Trash Grandmaster No One Could Stand

Heaven Dou Empire.

Heaven Dou City, Imperial Palace.

Xue Ye, clad in a bright yellow imperial robe, looked over the report his subordinate had delivered.

After his shock, Xue Ye, much like Ning Fengzhi, felt some concern. Yet in the end, he too chose to watch coldly from the sidelines.

The Heaven Dou Empire had always been wary of Spirit Hall and the major sects.

Its wariness toward Spirit Hall stemmed from the fact that Spirit Hall controlled nearly seventy percent of the Spirit Masters across the continent.

The Heaven Dou Empire faced Spirit Hall's threat at every moment.

But Spirit Hall's existence also benefited the Heaven Dou Empire.

As the only Two Great Empires on the continent, the Heaven Dou Empire and Star Luo Empire had nearly divided all the continent's land between them.

Naturally, each coveted the other's territory. Friction erupted along their borders year after year, with large and small wars totaling more than a hundred annually.

Spirit Hall, entrenched between the Two Great Empires, served as a deterrent to both.

Thus, neither Empire dared to expand the war.

Spirit Hall's existence had, in an invisible way, indirectly helped the Heaven Dou Empire.

If not for Spirit Hall's deterrence, the relatively weaker Heaven Dou Empire would likely have long since been swallowed by the Star Luo Empire.

Therefore, wary as he was, Xue Ye did not want Spirit Hall to perish.

He was even more wary of the major sects because these sect forces did not submit to the Heaven Dou Imperial Family.

Because the Heaven Dou Imperial Family's Xue Family had weakened, and its inherited Martial Soul was the non-combative Swan Martial Soul, numerous sect forces had taken root throughout the Heaven Dou Empire.

These sect forces occupied vast tracts of the Heaven Dou Empire's land. Not only did they monopolize resources, but they paid neither tribute nor taxes.

Yet Xue Ye did not dare fall out with these sect forces. Not only could he not offend them, he had to do his utmost to curry favor with and recruit them, even taking the initiative to grant them noble titles.

As for Spirit Master forces, he avoided provoking them whenever possible.

He had no desire to one day have his head taken off for no apparent reason.

Among the major sect forces, aside from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, which maintained good relations with the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, the other sects did not care in the slightest about the Heaven Dou Imperial Family.

The Clear Sky Sect was also located within the Heaven Dou Empire.

Yet it secretly supported the Heaven Dou Imperial Family's sworn enemy, the Star Luo Imperial Family.

Xue Ye bore immense ill will toward the Clear Sky Sect's actions. He wished for the Clear Sky Sect to suffer devastating losses and ultimately perish.

In Xue Ye's view, he secretly leaned toward Spirit Hall. The ideal outcome would be for Spirit Hall's strength to be weakened while the Clear Sky Sect was destroyed.

But Xue Ye would not show it. He chose to watch coldly from the sidelines.

Star Luo Empire.

Star Luo City, Imperial Palace.

Dai Tianfeng, clad in a black imperial robe and wearing a star crown, had also received the news.

At first, he displayed the same shock as Ning Fengzhi, Yu Yuanzhen, and Xue Ye.

Then his face broke into a smile.

Of course, it was not the gloating smile Yu Yuanzhen had worn.

He was genuinely happy.

He strongly supported the war between Spirit Hall and the Clear Sky Sect. After all, the battlefield was not within the Star Luo Empire.

Fight however you like. It would not affect the Star Luo Empire.

Dai Tianfeng was delighted.

His attitude was the complete opposite of Xue Ye's.

Since the Clear Sky Sect secretly supported the Star Luo Imperial Family, his position naturally favored the Clear Sky Sect.

Spirit Hall, standing between the Two Great Empires, was a thorn in the Star Luo Empire's eye and flesh.

It was because of Spirit Hall's existence that the Star Luo Empire had been unable to swallow the Heaven Dou Empire and unify the continent.

Furthermore, the Star Luo Empire pursued a hardline policy toward Spirit Hall from top to bottom, so relations between the Star Luo Empire and Spirit Hall were far from friendly.

Still, Dai Tianfeng was extremely wary of Spirit Hall, because he did not know just how deep its waters ran.

This war between the Clear Sky Sect and Spirit Hall was the perfect opportunity—an opportunity to probe Spirit Hall's true depths.

At that thought, Dai Tianfeng began to look forward to it, so excited that he could hardly wait.

He even wanted to add more fuel to the fire and make it burn even hotter.

But Dai Tianfeng did not do so.

He wanted to, but he did not dare.

One wrong step could easily set the fire upon himself.

In the end, Dai Tianfeng decided to sit firmly and watch the tigers fight from the mountain.

Some were worried, while others rejoiced!

And some rejoiced to the point of madness.

For example.

A certain worthless grandmaster who had deceived the world and stolen fame.

Southwest of the Heaven Dou Empire, Fasinuo Province.

Nuoding City.

Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy.

Here lived in seclusion a self-proclaimed Martial Soul Theory Master with disheveled hair, a crew cut, a full beard, cheeks so stiff they appeared sunken, coarse linen clothes, and a sour face as though everyone owed him millions of Gold Soul Coins—

Yu Xiaogang.

Today, as usual.

Timing it for mealtime, Yu Xiaogang arrived on the second floor of the Nuoding Academy Canteen and began his daily, year-round freeloading.

Soon, beneath the contemptuous, disgusted gaze of the food server and the pointing fingers of the teachers and students around him, Yu Xiaogang received his portion of food.

It was food specially prepared for Nuoding Academy's teachers.

Yu Xiaogang had been invited by the Dean, his friend, to serve as a specially appointed teacher. Yet he had never taught Nuoding Academy's students even a single class, while still carrying the title of teacher and eating and drinking for free at the Academy Canteen every day.

As a result, all the teachers and students of Nuoding Academy despised and detested Yu Xiaogang, and even the food server could not stand him.

Yu Xiaogang lowered his head, not daring to look at the food server. After receiving his meal, he quickly turned and left with his tray, finding an inconspicuous corner to sit in.

After sitting down, Yu Xiaogang saw that no one was paying attention to him anymore. He sighed in relief, but his expression darkened as a voice within him roared endlessly:

"Damn it. Even a food server dares look down on me. And you lowly, worthless teachers and students... One day, I'll prove my theories and make you regret this! Then I'll show you what it means to be beyond your reach! Hmph—!"

After venting inwardly, Yu Xiaogang picked up the chicken leg on his tray and viciously bit into it, venting the resentment in his heart.

Just then, the discussion of several well-dressed noble students seated two tables away reached Yu Xiaogang's ears.

"Hey, have you heard? They say Spirit Hall's Pope is dead."

"No way. How did the Pope die?"

"They say the Pope was murdered."

"Who was it? Who had the nerve to kill Spirit Hall's Pope?"

"Rumor has it that it was some successor of the number one sect under heaven, the Clear Sky Sect. His name was Tang Hao or something."

"Where did you hear that?"

"My second uncle is a deacon at Spirit Hall in Nuoding City. He told me. Spirit Hall's wanted notice and war proclamation have both been issued."

"I know about it too. It's absolutely true. My uncle works as a steward at the Nuoding City City Lord's Mansion, and he said the same thing."

The students were not speaking loudly. They had even deliberately lowered their voices while discussing it. Although Yu Xiaogang was somewhat worthless and merely a level twenty-nine Soul Grandmaster, he could still hear them clearly.

Yu Xiaogang, who had been wolfing down bread and chicken legs, nearly choked when he heard their discussion.

But in the next instant, he suddenly froze. Even when the bread and chicken leg in his hands fell to the ground, he barely reacted.