Deep within the absolute core zone of the Star Dou Great Forest, the environment was devoid of its usual vibrant, untamed vitality. The canopy above formed a woven ceiling of ancient leaves, acting as a thick shroud that blocked out the afternoon sun and left the clearing trapped in a state of perpetual, heavy twilight. The humidity hung in the air, a damp blanket that clung to the skin and made every breath feel like drawing water into the lungs. The atmosphere was thick with a palpable sorrow, a grief so profound and dense that it acted as a physical pressure repelling all lesser lifeforms from the vicinity. The colossal forms of the Titan Giant Ape and the Sky Azure Bull Python loomed over the clearing, two titans drowning in a sea of despair.
Tang Hao stood near the edge of the muddy bank, keeping his distance from the massive beasts. He stood with his hands clasped firmly behind his back, his posture rigid and unyielding. His weathered face was a perfect mask of paternal grief, his brow furrowed and his eyes cast downward in a display of shared mourning. This flawless facade expertly hid the dark, manipulative web he had spun over the past few days to secure the ultimate power for his son. He projected the image of a broken father, an old warrior lamenting the cruel hand of fate that had snatched away his son's beloved.
In reality, his heart held no sympathy for the captured rabbit girl. He had systematically convinced the two ancient Spirit Beasts that their sacrifice was the solitary, inescapable path to save Xiao Wu from the clutches of Zhang Tian. With calculated words and feigned desperation, he had painted Zhang Tian as an insurmountable demon, carefully twisting their pure, familial love into a lethal weapon directed at their own throats. He presented their deaths not as an end, but as the only key capable of unlocking her cage.
'These foolish creatures are so easily swayed by their attachments,' Tang Hao thought, his internal voice echoing with a cold, pragmatic disdain as he observed the grieving beasts. 'They possess strength that rivals the heavens, yet they bind their own hands with the chains of sentimentality. Their blind loyalty to that rabbit is a fatal flaw. But their deaths will serve a far greater purpose. Their sacrifice will become the cleansing fire needed to forge my son anew. Their blood will finally wash away the horrific disgrace of the three white Spirit Rings currently staining the legacy of the Clear Sky Hammer. A hundred-thousand-year ring will overshadow that humiliating blemish forever.'
A few paces away, Tang San sat cross-legged on the damp earth. The remnants of an extinguished campfire sat before him, the gray ashes mirroring the desolate landscape of his own soul. His face was entirely pale, devoid of blood and hope. His heart was a chaotic storm of desperation, fueled by the agonizing memories of his total defeat at the tournament and the sight of Zhang Tian dragging Xiao Wu away into the shadows. He genuinely believed his father's words, entirely convinced that harvesting the power of these guardians was the only way to rescue the woman he loved.
"Okay," the Titan Giant Ape rumbled.
RUMBLE!
His massive voice shook the ancient trees, vibrating the very earth beneath Tang San's boots. The colossal ape looked down at the human youth, his eyes burning with a mixture of profound sadness and unyielding determination. His intellect was akin to a very young child, his emotions easily steered by the intense love he held for his sister.
"You take strength," the Titan Giant Ape grunted, his speech broken into simple, forceful words. He beat a massive fist against his chest, the sound resembling a falling boulder. "Tear bad human! Save Sister!"
"I swear upon my life, Er Ming," Tang San replied, his voice cracking with heavy emotion. Tears welled in his eyes, tracking down his dirt-stained cheeks. He looked up at the towering beast, his fists clenched so tightly his fingernails drew blood from his own palms. "I will save her. I will not let your sacrifice be in vain."
The Sky Azure Bull Python shifted his massive bulk. The sound of his thick scales grinding against the muddy bank resembled a landslide. He lowered his gigantic serpentine head, his massive bovine eyes filled with a solemn, heavy resolve. His intellect allowed for human speech, yet he lacked the cunning necessary to see through the veteran Titled Douluo's flawless deception.
"Now sacrifice yourself, Er Ming," the Sky Azure Bull Python rumbled, his voice carrying the mournful tone of a funeral dirge. "We must entrust Sister Xiao Wu's fate to this human's hands. It is the only way to bridge the gap and defeat the monster who stole her."
The Titan Giant Ape did not hesitate for a single fraction of a second. He threw his massive head back, facing the obscured sky above the canopy.
ROAR!
He let out a deafening roar that pierced the heavens, a sound of absolute, primal sacrifice that sent a flock of distant birds scattering into the horizon. His massive, muscular body ignited instantly with a blinding, blood-red aura. The crimson light flared like a dying sun, a visual manifestation that signified the deliberate, irreversible burning of his hundred-thousand-year cultivation.
CRACKLE! SIZZLE!
The colossal ape's physical form began to undergo a terrifying transformation. His thick black fur and mountain-like muscles started to disintegrate, breaking down into millions of glowing particles of crimson light. He was actively channeling the entirety of his ancient life force and his raw, unmatched physical power, directing the torrential river of energy straight toward the meditating youth seated on the damp earth.
"Summon your spirit, Xiao San!" Tang Hao commanded, his voice sharp and urgent, cutting through the roaring winds generated by the sacrifice.
Tang San did not hesitate. He reached deep into his spiritual sea, bypassing the toxic taint of his first martial spirit, and summoned his second martial spirit.
FLASH!
The Clear Sky Hammer materialized in his palm. The weapon was heavy, forged from dark, unyielding metal, yet it bore a visual taint that made Tang San's stomach churn with shame. Hovering around the handle were three ten-year white Spirit Rings. The feeble, colorless halos cast a pathetic, mocking light over the legendary weapon, bearing the humiliating weight of a tampered foundation that rendered the hammer a complete joke in the eyes of any true Spirit Master.
The crimson energy of the hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast surged forward like a tidal wave of blood. It swirled violently around the tarnished weapon, the sheer density of the red light entirely eclipsing the pathetic white halos. The ancient power sought to forge a new, terrifying destiny for the disgraced tool, preparing to overwrite the tainted foundation with the absolute zenith of beastly might.
'Endure the pain, Xiao San,' Tang Hao thought, his eyes narrowing as he watched the blinding red light completely envelop his son's seated figure. He did not step forward to offer comfort. He remained anchored in place, a harsh observer evaluating the forging process. 'This is the trial that will forge you into a true weapon. The white rings have made the hammer brittle, but the blood of this Spirit Beast will temper the spirit back up. You must survive this crucible to wield the power necessary for our revenge.'
High above the vibrating hammer, the chaotic swirl of crimson particles began to condense. The energy pulled inward, packing millions of years of accumulated natural essence into a single, defined shape.
A blood-red Spirit Ring slowly materialized from the swirling vortex. It hovered above the Clear Sky Hammer, casting a lurid, bloody glow over the clearing. The ring pulsated with a terrifying, mountain-crushing pressure, a physical weight that caused the damp earth around Tang San to sink inward by several inches.
THUD. THUD. THUD.
Tang San gritted his teeth, his jaw locking so tightly that a sharp, cracking sound echoed from his molars. The pressure was a physical vice squeezing his skull. He bit down until his gums bled, the metallic taste of copper flooding his mouth. His meridians, the delicate pathways that channeled his internal energy, felt like rivers of molten lava. The intense heat scorched his internal organs as he began the arduous, life-threatening process of absorbing the supreme Spirit Ring.
The sheer volume of spirit power contained within the hundred-thousand-year Spirit Ring was a raging, uncontrollable tempest. It tore through Tang San's fragile pathways like a stampede of wild, panicked beasts, ignoring the natural flow of his circulation and carving new, agonizing channels through his flesh.
Because his physical body had not yet reached the optimal, hardened threshold required to safely accommodate such an ancient ring, his mortal vessel began to fail.
SQUELCH. TEAR.
His skin cracked under the immense internal pressure. Fissures opened along his forearms, his shoulders, and his chest. Dark blood seeped through his pores, turning his ragged clothes into a sticky, crimson mess.
"AHHHHHH!"
Tang San screamed in absolute agony, his voice tearing his vocal cords as he threw his head back. The pain was a forge fire melting his bones, an endless, searing torment that threatened to shatter his consciousness and reduce his mind to a blank slate of suffering.
However, the unique, legendary nature of a willing sacrifice came into effect. Unlike a Spirit Ring harvested from a beast slaughtered in combat, which would carry lingering resentment and actively attack the absorber's spiritual sea, this ring harbored no malice. The Spirit Ring's inherent soul did not actively resist him. Instead, sensing the catastrophic damage occurring to its new host, the ring began to emit gentle, soothing pulses of pure, ancient vitality.
The crimson light shifted, acting as a healing balm. It chased the destructive tempest through his meridians, continuously knitting his torn flesh back together, sealing the bleeding fissures on his skin, and reinforcing his cellular structure to withstand the ongoing influx of power. It was a torturous cycle of breaking and healing, a brutal reconstruction of his very foundation.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity suspended in a lake of fire, the chaotic swirling of energy began to subside.
The blood-red Spirit Ring descended slowly, passing over the head of the hammer. It settled firmly into place, locking onto the weapon and becoming the fourth ring on the Clear Sky Hammer. Its crimson brilliance was a dominating, terrifying light that entirely overshadowed the three white rings situated beneath it, casting the pale halos into deep, unseen shadows.
Tang San slumped forward, his hands hitting the damp earth. He gasped for air, his lungs burning as he drew in ragged, desperate breaths. His clothes were completely drenched in a mixture of dark blood and cold sweat. He kept his eyes closed, navigating the chaotic aftermath within his mind as the newly acquired knowledge of his Spirit Ring abilities flooded into his spiritual sea like a torrential downpour.
The Fourth Spirit Ring attached to his Clear Sky Hammer now possessed a dual nature, gifting him with two distinct, terrifying abilities derived from the apex predator of the forest.
The first of the two abilities was 'Titan Hammer'. Information bloomed in his mind, detailing a devastating frontal assault skill. Upon activation, the technique channeled the sheer, overwhelming physical force of the Titan Giant Ape directly into the head of the Clear Sky Hammer, allowing him to deliver a single strike carrying the momentum of a falling mountain.
'This attack power is quite great...' Tang San thought, slowly opening his eyes to stare at the dark metal of his weapon. He marveled at the destructive potential now resting quietly in his palm. 'It bypasses complex mechanics for pure, unadulterated annihilation. It can be my strongest attack. With this, I can shatter any defense Zhang Tian attempts to raise.'
The second ability granted by the Fourth Spirit Ring was 'Earthen Power'. This was a profound, highly versatile support skill that allowed him to manipulate the earth element itself. By connecting his spirit power to the ground beneath his feet, he could draw pure strength from the earth to endlessly amplify the kinetic impact of his strikes, essentially granting him infinite stamina as long as he remained anchored to the soil.
Furthermore, this earthen control granted him a terrifying mobility advantage. He gained the ability to travel underground at terrifying speeds, shifting the soil and rock around his body like water. This would allow him to bypass conventional frontline defenses entirely, striking from beneath an opponent's feet without a whisper of warning.
Tang Hao took a slow, measured step forward. He observed the dark, heavy aura radiating from the hammer in his son's hand. His experienced eyes, honed through decades of life-and-death struggles, analyzed the subtle fluctuations in the weapon's density and the new, gravitational weight it projected.
'The three white rings severely crippled the hammer's foundational baseline,' Tang Hao thought, a deep, dissatisfied frown touching his chapped lips. His critical assessment left no room for sentimentality. 'The structural integrity was compromised, turning a divine tool into a brittle toy. This red ring, despite its immense, legendary power, barely manages to restore the weapon to its normal, unblemished state. It fills the structural gaps created by the rabbit rings, acting as a patch rather than a pure enhancement.'
Despite this grim, analytical setback, a profound, sweeping wave of relief washed over the veteran warrior. The tension that had coiled in his shoulders for months finally released. The Clear Sky Hammer was no longer a comical joke fit for a jester. It was a lethal instrument once again, a weapon capable of exacting the bloody vengeance he so desperately craved.
"Focus your breathing, Xiao San," Tang Hao instructed aloud, his voice steady and commanding, cutting through the lingering silence of the clearing. "Do not let the euphoria of the ring cloud your focus. The trial is not yet complete. Prepare your body to accept the final gift that Er Ming left you. His Spirit Bone."
Tang San nodded weakly. He pushed himself upright, his spine popping in protest. He opened his eyes fully, looking past his hammer to see a glowing, dense skeletal fragment hovering in the air. It floated exactly where the towering form of the Titan Giant Ape had once stood, a solitary monument to the titan's ultimate sacrifice.
The Left Arm Spirit Bone was a masterpiece of natural evolution. It radiated a heavy, noticeable gravitational distortion, the air around it bending and warping as if struggling to contain the sheer mass locked within the bone. It promised to further elevate Tang San's physical capabilities, pushing his bodily strength to monstrous new heights that would allow him to wield the heavy hammer without tearing his own muscles.
Tang San reached out his trembling hand.
His fingers stretched forward, the bloodstains on his skin contrasting with the radiant glow of the artifact. He made contact with the hundred-thousand-year Left Arm Spirit Bone of the Titan Giant Ape.
HISS!
The moment his fingertips brushed the bone, the dense skeletal fragment lost its solid form. It melted instantly, transforming into a stream of thick, glowing golden-brown liquid. The ethereal substance surged forward, wrapping around his hand and sliding effortlessly through his open pores. It bypassed his flesh entirely, seeking out the skeletal structure of his left arm and fusing directly with his radius and ulna.
The fusion process was far smoother and significantly less agonizing than the brutal ring absorption. The ancient bone actively worked to accommodate its new host. The golden-brown liquid seeped into his marrow, rapidly reinforcing his muscle fibers, expanding the capacity of his local meridians, and aggressively purging hidden impurities from his blood, expelling the dark toxins through his sweat glands.
With the integration complete, a sudden, powerful surge of energy erupted from Tang San's core.
BOOM!
He felt his spirit power, which had been stagnant for weeks following the tournament, violently break through previous bottlenecks. The internal barrier shattered, and his energy levels surged forward, climbing rapidly until they stabilized at Level 45. He had bypassed several ranks in a single afternoon, firmly solidifying his status as a high-tier Spirit Ancestor.
Tang San slowly rolled his left shoulder, examining his newly fortified arm. The limb felt incredibly dense, as though forged from heavy iron rather than flesh and bone. He closed his eyes, sensing the profound, devastating abilities permanently engraved into his marrow.
The first ability revealed itself as 'Gravity Control'. This was a terrifying, domain-like manipulation of local weight. By channeling his spirit power through the bone, he could drastically alter the gravitational pull within a specific radius around his body.
He knew instantly how he would employ this in combat. He could use the crushing gravity to pin agile opponents against the earth, robbing them of their speed. Alternatively, he could isolate the gravitational increase, applying it solely to the head of his Clear Sky Hammer right before the moment of impact to shatter any defensive shield with an impossible, concentrated mass.
The second ability hidden within the marrow was the 'Titan Firmament Breaker'. This was a localized, explosive technique that required him to compress the ambient air and his own gravitational power into a devastating, glowing yellow orb around his left fist. By punching forward, he could unleash the full, concentrated physical might of the fallen ape in a single, ranged shockwave.
Suddenly, as Tang San marveled at his newfound strength, a familiar, deep voice resonated directly within the center of his spiritual sea, startling the youth out of his martial trance.
"Xiao San. Hear me?"
The voice belonged to the Titan Giant Ape. Er Ming's consciousness spoke clearly in his mind, his ancient spirit perfectly preserved and anchored within the secure confines of the Left Arm Spirit Bone, a lingering ghost granted sanctuary by the willing nature of the sacrifice.
Tang San's eyes widened to the size of saucers in genuine shock, quickly followed by a profound, overwhelming wave of joy.
"Er Ming!" Tang San shouted aloud, his voice cracking. "You are still alive inside the bone! Your soul did not disperse!"
"The human spoke the truth," the Sky Azure Bull Python rumbled from the sidelines.
The massive serpentine beast shifted his bulk, his colossal head lowering toward the muddy bank in sheer, palpable relief upon hearing Tang San's vocal confirmation. The knowledge that his brother was not entirely gone, that a fragment of his existence remained anchored to the mortal realm, offered a small comfort amidst the crushing sorrow.
Tang Hao stood motionless, his face impassive, offering no outward reaction to the revelation.
'The method detailed in the ancient texts worked flawlessly,' Tang Hao thought, maintaining his stoic expression while internally celebrating the flawless execution of his manipulative scheme. 'The beast's soul is tethered to the bone. It acts as an internal battery, a secondary consciousness that will ensure the maximum output of the bone's abilities. My son now possesses a weapon and an armor forged from the absolute pinnacle of nature.'
"We fight together, Er Ming," Tang San declared aloud, his eyes burning with a renewed, venomous hatred for the man who had set this tragedy into motion.
He clenched his newly fortified left fist tightly.
VWOOM!
A heavy, glowing yellow aura flared violently around his arm, the gravitational pressure causing the damp earth beneath his knuckles to crack and sink.
"We will tear Zhang Tian apart," Tang San vowed, his voice a low, dangerous hiss filled with the promise of absolute slaughter. "We will shatter his defenses, break his bones, and bring her home."
Within his spiritual sea, the lingering consciousness of the fallen titan responded.
"I give strength," Er Ming's voice echoed in his mind, the fragmented speech carrying an unyielding, primal determination for vengeance. "Hit bad man."
Tang Hao took a final step forward, placing a heavy, calloused hand upon his son's trembling shoulder, grounding the youth before his rage consumed his focus.
"Rest now, son," Tang Hao advised, his voice carrying the rough, uncompromising tone of a strict master rather than a comforting father. "The absorption has taxed your vessel to its limits. Gather your breath and stabilize your new cultivation rank."
He turned his gaze toward the dense, darkening treeline of the core zone, his eyes reflecting the shadows of the impending war.
"Tomorrow, your true training begins," Tang Hao declared, his words hanging in the humid air like a finalized verdict. "We must forge your physical body relentlessly. We must temper your muscles and break your limits until your mortal frame can effortlessly bear the weight of the heavens, and wield the hammer that will crush our enemies into dust."