The worships, the Title Douluos, Qian Xunji, and Qian Renxue all looked puzzled. If they were called normal Soul Masters, how could they still be evil Soul Masters?
Qian Daoliu continued, "As everyone knows, evil Soul Masters cultivate incredibly quickly because they devour flesh and living beings, using an improper method to rapidly raise their cultivation. It is similar to those vicious cultivation techniques on the continent that consume a Soul Master's lifespan or cultivation talent to swiftly increase their cultivation for a short time."
"Evil Soul Masters devour and absorb flesh and living beings to rapidly increase their cultivation, which is why they are classified as evil Soul Masters. But we, as well as the great families of the Spirit Master World, also consume soul beast flesh to aid our cultivation. Why are Soul Masters like us not classified as evil Soul Masters?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo said, "That is because we do not excessively consume resources or slaughter indiscriminately. We turn the flesh of soul beasts whose Soul Rings we have killed and absorbed into delicacies, making use of what would otherwise go to waste. We rarely kill unrelated soul beasts, and even when we do, we kill those with lower cultivation whose populations can quickly recover."
"For soul beasts to grow to a thousand years, ten thousand years, or even a hundred thousand years takes ten or a hundred times longer than it takes Soul Masters to cultivate to the point where they can absorb their Soul Rings. If Soul Masters slaughter soul beasts without restraint, then one day, soul beast resources will be completely exhausted, and Soul Masters will disappear."
"Grand Pontiff, do you mean that the Clear Sky Sect slaughtered soul beasts on a massive scale?"
Qian Daoliu gave Chrysanthemum Douluo an approving glance. Chrysanthemum Douluo's strength was lacking, but his mind worked quickly. He did not need Qian Daoliu to slowly explain everything himself.
"After the Pope was defeated by Tang Hao, he specifically conducted a detailed investigation into Tang Hao's information. Tang Hao broke through to Soul Saint at the age of thirty. At thirty-five, he announced his departure from the Clear Sky Sect and fled the Spirit Hall's pursuit with the Blue Silver Emperor. During that time, he fought one of our Spirit Hall's Title Douluos. At the time, he was an eighty-fourth-rank Soul Douluo."
Qian Xunji was somewhat dumbfounded. When had he ever thoroughly investigated Tang Hao's intelligence? Father, you were the one who investigated it, so why were you pinning the blame on him?
The Title Douluo who had fought Tang Hao ten years ago and had one leg smashed apart by Tang Hao muttered, "Fourteen ranks in five years... what a terrifying speed. But Tang Hao only became a Title Douluo at forty-four. That means he broke through six ranks in nine years..."
"Grand Pontiff, could it be that Tang Xiao and Tang Hao slaughtered soul beasts on a massive scale for Soul Bones while traveling the continent?"
Qian Daoliu clasped his hands behind his back and said, "I am not entirely certain either. There are only a few ways for Soul Masters to increase their cultivation speed: absorbing Soul Rings and the Soul Power contained within them; absorbing Soul Bones and the Soul Power contained within them; or consuming heavenly treasures and absorbing the Soul Power they contain."
Chrysanthemum Douluo said angrily, "They must have slaughtered soul beasts indiscriminately to obtain Soul Bones! It has to be the increase in Soul Power brought by absorbing Soul Bones! If Tang Hao truly had such extraordinary cultivation talent, and his cultivation speed had remained at the level it was from age thirty to thirty-five, then at thirty, he would not have been a Soul Saint at all. He would have been close to becoming a Soul Douluo already!"
"That shameless Tang Hao! Just how many soul beasts did he slaughter for Soul Bones? And he still had the nerve to fall in love with a hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo clenched his fists tightly, filled with fury, jealousy, and hatred. Given Tang Hao's cultivation speed, he dared say that Tang Hao had surely not stopped until all six Soul Bone slots on his body were filled. Both were Title Douluos, and he was even Tang Hao's senior, yet he did not possess a single Soul Bone.
If he wanted to, with his strength, he too could slaughter soul beasts on a massive scale and obtain all six Soul Bones. But could he really do that? Just as Qian Daoliu had said, if everyone slaughtered soul beasts indiscriminately for Soul Bones, then in less than a few centuries, high-level soul beasts would likely be wiped out. Future Soul Masters would have no Soul Rings to use.
Anger appeared to varying degrees on the faces of the worships and many elders present. They were all members of the Spirit Hall, and one of the Spirit Hall's proclamations to the Spirit Master World was that Soul Masters were forbidden from slaughtering soul beasts indiscriminately.
Golden Crocodile Douluo said furiously, "Tang Hao truly is an evil Soul Master! How did Tang Chen raise such a selfish and self-serving grandson?"
At that moment, a man wearing golden armor entered through the entrance of the Elder Hall. He was somewhat thin and radiated a cold, gloomy aura. The moment he entered and saw the Elder Hall, the Pope, the Young Master, the Holy Maiden, the elders, and the worships all gathered together, his expression froze.
"Greetings, esteemed worships."
The man immediately flashed to the center of the hall and bowed.
This man was Ghost Leopard Douluo, who had remained in the Clear Sky Mountain Range to secretly observe the Clear Sky Sect.
Golden Crocodile Douluo asked, "Elder Ghost Leopard, how is the Clear Sky Sect doing now?"
Ghost Leopard Douluo clasped his hands and replied, "Grand Pontiff, Second Worship, on the surface, the Clear Sky Sect has gathered all its affiliated clans and intends to fight our Spirit Hall. However, after careful observation, this subordinate believes that the Clear Sky Sect seems to be using its affiliated clans to mislead our Spirit Hall while the members of its main clan are secretly evacuating."
"So it is not only Tang Hao. The Clear Sky Sect is actually using its affiliated clans as cannon fodder to buy time for their escape. These Tang family members are all evil Soul Masters on the Path to Death."
"Grand Pontiff, please give the order at once and wipe out these evil Soul Masters of the Clear Sky Sect who have betrayed humanity!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo spoke, and Soul Power surged from the bodies of the Title Douluo elders and worships alike. Killing intent appeared in their eyes as they prepared to eradicate these scum of the Spirit Master World from the Clear Sky Sect.
Qian Xunji's face was filled with unbearable shame. He had actually suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of a shameless, selfish evil thing like Tang Hao. It was simply an insult to him, the inheritor of the angel. He had disgraced his Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul.
"Were your brains all grown wrong? Did you take everything I just said as mere wind in your ears?"
Qian Daoliu was utterly speechless. He felt helpless with teammates as pig-headed as these. Why was it necessary to abandon all principles? What was the root of abandoning principles? It was to deal the greatest damage at the smallest cost.
Yet these fools still wanted to mindlessly charge head-on and launch a frontal assault.
They had no idea that there was an easier, more effortless method—one that would not cause the Spirit Hall any casualties, would greatly increase its strength, and could resolve the Clear Sky Sect without lifting a finger.
Did they not know that there was a type of Control System Soul Master who was invincible below the Title Douluo level, yet could not defeat a single Title Douluo? Let the Tang family hide in their rat holes, poison them, then harvest the remaining Title Douluos. That would be enough.
It was unclear whether Dugu Bo had broken through to Title Douluo yet, but Porcupinefish Douluo was already a ninety-first-rank Title Douluo.
The Clear Sky Sect's affiliated clans—the single-attribute Defense Clan, Speed Clan, and Attack Clan—were facing the Spirit Hall army pressing down upon them and the threat of extermination. Yet the Tang family had abandoned them and fled. What would they think? Would they still risk their lives for a sect like that? It would already be Goodness if they did not turn around and attack them.
Ah, this seemed to be Douluo. Even a plan to raid grain supplies was considered an eternal brilliant strategy. Then never mind.
Qian Daoliu sighed wearily. "I should handle this personally."
Before you continue