After learning that Qian Xunji had been assassinated, a sorrowful air hung over the entire Spirit Hall.
Qian Daoliu was both grief-stricken and furious. He looked at his son lying in the crystal coffin, then pounded on it several times in anger, lamenting that he had failed to raise him right.
"Ji'er! You fool! You were the Pope, yet you behaved so recklessly. Now I, an old man, have to bury my own son!"
Bibi Dong was the second most grief-stricken after Qian Daoliu. In this world, Qian Xunji was still her most beloved teacher. The secret chamber incident had never happened, and Bibi Dong was also sprawled over the coffin, weeping bitterly.
By comparison, Qian Renxue shed only a few symbolic tears. Having lived two lives, she had never received any care from this father of hers, so her reaction was understandable.
Qian Xunqian was also saddened, but Qian Xunji had personally appointed her as the next Pope. She could not lose her composure in front of everyone.
Ju and Gui Douluo had, after all, spent more time with Qian Xunji than anyone else. They shook their heads and sighed, overcome with emotion.
If the Pope had taken the two of them with him, would things have turned out differently...
Everyone followed the coffin to the Worship Hall, to the Angel Temple.
Qian Daoliu respectfully bowed to the Angel God Statue, and everyone else followed the Great Enshrined's lead.
Pure Angel Divine Fire poured from the statue and settled over the crystal coffin. Flames roared to life, completely purifying Qian Xunji, body and soul.
"The Clear Sky Sect! Tang Hao! So this is the Tang Hao who sheltered a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast!"
Qian Xunqian's expression was stern as she spoke.
"That bastard Tang Hao can run, but can the Clear Sky Sect? A monk may run away, but his temple can't! The murder of our Spirit Hall Pope is a blood feud!"
Like a cold machine, Qian Xunqian began issuing orders.
"Ghost Douluo! Send people at once to every Spirit Branch Hall across the Douluo Continent. Have them post notices stating that Tang Hao of the Clear Sky Sect consorted with a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast and murdered the Pope of Spirit Hall. Spirit Hall will avenge its fallen Pope and apprehend this traitor to humanity. The Clear Sky Sect has sheltered Tang Hao, a traitor to humanity, and is guilty of the same crimes. We will put them on trial as well!"
"Yes!"
"Golden Crocodile Douluo, Mighty Lion Douluo, Guangling Douluo, Qianjun Douluo, Jiangmo Douluo, Ju Douluo, Ice Phoenix Douluo—Shui Xiaoer—and Poison Douluo!"
"Present!"
"Choose your own forces. Once preparations are complete, march with me against the Clear Sky Sect! We'll avenge His Holiness the Pope!"
"Yes!"
Qian Xunqian turned to Qian Daoliu, her tone softening.
"Uncle, I know you and Tang Chen made an agreement: you wouldn't personally destroy the Clear Sky Sect or kill its direct-line core disciples; Tang Chen wouldn't personally destroy Spirit Hall or kill its senior members or heirs of the Angel Clan. Conflicts between the two sects would be limited to the next generation of disciples. Neither of you would personally enter the fray."
"Please stay behind to guard Spirit Hall, along with the Saintess, Porcupinefish Douluo, and Snake Lance Douluo!"
Qian Daoliu had words on the tip of his tongue, but when he saw the gentleness in Qian Xunqian's gaze, he somehow swallowed them.
"Alas..."
Two days later, Spirit Hall's army of Soul Masters was ready. Qian Xunqian had spared no expense this time.
She brought eight Titled Douluo, fifty Soul Douluos, a hundred and eighty Soul Saints, and countless others below the rank of Soul Emperor. It was practically an all-out effort to wipe out the Clear Sky Sect.
Of course, although Qian Xunqian was making a great show of force, she had no intention of actually annihilating the Clear Sky Sect.
Her primary goal was to force Tang Hao, that cowardly turtle, out of hiding.
Still, if Tang Hao kept hiding, she could at least deal the Clear Sky Sect a crippling blow.
If the Clear Sky Sect were wiped out, the balance of power across the Douluo Continent would be shattered. The two great empires would then set aside their grudges for good and unite closely.
Other powers and sects that opposed Spirit Hall would also band together.
Once the sides were drawn, war would be inevitable. Qian Xunqian didn't want that. She still wanted more time to grow stronger and wasn't ready for an early war.
Besides, the Clear Sky Sect was the strongest sect under heaven, and it had deep foundations. If she tried to destroy it by force, there would be three drawbacks.
First, Spirit Hall would suffer losses of its own. Even in the best-case scenario, one in five would be killed or wounded.
Second, if Tang Hao stayed hidden and she only destroyed the Clear Sky Sect, who knew what he might do later? Spirit Hall would be in the open, while Tang Hao lurked in the shadows. He would be a constant headache.
Third, she had never killed the innocent, not even for revenge. Besides, massacring a city was always immoral. From a pragmatic political standpoint, slaughtering the entire Clear Sky Sect would damage Spirit Hall's image in the future.
The Clear Sky Sect was hardly united. Some could be won over, others could be cultivated as allies. Who were their enemies, and who were their friends? Who could never be a friend, and who could? A politician had to figure all of that out in advance.
A rather amusing idea suddenly occurred to Qian Xunqian.
She could establish another Clear Sky Sect and start a battle over which one was legitimate. Then she could have Spirit Hall's media build up the story, turning a fake into the truth. Heh heh heh...
"Brothers and sisters of Spirit Hall! Tang Hao murdered our Pope and consorted with a Soul Beast! This blood feud can never be forgiven! The Clear Sky Sect has sheltered him and is guilty of the same crimes! Follow me to the Clear Sky Sect and avenge the Pope!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
This was clearly no ordinary day. Spirit Hall, which had always lurked like a poisonous snake in the shadows, bared its fangs to everyone across the Douluo Continent!
The eight Titled Douluo alone were more than the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and both great empires could muster combined.
Dark clouds hung over the Clear Sky Sect, and the whole place looked as if a storm could bring the city walls crashing down.
Sect Master Tang Lie had already learned that Spirit Hall intended to attack the Clear Sky Sect.
"Spirit Hall! Damn you! A thousand years of good name for my Clear Sky Sect—and you've destroyed it!"
Tang Lie was so furious that he coughed up blood. He had never imagined Qian Xunqian would publicize Tang Hao's and the Clear Sky Sect's crimes across the entire Douluo Continent.
What could he say? There was no way to refute it. Tang Hao really had killed Qian Xunji.
Besides, that charge was already the most dignified version of the truth.
Just the fact that he had hidden a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, then consorted with her and fathered a child, was enough to earn him the world's contempt.
The whole world now gossiped over tea about the story of Tang Hao and the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.
Worse, under Qian Xunqian's deliberate guidance, people across the continent were starting to believe that everyone in the Clear Sky Sect was a pervert who liked coupling with Soul Beasts.
Even if they managed to withstand Spirit Hall's attack and somehow survived, they had lost the hearts of the people. It would be hard for the sect to prosper in the future. Alas...
As Tang Lie dwelled on this, he suddenly couldn't catch his breath. His illness had grown worse over the years, and he was already near death.
That breath never came. In front of all the Clear Sky Sect's elders, he died of rage.
"Sect Master! Sect Master!"
"Father! Father! Father! Waaah!"
For a time, the Clear Sky Sect was left leaderless. Spirit Hall's forces were on their way, and Tang Hao still hadn't shown himself. The sect seemed trapped in a dead end.