Who's in favor, and who's opposed?

Our next stop was the Breaking Clan.

The Strength Clan and the Defense Clan had already been wiped out, while the Speed Clan had submitted.

Of the Four Single-Attribute Clans, only the Breaking Clan remained.

If we wiped out the Breaking Clan as well, then the only thing we'd gain from this trip would be the Speed Clan.

The weakest clan of them all, in the most miserable shape, so badly suppressed by Spirit Hall they could barely afford to eat.

Why would the Holy Son himself need to make this trip?

Gu Qingshan still hoped he could bring them under his command. After all, the Breaking Clan would be quite useful.

The Breaking Clan's skills in making medicine and refining pills were top-notch in the Soul Master World. The Healing Medicine, Detoxification Pills, and Soul Gathering Pills they made had long ranked near the top of the procurement lists of the major powers.

With the Breaking Clan, Spirit Hall's pharmaceutical capabilities would rise to a whole new level.

When war came, medicines for healing and detoxification would be hard currency, and they would be consumed in huge quantities.

He had the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, with its endless supply of high-quality medicinal herbs, but ordinary apothecaries couldn't bring out their full potential.

The Breaking Clan could. They had the formulas, the skills, the experience, and a centuries-old legacy of making medicine and refining pills.

The herbs from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well combined with the Breaking Clan's alchemy—that was a perfect match.

If he could bring the Breaking Clan under his command, Spirit Hall's logistical needs would be taken care of.

The trouble was, Yang Wudi had a spine of iron and a foul temper. His hatred of Spirit Hall went back many years.

Back when Spirit Hall had suppressed the Four Single-Attribute Clans, the Breaking Clan hadn't suffered the worst losses, but Yang Wudi's only son had died in that conflict.

And Yang Wudi's younger brother, Yang Wushuang, had also been taken by Spirit Hall during that battle. From then on, there had been no word of him.

He hated Spirit Hall to the bone.

Getting someone like him to submit to Spirit Hall would be harder than getting Niu Gao to do so.

Niu Gao was simply furious. Yang Wudi was consumed by hatred.

If it came to it, he could kill Yang Wudi and install a clan leader who would obey.

As long as the Breaking Clan's legacy survived, the clan could still be put to use.

The clansmen needed to eat, cultivate, and prosper. Who sat in the clan leader's seat wasn't all that important to them.

Change the person in charge, and the Breaking Clan would still be the Breaking Clan.

Yang Wudi might have an iron spine, but that didn't mean everyone else did.

The four of them arrived at Soul Breaking City, a small city where the Breaking Clan ruled like kings.

They said the city hadn't always had this name. The Breaking Clan had renamed it later.

The fact that they could change a city's name showed just how firmly the Breaking Clan had established itself there.

Of the Four Single-Attribute Clans, the Breaking Clan was doing the best and was also the wealthiest.

Bai Chenxiang went to the gates of the Breaking Clan's estate and called for someone to open them. She was much more composed than she had been in Heaven Dou City.

Lately, she had been following Gu Qingshan around, seeing plenty of blood and plenty of the world.

She had seen people killed, clans wiped out, and a Titled Douluo bowing to apologize.

Calling at someone's gate was nothing to her now.

The process was much the same as before: call at the gate, negotiate, announce their arrival, and meet the clan leader.

Before long, the four of them were in the main hall, facing Yang Wudi and several elders.

Yang Wudi was an old man nearing seventy. Though he had entered old age, he was powerfully built and broad-shouldered. Unlike Sword Douluo Chen Xin, with his immortal air, Yang Wudi radiated the hard-edged bearing of a battle-hardened man and a murderous aura.

Yang Wudi recognized at a glance that they were from Spirit Hall and spoke first. "People from Spirit Hall?"

Gu Qingshan took a seat opposite the place of honor.

"Spirit Hall. Gu Qingshan."

The air in the hall seemed to tighten. Several elders exchanged glances.

Word of what Gu Qingshan had done had already spread far and wide.

He had killed Bone Douluo, severed one of Sword Douluo's arms, and forced Yu Yuanzhen to bow his head and apologize.

He had wiped out the Strength Clan and the Defense Clan, and brought the Speed Clan under his command.

In less than a month, half of the Four Single-Attribute Clans had been wiped out.

And now it was their turn?

Visitors who came with good intentions didn't come uninvited.

Yang Wudi's expression didn't change, but his fingers tapped the armrest of his chair, once, then again.

That conflict back then had given him enough reason to hold a grudge for the rest of his life.

Now, with people from Spirit Hall sitting in his main hall, he was still keeping his cool and hadn't flown into a rage on the spot. That alone showed how much he had improved at keeping his temper in check over the years.

"The Breaking Clan has nothing to discuss with Spirit Hall," Yang Wudi said coldly.

But Gu Qingshan seemed to be deliberately provoking him.

"From this day on, the Breaking Clan submits to Spirit Hall. Who's in favor, and who's opposed?"

Yang Wudi finally couldn't take it anymore. He shot to his feet, face flushed, veins bulging on his forehead, and pointed at Gu Qingshan.

"Bullshit!"

His voice exploded through the hall like a thunderclap, making the windows rattle.

"Submit to Spirit Hall? Your Spirit Hall killed my son, took my own brother, and killed my clansmen! And now you expect me to submit? Dream on! I'd rather die than bow my head to Spirit Hall!"

An elder rose from his seat.

"Clan leader, please calm down!"

Yang Wudi whipped around.

"Shut up! Who said you could butt in?"

The elder's expression flickered. He sat back down, looking deeply displeased.

The other elders lowered their heads too. No one dared speak again.

That was Yang Wudi for you. He couldn't stand hearing other people's opinions.

His temper was as foul as it was stubborn. Once he'd made up his mind, not even nine oxen could drag him back.

His hatred of Spirit Hall was carved into his bones and ran through his blood.

Asking him to submit to Spirit Hall was like asking him to die.

Gu Qingshan's expression didn't change. He took out a Blue Silver Leaf and chewed on it.

"So there's nothing to talk about?"

Yang Wudi clenched his fists until they creaked.

"Talk about what? Bullshit!"

Gu Qingshan nodded.

"Fine, then. Let's settle it one-on-one."

"One-on-one?"

Yang Wudi had studied Gu Qingshan. His record looked terrifying, but Yang Wudi believed Gu Qingshan's strength came mainly from defense and reflecting attacks. His ability to attack head-on could be ignored.

And Yang Wudi's Soul Breaking Spear happened to be the bane of defensive Soul Masters like him. As long as he broke through Gu Qingshan's shield, there'd be nothing to fear.

One-on-one, the advantage was mine!

"Don't think you're invincible just because you've got a turtle shell. Take my Soul Breaking Spear!"

As he spoke, he unleashed his martial soul. The Soul Breaking Spear appeared in his hand, and eight Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black—rose and began to pulse.

"Martial Soul Avatar."

"Combination Skill: Shatter, Pierce, Break, Annihilate."

Yang Wudi unleashed his full power. A ring of black flames rose around him, and even the Soul Breaking Spear turned into black flame. He pushed its penetrating and destructive power to the extreme; this strike was powerful enough to wound a Titled Douluo.

But Yang Wudi had overestimated both his strength and his intelligence.

Gu Qingshan's reflected damage didn't care whether an attack could break his shield. The moment you attacked him, the damage was reflected.

Gu Qingshan raised his shield to meet the Soul Breaking Spear.

"Crack!"

The Thorn Shield really did break, but only half its health bar was gone. It barely mattered.

Then came, "Though wildfires burn the grass away, the spring breeze brings it back!"

And he was back to full health!