The Star Dou Great Forest had always been a paradise for Soul Beasts and a forbidden land for Soul Masters.
And now, even its last haven was about to be violated.
This left the Star Dou Beast King hidden within unable to sit still any longer.
"Roar—!"
Accompanied by an earth-shaking roar, a gigantic black ape as massive as a mountain charged out from the core region deep within the Star Dou Great Forest.
Led by the Titan Giant Ape, a Beast Tide that swept across the entire Star Dou Great Forest erupted completely!
This Beast Tide nearly engulfed the entire Star Dou Great Forest. It even burst beyond the forest's established boundaries, bringing disaster upon many civilians and small Soul Master teams who made their living along the forest's edge. The casualties were severe.
No wall could keep secrets forever.
Although Spirit Hall had acted discreetly, the disturbance in the Star Dou Great Forest was simply too great. Spies from the Heaven Dou Empire, the Star Luo Empire, and the major sects quickly delivered the intelligence back to their respective powers.
Heaven Dou City, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's residence.
Ning Fengzhi sat behind a broad desk, clutching a confidential report that had just arrived. His face was so grim it seemed ready to drip water.
Bone Douluo Gu Rong's injuries had stabilized. He was currently seated in a grand chair beside him, resting with his eyes closed.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin, meanwhile, stood by the window with the Seven Kill Sword in his arms, gazing at the scenery outside.
"Fengzhi, what is it?"
Noticing Ning Fengzhi's slightly hurried breathing, Sword Douluo turned and asked.
Ning Fengzhi placed the report on the desk, his voice somewhat hoarse.
"Spirit Hall is carrying out a slaughter in the Star Dou Great Forest."
Sword Douluo frowned. "A slaughter? Haven't they always kept the number of Soul Beasts they hunted under control?"
"This time is different." Ning Fengzhi rose to his feet and paced back and forth through the hall. "The report says they are only drawing blood, not taking Soul Rings. And every Soul Beast they have hunted is a powerful one over fifty thousand years old."
Bone Douluo opened his eyes, a trace of confusion flashing across his skeletal face. "Drawing blood? What does that madwoman Bibi Dong want with so much Soul Beast blood?"
Ning Fengzhi stopped walking and gave a bitter laugh.
"What else could it be? That girl who returned from Swallowed Star is in Spirit City now. Bibi Dong must have pried the cultivation method of Spirit Masters out of her."
Ning Fengzhi's gaze deepened. "That world's cultivation system values both mental power and the body. We Soul Masters of Douluo Continent are comparatively weak physically."
"Bibi Dong must have run into a cultivation bottleneck and wants to use the essence blood of high-level Soul Beasts for something."
As soon as he said this, the air in the hall grew stifling.
Sword Douluo's hand abruptly tightened around his sword hilt.
"No matter what, Spirit Hall has grown increasingly rampant in recent years. If we let them continue hunting Soul Beasts without restraint, then once they achieve some kind of breakthrough, it will pose an enormous threat to all of us."
Ning Fengzhi nodded, his tone exceptionally grave.
"Precisely."
"Moreover, Spirit Masters are simply too terrifying for Douluo Continent."
"Just imagine it: a group of monsters with profound Soul Power who can control more than a dozen flying daggers from afar to kill people, charging into battle. They would be an army of killers harvesting lives."
The million-strong armies of the two great empires would be nothing but living targets before those impossible-to-guard-against flying daggers.
Spirit Hall had already been the strongest force on the continent. Now that it had acquired this era-defying method of warfare, the balance was about to be completely shattered.
"We can't wait any longer."
Ning Fengzhi walked to the desk, spread out a sheet of paper, and quickly began writing with a brush.
"Uncle Sword, I'll have to trouble you to make a personal trip to the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace. Give this letter to Xue Ye and tell him that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is willing to fully support the imperial family. We must make preparations as soon as possible."
"Also, send someone to make contact with the Star Luo Empire."
"At this critical moment of life and death, both empires are indispensable forces. It would be best if our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could secretly form alliances with both of them."
Although the two great empires were mortal enemies, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could privately ally with both sides.
Sword Douluo put away the letter, nodded solemnly, then turned into a streak of sword light and vanished into the horizon.
The cold wind howled.
Deep within a sprawling range of perilous mountains in the Heaven Dou Empire.
The terrain here was treacherous, surrounded by steep cliffs. Only several thick iron chain bridges connected the isolated peaks on either side of the abyss.
A burly man in tattered black robes carried a huge sack on his back as he stepped across a swaying chain bridge, making his way toward an ancient castle at the mountain's highest point.
This man was none other than Clear Sky Douluo Tang Hao.
And inside the bloodstained sack on his back was Dai Mubai, whose bones had all been broken and who had fallen into a deep coma.
The mountain wind whipped Tang Hao's black robes with a loud rustle.
He looked up at the familiar yet unfamiliar massive stone castle ahead. A huge hammer was carved above its main gate.
That was the residence of the Clear Sky Sect.
Many years had passed since he had been forced to leave the sect.
When the two young disciples guarding the gate saw a stranger radiating murderous energy approach, they immediately summoned their Clear Sky Hammers and warily blocked his path.
"Stop! The Clear Sky Sect has sealed itself away from the world. Outsiders are not permitted to approach!"
Tang Hao stopped. He did not get angry, merely slowly pulling down his black hood to reveal a weathered, stubbly face.
"Go report to your sect master. Tell him Tang Hao has returned."
Upon hearing that name, the two young disciples froze. Then their eyes widened, and they nearly lost their grip on their hammers.
Tang Hao!
The legendary peerless powerhouse who had severely wounded Spirit Hall's former Pope all by himself!
Not long afterward, the stone castle's heavy gates slowly opened to either side amid a deep rumble.
A middle-aged man even taller and more imposing than Tang Hao strode out from within. He had a head of grayish-white hair.
His features bore some resemblance to Tang Hao's, though he possessed more of the authority and weariness of one long in a high position.
The current sect master of the Clear Sky Sect, Howling Sky Douluo Tang Xiao.
Tang Xiao looked at Tang Hao standing outside the gate, and his eyes instantly reddened.
His usually stern face twitched slightly. His lips trembled several times before he finally managed to utter two words.
"Haozi..."
Tang Hao's eyes grew hot as well.
He set down the sack on his back, took two steps forward, bent his knees, and knelt directly upon the cold stone ground.
"Big Brother, I'm back."
Tang Xiao hurried forward, grabbed Tang Hao by the shoulders, pulled him up forcefully, and embraced him tightly.
"It's good that you're back. It's good that you're back!"
The two brothers poured out their feelings outside the gate for quite some time before Tang Xiao finally noticed the sack on the ground, which was still seeping blood.
"What is this?" Tang Xiao asked with a frown.
An extremely violent and chaotic life aura emanated from the sack. It did not feel human, but more like a ferocious beast.
Tang Hao kicked the sack and explained, "This is Dai Mubai, the Star Luo prince who returned alive from the world of Swallowed Star."
"However, he can no longer be considered human. That world treated him as an experimental subject, injected him with all kinds of monster genes, and turned him into a half-human, half-beast monster."
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