"No, I can't return to the Sect in this wretched state. Not only would I fail to protect Little San, I might not even be allowed past the mountain gate."
Tang Hao took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
He quickly pondered his options in his mind.
And if he remembered correctly, his sister, Tang Yuehua, should currently be serving as the Mistress of the Moon Pavilion within Heaven Dou City.
"Perhaps I should find a time to go see her."
"Through Yuehua's channels, I can first test the Sect's stance before making any plans."
Fortunately, Heaven Dou Royal Academy was built on a mountain outside the city, not within Heaven Dou City itself.
The Moon Pavilion, however, was located in a bustling area inside the city, a full several dozen kilometers away from the academy.
Presumably, unless Lin Yuan's Master deliberately conducted a wide-range search, he shouldn't be able to sense the situation within the city.
Meanwhile, inside Lin Yuan's dormitory at Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
A flash of silver light, and Zhao Yun's figure silently appeared in the center of the room.
"My Lord, I have driven back Tang Hao and taught him a lesson."
Zhao Yun knelt on one knee, reporting respectfully to Lin Yuan.
Then, with a flick of his wrist, Zhao Yun retrieved Tang Hao's severed hand from his spirit tool.
The severed arm still carried faint spirit power fluctuations, the blood already dried.
Zhao Yun did not directly hand the bloody object to Lin Yuan. Instead, he circulated the spirit power within his body.
Using his spirit power, he carefully guided it through the right arm, meticulously separating flesh and blood.
Moments later, an eighty-thousand-year right arm bone, emitting a profound black light, was extracted intact by his spirit power.
Looking at the severed arm and that Spirit Bone, Lin Yuan's expression remained utterly calm.
He was not the least bit surprised.
Given Zhao Yun's terrifying strength as a ninety-ninth-level dual-core super Douluo, even if Tang Hao tried to flee, it was absolutely impossible for him to escape without paying a grievous price.
This eighty-thousand-year Spirit Bone was the price.
Zhao Yun disposed of the severed arm and respectfully handed the eighty-thousand-year Spirit Bone to Lin Yuan.
After completing this, Zhao Yun stood in place, his brow slightly furrowed as if hesitating about something.
But in the end, he couldn't resist voicing the doubt in his heart: "My Lord, there is one thing your subordinate does not understand."
"Why did you only order me to teach Tang Hao a lesson, to sever one of his arms, instead of directly taking his life?"
In Zhao Yun's view, tonight's battle was completely a one-sided suppression.
With his current terrifying strength, even if Tang Hao went all out, using Ring Explosion on all nine rings to unleash the Great Sumeru Hammer,
it would absolutely be unable to breach his 'Immovable as a Mountain' absolute defense.
Because even if Tang Hao exerted his full power, exhausting every means at his disposal, his hammer strike could at most unleash an attack equivalent to the full-force strike of a ninety-seventh-level Peak super Douluo.
And he, Zhao Yun, was a genuine ninety-ninth-level super Douluo!
Moreover, he possessed dual spirit cores of lightning and spirit, with a foundation so profound it was incomparable to ordinary super Douluos.
No matter how you looked at it, when facing Tang Hao, he held an absolute, all-around advantage.
Earlier, while dealing with Tang Hao, Zhao Yun even felt a sense of ease, like a cat toying with a mouse.
The only unforeseen variable was that scoundrel Tang Hao, in his desperation to escape, would sink so low as to harm innocent female students.
To this, Zhao Yun, a man of honor and integrity throughout his life, felt utter contempt.
If the Lord had issued a kill order, he definitely could have blocked the attack and simultaneously blown Tang Hao's head off with a single spear thrust when he attacked the dormitory!
Lin Yuan looked at the eighty-thousand-year Spirit Bone in his hand, a slight curve forming at the corner of his mouth.
He had long anticipated Zhao Yun's question and said calmly, "Zilong, do you think killing Tang Hao now would bring us the greatest benefit?"
Lin Yuan shook his head and continued, "Letting him die now is too early."
"I still want to use him as bait to lure out the Clear Sky Sect, which has been hiding in the shadows all along."
"Moreover, Tang Hao is connected to a wide range of forces."
"Through him, we can draw out all those who harbor hostility towards us, all potential enemies, one by one."
"Once they are all gathered together, we can then wipe them out in one fell swoop."
This is called casting a long line to catch a big fish.
Also called, a cat toying with a mouse.
With Zhao Yun present, any trick Tang Hao tries is just clownery.
Any scheme or conspiracy is nothing to fear in the face of absolute strength!
Hearing his Lord's far-sighted words, Zhao Yun suddenly understood.
"The Lord is wise."
However, Lin Yuan's plans extended far beyond this.
There was another extremely crucial point he had not explicitly told Zhao Yun.
That was, Tang Hao possessed the Slaughter God Domain!
And the Slaughter God Domain was actually formed from a wisp of the Asura God's divine force.
Lin Yuan had always harbored a bold speculation and a desire to test an idea.
He wanted to know, through Zhao Yun's utterly one-sided suppression of Tang Hao tonight, even driving him into a corner,
would such an extreme life-and-death crisis allow the lofty Asura God to sense it?
Would the Asura God, seeing the father of his chosen inheritor suffer a setback, secretly grant Tang Hao some assistance?
Although the Asura God could not descend to the Lower Realm, he could still provide some borderline help through the Slaughter God Domain, right?
Lin Yuan had always held great suspicion regarding the battle Tang Hao fought years ago in the original work.
Back then, when Tang Hao was being pursued by the elite forces of the Spirit Hall, how could he, a newly-Breakthrough ninety-level Titled Douluo, possibly have successfully escaped from the Spirit Hall's dragnet?
It was simply unbelievable!
One must know, how luxurious was the lineup of those who participated in that Spirit Hunting Operation?
Apart from Qian Xunji, the ninety-fifth-level Titled Douluo Supreme Pontiff, personally leading the team,
there were also Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, two super-powerful individuals possessing the Unipolar Static Domain Martial Soul Fusion Skill.
Furthermore, there were two other unknown Spirit Hall Titled Douluo Elders accompanying them!
A total of five Titled Douluos!
And the result?
Those two unknown Titled Douluos actually died on the spot due to Tang Hao's Ring Explosion and Great Sumeru Hammer!
Qian Xunji was severely injured, and Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluos were also wounded.
If one were to say there wasn't some trickery from the God Realm behind Tang Hao, no divine force secretly intervening,
Lin Yuan would never believe it even if beaten to death!
Tang Hao, a newcomer who had just entered the Titled rank, fought one against five, and actually managed to kill two unknown Titled Douluos!
If you count the severely injured Qian Xunji, then it could barely be considered taking out three!
Not to mention, the Spirit Hall's team also had a bunch of Spirit Douluos and Spirit Saints assisting at the time.
Is this kind of battle record even reasonable?
Now, let's compare it to the plot of the Late Stage in the original work.
How did Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Yu Yuanzhen of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan perform when facing the Spirit Hunting Operation launched by the Spirit Hall?