The valley trembled as the two mighty Douluo collided beneath the roaring waterfall. The thunderclouds overhead churned with their fury, and the mist-wreathed air crackled with raw spirit power. Golden Crocodile Douluo claws met Tang Hao Clear Sky Hammer in a shower of sparks, each blow flattening boulders and churning the earth into dust.
Tang Hao staggered back, muscles burning. His limbs felt leaden under the weight of Crocodile Douluo oppressive aura—the Domain of Repression—that slowed his every movement. Under normal circumstances, Rank 94 could never hope to match Rank 98. Yet Tang Hao fought on, driven by grief and desperation.
I can't— he panted, vision blurring. His hammer trembled in his grasp. I'm finished.
A memory flashed. Ah Yin's gentle smile as she whispered faith into his soul. You must live… for both of us.
He clenched his teeth. The pain in his chest spiked—his spirit ring, once stable, now seared with agony. He had one option left.
Ring Explosion.
He reached inward, calling upon his first spirit ring—the one at his shoulder, black and strong. Drawing deeply, he released its power in a single, catastrophic burst.
"Ring Explosion: Fifth Ring!" he roared.
A shockwave of violet light rippled outward like a miniature nova. Trees snapped at their trunks; the waterfall's spray crystallized in midair; even Crocodile Douluo was forced back a step, claws scraping the cliff face.
Tang Hao's body surged with unnatural strength. His hammer glowed with each step as he advanced, steps echoing like cannon fire. For a heartbeat, he was unstoppable.
But the toll was immediate. His soul felt stretched, his meridians scorched. He staggered as the burst faded, panting violently.
Golden Crocodile Douluo's golden eyes narrowed. "A single ring gives you that much? Then I understand why you dared challenge me."
He advanced, claws rippling with power. Tang Hao pressed the advantage, letting one hammer strike follow another, each blow aimed to break Crocodile's guard. The valley shook.
Yet Crocodile Douluo never faltered. He blocked with iron-hard scales, retaliated with a sweeping tail, forcing Tang Hao to roll aside, breathless.
I can't win… not like this. Tang Hao heart thundered. His first Ring Explosion had bought him moments, but Crocodile recovery was instantaneous. The swamp domain slowed Tang Hao recovery too much.
He realized, with bitter clarity, his own cowardice: Strong against the weak. I'd beaten bandits and beasts. But here, against someone truly powerful… I panic.
The pain flared again. His chest tightened. Crocodile's next strike would end him.
In that moment, Tang Hao had only two choices: perish here, or flee.
He swallowed his pride, and nodded to himself.
I will not die here. Not like this.
He raised his hammer in retreat posture—an offensive roar as distraction.
"Cro—!"
Before Crocodile could finish his roar, Tang Hao triggered his second spirit ring.
"Ring Explosion: Sixth Ring!"
A burst of ink-black energy enveloped him, and he vanished in a cloud of smoke and spirit lightning. In his place, the valley wall cracked in a starburst pattern.
Golden Crocodile Douluo roar of anger reverberated through the cliffs. He lunged, claws tearing at empty air. But Tang Hao was gone—fled into the mist, leaving behind the echo of his desperation.
---
Aftermath in the Valley
The waterfall continued its endless descent as if nothing had occurred. Broken stones and trampled grass bore witness to the battle's fury. Golden Crocodile Douluo stood atop a boulder, chest heaving, golden aura crackling.
He surveyed the valley, gaze landing on the hidden box containing the Blue Silver Empress—and the spirit bone container.
He dared take the bait… and fled when I pressed him, Crocodile thought, voice low and harsh. Cowardice: stronger against the weak, weak against the strong.
His eyes softened for a moment as he remembered Li Wei words: "I don't know how he learned of this place. But Tang Hao will come. And we'll be ready." Tang Hao had come. He had confronted him. And he had survived.
That was something.
He leapt down and retrieved the jade box. Ah Yin grass form pulsed faintly within. The spirit bone container lay undisturbed where he had placed it.
He closed both lids with a soft click. Now secure.
Tang Hao will regroup, Crocodile mused. He has a few rings now that he can use at full power; he can only ring-explode more times but he must be able to stand it before his soul fractures.
He would not wait for the next round.
He would strike preemptively if given the chance.
---
Back at Shrek Academy
As the sun dipped low over Shrek Academy, Li Wei was meditating on the cliff ring, senses alert for any unusual spirit fluctuations.
He sensed a tremor—distant but sharp, like a hammer blow to the soul.
Too distant… he thought. Not here.
But then the second tremor hit. Closer. Stronger. An unmistakable pulse of Ring Explosion.
Tang Hao used two rings… Li Wei mind raced. He came to the valley… and fled. The stakes are higher than I thought.
Even with this distance the clash can be felt subtly.
He opened his eyes, silhouette sharp against the twilight sky.
Golden Crocodile Douluo is handling it. Good. Tang Hao will learn soon enough what true power is.
Li Wei stood, spirit riding in his chest—a calm determination swelling within.
This game is far from over. He turned back toward the academy.
In the coming days, both the hunter and the hunted would refine their strategies. And when they met again, the next clash would decide more than pride. It would decide the fate of the silent valley—and the soul of a man who refused to break.