Behind the small village stood a mountain. It was not particularly tall, but it was exceedingly steep. Its entire cliff face was nearly perpendicular to the ground and incredibly smooth, devoid of any vegetation. It was a rocky mountain, five hundred meters high.
"Roar—"
A piercing howl rang out from behind the rocky mountain, followed by an incomparably furious voice that echoed across a radius of several kilometers.
"Who dares offend my Clear Sky Sect?!"
Nine Soul Rings—two yellow, two purple, and five black—circled beneath Tang Zhen's feet. Holding a Clear Sky Hammer whose head was as large as a water vat, he flew over the rocky mountain and arrived above the small village.
On both sides of the rocky mountain were hidden paths carved out for Tang Yuehua to transport supplies to the Clear Sky Sect. The Six Elders of Clear Sky and Tang Xiao led group after group of Clear Sky Sect disciples over. Without exception, all of their Martial Souls were Clear Sky Hammers.
The moment Yang Wudi saw the Tang family members, killing intent surged from his eyes. The butt of his Soul Breaking Spear jabbed one hole after another into the soil as he roared, "Tang Zhen, you mongrel, come down and die!"
"Yang Wudi, are you looking to die?!"
Tang Zhen had initially wondered why Yang Wudi had come here, but when he heard Yang Wudi speak to him like that, his eyes immediately turned icy as he replied.
A flash of golden light appeared, and Chrysanthemum Douluo darted in front of Yang Wudi. "Yang Wudi, don't get worked up."
"Chrysanthemum Douluo!"
Tang Zhen frowned, utterly shocked. He had not expected Spirit Hall to send someone here. Could it be that Qian Daoliu intended to break his promise to his father and move against the Clear Sky Sect?!
His spiritual power swept over the incoming Soul Masters. Among them, the only Title Douluo was Chrysanthemum Douluo, along with Soul Masters from the Breaking Clan and a small portion from the Speed Clan. Doubt and killing intent intertwined in his heart, and for a moment, he did not know whether to question them or strike first and slaughter them all.
Chrysanthemum Douluo gave a light cough. His effeminate voice, bolstered by Soul Power, carried for hundreds of meters. "Tang Zhen, I have come today to announce the Grand Pontiff's judgment upon your Clear Sky Sect. Why don't you come down here, prick up your ears, and listen!"
Upon hearing the name of Grand Pontiff Qian Daoliu, Tang Zhen's heart trembled with fear. He had always relied on Qian Daoliu's promise that, before defeating his father, no one in Spirit Hall beneath Qian Daoliu would ever set foot in the Clear Sky Sect. But if that old bastard Qian Daoliu was not only a coward, but also a faithless scoundrel who intended to break his promise to his father and attack the Clear Sky Sect, then the Clear Sky Sect had no way of stopping him now.
Tang Zhen put away his Clear Sky Hammer and came to a stop over ten meters in front of Chrysanthemum Douluo. His face was full of hostility and vigilance as he said, "Speak. What does Senior Qian Daoliu wish to say to my Clear Sky Sect?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo coughed lightly again. Recalling Qian Daoliu's instructions, a flicker of confusion passed through his heart. To be honest, he did not quite understand why Dugu Bo had been sent secretly to the Clear Sky Mountain Range, and why the Clear Sky Sect had to be brought here to be humiliated before being wiped out.
One wave of Dugu Bo's poison, followed by his own attack, would have been enough to clear out the Clear Sky Sect. He did not think the Grand Pontiff was the petty sort who enjoyed humiliating others, especially a bunch of juniors. Could it be that the Grand Pontiff wanted to make sure Tang Chen was truly dead?
The thought passed in an instant, and Chrysanthemum Douluo spoke with a broad smile. "Tang Zhen, everyone of the Clear Sky Sect, you must be wondering, right? Why are the clansmen of the Breaking Clan and the Speed Clan, the affiliated clans of your Clear Sky Sect, here with me?"
"Let me tell you some good news. Because your Clear Sky Sect is cowardly, heartless, unjust, selfish, and self-serving, all of your Clear Sky Sect's affiliated clans have joined our Spirit Hall."
"That's right! Tang Zhen, you shameless mongrels of the Clear Sky Sect! Our affiliated clans served your Clear Sky Sect loyally and were willing to live and die alongside it, yet you mongrels treated us affiliated clans as cannon fodder!"
Yang Wudi's expression changed as he sneered coldly. "You were heartless, so don't blame us for being disloyal. First, it'll be the lives of you mongrels' dogs. After that, the lives claimed by my Soul Breaking Spear will be you Tang mongrels!"
"Yang Wudi, you ungrateful traitor drunk on a little success! I'll hammer you to death right now!"
The members of the Clear Sky Sect were all enraged upon hearing Yang Wudi's mockery, but they were still able to restrain themselves.
However, Tang Lie, who had the hottest temper, could not endure it. A watchdog that could only prosper by relying on their Clear Sky Sect actually dared to climb over their heads and threaten to kill them. Waving his crimson Clear Sky Hammer, he was about to charge forward and smash Yang Wudi to death.
Yang Wudi roared, "Come on, then! Who's afraid of who?!"
"Seventh Brother, calm down!"
Tang Zhen stretched out a hand to block Tang Lie and transmitted his voice, "Don't forget why we came here. Don't fall into Spirit Hall's trap!"
Hearing Tang Zhen's words and the urging of his elder brothers, Tang Lie barely suppressed his temper. His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at Yang Wudi and secretly swore that once Great-Uncle Tang Chen returned in glory and Tang Hao cultivated to Rank 99, he would personally lead a force against the Breaking Clan. He would smash apart the heads of every one of those traitors drunk on their little success, then cut off Yang Wudi's head and use it as a chamber pot.
Tang Zhen took a deep breath. Like Tang Lie, he silently persuaded himself that once Tang Chen returned in glory and Tang Hao reached Rank 99, it would not matter if those affiliated clans that had betrayed their masters for glory were gone. As long as the Clear Sky Sect returned to its peak, they could have as many affiliated clans as they wanted.
Tang Zhen said, "Chrysanthemum Douluo, our Clear Sky Sect truly could not find that wretch Tang Hao. Nor did we wish to bear the infamy of betraying humanity, so we had no choice but to seclude ourselves in these mountains."
"These mountains were where your hall's Grand Pontiff and the First Elder of our Clear Sky Sect, Tang Chen, fought their final battle. Senior Qian Daoliu was defeated by my father, Tang Chen, and promised that unless Senior Qian Daoliu defeated my father Tang Chen, no one in Spirit Hall beneath him would set foot in these mountains."
"Our Clear Sky Sect has already yielded this far. Could it be that Senior Qian Daoliu is truly so cruel and heartless that he intends to exterminate the Clear Sky Sect, which has suffered such unjust accusations, while also breaking his promise to my father Tang Chen?"
Tang Zhen's tone was incomparably sincere, as though the Clear Sky Sect were nothing but pure and spotless white flowers.
Faintly smug smiles appeared on the lips of the Clear Sky Sect disciples. Tang Zhen's words sounded as if the Clear Sky Sect had lowered its stance, retreated again and again, and was begging for mercy. Yet every sentence praised Ancestor Tang Chen as invincible and painted Qian Daoliu as a defeated foe.
If Chrysanthemum Douluo had not known that the Tang family were a pack of selfish, self-serving wolf bandits wearing human skin, Tang Zhen's words might even have made him feel a little ashamed.
"Have you finished pretending, Tang Zhen? Save those little tricks for fooling other people. Spirit Hall naturally will not break its word. But Tang Hao of your Clear Sky Sect used the Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul and the Clear Sky Secret Techniques to attack Spirit Hall. That is an indisputable fact."
Tang Zhen said angrily, "Chrysanthemum Elder, haven't I already said that the Clear Sky Sect has been hunting Tang Hao all along, intending to cripple that wretch's Martial Soul? But we truly cannot find him!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo sneered and could not be bothered to expose Tang Zhen's lies any further. "The Grand Pontiff has decreed that since Tang Hao is not a member of the Clear Sky Sect, as you have claimed, and since you regard Tang Hao as a criminal, then Tang Hao is unworthy of holding Clear Sky, the highest title of the Clear Sky Sect. The title of Clear Sky should rightfully be revoked by your Clear Sky Sect."
"Of course..."
Tang Zhen gritted his teeth. Stripping someone of a title was, for a Title Douluo, an utterly humiliating disgrace.
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