A Feast, A Beheading, and An Acceptance

Tang Zhen's eldest son, the 90th-rank Titled Douluo known as Howling Sky Douluo—Tang Xiao—stepped forward.

"Elders, Spirit Hall has dispatched eight Titled Douluos, six of whom are at rank 95 or higher! They even have Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo, who can deploy large-scale poison formations. If we clash head-on, the Clear Sky Sect will surely be wiped out!"

"In this junior's opinion, the only sound strategy is to preserve our strength. We must notify the core and inner sect disciples to pack their belongings immediately and gather in the main hall. We shall retreat tonight under the cover of darkness!"

The Second Elder wore a troubled expression and said:

"The four single-attribute clans still possess some combat power; should we not take them with us?"

Tang Xiao sighed and replied:

"Second Elder, the situation is dire. The more people we take, the slower our retreat. If Spirit Hall catches up to us, we are all finished. It would be better to leave some of the outer sect members behind to buy us some time!"

The situation was truly urgent, and Tang Xiao, casting aside all pretense of decorum, openly suggested using the others as cannon fodder.

"Elders, are there any objections?"

Though the members of the Clear Sky Sect were hot-headed, faced with the threat of death, they set aside their reckless bravado and agreed one after another.

"Good! Elders, do not alert the enemy; inform only your trusted brothers in secret. At midnight tonight, we slip away through the south gate!"

At the first light of dawn, the outer sect disciples of the Clear Sky Sect, who were supposed to begin their daily cultivation, grew anxious when they could not find their instructors.

By the time the sun had fully risen, more and more outer sect disciples discovered their teachers were missing, and they immediately fell into a panic.

A few who feared nothing defied the sect rules and snuck into the Elder Hall to investigate.

They were shocked by what they found: the Elder Hall was completely empty, and not a single soul could be seen in the Sect Master's main hall either.

Just like that, the eerie atmosphere persisted until noon.

At noon, when the sun should have been at its brightest, the sky remained gray and overcast.

It was the Spirit Hall soul master legion, blotting out the sun!

Golden Crocodile Douluo manifested his Martial Soul Avatar, picked up the manifesto against the Clear Sky Sect, and began to read aloud.

The voice of a Titled Douluo was incredibly resonant, and everyone within the territory of the Clear Sky Sect heard it with perfect clarity.

"We've been abandoned!" one outer sect disciple shrieked before fainting in terror.

The entire Clear Sky Sect plunged into despair.

"My benevolent new Pope does not wish to cause excessive slaughter. We only seek to execute the primary culprits, Tang Hao, and those who shielded him—the Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect, the elders, and their ilk. As for the rest, if you are willing to repent and turn over a new leaf, Spirit Hall will let bygones be bygones and grant you favorable treatment!"

Before the words had even faded, many outer sect disciples scrambled out of the sect, kneeling on the ground and kowtowing for mercy.

"We are willing to surrender to Spirit Hall!"

Titan, the patriarch of the Strength Clan, watched these groveling disciples, his rage boiling over as he cursed:

"A tree lives for its bark, a man lives for his face! Loyalty and righteousness are the foundations of a person's character. You lot, groveling and betraying your masters for glory! You have truly brought shame upon the Clear Sky Sect!"

Cursing was one thing, but he could not stop the outer sect and registered disciples from frantically rushing out of the sect to throw themselves into the righteous embrace of Spirit Hall.

Fewer than one in ten outer sect disciples remained. Everyone understood the principle of "every man for himself in a crisis," especially since Tang Xiao and the others had abandoned them first; even if they surrendered, they were merely forced by circumstance.

Now, only the four-attribute clans, who understood the path of loyalty best, remained within the Clear Sky Sect.

As subordinate forces of the Clear Sky Sect, their level of intimacy was not even as high as that of the outer sect disciples.

In truth, the members of the four-attribute clans were also restless, perhaps even more eager to join Spirit Hall than the outer sect disciples.

It was just a pity that their patriarchs were die-hard loyalists to the Clear Sky Sect.

Titan thought to himself: If I, an old servant, can suppress the outer sect disciples, can I not suppress you little slaves?

Among the four-attribute clans, Niu Gao was the least corrupted by loyalty.

He did not possess Titan's blind devotion, nor did he value righteousness as much as Yang Wudi, and he lacked the marital ties to the Sect Master that Bai He had.

He was currently using half his mind to think about how to fight Spirit Hall, and the other half to think about how to bypass the other three clans and surrender.

His left brain and right brain began to fight frantically.

Niu Gao looked at the hungry children of his clan and finally sighed.

He signaled frantically with his eyes to his younger brother, Niu Ben.

Niu Ben understood immediately and dropped to one knee before Niu Gao, pleading:

"Spirit Hall has eight Titled Douluos. To go to war with them is like throwing an egg against a rock—it is suicide. Big Brother, for the sake of the Defense Clan's survival, let us surrender!"

Niu Gao, putting on a performance, scolded him:

"Nonsense! Sect Master Tang Zhen has treated me well. How can I abandon the Clear Sky Sect when it is in trouble!"

Niu Ben pulled over a group of outstanding juniors from the Defense Clan, and they all knelt down, weeping bitterly:

"Big Brother! For all these years, the Clear Sky Sect has only used us like dogs. They wouldn't even let our Defense Clan touch their cultivation techniques; we aren't even treated as well as outer sect disciples! Is it our fate to spend our whole lives building houses for the Clear Sky Sect?"

"Now, that coward Tang Zhen has abandoned us; he is the one who betrayed his honor first. Big Brother, you have not failed the Clear Sky Sect! The Clear Sky Sect has failed you! Do you want to watch as our Defense Clan is wiped out?"

Niu Gao's hands trembled, his face twitching violently. He was hesitant and deeply conflicted, looking left and right.

Finally, a sense of powerlessness flooded his entire body, and Niu Gao slumped over.

After a long while, he slowly raised his head, looked at the patriarchs of the other three clans, and spoke with great difficulty:

"I apologize, my three brothers, but I must still consider my clansmen. After all, it was the Clear Sky Sect that betrayed us first. Had they stood shoulder-to-shoulder with me today, the Defense Clan would have defended the Clear Sky Sect even if it meant the death of our entire clan, but..."

"Sigh... Your Excellency Sky Crocodile! We, the Defense Clan, surrender!"

Niu Gao led his clansmen slowly toward the people of Spirit Hall, his expression of inner struggle never wavering. One couldn't help but exclaim: what acting! What an actor!

Who says there are no good actors in this country?

Seeing the Defense Clan surrender, Titan pointed at Niu Gao's nose and cursed:

"Old Rhino! You unfaithful, unrighteous, heartless, and unfilial beast! You piece of trash without descendants! You... you... you..."

Watching the Defense Clan depart, the members of the Break Clan began to stir restlessly.

Yang Wudi was not as long-winded as Niu Gao; he spoke to Sky Crocodile decisively and clearly:

"I share a bond of brotherhood with the Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect. Today, my brother is in trouble, so I naturally will not stand idly by. However, my clansmen should not have to be buried with me. From this day forward, I, Yang Wudi, withdraw from the Break Clan!"

Yang Wushuang looked at his brother in a panic and said, "Brother! What are you doing!"

Yang Wudi patted his younger brother's shoulder and sighed:

"Brother, take our Break Clan members and surrender. Live well, and do not seek revenge for me!"