Qian Renxue gave a bitter laugh.
"Recruit? What can we use to recruit them?"
"The entire Heaven Dou Empire? Or the position of elder in the Spirit Hall?"
"Do you think someone who kicks over Ultimate Douluo like trash would even look at these things?"
Silence fell over the study.
Qian Renxue sighed and waved her hand.
"Pass down the order: From now on, no one is allowed to stop or offend Qin Feng. Let him do whatever he wants."
"Yes!" the two Douluo answered in unison.
On the other side, in Spirit City.
Pope Palace.
Bibi Dong sat on the Pope chair.
The light from the Message Board flickered on and off on her face.
Hu Liena stood at the bottom of the steps, head down, not daring to speak.
"Teacher..." Hu Liena called out boldly.
Bibi Dong snapped out of her daze and glanced at her.
"Send the order to all Spirit Hall Branch: cancel all search and arrest operations targeting the remnants of the Clear Sky Sect."
Hu Liena was taken aback.
"Teacher, this is a golden opportunity to eliminate the Clear Sky Sect! Tang Chen is critically injured and on the verge of death, Tang Hao is also a cripple..."
Bibi Dong interrupted her.
Didn't you understand what was written on the Message Board?
" Qin Feng wants to use Tang Chen to catch a big fish."
"Now that he's laid the bait, we shouldn't stir up the water."
Bibi Dong stood up and walked to the edge of the steps.
"Whoever steals his prey will become his next target."
" The Spirit Hall can't afford to offend him right now."
Hu Liena was startled and quickly lowered her head.
"Disciple understands."
Let's turn our attention back to the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
The red light inside the cave had long since gone out.
Tang San's finger twitched again.
This time, the twitching was much larger than before.
He slowly opened his eyes.
There were no pupils in his eyes, only a chaotic blood red.
A long time passed.
The crimson color slowly faded, returning to its normal black.
Tang San opened his mouth and breathed in the murky air in the cave.
With each breath, a sharp, piercing pain shot through his chest.
But he did survive.
Tang San tried moving his arm.
My arms felt heavy, like they were filled with lead.
But he could feel the presence of muscles and bones.
He braced himself against the stone slab and sat up.
"I... I'm still alive?"
Tang San's voice was as hoarse as that of an eighty-year-old man.
His memory was still stuck in that dimly lit alley Heaven Dou City.
The focus remained on Qin Feng's powerful punch.
He remembered that his arm was broken.
I remember my neck being broken.
He vividly remembered the feeling of helplessness when death struck.
But now, he was sitting in an unfamiliar cave.
Tang San looked down at his body.
The clothes were tattered and torn.
His skin was covered in dried blood.
There was a strange burning sensation in my chest.
He reached up and touched his chest.
There was no wound there, but beneath the skin, it seemed as if a red flame was flickering.
Tang San turned his head and saw the blood-red array patterns on the stone slab that had turned black.
Looking outwards along the formation.
He saw a small pile of grayish-white powder at the edge of the stone slab.
Next to the powder, there was a palm-sized black token lying on the ground.
The token was neither gold nor wood; it had a hammer engraved on it.
That was the Clear Sky Sect Token, a token passed down through generations of Clear Sky Token Sect leaders.
Tang San's pupils contracted slightly.
He recognized the token.
Back when he was at the Moonlight Pavilion, his aunt Tang Yuehua had described the Clear Sky Token to him.
This token had always been in the hands of his great-grandfather, Tang Chen.
Tang San reached out his trembling hand and picked up the token.
The token was cold.
There was a little grayish-white powder stuck to it.
Tang San looked at the pile of powder, then at the blood array on the stone slab.
Although his brain had just awakened and was still somewhat sluggish, he had, after all, the experience of living two lives.
He quickly realized what had happened.
"Great-grandfather..."
Tang San gripped the Clear Sky Token with both hands, tears streaming down his face.
Although he had never met Tang Chen, he knew that apart from this legendary great-grandfather, no one had the means to pull him back from the pile of corpses.
This pile of powder is the last trace left in this world by his great-grandfather.
Tang San knelt on the stone slab.
He kowtowed three times heavily before the pile of powder.
"Great-grandfather, the third daughter is unfilial."
"You risked your life to save me."
Tang San raised his head.
His once clear eyes were now bloodshot.
Hatred churned within his chest.
" Qin Feng..."
Tang San gritted his teeth, squeezing out those two words through his clenched teeth.
He hated Qin Feng.
Qin Feng not only shattered his pride.
Kill him.
Now, even his only support, his great-grandfather, has died because of Qin Feng.
The destruction of the Clear Sky Sect, the death of his loved ones, and the humiliation he suffered.
The root of all this is a man named Qin Feng.
Tang San gripped the Clear Sky Token tightly.
My fingers are turning white.
"I won't let you get away with this."
"You ruined everything I had. I'll make you pay for it, even if it costs me my life."
Tang San stood up.
His weakness made him sway and nearly fall.
He steadied himself by holding onto the stone wall.
He knew that going to find Qin Feng now would be suicide.
He must survive.
We must restore our strength as soon as possible.
We must find out what that pulsating red flame in my chest is.
Tang San stepped out of the cave.
It was already dark outside.
The howls of Soul Beast echoed from afar.
Tang San was not afraid.
He has faced life and death, and his mindset has changed.
He chose a direction and, dragging his weakened body, walked step by step toward the deepest part of the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
He remembered the last thought his great-grandfather had left in his bloodline.
Do not return to Heaven Dou City.
Hide.
To become a god.
Tang San's figure quickly disappeared into the dense forest.
Meanwhile, in Heaven Dou City...
The sun had just set.
At the Sunset Grand Hotel.
Qin Feng woke up from his sleep.
He opened his eyes and glanced at the dim sky outside the window.
"I slept so well."
Qin Feng stretched and sat up in bed.
He walked to the door and opened it.
In the living room.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing were chatting on the sofa.
Upon seeing Qin Feng emerge, both of them stopped.
"You're awake." Ning Rongrong stood up. "Did you sleep well?"
"Not bad." Qin Feng walked to the table, poured himself a glass of water, and drank it all in one gulp.
"Let's go. Didn't we say we were going to buy shoes this afternoon? It's already dark. The shoe stores will close soon if we don't go soon," Qin Feng said, putting down his water glass.
Ning Rongrong smiled.
"Don't worry. I just asked the hotel owner to inquire. There's a long-established shoe shop in the south of the city that makes shoes for high-ranking officials and wealthy people. They're open in the evenings too."
Zhu Zhuqing also stood up.
"We'll go with you."
Qin Feng nodded.
"Okay, let's go then."
The three of them walked out of the hotel.
The night in Heaven Dou City was much quieter due to the events of the day.
But many lanterns were still lit up along the street.
Qin Feng walked in the middle, with Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing on either side of him.
They walked through several streets.
We arrived at the shoe shop in the south of the city.
The shoe shop owner was an old man in his fifties.
When he saw Qin Feng come in, he was stunned for a moment, then his eyes widened suddenly.
He clearly knew Qin Feng as well.
"Young Master Qin! Your presence is an honor to our humble establishment!"
The shopkeeper hurried over, bowing very low.
Qin Feng waved his hand.
"Buy a pair of shoes. Something sturdy, preferably with thick soles."
The shopkeeper nodded repeatedly.
"Yes, yes, yes! Our shop just received a batch of boots made of Ironclad Bull a few days ago. They're not only sturdy, but also breathable. I'll get them out for you to try on right away!"
The shopkeeper dashed into the inner room.
A short while later, he came running out carrying several pairs of brand-new boots.
Qin Feng sat in the chair.
He changed into a pair of black Ironclad Bull boots.
He stood up, took a couple of steps, and stomped his feet on the ground.
"Hmm. It's alright. It fits well."
Qin Feng nodded. "These two pairs will do."
Ning Rongrong stepped forward, took out a Gold Soul Coin Card, and handed it to the shopkeeper.
"Bill, please."
The shopkeeper was so frightened that he waved his hands repeatedly.
"No, no, no! It's our good fortune that Young Master Qin has taken a liking to our shoes. How could we possibly accept money from you! Consider these shoes a token of our respect to Young Master Qin!"
Qin Feng glanced at the shopkeeper.
"Take it if I tell you to. I don't have the habit of not paying when I buy things."
Seeing Qin Feng's resolute attitude, the shopkeeper finally accepted the Gold Soul Coin Card with trembling hands.
After buying the shoes.
The three of them walked out of the shoe shop.
Qin Feng looked down at his new shoes.
Stepping on the bluestone slabs produced a dull thud.
"These shoes are nice. They shouldn't break so easily next time we fight," Qin Feng said casually.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged a smile.
This is Qin Feng.
In the eyes of others, he was an unapproachable god.
But in their eyes, he was someone who would be satisfied with newly bought shoes.
Qin Feng raised his head.
Looking at the bright, clear moon in the sky.
His gaze remained calm.
There was no ripple.
Even if he knew, somewhere on this continent.
Tang Chen may already be dead.
Tang San may already be alive.
So what?
Qin Feng withdrew his gaze and put his hands in his pockets.
"I'm hungry again. Let's go get some late-night snacks."
Qin Feng walked forward without looking back.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing quickly followed.
" Qin Feng."
" Qin Feng!"
These two words kept echoing in Tang San's mind.
He muttered something to himself with every step he took.
His teeth were clenched so hard they were making a grinding sound.
The surrounding area was a dense, dark forest.
Not even a ray of starlight could get in.
The deepest part of the Hundred Thousand Mountains is shrouded in dense, poisonous miasma year-round.
There is no road here.
Only fallen leaves that have rotted for who knows how many years.
As soon as you step on it, black sewage gushed out.
Tang San's body is very weak right now.
The tattered clothes hung on her body, swaying in the night wind.
He stopped and leaned against a thick tree trunk.
His chest heaved violently.
The sound of panting was particularly clear in the silent forest.
I'm so tired.
This newly reconstructed body is not yet fully adapted to his soul.
My leg muscles twitched intermittently.
It was a kind of aching pain that seemed to originate from deep within the bones.
In the past, Tang San could travel for days and nights without feeling tired.
But now, he has already exhausted most of his strength after walking less than ten miles.
He raised his hand.
Looking at the deep, bone-revealing scratches on my palm.
This was left behind when I walked through a thicket of thorns.
The wound is not bleeding.
Because his hematopoietic function has not fully recovered.
The exposed skin and flesh had an abnormal grayish-white color.
Tang San ignored these minor injuries.
He just stared at his palm, and the alley Heaven Dou City reappeared in his mind.
That punch.
That kind of devastating power, utterly unreasonable.
They smashed his arms, broke his neck, and flattened his chest.
Before even the thought of resistance could arise, consciousness was plunged into darkness.
"Why should I?"
Tang San slammed his fist into the tree trunk.
A piece of bark was knocked off the tree.
His fists were also scraped raw.
"Why does he have that kind of power?"
"I have cultivated diligently for two lifetimes, mastered Hidden Weapon, and possess Twin Martial Souls!"
"I am the one truly blessed by heaven!"
Tang San's voice echoed through the forest, filled with deep resentment and bitterness.
He thought of the Moonlight Pavilion.
I thought of my aunt, Tang Yuehua.
I'm reminded of the battle at Sunset Slope.
I was reminded of the destruction of the Clear Sky Sect.
Finally, the image freezes on that small pile of grayish-white powder.
That was my great- Tang Chen.
The creator of the number one sect in the world.
Ultimate Douluo at level ninety-nine.
To save him, to give him a glimmer of hope, she burned everything she had, only to have her soul scattered and destroyed.
Tang San took out the black Clear Sky Token from his pocket.
Gently rub your fingers along the hammer pattern above.
The token was a little cool to the touch.
But it has become his only source of emotional support.
"Great-grandfather, don't worry."
"I will definitely avenge this blood debt."
"I will make Qin Feng repay the humiliation he inflicted on our Clear Sky Sect a thousandfold."
Tang San carefully Clear Sky Token back close to his body.
He took a deep breath of the miasma-filled air, forcing himself to calm down.
Now is not the time to vent your emotions.
Danger lurks everywhere in the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
He needed to find a safe place first and figure out what was going on with the power inside his body.
Tang San continued walking forward.
His steps were unsteady, but his eyes were more determined than ever before.
A dry riverbed appeared ahead.
The riverbed was overgrown with weeds that were half a person tall.
Tang San pushed aside the weeds and carefully stepped forward on the pebbles at the bottom of the riverbed.
Sudden.
A rustling sound came from the bushes ahead.
Tang San stopped abruptly.
My nerves were on edge.
Without any hesitation.
He reached for his waist with his right hand, intending to draw Hidden Weapon.
But they found nothing.
The Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges was destroyed in the battle of Heaven Dou City.
He now possesses nothing but a Clear Sky Token.
There wasn't even a single nail for self-defense.
The sounds from the bushes grew louder and louder.
A gust of foul-smelling wind blew towards us.
A pair of bright green eyes lit up in the grass.
Immediately afterwards.
A black panther, as large as an adult water buffalo, leaped out.
The black panther's fur stood on end like steel needles.
Two sharp fangs protruded from his mouth.
This is the Netherworld Spirit Panther.
Judging from its size, it's at least a thousand years old.
The Netherworld Spirit Panther stared at the weakened human before it.
It could sense the flesh and blood emanating from this human.
It had a very nourishing flavor.
Although this human looked thin, the energy contained within its body was enough to give it a good meal.