"Dad!"
When Tang San heard Tang Hao's voice, he abruptly raised his head by instinct. His eyes filled with delighted light.
At that moment, several figures arrived above the arena at once. Pope Bibi Dong's expression immediately grew solemn. Chrysanthemum Sage Yue Guan and Ghost Sage Ghost appeared at the same time.
Poison Sage Erasmus Graves, Sword Sage Vane Ash of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and Bone Sage Lucius Grimm also emerged. One powerhouse after another appeared outside the arena and looked from afar at the figure who had suddenly appeared in front of Tang San.
A black-clad figure stood there quietly, as if he had always belonged in that place.
He wore only plain cloth. He was tall, with short hair standing upright like steel needles. His stern expression was as unyielding as a demon god's, and the muscles across his body were full and powerful. Anyone could see that he had an extraordinary bearing.
Tang San looked at this man. Although the man felt faintly unfamiliar, Tang San still broke down. The hardships of the past years surged up, and tears spilled from his eyes. Two difficult words slowly left his mouth.
"Da... Dad..."
"Tang Hao."
Bibi Dong shouted sharply. Her eyes locked on Tang Hao in the air. Tang Hao faced her coldly and shielded Tang San behind him.
Chrysanthemum Sage and Ghost Sage leaped to Bibi Dong's side. Although the three Titled Sages had not yet attacked, their invisible pressure already brought overwhelming weight.
"Tang Hao, you still came back. You should understand that you should not have come."
Wu Ling entered the field at an unhurried pace, as if he had arrived a little late on purpose. He looked down at this Clear Sky Sage from above, seeming not to put him in his eyes at all.
When Tang Hao saw Wu Ling, his eyes flickered briefly. Then he spoke confidently.
"Junior, I admit that back then, you defeated me openly and fairly. But you should also know that while you grew stronger, we grew stronger too."
As he spoke, the aura of a level-ninety-nine Ruler Titled Sage erupted from Tang Hao's body. Terrifying pressure pressed down on everyone in the arena. Everyone stared at Tang Hao in stunned silence. It was power they could hardly imagine.
Even the current Bibi Dong had not reached that level. Only Wu Ling still looked relaxed. He quietly studied Tang Hao, who stood in front of Tang San, then laughed disdainfully.
"Heh. This power came from that fellow, did it not? What real ability is there in using someone else's strength? In the end, it is not power you cultivated yourself."
"Speaking of which, three years ago you looked like a complete mess. Now you have at least cleaned yourself up. What, because you are about to die, you want to die looking presentable?"
"You actually know that lord!" Tang Hao was startled at first, then seemed to understand something. "No wonder. But that lord's name is not something you have the right to mention. And so what if this power is not mine? You cannot kill me. You, you, all of you. If I want to leave, none of you can stop me. That is enough!"
A deep gloom appeared in Tang Hao's eyes. His gaze moved from Wu Ling to Bibi Dong, then swept over Ghost, Yue Guan, and many more Spirit Hall powerhouses before finally returning to Wu Ling.
When Wu Ling heard Tang Hao's words, he gave a soft laugh. Then one powerful aura after another suddenly rose before Tang Hao and from deep within Spirit Hall. A rough count gave at least two digits. Every aura carried a domineering force that looked down on the world. At minimum, they all belonged to Titled Sage-level powerhouses.
"Hahahahaha..."
Tang Hao suddenly threw back his head and laughed.
"A dozen Titled Sages. Spirit Hall truly has capital. You want to kill me that badly?"
"Tang Hao, stop putting gold on your own face. Are you worthy?"
Bibi Dong did not speak. Ghost, Yue Guan, and the many Spirit Hall powerhouses also remained silent. Instead, Wu Ling, Spirit Hall's Saint, spoke again.
"I long ago guessed that fellow would let you come. Even if you advanced to level-ninety-nine Titled Sage, you still cannot cause any waves in Spirit City. I did this to cut off future trouble. For that, I even deliberately spread the news to those Clear Sky Sect people. That is why I arranged so many people here, waiting for the Clear Sky Sect to show up."
"Unfortunately, that elder brother of yours is ruthless enough. His nephew, who is also the nephew of the woman he loved most, is trapped in a dead end, yet he can still stay calm."
"Speaking of which, is it true that you brothers both fell for Tang San's mother back then? Did that completely break the two of you apart?"
"Or has the current Clear Sky Sect simply become useless?"
"Shut up. You deserve death."
Tang Hao roared after Wu Ling struck the sore point he least wanted touched. He stretched out his right hand, and an enormous black hammer appeared beside him.
Before coming here, Tang Hao had warned himself again and again to stay calm. But dragons had reverse scales. Wu Ling's words had touched the matters he least wished to face. He had mentioned Ah Yin and his brother. How could Tang Hao not lose composure?
"You want to kill me? Then come. I will give you the chance. No one else needs to interfere. It will still be you and me, one-on-one."
As Wu Ling laughed lightly, he floated to the front of the group. Bibi Dong hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded and left with Ghost and Yue Guan.
"Arrogant. But why would I fight you?"
Sharp light burst from Tang Hao's eyes, and he smiled contemptuously. His tone was still relaxed. Suddenly, the Clear Sky Hammer in his palm released a layer of light that covered both father and son. At the same time, a wave of energy smashed directly toward the residential district in front of Spirit City.
Wu Ling looked at Tang Hao with a cold smile.
"Your diversion is too crude. I truly did not expect the Clear Sky Sage to regress so much over the years that he would now launch sneak attacks at civilians."
"Hmph. My goal is to take Tang San away. There is more than one way to leave. So choose. Will you fight me, or will you save those ordinary people?"
As Tang Hao spoke, he looked disdainfully at the Titled Sages trying to rush off and protect the residential district.
Then he looked at Wu Ling. In the next moment, Tang Hao froze, because he found that Wu Ling was looking at him with the same expression he had just used on those Titled Sages: disdainful and contemptuous.
"So, Tang Hao, you truly do not learn."
Then, under Tang Hao's tense gaze, Wu Ling lightly snapped his fingers.
At once, pillars of light appeared all across Spirit City. The brightest pillar came from Wu Ling's residence.
Those countless beams connected with one another, and a giant dragon phantom finally appeared over Spirit City. Red light emerged from the pillar at Wu Ling's residence and entered the body of that dragon phantom.
After that, the phantom gradually solidified. From the now-solid Golden Sacred Dragon, an aura equal to that of a level-ninety-nine Ruler Titled Sage surged out.
"Roar!"
The Golden Sacred Dragon roared. With one sweep of its dragon claw, it scattered the attack Tang Hao had launched toward the residential district.
Under the sunlight, amid countless startled cries, the golden scales of the Golden Sacred Dragon flashed with brilliant radiance.