Chapter 42: Tang Hao, You Are My True Prey
"What is this?!"
Tang Hao's pupils shrank violently.
He had never imagined that a mere Soul Elder could unleash such a terrifying attack!
The instantaneous eruption of so many soul skills at once was something that even a Soul Saint or Soul Douluo might not be able to accomplish, let alone a Soul Elder.
Before the attack even arrived, he could already feel the aura of death rushing toward him.
If he did not defend against this strike, he might truly die.
In the blink of an eye, as countless thoughts flashed through his mind, the distance between Zhu Zhuqing and Tang Hao shrank to less than half a meter.
Whoosh!
Blazing flames surged as violent wind pressure assaulted his face.
At the critical moment, a flash of white light flickered before Tang Hao. A pitch-black giant hammer appeared out of thin air, blocking directly in front of his throat.
Clang!
Cat claws collided with the hammer's surface, erupting in a deafening metallic explosion.
A shockwave radiated outward from the point of impact, shattering stones and scattering like rain within dozens of meters.
Tang Hao was forced half a step backward by that single blow.
Although he reacted hastily, did not use any soul skill, and merely made a casual block...
For a Titled Douluo to be pushed back half a step by a Soul Elder was already shocking enough.
But Tang Hao had no time to dwell on it. His other hand shot toward his lower abdomen.
Like iron pincers, he seized the girl's left hand, which had attempted a sneak attack.
Rip!
A tearing sound rang out as the tightly wrapped black robe split open with a massive gash.
Across his abdomen, a line of blood surfaced.
The sharp spikes of Zhu Zhuqing's cat claws stopped merely ten centimeters from his stomach.
"Clear Sky Hammer… Titled Douluo!"
A look of shock appeared on Zhu Zhuqing's face, successfully drawing Tang Hao's attention.
"You're the legendary Clear Sky Douluo, Tang—"
"That's right! I am Tang—"
"Exploding Chicken Slash!"
Before either could finish speaking, Zhu Zhuqing's right foot moved. A vicious upward strike shot straight toward Tang Hao's lower body.
Bang!
Tang Hao's legs trembled, and for a moment, his entire body seemed frozen in time.
The next instant—
"Bastard! You're courting death!"
Tang Hao's face flushed red with fury. He crushed Zhu Zhuqing's left hand in one grip and violently hurled her away.
Boom!
Her body flew like a rag doll through the air.
A casual strike like that would be enough to instantly incapacitate a Soul Emperor.
But Zhu Zhuqing was different.
Even after suffering such an attack, there was not a trace of pain on her face.
The moment she landed, using the last thread of energy within her body, she rolled smoothly and dove straight into the roadside bushes.
"Young one, to injure me with the body of a Soul Elder… you truly surprise me."
Tang Hao stared at the bushes where Zhu Zhuqing had hidden herself. His cold voice carried suppressed anger.
"But this ends here."
He slowly raised the Clear Sky Hammer, as if intending to let her experience the despair before death.
"Tang Hao… do you know what your greatest mistake is?"
Zhu Zhuqing's calm voice came from within the bushes.
Tang Hao frowned. "What?"
"You're too confident."
She smiled faintly.
"You think everything is under your control. You believe your power can shatter all things. You assume I am nothing more than a lamb awaiting slaughter."
"But very soon, you will realize …"
"You can't protect anything. And you are my prey!"
"Shut up!"
Tang Hao's expression darkened. He released all his pressure, locking onto Zhu Zhuqing within the bushes, and swung the Clear Sky Hammer down violently.
"Clear Sky Hammer: Tremor!"
The hammerhead radiated a terrifying aura as it shook midair. A horrifying wave of soul power vibration burst outward.
If this hammer fell, even a Titled Douluo would be injured, let alone a Soul Elder.
"Haha…"
Yet Zhu Zhuqing, hidden in the bushes, suddenly laughed.
Boom!
The earth shattered, and dust shot into the sky.
Within a few hundred meters, grass, trees, and stones were completely obliterated.
A gentle breeze passed.
All that remained was a massive crater ahead.
At the bottom of the pit, there were only scraps of grass, dust, and broken stones.
No corpse. No bloodstains. No soul bone.
There was not even the slightest remnant of soul power.
"Where is she?!"
Tang Hao's brows knitted tightly as he released the full perception of a Titled Douluo to search.
Yet… nothing. Absolutely nothing.
It was as if Zhu Zhuqing had never existed.
"Could it be… a clone?"
"From beginning to end, was I chasing not the main body, but a carefully designed decoy?"
Tang Hao muttered in disbelief but quickly rejected the idea.
Impossible! How could it be a clone?
He was a Titled Douluo.
His spiritual power and perception were extraordinarily powerful.
How could he fail to distinguish a clone from the original?
She must have used some mysterious displacement or teleportation soul skill!
'She can't have gone far. I will capture her!'
With that thought, Tang Hao immediately began searching within dozens of li.
The more he searched, the darker his expression became.
How is this possible…
By sunset, Tang Hao stood alone in the wilderness, looking disheveled.
Nine soul rings floated up and down beneath his feet in the wind, as if mocking his incompetence.
A Soul Elder… had escaped from the hands of the mighty Clear Sky Douluo?
He… had been played?
'Heh. Interesting. Truly a mysterious girl…'
'The next time we meet, you won't be so lucky.'
His figure flickered and vanished.
—
Hundreds of li north of Suo Tuo City.
A little kitty dressed in a plain black robe sped toward the distance.
Suddenly, her body trembled slightly as she asked in a complicated tone,
"Did I… die?"
"You did, but not from being killed. You simply exhausted your energy."
Bai Lu shook his head and transformed into a large tiger, lying down to rest within the spiritual sea.
Zhu Zhuqing did not slow her steps. A trace of coldness flashed in her eyes.
"I was being watched all along?"
"Mm."
Bai Lu nodded.
"Fortunately, I prepared in advance."
Before leaving the city, just in case, he had instructed Zhu Zhuqing to create a White Tiger clone heading west, while her real body changed into a different outfit and slipped northward.
It was all to mislead the enemy and execute a secret maneuver.
And sure enough… that bastard Tang Hao had indeed locked onto them.
At first, the clone moved independently.
Only after Tang Hao launched his ambush did Zhu Zhuqing and Bai Lu take over its control.
"I didn't provoke you, yet you came to provoke me first."
At this point, any admiration Zhu Zhuqing once held for this legendary Clear Sky Douluo had completely shattered.
Such a powerful soul master had actually intercepted and attempted to kill her over a few soul bones.
Fortunately, she had Bai Lu and had made preparations.
Otherwise, she might truly have ended up like Tang Hao's wife, falling into someone else's hands.
"Tang Hao, I stole your wife once, and you tried to assassinate me once. We're even!"
A hint of emotion surfaced in Zhu Zhuqing's voice, but the coldness in her heart deepened.
"However… if there is an opportunity …"
"I will kill you."
She spoke with absolute firmness, without the slightest hesitation.
Today's humiliation and danger were engraved in her memory.
So what if he was a Titled Douluo? So what if he was the Clear Sky Douluo?
Today, he hunted her. One day, she would hunt him in return.
"This Clear Sky Douluo is no ordinary person."
Bai Lu said calmly.
"In the future, invite him to sit in my soul bone. I'll treat him well. Even in death, I won't let him go."
"Mm! Exactly!"
The girl agreed fiercely.
"Enough for now. We need to increase our speed and get as far away as possible."
Bai Lu said.
"Alright!"
Zhu Zhuqing nodded. Activating the power of her right leg bone and her first soul ring, she transformed into a black shadow streaking across the sky.
At this moment, she harbored not the slightest doubt that one day she would defeat Tang Hao.
In her eyes as she gazed ahead, there was only unwavering resolve to seize control of her own destiny.
End of Chapter