Bibi Dong took a deep breath.
She leaned back against the chair again, closed her eyes, and calmed her heaving chest.
"Send out the order."
"Scrap every part of the plan targeting Godwind City."
"Also..."
Bibi Dong opened her eyes, her gaze turning profound.
"Find out what Bai Chenxiang is doing right now."
"If she can't be made to work for us, then..."
She left the rest unsaid.
But the killing intent filling the hall said everything.
Heaven Dou City, Tang Sect residence.
Smash!
A delicate teacup was hurled to the ground, shattering into pieces.
Tang San sprang to his feet.
He stared fixedly at the Sky Curtain, the Purple Demon Eye in his gaze even beginning to operate on its own, beyond his control.
"How could it be her?"
Tang San's expression was awful.
Absolutely awful.
The Speed Clan had once been one of the four single-attribute clans affiliated with the Clear Sky Sect.
It was also one of the clans ruthlessly abandoned when the Clear Sky Sect shut itself away.
He had met Bai Chenxiang at the Soul Master Tournament.
Back then, although Bai Chenxiang had decent talent, in his eyes, she was just a capable scout.
Not much of a threat.
He had even considered whether he could bring the Speed Clan back into the fold, but Ma Hongjun had taken a liking to Bai Chenxiang, and that had led to a complete falling-out.
But now...
The girl on the Sky Curtain filled him with an unprecedented sense of danger.
Fourteenth place!
She had even outranked his father, Clear Sky Douluo Tang Hao!
"Xiao San."
Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang stood to one side.
His hands were trembling.
"My theories... could they really be wrong?"
Yu Xiaogang muttered to himself.
"There are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters... But granting someone a Martial Soul after birth completely shatters the ironclad laws of the Martial Soul world!"
At that moment,
the man hailed as the unrivaled Grandmaster of theory saw his entire worldview collapse.
Tang San turned to his teacher, who looked utterly dazed, and took a deep breath.
"Teacher, this isn't your fault."
"It's that Venti."
At the mention of that name, a shadow crossed Tang San's eyes.
"If he can grant Soul Beasts a Vision and give Bai Chenxiang a Second Martial Soul..."
"Then he must have mastered some kind of power or law beyond our understanding."
As he spoke, Tang San clenched his fists.
"Father declared war just now, but it seems the enemy we face is far more terrifying than we imagined."
The morale that had soared when Tang Hao appeared
had turned uncertain once more after Bai Chenxiang made the list.
Even Tai Tan of the Strength Clan, standing nearby, wore a complicated expression.
They were both among the four single-attribute clans.
The Speed Clan had sure latched onto a powerful patron.
And what a patron—a golden thigh far stronger than the Clear Sky Sect!
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Ning Fengzhi stood atop the high platform, the wind stirring his pristine white robes.
"Uncle Jian, Uncle Bone."
Ning Fengzhi gazed at the Sky Curtain and gave a bitter smile.
"It seems we still underestimated the Wind God's methods."
Sword Douluo Chen Xin held the Seven Kill Sword in his arms, his gaze sharp as a torch.
"If her agility reaches the absolute limit and she gains attack power on top of that..."
"Then she'll be the most terrifying assassin."
"If I were to face Bai Chenxiang as she is now, I could win, but it certainly wouldn't be easy."
Ning Fengzhi nodded.
"The Speed Clan had a hard life. No one thought anything of them."
"But look at them now."
"They've risen to the top in a single bound."
"If only we'd known, we should've done whatever it took to win the Speed Clan over."
"But there's no medicine for regret."
Ning Fengzhi sighed and turned his gaze north.
"Godwind City is becoming harder and harder to read."
The Far North.
The wind here was more bitter than anywhere else.
Snowflakes as large as goose feathers drifted down from the heavens, dyeing the entire world pure white.
The cold wind howled.
Two figures stood atop a massive glacier.
One tall, one short.
The taller one was a beautiful woman in a pure white gown, her noble bearing making her seem like the ruler of the endless snow.
Her snow-white hair fell to her ankles, each strand crystalline and translucent.
The foremost of the Three Great Heavenly Kings of the Far North.
The Snow Empress.
Beside her stood a little girl who looked no older than twelve or thirteen.
She wore a jade-green dress and had twin ponytails. Her skin was so fair it seemed almost transparent.
But anyone who dared underestimate her would meet a gruesome end.
Second among the Three Great Heavenly Kings of the Far North.
The Ice Jade Empress Scorpion, with a cultivation of four hundred thousand years.
The Ice Empress.
At that moment,
these two overlords of the Far North were gazing up at the scenes on the Sky Curtain.
"Big Sis."
The Ice Empress shook her head, her ponytails swishing along with it.
"This human god named Venti is pretty interesting."
Her voice was clear, but not at all sweet or delicate. Instead, it held a domineering edge at odds with her appearance.
"I know that little bird, Bi Ji."
"The healing Soul Beast from the Star Dou Forest."
"I didn't expect her to get one of those 'Visions' and control the wind element, too."
The Snow Empress gave a slight nod.
Her gaze remained calm, like a glacier that had never melted in ten thousand years.
"That's not all."
The Snow Empress spoke.
"Bai Chenxiang was also granted power by the Wind God."
"That shows he isn't stingy about granting power."
"And he doesn't discriminate by race."
The Ice Empress's eyes lit up at this.
"Big Sis, you mean..."
The Snow Empress turned to face south.
"Our names will appear on that list sooner or later."
"The Far North may be remote, but the Sky Curtain won't overlook it."
"Once we're exposed, those greedy human Soul Masters—especially Spirit Hall—will have their eyes on us."
"Even..."
The Snow Empress paused, her tone turning grave.
"That Tang Hao who smashed a mountain with a single hammer."
The Ice Empress snorted, putting her hands on her hips.
"Let them come! Does this empress look afraid?"
"I'll freeze them into ice sculptures!"
The Snow Empress shook her head and gently stroked the Ice Empress's hair.
"We aren't afraid of dying."
"But there's no need to make pointless sacrifices."
"The situation has changed."
"We need allies."
"Or... a powerful patron."
The Ice Empress curled her lip and swatted the Snow Empress's hand away.
"Forget those guys in the Star Dou Forest."
"That black dragon Di Tian acts like he owns the world every day. Just looking at him annoys me."
"Then who else is there?"
The Snow Empress looked up at the Sky Curtain again, at the green-clad figure who had vanished but still lingered in their minds.
"Godwind City."
"Venti."
The Snow Empress spoke the two names.
"If he treats Soul Beasts and humans equally, and even openly protects Bi Ji in this human-dominated world..."
"Then he doesn't reject us."
"And besides..."
The Snow Empress's lips curved slightly, revealing the faintest smile.