Thinking of this, everything before Tang San's eyes became clear, as if he had been suddenly enlightened. He silently speculated that if Xue Qinghe successfully obtained the throne of the Tian Dou Empire, then the next move for Spirit Hall would certainly be to assist Xue Qinghe in unifying the entire territory of the Tian Dou Empire, incorporating those few duchies and kingdoms. After unifying the empire, with Spirit Hall's support, all that would be needed was some fabricated reason to launch a war of unification against the Xing Luo Empire.
Then, it could be said either that the Tian Dou Empire had unified the continent, or that the Xing Luo Empire had. Truly a brilliant scheme!
Seeing Tang San remain silent, Xue Qinghe assumed he had thoroughly persuaded him and continued, "Tang San, if you have a grudge because I poisoned my own father, that is not an issue. Although I prioritize benefit in my actions, I have not yet reached that extreme. I'm not afraid to tell you, my original name is not Xue Qinghe, nor am I Xue Ye's biological son. Speaking of which, your father is actually the one who killed my father. I can even set aside such a vendetta—doesn't that prove my sincerity?"
The moment Xue Qinghe spoke these words, Tang San understood he had only two choices: genuine submission, or a fight to the death. Xue Qinghe had revealed his greatest secret, clearly intending not to let the three people before him leave—either kill or subdue them, there was no third path. To gain Tang San's trust, he was willing to risk everything.
Sure enough, Xue Qinghe's words shocked Tang San once more, resolving the earlier doubts in his heart. "You are the son of Spirit Hall's former Pope?"
Xue Qinghe had stated that his father was Tang San's patricidal enemy. Given his apparent high status within Spirit Hall and being the core of their entire plan, Tang San immediately guessed his true identity.
Xue Qinghe smiled proudly and nodded. "Tang San, I have now resolved all your doubts. Name your second condition. I believe, whether in terms of my status within Spirit Hall or within the Tian Dou Empire, it is sufficient to help you fulfill any wish."
Tang San took a deep breath, glancing at Dugu Bo who had reverted to human form beside him, then at Yang Wudi who stood like a javelin, and nodded. "My first condition was for Xiao Wu's revenge. My second condition is for my parents. My mother died tragically to save my father, and my father was cast out by his family because of Spirit Hall. He spent the latter half of his life in sorrowful remembrance of my mother. If you are willing to avenge this deep blood feud for me, then being of use to you would be acceptable."
Upon hearing Tang San's words, Xue Qinghe's face turned ashen with rage. While he could possibly fulfill Tang San's first condition, the second was utterly impossible to achieve. Avenging Tang San would mean destroying the entire Spirit Hall itself. How could that ever be done?
"You're playing me?" Xue Qinghe's fists clenched unconsciously.
Tang San said calmly, "I am merely stating facts. It's a pity you cannot fulfill them. Your Highness the Crown Prince, you are a very clever person, but also a very naive one. Not everyone prioritizes benefit above all else like you do. Whether regarding my parents' matter or Xiao Wu's, how could I possibly compromise with you? Spirit Hall will be my enemy for life. I would rather be shattered jade than a whole tile."
These final eight words were spoken by Tang San with iron resolve. These words belonged to his previous world. Hearing them, the aura of both Dugu Bo and Yang Wudi beside Tang San surged instantly. And as he spoke those words, behind Tang San, the eight spider-like legs imbued with a ferocious blood-red glow burst forth from his body. The answer he gave Xue Qinghe could best be described with four words:
Fight—to—the—bitter—end.
Xue Qinghe's neck veins bulged with fury, his heart now filled with a tempest of rage. A faint blue hue suffused his entire face due to the intensity of his anger.
A beam of light suddenly blazed from his body—a brilliant, radiant golden light that spread from the center of his forehead, instantly covering his entire being.
Soul Rings appeared one after another on his body: two yellow, two purple, three black—fully seven rings. His hair transformed into a dazzling, luminous gold, every strand glowing. The clothes on his back split open as two pairs of pristine white wings erupted and spread wide. His body seemed to defy gravity, slowly floating upward until it hovered a foot above the ground.
Bathed in that intense golden radiance, Xue Qinghe's eyes also turned completely golden. An enormous, indistinct phantom appeared behind him. The only difference between this golden phantom and his actual body was the number of wings—the phantom behind him possessed three pairs, six wings in total.
Both Dugu Bo and Yang Wudi's pupils contracted involuntarily. Dugu Bo couldn't help but whisper to Tang San, "What kind of Martial Soul is this?"
As the Great Master's disciple, Tang San was arguably one of the Soul Masters who understood various Martial Souls best. He certainly wouldn't fail to recognize the one Xue Qinghe had released. His expression grave, he said, "This is a legendary Martial Soul, and also a top-tier one. My teacher once said that the Six-Winged Angel symbolizes the spokesperson of the gods. Those who possess this Martial Soul not only have Innate Full Soul Power but Innate Level 20 Full Soul Power. After obtaining their first Soul Ring, they can immediately go and acquire the second. Xue Qinghe is only in his early thirties, not yet thirty-five, and has already surpassed the 70th rank. I fear that among Spirit Hall's younger generation, he is the true strongest of the Golden Generation."
Although the Serpent Lance Douluo and the Porcupinefish Douluo were both injured, their overall strength still allowed them to hold even against Tang San's group. But with the addition of Xue Qinghe, who possessed the super Martial Soul Six-Winged Angel, the situation became completely different. Xue Qinghe was no ordinary surrounding Soul Master. Tang San could almost certainly say that Xue Qinghe's strength surpassed his own. As Spirit Hall's young master, how could he possibly lack various supreme treasures for Soul Masters? Combined with the unknown danger level brought by his super Martial Soul, Tang San assessed him as being even more threatening than the two Titled Douluo. With him cooperating with the two Titled Douluo, their side stood absolutely no chance.
Xue Qinghe's four wings spread wide, his body suspended in mid-air, his golden eyes gazing at Tang San devoid of emotion. "Tang San, you will pay the price for what you just said. You should understand, having learned so many of my secrets, I cannot possibly let you go. I'll give you one last chance. Submit or be destroyed?"
Tang San's eight spider legs pushed his body upward, matching Xue Qinghe's height eye to eye. "And I will answer you one last time—fight."
Xue Qinghe let out a cold snort. "Very well, then I shall grant your wish. Let me personally experience just how strong you've become now."
As his words fell, a golden tail flame trailed behind Xue Qinghe, and his entire being shot toward Tang San like a meteor chasing the moon. Although his speed couldn't compare to the Agility Clan's, as he flew forward, Tang San clearly felt that Xue Qinghe before him had suddenly become unreal. The space around his body seemed to subtly distort, preventing Tang San's spiritual power from locking onto his precise location. The dazzling golden light, along with the resplendent golden phantom behind him, bloomed simultaneously, and a powerful, sacred oppressive force bore down upon them.
As Xue Qinghe attacked, Serpent Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo moved as well. The two Titled Douluo this time did not hesitate at all, directly using their seventh Soul Skill—the Martial Soul Avatar.
Serpent Lance Douluo's serpent lance blossomed in the air, the long spear glowing with cyan-purple light transforming into a beam that shot back into his own body. Instantly, the Serpent Lance Douluo's human form vanished, replaced in mid-air by a ferocious, massive cyan-purple serpent. Unlike Dugu Bo's Emerald Serpent Emperor, the serpent he transformed into was only a dozen or so meters long. Its scales were spindle-shaped and fully raised, like countless sharp blades bristling across its body. The serpent had two heads, one cyan and one purple, their sword-like tongues flickering, exuding an aura of pure menace.
Seeing the Serpent Lance Douluo's Martial Soul Avatar, Tang San immediately recalled a type of Martial Soul variation the Great Master had told him about: the beast-form transformation of a weapon Martial Soul Avatar. This special type of Martial Soul Avatar possessed both the beastification boost of a beast Martial Soul Avatar and the resilience and strength of a weapon Martial Soul Avatar. It was considered the pinnacle of Martial Soul Avatars, only possible when one encountered specific Soul Beasts upon obtaining the seventh Soul Ring and had exceptional luck. What was displayed before everyone now was the Serpent Lance Douluo's true power.
On the other side, the Porcupinefish Douluo once again transformed into a ten-meter diameter spiked sphere. The wounds previously pierced had completely healed. It spun rapidly in the air, hurtling directly toward Dugu Bo. The two Titled Douluo revealed their full strength.
This time, Tang San did not have the capacity to assist Dugu Bo and Yang Wudi. He couldn't lock onto Xue Qinghe, but Xue Qinghe had already fully locked onto him. Rings of golden halos, carrying strange and melodious sounds, enveloped Tang San directly. And Xue Qinghe, shrouded in the golden light, made it impossible to discern which Soul Skill he was using.
At the same time, what shocked Tang San most was that the golden light emanating from Xue Qinghe's body was not solely for himself—a layer of golden light also appeared on both Serpent Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo. Everything around them took on a hazy, golden tint.
Although he hadn't yet felt the effect of this golden light, Tang San could clearly affirm that this light was the same type of ability as his Killing God Domain and Blue Silver Domain. Indeed, this was Xue Qinghe's innate domain, the special ability possessed by the super Martial Soul Six-Winged Angel.
Facing the threat from Xue Qinghe, Tang San's body quickly crouched low, and his eight spider legs pierced the ground simultaneously. He was now facing downward, as if about to prostrate himself. In the next instant, the spider legs bent and then sprang rapidly, launching Tang San's body skyward, straight into mid-air. At the same time, countless Blue Silver Emperors spread outward from him during his ascent, carving vast swathes of blue-gold light through the air as they lashed toward Xue Qinghe.
Because Xue Qinghe's entire focus was locked on Tang San, when Tang San sprang upward, Xue Qinghe was involuntarily drawn to change his dive into an ascent, pursuing Tang San directly.
Tang San's decision to shift the battlefield into the sky had its purpose. Any domain had a range—be it his Killing God Domain, Blue Silver Domain, or Xue Qinghe's Angel Domain. Tang San knew that with his current strength, the boost his domains could provide to his allies would likely not be as effective as Xue Qinghe's Angel Domain. Therefore, he needed to draw his fight with Xue Qinghe into the sky. This way, neither side's domain could affect their companions. Serpent Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo had been injured previously. With Dugu Bo and Yang Wudi's strength, they could at least hold their own for a short time. That would give their side a chance.
Xue Qinghe was also a clever person and clearly understood Tang San's objective, yet he pursued nonetheless. He had absolute confidence in his own strength. Although he valued Tang San's potential, Tang San was over ten years younger than him, and his own innate talent was no less than Tang San's. A gap of ten years was not something easily bridged by effort alone. As long as Tang San was killed, Dugu Bo and Yang Wudi posed no real threat. At the same time, he wished to test his true strength by defeating Tang San. Having hidden his power for so many years through Spirit Hall's secret techniques, now that the plan had finally reached its implementation stage, he felt an urgent desire to reveal his strength.
The golden halos abruptly expanded, creating rings of dazzling light halos in the air, sweeping aside the Blue Silver Emperors that Tang San sent sweeping down. Xue Qinghe charged straight through the center, his four wings unfurled behind him, like a golden comet hurtling toward Tang San.
Watching the expanding golden light before him, Tang San showed no fear, flying directly to meet it. The flight skill of the Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone, activate.
In Xue Qinghe's records of Tang San, this flight ability was not well documented, merely noted as the Eight Spider Legs' exceptional jumping capability. Seeing Tang San suddenly fly toward him, he couldn't help but show a hint of surprise.
His first Soul Ring lit up. The golden halo around Xue Qinghe's body instantly condensed toward his right fist, which he threw directly at Tang San in a sharp punch. The condensed golden light formed like a massive round shield, charging toward Tang San's body.
Tang San took a deep breath. Both his hands simultaneously took on a jade-like hue as the Mysterious Heaven Skill circulated rapidly within him. Dense Soul Power infused with blue-gold light flames surged from his palms. The Crane Control Dragon Catch force exploded outward—he did not use a Soul Skill, instead meeting Xue Qinghe's golden energy shield head-on.
With a thunderous boom, the two figures in the air separated instantly after a brief collision.
Xue Qinghe's forward momentum halted, causing him to waver slightly in the air, while Tang San was blasted backward, flying a full thirty meters before barely regaining control of his body. His internal energy surged chaotically.
Through this direct clash, Tang San immediately sensed that Xue Qinghe's Soul Power was extremely unique. Upon contact, a surge of warmth transferred from his opponent's energy into his own body, and his internal Mysterious Heaven Skill force actually showed signs of dissolving within this sacred, warm aura. It was suppressed and unable to display its full power. Clearly, this super Martial Soul Six-Winged Angel not only possessed an innate domain; the Soul Power itself held special properties. And Xue Qinghe's first Soul Skill was merely concentrating this uniquely empowered energy for release.
Xue Qinghe experienced something different. Although he had blasted Tang San away, he also felt that Tang San's Soul Power was upright and calm, like the righteous energy between heaven and earth. Especially at the moment of contact, a unique vibrating force had been generated, forcibly scattering his own attack, which had been as powerful as a surging river. Although Tang San appeared to be at an absolute disadvantage, he had not actually sustained any serious injury. Especially those hands of his, carved as if from jade, were incredibly hard, as if he could tear apart energy attacks with his bare palms.