Chapter 14: chapter 14 Friends, if you want to read chapters in advance, subscribe to my patreon.
Chapter 14: Haotian Sect's Bloody Battle
The Haotian Sect's walls, though tall and formidable enough to deter regular people or lower-level soul masters, offered limited resistance against high-level soul masters.
Most of Haotian Sect's inner disciples wielded the Haotian Hammer, which lacked ranged attack abilities. Without Tang San's hidden weapons, they couldn't effectively aid in the sect's defense.
In just a quarter of an hour, the sect's walls were overrun, and soul masters plunged into battle on all sides.
Haotian Sect had four Titled Douluos: Tang Zhen at level 95, the First Elder at level 93, the Second Elder at level 92, and Tang Xiao at level 91. This level of elite strength surpassed most other sects. Furthermore, the Haotian Hammer's might and the mastery of the Haotian Sect's Nine Absolutes made it nearly impossible for Titled Douluos of equal rank to defeat Haotian's Titled Douluos in one-on-one combat.
However, Spirit Hall had prepared well, knowing the number and levels of Haotian Sect's Titled Douluos. They deployed eight Titled Douluos for this assault—two more than originally anticipated.
The Titled Douluos were extremely powerful, their skills and threats far exceeding those of Soul Douluos or lower-ranked soul masters. As such, Tang Zhen and the elders were forced to face them directly; otherwise, their disciples would face a massacre.
Tang Zhen, although only at level 95, was exceptionally strong, often capable of besting level 96 soul masters. Anticipating his strength, Spirit Hall had prepared a counterstrategy.
Tang Zhen was forced to confront two level 96 Titled Douluos, Qianjun and Jiangmo, both of whom wielded the exceptional Panlong Staff martial spirit, rivaling the Haotian Hammer in power.
Despite his skill with the Haotian Sect's Nine Absolutes, Tang Zhen struggled under their coordinated attacks, finding himself at a disadvantage.
The First Elder, Second Elder, and Tang Xiao were all Titled Douluos, but at their highest, they were only level 93. Though they had the Haotian Hammer and sect techniques as advantages, Spirit Hall's meticulous planning forced each to face two Titled Douluos, neutralizing their advantage. Even Tang Xiao couldn't achieve a swift victory.
In the original story, Tang Xiao's mastery of Haotian's formations allowed him to simultaneously defeat three Titled Douluos, as he had achieved the pinnacle of the Nine Absolutes. However, now that he had only recently become a Titled Douluo, his strength was not yet at such a formidable level.
Worse yet for Haotian Sect, they faced a flood of Spirit Hall's soul masters. This attack brought a total of seven to eight thousand fighters, many of whom were Soul Douluos and Soul Sages, making it clear that Spirit Hall intended to give Haotian Sect no chance of survival.
Within an hour, the entire sect was in ruins, with flames consuming the surroundings and screams and clashes filling the air.
The death toll among the sect's core disciples and soul masters was staggering. Even the First and Second Elders, due to their advanced age, were barely surviving under relentless attacks and had sustained significant injuries.
Tang Zhen, too, was under intense pressure as Qianjun and Jiangmo coordinated their attacks seamlessly, complementing each other's offense and defense. Whenever Tang Zhen struck, one of them would defend while the other attacked from an unexpected angle, putting him at a greater disadvantage than if he had faced three ordinary level 96 Titled Douluos.
Tang Xiao was faring slightly better. At 59, he was at his physical and spiritual peak, and though he could manage two Titled Douluos, he had no strength left to assist others.
But Haotian Sect disciples' screams echoed all around, and his heart wavered as he witnessed his comrades fall one by one. This distraction wore on him and his fellow elders.
With a deafening roar, the First Elder's Haotian Hammer clashed with a Titled Douluo wielding a Demon Bear martial spirit. Both fighters activated their true forms: the Haotian Hammer's Artifact Soul True Body clashed with the towering form of the Demon Bear, and the two were evenly matched. However, while the First Elder was momentarily vulnerable from using his True Body, a Ghost Leopard, another Titled Douluo, flashed in front of him and delivered a deadly strike, creating two deep wounds and severing his left arm.
Sensing an opportunity, the Ghost Leopard and Demon Bear Titled Douluos went into a relentless offensive, aiming to finish the First Elder. The Ghost Leopard's incredible speed made its attacks nearly impossible to anticipate or block.
Tang Zhen, witnessing the crisis, activated his ninth soul skill to unleash a powerful blow against Qianjun and Jiangmo, forcing them back as he raced to aid the First Elder.
Yet, Qianjun and Jiangmo quickly closed in on him. In the meantime, the Demon Bear and Ghost Leopard had abandoned the First Elder and turned their focus to Tang Zhen, leaving him to face four Titled Douluos alone.
The previously stable situation turned dire in an instant, as Tang Zhen now faced overwhelming odds against four Titled Douluos. Spirit Hall's forces understood that he was the spirit of the Haotian Sect.
With four Titled Douluos bearing down on him, Tang Zhen found himself struggling. The Ghost Leopard Titled Douluo, in particular, used his superior speed to execute stealth attacks, inflicting numerous wounds on Tang Zhen within minutes.
The remaining three opponents unleashed their soul skills on Tang Zhen relentlessly.
Meanwhile, the Second Elder, already weakened by age, had suffered critical injuries.
Seeing his sect in ruin and their imminent defeat, Tang Zhen resorted to his final tactic.
With a fierce expression, Tang Zhen detonated multiple soul rings on his Haotian Hammer. The hammer swelled to the size of a mountain. Sensing the shift, Qianjun and Jiangmo locked eyes, recognizing the pivotal moment. Both activated their ninth soul skills, "The Deliverance of All Beings" and "The Proof of Bodhi," and their Panlong Staffs grew to colossal proportions, radiating dragon-like energy.
In the sky, the massive Haotian Hammer clashed with the two Panlong Staffs, producing shockwaves that reverberated across the battlefield. Qianjun and Jiangmo were forced back, blood trickling from their mouths.
But Tang Zhen had taken the worst of it; his aura waned as he grew visibly weaker. The Demon Bear and Ghost Leopard closed in, and the Ghost Leopard seized the moment to appear before Tang Zhen, landing a devastating blow.
Now, Haotian Sect's four Titled Douluos were left with one lightly injured, while the others, including Tang Zhen, bore critical injuries. The sect teetered on the brink of annihilation.
(End of Chapter)
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