The Clear Sky Sect's once bright and sunny sky instantly darkened beneath gathering storm clouds. The air turned viscous as invisible waves of force surged forth, sweeping across the entire Clear Sky Sect.
One powerful figure after another leaped out from within the Clear Sky Sect. Yellow, purple, and black Soul Rings lit beneath their feet. The moment they saw the scene at the sect gate, they were utterly stunned. Ten people stood in the air—ten people!
Standing in the air without using Martial Souls meant that all ten of them were Title Douluo! Ten Title Douluo—the sheer number was enough to scare people witless.
Even counting Tang Hao and the old sect master Tang Chen, who had been missing for more than twenty years, the Clear Sky Sect only had three Title Douluo at most.
These ten Title Douluo had all come for the Clear Sky Sect?!
At that moment, the minds of the Clear Sky Sect disciples went blank. The commoner Soul Masters who had just joined the Clear Sky Sect wanted nothing more than to slap themselves a few times, seized by the urge to run.
"Tang Zhen, come out!"
The leader of the ten Title Douluo, a tall middle-aged man clad in dark golden armor and a brown high-collared cloak, spoke.
Within the Clear Sky Sect, Tang Zhen hurried to the sect gate and respectfully bowed to the people in the sky. All his previous pride and arrogance had vanished from his face. "Greetings, Senior Golden Crocodile."
Tang Xiao and the Six Elders of Clear Sky followed close behind. Like Tang Zhen, they bowed to the Title Douluo in the sky, unable to suppress the shock in their hearts.
As the number one sect in the world, the Tang Family had always believed that even if the Clear Sky Sect as a whole was inferior to Spirit Hall, the gap would not be too great. It was only because the old sect master Tang Chen had vanished, while Qian Daoliu, who was as famous as Tang Chen, remained in Spirit Hall, that the Clear Sky Sect had been overshadowed by Spirit Hall. That was why they had to join forces with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, with the Upper Three Sects standing united against Spirit Hall.
But now, they understood just how laughable their previous thoughts had been. Spirit Hall's foundations were far beyond anything the Clear Sky Sect could compare to. Even after losing two Title Douluo, it could still produce ten Title Douluo. These ten Title Douluo alone were enough to wipe out the Clear Sky Sect. And that did not even include Qian Xunji and Qian Daoliu.
If the Qian Family father and son were included, Spirit Hall's number of Title Douluo matched the total number of Soul Douluo and Title Douluo among the current Clear Sky Sect master, Tang Hao, Tang Xiao, the six elders, the clan heads of the Four Single-Attribute Clans, and the entire Clear Sky Sect.
Golden Crocodile Douluo said coldly, "Hand over Tang Hao, or the Clear Sky Sect will be destroyed."
Tang Zhen's heart clenched, but he continued respectfully, "Senior Golden Crocodile, Tang Hao has already been expelled from the Clear Sky Sect. He is no longer a member of our sect. Everything he has done has nothing to do with the Clear Sky Sect. How can we hand him over?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo said icily, "Ridiculous. Tang Hao was supposedly expelled from the sect, yet he still uses the Clear Sky Sect's inherited Martial Soul, the Clear Sky Hammer, as well as the Clear Sky Secret Techniques. Is this what you call expelling Tang Hao from the sect?"
"Everyone, ever since that wretch Tang Hao injured Spirit Hall's Title Douluo, he unilaterally declared that he had left the Clear Sky Sect and never returned. The Clear Sky Sect has also been searching for and trying to capture Tang Hao, so we could cripple that wretch's Martial Soul. It is only because the Clear Sky Sect's intelligence network is insufficient that we have failed to find him, allowing that wretch to remain at large and commit even greater crimes."
Tang Zhen shamelessly began making excuses again. From Spirit Hall's willingness to negotiate rather than attack immediately, he knew Qian Xunji was not dead.
As long as Qian Xunji was alive, Spirit Hall still cared about its reputation and wanted to preserve its title as the holy land of the continent's Spirit Master World. As long as he insisted that Tang Hao was not a member of the Clear Sky Sect and that everything Tang Hao had done had nothing to do with the Clear Sky Sect, Spirit Hall would not be able to attack the Clear Sky Sect without regard for its reputation.
In the original story, Spirit Hall might truly have had no answer to Tang Zhen's shameless words. It could only leave the Clear Sky Sect with much thunder but little rain and issue a continent-wide warrant for Tang Hao. But things were different now.
Golden Crocodile Douluo thought to himself, What a silver-tongued fellow. If the Grand Pontiff had not given his instructions, this old man really would have had no way to deal with him.
"Tang Zhen, Tang Hao joined with a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast and gave birth to an ominous offspring. He did not cripple the Clear Sky Hammer, and he used your Clear Sky Sect's inherited Martial Soul, the Clear Sky Hammer, and the Clear Sky Secret Techniques to wound countless Spirit Hall Soul Masters, as well as two Title Douluo elders, all for the sake of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. This is no different from betraying humanity."
"Out of consideration for the Grand Pontiff's old friendship with your sect's former sect master, you are given one month to find Tang Hao, the traitor to humanity. Alternatively, Tang Hao may publicly announce across the continent that he has crippled his Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul and truly left your Clear Sky Sect. Otherwise, the Clear Sky Sect will share Tang Hao's guilt. In one month, not a single chicken or dog will remain in the Clear Sky Sect!"
If they could not gain the upper hand in reputation, then they would use an even greater cause and righteousness to pressure them. For humanity, what could be more serious than betraying humanity?
As his words fell, two yellow, two purple, four black, and one red Soul Rings lit beneath Golden Crocodile Douluo's feet. The immense Soul Power of a level ninety-eight Title Douluo erupted.
Behind him, the nine other Title Douluo likewise released two yellow, two purple, and five black Soul Rings beneath their feet, unleashing their immense Title Douluo Soul Power. It was as if a massive typhoon had made landfall upon the Clear Sky Sect, with terrifying waves of force sweeping through the entire sect.
Under the terrifying Soul Pressure of ten Title Douluo, Tang Zhen, Tang Xiao, and the Six Elders of Clear Sky, who stood closest, had no choice but to summon their Clear Sky Hammer Martial Souls to resist. Further behind them, weaker outer disciples were blown away.
At the same time, there was a thunderous boom! At the Clear Sky Sect's gate, two trapezoidal stone stairways made of hard granite and standing three meters tall collapsed. The two marble humanoid statues atop the stairs, each holding a massive hammer, came crashing down.
The grand gate of the Clear Sky Sect, built from fine timber, shattered inch by inch under the Soul Pressure of the ten Title Douluo. The plaque bearing the three vigorous characters of "Clear Sky Sect" fell to the ground and broke into several pieces.
In just a few breaths, the Clear Sky Sect had become a complete mess.
"Remember, you only have one month."
The ten Title Douluo withdrew their Soul Pressure and left the Clear Sky Sect.
The commoner Soul Masters who had just joined the Clear Sky Sect all felt as though they had survived a catastrophe. The staggering sight of ten Title Douluo and ninety Soul Rings kept replaying in their minds, including the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring, the number one treasure of the Spirit Master World!
Tang Zhen, Tang Xiao, and the Six Elders of Clear Sky stared fixedly at the shattered plaque, the ruined sect gate, and the broken statues. The Clear Sky Sect's pride had been utterly trampled. Their eyes were bloodshot, their breathing ragged, and rage filled their hearts.
"Spirit Hall has gone too far!"
Tang Zhen roared, his face flushed crimson.
With a pfft!, Tang Zhen spat out a large mouthful of clotted blood toward the sky and limply collapsed backward.
"Father!"
"Big Brother!"
"Sect Master!"
Tang Xiao and the Six Elders of Clear Sky hurriedly caught Tang Zhen and carried him back to the Clear Sky Main Hall, calling for healing-type Soul Masters.
Tang Zhen had already been gravely ill, and now his anger had attacked his heart. The slightest mistake could cause him to die from his illness. With the Clear Sky Sect facing such a crisis, the sect master could not afford any mishap.
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