The Battle's Aftermath, Clues to the Soul Bones, and the Clear Sky Sect's Summons
The smoke of battle from the ancestral worship ceremony cleared, and Heaven Dou City was immersed in the joy of victory and the bustle of rebuilding. The rubble in the palace square had been cleared away, and craftsmen were hurrying to repair the damaged palace. Surviving citizens had spontaneously joined the repair crews, and the air was filled with the exhilaration of having survived a calamity.
At Meng Zhi's residence, Tang San and the others sat around a table, studying the areas circled in red on a map-the locations of Spirit Hall's remaining forces within the Heaven Dou Empire. Spirit Hall had suffered devastating losses in the battle at the ancestral worship ceremony: not only had the false crown prince died by self-detonation, but the black-clad Soul Masters hidden in Heaven Dou City had also been almost completely rounded up. Its strongholds scattered across the empire, however, were still clinging to life.
"According to the prisoners' confessions, Spirit Hall has a secret workshop in Gengxin City that specializes in forging Hidden Weapons designed to counter Soul Masters." Tang San pointed to the northwestern corner of the map. "The person in charge is a level-seventy Tool Soul Saint, said to be close to Spirit Hall's elders."
Lin Ye tapped another mark. "There's also a Soul Beast breeding farm on the edge of Sunset Forest. They use an evil art to make Soul Beasts grow rapidly so they can mass-produce Soul Rings. Xue Qinghe said there might be a Soul Bone fragment hidden there."
At the mention of a Soul Bone, everyone's eyes lit up. Ever since obtaining the Life Soul Bone at the altar, they had become even more concerned about the Azure Lotus Soul Bone fragments scattered elsewhere. They were not only the key to fighting Spirit Hall, but also the key to unraveling the mystery of the Angel God's resurrection.
Dai Mubai rubbed his chin. "What if we split into two groups? I'll lead a team to Gengxin City and take out the workshop, while you go to Sunset Forest to find the Soul Bone."
"No." Tang San shook his head. "Spirit Hall has taken such a heavy blow that it will certainly strengthen its defenses. Sunset Forest is riskier, so we have to concentrate our forces." He looked out the window. "Besides, I received a message from my father."
Everyone perked up. Tang Hao had vanished without a trace after they last parted, and now there was finally news of him.
"What did Uncle say?" Xiao Wu asked eagerly.
Tang San took a token engraved with the image of a Clear Sky Hammer from his robes. A faint fluctuation of Soul Power clung to it. "He wants me to visit the Clear Sky Sect. He said he has important clues about the Soul Bones and the Angel Clan, and he also said... the Clear Sky Sect is willing to join the alliance."
"The Clear Sky Sect is coming out of seclusion?" Lin Ye was both surprised and delighted. As one of the former Upper Three Sects, the Clear Sky Sect had a deep foundation. If it joined the alliance, it would undoubtedly greatly strengthen their forces against Spirit Hall.
Yu Luomian happened to walk in and, hearing this, stroked his beard and smiled. "Now that really is a double blessing. The Clear Sky Sect has lived in seclusion for years. Tang Hao must have put in considerable effort to persuade them." He looked at Tang San. "When do you plan to leave?"
"As soon as possible." Tang San put the token away. "I'll leave matters here to you and Sect Master Ning, Dean. We'll go get the Soul Bone in Sunset Forest together after I return from the Clear Sky Sect."
Over the next few days, Tang San began arranging Heaven Dou City's defenses. He placed Dai Mubai in command of the vanguard battalion, with a focus on wiping out Spirit Hall's remaining strongholds. Lin Ye, meanwhile, helped Xue Qinghe reassure the people, using Golden Crow Fire to purify land contaminated by the evil art.
On the night before his departure, Tang Yuehua sent a letter and a simple, antique zither. The letter said she had returned safely to Moonlight Pavilion and that a sonic Soul Skill was hidden within the zither, capable of blocking a Titled Douluo's attack at a critical moment.
"Aunt has been thoughtful." Tang San touched the strings. The zither was cold, yet he seemed to feel Tang Yuehua's concern.
Lin Ye patted him on the shoulder. "Go without worrying. We'll keep this place safe. Once you bring back reinforcements from the Clear Sky Sect, we'll go to Sunset Forest to find the Soul Bone."
Tang San nodded, a trace of determination flashing in his eyes. He knew this journey concerned not only clues to the Soul Bones, but also the secrets of his father and the Clear Sky Sect. Perhaps the heavy burden Tang Hao had borne all these years could finally be laid down with him.
Early the next morning, Tang San set out alone for the Clear Sky Sect. He chose neither a swift horse nor a Soul Tool, instead traveling on foot through the mountains and forests. Tang Hao's message had said that to enter the Clear Sky Sect, he had to complete the "Ninety-Nine Heaven-Ascending Steps," a test of both character and strength.
The Heaven-Ascending Steps lay deep within Holy Soul Mountain, where the Clear Sky Sect was situated. They were a winding flight of stone steps leading upward, each step engraved with the Clear Sky Sect's family precepts and emanating a faint Soul Power pressure. The higher one climbed, the stronger the pressure became. It was said that even a Titled Douluo might not be able to complete the climb.
Tang San took a deep breath and stepped onto the first stone step. A heavy surge of Soul Power pressed down on him instantly, as though he were carrying a thousand-pound burden. He circulated the "Clear Sky Sect Cultivation Method," combining the Blue Silver Grass's flexibility with the Clear Sky Hammer's fierce force, and climbed upward one step at a time.
The family precepts on the stone steps gradually grew clear: "The path of a Soul Master lies in the heart, not in strength"; "Protect, do not conquer"; "As long as the legacy endures, Clear Sky shall live forever"... Each sentence struck Tang San's heart like a heavy hammer, giving him a deeper understanding of the Clear Sky Sect and his father.
By the time he reached the fiftieth step, the pressure was already comparable to that of a Soul Douluo. Sweat beaded on Tang San's forehead, but his steps remained steady. Blue Silver Grass emerged from the cracks in the stone steps and wound around his ankles, bearing some of the pressure for him. This was a new ability he had comprehended at Heaven Dou Imperial Academy: resonating with the earth and borrowing the power of nature.
The ninety-ninth stone step was close at hand. Standing there was an old man in gray robes, his hair and beard white, his eyes as sharp as an eagle's. He was Tang Xiao, the current sect master of the Clear Sky Sect, Tang Hao's older brother and Tang San's eldest uncle.
"Stop." Tang Xiao's voice rang like a great bell. "Do you know what it means to set foot on this final step?"
Tang San stopped and bowed. "I am Tang San. I pay my respects to you, Eldest Uncle. I know it means taking on responsibility for the Clear Sky Sect, fighting Spirit Hall, and protecting the sect's legacy."
"Will you also repay what your father owes the sect?" Tang Xiao's tone held a trace of complicated feeling: anger, heartache, and an almost imperceptible hope.
"I'll repay my father's debt. But I'm protecting the Clear Sky Sect not because of that debt, but because this is where my roots are." Tang San raised his head, his gaze firm. "Just as Blue Silver Grass never forgets the earth beneath it, no matter how tall it grows."
Tang Xiao looked at the determination in his eyes, then at the Blue Silver Grass quietly spreading behind him. After a long silence, he finally stepped aside. "Come with me. Your father is waiting for you in the ancestral hall."
The Clear Sky Sect's main hall was solemn and imposing. Images of the Clear Sky Hammer were carved into its beams and pillars, conveying a profound sense of history. In the ancestral hall, Tang Hao stood before a row of memorial tablets with his back to the entrance. His figure was more stooped than when they had last met, but there was also a trace of release about him.
"You're here." Tang Hao turned around. The despondency of the past was gone from his eyes, leaving only calm and gratification. "You made the climb faster than I did back then."
"Dad." Tang San stepped forward. A thousand words crowded his throat, but in the end, they became only that single call.
"These are the sect disciples who sacrificed their lives fighting Spirit Hall." Tang Hao pointed to the memorial tablets, his voice hoarse. "Back then, I acted on impulse and severely injured a Spirit Hall elder, bringing retaliation down on us. The sect suffered heavy losses and had no choice but to go into seclusion. All these years, there hasn't been a moment when I haven't felt guilty."
He took a dark-gold Soul Bone from his robes. It was covered in cracks, yet it radiated immense power. "This is your grandfather's Right Arm Soul Bone, and it's also one of the Azure Lotus Soul Bone fragments. Before he died, he said that only someone who could bring the Clear Sky Sect back into the light of day would be worthy of inheriting it."
Tang San took the Soul Bone. It was warm in his hand, and he seemed to feel the power and hopes contained within it.
"Grandfather's Soul Bone... is also an Azure Lotus Soul Bone?"
"That's right." Tang Xiao walked in and added, "An ancestor of the Clear Sky Sect once had a connection to the Chaos Azure Lotus and guarded one of its Soul Bone fragments. The Angel Clan became our enemy precisely because it wanted to seize this fragment."
Tang Hao nodded. "That's also why I asked you to come back. There are five Azure Lotus Soul Bones in all: one at the altar, your grandfather's, one in Sunset Forest, at least one in Spirit Hall's hands, and one whose whereabouts are unknown. Gathering all five can not only stop the Angel God's resurrection, but also awaken the Azure Lotus's true power-the light of life, capable of purifying all darkness."
"Then the Clear Sky Sect..."
"Three days from now, the Clear Sky Sect will formally announce its return and join the alliance." Tang Xiao's tone was decisive. "What we owe you and what we owe the alliance, we'll repay with Spirit Hall's blood."
The mood in the ancestral hall grew impassioned. Tang San looked at the determined gazes of his father and eldest uncle, then at the memorial tablets, and finally understood how heavy the responsibility on his shoulders was.
As he left the ancestral hall, the setting sun was shining through the window lattice, illuminating the two characters "Clear Sky" in the main hall. Tang San tightened his grip on the Soul Bone fragment, his heart filled with strength.
He knew that when the Clear Sky Sect's war hammers rang out once more, the balance of power on the continent would surely change. And he would return to his companions with new clues and reinforcements, so they could face the coming storm together.
The Soul Bone fragment in Sunset Forest, Spirit Hall's schemes, the Angel God's secret... All the clues were converging, and a decisive battle that would determine the continent's fate lay not far ahead.