Tang Xiao naturally understood the deeper meaning and hidden amazement in their words. He didn't say anything more, but simply bowed respectfully once again.
"Now that this matter is settled, please invite Sect Master Ning and Sect Master Yu inside to rest, so that Clear Sky Sect may extend its hospitality as hosts," Tang Xiao invited, his tone regaining the composure of a sect leader.
Ning Fengzhi a smile, "I was just about to bother you." Yu Yuanzhen also had no objection.
The group headed into the mountain gate, and the heavy pressure that had shrouded the Cloud Mist Mountain completely dissipated, leaving only the air filled with the aftershocks of energy and the smell of dust from the great battle.
However, everyone knew that the real turmoil was only just beginning.
On the outskirts of Cloud Mist Mountain, the spies and wandering Soul Master from various forces who had been alerted and were lying in wait or observing in various ways were already shaken by this sudden battle between Titled Douluo.
When they saw the four elders of the Spirit Hall arrive with great momentum and then flee in a somewhat disheveled manner, while the Upper Three Sects leaders of the Clear Sky Sect stood side by side in front of the mountain gate, chatting and laughing, the news of the battle had already spread rapidly to every corner of the continent like ripples on a calm lake as these figures quietly retreated.
" The Clear Sky Sect has reopened its mountain gates. Before the gates, Sect Master Tang Xiao single-handedly fought against the Spirit Hall's Golden Crocodile Worship, holding his own!"
"Elder Tang Lie of the Clear Sky Sect, displaying the Divine Slaughter's Domain and Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, injured the Spirit Hall's Elder, Azure Luan Douluo!"
"Fourth Elder Tang Ran suppresses Demon Bear Douluo!"
" The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect 'Sect Master Ning and Bone Douluo, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's Sect Master Yu have personally come to provide support. The Upper Three Sects are united in their efforts to resist the Spirit Hall's coercion!"
" The Great Enshrined of the Spirit Hall have been defeated and are in retreat!"
Each piece of news, more shocking than the last, will spread at an astonishing speed throughout the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire, reaching the ears of all the major sects, families, and even the royal families of the two empires.
Beneath the calm surface of the Soul Master World for many years, undercurrents had long been surging. Today's battle at Cloud Mist Mountain was undoubtedly a thunderclap that shook the heavens and the earth on the surface of these undercurrents.
It not only proclaimed the powerful return of the Clear Sky Sect, once the number one sect in the world, with even greater and more terrifying strength than before.
It more clearly outlines the current opposing forces in the Soul Master World: the already fragile window between the traditional forces centered on the Upper Three Sects and the increasingly expanding and ambitious Spirit Hall has been completely torn apart.
Tang Feng stood beside Tang Xiao, followed by a group of excited disciples, but his gaze pierced through the noise in front of him, reaching towards the distant sea of clouds and the horizon.
The surging emotions in my chest were not simply joy, but a heavy, almost liberating sense of relief.
"Finally... we've come this far."
Once upon a time, after the deaths of his parents and half of his clan, the Clear Sky Sect closed its gates and hid in the snowy mountains, keeping it a closely guarded secret from the outside world, and harboring deep fear and pain towards the Spirit Hall.
Although the disciples in the sect cultivated diligently, they inevitably harbored an unspeakable sense of frustration. Tang Feng had witnessed the silence and solemnity of his elders and felt the tense atmosphere within the sect.
Today, before the mountain gate, the sect leader and elders stood proudly, their hammers shaking the heavens, forcefully repelling the coercion of the four top experts from the Spirit Hall!
The thunderous cheers were not just for a victory, but also for the release of pent-up frustration that had been building up for fifteen years or even longer!
The Clear Sky Sect no longer needs to hide or fear. It can stand proudly in the Soul Master World, announcing the return of the number one sect in the world.
This confidence comes from the silent accumulation and humiliation of countless people, and also from the quiet efforts of a few visionaries who planned step by step.
Watching the backs of Sect Master Tang Xiao chatting happily with Ning Fengzhi and Yu Yuanzhen, seeing his grandfather Tang Lie's spirited face, and seeing the renewed pride of the Clear Sky Sect's successors rekindled in the eyes of the surrounding disciples, Tang Feng was filled with emotion.
Tang Feng knew that this crucial step in revitalizing the sect had been firmly taken. With the sect's current momentum, foundation, and alliances, as long as it developed steadily, restoring or even surpassing its former peak was only a matter of time.
After this setback, the Spirit Hall will inevitably tone down its aggressive stance and reassess the situation in the short term. This provides the Clear Sky Sect, and themselves, with a valuable respite and opportunity for development.
But this is far from the end.
Individual ability remains fundamental.
Tang Feng clearly saw the world-destroying power of the battle between Titled Douluo today. He knew he still had a long way to go before reaching that level. He had to be faster and stronger.
At the same time, going it alone will eventually come to an end. Tang Feng needs his own absolutely reliable and powerful team.
Ultimately, it all points to a decisive battle against the Spirit Hall.
It was not only to avenge the sect in this life, but also to avenge the blood debt owed to the parents who gave him new life and bloodline in this life.
This is an obsession ingrained in my soul, one of the core driving forces that has sustained me all this way.
However, above all these goals, in the deepest part of the soul, lies an ultimate desire known only to oneself: the inheritance of the gods.
At the pinnacle of this world, there seems to be a path that transcends the mundane.
If one becomes a god, will one gain the power to travel through time and reverse cause and effect, allowing them to return to their original world?
Even the slightest touch of this thought caused Tang Feng's soul to tremble violently and experience indescribable pain.
His real parents are there, probably heartbroken by his "departure"...
That is the root I cannot sever, a place of belonging that cannot be completely replaced by any achievement or emotion in this world.
Revitalizing the sect is a responsibility, and the foundation upon which it stands.
Improving our strength, building a team, and defeating the Spirit Hall is how we repay the debt of gratitude from this lifetime.
The search for the way home is the most primal, deepest, and loneliest obsession buried beneath all goals.
The mountain wind ruffled Tang Feng's clothes and hair; he knew that his journey was still long.
But at least, the first step has been taken firmly. The next step is to move forward onto the thorny path that has been chosen.
As the smoke of the great battle dissipated, Cloud Mist Mountain returned to its former tranquility. But beneath this seemingly unchanged peace, an even stronger will was surging.
The howling sound of surging Soul Power was more intense than ever before, in the mountain gate square, various training grounds, and even the secluded cliff platform.
Not only the iconic Clear Sky Hammer, but all Martial Soul were being activated with unprecedented intensity. Every swing, every meditation, carried a clear sense of urgency.
Everyone knew that this victory was by no means the end, and the retreat of the Spirit Hall was only temporary. The real, more violent storm was bound to arrive at some point in the future.
No one wants to repeat the mistakes of more than a decade ago; only strength is the true foundation.
The entire Clear Sky Sect, from the sect leader and elders to ordinary disciples, is like a giant bow being slowly drawn to its fullest extent by an invisible hand, accumulating all its power.
Although the battle between Sect Master Tang Xiao and Golden Crocodile was undecided, the clash of Soul Power, the deeper understanding of power, and even the brief access to a higher realm with Ning Fengzhi's assistance caused a slight loosening of his bottleneck that had kept him stuck at the peak of Level 97 for many years.
The opportunity was fleeting, and Tang Xiao did not hesitate. He immediately summoned all the elders and the young sect leader Tang Feng.
"The battle with the Golden Crocodile was a profound experience," Tang Xiao said calmly, with a hint of barely perceptible sharpness. "The threshold of Level 98 seems to be just around the corner. I need to go into seclusion for a while and try to break through."
Upon hearing this, the elders' eyes lit up with surprise. If the sect leader could advance another step and reach Level 98, it would undoubtedly be a Sea God boost for the Clear Sky Sect, which had just reopened its gates and was about to face the pressure from the Spirit Hall!
"Sect Master, please rest assured and continue your seclusion!" Second Elder Tang Zhen responded first in a deep voice. "With a few of us old fellows here, we will certainly not distract you from sect affairs."
"In that case, we will trouble the Second Elder to temporarily assume the duties of Sect Master and oversee daily affairs." Tang Xiao nodded. "If any major changes occur, we can discuss them together."
"Yes!" the elders responded in unison.