Struck from the Clan Rolls · Recovering the Elephant Armor Manuscripts

After traveling north for half a day from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, a leaden-gray cloud loomed over the horizon, with muffled thunder rumbling within it.

Nan Feng looked up and glanced at it. Old Huai clicked his tongue inside the tower.

"The territory of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. The clouds here are electrified, and their protective array draws upon the earth's ley line lightning power; that dark cloud in the sky is a manifestation of the array."

"Don't touch anything inside. Being struck by lightning is no joke."

Nan Feng ignored him and moved towards the direction where the thunderclouds were thickest Shrinking the Ground to an Inch between them with his feet.

Once inside the territory, the ground changed color again. The warm yellow of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had turned into iron gray. The soil was mixed with fine fragments of thunder-patterned stone, making the soles of your feet go numb when you stepped on it.

On both sides of the official road were large forests of lightning-struck trees. The trunks were covered with charred cracks, the branches stretched out crookedly, and the heartwood of each tree shone with a layer of blue light.

Old Huai added, "Lightning-struck wood is a specialty of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. It's three times better than ordinary wood for making Soul Tool, but the yield is low; only a few trees are produced each year."

Nan Feng was staring blankly at the lightning-struck tree when a streak of blue-white lightning flashed across the official road ahead. It moved with lightning speed, arriving in front of him in the blink of an eye.

Lightning flashed and Yu Tianheng stood in the middle of the official road.

He was dressed in a blue and white outfit, with lightning patterns embroidered on the cuffs and collar. A long sword hung at his waist, its scabbard wrapped with fine threads of lightning formed from his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul. He looked much more composed than when they last met at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. The arrogance between his brows had disappeared, replaced by a deep and steady steadiness.

"Nan Feng."

Yu Tianheng clasped his hands in a fist salute, but instead of addressing him as "Immortal Master," he called him by his given name.

Nan Feng returned the greeting.

Did you know I was coming?

"News travels fast at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect School. Ning Fengzhi of the token was quite a grand affair." Yu Tianheng stepped aside. "Come with me, the elders are waiting for you."

Nan Feng followed him into the heart of the sect.

The main city of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was much more robust than that of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. The city walls were made of iron-gray lightning-patterned rock, with dense lightning-conducting patterns carved on the surface. Each section of the city wall was topped with a three-zhang-high lightning rod, with blue-white arcs of electricity dancing on the tip of the rod.

The city's buildings were all characterized by hard lines: square stone houses, wide and straight streets, and pavement inlaid with lightning-patterned stone strips. The entire city looked like a giant Soul Tool.

Old Huai muttered from inside the tower, "These people have built the entire city like Soul Tool; even the streetlights are made of lightning bolts."

The council hall is located in the very center of the main city, a domed stone hall. A skylight opens in the roof, and directly above the skylight hangs a ball of lightning the size of a millstone. Blue-white arcs of electricity fall downwards, are caught by the guiding patterns inside the hall, and are evenly distributed throughout the stone hall for lighting.

Six elders sat on either side of the long table inside the hall. The youngest looked to be at least sixty, while the oldest had a beard that reached his chest. After entering, Yu Tianheng stood next to the main seat without sitting down.

The elder in the main seat was a gaunt old man with gray hair and a scar running from the corner of his left eye to his chin. He looked fierce, but his voice was gentle.

"Immortal Master Nan Feng, Tian Heng has told us everything. Please have a seat."

Nan Feng sat down.

The elder didn't beat around the bush; he pulled out a stack of yellowed manuscripts from under the table and pushed them over.

"These are copies of the manuscripts that Yu Xiaogang stole from our family years ago. The originals were torn up and altered by him, and are no longer complete. But these copies still reveal the original content."

"He stole seventeen research manuscripts, altered more than twenty data points, and then sold them as his own theory."

The elder tapped his finger on the manuscript.

"Tian Heng investigated for two months and got to the bottom of this matter. Our Council of Elders held a meeting yesterday and decided to remove Yu Xiaogang from the family genealogy and recover all the stolen research materials. We have already sent letters to various forces on the mainland."

Nan Feng flipped through the manuscript. Old Huai glanced at it from inside the tower, his voice turning somber.

"The data on the Soul Ring's endurance limits recorded here is exactly the same as the content in Yu Xiaogang's book, ' The Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul.' Even the mistakes are identical. It's stolen, no doubt about it."

Nan Feng put the manuscript back and looked at the Grand Elder.

"Removing him from the list and holding him accountable is an internal matter for your family; I won't interfere. I just want to ask one question: how do you plan to deal with Yu Xiaogang?"

The First Elder exchanged glances with the other elders. Yu Tianheng then spoke up.

"The family has discussed this internally. According to family rules, stealing family research results or falsifying data and disseminating it outside the family can, at the very least, result in the Trash Martial Soul."

"But Yu Xiaogang has already been implicated in the Spirit Hall's affairs, and his Martial Soul has already been destroyed once; there's no point in destroying it again."

He paused for a moment.

"We have decided not to pursue his personal responsibility. However, all stolen research results must be recovered, all his theoretical works must be removed from shelves, and the related profit chain must be completely severed."

Nan Feng nodded.

This punishment was lighter than he had expected, and upon reflection, it made sense. Yu Xiaogang was already a cripple, so there was no point in kicking him while he was down. What the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan wanted was to reclaim their research results, clear their name, and incidentally use this incident to establish connections with the Immortal Dao Alliance.

"Tian Heng," the Grand Elder glanced at him, "Tell the Immortal Master what you've found out."

Yu Tianheng took out a folded document from his sleeve and handed it over.

Nan Feng unfolded it and found a list, listing the manuscript's title, abstract, and destination.

"Some of these manuscripts were sold by Yu Xiaogang to the research institutions of the Spirit Hall. After the Spirit Hall collapsed, these materials were scattered into the hands of several sects of the Lower Four Sects."

Yu Tianheng tapped his finger on the list.

"The Elephant Armor Sect and the Holy Dragon Sect each took a portion. We've already sent a letter to the Holy Dragon Sect demanding their return, as for the Elephant Armor Sect— "

What happened to the Elephant Armor Sect?

Yu Tianheng remained silent for a moment.

"The Elephant Armor Sect Master replied that the manuscripts had been 'lost' and could not be found. However, according to our investigation, those manuscripts are now in the hands of Elder Huyan Bao of the Elephant Armor Sect."

"Huyan Bao was outdone by you before, and behaved himself for a while after returning, but recently he's started contacting people from the Holy Dragon Sect again."

Nan Feng frowned slightly.

That old man, Huyan Bao, made such a good promise at the teahouse last time, but he's already gotten involved with the Holy Dragon Sect again.

The Grand Elder took over the conversation.

"Therefore, besides the alliance, there's another reason we invited the Immortal Master here today. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is willing to form an alliance with the Immortal Dao Alliance, with conditions similar to those of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Sect autonomy, exchanging resources for Immortal Dao cultivation methods, and mutual support in external affairs."

"But we need the Immortal Master's help to retrieve those manuscripts from the Elephant Armor Sect."

Nan Feng folded the document and put it into the Tower Spirit Space.

"I'll handle the manuscript. I'll go to the Elephant Armor Sect myself. Huyan Bao left some room for maneuver when he spoke with me last time, but this time I'll make it clear."

He glanced at the Grand Elder.

"The alliance will proceed as you suggested; Qin Ming will handle the details later."

The elder breathed a sigh of relief, and the scar on his face eased somewhat.

"Great! Tian Heng, send the Immortal Master out."

Yu Tianheng led Nan Feng out of the council hall. When they reached the city gate, he slowed down.

Nan Feng noticed that he had been clutching something in his sleeve the whole way. He finally pulled it out—a crumpled piece of paper.

Inside was a handwritten copy of a family genealogy. Yu Xiaogang's name was crossed out with a blue and white lightning pattern.

"I drew it myself."

Yu Tianheng folded the paper and put it away quietly.

"He taught me to read when I was little, and he taught me the basic theories of Soul Power. Back then, I really thought he was a genius."

"Later, when they investigated his theft of manuscripts, each piece they uncovered chilled them to the bone. Seventeen manuscripts, more than twenty alterations. He dismantled the entire family's research findings, pieced them together to form his own theories, and then used them to make money, take on apprentices, and gain fame."

He looked up at the Nan Feng.

"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan has nothing to do with him from today onwards."

Nan Feng looked into Yu Tianheng's eyes. The man's expression remained unchanged, but his knuckles were white as he gripped the paper.

"Does it make you feel better that you drew it yourself?"

"It's painful." Yu Tianheng tucked the paper into his sleeve. "But what needs to be crossed out must be crossed out. Some in the family are too sentimental to do it, so I will. I'll investigate this matter, and I'll cross out this name. If anyone asks about it later, I'll take responsibility."

Nan Feng patted him on the shoulder and didn't say anything more.

After walking north from the city gate for a while, Yu Tianheng suddenly called out from behind.

"Immortal Master, regarding the Elephant Armor Sect, Huyan Bao is a man who responds to force but not to gentleness. You gave him face last time, and he forgot it as soon as he turned around. Don't be lenient this time."

Nan Feng waved his hand, Shrinking the Ground to an Inch to travel a hundred steps in one step, heading towards the Elephant Armor Sect.

Old Huai spoke from inside the tower, "That kid Yu Tianheng is much better than his thieving uncle."

"Um."

Nan Feng tightened his sleeves. The dark purple in the north grew increasingly intense. With the matter of the Elephant Armor Sect settled, the matter in the Far North could not be delayed any longer.

He took a step. The thunderclouds at the end of the official road dispersed, revealing a leaden gray sky further north.