The battlefield fell into a tense stillness.
What had just occurred defied understanding. A Titled Douluo had been struck down in an instant, and the source of that power did not align with Tang San's current strength. Every pair of eyes turned toward him, filled with vigilance and uncertainty.
No one moved..
Within that oppressive silence, something unseen stirred.
Asura God's divine intent let out a low, distorted chuckle.
"He… he… he…"
Yet the laughter did not last.
In the very next moment, a chill ran through him.
It was not fear in the conventional sense—but an instinctive alarm, something deeply rooted that warned of an unknown threat. A presence he could not perceive had brushed past his awareness, leaving behind an indescribable unease.
His amusement faded instantly.
Becoming serious, Asura God extended his divine sense, sweeping through the surroundings in search of the anomaly.
Yet even after aa careful search he could not find anything.
It was as if whatever had triggered that instinct had never been there at all.
After a brief hesitation, he chose caution. His divine intent withdrew, sinking back into the depths of Tang San's consciousness, concealing itself once more.
On the battlefield, the stalemate deepened.
The Spirit Hall team did not advance.
Even Jiang Mo and the others refrained from pressing the attack. The sudden appearance of that scarlet strike had forced them to reassess the situation. No one was willing to be the next to test that unknown power.
Taking advantage of the pause, Tang Hao and Tang Xiao quickly moved closer to Tang San, positioning themselves protectively at his sides.
Tang Hao lowered his voice, his tone grave.
"San… what was that?"
Tang San himself was still trying to process what had happened.
The attack had felt familiar. There were unmistakable traces of Asura God's aura within it. Yet he had not consciously activated anything like that.
For a moment, his thoughts raced.
Could it be… an automatic defense? A hidden mechanism tied to the inheritance?
If so— A flicker of ambition surfaced beneath his confusion.
If he could learn to control that power… if he could wield it at will… Then the path to fully inheriting Asura God's legacy would be drastically shortened.
His gaze hardened slightly.
However, reality pulled him back.
He noticed the wary expressions of everyone from Spirit Hall. Their attention was completely fixed on him, their movements restrained but ready. The earlier advantage had shifted into mutual caution.
Tang San suppressed his thoughts.
Although he wanted nothing more than to eliminate them all here and now, he knew it was not the time. He could not rely on a power he could not control.
More importantly—His primary objective to protect Xiao Wu had already been achieved.
The fragile balance held for only a moment longer.
Tang San stepped forward slightly, his voice cutting through the tense silence.
"Do we really want to continue this fight?"
His words though calm was probing.
Jiang Mo did not hesitate. He stepped out, the ground beneath him cracking faintly as his aura surged.
"Well… let's see."
His lips curled into a faint, dangerous smile.
"If I detonate two of my red soul rings… I believe I can at least make one of you stay here."
The moment those words fell, the atmosphere turned suffocating.
In the distance, the Titan Giant Ape and the Sky Azure Bull Python responded instinctively.
ROAR—!
Their roars shook the forest, a declaration of dominance and warning intertwined. Even they could sense the gravity of what was about to happen.
Jiang Mo merely glanced at them, unimpressed.
"Do you think only those hammer-wielding madmen know how to detonate soul rings?"
As he spoke, two of his red rings began to tremble. A terrifying fluctuation spread outward, violent and unstable. The sheer destructive potential contained within those rings made even the air distort.
Tang Xiao's expression changed. This aura… was unmistakable. The same principle as the Clear Sky Clan's ring detonation technique.
"Kid… don't think we're just sitting ducks."
Without hesitation, his own soul rings began to resonate. Power gathered around him in waves, equally dangerous, equally unyielding.
Beside him, Tang Hao forced himself upright despite his injuries. His breathing was rough, but the moment his aura rose, it carried the same unrestrained dominance as before.
If it came to mutual destruction— They would not back down.
At the same time, Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo moved in.
They flanked Jiang Mo from both sides, their auras fully unleashed. The pressure from three Titled Douluos layered together, forming a crushing force that pressed toward Tang San's side.
The battlefield was on the brink.
Tang San's eyes turned colder, calculating every possibility in an instant. He could feel it clearly now. If this continued, even victory would come at an unbearable cost.
He spoke again, "How about… both sides take a step back?"
For a brief moment, no one responded.
Then—Ghost Douluo let out a cold snort.
"Do you think this is a game?"
Tang San did not argue further. Instead, he raised a hand and pointed calmly toward the fallen figures.
"After all… I am not the one injured. If you delay any longer, and they don't receive proper treatment…"
His words trailed off, but the meaning was clear.
Hu Liena lay unconscious, her robes stained with blood. Not far from her, Ghost Leopard Douluo's condition was even worse, his aura unstable, life hanging by a thread.
"Enough!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo's sharp voice cut through the air. Though high-pitched, it carried unmistakable killing intent, cold and suffocating.