Outside the Clear Sky Sect, in a secluded corner.
Tang Hao's face was stricken with terror, and he trembled with panic.
Out of guilt and other reasons, he didn't dare return to the sect just then, so he waited outside for his son.
He never imagined that before he could even hear the results of his son's ancestral recognition, numerous powerful figures would suddenly appear in the surrounding area.
Every one of them looked bizarre, and even the weakest had the cultivation of a Soul Saint. Without a moment's thought, he immediately identified them as the Holy Demon Federation.
"Damn it! The Clear Sky Sect really is their target!"
Tang Hao still hadn't realized that he was the one who had set his family up.
Seeing this, he was stunned and wanted to attack, but a violent burst of pain stopped him.
After his last clash with Long Xingyu, he had blown up his Soul Rings and domain one after another. How could he recover so easily?
With no other choice, he resorted to a different method. That explosion just now had indeed been his doing.
He deliberately roused the enemy to alert the sect's disciples. As expected, it disrupted their plans and successfully threw Long Xingyu off his rhythm.
"What was that explosion?"
Hell Demon God Marbas wore a grim expression.
He thought one of his foolish subordinates had accidentally triggered a mechanism in the formation.
"Forget it. Since we've already been exposed, we'll just launch the attack now. We've more or less surrounded them anyway."
"Take a few Demon Gods and attack from the front, covering me while I sneak inside to take a look. I might even be able to catch Tang San!"
Long Xingyu flew over from nearby and hovered beside Marbas. His expression was somewhat dark too, but he didn't question or blame him.
Without hesitation, he scrapped the plan before it could even be carried out. Instead of launching a coordinated encirclement, they would attack without restraint. After all, they had a huge advantage.
"Fine. I'll handle things here."
Marbas nodded in agreement.
In the blink of an eye, flames of energy burst from his body as he activated his domain power.
He charged at the mountain at the head of the pack, bypassing the villages on the outskirts and leaving the Seventh-Rank Demon Race to wipe them out.
Then Long Xingyu concealed his aura as well, circling around the mist-shrouded cliffs and entering the Clear Sky Sect from another direction.
The battle to wipe out the sect had begun!
At the same time, inside the castle's council chamber,
Tang Xiao and the several Elders' expressions turned grim the instant they learned disaster had struck.
Even Tang Xiao, who had previously been friendly and tried to bring about a reconciliation, sensed that something was very wrong.
He abruptly fixed his gaze on Tang San, his voice simmering with anger as he challenged him on the spot.
"Xiao San! What's going on?"
Hearing this, Tang San felt as if ten thousand horses were thundering through his mind.
How would I know what's going on? It has nothing to do with me!
He suddenly came to his senses, realizing what the people around him were thinking.
The Second Elder, who had been scowling, was now in a towering rage, glaring at him with bloodshot eyes.
"Damn it! You ungrateful traitor! You must have led the enemy here!"
"Our Clear Sky Sect has lived in seclusion for years. Even Spirit Hall has stopped coming after us, and we've had peace all this time."
"And yet, barely a day after you arrived, our mountain gate was attacked by a horde of powerful enemies. How could that be a coincidence?"
"Speak! Did you and that beast of a father, dissatisfied with the sect's decision back then, join forces with outsiders to destroy the Clear Sky Sect?"
The Second Elder barked, his Soul Power surging.
His words reflected what most of those present were thinking.
This sudden upheaval left them no time to think things through. They could only make a judgment on instinct.
Without a doubt, Tang San was by far the most suspicious. Even Tang Xiao couldn't believe he had nothing to do with it.
"Guards! Chop up this scum who betrayed the sect and feed him to the dogs!"
The Second Elder screamed, pointing at several disciples nearby. He wasn't even willing to dirty his own hands.
"Hold on! Tang San is highly suspect, but we haven't figured out what happened yet. I say we lock him up first."
"Our most urgent task is to drive back the invading enemies. Otherwise, even the last of the Clear Sky Sect's bloodline could be wiped out!"
Tang Xiao was furious too, but he hadn't lost his reason.
He glanced at Tang San standing before him, brow furrowed and looking utterly miserable.
He gritted his teeth, and in the end chose to believe him. Belief didn't need a reason!
"Don't do anything reckless. Since you're Hao's child, I'll make sure you receive a fair judgment afterward."
Tang San wanted to fight back.
But his strength was simply too insignificant right now.
Every Soul Master surrounding him in the council chamber was at least a Soul King.
He was only a three-ring novice; if he fought back, he'd be dead for sure. He wasn't so blinded by humiliation that he would act rashly.
He swept his gaze around coldly and silently nodded to show he agreed. Then his back suddenly hurt as someone shoved him.
They deliberately made him fall and even kicked him a few times before a burly man with the cultivation of a Soul Douluo grabbed him. His face was murderous.
"Kid, make one wrong move and I'll kill you. I mean it!"
The veins on the man's face bulged as he hauled Tang San out of the council chamber. Tang San didn't resist.
He thought that there was no doubt about the invaders' identity: they must belong to the Holy Demon Federation. If they broke in, he'd be in danger too.
No matter what, these utterly disgusting clansmen would have to take the brunt of the attack. Let them slaughter each other, then.
"Don't worry. I don't want to die, so I won't resist."
"But you'd better not get yourself killed by the enemies outside."
Tang San's words were clearly dripping with sarcasm. The result was another punch, followed by his being tossed into a sealed room.
This was where the Clear Sky Sect imprisoned clansmen who had broken the rules, so they could reflect and repent. It was in an outlying area of the fortress.
"Kid, you'd better pray this really has nothing to do with you. Otherwise, no one can protect you!"
The burly Soul Douluo spoke, then turned and left.
He soon rejoined the others and flew toward the mountainside.
The Clear Sky Sect's defenses were built around the mountains in several layers, each separated by a natural barrier.
In theory, even if the outer defenses were breached, they could retreat to the next line and hold out for quite some time.
But clearly, when the former Sect Master had chosen this place as the Clear Sky Sect's hideaway, he hadn't considered one possibility.
The invading enemies weren't using any low- or mid-level Soul Masters at all. Every one of them was a Soul Saint or higher, capable of flying independently.
That made the defenses, which seemed like natural barriers,
as good as nonexistent in the eyes of the Divine Seal Demon Race.
During the brief time they'd spent arguing with Tang San, the main force led by Hell Demon God Marbas had already broken through the two outer defensive layers.
The reinforcements Long Xingyu had brought this time might not have been numerous; there were only three hundred of them in total. But every one was elite among elites!
"W-what are those things?"
"They don't look human. They're more like a mix of Soul Masters and Soul Beasts!"
"What terrifying strength! Hurry, pass down the order to pull back our defenses at once. Don't engage them head-on!"
Tang Xiao, the Second Elder, and the others watched the Demon Gods hovering in the air. Furious yet horrified, they could hardly believe what they were seeing.
As they stood there in a daze, they noticed several figures in the distance, flying straight toward them at top speed. Their targets were clear: they were coming specifically for them!
"Haha, there are some powerful ones over there too."
"Huh? Titled Douluo? So many of them?"
"Long Xingyu was right. The Clear Sky Sect really is a major threat!"
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