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After a frantic escape, Tang Hao finally collapsed in exhaustion in a small alleyway within a large city.
Haha—
Tang Hao panted heavily.
The explosive boost from shattering his soul rings had finally run its course, leaving his body feeling utterly hollow.
At first, the intense surge of energy had suppressed the pain from his severed leg, but now the agony came rushing back with full force, overwhelming him with suffering.
Even so, Tang Hao dared not let his guard down.
His powerful spiritual energy tightly sealed off his presence, stabilizing his injured left leg to prevent further blood loss and avoid detection by that terrifyingly strong pursuer.
After a long while, there was still no sign of pursuit.
Only then did Tang Hao finally exhale in relief.
"Damn it, how did I run into such a monster? And why did he call me 'human'? Could it be that he's not human?"
The earlier events were filled with strange anomalies, leaving Tang Hao confused. But soon, an overwhelming wave of fatigue washed over him. His eyelids drooped, and within a few breaths, he fell into a deep sleep.
Fortunately, this was an extremely secluded corner of the city. Aside from the occasional homeless person, no one passed through here.
A full day later, Tang Hao finally awoke from his extreme weakness.
But suddenly, Tang Hao sensed something amiss—there were hands groping around his body.
Reacting instinctively, Tang Hao unleashed his overwhelming aura, sending the intruder flying. He opened his eyes sharply.
"Who?"
Looking around, he saw a disheveled, filthy homeless man lying in a pool of blood. Clearly, the aura Tang Hao had released was far beyond what an ordinary vagrant could withstand.
Tang Hao's expression darkened as he muttered curses under his breath.
After checking that the soul bone in his storage-type soul conductor was safe, Tang Hao sighed in relief and began assessing his condition.
It was bad—very bad.
His body, already burdened with numerous hidden injuries, was now severely worsened.
Moreover, due to Di Tian's attack that severed his leg, Tang Hao had not only lost a soul bone but also suffered a drastic drop in his soul power by ten levels. Now, he was merely an 85th-level Soul Battle Lord.
"Damn it!"
Tang Hao slammed his fist into the ground in frustration. He was effectively crippled.
Even the legendary Nine-Heart Begonia, said to revive the dead and regrow flesh, would be powerless against such a severe injury as a lost limb.
Tang Hao cast a bitter glance at his severed leg. Never would he have imagined that one of the once-mighty Twin Stars of Hao Tian, the renowned Hao Tian Douluo, would end up as a cripple.
But soon, Tang Hao rallied himself. Sensing the soul bone in his storage ring, he murmured softly,
"It doesn't matter if I'm ruined. As long as Xiao San is still here, the Hao Tian Sect still has hope."
With this self-consolation, Tang Hao dragged his weary body and began the journey back.
Meanwhile, in the Lake of Life within the Great Star Dou Forest, Di Tian was in an exceptionally foul mood.
Though Di Tian had harbored murderous intent yesterday, someone like Tang Hao wasn't worth the effort of pursuit for someone who had once been a God King.
Furthermore, Tang Hao's explosive speed had been too fast, and Di Tian wasn't known for his speed. With Tang Hao determined to escape, even Di Tian couldn't catch up.
Additionally, Di Tian had hesitated.
He was all too familiar with the presence of the Asura God within the Killing God Domain, causing him to falter in his attack.
"A mere human insect, consider yourself lucky. Since you've already left the Great Star Dou Forest, I won't pursue you. My priority now is to protect my master."
One could say Di Tian was overly rigid and inflexible. What difference did it make whether he was near or far from the Silver Dragon King given his current strength?
However, Tang Hao's actions had touched a nerve.
If human soul masters continued to slaughter high-level spirit beasts like Tang Hao, what would become of his plans for divinity? Though spirit beasts were currently forbidden from ascending to godhood, what if they somehow succeeded? After all, Di Tian had once been a God King himself.
Although Di Tian had failed to ascend again after Douluo II, he had given himself the title of Beast God, hoping to gather faith and regain his divine position—though he ultimately failed.
But now, before Di Tian had even begun his plans, he had been thoroughly provoked. How could someone as proud as Di Tian tolerate such disrespect?
As the covert ruler of the Great Star Dou Forest, Di Tian appeared before the Azure Bull Python for the first time.
Understanding the unrestrained nature of beasts, Di Tian immediately radiated some of his imposing aura to intimidate the Azure Bull Python.
Though the Azure Bull Python knew of the great terror lurking deep within the Lake of Life, this was the first time he had encountered such a fearsome being.
Sensing the dragon lineage within the Azure Bull Python—though it was mixed-blood—it somewhat improved Di Tian's mood. In a calm voice, he said,
"Little one, I have a task for you."
As the wisest and strongest among A Rou's family, the Azure Bull Python understood the situation and bowed his head low, responding humbly,
"Elder, please speak."
"Instigate a beast tide. Let the humans around the Great Star Dou Forest know that spirit beasts cannot be slaughtered at will."
The Azure Bull Python fell silent. Peace-loving by nature, he didn't want to incite such large-scale killing.
"Elder, shouldn't a spirit beast over 100,000 years old be the one to instigate a beast tide? Why are you asking me?"
Any spirit beast that reached 100,000 years could trigger a low-level spirit beast uprising—a phenomenon often referred to as a "beast tide" by human soul masters.
Even without reaching 100,000 years, some intelligent spirit beasts could incite smaller-scale beast tides.
At this moment, Di Tian's imposing aura intensified, and he coldly replied,
"Do you feel it? This overwhelming power. I'm having you act simply because I don't wish to bully those weaker than me.
And remember, do exactly as I say. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind replacing the guardian of this Lake of Life."
Cold sweat poured down the Azure Bull Python's body.
Earlier, Di Tian's aura had only made him feel slightly inferior, but now it was an undeniable crushing dominance. The innate sense of submission in his bloodline left the Azure Bull Python trembling with fear.
"Yes," the Azure Bull Python acknowledged.
In the days that followed, ordinary soul masters and the cities surrounding the Great Star Dou Forest suffered greatly.
A millennium of peace had made them forget the terror of a large-scale beast tide.
A bloody battle between human soul masters and spirit beasts erupted prematurely in this era.
The existence of the Azure Bull Python was fully exposed, making humanity realize just what a 100,000-year spirit beast truly meant.
On the Tian Dou side, three Title Douluos—Sword, Bone, and Thunder—had to join forces to hold their ground against him.
Though the Azure Bull Python wasn't a true dragon, his heaven-defying time-based talent made him a formidable opponent. Without their battle armor, the three couldn't defeat him.
Moreover, nearby were several other spirit beasts, aged 80,000 to 90,000 years, whose strength rivaled that of Title Douluos, making the battle even more grueling.
Later, Tianxing Academy also received news of the conflict. In this era of human-beast opposition, they couldn't ignore the greater cause of humanity and refuse to offer support.
As one of the main culprits, Tang Hao, dragging his crippled body, completed teaching Tang San the secret techniques of the Hao Tian Sect. Afterward, he personally escorted Tang San into the City of Slaughter.
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