The Defense Clan Never Surrenders, Unless They Provide Room and Board, and the Arrival of Yang Wudi

"Is the Defense Clan patriarch, Senior Niu Gao, present in the manor?"

An Jing's clear and resonant voice echoed throughout the entire residential compound.

"Old man's right here!"

Niu Gao took a deep breath, braced himself against the oppressive killing qi pouring down from the sky, and strode out of his seat.

Facing this notorious god of slaughter, he did not dare to put on airs. Following the rules of the soul master world, he cupped his fists and asked in a deep voice:

"I wonder why Little Friend An has traveled thousands of miles from the Heaven Dou Empire all the way to Longxing City?

My Defense Clan has always kept a low profile and lived in seclusion. We seem to have no grievances with Your Excellency."

Niu Gao muttered inwardly:

The Defense Clan had hunkered down in Longxing City for many years, and even Spirit Hall usually gave them a wide berth.

There was no way this jinx was bored out of his mind, flying across the country from afar just to use a bunch of blacksmiths and masons like them to practice his moves, right?

If that were truly the case, they would have had the worst possible luck.

Sensing the martial soul within the opponent's body, An Jing confirmed Niu Gao's identity. The dazzling light wings behind his back fluttered slightly, and his figure landed in the courtyard as light as a floating feather.

His silver battle helmet receded like ripples, revealing a handsome and composed face. An Jing smiled warmly:

"Clan Head Niu doesn't need to treat every bush and tree as an enemy. Not only does this junior harbor no malice on this trip, but I've actually come specially to deliver a heaven-sent opportunity to Senior. I'd like to invite the entire Defense Clan to join our ranks."

"Join?!"

Niu Gao exchanged a glance with Bai He beside him, both old faces filled with bewilderment and vigilance.

"Precisely."

An Jing stood with his hands behind his back and spoke with ease,

"Looking across the entire Douluo Continent, who doesn't know that the Defense Clan's arts of construction and fortification are peerless under heaven?

This junior recently intends to establish a sect and build a mountain gate in the Sunset Forest, and we urgently need top-tier grandmaster craftsmen to survey the feng shui and construct an eternal foundation.

That is why I have traveled thousands of miles personally to Longxing City, sincerely inviting Senior Niu to bring the elite of your entire clan to accomplish great things together."

Establish a sect?

Invite the Defense Clan to join?

A trace of complexity flashed across Niu Gao's bell-like eyes, and his brows twisted into the shape of the character for river.

The words "join" were no different from heavily scattering salt onto his scabbed-over wounds.

Back then, the Clear Sky Sect went into seclusion, mercilessly casting aside the Four Single-Attribute Clans like worn-out shoes and leaving them to become scapegoats for Spirit Hall to vent its anger on.

Ever since that day, Niu Gao had made a solemn vow that he would never live under someone else's roof again in this lifetime!

Pondering for a moment, Niu Gao wore a troubled expression, cupped his fists, and declined:

"Little Friend An is young and accomplished. With the prestige of a Soul Saint, you successfully slew the ninety-fifth-tier Titled Douluo Yu Yuanzhen, and your mighty name echoes throughout the continent. This old man admires you to the utmost!

With Little Friend's momentum, a single cry will naturally bring countless followers.

However, this old man is getting on in years and has long since lost the ambition to contend for hegemony under heaven. I only wish to stay put in a corner with my clansmen and truly dare not toss myself into any more turmoil.

If Little Friend genuinely takes a fancy to this old man's meager craftsmanship, the Defense Clan can take on your esteemed sect's construction project.

Once the matter is completed, simply settling the account in gold soul coins according to market rates will suffice. As for merging the entire clan... please forgive this old man for being unable to comply."

The implication was clear: they would only do business, and absolutely refuse to surrender.

An Jing had long anticipated that this stubborn old rhino would not easily loosen his grip, but he did not grow angry, merely raising an eyebrow with a half-smile:

"Clan Head Niu shouldn't be in such a hurry to weld the threshold shut.

Since this junior has come knocking on your door, I naturally bring sincerity that Senior cannot refuse."

Before his voice faded, the storage soul tool on An Jing's wrist flashed with brilliant radiance!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Fully over a hundred giant chest cabinets forged from refined agarwood smashed down onto the ground from midair with a thunderous crash, their lids springing open in response!

In an instant, blinding golden brilliance shot straight into the sky, illuminating the gloomy courtyard until it shone with golden splendor!

Those were impressively rows upon rows of neatly stacked gold soul coins of the purest grade, piled up like a miniature golden mountain. The rich, noble aura of metal rushed forth, momentarily causing the breathing of everyone present to hitch!

Niu Gao's eyes bulged instantly, and his Adam's apple rolled violently.

Beside him, Bai He-who had always prided himself on being aloof-felt his facial skin stiffen, his eyes staring straight out of his head.

The Speed Clan had been poverty-stricken for many years, and their disciples often couldn't even bear to eat meat. When had they ever witnessed such a spectacle?!

"Clan Head Niu, these gold soul coins are part of the floating wealth obtained when this junior effortlessly emptied the treasury of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan after slaying Yu Yuanzhen."

An Jing's tone was as calm as if he were casually discarding a pebble by the roadside, and he reached out a single finger to tap lightly against the side of a chest:

"If Senior agrees to merge the clan, all the remaining surplus construction funds for building the mountain gate will be entirely gifted to the Defense Clan as a settlement fund to establish your household.

Does Senior feel this weight is sufficient?"

To An Jing, gold soul coins were merely a string of numbers. As long as he could rapidly solidify his sect's foundation, he would not begrudge even more worldly goods.

"Gulp..." Niu Gao swallowed hard, his beard beginning to tremble uncontrollably. "An... Little Friend An, is this true?!"

"This junior's words carry the weight of nine tripods."

An Jing smiled faintly and casually snapped his fingers crisply in midair.

"Hum-!"

The void behind him was savagely torn open by an overwhelming and peerless spatial power, revealing a pitch-black rift nearly ten feet wide!

Through those overlapping spatial layers, the illusion of a golden mountain that was piled almost halfway to the sky flickered within, dazzling the eyes. A rough estimate showed no fewer than several million pieces!

"If what's on the ground isn't enough, there's more inside." An Jing added.

This offhand remark delivered the final, heavy hammer blow that shattered Niu Gao's psychological defenses!

Although the Defense Clan managed to drag out a meager existence by taking orders from nobles, they were constrained at every turn, and their clansmen walked on thin ice.

This earth-shattering fortune before their eyes-even if only half of it were withheld-was enough to guarantee the Defense Clan food, clothing, and peace of mind for the next hundred years, with cultivation resources piled as high as mountains!

Dignity was important, indeed, but his clansmen's empty bellies and heritage were even more important!

"To hell with backbone!"

Niu Gao roared wildly in his heart and made a split-second decision. His massive, tower-like body abruptly dropped to one knee, and he cupped his fists together heavily, cracking the bluestone pavement:

"Subordinate Niu Gao pays respects to the Sect Master!"

"For the Sect Master to descend with overwhelming, generous gifts is the supreme fortune of the entire Defense Clan! From this day forth, all two hundred and sixteen members of the Defense Clan will follow the Sect Master's lead through thick and thin, and will not shrink from death!"

The speed at which this old rhino changed his tune and the decisiveness of his salute could only be described as flowing like clouds and water.

Bai He, standing to the side, shook with anger upon seeing this, his beard trembling wildly as he pointed at Niu Gao and cursed:

"Old rhino! You... you've completely lost your mind! What if one day the Clear Sky Sect re-emerges in the pugilistic world and holds you accountable for switching allegiances? How will you handle yourself?!"

"Go blow it out your dog's ass!"

Niu Gao abruptly whipped his head around, substantive fury welling up in the depths of his eyes:

"Old white bird, stop trying to shove the Clear Sky Sect down my throat!

Back then, when Tang Hao poked a hole in the sky and the Clear Sky Sect sealed its mountain to protect itself, throwing our four clans out in the cold to serve as targets for Spirit Hall to slaughter, why didn't they talk about sect rules?!

When I was starving and freezing, did the Clear Sky Sect give us a single copper coin?!

The Sect Master treats us like pillars of the state; why shouldn't I, Niu Gao, pledge my loyalty to him?!"

This rapid-fire barrage of angry rebukes directly turned Bai He's face pale white, leaving him completely speechless.

"Senior, please quickly rise."

An Jing stepped forward, supportively lifting Niu Gao up, and smiled: "Once you enter my fold, we are family from this moment on. Why bother with such grand courtesies."

"Thank you, Sect Master!"

Niu Gao smoothly stood up, his old face blooming into a smile like an unlidded wild chrysanthemum. He patted his chest and said:

"The Sect Master is young and talented, slaying a Titled Douluo with sheer might, and this old man has long held you in high regard! This isn't called switching allegiances; this is leaving the darkness for the light!"

As he spoke, Niu Gao turned his gaze toward Bai He, whose expression flickered between shades of light and dark, and winked mischievously as he instigated:

"Old white bird, if you ask me, you shouldn't put up a stubborn front either.

Your Speed Clan is so poor you're practically about to pawn your trousers. Why not merge into the Sect Master's command along with me?

With financial backing this immense, do your clan's disciples need to worry about lacking cultivation resources?"

Bai He's expression underwent a violent struggle, his eyes filled with hesitation, and his lips parted as he prepared to speak.

"Step, step, step..."

A steady, powerful set of footsteps, resembling heavy hammer blows on a drum, suddenly drifted over slowly from the end of the corridor.

Immediately following that, a slightly mocking, hoarse voice shattered the atmosphere within the courtyard:

"Old white bird, this old man had only just stepped through the door when I heard you making a racket on and on in the courtyard... Oh?

Old rhino, what kind of windfall have you struck?

With gold bricks filling the entire courtyard, did you lead people to go sack a branch hall of Spirit Hall or something?"

As his voice fell, a figure walked into the courtyard entrance.

The newcomer possessed a lean, slender build, features as cold and hard as if chiseled by a blade, and a cascade of raven-black hair draped over his shoulders.

His expression was stern and sinister, and a biting, ruthless, and tyrannical aura faintly emanated from within his deeply sunken eye sockets. The entire person resembled a sharp, unsheathed spear that had tasted blood.

It was none other than the patriarch of the Breaking Clan-the one with the supreme offensive power and the most proud and unyielding personality among the Four Single-Attribute Clans-Yang Wudi!