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In the Heaven Dou Empire, within the Sunset Forest, at the Well of Ice and Fire.
A blonde youth sat immersed above a vast sea of Blue Silver Grass. Countless emerald and azure plants bowed away from him, centering on his figure as if he were the absolute sovereign of all living things.
A purple blur flashed through the air, and the blonde youth slowly opened his eyes.
"Chenxiang, is there news from the continent?" Ye Lan asked calmly.
"Idol, two Spirit Hall sub-branches in the Heaven Dou Empire have suffered devastating attacks. Her Majesty the Pope has ordered a manhunt for the perpetrator. Based on the destruction left at the scenes and eyewitness accounts from local Spirit Masters, the one who committed these heinous crimes is the fugitive Clear Sky Douluo—Tang Hao!" Bai Chenxiang reported the intelligence to Ye Lan with meticulous detail.
Ye Lan reached out, pulling Chenxiang close by the shoulder, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Chenxiang, you've worked hard."
Chenxiang's face lit up with a bliss so sweet it was as if she had tasted honey. She then asked, "Idol, what do we do next?"
Ye Lan pondered for a moment, his mind quickly deducing Tang Hao's psychological state.
Tang Hao likely believed that Tang San was safe on Sea God Island. With nothing left to lose and no one to hold him back, he had chosen to embark on a path of unrestricted, suicidal vengeance against Spirit Hall.
"Chenxiang, I need you to make a trip to Spirit City. In my name as the Holy Son, mobilize the Starry Sky Douluo, the Poison Douluo, the Chrysanthemum Douluo, and the Ghost Douluo. Have them head to Harvest Village in Nuoding City to ensure its safety."
"As for Tang Hao, I will deal with him myself. It won't take long," Ye Lan said, a spark of cold fury flickering in his eyes.
"Understood! Please be careful, Idol!" Chenxiang gave Ye Lan a quick hug before accelerating to her full speed, racing toward Spirit City.
Ye Lan watched her figure disappear before withdrawing his gaze. The reason Uncle Wolf was no longer by his side was simple: his current strength had reached a point where he no longer required a guardian.
In terms of movement speed, thanks to the Ultimate Life Soul Core and his mental power bordering the Spirit Abyss realm, his "Flash" ability could be maintained almost indefinitely. He no longer needed Uncle Wolf's flight capabilities.
Furthermore, he had Ah Yin—his Titled Douluo maidservant. A lovely young woman was far better company than a grizzled old man.
Currently, most of Spirit Hall's Titled Douluos had been deployed to Spirit City by his teacher, Bibi Dong, to prepare for the integration of the "Star Luo Empire," now increasingly referred to as the "Empire of Ten Thousand Beasts."
Wasting no more time, Ye Lan headed deep into the Well of Ice and Fire, soon finding Ah Yin as she tended to the various exotic herbs.
"Ye'er, there is news of Tang Hao. He is currently slaughtering innocent people from Spirit Hall. Do you want to hunt him down with me?" Ye Lan asked.
"Tang Hao?!"
"Master! You must take Ye'er with you! A piece of scum like Tang Hao... even grinding his bones to dust wouldn't be enough to pay for his sins!" Ah Yin exclaimed, her voice trembling with rage.
"Very well. I promised to help you take your revenge, and now is the chance! We leave immediately to prevent him from taking more innocent lives!" Ye Lan took Ah Yin's hand, and together they burst out of the Sunset Forest.
---
Tang Hao moved only under the cover of night, avoiding the main roads. Based on the information he had gathered, he had arrived just a few kilometers outside of Harvest Village.
However, before he could even get close, he sensed the powerful auras of several Titled Douluos. His expression shifted instantly.
He never expected that a tiny place like Harvest Village—a village that didn't even have a Spirit Ancestor—would be guarded by so many Titled Douluos. He had to admit that the brat Ye Lan was excessively cautious, causing him to miss the best opportunity for retaliation.
This was supposed to be the final strike of his rampage. Now, he was forced to abandon his thoughts of revenge for the time being. He decided to go into hiding, waiting for the heat to die down before looking for another opening.
He didn't believe these Titled Douluos would guard the village forever. As long as he found a single opening, he would give Ye Lan a memory he would never forget.
With that thought, Tang Hao turned and sped away in a specific direction.
On the other side, Ye Lan and Ah Yin arrived at the last town Tang Hao had attacked. Ye Lan activated his "Natural Domain," constantly communicating his consciousness with the surrounding flora.
Plants communicated with those further away, and although there were distance limitations, Ye Lan could track Tang Hao's trajectory based on the location data relayed through the greenery. After several days of tracking, he discovered that after Tang Hao approached Harvest Village, he had fled toward a very specific destination.
Ye Lan thought to himself: It's a good thing I arranged for the elders to guard the village, otherwise the villagers really would have suffered.
Comparing Tang Hao's direction with the map of the Heaven Dou Empire in his mind, Ye Lan's lips curled into a smirk. "Ye'er, I didn't expect Tang Hao to choose the very mountain waterfall where the two of you first met."
Ah Yin's brow furrowed in disgust. "Is that scum actually trying to reminisce about the 'Ah Yin' he personally murdered?"
"Who knows? Humans are complicated creatures," Ye Lan chuckled.
"Hmph! We'll see how he reminisces once he sees me! Master, Ye'er is yours forever! Now, in the future, and for eternity!" Ah Yin clung to Ye Lan's arm, her voice soft and devoted.
Ye Lan patted her head before they sped toward the waterfall.
It wasn't long before the two of them reached the mist-shrouded peak. Before they even reached the summit, the sound of wailing reached their ears.
"Ah Yin... Ah Yin! I miss you so much!"
"You're gone! Yuehua is gone! Even the Clear Sky Sect has been pulverized into nothingness!"
"Aside from Little San, I have nothing left!" Tang Hao lay sprawled on the grassy slope, weeping loudly. In the midst of his grief, he suddenly sensed movement.
"Who's there?!" Tang Hao's tear-streaked face instantly transformed into a mask of murderous hatred.
BOOM!
An emerald-gold meteor slammed into the lakeshore.
Tang Hao stared in shock at the blonde youth and the girl with deep blue hair. The girl looked exactly as she did in his memories from decades ago. Cute, innocent, and kind, with long blue hair flowing in the wind like waves of the vast sea, reflecting the starlight.
Tang Hao's overbearing, cloudy eyes flickered through a whirlwind of emotions: hatred, shock, joy, confusion, and bitterness.
"Ah... Yin?? How are you..." Tang Hao's gaze was completely fixed on the young Ah Yin, totally ignoring Ye Lan standing beside her.
"Seen enough? She isn't your Ah Yin," Ye Lan said tonelessly.
Tang Hao, who had been immersed in his memories of the girl and their "beautiful" times together, was suddenly snapped back by that cold voice.
Seeing the radiant blonde figure, Tang Hao's blood boiled with rage. "Ye Lan!!"
"What did you do to Ah Yin?!"
"Ah Yin! Come here quickly! That man is extremely dangerous!"
Ah Yin sensed the frantic possessiveness and "love" in Tang Hao's eyes and felt a wave of nausea. She grabbed Ye Lan's arm tightly and spat, "Tang Hao, stow your hypocritical mercy. Ah Yin is long dead! I am Ye Lan's maid, Ye'er!"
"Master... please don't be angry. I have absolutely nothing to do with Tang Hao," Ah Yin said coquettishly, leaning into Ye Lan.
Thump!
Tang Hao's heart felt as if it had been seized by an invisible hand and struck by a ten-thousand-pound hammer.
Nothing was more devastating than seeing his own wife call his mortal enemy "Master." Ah Yin's flirtatious tone felt like Tang Hao was being flayed alive and then submerged in a pool of brine.
He stumbled to his knees, blood leaking from his eyes, nose, and ears.
Seeing Tang Hao's speechless, agonized state, Ye Lan smiled. It was a smile of pure, unadulterated satisfaction.
He pulled Ah Yin into his arms, and she went willingly, leaning into his chest with a soft giggle. "Master, what do you want to do to your lowly servant? You can do whatever you like..."
Tang Hao stared at the master and servant flirting before him, his voice a broken whisper. "Impossible... impossible..."
"It has to be a fake... it's an illusion..."
"This is a dream! It's just a dream!"
Tang Hao raised his rough palms and began slapping his own face repeatedly. The physical pain couldn't even begin to offset the agony in his heart—a pain deeper and more violent than ten thousand arrows piercing his soul.
"Ah Yin! Ah Yin! Why are you doing this to me?!"
"Ye Lan, what kind of brainwashing drug did you give her?!" Tang Hao screamed in total collapse.
"Master didn't give me any drugs. If you want to know why I'm like this, you should ask yourself: How did you treat me back then?"
"I told you! Ah Yin is dead! Now, I am Master's Ye'er!"
"As for you, Tang Hao? You aren't even fit to speak my name!" Ah Yin looked at Tang Hao with pure loathing.
Countless details from the past flooded Tang Hao's mind. He seemed to have "forgotten" everything he had actually done, repeating like a broken record, "I didn't do anything to betray you!"
"I did nothing wrong!"
"It was Spirit Hall! Spirit Hall did it!"
Ye Lan held Ah Yin's waist and sneered, "Let's not even mention how you, a Rank 90 Spirit Master, 'protected' Ah Yin by refusing to get a spirit ring, yet you still managed to get her pregnant and have her give birth to a son."
"I only want to ask you one thing: Why didn't you take Ah Yin into the Clear Sky Sect back then? Don't tell me that you, the Young Sect Master, were unaware of the vow made by the High Priest of Spirit Hall, the Angel Douluo, never to invade the Clear Sky Sect."
"Back then, you simply took advantage of the fact that Ah Yin was innocent and kind, keeping her in the dark about the relationship between the Sect and Spirit Hall. Your goal was her 100,000-year spirit ring and bone, wasn't it?"
Tang Hao's face, previously flushed with rage, turned deathly pale. He never expected that the conspiracy he had spent years meticulously crafting would be seen through at a glance by this youth.
It was true. All those "coincidences" back then had been engineered by him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so tormented by guilt for all these years.
"Ah Yin! I admit... I did things I regret back then!"
"But all these years, I have felt nothing but remorse! After you died, I realized that I loved you more than anything!"
"Ah Yin! Give me one more chance, please! If you're willing, I'll take you away right now. We can live in hiding, back to the happy days of our youth!" Tang Hao pleaded, tears streaming down his face.
Ah Yin's eyes flickered for a moment, but she gritted her teeth and turned her head away, refusing to look at the pathetic man.
Ye Lan noticed her hesitation. He knew Ah Yin was soft-hearted by nature and that it was only natural she could be swayed by Tang Hao's acting. But he was the one who knew every secret of this world. Killing Tang Hao required nothing more than a few well-placed words.
"Truly laughable! Tang Hao, oh Tang Hao. You probably never imagined that I would know you better than you know yourself," Ye Lan mocked.
Ah Yin looked up at Ye Lan in confusion, not understanding what he meant.
"What do you mean?! Let go of Ah Yin! Let's settle this with a fight! I'll show you why the Clear Sky Hammer is the world's number one tool spirit!" Tang Hao, seeing the change in Ah Yin's expression, thought he had a chance to win her back.
"Heh. It's not that you fell in love with Ah Yin. It's more accurate to say that you were just using her as a shadow of Tang Yuehua."
"Back then, the pain you felt when Yuehua died was far greater than what you feel now, wasn't it?" Ye Lan challenged.
"Yuehua..." Tang Hao collapsed, looking at Ye Lan in despair.
How does he know? How could he possibly know?!
"Master, who is Tang Yuehua?" Ah Yin asked.
"Her? Just a pitiable woman. Tang Hao's own sister, and the mastermind behind the Heaven Dou Rebellion," Ye Lan said dismissively.
Ye Lan pulled out a crystal ball. He didn't play the content, but he showed Ah Yin a still image of Tang Yuehua.
As Ah Yin stared at the photo, her pupils constricted.
They were similar. Too similar. It wasn't that Tang Yuehua shared some of her charm—it was that she had been curated to match Tang Yuehua's charm.
Thinking of the relationship between Tang Hao and Tang Yuehua, and how she had been positioned as a substitute for his forbidden desires, her gaze turned to pure disgust. She stepped back, looking at the agonizing Tang Hao, and cursed, "Scum! You deserve to rot in the nineteenth level of hell!"
"Master! Please, kill him for Ye'er!" Ah Yin begged, clinging to Ye Lan's waist.
Hearing her words, Tang Hao snapped out of his daze. He couldn't die! Even if Ah Yin abandoned him, even if she threw herself into Ye Lan's arms, he had to live!
He had to wait for Tang San to become a God and witness Ye Lan and Spirit Hall being ground into dust! Then, he would take Ah Yin back!
Tang Hao forced himself through the pain and launched an all-out assault on Ye Lan.
However, Ye Lan didn't move. He simply watched Tang Hao with a detached gaze.
Just as Tang Hao thought Ye Lan was looking for death, a blue figure flashed in front of him. The hatred in her eyes was no less than that of Ye Lan or Tang Hao.
"Tang Hao! I won't let you attack Master! Die!"
Ah Yin's body erupted with golden light, and countless vines of the Blue Silver Emperor swarmed toward Tang Hao.
"Ah Yin!"
Seeing Ah Yin so close, Tang Hao lost all his strength. He couldn't bring himself to attack her. He could only swing his hammer blindly, trying to clear the vines that were wrapping around him.
Ah Yin's spirit rings flared: Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Purple, Black, Black, Black, Black, Red—a perfect, top-tier configuration. Because she was a soul beast reincarnation, she was born with her own rings. Through the sacrifice of the 40,000-year-old Blue Silver Forest, she had reached Rank 91.
As her rings shone, the number of vines multiplied, and their thickness increased. Against Ah Yin, Tang Hao couldn't use his full strength, and the endless "Sea of Blue Silver Emperors" began to swallow him whole.
In terms of cultivation, Ah Yin was now the undisputed number one plant-type Spirit Master on the continent. Her control capabilities were far beyond what a hack like Tang San could ever hope to achieve.
Though her vines didn't cause lethal physical damage, their sheer volume forced Tang Hao deeper and deeper into the trap.
Ye Lan activated his "Golden Dragon Pupils" and his "Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart," enjoying the battle between Ye'er and Tang Hao at 6,300 times the normal speed.
Exhilarating! This was truly exhilarating!
What performance could be more satisfying than watching an enemy's beloved strike them down with their own hands?
Tang Hao, enjoy this despair!
As the battle dragged on, Tang Hao's face grew paler, and the pain in his heart intensified. His beloved was relentlessly attacking his vital points. Even though he wasn't suffering physical wounds, his heart was already in tatters, as if Ah Yin were executing him with a thousand cuts.
Every strike of the Blue Silver Emperor felt like it was scraping away a piece of his soul. As time passed, the light in his eyes grew dim. The only thing keeping him going was the obsession with seeing Tang San become a God.
Tang San? No, I can't die here!
"ARRGGHH!"
Tang Hao let out a furious roar, his black spirit power erupting and blasting away the surrounding vines. He then gathered his power to flee at top speed.
Right then, several hundred-meter-tall "Blue Silver Titanic Xuanwu" vines erupted from the ground. A voice rang out: "Did I give you permission to leave? Round two starts now!"
"Gravity Swamp!"
"Vast Sea Immeasurable!"
"Natural Domain!"
"Life Sharing!"
"Titanic Body!"
"Titanification!"
"Blue Silver Ascension!"
"Grow Quickly!"
"Xuanwu Divine Body!"
Twenty massive Blue Silver Titans, each over six hundred meters tall, completely surrounded Ye Lan, Ah Yin, and Tang Hao.
Tang Hao's eyes filled with shock. Seeing these golden-patterned vines, he finally understood how the Clear Sky Sect and its mountains had been leveled. At this moment, his shoulders and palms felt as if they were supporting the weight of the world.
The gravity of the "Gravity Swamp" and the atmospheric pressure of "Vast Sea Immeasurable" caused his speed to plummet. He couldn't escape the perimeter.
He desperately deployed his "Deathgod Domain" to counter the pressure, but the hair on the back of his neck stood up as he was locked on by a terrifying wind pressure.
He swung his hammer behind him instinctively. Before his body could even complete the turn, his eyes saw the incoming attack, and he instantly lost all will to resist.
A giant, fair-skinned fist was hurtling toward him. It wasn't Ye Lan's fist—it was Ah Yin's!
Against her, he could muster no strength. He was struck squarely by the giant fist and sent flying, trailing a spray of blood.
"Ye Lan! You cowardly villain!"
"If you have the guts, fight me one-on-one!" Tang Hao cursed.
"You aren't fit to dirty Master's hands!" the giant Ah Yin roared.
Hearing her words, Tang Hao suffered another blow, spitting out a large mouthful of blood.
Ye Lan laughed loudly. "Tang Hao, you brought this on yourself!"
"Do you remember the two Spirit Masters you killed twenty years ago?!"
Tang Hao looked blank, having no idea what Ye Lan was talking about.
"Heh. As expected. You killed so many people while fleeing that year that you don't even remember my parents. Forget it. Ah Yin, finish it. Don't kill him yet; I'm going to make him wish he were dead in a moment!"
"Understood! Ye'er will avenge Master's parents!" The ten-meter-tall Ah Yin looked at Tang Hao with even more fury. To think that her Master's parents died at the hands of this man.
Ah Yin looked down at Tang Hao, feeling the infinite power flowing through her body—all granted by her Master. At this moment, she felt she could face even a Rank 98 Douluo, let alone this Rank 96 Clear Sky Hammer.
Seeing the hatred in her eyes, Tang Hao roared, "You forced my hand! Ah Yin!"
"My name is Ye'er!"
In a fit of rage, Tang Hao used the "Ring Explosion" technique on every ring except his seventh! The Great Sumeru Hammer channeled the immense power of the shattered rings into his body. His entire form erupted with blood-red and black energy as he swung a hundred-meter-tall "Clear Sky Hammer" at the ten-meter-tall Ah Yin.
He only needed one hit! If he could just get past Ah Yin, he would have a chance to escape!
As the mountain-sized hammer swung toward her "tiny" white fist, Ah Yin's hand suddenly glowed with a golden brilliance. Her power surged once again.
Ye Lan had activated "Flash" for her!
BOOM!
Backed by five 100,000-year spirit skills and the life force of over twenty Titled Douluos, Ah Yin's fist collided with the mountain-sized hammer.
The moment it connected, Tang Hao's expression changed. That fist felt like the hardest diamond in the world. His Clear Sky Hammer began to show blood-red cracks!
As the Blue Silver Empress, Ah Yin received the majority of Ye Lan's skill buffs: the 70% damage reduction from "Xuanwu Divine Body," a 150% total speed boost, a 50% life force boost from "Natural Domain," and the raw power of the "Titanic Body."
This punch drained the color from Tang Hao's face. This punch shattered the Clear Sky Hammer. This punch sent Tang Hao crashing hundreds of meters into the mountainside.
Tang Hao watched in despair as Blue Silver Grass vines bound him and dragged him out of the crater.
"Master, as you ordered, I held back a portion of my strength to keep him alive," Ah Yin said, bowing.
Ye Lan patted her head. "Well done, Ye'er."
"Hehe, it's only because Master's skills are too strong," Ah Yin giggled.
Tang Hao's eyes were bloodshot as he screamed, "Ye Lan! You beast! Give me back my wife!"
Slap! Slap!
Ah Yin blurred across the space and slapped Tang Hao repeatedly, her strength leaving his mouth a bloody mess.
"Shut up! Master is a sacred being; how dare you slander him!"
Tang Hao looked at Ah Yin in total despair. His face burned, but the pain in his heart was ten thousand times worse.
"Ah Yin, take his two spirit bones and bring them to me," Ye Lan said tonelessly.
"Yes, Master!" Ah Yin controlled the vines to wrap tightly around Tang Hao's right shoulder and left thigh.
"ARRRGGGHHH!" Tang Hao screamed in agony as blood sprayed from the tightening vines.
Crack! Crack!
The Clear Sky Sect's inherited Right Arm Bone and Left Leg Bone were ripped from Tang Hao's body. The bloody limbs flickered with black light before transforming into two spirit bones.
Tang Hao was drenched in sweat, gasping for breath as he stared at the bones—the final legacy of his sect.
"Master, your spirit bones," Ah Yin presented them respectfully. From Ye Lan's angle, he had a perfect view of her snowy-white skin.
"They're yours," Ye Lan said nonchalantly.
"Ye'er doesn't want them. Anything belonging to Tang Hao is filthy," Ah Yin said with a look of disgust.
"Fine. I suppose I'll take them," Ye Lan said, sounding almost inconvenienced.
Pfft! Tang Hao spat out another mouthful of blood. The final legacy of the Clear Sky Sect was being treated like trash.
"Ye'er, cripple him," Ye Lan ordered again.
"Yes, Master!"
Tang Hao watched as Ah Yin walked toward him. He roared, "No! Stop! Ah Yin, please!"
Looking at Tang Hao, Ah Yin felt only rage. It was laughable that in her past life she had been so devoted, only for it to be a calculation by the man before her. And he had used her as a replacement for a forbidden love? Unforgivable!
The vines surged into Tang Hao's abdomen, tearing his Dantian and internal organs into a chaotic mess.
"AAAAAHHHH!" Tang Hao screamed until his voice broke. Nothing was more painful than being executed by the person he loved. He felt as if he were in the deepest pit of hell. No—this was far more desperate than hell.
Ye Lan looked at the despair in Tang Hao's eyes and said, "Tang Hao, I once swore I would make you die in the deepest despair. This is just the beginning."
A strand of Blue Silver Grass—"Glistening Life"—wrapped around Tang Hao, feeding a tiny bit of life force into his broken body.
"Master?" Ah Yin looked at Ye Lan in confusion.
Ye Lan sent a telepathic message: Ye'er, I said I would make him die in total despair. It isn't time yet. He is a cripple with no limbs and no spirit power; he is no threat to us.
Master is wise, Ah Yin nodded subtly.
Tang Hao didn't know what they were planning until Ye Lan spoke: "Ye'er, you once said that everything you have belongs to me."
"Yes, Master! Everything I am belongs to you!"
Tang Hao's heart jolted as he realized something. "You... what do you mean?!"
Ye Lan ignored him and said to Ah Yin, "Ye'er, the scenery here is beautiful. It suits you well. Why don't we use the sky as our blanket and the earth as our bed? Come, serve your Master."
Ah Yin's face turned bright red as she whispered, "I will do as Master commands..."
(End of Chapter)