Chapter 653: Defeating the Ninety-Sixth Level Guardian Brothers

The hesitant Tian Dou Empire soldiers, who had been wavering about retreating, heard the war drums sounding from beyond the city walls and had no choice but to charge once more. Military orders were absolute — retreating from battle was met with merciless punishment. They had no other option. Only the Soul Masters occupied a privileged status, and Xue Beng had issued explicit orders that they were to follow the Great Master's commands alone, which was why they withdrew swiftly through the city gates.

The defending forces inside Jialing Pass were no easy opponents. Although the Angel Legion and the Holy Dragon Legion had suffered devastating losses during the Buddha's Fury Tang Lotus attack and the three rounds of volley fire from the Tang Family Army, the vast majority of those killed and wounded were low-level Soul Masters. The true core of their forces remained largely intact. Excluding the Soul Masters who had been fighting atop the walls, their remaining Soul Masters still numbered close to ten thousand. Now, with the appearance of the three great Guardians, not only had they been given a chance to catch their breath, but their morale had also surged enormously. Soul Masters were inherently far superior to ordinary soldiers, and the Soul Master corps that had been assembled by the Spirit Empire over many years quickly reorganized their formations. Under the leadership of the three great Guardians, they immediately countercharged, colliding head-on with the Tian Dou Empire forces that had surged into the city.

Up on the ramparts, Tang San had felt a measure of relief upon hearing the Great Master's shouts. Those Guardian-level experts had only just arrived at Jialing Pass and had not yet found their footing — a counterattack would require time. If the forces inside the pass could be withdrawn promptly, with a million soldiers waiting outside to provide cover, the enemy would surely not dare charge back out. But before his nerves had even begun to relax, the war drums from beyond the walls began to sound.

Xue Beng, you fool! Tang San cried out helplessly in his mind. He barely dodged a sweeping strike from a Coiling Dragon Staff, his body flickering as he retreated several steps. He had no bandwidth to worry about anything else right now — dealing with the two peak Douluo before him took absolute priority.

The two Spirit Empire Guardians who wielded Coiling Dragon Staffs held the titles of Qianjun Douluo and Xiangmo Douluo. They were biological brothers, ranking last among the Spirit Empire's seven great Guardians — the sixth and seventh Guardians respectively. But that did not mean they were the weakest in terms of strength. Individually, perhaps they were not particularly formidable — merely ordinary ninety-sixth-level Titled Douluo. But when the two fought together, even Qian Daoliu would have found it difficult to defeat them.

Both Qianjun Douluo and Xiangmo Douluo were over a hundred and twenty years old. As the saying went, when brothers united in purpose, their combined edge could cut through metal. Two ninety-sixth-level Titled Douluo fighting in tandem, with over a century of coordination, had achieved a level of synergy that required no verbal communication whatsoever. Their two Coiling Dragon Staffs whirled up and down in devastating arcs, and without even resorting to Soul Skills, they forced Tang San into a steady retreat, leaving him almost no opportunity to unleash his own abilities. The Sea God's Trident could barely keep pace with blocking and parrying their relentless assault.

Suddenly, the Coiling Dragon Staff in Xiangmo Douluo's hands began spinning like a windmill. The golden dragon coiling around the staff seemed to come alive, accompanying a series of dragon roars as it spiraled into an enormous golden ring, hurtling toward Tang San.

At the same moment, Qianjun Douluo launched himself into the air from behind Xiangmo Douluo, bringing his Coiling Dragon Staff crashing straight downward with devastating force. Both of them lit up their eighth Soul Rings simultaneously. One striking from above, one from below — their coordination was exquisitely precise. The terrifying Soul Power descended like an unstoppable force. If Tang San took a direct hit from both attacks, even his extraordinary physical resilience might not endure.

Tang San had already been forced into retreat by these two Titled Douluo, with barely a moment to breathe. Now they had abruptly changed their attack patterns and simultaneously unleashed powerful Soul Skills. Though they had inadvertently given him a brief window to recover, mounting any effective response was monumentally difficult. After all, he was far from his optimal condition.

But Tang San was still Tang San. He had once defeated five elders of the Clear Sky Clan working in concert, facing opponents whose combined strength was equally terrifying. His greatest weapon on the battlefield was his ability to maintain cold, clear-headed composure at all times. The charging time for Soul Skills was short, but one must not forget — Tang San now possessed six Soul Bones, and Soul Bone abilities could be released far more quickly than Soul Ring skills.

At this moment, Tang San had no room to evade. He could only choose to meet the attacks head-on. If he used a controlling Soul Skill, the opponents' strikes would land on him simultaneously — and what good would restraining them do if he was dead?

A deep, rumbling roar erupted from Tang San's body — not from his mouth, but from his entire being as his Soul Power surged to a boil. The Mysterious Heaven Skill's milky-white Soul Power, after being channeled through the Blue Silver Emperor, turned blue. Then, his two arms erupted in distinctly different colors.

The sleeves on both arms tore apart simultaneously. His left arm was instantly bathed in a blazing yellow radiance, while his right arm transformed into a near-transparent cyan. Behind him, the massive silhouettes of a great ape and a colossal serpent materialized silently — the forms of the Titan Giant Ape, Er Ming, and the Azure Bull Python, Da Ming. Then, both arms burst forth with a searing layer of crimson light, each merging with the original glow that had already enveloped the respective limb. His right hand leveled the Sea God's Trident forward, pointing at Qianjun Douluo in the air above. His left hand clenched into a fist as he stomped forward and threw a devastating punch. In this moment, he had chosen to simultaneously endure the eighth Soul Skills of both opponents.

In terms of raw Soul Power, Tang San was obviously weaker than either of these two opponents. The Soul Power of a ninety-sixth-level Titled Douluo was fully double that of a ninety-fifth-level one, let alone a ninety-third-level like Tang San. And he was facing two ninety-sixth-level Titled Douluo at once. Choosing to clash head-on like this appeared no different from suicide.

But in truth, the gap between Tang San and these two was not as vast as their surface levels suggested. Yes, he was inferior to them in Soul Power, but this was not the same as the gap between an ordinary ninety-third-level and ninety-sixth-level Soul Master. One must never forget that Tang San possessed six Soul Bones, and on top of that, he had three more Soul Rings than either of his opponents. These Soul Rings and Soul Bones had profoundly enhanced his body. Though his total Soul Power capacity was only at the ninety-third level, his Soul Power was far more refined than that of any ordinary Titled Douluo. In other words, the same volume of Soul Power was far denser and more concentrated. This was precisely why he had been able to contend against Bibi Dong, a ninety-ninth-level Titled Douluo, and why he had been able to defeat the five Titled Douluo of the Clear Sky Clan. The visible Soul Power level served largely as a deception.

Moreover, whether Soul Rings or Soul Bones, the defining characteristic of hundred-thousand-year Soul Skills was not raw destructive power, but rather the minimal Soul Power they required from the user. At the hundred-thousand-year tier, a superior Soul Ring did not mean channeling enormous amounts of Soul Power to unleash devastating attacks — it meant using as little Soul Power as possible to produce overwhelming offensive force. Soul Bones demonstrated this principle even more clearly.

Xiao Wu had certainly not been considered powerful among hundred-thousand-year Soul Beasts. The two Soul Bone skills she had bestowed upon Tang San — Teleportation and Invincible Golden Body — consumed virtually no Soul Power from him at all. Though they were support and defensive abilities, they illustrated the formidable nature of hundred-thousand-year Soul Skills. Therefore, though Tang San's current actions appeared suicidal, he genuinely possessed the capability. He intended to use his superior hundred-thousand-year Soul Skills to overturn the disadvantage he currently faced.

As his Soul Skills activated, strange transformations occurred on both of Tang San's arms. His left arm swelled abruptly, expanding to three times its original size. Muscles bulged, and veins writhed across the surface like small serpents. The terrifying yellow radiance, intertwined with the crimson glow that signified rank, erupted violently outward — a semicircular shockwave of interlaced red and yellow blasted forth.

His other arm was already covered in a layer of cyan scales, identical to the scales that had once adorned Da Ming's body. Dragon roars echoed continuously from the bone-cracking sounds within, and intense cyan light instantly saturated the entire Sea God's Trident. A dragon-shaped bolt of cyan lightning exploded forth in an instant — the very same strike that had once one-shot the commander of the Holy Dragon Legion!

What Tang San had unleashed was his Titan Giant Ape left-arm bone skill, Titan Heaven-Shattering Strike, combined with his Azure Bull Python right-arm bone skill, Azure Annihilation Lightning. What he faced were Xiangmo Douluo's Xiangmo Coiling Dragon Ring and Qianjun Douluo's Qianjun One-Toss.

Two eighth-level Soul Skills against two Soul Bone skills. Or rather, two ten-thousand-year Soul Skills against two hundred-thousand-year Soul Skills.

What Tang San held was the advantage in Soul Skill tier, while he used the rapid release speed of his Soul Bone abilities to compensate for the earlier disadvantage of being off-balance. Qianjun and Xiangmo Douluo relied on their deep reserves of Soul Power. Even the Great Master, who alone could perceive the full picture of this exchange, could not determine who would come out ahead in this clash. But he was certain that for Tang San, who had already expended considerable energy, gaining the upper hand would be exceedingly difficult. Equally, however, it would be impossible for his opponents to defeat him in a single blow.

Chi — crackle — two bizarre sounds rang out simultaneously in midair. Qianjun Douluo's colossal Coiling Dragon Staff, hurtling down from above, had collided with the Azure Annihilation Lightning.

Within those strange sounds, Qianjun Douluo's entire body was shrouded in a fine web of cyan lightning. His whole frame convulsed violently as he was hurled backward through the air.

Azure Annihilation Lightning was the killing technique that had once been capable of being unleashed from the single horn atop Da Ming's head. It had since been transformed into a Soul Bone skill for Tang San's use. Its offensive power was likely second only to the Sea God's Trident's all-out Desperate Strike among all of Tang San's abilities. Its instantaneous explosive force, in particular, was terrifying beyond measure. Amplified and concentrated through the Sea God's Trident, its attack power had reached an extremely fearsome level, not inferior to Bibi Dong's Jade Empress Slash. This was precisely why it had been capable of one-shotting a Titled Douluo. Under its sudden eruption, even a powerhouse of Qianjun Douluo's ninety-sixth-level caliber had taken a significant hit.

He was fortunate, however. Tang San was currently facing two opponents. Had he been facing Qianjun Douluo alone, Tang San would likely have infused the Azure Annihilation Lightning with the Light of the Sea God, adding the deterrent force of spiritual power. A single strike could very well have dealt devastating injuries to a ninety-sixth-level opponent.

On the other side, the Titan Heaven-Shattering Strike also collided with the ring of light launched by Xiangmo Douluo. The massive dragon-shaped ring met the semicircular wave of interlaced red and yellow. The shockwave from the instantaneous detonation rocketed skyward. Amid the thunderous boom, Xiangmo Douluo was forced back seven steps before barely steadying himself, both arms gripping the Coiling Dragon Staff going numb. In terms of raw strength, the Titan Giant Ape was unquestionably among the top Soul Beasts. The Titan Heaven-Shattering Strike won through pure power alone, and it incorporated destabilizing gravitational fluctuations that could weaken an opponent's attack. It was a truly formidable offensive hundred-thousand-year Soul Skill.

With a wet cough, Tang San spat a mouthful of blood toward the sky. But he did not retreat a single step. Without even taking the time to recover from repelling his opponents, he strode forward again. The red Soul Ring in his eighth position blazed to life, and a ring of crimson light radiated outward simultaneously toward both Titled Douluo.

For the first time since their appearance, Qianjun and Xiangmo Douluo's expressions changed. Earlier, when they had seen Bibi Dong beaten back and nearly killed by this young man from a distance, they had been somewhat dismissive. They spent most of their days in cultivation or leisurely retirement and did not know Bibi Dong particularly well — they had simply assumed she was lacking in strength. Sending the two of them to deal with Tang San had seemed like more than sufficient caution. More importantly, it was because of the Sea God's Trident in his hands.

Their earlier attacks had indeed forced Tang San into steady retreat. Though they were shocked that a young man of his age had achieved the rank of Titled Douluo, in their view, today's battle would still end with this youth's destruction. But they had never imagined that Tang San, in a situation of fighting one against two, could simultaneously erupt with two overwhelmingly powerful Soul Skills and drive them both back. Qianjun Douluo in particular, wracked by the Azure Annihilation Lightning's effects, was experiencing numbing sensations throughout his body and a churning rush of blood — he was already injured.

Though Tang San was coughing up blood, the fact that he could launch Soul Skill attacks without any respite after such a violent collision was something the two Coiling Dragon Staff-wielding Titled Douluo could only acknowledge with grudging respect.

But they too were peak Douluo with vast combat experience. Both raised their Coiling Dragon Staffs simultaneously. Though their surging internal blood flow prevented them from using powerful Soul Skills, they immediately linked their Soul Power completely with the Martial Souls in their hands, maintaining a solid defensive posture. Even if Tang San's attack struck them, they could use this defensive stance to meet him head-on with their full Soul Power.

But both Titled Douluo quickly sensed something was wrong. They found that their perception of their surroundings had suddenly experienced a momentary lapse. Everything seemed to have become hazy and unreal.

The eighth Soul Skill that Tang San launched without even pausing to recover was the Blue Silver Tiger Whale Devil's Snare, drawn from the Evil Tiger Whale King — a forced stun lasting three seconds. No defensive skill could provide immunity. In the moment when both peak Douluo had been driven back, he had finally found his opening. At the same instant, the Sea God's Trident in his right hand was hurled forward, shooting straight toward Qianjun Douluo frozen in midair before he had even hit the ground. His right hand simultaneously formed into a claw and reached forward, accompanied by a dragon's roar as it manifested into an enormous dragon claw seizing toward Xiangmo Douluo — the other Soul Bone skill of his Azure Bull Python right arm, the Azure Delaying Divine Claw.

When it had appeared that he was being pushed to his breaking point, with no way to fend off his opponents, Tang San had unleashed his most ferocious power. One devastating hundred-thousand-year Soul Skill after another, and in a single instant the tables had turned as he launched a desperate counterattack.

Qianjun Douluo was the first to suffer. Though his Coiling Dragon Staff was already positioned before him in a posture designed to block any attack, what he faced was the Sea God's Trident, weighing one hundred and eight thousand pounds. With a thunderous boom, the trident crashed into the Coiling Dragon Staff, and without any suspense, Qianjun Douluo was blasted off the ramparts of Jialing Pass, blood spurting from his mouth. While the blow was not life-threatening, it would take him no small amount of time to clamber back up onto the walls. And this was with Tang San in a depleted state — had he been at his peak, a single Desperate Strike from the Golden Thirteen Halberds would have left Qianjun Douluo no chance of survival.

On the other side, the Azure Delaying Divine Claw paired with the Blue Silver Tiger Whale Devil's Snare proved equally devastating. True, the Azure Delaying Divine Claw required four seconds to charge, but Tang San had begun channeling this strike back when he launched the Azure Annihilation Lightning, linking the two with seamless precision. By the time he hurled the Sea God's Trident, the claw formation had already materialized. He had shaved off a full second. The moment Xiangmo Douluo was able to move again, the massive Azure Delaying Divine Claw was already upon him. It struck him without fail.

Hit by the Azure Delaying Divine Claw, all senses would be dulled tenfold — rendering the victim virtually indistinguishable from the dead. Were it not for the four-second charge time, this single skill alone would have been enough for Tang San to dominate any Titled Douluo-level opponent. Now struck by this claw, Xiangmo Douluo felt everything around him become sluggish. Whether marshaling his Soul Power or attempting any movement, everything became agonizingly slow. His body swayed, and he nearly collapsed to the ground.

Tang San did not press the attack further. Having sequentially deployed four hundred-thousand-year Soul Skills — Azure Annihilation Lightning, Titan Heaven-Shattering Strike, Blue Silver Tiger Whale Devil's Snare, and the Azure Delaying Divine Claw — though the drain from these skills was still within his tolerance, it was nonetheless terrifying. Furthermore, the injuries he had sustained during the earlier collisions were undoubtedly serious. He had merely suppressed them through sheer physical toughness and willpower.

Now, having blasted Qianjun Douluo away and slowed Xiangmo Douluo to a crawl, he finally had a moment to breathe. He coughed up another mouthful of blood with a wet heave, took two deep gasping breaths, then raised his right hand, channeled the Crane Control Dragon Catch, and summoned the Sea God's Trident back to his grip. The great trident thrust forward, aiming straight for Xiangmo Douluo's chest. Xiangmo Douluo was still maintaining his defensive posture — to kill him, Tang San naturally needed to rely on the Sea God's Trident's overwhelming power. Ten seconds was more than enough time for him to die several times over.

The sudden reversal in Tang San's situation immediately infused all the Tian Dou Empire's forces atop the ramparts with soaring morale. Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing finally activated their Martial Soul Fusion Technique — the Dark Night White Tiger. The Great Master, together with Flandre and Liu Erlong, unleashed the Golden Sacred Dragon. Under their full-force offensive, the enemy was driven back step by step. Many had already been forced off the walls, and every one of the Spirit Empire's Titled Douluo had sustained injuries.