Heaven Dou Turmoil, Star Luo, Clear Sky Sect, Spirit Hall!

"Clang!"

The main hall door of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was suddenly pushed open.

The heavy golden nanmu wood door panel slammed against the stone wall, producing a dull thud that echoed throughout the empty hall.

Ning Fengzhi strode ahead, the hem of his moonlit brocade robe still damp with night dew, and fine beads of sweat glistening on his forehead.

As the sect leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, he was known for his composure, but at this moment his steps were filled with an undisguised urgency.

Bone Douluo Gu Rong, followed closely behind, keeping a perfect half-step distance.

The spatial rift behind him was slowly closing, and the dark spatial blade light disappeared without a trace, as if wiped away by a hand.

The eerie aftertaste of bone changes flashed briefly across his withered hand bones, emitting a few soft cracking sounds before disappearing back into his sleeve.

Sword Douluo Chen Xin was originally sitting cross-legged on a futon on one side of the main hall, resting with his eyes closed.

Sensing the residual fluctuations from the spatial tear, he suddenly opened his eyes, his sharp, sword-like gaze sweeping across the hall.

Seeing the expressions on their faces, his brows immediately furrowed into a deep frown.

"Fengzhi, what happened?"

Chen Xin stood up, his tone direct and characteristic of a swordsman, "You don't look well."

Gu Rong spoke first, his voice hoarse and deep, like two dry bones grinding against each other. "Old Swordsman, close the palace doors first. What follows should not be heard by anyone."

Chen Xin's eyes narrowed, and he raised his hand and waved it in the air.

The heavy wooden doors of the main hall closed silently, the hinges turning without making a sound, and even the gaps between the doors were perfectly aligned.

A sharp sword aura flashed and disappeared within the hall.

The candlelight inside the hall was stirred by the airflow, causing the flames to flicker and cast dappled shadows on the three people's faces before settling back down.

Ning Fengzhi walked to the head seat and sat down.

He tapped his fingers rapidly twice on the rosewood table, took a deep breath, and then spoke in a deep voice, "Xue Ye summoned me to the palace tonight for an urgent meeting."

"Yu Luomian also went along."

"Old Long?"

Chen Xin's brows furrowed even more, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

"You two were summoned at the same time?"

Both the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan are among the Upper Three Sects sects.

It is extremely rare for two officials to be summoned by the royal family at the same time.

"Could it be that the Spirit Hall is making a move?"

Chen Xin asked in a deep voice, his fingers unconsciously stroking the hilt of a sword that wasn't actually at his waist.

"It's not the Spirit Hall."

Ning Fengzhi his head, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the two Titled Douluo, and said, word by word, "The Single Attribute Four Clans —Strength, Agility, Defense, and Penetration—all vanished overnight."

The hall remained silent for a full three breaths.

The candlelight crackled and flickered.

Chen Xin tilted her head, as if to make sure she hadn't misheard.

His gaze sharpened, staring intently at Ning Fengzhi's face for a full two breaths. "All? What do you mean by all?"

It means exactly what it says.

Ning Fengzhi's fingers stopped on the table, his fingertips turning slightly white.

"The four Clan Head, all at the Soul Douluo level, along with everyone in the clan—men, women, children, disciples, and servants—were all gone, as if they had vanished into thin air."

Gu Rong continued, his hoarse voice echoing in the hall. "The Strength Clan's stronghold is less than ten miles outside the north gate of the imperial city."

"Last night at 9 PM, the patrolling city guards saw lights on in the barracks and people walking around in the courtyard."

"When I went to check again this morning, the camp was deserted. The porridge on the stove was still in the pot, and it felt warm to the touch."

"What does Xue Ye mean by this?"

Chen Xin interrupted him, turning her gaze to Ning Fengzhi, "He summoned you to the palace overnight; it couldn't have been just to deliver a message."

Ning Fengzhi rubbed his temples, looking tired. "He first tried to probe indirectly, asking if the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon had any unusual activities recently."

Their words were all probing, trying to confirm whether we were the ones who made the move.

"He suspects us?"

Chen Xin's tone suddenly rose a notch, and sword energy subtly surged around him.

"Has that old man Xue Ye lost his mind? What benefit could my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect possibly gain from harming these Four Clans?"

"He doesn't just suspect us."

Ning Fengzhi moved the candlestick on the table aside and took out a roll of sheepskin map from his sleeve, spreading it out on the table.

It was a detailed topographical map of Heaven Dou City and its surrounding area, with extremely precise markings.

He was suspicious of any force capable of doing so.

"While the Single Attribute Four Clans may not be as powerful as the Seven Great Sects when taken individually, the combined strength of four Soul Douluo is such that even an ordinary Titled Douluo would not be able to defeat them without making a move."

Gu Rong walked to the map and pointed his withered fingers to the north of the city.

"The Strength Clan's stronghold is located here, less than ten miles from the north gate of the imperial city."

"Old Swordsman, you know that if Soul Master of my level were to make a move, the aftershocks could be felt not only in the Imperial City, but even in villages thirty miles outside the city."

"I know."

Chen Xin said coldly, "It's precisely because I understand that I find it absurd."

"That's why Xue Ye was afraid."

Ning Fengzhi looked up at the two Titled Douluo, a hint of solemnity flashing in his eyes.

"If this force could silently annihilate four clans right under the walls of the capital, how could he sleep Xue Ye if they were to deal with the Heaven Dou Imperial Family? How could he not be anxious tonight?"

"If it were me, I'd be anxious too."

Chen Xin remained silent for a moment.

He walked to the window with his hands behind his back and looked out at the deep night.

He suddenly turned around and asked, "Feng Zhi, what's your assessment? Which faction was behind this?"

Ning Fengzhi did not answer immediately.

He folded the map, unfolded it, folded it again, and finally pushed it aside.

He repeated this action twice. Those who know him well know that he was forcing himself to calm down and clear his mind.

"When I left the palace, I spoke with Yu Luomian outside the palace gates."

Ning Fengzhi finally spoke, his voice regaining its usual calm and steady tone.

"I can confirm that the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan has not harmed the Four Clans."

"You know Yu Luomian's temper; he wouldn't stoop to lying to me."

"You really trust him that much?" Gu Rong asked.

"Yu Luomian has no reason to lie to me."

"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan has been busy reorganizing its internal affairs recently, and Elder Yu Yuanzhen is in seclusion, striving to reach a higher realm. They are too preoccupied with their own problems to have the energy to deal with four other clans."

Ning Fengzhi paused, then added, "Moreover, Yu Luomian told me something: if the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was behind it, he wouldn't deny it."

"That sounds like Old Dragon's tone," Chen Xin nodded.

"What about the Heaven Dou Imperial Family themselves? Could it be that they orchestrated this whole thing?" Gu Rong asked.

There was no motive on Xue Ye.

Ning Fengzhi his head. "Although the Four Clans are not loyal to the royal family and are not subject to their commands, they have always paid their taxes on time and never caused trouble. Their attitude towards the empire is neither to be subservient to nor to resist it."

"If the Heaven Dou Empire is going to make a move, it won't target the four most honest clans."

"Moreover, the Imperial Army's movements cannot be hidden from our people; there have been no abnormalities in the past month."

Gu Rong paced back and forth in the hall, the bones beneath his robes making a soft cracking sound—a habitual gesture when he was deep in thought.

He suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Then only external forces remaining in the Heaven Dou are left."

Ning Fengzhi nodded and slowly raised a finger. "The first possibility— the Star Luo Empire."

Chen Xin immediately replied, decisively. "The possibility is not high."

"Go on," Ning Fengzhi, looking at him.

"The borders of Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empire are separated by a thousand miles, with thirteen beacon towers and more than three hundred hidden sentries in between."

Chen Xin's tone was extremely firm, as certain as if he were stating that one plus one equals two.

"For the Star Luo Empire's elite forces to infiltrate, they must bypass the border defenses."

"Even if we assume they've evaded the beacon towers and sentries, what can they do once they're inside the vicinity of Heaven Dou City?"

"The Star Luo Sect doesn't have titles. The Netherworld White Tiger Martial Soul Fusion Technique of the Dai and Zhu families can indeed unleash combat power at the level of a Title Douluo, but that requires at least one Soul Douluo to achieve through Martial Soul Fusion."

"To take down four Soul Douluo and all the members of four clans in one night without alerting anyone, their Hell White Tiger simply couldn't do it cleanly and efficiently."

Gu Rong added from the side, his tone resolute. "Moreover, the Four Clans ' settlements are distributed in the four cardinal directions, dozens of miles apart."

"They can't be in four places at the same time unless they can be in two places at once."

"Uncle Jian and Uncle Gu are both right."

Ning Fengzhi nodded, then raised a second finger. "Then, the second possibility— the Clear Sky Sect."

The moment the name was uttered, the atmosphere in the hall froze.

Chen Xin's gaze suddenly sharpened like a sword.

Gu Rong paused slightly and stopped walking.

The candlelight cast long shadows between the three people, the flickering light serving as a silent warning.

The hall was silent for two breaths.

"You all know the history between the Single Attribute Four Clans and the Clear Sky Sect without me having to explain it."

Ning Fengzhi's voice was calm, but a complex emotion flashed in his eyes.

"Back then, when the Clear Sky Sect announced the closure of its mountain gates, the four clans of Strength, Agility, Defense, and Destruction chose to sever ties and become independent. At that time, the four clans broke away from the Clear Sky Sect and established their own sects."

"This matter caused quite a stir back then, and the entire Soul Master World was watching closely."

After pondering for a moment, Chen Xin slowly said, "You mean... the Clear Sky Sect is settling old scores from back then?"

"That's possible."

Ning Fengzhi did not avoid the question.

"The Clear Sky Sect has been in seclusion for over ten years does not mean they have forgotten this matter."

"Moreover, given the strength of the Clear Sky Sect, with the brothers Tang Xiao and Tang Hao both being Titled Douluo- level powerhouses, they could easily wipe out four clans with only Soul Douluo as their leaders without a sound."

Gu Rong shook his head, his withered fingers tapping in the air. "I don't think it's likely the Clear Sky Sect."

"Uncle Gu, what do you think?" Ning Fengzhi turned to him.

"The Clear Sky Sect went into seclusion to avoid the Spirit Hall's advance. For the past ten years or so, they haven't even stepped outside their mountain gates. The Soul Master Ban Decree has been in effect for decades, forbidding disciples from setting foot on the mainland without authorization."

"Would they break their seclusion to settle old scores from back then?"

Gu Rong snorted coldly, "Moreover, once we make a move, it's tantamount to announcing to the world that the Clear Sky Clear Sky Sect is still active, and the Spirit Hall will immediately set its sights on us."

In my opinion, this is all a losing proposition.

"Tang Xiao isn't as brainless as Tang Hao; he'll settle this score."

"Uncle Bone is right."

Ning Fengzhi a deep breath and slowly raised his third finger.

"Then the third possibility, and the only one left."

Three slender fingers are held upright in the air, corresponding to three different forces.

He had already analyzed and eliminated the first two one by one, and the answer to the remaining one was already obvious to the three of them.

Chen Xin saw Ning Fengzhi's gesture clearly, and his pupils contracted slightly.

His fingers unconsciously formed a sword gesture inside his sleeve, his knuckles cracking.

"The Spirit Hall."

Ning Fengzhi uttered these three words, his voice low yet carrying Qian Jun weight.

"Only the Spirit Hall has the motive, the strength, and the means to do so."