One crimson vein after another surfaced across the colossal Clear Sky Hammer. The hundred-thousand-year red Soul Ring on Tang Hao's body blazed to life, and the massive black hammer transformed entirely into a deep, burning crimson.
"The Papal Hall, eh? Quite the Papal Hall indeed. Hahahaha…!" With a wild, unrestrained laugh, Tang Hao's right hand moved.
The titanic hammer soaring a hundred meters in the sky crashed downward—not toward the three Titled Douluo standing before him, but straight at the Papal Hall behind them.
In an instant, the air across the entirety of Spirit City warped and distorted. Every Soul Master below the Titled Douluo rank found themselves utterly unable to move so much as a single muscle.
"Tang Hao—how dare you!" Pope Bibi Dong erupted in fury. She, Chrysanthemum Douluo, and Ghost Douluo launched into the air almost simultaneously, hurtling toward the falling hammer. At the same time, four more figures shot out from within the Papal Hall like bolts of lightning. Seven figures in all rose to meet the hammer overhead.
BOOM—
Blank. Every Soul Master below level seventy fell into complete blankness, collapsing unconscious in the face of that indescribable, cataclysmic detonation. The thunderous roar—like divine punishment—sent the whole of Spirit City shuddering violently.
All seven figures that had risen into the air were smashed back down at once, and the colossal hammer overhead vanished.
Tang Hao spat a mouthful of blood skyward, but his wild laughter did not cease. "Bibi Dong—just you wait. Spirit Hall owes me a debt, and one day I will collect every last coin. That day is not far off."
His figure flickered, and Tang Hao disappeared. Gone with him were the unconscious Tang San and Xiao Wu, lying crumpled on the ground.
Tang Hao's deep, resonant voice drifted gradually through the air. "Great Master, Flandre—you have taught my son for many years. A great debt need not be spoken of; Tang Hao owes you both."
When Pope Bibi Dong's feet touched the ground, a flush of red spread across her face. She drew a deep breath, and only then did the color slowly fade. Behind her, in addition to Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, four more figures now stood—men in long scarlet robes, their faces obscured behind a faint veil of light. All four had shock-white hair, clearly marking them as quite advanced in years.
Tang Hao's hammer had struck where the enemy had to defend. His target had never been the Pope herself, but the Papal Hall—one of Spirit Hall's most sacred symbols. Had the Pope, Chrysanthemum Douluo, and Ghost Douluo attacked him directly at that moment, Tang Hao would certainly have been grievously wounded. But the Papal Hall would have been destroyed beyond repair. The true might of the Clear Sky Hammer wielded by the Clear Sky Douluo was simply impossible to judge without facing it head-on.
Seven of them had answered the blow—and all they managed was to wound Tang Hao.
"Your Holiness…" Bibi Dong was not the only one seething with rage. All six figures behind her burned with it as well.
"There's no point pursuing him. It would be futile." A note of weariness crept into Bibi Dong's voice. For years she had pushed herself to the limit in ruthless training, finally reaching the Titled Douluo rank. The phantom rival she had always pictured in her mind was Tang Hao. And yet, now that she had faced him in person, she realized that despite sharing the exact same number of Soul Rings—
She was utterly outmatched in presence and bearing. Tang Hao was still Tang Hao. The Clear Sky Douluo. What a fitting title that truly was.
" That bastard Tang Hao is far too arrogant. Your Holiness, this concerns the dignity of Spirit Hall," Ghost Douluo couldn't help but urge.
Bibi Dong's eyes burned blood-red as she snapped, "Silence. Do you think I don't understand that? If Tang Hao were easy to deal with, would he still be alive today? The time to settle things with him has not yet come."
Yue Guan asked, "Then what about these people?"
The Golden Iron Triangle remained standing under the lingering effects of their Martial Soul Fusion Technique, but the rest of the Shrek Seven Devils had long since collapsed to the ground. Poison Douluo Dugu Bo visibly relaxed, a cold sneer on his face as he chuckled toward the Pope's side.
Watching that mocking smile, Bibi Dong nearly spat blood. She flung her sleeve and turned sharply away. "Let them all go. Leave Spirit City immediately." With that, she strode straight back into the Papal Hall.
The four elders who had appeared last never spoke a single word from beginning to end. They simply followed the Pope in silence, returning inside the Papal Hall.
A cold smile surfaced on Bibi Dong's face. Beneath the character for "endure" rests a blade. Now was the time, no matter what, to endure. Everyone underestimating Spirit Hall—that was precisely the outcome she wished for most. Tang Hao, the hatred between us will be settled sooner or later. You just wait.
Everything gradually grew quiet. Under the watchful eyes of countless Spirit Hall Soul Masters, the Golden Iron Triangle slowly withdrew their Soul Power.
Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo, and Poison Douluo walked over to them. With the aid of these several powerhouses, the five Shrekkers gradually regained consciousness.
Ma Hongjun was the first to open his eyes, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "Holy hell—too strong! Third Brother's dad is insane! I've made up my mind: from now on, Third Brother's dad is my idol."