chrysanthemums, was activated. Countless purple chrysanthemums appeared out of thin air, their petals transforming into sharp flying knives that rained down on Tang San.

Liu Erlong roared and pounced, his dragon-shaped martial soul manifesting, nine blue lightning dragon shadows intertwining in the air to form a net. "Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex - Thunder Barrier!"

The purple lightning collided with the purple chrysanthemum blade, unleashing a deafening roar.

But Ju Douluo simply waved his hand, and a golden light blade tore through the barrier, striking Liu Erlong squarely in the chest.

Liu Erlong was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string, her dragon blood drawing a bewitching arc in the air. She crashed heavily onto a withered tree, shaking down a carpet of decaying leaves, the blood from her mouth staining her dragon scales a dark red.

"Erlong!" Yu Xiaogang staggered forward, Luo Sanpao's martial spirit flickering weakly in his palm, unable to even form the most basic defense.

Chrysanthemum Douluo slowly approached, the sound of his boots crushing dry branches like the footsteps of death: "Tang Hao killed my friend back then, it's time to settle that score." He raised his hand, gathering his soul power, and a golden light shot towards Tang San, "Starting with his precious son!"

"Stop!" Yu Xiaogang, with strength that seemed to come from nowhere, suddenly stood in front of Tang San. Luo Sanpao let out a mournful cry, spitting out a stream of flame mixed with pebbles with all his might, but it was crushed into dust the moment it touched Chrysanthemum Douluo.

Chrysanthemum Douluo snorted coldly, and a whip shadow containing terrifying soul power flicked out from his sleeve, striking Yu Xiaogang squarely on the back.

Yu Xiaogang screamed as he flew through the air, crashing into a sharp tree stump. Splinters pierced his abdomen, and blood gushed out, forming a dark red stream on the ground. He struggled to get up, but Chrysanthemum Douluo stomped on his chest.

"You think you can save people with your trashy appearance?" Chrysanthemum Douluo's voice was full of sarcasm. "Look at you now, you're not even as good as a stray dog."

Liu Erlong struggled to her feet, her dragon claws gathering the last of her soul power: "Let him go!"

Before she could pounce, Chrysanthemum Douluo slapped her away, sending her flying. Her dragon horns crashed into the rocks, splattering blood everywhere.

Yu Xiaogang felt his consciousness fading, and the scene before him distorted. He watched Liu Erlong fall, saw Tang San's angry yet helpless eyes, and a surge of overwhelming resentment welled up within him. "I can't...fall..." His fingernails dug deep into the earth, blood dripping from his fingertips. "Erlong...Xiao San...I have to protect you..."

But Chrysanthemum Douluo's power was too great; each of his struggles only resulted in a more ferocious attack. When another heavy blow landed on his head, Yu Xiaogang's vision went black, and he completely lost consciousness. In his last moments before losing consciousness, he seemed to hear Liu Erlong's piercing cries, Tang San's furious roars, and Chrysanthemum Douluo's nauseating laughter…

(End of this chapter)