Although Tang Wutong was innocent, the root of all this tragedy and destiny stemmed from her seemingly righteous God-King father.
Had Tang San not meticulously plotted to forcibly fuse a part of Tang Wutong's soul fragment with the Emperor's Beast, the independent consciousness of Wang Qiu'er would never have been born. Tang Wutong would also not have been perpetually in an "incomplete" state with a fractured soul. Neither of them would have been driven to the current life-or-death scenario where only one could survive.
"What in the world are you talking about?!"
Tang Wutong's mood was frantic, and her thoughts were utterly chaotic.
Gazing at the face so similar yet so utterly different from her own, and listening to these baseless, yet profoundly accusatory words, a wave of fury and immense helplessness swept over her—the feeling of being completely concealed from and played by her closest kin.
Why did everyone seem to know some shocking secret? Why was she the only one living in a huge lie, like a fool with her eyes covered and ears plugged?!
"You'll understand everything soon enough."
Wang Qiu'er no longer wasted breath on explanations.
The Golden Dragon Lance in her hand let out a low hum. The spear tip suddenly condensed an intensely dazzling, seemingly all-penetrating golden light. A sharp, material killing intent locked onto Tang Wutong—clearly, she was ready to get serious and end all of this with a fight.
After all, no matter what she said, Tang Wutong wouldn't understand or agree, as the accusation was against her father.
"Even if I don't understand your insane babbling, I, Tang Wutong, am not a soft persimmon anyone can pinch."
Even a clay figurine has a temper, let alone Tang Wutong, who had been cherished since childhood and whose bones hid the arrogance of the God Realm's little devil.
Her expression darkened completely, her eyes flashing with thoroughly provoked fury.
With a flip of her right hand, a gigantic, pitch-black Haotian Hammer materialized in her fair palm.
Under the frenzied infusion of surging soul power, the ancient and mysterious patterns on the hammer body suddenly lit up with a dark, profound light, exuding a terrifying aura as heavy as a mountain and incomparably dominant.
Anyone would lose their temper after being inexplicably attacked and forced to listen to such confusing accusations against their father, let alone her.
"CLANG—!!!!!"
The black Haotian Hammer and the brilliant Golden Dragon Lance collided violently once more.
This time, it was no longer a test, but an all-out, no-holds-barred clash.
Dazzling golden light and heavy black light, like two living, savage energies, madly bit, consumed, and annihilated each other.
The deafening metallic clang from the collision was like successive claps of thunder, piercing the eardrums and echoing fiercely over the vast ruins, lasting for a long time.
Neither Wang Qiu'er, who bore the Golden Dragon bloodline and possessed absolute power, nor Tang Wutong, who inherited the Haotian Hammer and was gifted since childhood, resembled fragile women at this moment.
The muscles in their slender but terrifyingly strong arms were taut. Every powerful step they took caused the earth to tremble slightly, and every brutal collision of their weapons whipped up visible, violent energy waves, sending the already broken bricks and snapped beams flying into the air.
The Haotian Hammer was publicly recognized as the strongest strength-type tool Martial Soul in the world, while the Golden Dragon Martial Soul simulated by Wang Qiu'er was hailed as the "Ancestor of Power," the embodiment of ultimate strength.
The fighting styles of these two identically-faced girls were surprisingly the same: fierce, dominant, and utterly reckless.
The more they fought, the fiercer they became. The aura bursting from their bodies surged maniacally like boiling water. The violently clashing energy currents pressed the surrounding air, making it hum heavily and twist severely under the unbearable load.
"Young Mistress!"
Not far away, the Haotian School disciples, who had not yet recovered from the series of rapid changes, were enraged to see the golden-haired girl brazenly attacking Tang Wutong. They rushed forward, intending to provide support.
However, before they could take more than a few steps—
BOOM!!!!
A deafening explosion roared without warning right in front of them.
Blazing, incandescent flames, like a blooming red lotus, instantly swallowed the space ahead. A terrifying wave of high-temperature air, like an invisible giant hand, violently swept the disciples rushing at the front, sending them flying.
"Agh—!"
The screams were drowned out by the explosion's colossal noise.
The few disciples fell far away like kites with broken strings, smoke rising from their bodies. Their clothes were charred and shredded, their exposed skin covered in horrific burn marks, and their hair was still sparking. They were clearly severely wounded and instantly lost their combat ability.
As the flames and rolling smoke slowly dispersed, a streamlined, silver-white mecha, full of futuristic tech, appeared like the silent Grim Reaper before the stunned onlookers.
The mecha glittered with the cold, hard luster of metal. Emerald green energy circuits flowed at its joints, and the thruster nozzles on its back still showed faint traces of fiery red heat. The entire machine radiated a chilling, lethal aura, warning all to keep their distance.
"Apologies. Command confirmed. All of you... must die."
A low, emotionless, vocoder-filtered male voice emanated coldly from inside the mecha. Every word was like a death knell ringing in the hearts of the Haotian School members.
"Form up! Attack together! Slaughter this iron lump!"
The disciples sent by the Haotian School for this tournament were all elites, with the weakest being Soul Emperor level experts, possessing tough wills.
After a brief moment of shock, the remaining dozen or so disciples all showed a fierce, resolute look in their eyes.
They exchanged glances, an unspoken understanding passing between them, and simultaneously unleashed their soul power.
"Ooom—!"
Heavy Haotian Hammers, wreathed in black soul power, suddenly appeared in their hands. The terrifying force field made the surrounding air feel viscous.
The next moment, they charged toward the silver-white mecha from different directions like moths to a flame, carrying a desperate will and the dominant, air-breaking roar of the Haotian Hammers.
Facing the figures simultaneously charging from different angles, the silver-white mecha's surface suddenly erupted in intensely burning, nearly white-hot, orange-red flames.
The extreme high temperature severely distorted the light around the mecha. The scorched earth beneath its feet instantly melted and shimmered with an eerie, greasy luster.
The next second—
Swoosh!
The silver figure moved.
It transformed into a blazing streak of light that tore through the air, actively charging toward the dozen Haotian School disciples.
The thrusters on its back blasted out dazzling crimson flames at full power, granting it a terrifying speed that surpassed the limits of human perception, leaving only blurred afterimages and piercing sonic booms in its wake.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!—!!!!"
Several sharp, violent explosions sounded almost stacked on top of one another.
The forceful attacks of the Haotian School disciples all missed, not even touching the opponent's corner of the clothing.
Instead, they felt as if they had been hit head-on by a super-high-speed, charging steel mountain.
"Pfft—!"
The sickening sound of bones shattering rang out densely.
All the disciples who charged forward, without exception, spat blood and flew backward.
Their blood was instantly vaporized into crimson mist by the terrifying high temperature even before it hit the ground.
The Haotian Hammers in their hands, famous for their durability and power, couldn't even withstand the instant, terrifying impact force. Cracks spread across the hammer bodies like spiderwebs, and then, with a "crack," they shattered into dust.
Their bodies, like broken rag dolls, fell limply into the distant ruins. After rolling a few times, they went completely silent, without even a hint of struggle. Their life force instantly dissipated.
Firefly stood silently in place. The silver-white mecha, reflecting the surrounding dancing firelight, shone with a cold, hard luster, like a work of art that had just finished its killing.
Her primary mission was complete: clearing all the distractions that might interfere with the duel between Wang Qiu'er and Tang Wutong.
It seemed there was nothing left for her to do, but her gaze, hidden behind the faceplate, involuntarily settled on Lu Jingming and Wang Qiu'er nearby. The mecha made subtle adjustments, ready to reactivate and provide support at any moment.
"You bastards! All of you!!!"
On the other side, Tai Tan, who was currently fending off Lu Jingming's black lance attacks, felt the familiar auras of his school disciples snuff out one after another, like candles in the wind, through his powerful senses.
The anger and grief accumulated in his chest instantly erupted like a volcano.
He let out a thunderous roar. His already exaggerated muscles frantically inflated and bulged like they were being pumped up. His black fur stood up like sharp steel needles, and his skin flashed with the heavy luster of stone.
In the blink of an eye, with an earth-shattering roar, his body transformed into a terrifying Titan Giant Ape over a hundred meters tall, like a moving mountain.
His enormous foot stomped heavily on the earth, causing the entire ruined area to shake violently and crack open.
His massive eyes, burning with the flames of fury like gigantic lanterns, locked firmly onto the small yet dangerous figure below—Lu Jingming—filled with the most primal savagery and murderous intent.
Tai Tan's temper was naturally explosive, like a volcano. Having been sneak-attacked by Lu Jingming earlier had already left him furious.
Now, Lu Jingming's subordinate had used thunderous means to slaughter so many Haotian School disciples right in front of him.
This utter atrocity finally ignited the ferocious nature of the mighty beast.
"ROAR—!!!"
The Titan Giant Ape let out a ferocious, sky-shaking roar. The enormous sound wave spread out like a physical force, causing layers of ripples in the surrounding air.
His mountain-like colossal body moved abruptly. Each step shook the ground, and he charged wildly towards the small yet dangerous figure—Lu Jingming—with a terrifying, primal, and barbaric momentum.
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