Tang Feng stood up, took out the exquisite wooden box and a storage ring from his pocket, and held them up with both hands, his expression solemn.
It was handed to him by Bo Saixi himself, and it contained Tang Chen's belongings.
"Let's not rush into anything else. Let's fulfill the old sect leader's last wish first."
The atmosphere inside the hall suddenly became heavy.
"These are the remnants of the former sect leader." Tang Feng handed the wooden box and ring to Tang Xiao. "This storage ring contains his Soul Bone. Please decide, sect leader."
Tang Xiao's hands trembled slightly.
He stood up and walked up to Tang Feng.
Tang Xiao trembled as he took the wooden box and ring. His eyes suddenly reddened when his fingertips touched the cold wood.
Inside the hall, the older generation of elders, including Tang Lie, Tang Zhen, and Tang Ming, all stood up, their gazes fixed on the wooden box, their eyes filled with grief.
Tang Xiao stroked the wooden box, tears welling up in his eyes.
" Little Feng... thank you. Thank you... for bringing Grandpa back."
He paused, his voice becoming hoarse:
"I plan to return him to his roots immediately. A grand funeral will be held in a few days."
Everyone in the hall nodded in agreement; no one voiced any objection.
Tang Xiao carefully placed the wooden box on the table, turned to look at Tang Feng, and looked at him with a sense of relief.
"Furthermore, you are already Titled Douluo. After the grand funeral, you will succeed me as the sect leader."
Tang Feng was slightly taken aback.
Tang Xiao handed the ring to Tang Feng and continued, "My grandfather passed on his mantle to you, and naturally, you should handle his Soul Bone as well. This is my grandfather's last wish, and also my decision."
The elders in the hall all nodded in agreement, and no one raised any objections.
Tang Feng remained silent for a moment, then accepted the ring and bowed respectfully.
"Yes, Sect Master."
He straightened up, his gaze firm yet tinged with earnestness:
"But I'm still young, and my focus is on cultivation and completing the remaining assessments. Could I postpone taking over as sect leader for a while?"
He paused, then continued, "Furthermore, the situation on the continent is currently very turbulent. If we, as a top power, were to suddenly change our sect leader, it might arouse suspicion from others. Perhaps... we could wait until we defeat the Spirit Hall Empire and have all completed our assessments before making further arrangements."
Tang Xiao looked at him, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
He was silent for a moment, then finally nodded:
"Alright. We old guys will hold things up for you for now. You young people should focus on your training and try to finish the assessment as soon as possible."
Tang Feng secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but then his heart jumped again.
I also want to finish the assessment as soon as possible!
Urgent, very urgent, extremely urgent!!!
Tang Feng glanced at Zhu Zhuqing subconsciously, then quickly looked away.
He suppressed his anxiety, turned to Tang Xiao, and said seriously:
"We must hold a grand funeral for the old sect leader."
Tang Xiao frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "Wouldn't this make those petty people who are afraid of my grandfather's remaining power even more unscrupulous?"
Those who have been lurking in the shadows, fearing Tang Chen's remaining power, would probably be tempted to make a move if they knew Tang Chen was dead.
Tang Feng's lips curled slightly upward, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes, and he said confidently:
"Sect Master, rest assured. I'm just worried they might hide."
"With me here, even if Qian Daoliu comes in person, I can make sure he never forgets it."
The people in the hall were taken aback, then their eyes lit up.
Tang Xiao looked at him, at this young man who had emerged from the ancestral stone house, now stronger than himself, and a surge of pride welled up in his chest.
"Good! Since Feng'er is so bold, what do we old folks have to fear!"
The elders in the hall responded in unison, creating a lively atmosphere.
Tang Feng then took out another batch of Soul Bone from his Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse.
Those were the Thousand-Year Soul Bone he obtained when he hunted the Evil Spirit Orca pod and the Demon Soul Great White Shark on Sea God Island. There were five pieces in total, each emitting a faint light.
He looked down on these Thousand-Year Soul Bone, but for the young disciples in the sect who were still growing, each one was an incredible opportunity.
"These Thousand-Year Soul Bone are useless to me. I'll hand them over to the sect and distribute them to promising disciples."
Tang Xiao accepted the Soul Bone, his eyes filled with surprise and delight.
Tang Feng then took out another batch of items from his Hundred Treasure Purse.
There were three hundred whale brains, piled up like a small mountain on the table, gleaming with a pale golden light and emitting an enticing aroma.
Among them, more than ten are over 70,000 years old.
"These whale brains can be used to extract a large amount of Whale Rubber. Enough for the sect to use for a long time," Tang Feng said.
Everyone in the hall stared wide-eyed.
Three hundred whale brains—what does that even mean?
This means that the Clear Sky Sect can continuously cultivate physically strong young disciples for the next few decades.
Those disciples who were originally of average talent may break through their limits and become the backbone of the sect under the tempering of Whale Rubber.
Everyone burst into laughter when they saw the mountain of whale brains piled up on the table.
On the third day, before dawn, Cloud Mist Mountain was already shrouded in a solemn atmosphere.
Outside the mountain gate, white banners fluttered, stretching from the foot of the mountain all the way to the summit.
The disciples of the Clear Sky Sect, dressed in plain clothes, stood in rows on both sides of the mountain path, holding white chrysanthemums in their hands, their expressions solemn.
Tang Chen's funeral was held on this day.
The Clear Sky Sect did not deliberately conceal the funeral; on the contrary, they made a great show of it.
Outside the mountain gate, guests from all sides who came to offer their condolences were already waiting.
Ning Fengzhi, the sect leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and Sword Douluo Chen Xin, as well as Yu Yuanzhen, the sect leader of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, all attended in person.
The Heaven Dou Empire also sent Prince Xue Xing as a representative.
Tang Xiao stood beside the coffin and returned the greetings one by one.
The funeral was held according to the highest standards of the Clear Sky Sect.
After the funeral, the news spread like wildfire throughout the continent.
A few days later, in the Worship Hall Spirit City.
Deep within the Worship Hall, Qian Daoliu stood alone by the window, clutching a secret report in his hand.
His gaze swept over those lines of text, once, twice, three times.
Then he smiled.
The laughter was soft, yet it carried a sense of exhilaration, a release that had been suppressed for decades.
" Tang Chen, you're finally dead," he murmured, a slight smile playing on his lips. "From this day forward, no one in this world will ever be my match."
He looked up at the distant sky, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, as if he could see the scene of the Spirit Hall Empire unifying the continent.
One month later.
Cloud Mist Mountain, Council Hall.
The elders of the Clear Sky Sect have successively completed their seclusion, and the results of the Soul Core Technique are already evident.
The auras of the older generation elders, such as Tang Lie, Tang Zhen, Tang Ming, and Yang Wudi, were even more profound and weighty than a month ago. This was due to the qualitative change brought about by their Soul Core, which more than doubled their combat endurance.
Yang Wudi, who was already at the peak of Level 96, broke through to Level 97 with this.
Bai He, Ye Qingxin, Tang Hui, and Tang Zhi all broke through the Level 90 barrier and entered the realm of Titled Douluo.
Tang Xiao then set about arranging for the four of them to hunt for Soul Ring.
Finally, it was decided that four elders— Tang Ran (Fourth Elder), Tang Rui (Fifth Elder), Yang Wudi, and Tai Tan— along with two younger members, Tang Jian and Ye Lingling, would be sent to help the four of them hunt for Soul Ring.
Since returning to his sect, Tang Feng has stayed in his small courtyard with Zhu Zhuqing, refusing to see any guests.
The official explanation given is that an "assessment" is being conducted.
Days passed by.
Tang Feng truly embodied the principle of "miracles happen through great effort."
After each encounter, he would look at Zhu Zhuqing, who was completely exhausted, in his arms, and silently offer a prayer.
Finally, one morning, two months after returning to the sect.
After Zhu Zhuqing regained consciousness, she suddenly felt nauseous. She covered her mouth, her brows furrowing slightly.
Tang Feng woke up almost instantly, looking at her anxiously. "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Did I use too much force last night?"
Zhu Zhuqing shook her head and remained silent.
She closed her eyes, carefully sensing her own body.
A moment later, she opened her eyes, and a look of disbelief flashed in her cool, cat-like eyes.
" Brother Feng..." Her voice was very soft, almost inaudible.
Tang Feng's heart was in his throat.
"I think I'm... pregnant."
Tang Feng suddenly jumped out of bed and spun around barefoot on the floor three times.
"I told you, I'm fine..."
Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help but laugh out loud when she saw his appearance, but her eyes were slightly red.
Tang Feng rushed to the bedside and gently placed his hand on her lower abdomen.
There, everything remains as flat as ever.
But Tang Feng could sense that an extremely faint yet vibrant life force was quietly sprouting there.
His eyes suddenly welled up with tears.
Tang Feng took a deep breath and gently pulled Zhu Zhuqing into his arms.
"Thank you," he said softly.
Zhu Zhuqing didn't speak, but buried her face in his chest, the corners of her lips slightly upturned.
Tang Feng let out a long sigh of relief, feeling a great weight lifted off his shoulders.
Because there is no risk now.
Soul Master possess physical abilities many times stronger than ordinary people, let alone someone like Zhu Zhuqing Titled Douluo- level Soul Master.
They could easily fight a Soul Fighting.
Everything is set; now we just need to wait for the flowers to bloom.