Facing the gargantuan blade, Yu Tianming thought to himself, 'The legendary Great Sumeru Hammer, said to be wieldable only by true gods... I never expected Tang Chen to integrate it into the Asura Sword.'
The Great Sumeru Hammer was no mere Wind-Cleaving Hammer style. It wasn't just hard to cultivate—it was terrifyingly powerful, a closely-guarded secret of each generation of Clear Sky Douluo.
Its principle was simple: condense all soul rings into one, forcibly breaking all limitations and pouring that power into the Clear Sky Hammer—turning it into raw, pure force. This technique allowed one to unleash power far beyond their level, a true brute-force skill meant for defeating enemies across realms.
Sensing the surrounding space locked down by Tang Chen, Yu Tianming's expression turned grim.
He didn't choose to break free using teleportation. Within the City of Slaughter's domain, Tang Chen could instantly catch up using the Wind-Cleaving Hammer, regathering power mid-chase.
"King of Slaughter, you're celebrating too early." Yu Tianming sighed. He poured a surge of soul power into his ninth soul ring and formed a transparent spatial barrier between them.
Tang Chen, immovable as a mountain, didn't waver in the slightest. Channeling all his power into the Asura Sword, he accelerated, and the blade came slashing down toward Yu Tianming.
Facing the strike, Yu Tianming's eyes flickered with reflection. In the final moments of the Dragon God's inheritance, a colossal blood-red sword fell from the heavens. Everything turned crimson beneath its descent, even the Dragon God's body, which was split in two—giving birth to the Golden Dragon King and Silver Dragon King.
Tang Chen was the Asura God's heir. Yu Tianming held the Dragon God's legacy. But Tang Chen's full-force slash stopped right above Yu Tianming's brow, unable to advance even a fraction further.
Yu Tianming smirked. Tang Chen could break his casually formed spatial blades, but this barrier was infused with massive soul power. Even a demi-god like Tang Chen couldn't shatter it.
'Time reigns supreme. Space rules all. Power is paramount. Causality is king.'
The Clear Sky Hammer excelled in raw weight and strength. Tang Chen, for all his years of mastery, had only ever focused on brute force. But the principle of overwhelming all with strength alone was still far from being truly mastered. There was no way Tang Chen could break through the spatial barrier Yu Tianming had created.
After a brief stalemate, the Great Sumeru Hammer form collapsed. Tang Chen instantly retreated hundreds of meters, dropped to one knee, and gasped heavily for breath. Half his once-black hair had turned grey, and deep wrinkles marred his once-resolute face. The Asura God Sword in his hands disintegrated into red light and vanished.
The greatest obstacle in godhood was one's body. For a god-king inheritance like the Asura God's, the physical demands were almost impossible.
While Tang Chen had been possessed by the Nine-Headed Bat King as the King of Slaughter, the parasite had suppressed the Asura God's inheritance power. Now with his sanity restored, his body—having endured decades of parasitism—was no longer capable of handling the Asura God's power. When the Bat King died, Tang Chen's life began counting down.
And now, forcing himself to use the costly Great Sumeru Hammer technique in his near-exhausted state had pushed him closer to death.
Yu Tianming floated down from the air and landed in front of the half-dead Tang Chen, speaking slowly. "I didn't expect the King of Slaughter to be this strong. That heavy sword technique was near flawless. But no matter how refined your skills are, they can't match my control over space."
Tang Chen didn't reply. He stared up at Yu Tianming, eyes glinting, thinking, 'In just a few decades, the continent birthed such a powerful youth. Even if I pass the Asura God's inheritance to Hao'er, it might be snatched away by this boy.'
'This one... cannot be allowed to live.'
At that moment—when Yu Tianming was completely unguarded—Tang Chen suddenly lunged, a dagger-like Asura Sword appearing in his hand and thrusting straight at Yu Tianming's neck.
After his strike, Tang Chen's blood ignited, turning him into a crimson flash as he shot toward the west of the Heaven Dou Empire—perhaps toward Hanhai City, or even Sea God Island.
'If the strike misses, I flee immediately.' Tang Chen was completely spent; whether or not the attack succeeded, he had to escape.
But just as he crossed the boundary of the City of Slaughter, he realized with horror: the dagger strike had met an invisible wall. He had failed to pierce Yu Tianming's defense. 'This... is space control?! Unbelievable!'
What he didn't know was that Yu Tianming hadn't even used Commanding Realm to Return to Origin. He had taken the stab with his bare body—his physique connected to the Sea World granted by the Mountain Dragon King's soul bone. Tang Chen's sneak attack had no chance of shaking it.
Watching the fleeing blood-red silhouette, Yu Tianming chuckled softly.
'Going to see Bo Saixi, the old lover? His last destination wasn't the Clear Sky Sect—was he afraid I'd hold them accountable?'
Yu Tianming didn't pursue. With his current power still under rank 100, he couldn't extract the Asura God's trials from Tang Chen's sword. It would be better to wait for Tang Chen to pass the sword to Bo Saixi himself—and then take it.
Having settled his thoughts, Yu Tianming casually drew a portal leading to the Path of Hell connected to the Slaughter Arena and stepped inside with a smile.
The Path of Hell lay beneath the City of Slaughter. In Yu Tianming's vision, a blood river like molten lava glowed faintly, illuminating the path. The ceiling was a rust-red stone, soaked with blood and reeking of iron.
The space wasn't vast, and guided by his spiritual sense, Yu Tianming quickly located Dugu Yan.
She was surrounded by countless blood-colored bats, flapping like a dark cloud. Their screeches echoed endlessly. Among them, three massive Darkgold Three-Headed Bat Kings circled the outer edges, seemingly directing the swarm.
Although Dugu Yan's poison could kill these creatures instantly, they attacked relentlessly. She had to defend with her evil god tail stinger and poison arrows, draining her soul power.
Though the battle had only lasted a short while, the bat swarm had already sapped more than half her strength. Her black outfit was soaked in blood and riddled with holes from the corrosive toxins. One pull, and it would disintegrate into tatters. In the swarm, she looked as small as a leaf caught in a storm.
Yu Tianming didn't hesitate. He teleported behind her, pulled her into his arms, and released divine power in all directions. The blood bats couldn't withstand it—just the tremor of his aura made them bleed from every orifice and fall into the blood river below.
Dugu Yan looked back, saw Yu Tianming, and then at the bats falling like rain. She sighed with relief, her heavy breathing gradually calming.
"Good thing you came in time. I was about to be worn down by those things."
"Don't worry. I had some things to handle, but I left a mark on you. I was watching the whole time. If you couldn't hold on, I would've come instantly to rescue you." Yu Tianming gently patted her shoulder.
With the bat swarm gone, only the three Darkgold Three-Headed Bat Kings remained circling in the air, screeching sharply.
'Seems like the Nine-Headed Bat King left plenty of offspring,' Yu Tianming thought. 'Last time I only ran into one. Now they sent three. If I hadn't prepared, Dugu Yan might've died here.'
"The Nine-Headed Bat King is dead. Surrender now, and I might let you live," Yu Tianming said to the creatures.
As intelligent descendants of the Bat King, they responded to his voice. The three beasts shrieked, then slowly flew before him and bowed—displaying submission.
Yu Tianming smiled and said, "Since you yield, I'll spare your lives. If any soul masters come in the future, you're free to attack them with full force."
With that, he took Dugu Yan and flew toward the end of the Path of Hell.
Dugu Yan looked at his face and asked, "Tianming, why keep them? Why not kill them all?"
"It's easy to kill them, but hard to find replacements. If another soul master tries the Path of Hell, are we going to come back and stop them ourselves?" Yu Tianming said with a smirk.
'Two people having the Death God Domain is enough in this world. We don't need a third.'
Dugu Yan nodded thoughtfully. Glancing at the bloody surroundings, she added, "Why do I feel so hot and out of control here? My mind feels… unstable."
Her face was flushed, and her eyes burned with restlessness. Yu Tianming, knowing she was nearing the Asura God inheritance, explained:
"There are actually two evil gods—one is the Asura God, ruler of slaughter, and the other is the Rakshasa God, master of corruption. This city was left behind when they transcended the world. The Asura God governs pure killing intent, while the Rakshasa God controls vile energies. The mix of both in this place is what's affecting you."
Tang San had faced three trials on the Path of Hell: the Darkgold Three-Headed Bat King, the Ten-Headed Sun Serpent, and the Rakshasa God's mental interference. Now, with the Sun Serpent gone, only two trials remained.
Yu Tianming continued, "Yan Yan, your inheritance is from the Asura God. You only need to purify your killing intent. The Rakshasa's influence is just unwanted noise."
As he spoke, the two arrived at a white, oval-shaped barrier—the exit of the Path of Hell.
"Go ahead. Cross it and you'll receive the Death God Domain," Yu Tianming said.
Dugu Yan nodded, activated her Blue Silver Emperor's flight soul bone, and flew through the light.
Looking at the portal again, Yu Tianming felt differently now. 'When I was weaker, I thought this screen magically granted the domain. But now I see—it simply condenses the killing intent in one's body. The hundred consecutive victories in the Arena weren't just a test—they were the foundation for forming this domain.'
Without hesitation, he followed Dugu Yan out of the City of Slaughter.
There, under the brilliant sun of the outside world, Dugu Yan—who had spent two years trapped in the red moonlight of the City—spread her arms, laughed joyously, and cried tears of relief.
Yu Tianming walked up to her with a smile.
"Yan Yan, try summoning your Death God Domain now."
She nodded, looked at the mark in her palm, and released her aura. In an instant, a terrifying pressure exploded from her body, shaking birds and beasts across several miles.
Yu Tianming gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Alright, you can withdraw it now. Let's return to Heaven Dou City and resume our lives as soul masters. The Continental Soul Master Tournament is coming up. Want to check it out?"
Thinking of the four years she spent—two on Sea God Island, two in the City of Slaughter—Dugu Yan's lips curled into a smile. She nodded heavily.
(End of Chapter)
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