You Said That Very Well. Don't Say It Again Next Time.

As for whether the truth of the matter was genuine, no one bothered to investigate it closely.

One side was a foppish noble who bullied men and women alike and committed every imaginable evil, with an atrocious reputation. The other was an organization that had consistently done good deeds, full of righteousness and grandeur.

Anyone knew which side they should choose and whom they should believe.

Of course, there were also some factions standing with the Heaven Dou Empire who felt that Spirit Hall was making trouble for no reason.

They mobilized some hidden forces, hoping to uncover the truth and restore justice to the Heaven Dou Empire.

But as their investigation deepened, they discovered something.

A few days earlier, Xue Celou had indeed brought a group of attendants to Tianxing City, and he had indeed killed someone within the city.

After all, only a few days had passed since the funeral of the Yu Family's eldest son, so there were still traces to follow.

At the same time, after someone died, Xue Celou vanished from the city. They assumed that he had been taken under control by Spirit Hall.

Since they could not investigate Xue Celou any further, they turned their attention to the other main figure mentioned in the announcement.

Fine, hadn't they said Xu Yuan was critically injured?

If they found that he was perfectly fine, without so much as a scratch and full of life, how would they explain themselves?

Using certain covert methods, they quickly tracked down Xu Yuan's whereabouts.

Then they discovered that not long after the incident, Xu Yuan had returned to Spirit Academy. But when they tried to investigate his circumstances within the academy—

They were told that Xu Yuan had not attended classes for a long time.

A child who had awakened his Martial Soul barely half a year ago had not gone to class for so long. That was obviously abnormal.

Thinking of the announcement's claim that Xu Yuan was critically injured, everyone's hearts sank.

Spirit Hall might actually be telling the truth this time!

If people from the Heaven Dou Empire could uncover it, it naturally was not difficult for other factions to investigate the matter as well.

Less than a day after Spirit Hall issued its notice, the Star Luo Empire released an announcement of its own.

[Star Luo Empire Announcement]:

The White Tiger Emperor of the Star Luo Empire extended his condolences regarding the Heaven Dou Empire prince's descendant harming the Pope's disciple of Spirit Hall.

Alas! To harm the Pope's disciple and sever another's legacy was an atrocity beyond all bounds. It pained Us deeply!

The White Tiger Emperor stated that while Spirit Hall campaigned against the Heaven Dou Empire, the Star Luo Empire ought to lend some support.

We are willing to dispatch the empire's strongest White Tiger Legion to assist Spirit Hall in guarding Slaughter City.

This would allow the Pope to free his hands and strike with full force!

...

As the saying went, the enemy of one's enemy was one's friend.

Spirit Hall and the Heaven Dou Empire had a poor relationship, and the relationship between the Star Luo Empire and the Heaven Dou Empire was naturally terrible as well.

Now that he heard Spirit Hall intended to move against the Heaven Dou Empire, the White Tiger Emperor was delighted beyond measure.

Fight!

Hurry up and fight!

When two tigers fought, one was bound to be injured. Once Spirit Hall and the Heaven Dou Empire fought until both sides were devastated, would not the Star Luo Empire, which had been watching from the mountain, become the top power without lifting a finger?

Then it could punch Spirit Hall and kick Heaven Dou City beneath its feet. Unifying the continent would no longer be a dream.

Just thinking about it made the White Tiger Emperor feel wonderful!

Unfortunately, starting a war was not so simple.

A single move could affect the whole situation.

Less than two hours after the Star Luo Empire's announcement was released, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, located within the Heaven Dou Empire, also issued an announcement.

If anyone was most unwilling to see a war begin, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would rank among the top three.

Originally, an organization like the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had no standing to speak in a clash between powers as massive as Spirit Hall, Heaven Dou, and Star Luo.

However, as one of the Seven Great Sects, ranked second among the Upper Three Sects, located not far from Heaven Dou City, and sharing a fate of prosperity and ruin with the Heaven Dou Empire, it was deeply tied to the empire.

Spirit Hall was about to attack them. If Ning Fengzhi still said nothing, would that not be like a living man lying in a coffin, waiting to die?

Although Sword Douluo Chen Xin possessed extraordinary cultivation and overwhelming strength, Spirit Hall's announcement had clearly stated that Great Elder Qian Daoliu took this matter extremely seriously.

If that ninety-ninth-level Peerless Douluo took action, who could stop him?

[Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect Announcement]:

Your Majesty of the neighboring country, please do not fan the flames. Thank you!

None of us wishes to see matters develop to this point. Please consider the greater good.

If Spirit Hall and the Heaven Dou Empire went to war, it would surely bring misery to countless lives. Regardless of who won, it would be the common people who suffered.

Our sect master, Ning Fengzhi, has stated that he is willing to mediate between the two powers in this matter and facilitate a reconciliation.

For the sake of the people, please do not resort to force. After all, it was better to resolve grudges than deepen them.

We also understand the course of events. Xue Celou was indeed at fault, and we believe the Heaven Dou Empire is willing to provide appropriate compensation.

Everyone, when the nation prospered, the people suffered; when the nation perished, the people suffered. Please consider this carefully!

...

The Heaven Dou Empire's imperial palace.

Crack!

A jade teacup smashed onto the floor, shattering into pieces and splashing tea everywhere.

Xue Ye paced back and forth through the room with his hands behind his back, so furious that his blood pressure nearly flared up.

Beside him, Prince Xue Xing sat in a chair. Despite the sweltering heat, he was shivering uncontrollably from rage.

His son was already dead, yet Spirit Hall still put on such an act.

"Brother, we cannot let this matter end like this!"

Xue Xing furiously slapped the armrest of his chair. "Don't I know my own son?

He was such a well-behaved and sensible child. From time to time, he even brought home young women who had run away from home or gotten lost in the city, taking excellent care of them. Before sending them away, he would even worry that they had no money and kindly give them one or two Gold Soul Coins for travel expenses.

How could such a kind and responsible child possibly kill someone in Tianxing City?

Spirit Hall must be throwing mud at him. This is blatant slander!"

On his other side stood Crown Prince Xue Qinghe.

Upon hearing those words, he nearly sprayed out a mouthful of tea. He forcibly swallowed it, coughed twice, and said nothing.

He cast a deep glance at Prince Xue Xing across from him.

You really dared to say that?

Xue Ye naturally knew exactly what kind of person Xue Celou was. As for Xue Xing's claim about occasionally bringing young women home from the city, he pretended not to hear it.

After all, Xue Xing might have no shame, but he still did. There was truly no one else who could describe abducting women like that!

Still, Xue Xing was his own brother, a member of the imperial bloodline.

Taking a deep breath to suppress the anger in his heart, Xue Ye waved his hand.

"The issue now is not whether Spirit Hall has slandered him. Once the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect issued that announcement, didn't it completely confirm what Xue Celou did in Tianxing City?

Who gave Ning Fengzhi the nerve to say such things?"

Ning Fengzhi was Xue Qinghe's teacher, so Xue Qinghe naturally could not remain silent after Xue Ye mentioned him.

"Sect Master Ning was also thinking of the empire. After all, Spirit Hall's Great Elder has descended from the mountain. If war truly begins, what can the empire use to stop them?

Spirit Hall has many high-level Soul Masters. If they avoided the imperial army and specifically hunted the empire's upper ranks, who could escape?

If a nation lost its upper-level administration, everything below would immediately become a scattered mess. And with the Star Luo Empire eyeing us like a tiger, I believe they certainly would not stand by and do nothing at that time!"

"..."

You said that very well. Don't say it again next time!

Xue Ye was even angrier now, because he realized that if Spirit Hall insisted on fighting, they had no way to deal with the assassination of their high-level Soul Masters.

But if he truly compensated them as Ning Fengzhi suggested, he felt unbearably stifled.

He had done nothing. He had merely been sleeping at home when his subordinates woke him to say that Spirit Hall was coming to attack him.

And Ning Fengzhi was even telling him to pay compensation and apologize.

Why should he?