The City of Slaughter, an outlying town.
Dragon Rider Demon God Asmodeus was out on his routine patrol with his troops.
Suddenly, a powerful surge came from the distance, instantly putting him on alert.
His spiritual power spread out, locking onto the figure that had appeared. The next second, he froze slightly.
Long Xingyu descended from the sky and hovered before Asmodeus, raising a hand to greet him.
Then, without hesitation, he sped straight ahead, looking terribly impatient, and vanished from sight in the blink of an eye.
"Strange. Wasn't he sent out on a mission?"
"Why's he back already? Did something happen?"
Asmodeus looked puzzled, but couldn't be bothered to investigate. He continued his routine patrol.
After all, Long Xingyu was the Demon God Emperor's son-in-law and naturally enjoyed certain privileges, such as being able to mobilize parts of the legions.
And today, that was exactly why he had come.
The last attempt to kill Tang San had clearly alerted him.
His target was now on guard. Getting another chance wouldn't be easy, and Tang San would surely do everything he could to hide.
Although Lin Feng had given him leads—the Clear Sky Sect, Sea God Island, and the like—as an outsider acting alone, how long would it take him to find Tang San?
Long Xingyu was proud, but not foolish. Rather than waste time wandering around, he would seek help from allies. With the legions gradually arriving, manpower was no problem.
With that in mind, he quickly made his way deeper into the City of Slaughter.
He met with the two Demon Gods, Samigina and Marbas.
The Demon Race's forces were currently under their command, so he needed to discuss the matter with them.
"You want me to assign you a capable force, skilled in reconnaissance, to go find the Clear Sky Sect?"
"The Tang San His Majesty specifically named is a disciple of that sect. You think he might go home for protection?"
Samigina and Marbas looked at him strangely.
They'd thought it was something serious. So that was all?
A trivial matter. They could agree with a nod without even notifying His Majesty.
As commanders of the Demon Race's invasion of Douluo Continent, they had the authority to grant this much.
"Ahem, actually, I don't just need a reconnaissance squad. Ideally, I'd like to mobilize an entire legion, including a ninth-rank Demon God."
"Since we're going, whether or not we find Tang San, I think we should take the opportunity to deal with the Clear Sky Sect, too."
"According to the information His Majesty provided, the King of Slaughter we killed earlier was actually Tang Chen, the founder of that sect."
"Other forces on Douluo Continent might still be turned to our side, but these people absolutely won't. Dealing with them sooner rather than later can only help."
Long Xingyu pushed further, making his request.
If all he needed was a reconnaissance squad, he wouldn't have come to the City of Slaughter.
The human legion at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well could handle that just fine.
There were two main reasons he'd made the special trip over to ask for support.
First, Han Qian was leading troops in a standoff with the Heaven Dou Empire near Sunset Forest, so a large-scale deployment would be inconvenient.
The Demon Race was different. The City of Slaughter was relatively isolated, and the locals hadn't targeted them yet. Sending people out would be no trouble at all.
Besides, Long Xingyu had considered that this operation might involve a large-scale massacre.
The human legion, transformed from the Temple Alliance, leaned more toward order and wasn't suited to such a task.
The Demon Race, on the other hand, remained a chaotic faction, even though they had reconciled with humanity on the Holy Demon Continent. When it came to wiping out an enemy, they wouldn't balk. Their fighting spirit and bloodlust would help ensure that no one was left alive.
"An entire force? Then I'll need to ask His Majesty. Wait a moment."
Samigina frowned. This time, he didn't agree immediately, but instead activated a communication array.
Only after receiving Lin Feng's approval did he agree to help, and then he gestured with sweeping ease.
"Take a few hundred elite soldiers from the First Demon Legion. They'll be capable of both reconnaissance and combat."
"As for the powerful fighters... Marbas can lead them. We'll assign a few Demon Gods from the Vanguard Army as well."
"A pity. The City of Slaughter is a vital military stronghold, so one of us has to stay behind. Otherwise, I'd want to join in the fun myself."
Samigina shook his head regretfully.
Before long, the new plan was ready.
Three hundred elite troops, all at least seventh-rank, quietly departed from the City of Slaughter.
Led by Long Xingyu and Marbas, they headed straight for the designated area without alerting anyone.
The Clear Sky Sect was located three hundred li east of Heaven Dou City. This was specifically mentioned in the original Douluo story.
After learning this from Lin Feng, Long Xingyu decided to use it as a lead. He would search for the Child of Destiny while eliminating this hidden "thorn in their side."
Tang San was on his way home.
Hidden nearby, Tang Hao continued to protect him in secret.
After detonating his rings and domain, Tang Hao had nearly become a cripple—but only by the standards of Titled Douluo.
He could still deal with ordinary Soul Masters around level seventy or eighty, so he continued to serve as his son's bodyguard.
However, Tang Hao was only escorting his son. At least until the elders forgave him, he had no intention of returning home himself.
Given the distance, the two of them were naturally faster. By the time Long Xingyu went to the City of Slaughter, they had already reached its outskirts.
Now, a poor village came into view.
It lay at the foot of the mountains and looked utterly run-down.
Tang San gazed at it from afar, his expression growing stranger the longer he looked. Was this really the Clear Sky Sect?
To put it bluntly, it looked worse than Holy Soul Village. The former head of the Upper Three Sects had fallen this far?
Even if they were hiding their identities, this was an almost humiliating existence. Tang San felt a pang of sorrow.
Was this the sin his father had committed back then? Even so, he didn't think his father had been wrong.
The disaster had begun with Tang Hao, but he'd had no choice back then. Rather than blame his own people, Tang San would rather hate Spirit Hall.
Thinking this, Tang San had no idea that, at that very moment, he was becoming an even greater "calamity star," repeating history.
A catastrophic disaster was about to descend upon the sect because of him. It simply hadn't arrived yet. No one, not even Tang Hao lurking in the shadows, had noticed.
"Leave. Strangers aren't welcome here."
The cold voice interrupted his thoughts. Tang San looked up.
A few burly, middle-aged men in coarse clothes stood not far away, eyeing him warily.
With no other choice, Tang San revealed his Martial Soul. The Clear Sky Hammer was so distinctive that the people around him recognized it immediately.
Their attitude softened at once. They quickly verified his identity with a few questions, then had him wait where he was. It was quite some time before someone from the sect arrived.
"So you're Tang San?" The newcomer's expression was cold, even openly hostile.
"Yes. I've brought back important information." Tang San furrowed his brow, forcing down his anger.
He thought of his father's instructions and sensed the man's strength. Only then did he manage to hold himself back.
Without a word, he followed several young men away, passing through the outer village and entering the real Clear Sky Sect.
Only then did Tang Hao, watching from afar with the cultivation of a Titled Douluo, finally let out a long breath of relief.
His clansmen might have been displeased, but at least they'd agreed to let his son return. Surely that information, along with the goodwill of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, would be enough to move a few elders?
"Xiao San, you have to do your best!"
"I'll pray for you in silence outside the sect!"
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