Chapter 1166: Stomping on the Golden Mammoth Demon Emperor |
What the Golden Mammoth Demon Emperor had not expected was that as he unleashed his War Stomp, Tang San also kicked the void without wasting a split second, using the exact same ability.
A thunderous roar split the sky as the two stomps collided. The fractured space shattered into shards, great swathes of darkness spreading overhead. The broken space threatened to devour them both, and only their immense cultivation allowed them to stabilize themselves against the pull.
Strange light flickered across Tang San's face as he stepped forward again, causing the sky to tremble. His Clear Sky Hammer swung out to meet the Golden Mammoth Demon Emperor's battle axe.
BOOM!!!
The deafening blast once more caused the sky to turn black—or rather, reveal the void beyond. Above the Ancestral Court, the atmosphere was simply blasted apart by the sheer force of their clash. Though the cracked space rapidly began to mend, it was easy to imagine what would have happened to anyone stuck in-between.
Seeing this, the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor's eyes glinted with hope. When Tang San defeated the earlier Emperors, he had appeared utterly invincible. But against the Golden Mammoth Demon Emperor, he did not seem to hold such an overwhelming advantage.
Yet the very next second, he saw Tang San shifting his feet. The hammer had rebounded from the axe, causing Tang San to spin around. But rather than losing control, he made use of that very momentum; his second strike was already coming, even fiercer than the first.
The Golden Mammoth Demon Emperor felt the Clear Sky Hammer's weight crash down like a mountain falling from the sky. His first strike had been his most powerful; he had predicted that his turn would come and he had made his preparations. Yet Tang San too had used War Stomp, meeting him blow for blow. The collision left neither side with the upper hand, but even this result entirely ruined the Golden Mammoth Demon Emperor's calculations.
BOOM!!!
The second clash blasted Tang San's hammer upward, but drove the Golden Mammoth Demon Emperor a hundred meters down.
"DIIIEEE!"
After two violent collisions, the Golden Mammoth Demon Emperor's battlelust was completely ignited. Blazing golden flames erupted from his body.
Among the Demon Emperors, he was the youngest save for Lin Ximo, and well in his prime. His vitality surged fiercely, and his bloodline power was far from declining. Yet at his level, few opportunities remained to truly fight. The two clashes had thrilled him, and he could sense his opponent's cultivation surpassed his own.
Without hesitation, he ignited his bloodline power. His strength surged dramatically.
Stepping in the air again, he unleashed another War Stomp. Riding its force, he swung his battle axe downward at Tang San.
At the same moment, Tang San spun, unleashing his next hammer strike.
BOOM!!!
The heavens shook. Even the Emperors below felt their eardrums shatter under the blast. In the Ancestral Court below, countless beings were knocked to the ground, clutching their ears and pouring out all their energy in a desperate yet futile attempt to resist the shockwaves.
Their collisions grew ever more violent. Thunderous impacts shook the sky again and again.
Tang San spun faster and faster, like a whirling top, each hammer heavier than the last.
The Golden Mammoth Demon Emperor burned his bloodline as if there was no tomorrow, swinging his axe in a frenzy, exploding with all his might. Yet no matter how he raged, Tang San's hammer drove him back every time.
If Tang San's old companions had been there, they would have recognized it instantly: This was the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer he'd taught them a while back! But now, performed by a being at the very peak of this world, it was something else entirely. The fractured space never had time to mend, shattered again and again by the ferocity of their clashes.
When Tang San's thirty-sixth hammer fell, golden blood sprayed from the Golden Mammoth Demon Emperor's mouth. His flames weakened sharply. Even as he forced Tang San's hammer aside with his axe, he felt his body failing.
Even as a Golden Mammoth, his strength had its limits. His power was running dry. And Tang San's hammer blows were simply too heavy.
The hammer rose for the thirty-seventh time. But at the same time, Tang San's movement slowed slightly.
The Golden Mammoth Demon Emperor exhaled in relief. If he was exhausted, then it followed that his opponent was also tired.
But then he saw something: The eighth golden ring behind Tang San flared. The single descending hammer split into countless overlapping shadows.
Terror surged from the depths of his divine consciousness. Yet he had no choice. Roaring, he burned blood and life alike, swinging his battle axe with all he had left.
BOOOOMMMM!!!
The shockwaves caused by this clash were longer and felt deeper than any before. Darkness consumed the heavens. The Emperors below tried to probe with their divine consciousnesses, but it was useless; even with their strength, they were simply unable to pierce through the storm. The blackness lasted over ten seconds before slowly fading. No sound followed.
The void healed swiftly, but the sky it left behind was blood-red.
Rain began to fall… Blood rain.
The Golden Mammoth Demon Emperor had fallen.
Suspended in the sky, Tang San gripped the Clear Sky Hammer. His breathing was ragged, but his eyes shone with relief. Thirty-seven strikes, each one venting his pent-up emotions. In this world, for Mei Gongzi's safety and his own survival, he had bowed to others and schemed for years. But today, at last, he could unleash himself. The true Tang San had returned.
Thirty-seven hammers. The final blow had been the Clear Sky Hammer's eighth soul ring ability—Thousand-Ton Wall.[1]
The air froze. Another Emperor slain. After the Endless Nymph Emperor, the Golden Mammoth Demon Emperor had fallen. One ruler each from among the ranks of demons and nymphs was gone.
There was no pause. Conquering the Heavens allowed no rest. Tang San turned his gaze toward the nymph side, his eyes falling on a familiar figure.
The Soul Capturer Nymph Emperor stiffened as Tang San's gaze met his. "I am ranked third. It should be the Parasol Tree Nymph Emperor's turn."
Tang San blinked. Indeed, he had misremembered the order. The fourth-ranked nymph, the Parasol Tree Nymph Emperor, was next.
The Parasol Tree Nymph Emperor glared at Soul Capturer, but Tang San's eyes were already upon him.
Drawing a deep breath, he spoke in a low voice, "You two are challenging us together, and in that case, I request a double battle, with the Undying Demon Emperor beside me. By order, I should appear alongside him, so my turn will follow later. By the rules, it's Soul Capturer's turn."
Tang San had just slain the Golden Mammoth Demon Emperor, and his aura was as fierce as could be. None wished to face him now. Soul Capturer had tried to evade, but Parasol now forced his hand.
"You—" Soul Capturer began angrily.
But Tang San had already turned to the Undying Demon Emperor. "Your Majesty Undying, will you join the Parasol Tree Nymph Emperor against me?"
The Undying Demon Emperor nodded and replied calmly, "I will."
1. The original name of this ability literally means "thousand-catty wall," which would make it 500kg~ish if we were to follow the modern standard measurement. However, this is usually just a metaphor for something very heavy, so we just ramped it up. This has been rendered in various MTL versions of Soul Land 1 as "Fifteen-Ton Rampart" or similar, but the number is nonsensical both with respect to the raws and in terms of imagery, and so we have elected to ignore it. Also, this was originally exactly what the name suggests, a wall-like defensive ability. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time in the entire Soul Land universe that it is shown to have offensive use, or be able to produce multiple clones of the hammer. ☜