As Flender had expected, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect's branch in Heaven Dou City immediately passed word of Liu Erlong's death in battle up the chain. Those who received the news flew into a rage.
A Soul Saint was considered a high-ranking member of any faction.
Moreover, Liu Erlong was younger than Yu Xiaogang, only in her early forties, and had a strong chance of becoming a Titled Douluo.
On the surface, she had been expelled from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect. In reality, even the academy she founded bore the Blue Lightning name.
And her biological father was none other than Yu Luomian, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect's second-in-command, or rather, its Elder.
Expelling her had merely been a perfunctory measure to deal with the rumors harming the sect's interests after Liu Erlong fell in love with her cousin Yu Xiaogang and wanted to be with him.
At the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, Yu Yuanzhen convened a meeting of the senior members, his face dark and his voice icy.
"Liu Erlong died in Heaven Dou City today!"
Everyone could feel Yu Yuanzhen's fury.
Yu Luomian shot to his feet, his face flushed red. "Impossible!"
"My daughter was a Soul Saint!"
"And someone attacked her in Heaven Dou City? Did the imperial family just stand by?!!!"
With someone taking the lead, the sect's six elders immediately joined in, roaring.
"Revenge! We must have revenge!"
"Even if Liu Erlong was expelled from our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, the blood in her veins never changed!"
"She died in Heaven Dou City. The Heaven Dou Imperial Family owes us an explanation!"
"And there's that Li Sen, and the Thousand-Hand Asura!"
Facing the impassioned, indignant elders, Yu Yuanzhen spoke flatly.
"According to the information our subordinates sent, Li Sen is a Titled Douluo. Supposedly, he fought both Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo and won.
"Ning Fengzhi seems to have backed down and sought friendly relations. He even sent his daughter over. They say she's been put in a collar like a maid, and no one has intervened.
"The Thousand-Hand Asura is his disciple, named Tang San. He was the one who killed Liu Erlong single-handedly."
⊙﹏⊙
A Titled Douluo, friendly with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, which had sent him its princess.
Hearing this, the elders immediately lowered their voices. They exchanged looks and awkward yet polite smiles.
"A Titled Douluo? Liu Erlong was only a Soul Saint. Why would she provoke a Titled Douluo?
"Could there have been some misunderstanding?"
"Ahem, I think the Heaven Dou Imperial Family bears the greatest responsibility. They must give us an explanation. Heaven Dou City is their imperial capital, after all."
"Liu Erlong? Wasn't she that illegitimate daughter who was expelled? She has nothing to do with the sect."
Listening to the discussion around him, Yu Luomian clenched his fists, veins bulging. Nine soul rings suddenly appeared around him.
"Shut the fuck up!!!"
"What does being a Titled Douluo matter? Does that make attacking my daughter right?"
"How was my daughter not one of us? She even named her academy Blue Lightning!"
The elders' eyes widened. They had always thought Yu Luomian was merely a Soul Douluo. When had he become a Titled Douluo...?
They had two Titled Douluos here, and their sect master alone had the strength to secure the sect's place among the Upper Three Sects. What was there to fear?
"Revenge! We must have revenge!!!"
"Who cares what kind of Titled Douluo Li Sen is? Killing someone from our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect is wrong!"
Yu Yuanzhen gave Yu Luomian a surprised look, then nodded slowly.
"Since everyone agrees, we will take revenge. Our sect must not be insulted!"
"I will demand an explanation from the Heaven Dou Imperial Family and warn the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect not to get involved. Meanwhile..."
Yu Yuanzhen looked at Yu Luomian, guilt on his face.
"Luomian, I heard Xiaogang brought a Soul Saint named Flender to see Erlong, and that was what led to this."
"I will find Flender and kill him, but could you spare Xiaogang's life?"
Yu Yuanzhen's voice trembled slightly.
He was the strongest man in the sect, yet his son's outrageous behavior had gotten a relative from their own sect killed. Guilt robbed his words of their confidence.
He had resented this son since childhood, hating that iron would not become steel.
Poor talent was one thing, but he had to stir up trouble too, seducing Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden and bringing suppression down on the sect.
He had seduced his own cousin, leaving the sect scorned and gossiped about by the world, making even the recruitment of fresh blood difficult.
And now he had gotten a promising member of the sect killed.
If he had not been his son, Yu Yuanzhen would have loved to hack him into eight pieces!!!
Yu Luomian remained expressionless, his teeth clenched tight.
"You must be joking, Sect Master. How would I dare object?"
Despite concealing his strength as a rank-92 Titled Douluo, he still could not defeat Yu Yuanzhen.
Yu Yuanzhen was rank 95 and possessed the sect's complete inherited set of soul bones, which could greatly enhance his strength when activated.
In the original animated adaptation, Yu Yuanzhen had used his life to ignite the complete soul bone set, the True Dragon Nine Crowns.
His rank-95 soul power briefly reached the demigod level. Facing six Titled Douluos from Spirit Hall, he killed four of them before finally dying from the soul bones' backlash.
In the original novel, he had faced four Titled Douluos and killed one.
... Heaven Dou City
After killing Liu Erlong, Tang San silently activated the martial soul Li Sen had left him and sought out the hotel where he was staying.
"Teacher, I killed Liu Erlong."
Tang San confessed his crime the moment they met. Head lowered and fists clenched, he waited for judgment.
He was very nervous, but not because he feared being scolded, killing someone, or the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect.
He feared Li Sen would despise him, that Li Sen would be angry with him for provoking the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect and drive him away.
Li Sen smiled and turned to Dugu Bo.
"Brother Dugu, tell me what happened."
Based on his experience teaching Tang San for over six years, there had to be a reason he had killed Liu Erlong. Still, to prevent any misunderstanding, he needed to ask.
Dugu Bo snorted, unable to suppress even a shred of his envy.
"You monster, you really are blessed. It's not enough that you're a freak yourself—you've taken in a little freak too. And most importantly, he stands up for you."
"That Liu Erlong wanted to get your martial soul evolution theory out of Tang San, and then she insulted you.
"The brat lost his temper and challenged her to a duel. He wouldn't even let me intervene."
"And there you have it. He killed her. I imagine the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect is buzzing right now, clamoring about who they're going to attack."
"A Soul Saint in her early forties has a very good chance of becoming a Titled Douluo."
Hearing this, Tang San lowered his head.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul was known as the world's greatest beast martial soul, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect was one of the Upper Three Sects. Even if it ranked last among them, its influence was hardly small.
This time, he had gotten himself into serious trouble.
After all, last time he had not even managed to hit Ning Rongrong, yet Ning Fengzhi had already come looking for him before he got back.
Li Sen laughed at the sight.
Whether in the animation or the novel, plenty of people liked to say Tang San had double standards.
But when the good side of those double standards favored you, who could refuse?
Not to mention, he was no good man himself.
Even if he were, Liu Erlong had gone after his disciple to steal something. He would have killed her himself.
Li Sen raised his hand and rubbed Tang San's head.
"Don't be afraid. He's just an old dragon."
"Unless he stakes his life on it, he can't beat your teacher. And if he does, taking you all away would be easy enough."
"I don't believe that old dragon would risk his life against us for a single Soul Saint, disregarding even his sect's survival."
"Oh, right. I'm going to start taking disciples. If anyone applies, register those without powerful backgrounds or with unusual martial souls.
"I'll see if I can find you a few junior brothers and sisters."
Tang San breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Li Sen did not despise him for what he had done, he feared nothing.
As for taking disciples...
Tang San's eyes flickered.
If Master has other disciples, will he care less about me?!
For a moment, Tang San hesitated over the matter of finding junior brothers and sisters.
But this was Li Sen's request.
Rather reluctantly, Tang San said, "All right, Master. I'll see if there's anyone suitable to become my junior brother or sister."
Before you continue