Nan Feng: My Heart Was Set on the Bright Moon, But the Bright Moon Shone on a Drainage Ditch

On the battlefield, due to the words of Bibi Dong (Nan Feng), the atmosphere within the Clear Sky Sect turned incredibly strange.

Tang Xiao looked at the elders and disciples behind him, their expressions flickering, and his heart sank bit by bit.

He knew that Bibi Dong's psychological warfare had taken effect.

Although Tang Hao's talent was dazzling, he was young after all, and his foundation within the sect was not deep.

Coupled with the fact that he had spent years training abroad, most of the clansmen—save for loyalists like Titan—did not hold any deep affection for him.

Furthermore, the disaster he had caused this time was simply too great.

For the sake of a woman, he had killed the Pope, brought the full might of Martial Soul Hall down upon them, and dragged the entire sect toward annihilation.

Any person with a shred of rationality would harbor resentment.

"Sect Master..."

The Second Elder, who had consistently advocated for avoiding war, opened his mouth as if to offer counsel, but upon seeing the bloodshot eyes of Tang Xiao, he swallowed his words.

Yet, everyone understood that if just one person took the lead, the long-repressed dissatisfaction would instantly erupt, drowning Tang Xiao as Sect Master.

However, at this critical juncture:

"Cough, cough..."

A series of aged coughs shattered the suffocating silence.

The Great Elder, who had been squinting as if he might fall asleep at any moment, slowly walked to Tang Xiao's side.

He did not look at Bibi Dong, but instead swept his gaze over the clansmen behind him, finally letting his eyes rest upon those restless elders.

"What? You're wavering already?"

The Great Elder's voice was not loud, yet it was exceptionally clear, carrying a majesty forged by the passage of time. "Do you think that by simply handing over Tang Hao, we can survive in peace?"

"Great Elder, we..." The Second Elder's expression shifted, attempting to explain.

"Shut up!"

The Great Elder suddenly let out a sharp shout, his cloudy eyes erupting with astonishing brilliance. "While I am dissatisfied with that rebellious son Tang Hao, and while I hate that he has implicated the sect! But—"

He turned abruptly to face Bibi Dong (Nan Feng) directly:

"My Clear Sky Sect has stood tall on this continent for thousands of years. What have we relied upon?!"

"It is the Clear Sky Hammer in our hands! It is our pride! It is the blood-soaked spirit that would rather break than bend!!"

"If we were to betray our own kin and abandon our own flesh and blood today just to avoid disaster! How could the Clear Sky Sect ever stand in the world of spirit masters again?!"

"What would the world think of us?! They would point at our spines and curse: 'Look! That is the so-called number one sect in the world! A bunch of spineless cowards! A group of wretches who sell out their friends for glory!'"

"Even if such a Clear Sky Sect were to survive, it would be nothing more than a walking corpse! What face would we have left to meet our ancestors?!"

These words were resonant and deafening.

The elders and disciples who had been wavering now turned red-faced, bowing their heads in shame.

That was right.

They were the Clear Sky Sect! The number one sect in the world!

If they truly relied on betraying their own kin to trade for survival, what kind of men would they be? Would they even be worthy of holding the Clear Sky Hammer?

Tang Xiao looked at the old man beside him, his eyes filled with shock and emotion.

He had not expected that at the most critical moment, it would be the Great Elder—the one who usually looked down on Tang Hao the most—who stood up to defend the final dignity of the Clear Sky Sect.

"And besides..."

The Great Elder's gaze was like a torch, staring fixedly at Bibi Dong, exposing Nan Feng's scheme in a single sentence:

"Your Holiness the Pope, your words sound quite righteous and noble."

"But if you truly only wanted to avenge yourself on Tang Hao, why go to such great lengths? Why disregard your reputation to take women and children as hostages?"

"Are you really here wasting your breath with us for the sake of so-called peace?"

"No!"

The Great Elder sneered. "You are stalling for time, aren't you?"

"Although you brought two Title Douluo, their auras are unstable; they are clearly injured."

"As for you..."

"Though your strength is unfathomable, you are but a single palm that cannot clap alone."

"The main force you brought is likely still trailing behind, having not yet arrived."

"You are sowing discord here simply because you want to wait for your reinforcements to arrive so you can wipe us out in one fell swoop!"

"Am I right, Your Holiness?"

At these words, the entire crowd was in an uproar.

The members of the Clear Sky Sect finally realized the truth, and one by one, they glared with fury.

"What a sinister, poisonous woman!!"

"We almost fell for her trap!!"

"Let's fight her to the death!!"

Watching the situation reverse in an instant, Bibi Dong (Nan Feng) sitting on the Pope's throne raised an eyebrow slightly, a flicker of surprise flashing in her eyes.

"Little Dongdong, who would have thought? Among this group of brutes, there was actually a clear-headed one hiding?"

Indeed.

The Great Elder had guessed correctly.

He was indeed stalling for time.

Although the spirit masters of Martial Soul Hall were numerous, their marching speed was uneven. While he, Chrysanthemum, Ghost, and those few flying Spirit Sages had arrived, the remaining thousand-plus spirit masters they led were still on the road.

If a fight broke out now, with Tang Xiao leading seven peak Spirit Douluo elders, plus this group of reckless brutes from the Strength Clan, if they truly fought to the death, his "rabble" would likely collapse.

That old thing Demon Bear would definitely put in zero effort, and with Chrysanthemum and Ghost still suffering from severe injuries, it was questionable whether they could even hold the line.

Even a fierce tiger cannot withstand a pack of wolves, let alone this group from the Clear Sky Sect.

The power of the Clear Sky Hammer was nothing to joke about.

"What is the background of this old thing? He looks significantly older than those other elders," Nan Feng asked in his heart.

"That is the Great Elder of the Clear Sky Sect. He is from the same era as Tang Chen, an old thing over a hundred years old, a generation older than those other elders," Bibi Dong replied.

"Oh? Then he certainly has some seniority."

On the battlefield, Bibi Dong (Nan Feng) felt no embarrassment at being exposed; instead, she smiled and clapped, the applause sounding jarringly sharp in the tense standoff.

"The Great Elder is truly cunning with age. This insight—This Seat admires it."

"However..."

Bibi Dong (Nan Feng) shook her head helplessly, her face full of regret: "This Seat was clearly acting with good intentions, wanting to point out a bright path for everyone, yet I never expected to be misunderstood like this. Truly... I set my heart toward the bright moon, but the moon shines upon the ditch."

"Hmph! Stop putting on such an act!"

Tang Xiao sneered, the Clear Sky Hammer in his hand lifting slightly to point directly at Bibi Dong. "Bibi Dong, your fox tail has already been exposed. You want my Clear Sky Sect to bow and submit? Keep dreaming!"

"The knees of our Clear Sky Sect are not that soft!"

"Sigh..."

Bibi Dong (Nan Feng) let out a long sigh and sat back down on the throne, assuming a posture of "since you are so ungrateful, there is nothing I can do."

"If that is the case, then please, go ahead."

"In any case, This Seat will not strike first."

Bibi Dong (Nan Feng) pointed at the women and children of the Speed Clan who were still shivering on the ground, her tone flat yet permeated with an unquestionable, bloody intent:

"However, let me say this clearly beforehand."

"If you dare to move, dare to snatch people, or dare to throw a single spirit skill in this direction."

"This Seat guarantees that the heads of these Speed Clan members will hit the ground in the very next instant!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Tang Xiao, who had been planning to charge forward to rescue the hostages, had his feet nailed to the spot.

He dared not gamble.

The look in that mad woman's eyes told him that she would truly kill, and without the slightest hesitation.

The scene fell into a stalemate once again.

However, someone could no longer wait.

"Why waste words with her!!"

The Great Elder suddenly roared, his previously hunched body straightening instantly as a terrifying, peerless aura erupted from his aged frame!

Hum—!!!

Without any warning, a pitch-black giant hammer over a hundred meters long manifested out of thin air, carrying the force of world-destruction. Like Mount Tai pressing down, it smashed fiercely toward Bibi Dong, Chrysanthemum, Ghost, and the Speed Clan members being held as hostages!

Clear Sky Avatar!

This strike was too fast, too ruthless, and too decisive!

The Great Elder knew very well that Bibi Dong was stalling for time. If they dragged it out any longer, once the main force of Martial Soul Hall arrived, they would be turtles in a jar.

Rather than sit and wait for death, it was better to seek survival through a desperate gamble!

Even at the risk of accidentally killing the hostages, he had to break this deadlock!

"What?!"

It wasn't just the Martial Soul Hall side; even Tang Xiao and the elders of the Clear Sky Sect were stunned by the Great Elder's sudden, insane move.

This... he was disregarding the hostages entirely?!

"Damn it!!"

Facing a strike capable of shattering mountains, Nan Feng was forced to take action.

BOOM—!!!

A purple-black radiance surged into the sky as Nan Feng, controlling Bibi Dong's body, raised both hands to manifest a massive soul power shield.

Beside them, Chrysanthemum, Ghost, and Demon Bear Douluo instinctively erupted with soul power, joining forces to withstand the terrifying hammer strike.

They had no choice but to block it; the army of Martial Soul Hall stood directly behind them. If they allowed this hammer to fall, the Martial Soul Hall army would collapse in an instant!

Yet, in the very moment they were distracted by their defense, the blades previously held against the throats of the Speed Clan members developed a fatal opening.

"Now! Save them!!"

Tang Xiao reacted with lightning speed, letting out a furious roar as his figure shot forward like a bolt of electricity.

The other six elders followed closely behind, their seven figures acting like seven sharp blades that instantly tore through the Martial Soul Hall defensive line and reached the hostages.

"Go!!"

Tang Xiao grabbed Bai He from the ground, while the other elders snatched up the women and children. Relying on the terrifying explosive power of the Clear Sky Sect, they forcibly rescued everyone before the giant hammer could descend!