[DD]: 159

"Hmm?"

Just as Tang Hao was furiously chasing after him, Han Li had already walked a good distance away.

However, sensing the commotion behind him, he curiously extended his spiritual sense. He immediately noticed that Tang Hao, without any restraint, was exuding a powerful aura as he pursued in the direction Han Li had left.

A big question mark popped up in Han Li's mind—what on earth was this guy up to now? He hadn't even bothered to cause him any trouble, so why was Tang Hao suddenly fixated on him?

"Stop."

Just as Han Li was still puzzling over it, Tang Hao reappeared within his sight, channeling his intense aura and pressing it down on Han Li fiercely.

"Hmm?"

Han Li frowned slightly, easily blocking the oppressive aura in front of him. He looked at Tang Hao, curious as to what this Clear Sky Douluo (Tang Hao's title) was planning.

Seeing Han Li easily dismiss his aura, Tang Hao's gaze flickered for a moment, but he still didn't give up. His previous display of pressure could be easily resisted by anyone at the Soul Sage level, so it wasn't much of a big deal.

"I'm asking you, young man—did you just come out of that poisonous miasma?"

Tang Hao stared intently at Han Li's expression, trying to read his reaction.

Oh, so that's what this is about? Han Li suddenly realized.

After they had adjusted the poison formation around the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, even the gaps in the air were sealed off. Naturally, Tang Hao couldn't enter, and even if he did, the formation would guide him out.

So, based on Tang Hao's encounter with the poisonous miasma and his analysis of Han Li's route, he suspected that Han Li had walked out from within the miasma.

His instinct was sharp, but unfortunately, he had the wrong person.

Thinking of this, Han Li raised his head and looked at Tang Hao, a slight smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"So what if I did? And so what if I didn't?"

Hearing this, Tang Hao's face lit up with a hint of joy. As expected, this young man could indeed enter and exit the poisonous miasma. His guess was right.

"It's not about what's what. Young man, come with me. I need you to take me into the miasma to find something."

Tang Hao spoke as if it were a matter of course. At the same time, his aura grew even stronger, trying to assert dominance and force Han Li to comply.

"Heh."

Tang Hao then heard a sneer escape from Han Li's mouth, with no attempt to conceal it.

"I say, Black-Robed Beggar, you should get your head checked. Do you think you can boss me around with one sentence? Based on what? Your tattered clothes? Or the fact that you don't bathe?"

Han Li shot back with a mocking tone.

He really couldn't hold it in anymore. He hadn't expected Tang Hao to start threatening people without even figuring out who they were. Such arrogance! And such a small brain!

Faced with Han Li's ridicule, Tang Hao didn't seem to care. As long as he could confirm that Han Li could enter the miasma, that was all that mattered. Besides, no matter who this brat was, he planned to kill him after using him. Letting him run his mouth a bit before dying didn't bother him.

Tang Hao gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head. Under his black robe, the Clear Sky Hammer appeared in his right hand, and nine brilliant soul rings began to rise above his head—the last one, a blood-red ring, was particularly dazzling.

"Based on this. Do you still have any questions?"

Tang Hao's demeanor was as calm as a breeze, his presence exuding superiority.

"Oh, I do. I was wondering who you were. A hundred-thousand-year soul ring, huh? Turns out, it's just the Rat Douluo who's been hiding for over a decade. Why didn't you scurry back to the Rat Clan? What brings you to the Sunset Forest, looking for attention?"

Han Li donned a face of mock hatred as a crystal tower radiating cold air appeared in his right hand.

Tang Hao's expression froze. This was not the reaction he had expected at all. And his hammer was still hidden under his robe—how did this brat recognize him? Judging by his tone, did they have some kind of grudge?

Then, he saw the martial soul in Han Li's hand.

One layer, two layers, seven layers… Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda? But what's with the icy aura? A mutation? Is he from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan?

But why would someone from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan look at me with such hatred, even if they recognized me? Tang Hao was certain he had never met this person before, and this guy's hostility toward the Clear Sky Clan was way too intense.

Something was off. There was something wrong here. But before Tang Hao could figure it out, Han Li made his move.

"Seven Treasures turn to Glaze, first comes Retreat."

Tang Hao saw the young man's Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda spin slightly, emitting a cold aura. As his first soul ring flashed, a half-meter-wide ring of icy air expanded outward, sweeping towards him.

Damn!

Is this the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda? And this is just its first soul skill?

Tang Hao barely had time to process this thought before he had to swing his hammer to block the attack. The power of this ice ring was on par with that of a typical five-ringed Soul Master. Only a fool would try to withstand it head-on.

As the Clear Sky Hammer swung, it broke a gap in the ice ring. Tang Hao noticed that everywhere the ice ring touched, the surrounding plants were cut down, still emitting a biting cold.

"Seven Treasures turn to Glaze, second comes Attack."

In the next moment, another cold voice rang out. Tang Hao saw the young man toss the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda into the air.

Then, as the second soul ring flashed, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda suddenly expanded, resembling a watchtower surrounding a fortress. Countless ice spikes, shaped like towers, formed instantly and shot toward Tang Hao at high speed.

But that wasn't the end. Under Tang Hao's gaze, the young man spoke again: "Seven Treasures turn to Glaze, third says Split, fourth says Suppress."

Two more soul rings flashed, and the enormous Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda in mid-air trembled slightly before splitting into seven. Three of them began firing continuously like watchtowers, while the remaining four came crashing down directly toward Tang Hao.

Tang Hao was furious. This young man didn't fight with honor! Didn't he know Tang Hao specialized in close combat? Why was he using long-range attacks against him?

Moreover, Tang Hao remembered the irritating characteristic of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda: after obtaining soul rings, its effects could gradually increase in percentage.

Otherwise, even if the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda had mutated to gain offensive abilities, how could its earlier soul skills have such power?

Still, there was no time for complaints now. He was under attack and could only focus on fending off the barrage. His Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique spun even faster as he tried to close the distance toward Han Li, but the ice towers raining down from the sky forced him back once again.

Han Li, meanwhile, watched Tang Hao's frustrated and helpless expression with a smile, clearly enjoying the sight. How was his imitation of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda? Pretty good, right?

He had deliberately controlled the ice attribute's power and amplification effects, and so far, the results seemed excellent. Moreover, the blame for this would fall on the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan.

The sound of small explosions rang out continuously as the miniature ice towers were smashed into powder by Tang Hao's Clear Sky Hammer, scattering all over the ground.

Once Tang Hao had enough strength to glance at Han Li, Han Li's expression darkened, and his gaze became sinister, as though he was looking for the next opportunity to strike.

Finally, Tang Hao cleared away all the attacks, and the ice-made Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda returned to Han Li's hand.

Tang Hao took a deep breath, his eyes sweeping over the ground now littered with ice shards. He frowned as he looked toward Han Li and asked the question that had been on his mind: "Do I have a grudge against you?"

"Hahaha!"

Han Li, disguised as a disciple of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan, looked at him incredulously, then burst into wild laughter, as though he had just heard the funniest question in the world.

"Tang Hao, don't you feel shameless asking that? It's because of you that, for all these years, the Upper Three Sects have been suppressed by the Spirit Hall."

"And your Clear Sky Clan? After causing all that trouble, you all hid like cowards. Do you know how much my Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan suffered because of you? My parents died in battle against the Spirit Hall because of you. They were weak, so you wouldn't remember them, but I do, and so does our Clan Master."

"Our disciples of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan remember too. Compared to the Spirit Hall, we hate the Clear Sky Clan even more."

Han Li's voice was cold and eerie, filled with an endless sense of resentment.

Tang Hao was initially stunned, but then rage flared up in his eyes.

As expected, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan couldn't be trusted. Instead of blaming the Spirit Hall, they laid the blame on the Clear Sky Clan. He was a victim of the Spirit Hall too—why should they hate him?

Moreover, if it weren't for this coincidence that led him here, he wouldn't have known that the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan had been secretly hiding such power.

A seven-ringed Soul Sage, now capable of unleashing power beyond that of an average Soul Douluo. What were they planning? And why such hatred toward the Clear Sky Clan? The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan was surely on the path to destruction.

Right now, there was only one of them in front of him, but who knew how many more were hidden in the shadows? And Ning Fengzhi had been seeking a method to produce the hidden weapons from Tang San. This made Tang Hao even more suspicious.

Furthermore, in the Sunset Forest, not far from Heaven Dou City, this guy had a way to pass through the poisonous miasma. Was the hidden power of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan located within?

A few months ago, he had noticed someone who seemed to be a Titled Douluo and a suspicious light that looked like a sacrifice. Could that have been another secret move by them?

Thinking of this, Tang Hao became even more determined to capture this Seven Treasures Glazed Tile disciple alive, all for the sake of the Clear Sky Clan.

His eyes flashed with a cold light as he prepared to charge forward recklessly. But just as he was about to act, the person in front of him moved even faster.

"Seven Treasures turn to Glaze, fifth says Explode."

The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda spun rapidly, and Tang Hao sensed something amiss. Looking down, he saw that the ice shards he had shattered earlier were now floating and converging toward him, under Han Li's control.

"Tang Hao, feel the wrath of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan. I won't stay to entertain you any longer. Right now, I'm no match for you, but remember this—I am Ning Que. One day, I will personally cut off your head, to honor the fallen souls of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan who died because of you."

"Seven Treasures turn to Glaze, sixth says Speed."

In the instant he was surrounded by the ice shards, Tang Hao glimpsed through the gaps and saw the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda tilt, falling beneath the feet of the disciple who called himself Ning Que, carrying him swiftly into the sky.

That direction led straight toward the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan.

Tang Hao didn't have time to think much. He could only whirl his hammer even faster and use his soul power to shield himself.

Two seconds later, a massive explosion erupted from where he stood, and a pure white flower bloomed in the forest.

After a while, from the now-ruined forest, a figure with barely a few strips of cloth left for clothing crawled out from under the dirt.

He opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. Looking in the direction where Ning Que had disappeared, he gritted his teeth and spat out several words:

"Well played, Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan. Well played, Ning Que. I, Tang Hao, will remember this!"

PS: Tang Hao was portrayed as an overbearing person in the original. For instance, he used pressure on the Grandmaster when he revealed himself and had him take care of his son, and even beat Zhao Wuji.