The War of Words Between the Clear Sky Sect and Spirit Hall

After receiving further guidance from Prince Xue Xing, Xue Beng began visiting Xue Hen at the inn every day. Each time, he brought some fruit and pastries and chatted with him for a while.

Although Xue Hen gave him the cold shoulder, he still "never tired of it." Not only that, he always called Xue Hen "Royal Younger Brother" and told him the latest gossip he'd heard in the Soul Master World. He asked how Xue Hen had gotten by all these years and whether it had been hard. In short, he never brought up anything important, nor did he say a word about wanting Xue Hen to support him.

But just because he didn't say it didn't mean he didn't want it.

The fact that he kept coming every day was proof enough of his intentions!

Before long, more than a month had passed. Xue Hen gradually softened his cold demeanor toward Xue Beng's visits, and when Xue Beng occasionally said, "Royal Younger Brother, I'll be heading back now," Xue Hen would sometimes nod in reply.

Everything... was understood without a word.

Meanwhile, as Xue Hen went about Heaven Dou City, meeting citizens each day, sometimes visiting the Great Soul Arena to watch Soul Fighting from a corner, or attending auctions, the authenticity rate of "Super Douluo—Xue Hen" rose once more.

More and more people believed that a Super Douluo named Xue Hen really existed in this world.

Why?

Because they had seen him with their own eyes!

They had met him in person!

[ Semi-fictional character: Super Douluo—Xue Hen

Authenticity rate: 99.5% → 99.98%]

"Just a little more, and I'll break through the bottleneck and reach Level 98!" In a corner of the Great Soul Arena, Xue Hen sat alone. The other spectators kept their distance, not daring to approach. He looked at the System Panel that only he could see and thought to himself.

Over the past month or so, it wasn't only Xue Hen's authenticity rate that had changed. Things had also been happening in other parts of the continent.

First, Spirit Hall.

The news that Grand Elder Qian Daoliu had announced the removal of Bibi Dong as Pope spread across the continent. Everyone thought Spirit Hall would be plunged into internal strife, with the two factions attacking each other. But, to everyone's surprise, Spirit Hall remained remarkably stable.

From the worship elders at the top to the heads of the Martial Soul Branch Halls at the bottom, everyone accepted the order. No one questioned it.

As for Bibi Dong, she didn't summon the Soul Masters loyal to her to rebel against Qian Daoliu. Instead, she disappeared.

Spirit Hall announced that she had fled during the chaos and issued a Wanted Poster for her. No one knew where she had gone.

The position of Pope was left vacant for the time being, and the elders of the Elder Hall jointly took charge of Spirit Hall's affairs.

This left Emperor Xue Ye, Emperor Tianfeng, Ning Fengzhi, Tang Xiao, Yu Yuanzhen... and countless other prominent figures in the Soul Master World shaking their heads in regret.

They had thought Spirit Hall would fall into internal strife, giving them a chance to fish in troubled waters. Who would have thought Bibi Dong would be so useless, surrendering to Qian Daoliu just like that?

What a disappointment. What a huge disappointment!

Next, the Clear Sky Sect.

Tang Xiao had already arranged for Tang Yuehua to spread rumors blaming Qian Xunji's death on Bibi Dong, so the world would think the Clear Sky Sect was innocent and the sect could prepare to return to the Soul Master World.

Unexpectedly, just two days after they began, the Sky Screen exposed Bibi Dong's patricide in front of everyone. Now the Clear Sky Sect didn't even need to spread rumors—or rather, the truth. Everyone knew who had actually killed Qian Xunji.

In any case, the Clear Sky Sect had been framed. Tang Hao was not the one who killed the former Pope!

After watching the Sky Screen, Tang Xiao and the Clear Sky Sect's elders immediately sent out orders for the disciples to prepare to descend the mountain. The Clear Sky Sect was returning to the Soul Master World.

But, to their surprise, Spirit Hall soon issued two announcements that spread throughout the continent.

The first was the removal of Bibi Dong. There was nothing more to say about that.

The second stated: "Spirit Hall will not end its hostility toward the Clear Sky Sect simply because someone else was responsible for the former Pope's death. The reason the former Pope was ambushed by Bibi Dong back then was that Clear Sky Douluo Tang Hao, who wounded him, cannot escape blame! As the sect to which Tang Hao belongs, the Clear Sky Sect shares responsibility! Therefore, Spirit Hall and the Clear Sky Sect remain enemies."

When Tang Xiao and the other Clear Sky Sect leaders heard this announcement, they erupted in fury.

They cursed Qian Daoliu.

And they cursed him as foully as they could.

You already know that your son wasn't killed by a disciple of our Clear Sky Sect, yet you're still suppressing us like this? You old bastard, you're going too far!

Some disciples had already descended the mountain and moved to Heaven Dou City. The Clear Sky Sect had established a branch there and began a war of words with Spirit Hall, pointing out that Qian Xunji had been wounded by Tang Hao only because he had first led people to hunt down Tang Hao and his wife. Tang Hao had been forced to fight back to protect himself.

As for Qian Xunji being wounded, that was entirely because he was inferior to his opponent. No one else could be blamed!

Spirit Hall quickly responded to the Clear Sky Sect's accusations, stating that the former Pope had not been hunting Tang Hao, but a 100,000-year Soul Beast that had transformed into human form. As a Soul Master and the Pope of Spirit Hall, when Qian Xunji discovered a Soul Beast had taken human form and infiltrated human society, it was his duty to hunt it down!

Yet Tang Hao had protected that Soul Beast and, for its sake, sparked a war between the Clear Sky Sect and Spirit Hall. He had even used despicable means to wound the Pope. The Clear Sky Sect had failed to discipline its disciples and allowed one to act this way, so it was guilty too!

When Tang Xiao heard Spirit Hall's response, he was furious.

What did they mean, that hunting down a Soul Beast in human form was the Pope of Spirit Hall's duty? He had plainly coveted Ah Yin's 100,000-Year Soul Ring and Soul Bone, and yet he made it sound so righteous!

Tang Xiao immediately sent out orders to respond.

That 100,000-year Soul Beast in human form belonged to the Clear Sky Sect and had been subdued by Tang Hao. Qian Xunji had led people to hunt it down because he wanted to kill them and seize their treasure. It had nothing to do with maintaining peace in human society.

In response to the Clear Sky Sect's accusations, Spirit Hall replied again: Tang Hao hadn't subdued the 100,000-year Soul Beast. He had been bewitched by it! He had not only married it, but also had a child with it. That bastard was Tang San, whom the Sky Screen had exposed at the very beginning!

If Tang Hao had captured the Soul Beast intending to kill it and absorb its Soul Ring, the former Pope would never have interfered. But that wasn't what he intended to do. He wanted to conceal the Soul Beast's identity, let it live in the Soul Master World as a human, and even have children with it, allowing an impure bloodline to mingle with pure human civilization. As the Pope of Spirit Hall and a faithful believer of the Angel God, the former Pope could not tolerate this, nor could he stand by and do nothing. That was why he had led the temple's Soul Masters to hunt down the Soul Beast.

As for Tang Hao, before the fight, the former Pope had repeatedly warned him to stand down. He had tried again and again to persuade him to turn back before it was too late and not let the Soul Beast's beauty bewitch him into doing something that disgraced the ancestors of humanity!

But Tang Hao had been dead set on coupling with the Soul Beast. He had cast aside even the most basic decency of a human being!

Spirit Hall's response sent the Clear Sky Sect's leaders into a rage. They cursed Spirit Hall for its shamelessness, for twisting right and wrong and having no shame whatsoever.

Naturally, everyone else in the Soul Master World was intensely interested in the war of words between the two top powers. They watched every development with rapt attention. It had to be said—this was every bit as entertaining as a squabble between market grannies.

Shrek Academy.

After learning of Spirit Hall's successive responses, Tang Hao was so furious that his Three Corpses Gods leaped about. He nearly died of rage.

What did they mean, he had cast aside even the most basic decency of a human being?

Spirit Hall, I'll... damn your ancestors!