As soon as those words about abandonment fell, it was as though something had been sucked out of the air beyond the Heavenly Screen.
The patriarchs of the Strength Clan, Speed Clan, Defense Clan, and Breaking Clan had each been occupied with their own affairs, but the word "abandoned" pierced the same old scar in all four of them like a needle.
All four froze almost in unison.
Tai Tan raised his head first. His thick fingers rested on his knee, curling one by one into a fist. He did not look at Tang San. Instead, he stared at the floor before him, his Adam's apple bobbing once. In the end, he said nothing.
I've grown so used to being a dog that I can't stop eating shit.
White Crane turned his head, his gaze passing over several shoulders to settle on Tang San. His eyes were full of wariness. If he had a better choice, he would leave at once.
Niu Gao's reaction was the most direct. He looked up at Tang San, his expression complicated.
Hadn't their four clans suffered Spirit Hall's oppression precisely because the Clear Sky Sect had abandoned them?
Well, like father, like son.
Yang Wudi said nothing. He set the Immortal Herb on the table.
Tang San had still been saying that Yin Hongye had earned himself a path to death by blowing up the Tang Sect when he suddenly sensed a change in the atmosphere around him.
Yes, everyone was looking at Tang San with hostility and suspicion.
They had joined the Tang Sect because it would not abandon them. But if the Tang Sect would abandon them too, why shouldn't they choose somewhere else?
Tang San suddenly realized that his plans to establish the Tang Sect were about to go up in flames. The future Tang Sect without these four clans...
That had struck a nerve with all four men.
Worse, they knew many of the Tang Sect's secrets. He absolutely could not let them leave alive.
"Everyone, how can you judge me now for a crime in the future?" he asked, trying to explain himself and calm them down.
"Why can't we judge you for it? Isn't that still the Tang Sect?" Niu Gao shot back.
He did not care whether it was the future or not. If it existed, it was fact.
Just as Tang San was about to continue, Yin Hongye chimed in with impeccable timing. "What has happened before will happen again; what has been done before will be done again."
At that, everyone present except Tai Tan rose in anger.
"Tang San, if you don't explain this clearly, you won't want to find out what we'll do."
Yang Wudi spoke bluntly, then turned and walked away.
"Elder Yang, this matter..."
Before Tang San could finish, the others filed out. Only Tai Tan, that loyal hound, remained at his side.
Tang San stared at Yin Hongye on the Heavenly Screen, his eyes bloodshot and his fury soaring to the stars. Killing intent surged toward the heavens. "Yin Hongye, you've earned yourself a path to death! I'll kill you!"
The next instant, a wave of killing intent rebounded. It condensed into a blood-red sword and pierced straight through Tang San's chest. He let out a scream that seemed to tear his heart and lungs apart.
Even with Divine Slaughter's Domain, Tang San had nearly failed to withstand it.
Yet it was precisely because Tang San possessed Divine Slaughter's Domain that the attack had taken physical form.
On the Heavenly Screen, Yin Hongye had just withdrawn his Long Spear when he frowned in confusion. "Who triggered my counterattack? I can sense he seems to be in Heaven Dou City, but why can't I locate him? Could this Evil Soul Master be even stronger than the one just now?"
Qian Renxue could not help asking, "Red Lotus Douluo, is something wrong?"
"Nothing. My Killing Intent Sense was triggered. It automatically reflects killing intent directed at me. It's not a very useful Soul Skill. At a distance, it won't even activate unless the killing intent is strong enough."
Yin Hongye thought little of the Soul Skill. No matter how strong someone's killing intent was in this era, its reflection could not possibly injure them.
Even he could only use killing intent to kill the soul of a Soul Emperor, much less harm someone with their own killing intent.
Besides, Divine Slaughter's Domain had vanished long ago. How could Tang San possibly let anyone possess it?
He had no idea that, across twenty thousand years, he had gravely wounded a Soul Emperor.
It was unprecedented, and there might never be another like it.
He gave it no more thought. If someone truly wanted to kill him, they would come for him face-to-face sooner or later. A coward who hid his face was not worth worrying about.
He turned and headed toward the podium. Mu Ye stood beside Zhen Hua, one hand still raised in a guarded stance.
"How is the Divine Craftsman?" Yin Hongye asked.
Zhen Hua stepped out from behind Mu Ye, his expression unchanged. Clearly, he was fine.
He waved a hand, as composed as though what he had just dodged was not a fatal strike from a Titled Douluo but a dollop of bird droppings falling from the sky.
"Completely fine."
"It's just a pity I won't be able to explain forging techniques to them for a while."
"That's fine. You can forge some Heavenforged Metal for me instead." Yin Hongye seized his chance. Surely he could jump the queue.
After all, his poverty was famous throughout the Federation.
And whose fault was that? The Tang Sect's, for being so shameless. I killed Evil Soul Masters, and they still dared to demand compensation from me for them.
They must be in league with the Evil Soul Masters.
"You're as shameless as ever. You've received more Heavenforged Metal than anyone else in the entire Federation, and you're still not satisfied. Aren't you a level-eight blacksmith yourself? At your age, you're bound to break through."
Zhen Hua told Yin Hongye directly, "You're only one step away from becoming a Divine Craftsman."
"I'd have to be able to break through first. I wonder if the laws of heaven and earth could make room for a Killing Dao."
Yin Hongye was speechless. Was it that I didn't want to break through? I've worked so hard, but the Douluo Plane still won't let me. It hasn't even sent a lightning tribulation. It must want me to kill the heavens to prove my sincerity.
"You brat. Always talking nonsense." Zhen Hua sighed, then thought of Yin Hongye's absurd family history.
It was all that boy's father's fault. That man surnamed Li never did anything sensible. If he wanted Soul Rings and Soul Bones, he should have just said so. Why did he have to have a child?
And do that sort of thing in front of the child, no less.
Parading around with that tower every day, putting on airs. Good riddance.
Yin Hongye was such a good kid, blessed with extraordinary talent. Why did he have to end up with a father like that?
Sometimes Zhen Hua wanted to dig the man out of his grave and whip the corpse a couple of times, though the remains had long since been scattered.
I'd barely become a Divine Craftsman when a successor appeared. What a fine story that would have made. But all this child's talent went into killing and fire.
Still, to Zhen Hua, Yin Hongye was just a child. What ill intentions could an eighteen-year-old have?
Yin Hongye had been right about one thing: when a child was not taught, the father was to blame. His father had simply failed to teach him properly.
"Come on, let's eat. We've been at it all morning, and I'm hungry. We'll have Mu Ye make you a feast."
Yin Hongye nodded and called Qian Renxue over to join them.
Zhen Hua took two steps, then his gaze fell on Qian Renxue and he stopped short.
"Who's this?" Zhen Hua asked Yin Hongye, turning his head.
"She says her name is Qian Renxue."
"Oh." The name sounded vaguely familiar to Zhen Hua, but he gave it no further thought. He looked Qian Renxue up and down, then suddenly smiled. "Young lady, Yin Hongye has an odd temper. Please be patient with him."
Yin Hongye was speechless. That old woman's only eight years younger than you. Round it off and she's twenty thousand years older than you!
Besides, I'm eighteen now. I'm not a little boy anymore. That angel probably wouldn't be interested in me.
Qian Renxue felt awkward. How had they mistaken her for his girlfriend? More importantly, the old steward had told her that Yin Hongye had little interest in women.
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