Tang San Was Disfigured

Yu Xiaogang was shaking with rage. He pointed at Xuan Qing, unable to speak for a long while, then finally managed to choke out a threat.

"Just you wait! Xiao San has Twin Martial Souls. Sooner or later, he'll trample you underfoot."

Xuan Qing's eyes turned cold. He swept his right hand, and the Azure Sky Demon-Breaking Spear appeared in his grasp. With a swing, he sent a crescent-shaped blade of light slashing into the ground at Yu Xiaogang's feet.

Boom!

The earth split open into a deep trench, stopping just three inches short of Yu Xiaogang's toes. He stumbled backward in fright, his face deathly pale.

Xuan Qing strode forward with the spear in hand, his voice icy.

"I hate it when people point a finger at me. Today, I'm breaking it."

Flender tried to stop him.

But Zi JI and Dugu Bo stepped forward at the same time. Behind them, the phantoms of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor and Hell Demon Dragon King appeared. The pressure of two Titled Douluo's Martial Souls instantly enveloped the entire area.

Zi JI said coldly, "Is someone trying to bully the weak with their strength?"

Dugu Bo added, "If you're defeated by someone your own age, you can only blame your own weakness. Want to interfere? Get past us first."

Flender's face darkened, but he didn't dare move. They couldn't win against two Titled Douluo.

Just then, Tang San suddenly sprang into action. His eyes were bloodshot as he roared and charged at Xuan Qing, the Eight Spider Lances unfolding behind him like a mad spider.

Xuan Qing was genuinely a little angry now. His right hand transformed into a dragon claw. Before Tang San could get close, he grabbed him by the head and slammed him into the ground.

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

After three consecutive blows, Tang San's forehead was bleeding, his nose was crushed, and several teeth had flown out.

"Did I give you too much leeway?"

He held Tang San's head and dragged him more than ten meters across the ground, carving a trench through the earth as rubble flew. Half of Tang San's face was mangled, a bloody mess.

At last, Xuan Qing tossed him aside. Tang San flew like a discarded sack, crashed through half a mud wall, and lay there twitching, barely conscious.

Yu Xiaogang was scared out of his wits at the sight. He wanted to run, but his legs had gone weak. Xuan Qing walked up to him with the spear in hand, its tip aimed at his right hand.

"Come on. Hold out your hand."

Yu Xiaogang shook his head frantically and hid his hand behind his back. Xuan Qing couldn't be bothered to waste words. He swung the spear into Yu Xiaogang's leg.

Crack!

"Ahhh!"

The bone snapped. Yu Xiaogang screamed and fell, his hand exposed.

Xuan Qing stepped forward and planted his foot on Yu Xiaogang's finger. It was still held out in a pointing gesture. Xuan Qing pressed down hard and ground it into the earth.

"Ahh—!"

A bloodcurdling scream rang through the sky. Yu Xiaogang's right index finger was crushed to a pulp, a bloody mess of shattered flesh and bone.

Xuan Qing lifted his foot and didn't even glance at him. He turned to Zhu Zhuqing, his voice calm.

"Here's something for you to think about: people climb toward the heights, while water flows down to the depths. Think it through, and maybe there's still hope for you. If you can't, you might as well hang yourself and get it over with."

Zhu Zhuqing's face was deathly pale, and she had bitten her lips until they bled. She looked at Xuan Qing, her expression complicated.

Xuan Qing didn't linger. He put away the spear and turned to Zi JI and the others.

"Let's go. Just looking at this place makes me sick."

The eight of them shot into the sky and flew toward Heaven Dou City.

On the way, Dugu Bo couldn't help asking, "Kid, what's the deal with that spear of yours? I've never seen you use it before."

"Six-Winged Angel has a sword by nature. Why can't I have a spear? Is that so strange?"

Xue Qinghe's gaze shifted slightly.

"Can you tell us what special effects it has?"

Xuan Qing didn't bother hiding it.

"Besides its combat capabilities, its greatest feature is that it recognizes its owner. If anyone other than me takes it, their life force will drain away by a percentage, returning to heaven and earth."

Ning Fengzhi drew a sharp breath.

"Is that a Soul Bone Skill? Or a Soul Skill?"

Xuan Qing shook his head.

"Neither. Some special Martial Souls come with their own weapons. The Golden Dragon, for example, has the Golden Dragon Spear."

"Only the Golden Dragon or someone with the Golden Dragon Martial Soul can use that thing. Otherwise, the spear itself will devour all their life force."

"That's a bit of a secret, too. Even if outsiders know about it, it won't do them any good. The odds of the Golden Dragon appearing speak for themselves, let alone a Soul Master who has it as their Martial Soul."

Dugu Bo clicked his tongue.

"So we made this trip for nothing. You beat Tang Hao's son into that state, and he still didn't show up."

Ning Fengzhi, Gu Rong, and Xue Qinghe also remembered.

Right. Wasn't Tang Hao supposed to be nearby, protecting his son?

Xuan Qing smiled. "Chances are he went to take revenge on Spirit Hall. The Titled Douluo are all in Spirit City. He can tear down the branch halls in the other cities one after another."

Everyone suddenly understood. That really was possible!

Qian Renxue forced down her anger and managed a strained smile.

"Brother Xuan Qing makes a good point. But Spirit Hall isn't a pushover, either. Tang Hao will only make the conflict worse by doing that."

Xuan Qing glanced at her, his tone full of derision.

"Conflict? Do you think he cares? He may have been expelled from the Clear Sky Sect, but his Clear Sky title was never taken away. Guess why?"

They all froze at the question. They had never thought about it.

"The answer's simple. The Clear Sky Sect still recognizes him. Expelling him from the sect was just a way to let him lie low for a while. Spirit Hall doesn't even keep him under surveillance. He goes back to pay respects to his ancestors every year. Did you know that?"

Qian Renxue's cheeks warmed. Xuan Qing was right. Spirit Hall had never paid attention to it, and hadn't even kept the Clear Sky Sect under surveillance.

Xuan Qing twisted the knife further.

"Then there's the battle back then, when Qian Daoliu lost to Tang Chen. He promised that unless he defeated him head-on, Spirit Hall would never set foot in the Clear Sky Sect as long as he lived."

"Honestly, it's complete nonsense. Fine, don't enter the Clear Sky Sect. There are plenty of ways to deal with them. Why not lay siege and ambush anyone who comes to their aid? Starve them to death. Yet no one in all of Spirit Hall has thought of that."

Qian Renxue wanted nothing more than to crawl into a crack in the ground. A man more than ten years younger than her was lecturing her like a scolding elder, and every word he said made sense. She had no way to refute him.

Xuan Qing saw her discomfort and didn't care.

"I'll bet you anything: that fool Qian Daoliu wouldn't fight the Clear Sky Sect even if Spirit Hall were wiped out."

"Leaving power in the hands of a fool who doesn't even understand that you have to uproot the grass to get rid of it for good—its downfall is only a matter of time. Qian Daoliu is a good fighter, but he's absolutely not a good leader."

Xue Qinghe drew a deep breath and suppressed her emotions.

She managed a strained smile.

"Brother Xuan Qing, your insights are certainly original. Still, it might be best not to say things like that. If word reaches Spirit Hall, it won't be good."

Xuan Qing rolled his eyes.

"So what? A strong person who won't raise his blade against someone stronger, but instead bullies children? If Qian Daoliu really had no shame, he'd be flattening the Clear Sky Sect right now."

"He's already let the tiger grow into a threat. What's there to be afraid of people saying?"

Everyone was speechless.

Xuan Qing's tongue was sharp and merciless, but everything he said was true. No one could refute him.

Then he delivered one final, deadly blow.

"If I were an ancestor of the Qian Family and saw my descendants acting like this, I'd climb right out of my coffin, give him a beating, and drag him back in with me. What's the point of keeping around an unfilial descendant like that?"

"He doesn't care about Spirit Hall splitting apart, doesn't kill its enemies, and spends every day praying before the Angel Statue. What's the difference between having and not having a Peerless Douluo who never leaves his home?"

"Other than acting as a deterrent, what use is he? Who can even reach him? Even if all of Spirit City were torn down, as long as they didn't get to him, do you think he'd care?"

Qian Renxue fought down the urge to strangle Xuan Qing. Her nails dug into her palms, but she still had to keep smiling and couldn't lash out.

Ning Fengzhi, Gu Rong, Ning Rongrong, Dugu Bo, and Dugu Yan wore the most remarkable expressions. They wanted to laugh but didn't dare, and could barely hold it in.

Zi JI, on the other hand, remained perfectly calm. She was used to it by now. Xuan Qing's tongue could make the dead rise in anger.

The group continued flying toward Heaven Dou City.

Qian Renxue swore to herself that once she returned, she would reform Spirit Hall. She couldn't let it keep muddling along like this.