Chapter 1170: Opportunity Given
The events that had unfolded in this brief moment felt utterly unreal to Ding Tianhua, like a dream. He simply couldn't believe that everything he was seeing with his own eyes was true.
Staring at the blood-red array disk in his hand, now marred by two cracks, his face was a mask of shock and disbelief. Then, his gaze snapped to Yang Haoran, whose calm smile, instead of soothing him, ignited a new emotion within him, beyond the shock and disbelief: pure rage.
While Yang Haoran's smile seemed calm, casual, even benign to others, in Ding Tianhua's perception, it was anything but. To him, that smile was overflowing with disdain and challenge, and it was precisely this that fueled the blazing fury in his heart.
“Yang Haoran, how could you possess late-stage Earth Soul strength! How could you possibly have late-stage Earth Soul strength! ”
The shock and fury in his heart made Ding Tianhua roar uncontrollably at Yang Haoran. Yet, Yang Haoran merely smiled, his expression not shifting in the slightest despite Ding Tianhua's outburst.
“Heh, in a while, I’ll be stocking a type of Dānyào in my Underworld pharmacy. This Dānyào is specially refined for us Underworld Officials; just by taking one, your strength will receive a considerable boost for a short period. Though there will be certain side effects once the medicinal effect wears off, taking this Dānyào at a crucial moment could very well turn the tide and secure the ultimate victory in a battle. Compared to that, the post-effect side effects are truly nothing to fret over, wouldn't you agree? ”
Yang Haoran asked with a smile. The Dānyào he spoke of was, naturally, the Rising Yin Pill developed by Xiang Chuan.
However, Yang Haoran had not consumed a Rising Yin Pill during today’s battle. The power he unleashed was entirely his own, enhanced by no external means. The reason he spoke these words to Ding Tianhua was merely to provide a plausible excuse for his terrifying strength. And while his current words seemed directed at Ding Tianhua, they were, in truth, meant for the person standing behind him.
Yang Haoran couldn't be certain what exact abilities this Death God Pendant possessed; after all, he wasn't yet powerful enough to discern all of its capabilities with just one glance. However, this didn't deter him from remaining vigilant about the Death God Pendant.
If this Death God Pendant possessed the ability to transmit images, then his battle with Ding Tianhua today would certainly have been witnessed clearly by the Death God Pendant's owner. Therefore, to mislead the other party, he had uttered those words.
Of course, this Death God Pendant might not necessarily possess the ability to transmit images, but it never hurt to be cautious.
Ding Tianhua didn't doubt Yang Haoran's words. On one hand, he found Yang Haoran's explanation perfectly reasonable; if Yang Haoran hadn't taken such a Dānyào to boost his Yin Spirit Power, it would have been absolutely impossible for him to unleash powerful late-stage Earth Soul Yin Spirit Power. On the other hand, his emotional state was too volatile at that moment, preventing him from thinking with the same meticulousness as he would when calm.
“Hmph! You’re right, compared to the ultimate victory in a great battle, a few side effects after the medicinal effect wears off are indeed nothing. If I had such a Dānyào, I would also take it without hesitation. However, don’t think you’re the only one with such preparations, or that you’re the only one with means to boost Yin Spirit Power. I, Ding Tianhua, have them too! ”
Having said this, Ding Tianhua flung away the blood-red array disk in his hand. This blood-red array disk was now useless. The horned monster had been destroyed, and the array disk had subsequently cracked; before the cracks were repaired, this set of Formation Flags simply could not exert the same powerful force as before. There was no point in holding onto the array disk any longer.
As for why the restrictive barrier covering this area hadn’t vanished, it was because the barrier hadn’t suffered a violent assault, and the array disk hadn’t completely shattered yet, so the restrictive barrier still persisted.
However, the existence of the restrictive barrier was now the only ability this set of Formation Flags could exert. Once the restrictive barrier was broken, it would clearly be impossible to erect such a massive restrictive barrier again; after all, even the array disk was damaged, rendering it utterly incapable of being propped up anew.
Moreover, even if the restrictive barrier wasn’t attacked, given the current situation, it wouldn’t last for too long. The reason also lay with the cracked array disk.
If this set of Formation Flags could still offer any value, how could Ding Tianhua possibly throw away the blood-red array disk in his hand? Even if he were incredibly foolish, he wouldn’t be so foolish as to commit such a blatant act of stupidity.
After Ding Tianhua flung away the blood-red array disk in his hand, he immediately tore off the Death God Pendant he wore on his chest. Without a shred of hesitation, he directly pressed the Death God Pendant onto his forehead.
The moment the Death God Pendant was pressed onto Ding Tianhua's forehead, the pendant suddenly emitted a visible surge of dense Yin Qi. Powerful Yin Spirit Power, like a surging tide, continuously poured into Ding Tianhua's body through his forehead, and the power fluctuations emanating from his body also received a terrifying boost at this moment.
“Hahahaha, you, Yang Haoran, have means to boost your Yin Spirit Power, but this old man has them too! This time, to slay you, this old man has paid a considerable price; only this Death God Pendant was given to me for free by Brother Huo. With this Death God Pendant in hand, even if you boosted the Yin Spirit Power in your body through Dānyào, it’s useless. This old man still has the ability to kill you. . . ”
Feeling the Yin Spirit Power within his body growing at an insane speed, Ding Tianhua’s heart once again brimmed with joy. His lost confidence swelled anew because of this Death God Pendant, and the sheer delight in his heart even made him burst into laughter.
At the insane rate at which his Yin Spirit Power was currently rising, it wouldn’t be long before he could catch up to Yang Haoran’s current level. This made him see the dawn of victory once more. Even if Yang Haoran’s strength had advanced to late-stage Earth Soul, he was fearless. He believed that with the Death God Pendant in hand, he would certainly be able to crush Yang Haoran once again, just as the horned monster had crushed Yang Haoran moments before.
However, his words abruptly ceased before he could finish. It seemed he had realized something was amiss, and the joy on his face vanished, replaced by an expression of agony.
The instant Ding Tianhua pressed the Death God Pendant to his forehead, Yang Haoran knew what powerful technique Ding Tianhua intended to unleash through it. So, he immediately mobilized the Yin Spirit Power within him and extended a hand, continuously injecting Yin Spirit Power into the Remnant Moon slowly spinning beside him. There was, of course, a reason he didn't immediately attack, choosing instead to infuse a large amount of Yin Spirit Power into Remnant Moon.
Because the protective barrier around Ding Tianhua hadn't disappeared yet, and this barrier, formed from the power of a Gold Talisman, possessed astonishing defensive capabilities, coupled with the fact that Ding Tianhua's power was continuously rising at that moment, Yang Haoran continuously infused Yin Spirit Power into Remnant Moon to ensure a successful one-hit kill on Ding Tianhua.
With his current full-power strength, coupled with his massive Yin Spirit Power infusion into his Soul Armament, Remnant Moon, he was confident he could achieve a one-hit kill on Ding Tianhua. Even the protective barrier released by the Gold Talisman, he was confident he could easily breach, and he wouldn't wait until Ding Tianhua had completely finished his power ascension before making his move.
However, just as he was about to control Remnant Moon to launch an attack on Ding Tianhua, Ding Tianhua’s expression underwent a drastic change, shifting from excitement to agony. He saw this scene unfold before his eyes, and though he had been preparing to strike, a hint of doubt arose in his heart. Because of this, he abandoned his plan to strike immediately, but he did not stop infusing Yin Spirit Power into Remnant Moon. He also didn’t neglect any of Ding Tianhua’s movements, not even a single change in his expression.
He was so vigilant because he didn't know if Ding Tianhua was faking it or truly in pain. Besides that, there was another very important reason: the Death God Pendant on Ding Tianhua's forehead. He had seen from the very beginning that this Death God Pendant was far from simple, and the current scene confirmed that he hadn't been mistaken. Therefore, he was most vigilant about this Death God Pendant.
Under Yang Haoran’s watchful gaze, Ding Tianhua’s face was first contorted in agony. Immediately after, not only was his face pained, but his eyes also showed terror. Then, later, an expression of extreme fury even appeared on his face.
These were the changes in Ding Tianhua’s expression in a short amount of time. However, in addition to the changes in his expression, his body also underwent significant changes. Firstly, the power fluctuations emanating from him were still continuously increasing, and the speed of their increase was quite astonishing.
Secondly, his body — for reasons unknown, whether due to the insane increase of Yin Spirit Power within him or something else — his body began to inflate, like a balloon being filled with air.
Witnessing this scene firsthand, Yang Haoran knew Ding Tianhua wasn’t faking it; even the best acting couldn't produce the effect Ding Tianhua was currently exhibiting. Therefore, everything Ding Tianhua was showing at this moment was real, and this precisely explained a problem: the Death God Pendant currently pressed to Ding Tianhua’s forehead had an issue. Otherwise, Ding Tianhua wouldn’t have transformed into his current state.
Thinking of this, the smile on Yang Haoran's face immediately faded. He didn't continue watching from the sidelines; instead, he controlled Remnant Moon and immediately launched an attack on Ding Tianhua.
Yang Haoran chose to launch an attack on Ding Tianhua at this moment not to seize the opportunity to take his life; quite the opposite, he wanted to save Ding Tianhua’s life.
However, just as Yang Haoran controlled Remnant Moon to make his move, Ding Tianhua suddenly let out a furious roar!
“Why! ! ! ”
Although Ding Tianhua's roar consisted of only three short words, these three words contained a multitude of emotions: unwillingness, pain, anger, and yet, even more, bewilderment.
It was very clear that Ding Tianhua’s roar was not directed at Yang Haoran; the target was obviously someone else. It was impossible for him to utter those three words to Yang Haoran at this moment, much less with such complex emotions.
When Ding Tianhua’s roar, laden with complex emotions, echoed, Remnant Moon had already struck the protective barrier.
The last time Remnant Moon struck this protective barrier, it not only failed to break through but was even bounced back. However, this time, the situation was different. Remnant Moon was not bounced back; instead, it effortlessly sliced through the protective barrier with extreme ease, like a knife cutting tofu, without even a burst of sound, silently piercing through the barrier.
After Remnant Moon breached the protective barrier released by the Gold Talisman, it immediately stopped, not taking the opportunity to pierce through Ding Tianhua’s body. Then, Yang Haoran’s figure flickered and disappeared from his spot, reappearing moments later beside Ding Tianhua.
Yang Haoran struck like lightning, slamming a palm onto Ding Tianhua’s head as powerful Yin Spirit Power erupted from his palm.
Bang! ! !
With a muffled thud, Ding Tianhua did not lose his life under Yang Haoran’s palm. However, the Death God Pendant on his forehead was shattered by Yang Haoran’s strike. This happened because Yang Haoran’s palm was not originally aimed at Ding Tianhua, but at the Death God Pendant on his forehead.
The moment the Death God Pendant shattered, Ding Tianhua’s body stopped inflating. Like a balloon with a hole poked in it, his inflated body immediately deflated, quickly returning to normal.
In addition, the wildly surging Yin Spirit Power within Ding Tianhua also rapidly dissipated after the Death God Pendant shattered. In the blink of an eye, not only did that furiously rising Yin Spirit Power vanish completely, but his own Yin Spirit Power was also rapidly dissipating.
However, Ding Tianhua didn’t pay attention to this at the moment, for the dissipation of Yin Spirit Power was, in his eyes, a trivial matter. Compared to his very life, it was utterly insignificant. Under these circumstances, simply surviving was already incredibly lucky for him; how could he still be in the mood to care about the rapidly dissipating Yin Spirit Power within him?
Although his life was saved, Ding Tianhua still had a look of lingering shock, for the recent experience had truly terrified him. He had originally thought he was doomed this time, but he hadn’t expected to actually save his life.
Thinking that he had fortunately saved his life, Ding Tianhua immediately thought of Yang Haoran. Just now, his negative emotions had indeed surged, but he hadn't lost consciousness. He knew that the only reason he was able to save his life was entirely due to Yang Haoran's intervention; if Yang Haoran hadn't intervened to save him, he would certainly have exploded and died by now.
Thinking of this, Ding Tianhua looked towards Yang Haoran beside him. Coincidentally, Yang Haoran also looked at him. Their eyes met, and Yang Haoran was still the same, with a faint smile on his face, whereas Ding Tianhua’s expression appeared somewhat awkward.
Although it was very awkward, Ding Tianhua still managed to force out a rather unnatural smile.
“Many thanks, Divine Emissary, for your timely intervention to save me. If not for your intervention, this subordinate would probably already have. . . ”
Ding Tianhua hadn’t finished speaking when Yang Haoran interrupted him with a wave of his hand.
“Heh, you’ve misunderstood me. I intervened to save you simply because I didn't want you to die by the Death God Pendant. I’m not as kind as you imagine. ”
Yang Haoran said with a smile. The moment he spoke, Ding Tianhua’s expression immediately changed. The forced smile on his face vanished, replaced by an expression of utter dread.
His condition at that moment was extremely poor. He knew that with his current physical state alone, he would absolutely not be Yang Haoran’s opponent; he didn’t even have the ability to block a single one of Yang Haoran’s attacks. If Yang Haoran was determined to kill him, he would certainly die. Therefore, upon hearing Yang Haoran’s words, his expression was panicked, and his heart was deeply unsettled, for he didn't want to die; he hadn't lived enough yet, and certainly didn’t want to lose his life here.
“Divine Emissary, this subordinate was utterly deluded and succumbed to malicious gossip, which led me to commit such disrespectful and foolish acts against the Divine Emissary. Now, this subordinate has awakened and recognized his mistakes, so I implore the Divine Emissary to grant this subordinate a chance for redemption. ”
Ding Tianhua suddenly knelt before Yang Haoran and desperately pleaded with him. However, Yang Haoran's expression didn't change in the slightest due to his words or actions; he merely looked at him with a faint smile, showing no intention of speaking.
Seeing Yang Haoran offer no reaction, not even the slightest change in his expression, the unease in Ding Tianhua’s heart grew stronger, for Yang Haoran’s lack of response was not a good sign for him.
“As long as the Divine Emissary grants this subordinate a chance for redemption, this subordinate is willing to atone for his sins through meritorious service, to be your ox and horse from now on, and will absolutely harbor no second thoughts. Moreover, our Underworld Office is currently in need of talent, especially our Jingling Continent Underworld Office, which needs strong individuals like me even more. For the Divine Emissary to spare my life would only bring benefits, not harm. ”
“Heh, I’m truly sorry. I’ve given you chances, and not just once, but you didn’t cherish them, so you can’t blame me. ”
Yang Haoran smiled faintly, as if discussing an insignificant trifle. But to Ding Tianhua, these words were far from a trifle, for they concerned his very life.
In an instant, Ding Tianhua’s heart sank to rock bottom. Yang Haoran’s words left him no room for maneuver, and his last shred of hope dissipated with them.
Despair brought intense fear to Ding Tianhua, and intense fear, in turn, sparked an ineffable rage in his heart. Knowing he was about to die, he immediately stood up, cursed at Yang Haoran, and mobilizing the scarce Yin Spirit Power within him, he launched an attack on Yang Haoran.
However, his so-called attack was as powerless in Yang Haoran’s eyes as a baby flailing its fists. Before his attack could successfully hit Yang Haoran, his head once again met Yang Haoran’s palm.
This palm strike was different from the previous one. The previous palm strike was meant to shatter the Death God Pendant, so it didn't cause any harm to Ding Tianhua’s body. However, this current palm strike was not aimed at the no-longer-existent Death God Pendant; instead, it was directly aimed at Ding Tianhua’s physical body. Therefore, this palm strike directly inflicted fatal damage on Ding Tianhua.
Bang!
With a muffled thud, powerful Yin Spirit Power poured into Ding Tianhua’s body, shattering his internal organs. Ding Tianhua’s expression froze, a mouthful of fresh blood spurted from his mouth, and his consciousness rapidly dissipated.
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