A cold gleam flashed through Yu Yuanzhen's eyes as he waved a hand. "Pass down my orders. The entire clan is to be on alert tomorrow. Have the seventh elder take men to reinforce patrols at the mountain gate."
"Yes!"
The disciple accepted the order and left.
Dugu Bo stroked his beard and sneered. "That fellow Salas has grown more and more overbearing over the years, relying on Spirit Hall to back him up."
"If he dares come to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and run wild this time, we'll give him more than he can stomach!"
Hearing this,
Yu Yuanzhen said aloud, "That's where you're wrong. Whoever comes is a guest. Our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan mustn't neglect its guests."
The two exchanged a glance, smiling like a pair of old foxes.
At this sight, Yu Tianming, Dugu Yan, and Ye Lingling looked at one another.
"Grandpa, you aren't planning to poison that old bastard Salas, are you?" Dugu Yan eyed Dugu Bo suspiciously.
Knowing her grandfather, he really was capable of doing such a thing!
"Shoo, shoo. Children shouldn't meddle in grown-ups' affairs," Dugu Bo said irritably. "Is that the sort of person your grandpa is in your eyes?"
Dugu Yan curled her lips and muttered, "When I'd just enrolled, weren't you the one who secretly sprinkled itching powder on those students who bad-mouthed me in the middle of the night...?"
Dugu Bo's old face reddened, and he coughed twice. "How is that the same?"
"The one coming this time is a Platinum Bishop of Spirit Hall. Would I resort to such petty tricks?"
Yu Yuanzhen stroked his beard with a smile. "Don't worry, Yanyan. Whatever your grandpa has prepared this time is sure to be something better and more advanced."
Yu Tianming's eyelid twitched. He thought these two old men might be planning something big.
He asked tentatively, "Grandpa, how are you and Grandpa Dugu planning to 'entertain' Salas?"
Dugu Bo gave a sinister chuckle. "I recently developed a new poison. Colorless and odorless, and it won't take effect immediately after being swallowed. As for the symptoms..."
"Heh heh, you'll find out when the time comes!"
Yu Tianming understood. From the sound of it, the poison probably wasn't very potent.
But on second thought, it would keep Salas from suffering any real harm while still making a fool of him. It was quite a good method.
Dugu Yan's eyes sparkled. "Grandpa, can we go watch?"
"Well, you can..."
Dugu Bo remained indulgent toward his granddaughter. "But you must stay quietly to the side. No speaking out of turn."
"No problem! Grandpa's the best!"
Looking thoroughly pleased, Dugu Bo reached out and stroked Dugu Yan's silky purple hair.
"Grandpa, it's almost the hour of the rooster."
Yu Tianming suddenly remembered something and turned to his grandfather, Yu Yuanzhen.
"All right. Go on ahead."
Yu Yuanzhen nodded. "You know where the pavilion in front of Mingbo Lake is."
"Tianming, Grandpa Yu, what are you talking about?" Dugu Yan asked curiously, seeing the two speak in riddles.
Dugu Bo also cast them a puzzled look.
Seeing this,
Yu Yuanzhen considered briefly, then told them about the Shadow Dragon Guard without concealing anything.
Dugu Bo was, after all, a guest elder and one of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's only two Titled Douluo at present. He ought to know about the Shadow Dragon Guard.
After hearing him out, a sharp gleam flashed in Dugu Bo's eyes. "Well, Old Dragon, you certainly kept that well hidden! Even I didn't know the Shadow Dragon Guard existed."
Yu Yuanzhen smiled faintly. "Don't you know now?"
Once Dugu Yan learned that Yu Tianming was going to attend to serious business and meet the commander of the Shadow Dragon Guard, she no longer asked to go along.
Though she was somewhat willful and headstrong, she was not blind to the bigger picture.
"Then Lingling and I will take a stroll in the garden."
Dugu Yan took Ye Lingling's hand and winked at Yu Tianming. "Make sure you come back to find us soon."
Ye Lingling nodded obediently and said softly, "Go take care of your business."
Yu Tianming agreed with a smile. "All right. I'll be back soon."
At the pavilion beside Mingbo Lake.
The sun was setting, and rippling golden light shimmered across the lake.
Yu Tianming entered the pavilion. The moment he sat down, a hoarse voice rang out ahead of him, utterly abruptly.
"Yu Asura, commander of the Shadow Dragon Guard, pays his respects to the young master!"
A dark figure slowly materialized before him, as though stepping out of the void.
It was a man shrouded entirely in black robes, his face covered by a half-mask patterned with a dragon. His exposed eyes were as black as an abyss.
Yu Asura said respectfully, "All thirty-six members of the Shadow Dragon Guard have assembled and await your orders."
"Thirty-six?"
Yu Tianming raised an eyebrow.
Yu Asura replied, "Young master, though the Shadow Dragon Guard is few in number, every member is an elite. Even the weakest can assassinate a Soul Emperor."
"I see."
Yu Tianming nodded and took out the black dragon token. "I want intelligence on every Spirit Hall branch in the Heaven Dou Empire, especially those who participated in the attack on me."
"As you command."
Yu Tianming thought for a moment, then continued, "And the talented Soul Masters Spirit Hall has nurtured-the ten most gifted under the age of twenty."
Yu Asura nodded. Seeing that Yu Tianming had nothing more to say, his figure gradually melted into the shadows.
Without a sound or a trace, he vanished before his eyes.
With Yu Tianming's current strength and spiritual power, he could not sense his location at all.
"The intelligence will be delivered to you within three days, young master."
After Yu Asura left, Yu Tianming gazed at the distant setting sun, a trace of coldness flashing through his eyes.
"Spirit Hall, since you struck first, don't blame me for showing no courtesy."
At noon the next day, the blazing sun hung overhead.
A faint air of deadly tension shrouded the mountain gate of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
Dressed in matching uniforms, the clan's disciples stood in rows on either side. They appeared calm, but every one of them had a sharp gaze and remained secretly on guard.
Suddenly,
The synchronized clatter of hooves came from the distance.
"Clop, clop, clop..."
Twelve Spirit Hall knights clad in silver armor approached, clearing the way. Each gave off a presence no weaker than that of a Soul King.
The knights held long spears, their tips flashing coldly in the sunlight, while the Spirit Hall emblems on their chests gleamed.
Close behind them was a luxurious carriage gilded from top to bottom, drawn by four unicorns, with Spirit Hall's crest carved into its body.
Eight Spirit Hall deacons flanked the carriage, each wearing an arrogant expression.
The carriage came to a steady halt before the mountain gate, and its door slowly opened.
A hand wearing a gemstone ring emerged first. Then Salas stepped out, dressed in platinum robes.
"Sect Master Yu, it has been a while."
Salas inclined his head slightly, a meaningful smile hanging at the corners of his mouth.
Dressed in his sect master's robes, Yu Yuanzhen stood with his hands behind his back and smiled. "Bishop Salas, you've traveled far. Forgive me for not coming out to meet you sooner."
He waved a hand lightly. The disciple behind him immediately understood and called out:
"Attendants, serve the tea!"
Four maids approached with graceful steps, each carrying an exquisite jade tray holding a tea cup of pure emerald green.
The fragrance of tea curled through the air. A few tea leaves could just be seen floating on the dark green tea in the cups.
"This tea... isn't quite right, is it?"
Salas narrowed his eyes, studying the tea cups warily.
"This is my first time seeing dark green tea. How unusual."
Salas tapped his scepter lightly with his fingers, producing crisp sounds, yet he kept putting off accepting the tea.