Douluo Dalu: Lucky Star

The moment the pale red arrow was released, every hair on Tang Hao's body stood on end. He sensed an imminent, lethal threat—an instinct honed through countless life-or-death battles, clawing his way out of Slaughter City, surviving mountains of corpses and seas of blood. It felt the same as when he had faced Qian Xunji years ago.

Under the crowd's astonished gazes, Tang Hao decisively detonated all his soul rings except the ninth, merging their power into the Clear Sky Hammer. Blood poured from his mouth, but he ignored the damage to his body. If he couldn't withstand this strike, he might not survive.

As the soul rings exploded, the dark Clear Sky Hammer was stained red, with the white lines of the Deathgod Domain appearing even more murderous. His hair was lifted by the surge of soul power and his fierce expression made him look like a true god—or demon.

Arrows always moved quickly, especially when Han Li wasn't holding back their speed.

The forces collided.

Thanks to Han Li's Martial Soul Avatar, the pale red arrow was no longer small; it was like a spear piercing through the sky. As soon as it met the Clear Sky Hammer, it released its full power. At the point of contact, extreme cold and heat burst from the arrow's tip, forming a miniature Taiji diagram of ice and fire, grinding down all the force of Tang Hao's strike with the power of opposing elements.

In mid-air, soul power fluctuated violently, yet not a single bit of energy drifted downward. Those watching felt no breeze—only awe.

The sky was awash in two colors, but Han Li seemed somewhat dissatisfied. He had to admit that Tang Hao's decisiveness had caught him off guard. Tang Hao hadn't hesitated to detonate even Ah Yin's soul ring, using the immense energy to fend off Han Li's soul power erosion.

But that was fine. After all, Han Li's martial soul was a bow, not an arrow. Who said a Martial Soul Avatar could only fire one shot?

To either side of Han Li's phantasmal form, the two dragon spirits coiled around his martial soul roared. They soared like dragons leaping over a gate, passing through the soul rings above Han Li's head and landing at the center of his bow. A new pale red arrow, shrouded in the phantom of a divine dragon, nocked itself automatically, becoming a streak of light as it merged with the arrow already clashing with the Clear Sky Hammer.

Perhaps due to their shared energy source, the dragon arrow entered the first arrow's rear. In an instant, a dragon the size of a normal arrow swam through the Taiji diagram and plunged into the Clear Sky Hammer—all while Tang Hao watched in horror.

Crack!

A fissure appeared on the Clear Sky Hammer's surface, as massive as a mountain.

With that sound, more cracks followed, spreading from the hammer's head to the handle.

Boom!

A deafening explosion shattered the Clear Sky Hammer—and with it, Tang Hao's arms.

"Ah!"

Tang Hao's anguished cry echoed in the air. His shoulders were charred on one side, while the other was covered in pure white ice crystals. Two pieces of soul bone floated by his sides as if not yet realizing that his arms had disappeared too quickly for them to react and fall.

The pale red arrow trembled, halting just before his heart before disintegrating. It dissolved into a swirl of crimson and white energies, absorbing the chaotic energy from the Clear Sky Hammer's explosion and disintegration.

Finally, the arrow carrying Han Li's fifth spirit skill shot leisurely earlier, settled onto Tang Hao's body. It didn't pierce his clothes but halted Tang Hao's body and the two floating soul bones in mid-air, suspending them.

Tang Hao had lost.

Completely and utterly, with no chance to retaliate.

His martial soul was shattered, his soul rings detonated, and his arms destroyed. His power had fallen instantly to that of a Soul Douluo.

All eyes turned to Han Li, who had dispelled his Martial Soul Avatar and stood mid-air. Then, following his gaze, they looked down.

There, cloaked in black, was another figure with his hands outstretched. His target was clear: Tang San and Xiao Wu, still standing nearby.

"Sect Master Tang Xiao, what do you intend to do?"

Tang Xiao's hands froze mid-motion. He slowly raised his head and saw Tang Hao suspended beside Han Li, held by arrows that fired every two seconds to keep him airborne.

Seeing Tang Hao's lost arms, Tang Xiao reluctantly withdrew his hands.

This had been the plan: when Tang Hao launched his final strike, Tang Xiao would take Tang San and Xiao Wu away. If they escaped successfully, they could negotiate later. But he hadn't expected Tang Hao to lose so quickly—or to be caught in the act. Now, things were problematic.

Tang Xiao opened his mouth, but no words came. He understood all too well that whatever he said now would be futile. In truth, he should never have appeared here.

"Tang Hao colluded with soul beasts and killed the former Pope. He has been captured. Any objections?"

Han Li's voice echoed through the arena.

"Why? What right does Spirit Hall have to convict others? What did my father do wrong? From beginning to end, all we've heard is your side of the story!"

It was Tang San who spoke. Overlooked until now, he erupted, his eyes bloodshot as he glared up at Han Li.

After all the effort it took to find his father, Tang Hao's arms were brutally blown apart in mid-air. And this uncle he had never met, from his hesitation, already carried the bitter scent of abandonment to Tang San.

At that moment, he knew he had to stand up. He didn't want to die—not now, not when he was just beginning to rise. If it came to it, he wouldn't mind dragging everyone down with him.

A faint smirk crossed Han Li's face. The little mouse he had always ignored couldn't hold back any longer, finally stepping out. He had expected Tang San to bide his time, like a soldier on a suicide mission, waiting until the last moment to strike.

It seems even as an assassin, he's not quite qualified.

"What do you want to say? Go on. I don't mind listening to your side story."

In Han Li's original plan, Tang San had no part in this. In later scenes, he was simply meant to observe and then be eliminated. Yet here he was, his will to survive surprisingly fierce. Han Li found he didn't mind entertaining him for a bit; it might even bring some surprises.

"You people from Spirit Hall accuse my father of colluding with soul beasts. Where's the proof? Where's the evidence? The truth is that the former pope attempted to steal my mother's—no, Ah Yin's—soul ring and soul bone, but my father fought him off. Who's to say this isn't a conspiracy by Spirit Hall to frame the Clear Sky Sect?"

Tang San's words were sharp, his voice edged with defiance. At his correction, Tang Hao's eyes widened in surprise despite his pain.

Even Han Li was momentarily taken aback. This was an unexpected tactic, but he could see where Tang San was going with it. To survive, Tang San was pulling out all the stops, even bringing his never-before-seen mother, Ah Yin, into the fray.

"Well, you make a point," Han Li replied, a hint of amusement in his voice. "But did you forget? Your very existence is evidence enough."

Tang San's gaze remained locked on him.

"The soul beast aura on me is a side effect of a secret technique my father and I developed."

"They share the same situation, having used the same technique," he continued, motioning towards Dai Mubai.

"Everyone knows the prince of the Star Luo Empire isn't a soul beast. Spirit Hall can't use this aura to slander us!"

"My father told me he only approached…Ah Yin to study this secret technique. Colluding with soul beasts is just Spirit Hall's one-sided accusation. In truth, those involved are dead, and there's no longer any proof!"

From overhearing Tang Hao and Han Li's earlier conversation, Tang San had pieced together that their soul beast aura, likely from a bone-replacing secret technique, was at the heart of the misunderstanding that led to this confrontation. If that was the only thing between life and death, then so be it—even if he had to drag his mother's spirit into murky waters.

For the sake of my father's life and mine, Mother will understand. When I'm stronger, I'll clear her name and set things right, he promised silently.

Clap, clap, clap.

Han Li began clapping slowly, his expression one of admiration as Tang San finished.

What filial piety! Such incredible devotion! And kind-hearted as he was, Han Li transmitted the scene live to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Ah Yin, who had woken by now, along with the Blue Silver King and Skydream beside her, was watching everything unfold.

"So, Tang Hao, is what Tang San says true?"

Han Li turned to the broken Tang Hao, still floating in the air, and asked.

"Xiao San is right. That's…how it is."

After a long silence, Tang Hao managed to respond, forcing out each word with effort.

"So, it was all just a misunderstanding."

Han Li's gaze swept over the arena as he shook his head with a slight, regretful look.

"Tang San, can you confirm that everything you've said is true?"

Han Li's expression grew more solemn, his tone almost gentler, and murmurs rippled through the crowd.

"Of course."

Tang San, seeing a glimmer of hope, wasn't about to let it go. His voice was steady, his gaze unyielding.

"Very well."

Han Li nodded, his eyes drifting over the audience below as if deliberating his next step.

"Then…"

Han Li seemed ready to deliver his decision, but his gaze suddenly locked onto Xiao Wu, and his words came to an abrupt halt.