Annihilating the Sect

"So this was once the number one sect in the world? Even tucked away in these mountains, they still had to maintain their former grandeur and style."

Looking at the five-meter-tall stone main gate of the Clear Sky Sect, then at the three imposing engraved characters reading "Clear Sky Sect," Qian Ningshuang could not help but mock it.

A style that no one but Clear Sky Sect disciples had ever appreciated finally received an outsider's evaluation today. How gratifying. How gratifying.

"Heh, a bunch of rats cowering in the mountains. No amount of grandeur and style can change that fact."

Hearing Qian Ningshuang's assessment, Tian'e sneered. The Tang Family's number one sect in the world? They were just a pack of cowards.

"Today, we'll make this pretentious grandeur part of history!"

Without hesitation, Tian'e threw a punch. The gate that had likely cost the Clear Sky Sect considerable resources to build instantly turned to dust.

"Who is it?! Who dares trespass upon my Clear Sky Sect?!"

As the sect gate was destroyed, several figures immediately flew out from within the Clear Sky Sect.

Upon seeing Tian'e dressed in a High Priest robe embroidered with a golden crocodile, those figures all stopped and no longer shouted.

"May I ask why the Spirit Hall's Second Worship has come to my Clear Sky Sect? And why have you destroyed our sect gate?"

A middle-aged man stepped forward. It was Tang Xiao. The boldness he had displayed while drinking with Tang Jin was gone, replaced by a grave expression as he questioned Tian'e.

"Why? Sect Master Tang Xiao, I believe you should know perfectly well why this old man has come."

Tian'e looked at Tang Xiao with a faintly mocking smile.

"What should I know? Rather, Golden Crocodile, you destroyed my sect's gate without cause. Have you forgotten the agreement my Clear Sky Sect's ancestor Tang Chen made with Spirit Hall's Grand Worship?"

Tang Xiao glared at Tian'e with a gloomy expression. He had guessed the reason—it should be because Tang Hao had wantonly destroyed Martial Soul Branch Halls and slaughtered Spirit Hall's Spirit Masters. But Tang Hao had already left the sect. What did Tang Hao's actions have to do with the Clear Sky Sect?

"Since Sect Master Tang Xiao does not understand why, Spirit Hall will make you understand today!

"Attack!"

As his words fell, several powerful auras soared into the sky around the Clear Sky Sect. Among them were three Limit Douluo auras at rank ninety-nine!

At the same time those auras erupted, overwhelming Soul Skill attacks blanketed the entire Clear Sky Sect!

Seeing that the visitors had come with ill intent, the Clear Sky Sect members also unleashed their Martial Souls. Spirit Rings of every color flashed as they hastily blocked the attacks raining down from above.

But it was useless. Attacks from a group whose weakest members were rank ninety-six Super Douluo were far beyond what the Clear Sky Sect's lower-ranked Title Douluo could withstand.

Of course, the Clear Sky Sect had Tang Xiao, a rank ninety-seven Super Douluo, but Tang Xiao could barely save himself now.

Tang Xiao had already been sent flying by a single strike from Tian'e, blood spraying from his mouth as if it cost nothing.

"Your Spirit Hall truly intends to disregard the agreement of old?! Qian Daoliu, you fickle little man! Ancestor Tang Chen must have been blind to call you his friend!"

Realizing that the Clear Sky Sect might not escape disaster today, Tang Xiao forced himself to stand and cursed angrily at the sky.

He only hoped Qian Daoliu had come today. With the friendship between Tang Chen and Qian Daoliu back then, the Clear Sky Sect might at least still have a sliver of hope.

Before Tang Xiao could continue cursing at the sky, Tian'e flashed before him and brought down a high kick, stomping Tang Xiao into the ground.

"Trying to curse Big Brother out here? Give up that little scheme in your heart. Big Brother did not come today, but he approved this operation.

"And that agreement from back then? We have all struggled in the Spirit Master world for decades. Tang Xiao, do you really believe in agreements?

"Besides, your Clear Sky Sect has shown no intention of honoring one."

Seeing that Sect Master Tang Xiao had completely lost the ability to resist, the Clear Sky Sect's Fifth Elder Tang Gu, who had been beaten to the point of barely breathing by Seventh Worship Jiang Mo, suddenly seemed to rally. Using what remained of his Soul Power, he roared at the ordinary Clear Sky Sect disciples being slaughtered.

"Run! Everyone, run! Escape if you can! Find Tang Hao and tell him that Spirit Hall destroyed the Clear Sky Sect!"

Then the last of his Soul Power surged around him. Clearly, he intended to self-destruct.

"Self-destruct? Dream on!"

Jiang Mo struck Tang Gu's dantian with his staff. As Tang Gu vomited blood, the Soul Power he had gathered scattered.

"You will die horribly!"

Tang Gu, whose self-destruction had been interrupted, glared at Jiang Mo with venomous hatred and cursed him.

Jiang Mo merely picked at his ear, then looked at Tang Gu with contempt.

"The wails of the defeated cannot change anything. Save your strength. If you worsen your injuries, it will take Spirit Hall a great deal of time to treat you."

Then Jiang Mo looked toward the Clear Sky Sect disciples, who had already begun fleeing in every direction, and called out to Fourth Worship Qing Yu, who was still observing the situation from the air.

"Fourth brother!"

"Trying to run? If even one of you escapes today, that would truly be a joke!"

Qing Yu stroked his zither as his sixth Spirit Ring flashed.

Dream Returning Chasing Light!

As his words fell, a blue-green ring of light enveloped the entire Clear Sky Sect.

After the blue-green ring descended, every fleeing Clear Sky Sect disciple returned to where they had started. No matter how they ran afterward, they would always be returned to their original spot upon reaching the edge of the ring.

Fourth Worship Qing Yu, whose Martial Soul was Qingyu Flow, was a rank ninety-seven Control System Spirit Master. His sixth Soul Skill might have been a useless skill in a competition, but in a life-or-death pursuit across the martial world, it was a divine skill.

Chaotic Heavenly Wolf!

Once he saw that the Clear Sky Sect disciples had nowhere left to run, Third Worship Yin Long immediately unleashed his ninth Soul Skill.

Black-red chain blades emerged from the void, followed by wave after wave of screams from the Clear Sky Sect disciples.

From Qian Ningshuang's perspective as she watched from the sidelines, this battle was utterly unremarkable and ended quickly.

Spirit Hall arrived, then Spirit Hall won, and the Clear Sky Sect was gone.

Afterward, she followed Yin Long and the other High Priests to loot the spoils.

Elsewhere, Qian Chongling looked at the Clear Sky Sect's seven Title Douluo, who had been crippled and forced to kneel on the ground, and sneered.

It seemed he had been right to bring Gu Yuena along. Seven Title Douluo cultivated in this backwater mountain range? If so, the Spirit Hall High Priests might as well find a block of tofu and smash their heads into it.

Although he could not sense any Evil Soul Master aura from these seven Title Douluo, something was clearly wrong.

Qian Chongling turned his gaze toward Gu Yuena, who had come along.

"Miss Gu Yuena, have you noticed anything?"

When he had first brought Qian Ningshuang and Gu Yuena to the Clear Sky Sect, Qian Chongling had merely intended to try his luck. Yet he had found seven Title Douluo in the Clear Sky Sect. Could such a remote mountain range truly cultivate seven Title Douluo?

"I cannot tell anything specific. The auras on these people are not as mixed and chaotic as those Evil Soul Masters from the Xuantian Sect."

Gu Yuena stared at the Clear Sky Sect's seven Title Douluo and shook her head. But seven Title Douluo was clearly abnormal. Even Spirit Beasts required a place with pure energy or heavenly treasures to cultivate; otherwise, they had to rely on time.

The problem was that this mountain was not some blessed land.

When Gu Yuena mentioned the words "Xuantian Sect," Tang Jin, the Clear Sky Sect's Second Elder, who had been listless until then, suddenly looked away in panic.

Tang Xiao, who had kept his head held high, also began lowering it, hiding his eyes from view.

The other Clear Sky Sect Title Douluo either looked panicked or exchanged glances.

Seeing this, Qian Chongling's face took on a faintly amused expression.

"It seems your Clear Sky Sect truly has some connection to the Xuantian Sect from ten thousand years ago."

Gu Yuena was intrigued as well. She had not expected that, even though the Xuantian Sect had been destroyed for ten thousand years, someone could still be connected to it.

"Speak! Otherwise, this old man will make you wish you were dead!"

Qian Chongling's expression suddenly turned cold. Whenever Evil Soul Masters were involved, he would pursue them to the ends of the earth and kill them all.

His era had not been like the present, when Evil Soul Masters had nearly vanished. Back then, although Evil Soul Masters no longer had a giant like the Xuantian Sect, they still constantly emerged across the continent, committing horrifying massacres. They were like flies and mosquitoes, impossible to kill completely. Qian Chongling's beloved had even fallen at the hands of Evil Soul Masters.

When he had served as Spirit Hall's Pope, Spirit Hall's foremost objective had been hunting down Evil Soul Masters across the continent. Only after decades of pursuing them and encountering countless Evil Soul Masters had Qian Chongling understood how they came to be and where they originated—from the countless commoners across the continent, from commoners oppressed by powerful factions until they could no longer survive. For many, that was the original reason they became Evil Soul Masters.