Storms!

Yue Guan reined in his playful expression, reporting with a solemn face.

"The two great empires remain as they have always been."

"Undercurrents are surging and minor frictions are constant, but there have been no major conflicts. The Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire continue to maintain that tacit balance."

Bibi Dong nodded, neither confirming nor denying.

This was an expected answer. The two empires had been fighting for over a hundred years; neither could swallow the other, and neither could do anything to the other. This stalemate had become a stable norm on the continent.

Moreover, Spirit Hall was growing increasingly powerful these days.

Presumably, this was also making the two empires wary, preventing them from acting rashly.

"As for the Upper Three Sects."

Yue Guan continued, his tone carrying his habitual scrutiny of those ancient sects.

"The Clear Sky Sect remains like a stagnant pool, with no movement at all."

At the mention of the Clear Sky Sect, a faint ripple flashed through Bibi Dong's dark brown eyes, so quick it was almost impossible to catch. But she said nothing, merely listening quietly.

"The Seven Treasures Glazed Sect is the same as ever."

Yue Guan's lips curled slightly, that smile carrying a touch of profound meaning.

"That old fox Ning Fengzhi still manages things flawlessly. Whether it is internal sect affairs or external dealings, he handles everything in perfect order, leaving no room for criticism. This man... has always been a troublesome character."

Bibi Dong gave a soft "Mn."

Ning Fengzhi.

The Sect Master of the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect. A deep-thinking, airtight old man.

"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan—"

When speaking of this third house, Yue Guan's tone was unconsciously tinged with a hint of contempt.

"They are still brandishing the banner of the 'Number One Beast Spirit in the World,' arrogant and overbearing, thinking themselves invincible."

"Although... if one were to really weigh it, this family's overall strength is actually the weakest among the Upper Three Sects. They just put on the biggest airs and have the most inflated arrogance."

Bibi Dong nodded slightly.

She was well aware of all this.

The Upper Three Sects stood together, contending with Spirit Hall. On the surface, they kept to their own affairs, but at their core, each harbored their own schemes. She had been watching this game for many years.

Ordinary petty squabbles could not catch her eye.

She sat upright on the main seat, her expression indifferent, as if she were prepared to end this routine briefing.

However—

"There is one more thing."

Yue Guan suddenly spoke again.

He hesitated slightly, as if weighing his words.

"It is just... it should be considered a minor matter. I am not sure if I should speak of it."

Bibi Dong raised her eyelids and gave him a faint look.

"Speak plainly."

In front of her, there was never any question of what should or should not be said.

Yue Guan bowed slightly.

"Just in the last few days, a direct descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan forcibly abducted a young woman in the street."

"And then... he also beat an old man to death in public for trying to stop him."

Bibi Dong's expression did not change at all.

"Is there some other issue with this matter?"

Her tone was so flat it was almost cold.

Because this matter did indeed sound like a mere trifle.

Forcibly abducting women, killing commoners—for those of the Upper Three Sects who held the pinnacle of power on the continent, such things were nothing out of the ordinary. The people of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had always been arrogant, relying on the advantage of their spirits to oppress the common folk; this was not a one-day occurrence.

It was not just the Upper Three Sects; any faction or noble was the same.

Such things played out all over the continent every year.

One more case did not matter, and one less did not matter.

It was not that Spirit Hall did not care, nor that they did not want to intervene.

It was simply that this was a world where the strong preyed upon the weak.

Added to the fact that spirits were determined by bloodlines, the formation of noble clans was inevitable.

The strong grew stronger, and the weak grew weaker.

What else could be done?

"But this matter has blown up."

Yue Guan's voice deepened.

"It has become... a massive scandal."

Bibi Dong's dark brows finally twitched slightly.

"Why has it escalated to such a degree?"

How could a common act of malice warrant a special mention from her trusted confidant?

Yue Guan raised his head, his charming face now etched with a complex expression.

"Under normal circumstances, it shouldn't have reached this point."

"But this time... it is different."

He paused.

"Because this matter did not end there."

"Oh?"

Bibi Dong sat up slightly, her scepter spinning gently in her hand.

"Go on."

Yue Guan continued his account.

"At the time, a child happened to be passing through that long street."

"The child was very young, only seven years old. He came from a branch family of the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect, failed his martial soul awakening, and was a 'trash' without even a martial soul."

"However."

Yue Guan's voice faltered, his tone carrying an indescribable emotion.

"It was precisely such a child. Without a martial soul, without soul power. Relying solely on a physique far stronger than an ordinary person's, he beat a direct descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan until he was crippled in the middle of the street."

The great hall fell into silence.

Even Gui Mei, who had remained silent throughout, felt a flicker of faint surprise pass through his cold, gloomy eyes.

Bibi Dong did not speak, merely gesturing for him to continue.

"Once this happened, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan naturally would not let it rest."

Yue Guan continued.

"Clan Elder Yu Kun, the grandfather of the one who was crippled, personally led men to demand justice."

"A dignified elder of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, a seven-ring Soul Saint, personally arrived to demand the life of a seven-year-old child."

"And the child's own kin—that branch of the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect—fearing they would be implicated, actually decided to hand the child over."

"His father, Ning Jing."

At this point, the corners of Yue Guan's lips curled into a chilling arc.

"In front of the entire street, he kicked his own son to the ground, stepped on his back, and left him to the mercy of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."

"His mother, Yin Suzhi, knelt and kowtowed, begging for the child's life in exchange for her own—she was refused."

Bibi Dong sat upright on her throne, her expression remaining largely unmoved.

She had seen too many things like this.

Seeking profit and avoiding harm, sacrificing the pawn to save the chariot. In life-or-death moments, the coldness of human nature is always exposed in the most naked way.

A trash child without a martial soul versus the safety of an entire branch family—those clan elders and that father knew exactly how to weigh the two.

This did not surprise her.

"And then?" Bibi Dong asked.

Yue Guan was silent for a moment.

"And then..."

"That child did something no one expected."

He raised his eyes to meet Bibi Dong's gaze.

"He didn't cry. He didn't beg for mercy. He didn't resent anyone."

"He simply stood up and picked up a sword from the ground."

"In front of everyone—"

Yue Guan's voice was measured and deliberate.

"He cut his flesh to return it to his father."

"He scraped his bones to return them to his mother."

"He severed all ties with the clan."

"And then, he took his own life with the sword."

The great hall was so silent that the fall of a needle could be heard.

The eternal lamp burned quietly, its flame motionless in the stagnant air.

Yue Guan paused for a moment after saying this.

"It is precisely because of this that the matter has caused such an uproar."

"In private, the common folk are all cursing the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan for treating human lives like grass and bullying others with their power. Some also condemn the collateral branch of the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect for selling their own kin for glory, calling them cold-blooded and heartless."

"A case of forced abduction that was originally detestable yet commonplace has, due to the death of this child, spiraled into a storm that has caused both of the Upper Three Sects to lose face."