Hit Yourself

As the one-month deadline given by Martial Soul Hall to the Clear Sky Sect drew closer, all factions across the continent fell silent. The entire spirit master world became terrifyingly quiet, with every power secretly observing the showdown between the head of the Upper Three Sects, the world's number one sect, and Martial Soul Hall.

Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Ning Fengzhi sat on a carved wooden chair and sighed, "Truly, the mountain wind is rising, and the pavilion is full of rain. Ten Title Douluo, and that's not even counting Qian Daoliu and Qian Xunji. Even if my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda spirit could assist our side's Title Douluo from the Upper Three Sects, effectively making one Title Douluo count as two, including Tang Hao, we would still only have ten Title Douluo."

Bone Douluo said, "Fengzhi, the Clear Sky Sect has already gathered all the affiliated clans they could contact. Could they truly be planning to fight Martial Soul Hall to the death?"

"Unless the long-missing old Sect Master Tang Chen, who is on par with Qian Daoliu, returns, the Clear Sky Sect will only be courting their own destruction by engaging in a head-on collision."

Subjectively, unless Tang Chen returned, Ning Fengzhi was absolutely unwilling to see the Clear Sky Sect destroyed. The Upper Three Sects had originally stood together only to barely balance Martial Soul Hall; if the Clear Sky Sect were wiped out—the strongest of the three—the remaining sects would be no different from a joke in front of Martial Soul Hall. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would then have no choice but to act according to the whims of Martial Soul Hall.

"Let us go and see. If the old Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect does not appear, then the only option is for Tang Hao to declare that he has no connection to that 100,000-year Blue Silver Emperor. He must also express a desire to eliminate that 100,000-year Blue Silver Emperor himself, shifting the conflict between Martial Soul Hall and the Clear Sky Sect from a racial dispute to a struggle over treasure."

Moonlight Pavilion, music classroom.

Tang Yuehua was teaching the students of Moonlight Pavilion as usual, as if the storms and conflicts of the outside world had nothing to do with her.

In front, every student was dressed in silver robes or silver dresses, with a harp placed before them.

Tang Yuehua sat gracefully on a specialized low stool. Her slender hands began to play gently, and a tone as elegant and pure as crystal jade, as clear as morning dew, flowed out from the exquisite golden harp.

The piece concluded.

Tang Yuehua stood up slowly, every movement natural and seamless. "Very well, students, follow your music books and practice diligently."

The noble students looked at the music books on their laps and began to play. For a time, various melodies rang out in the music classroom, while Tang Yuehua walked among the students, offering pointers from time to time.

Just then, a burst of noisy footsteps rang out—so loud that even through the door, they could not be drowned out by the various tones in the music classroom.

"Bang!"

The door was pushed open, and over a dozen heavily armed knights holding spears, their bodies radiating fluctuations of spirit power, marched in.

The noble students were startled, their faces wearing expressions of confusion as to what was happening.

Tang Yuehua's expression turned icy. She recognized the attire of these knights; they were Palace Guard Knights of the Spirit Temple, each rumored to be a spirit master of the Spirit King level.

The Palace Guard Knights lined up in two rows. From the center of the formation, an old man walked in. He wore a clean, neat robe and was quite thin and tall. His eyes were somewhat cloudy, appearing as if he were half-asleep.

If seen on the street, ordinary people might think this old man was malnourished and lethargic, but many knowledgeable noble students stood up in fear upon seeing him, for the old man wore a Five-Point Platinum Crown.

The Five-Point Platinum Crown was the symbol of a Platinum Bishop of Martial Soul Hall, and in Heaven Dou City, only one person wore this crown: Salas, the Hall Master of the Heaven Dou City Spirit Temple. His status was second only to Emperor Xue Ye and was on par with the masters of the Upper Three Sects.

Salas looked at Tang Yuehua with sleepy eyes and said indifferently, "Are you the Mistress of Moonlight Pavilion, Lady Yue?"

Tang Yuehua said coldly, "Martial Soul Hall, you are not welcome here. Please leave."

Salas raised a finger. "A member of the Clear Sky Sect, a traitor to humanity. Seize her."

Two Palace Guard Knights immediately moved, pinning Tang Yuehua. Although Tang Yuehua was a Level 9 Spirit Scholar, she had lived a life of luxury and had undergone no training. Furthermore, being over thirty, she was no match for the Palace Guard Knights. Her struggles were futile, and her image as the elegant Lady Yue vanished.

Tang Yuehua shouted coldly, "Salas, do you know who I am? Behind me is not only the Clear Sky Sect; my network of noble connections within the Heaven Dou Empire is vast. Even without the power of the Clear Sky Sect, I can contact the nobles of the Heaven Dou Empire to put you to death."

The noble students were shocked. They had assumed Lady Yue was a consort of Emperor Xue Ye, not a member of the Clear Sky Sect.

Salas sneered, "Ignorant fool. Do you really think your position as Mistress of Moonlight Pavilion and your vast noble network are the result of your own efforts and achievements? If it weren't for those nobles looking at the Clear Sky Sect behind you, you would have long since become a mere courtesan for those nobles."

"Take her away."

Salas waved his hand.

After binding Tang Yuehua and locking her in the Spirit Temple, Salas gathered almost all the spirit masters of the Spirit Temple and headed toward the Clear Sky Sect, preparing to meet the main force of Martial Soul Hall.

As Salas headed toward the Clear Sky Sect, the confusion in his eyes deepened. Logically, he should have encountered the spirit master troops of Martial Soul Hall on the way. After all, as the master of the Heaven Dou City Spirit Temple, observing the Upper Three Sects was his duty, which naturally included the terrain of the Upper Three Sects and the best routes for attack... He was supposed to inform the Title Douluo elders of Martial Soul Hall of these things, after which the elders would command the spirit master troops to attack the Clear Sky Sect.

Why had he not seen a single person from Martial Soul Hall along the way? Could it be that Martial Soul Hall had only sent Title Douluo powerhouses to flatten the Clear Sky Sect? If so, there would be many fish that slipped through the net that they couldn't handle. How could the spirit masters of the Spirit Temple alone clean up the aftermath?

Sunset Forest, Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.

The hot spring was not large, yet it was divided into two sections. The oval pool was split into two by milky-white and vermilion spring water, distinct and non-encroaching, each remaining strictly on its own side.

Around the pool, through the thick, red-and-white mist, grew many strange flowers and herbs in dense patches. Infernal Delicate Apricot, Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass, Lovesick Heartbreak Red, Full Moon Wearing Autumn Dew, Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, Narcissus Jade Muscle Bone, Eight-Petal Golden Orchid, Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, Tulip, Aromatic Silk Beauty...

On the soil of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well stood five people: Qian Daoliu, Chrysanthemum Douluo, Ghost Douluo, Bibi Zhu, and Qian Renxue.

What Salas thought was both correct and incorrect. Martial Soul Hall had indeed only sent Title Douluo, but they did not need to lift a finger to flatten the sect; they could subdue the enemy without a fight.

They could even make the Clear Sky Sect's affiliated clans turn around and stab the Tang family, achieving the highest level of warfare: making the enemy destroy themselves.