Meanwhile, at the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.
Just as Lin Feng intended to lay hands on the Soul Beasts...
Ning Fengzhi and the others returned from their investigation with Gui Mei's corpse, immediately causing an uproar.
Xue Ye summoned the group from Shrek in a hurry and questioned them. Once he had heard the whole story, no one could remain calm.
"Was this really the work of the Holy Demon Federation? A mysterious powerhouse suddenly attacked, the Ghost and Chrysanthemum Douluo joined forces and still couldn't defeat him, and then they were killed in a counterattack?"
"At the critical moment, Clear Sky Douluo Tang Hao appeared and helped you escape the scene... Wait, what do you mean the other side's real target was Tang San?!"
To protect themselves, everyone from Shrek was quite cooperative.
They gathered all the information and told him everything, without holding anything back.
After all, they weren't the only survivors. Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan had also survived.
If they lied or concealed anything now, the Spirit Hall would pass along its intelligence afterward, and the inconsistencies would be easy to spot.
Rather than be embarrassed later and invite unnecessary trouble, Yu Xiaogang weighed his options and decided to lay everything on the table.
Douluo Continent was in a turbulent time, and both the Spirit Hall and the two great empires were under threat from the Holy Demon Federation.
Tang San's sensitive background had actually become useful. The Heaven Dou Imperial Family, in particular, would surely want to make contact with the Clear Sky Sect!
"All right, you may go and rest."
Xue Ye's face darkened as he let out a cold snort.
As expected, he didn't pursue the matter of Shrek's attempted escape.
He ordered Soul Masters loyal to the imperial family to escort them to their assigned quarters, where they would actually be kept under discreet surveillance.
Then the people who remained continued discussing how they should respond to the Holy Demon Federation's relentless moves.
"Father, according to our scouts, the enemy has gathered more and more troops on the outskirts of Sunset Forest."
"They seem to have some means of teleportation, allowing them to summon forces over long distances. The longer we wait, the more disadvantageous things will become!"
"Several days ago, the Spirit Hall proposed an alliance plan. I believe it's a workable solution, and perhaps we should put it into effect as soon as possible."
"After that, we can unite all the strength of Douluo Continent. Even if our opponent is powerful, we may still have a chance to fight. It would certainly be better than continuing to waste time."
Qian Renxue, disguised as Xue Qinghe, spoke with confidence.
She seized the opportunity to bring up Bibi Dong's plan for a Douluo Federation.
Before today, Xue Ye had still been hesitant and didn't think it was a good idea.
After all, anyone with eyes could see that the so-called federation would be controlled by the Spirit Hall, greatly undermining the empire's foundations.
But now, with the enemy making one move after another, those of them on the front lines of the war seemed to have no choice.
"Hmm... All right, let's do that."
"Qinghe, you'll discuss the details of the alliance."
"And what do you think, representatives of the Spirit Hall? We all have a common enemy now."
Though Xue Ye was incompetent, he wasn't quite a fool. He grinned and turned a knowing look toward Thousand Jun and Falling Devil.
Gui Mei's death wasn't actually a bad thing from the Heaven Dou Empire's perspective. It could force the Spirit Hall to get involved sooner.
Qian Renxue had been right about one thing: the longer they waited, the worse it would get. The Heaven Dou Empire wasn't unwilling to start fighting as soon as possible.
The problem was that their strength didn't allow it.
The regular legions were easy enough to deal with. Fighting on home ground made them easy to replenish.
Even if their combat strength was far inferior, they could still serve as cannon fodder. Enough ants could even bite an elephant to death.
The real question was what to do about the powerful fighters. If the Spirit Hall didn't commit its full strength, the gap between the two sides would be too great.
"Your Majesty, we cannot make this decision ourselves. We'll report back to the Spirit Hall's higher-ups as soon as possible. Please wait a little longer."
"Elder Gui Mei's body is not yet cold, so we won't stay any longer today. I'm sure we'll have good news the next time we meet!"
Thousand Jun, Falling Devil, and the others stiffly took their leave.
Xue Ye turned his head and looked toward Ning Fengzhi.
The alliance had been proposed by the Spirit Hall, so there was no question of opposing it. But there was another matter to discuss now.
The people from Shrek had just mentioned that the Holy Demon Federation's target was Tang San, and Tang Hao had personally appeared to save him.
In other words, that boy was undoubtedly important, and he had countless ties to the long-hidden Clear Sky Sect.
"Fengzhi, keep an eye on this. Find some time to talk with Tang San."
"The empire is weathering a storm, and the Upper Three Sects exist in name only."
"At a time like this, if the Clear Sky Sect could return in force, it would greatly help both our fighting strength and our morale."
Xue Ye was out of options and had set his sights on the Tang family. But though it sounded simple, it wouldn't be easy to do.
Ning Fengzhi groaned inwardly when he heard this. Things were different now. The Upper Three Sects were no longer united, and they'd been out of contact for a very long time.
The chances of using Tang San to win the Clear Sky Sect over again were slim to none.
Still, Ning Fengzhi didn't refuse outright. He regretfully said he would do his best, and the meeting adjourned.
On the way back, he continued discussing whether the plan was viable with Chen Xin and Yu Yuanzhen, while thinking about how to meet Tang San.
But at that very moment, Tang San had already slipped out of the palace. With everyone from Shrek covering for him, he had made his way to a certain place in Heaven Dou City.
"This is the place. Go on in."
"Don't worry. I've sent away everyone who was watching you."
"This place is called Moonlight Pavilion. It's where the imperial family's children learn etiquette. Ordinary people wouldn't dare come near."
A maid in fine clothes smiled and raised a hand in invitation, gesturing toward the building before them. It was antique in style and filled with the air of books and learning.
Tang San entered with a frown, on guard from beginning to end. He hadn't wanted to come, but the other party had insisted that they knew something about his father.
That powerhouse from the Holy Demon Federation had defeated the Ghost and Chrysanthemum Douluo with ease and even killed Gui Mei. What would happen if his father faced him?
Still troubled by doubts, Tang San entered a private room.
Inside the doorway stood a graceful, elegant woman.
She was crouched beside a teapot, pouring tea with practiced elegance. A disheveled man sat in a chair beside her.
His aura was weak and faltering, his face pale and grimy. He looked even more wretched than a beggar, but Tang San still recognized him.
"Father! You... you're not dead?"
Tang San was both shocked and delighted, and hurried over.
"Second Brother, is this your son? He certainly hasn't learned his manners. What kind of way is that to speak?"
Tang Yuehua smiled and teased him lightly, but didn't stay in the private room. After pouring the tea, she left first.
In the blink of an eye, only Tang Hao and Tang San remained in the room. They hadn't seen each other for a long time before Tang Hao had faced Long Xingyu head-on.
"Father, that's not what I meant."
"I'm just glad you're all right. I thought..."
Tang San deliberately put on a foolish air and scratched his head as he stood to one side, quickly asking what had happened after the battle.
Tang Hao gave only a brief account, leaving out the humiliating parts, but he couldn't hide how battered he looked or how weak his aura was.
"Enough small talk. Let's get to the point."
"Xiao San, I have a theory about the ambush."
"The Holy Demon Federation may not have attacked you specifically. They may have been targeting the Clear Sky Sect!"
"Your father may have left the sect many years ago, but I'm still a member of the family. I brought you here so you could return."
"Warn everyone about the changes taking place in the outside world. Tell them a powerful enemy has set its sights on us. And while you're at it... help your father apologize."
Before you continue