Douluo Continent: Long Live the Spirit Hall

……

As the morning sun shone down on the earth, the disciples of the heavily guarded Haotian Sect, who had not had a proper rest for several nights, were naturally not in good condition. The warm sunlight made them feel warmer, and they subconsciously shivered to bask in more light.

"Enemy attack!!!"

The shrill roar was so clear that, along with this warning, the entire Clear Sky Sect sprang into action. Countless Soul Masters, including many of the Clear Sky Sect's high-ranking members in the council hall, came to the city walls, while the Soul Masters of the two major sects stationed outside the city also became cautiously on guard.

As the sun climbed to its zenith in the east, the people west of the Haotian Sect castle finally saw clearly the vast, dark army stretching as far as the horizon, their momentum overwhelming.

Thousands of Soul Masters rode their mounts, their powerful auras coalescing into a single force that swept across the heavens and earth with overwhelming momentum. The total number of them was at least three thousand, and they were all elite Soul Masters, at least at the level of a three-ring Soul Venerable.

These were the elite of the Spirit Hall, the three thousand Tiger Warriors of the Guardian Knights. And this was just the beginning. Several thousand Soul Masters appeared on the south and north sides of the castle. Although they were not as strong as the three thousand elites, their combined number of tens of thousands put great pressure on the Clear Sky Sect.

Not only the Clear Sky Sect, but also the Soul Masters who came to support the two major sects, as well as some elite Soul Masters sent by the Heaven Dou Royal Family, were now surrounded. They were all on high alert, fearing that the Spirit Hall would wipe them out as well.

The warm sunlight shone on the earth, and the three thousand elites of the Spirit Hall marched in formation outside the Clear Sky Sect. Their orderly movements and magnificent aura stirred up the weary Clear Sky Sect members.

Each Soul Master from the Clear Sky Sect swallowed hard, as if facing a formidable enemy. Those on the front lines were stiff as statues, their hearts filled with fear.

It's no wonder they were afraid; the main reason was that the Spirit Hall's force this time was truly terrifying, with tens of thousands of Spirit Masters, all of whom were at least at the second level.

These people are capable of taking on a hundred or even ten enemies on the battlefield, let alone a hundred. With tens of thousands of Soul Masters, annihilating an army of one hundred thousand would not be too difficult for them.

At its peak, the Clear Sky Sect influenced tens of thousands of Soul Masters. However, since the previous Clear Sky Douluo, Tang Chen, retired thirty years ago, the Clear Sky Sect has been on a downward trend.

In previous years, due to the death of Qian Xunji, the Clear Sky Sect fought many battles with the Spirit Hall. At this time, including the direct and collateral branches and many affiliated spirit master forces, the Clear Sky Sect still had a maximum of five thousand spirit masters.

"Brother, the White-Armored Earth Dragon Clan, those guys with diluted dragon blood, they actually came too."

Outside the castle of the Clear Sky Sect, in the ranks of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect, Yu Yuanzhen, clad in black and blue dragon armor, was accompanied by his younger brother Yu Luomian, who pointed to the particularly conspicuous members of the Holy Dragon Legion in the Spirit Hall's ranks and spoke.

"The Spirit Hall clearly stated back then that the White Armor Earth Dragon Clan was not allowed to set foot in the Heavenly Battle Realm. This is a provocation against our Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan."

Yu Yuanzhen, whose title was Thunder, also had a livid face. Among the three thousand elite warriors of the Spirit Hall vanguard, he sensed at least three auras that were no less powerful than his own. One of them was particularly familiar, belonging to their Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan's old rival, the Spirit Hall's White Armor Earth Dragon Clan.

On the Douluo Continent, Soul Masters with Dragon Bloodline Martial Souls are not invincible among their peers, but most are extremely powerful. The two largest Soul Master families are the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan and the White Armor Earth Dragon Clan. The latter is certainly not as powerful as the former, but the Earth Dragon Clan has a large number of members, which is enough to rival the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan.

These two clans have a long-standing feud. If it weren't for the protection of the Spirit Hall, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan would have subdued and destroyed the White Armored Earth Dragon Clan long ago. Now that they meet again, they are naturally extremely hostile.

"The Spirit Hall's strength is terrifying."

Among the Soul Masters of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, Prince Xue Xing, standing beside Ning Fengzhi, looked at the Spirit Hall army lined up in formation, a solemn expression on his face. As the commander, he knew better than anyone how terrifying the killing power of such an orderly army was, not to mention that they were all Soul Masters.

"This is probably not even the full strength of the Spirit Hall."

Ning Fengzhi, the newly appointed master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, was no longer as spirited as before. He originally thought that even if the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School was inferior to the Spirit Hall, the difference wouldn't be so great. Now he realized the cruel truth: their Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School was at least ten times worse than the Spirit Hall.

Ning Fengzhi's calculations were correct; the Spirit Hall's strength was indeed more than ten times that of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. In the later part of the original story, when the Spirit Empire fought against the two great empires, in addition to preparing at least five thousand spirit masters to suppress the territories, it also mobilized fifty thousand spirit masters above the level of three-ring spirit masters to form a large army for the battle.

These Soul Masters above the third-ring Soul Master level were all capable of fighting against hundreds of enemies. If they hadn't been forcibly killed by a plot twist, the two million ordinary troops mobilized by the two empires would have been easy prey.

Three thousand Soul Masters from the Spirit Hall lined up outside the west gate of the Clear Sky Sect, protected by elites from the Holy Dragon Army and the Angel Army. Several figures appeared at the front of the formation.

Surrounded by numerous powerful figures from the Spirit Hall, Yan arrived at the front and gazed at the city wall, saying calmly, "Spirit Hall Holy Son, Yan, please invite Sect Master Tang of the Clear Sky Sect to come out and speak."

His tone was calm, yet under the influence of his soul power, his voice clearly resounded throughout the entire battlefield. That calmness and composure put even more pressure on the Haotian Sect.

Chapter 67 Retreat to Seclusion

"Holy Son of the Spirit Hall, what business do you have at my Clear Sky Sect?"

In the center of the Haotian Sect's group of powerful figures, Tang Xiao, standing beside the sect leader, couldn't help but speak. His voice echoed for miles around the Haotian Sect, revealing his extremely profound soul power cultivation.

"The Haotian Twins are indeed worthy of their reputation. Tang Hao killed Qian Xunji, and although Tang Xiao's talent is slightly inferior, he has also broken through to the Title Douluo level. I wonder when my Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan has such a grand occasion."

Tang Xiao's move immediately changed the opinion of many forces present regarding the Haotian Sect. Among the Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect's team, Yu Yuanzhen was amazed, his eyes revealing envy.

"A titled Douluo. I never expected that the Clear Sky Sect would produce another titled expert. The number one sect in the world truly lives up to its name."

Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School also looked envious. Although his talent was not inferior to others, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's martial soul had a flaw when it evolved. Only seven layers could be used to attach soul rings, and at most he could only become a peak Soul Saint. He could not even break through to Soul Douluo.

Over the years, the predecessors of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School have tried to mutate their martial souls again, but unfortunately, their talents and abilities were not as good as the ancestor who evolved the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, and they all failed in the end.

Ning Fengzhi, who is only in his thirties, has basically reached the end of his martial soul cultivation path. Although he has not yet reached level seventy-nine, his future achievements are already visible.

The greatest pain for a person is to see their future path in advance and lose their goal. Therefore, he was extremely envious when he saw Tang Xiao break through the title.

"Howling Sky Douluo".

Yan raised his head slightly, but not to Tang Xiao, but to the Haotian Sect Master beside him. "I am here today on behalf of the Spirit Hall. You are not qualified to speak to me. Please reply, Sect Master Tang."

Yan's words were calm, but they conveyed endless humiliation. Tang Xiao couldn't help but clench his fists, and all the powerful figures of Haotian Sect felt deeply ashamed.

Tang Xiao, the twin star of Haotian, the confirmed next sect leader of Haotian Sect, a powerful figure at the pinnacle of the continent, was actually coldly told by a seven-year-old child that he was not worthy to speak to him. This was an absolute humiliation for a titled Douluo.

However, none of the Spirit Hall Soul Masters present felt anything was wrong, because Yan's identity today was different. He was the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall, representing the face of the Spirit Hall. The title of Douluo was merely an achievement he would inevitably reach in the future.

"That little beast is going too far."

Tang Xiao was humiliated, and the faces of the Haotian Sect's high-ranking members were all very ugly, especially the elders. Although they also put on airs and acted like elders in front of Tang Xiao, these guys always protected their own. The seventh elder, in particular, had a bad temper and was about to start cursing.

"Seventh Brother, step back. Xiao'er, you too, the Haotian Sect will be in your hands in the future, you must not act impulsively."

With a wave of his hand, the Haotian Sect Master restrained the Seventh Elder, then spoke to his eldest son Tang Xiao, who was clenching his fists, and then raised his voice and said, "Holy Son of the Spirit Hall, what business do you have with me?"

Yan, who was surrounded by the army, naturally noticed the commotion atop the Haotian Sect castle, but he didn't care at all.

With five Title Douluos guarding him from all sides, two of whom are skilled in control-type martial soul fusion techniques, and two peerless Douluos at level 96 with perfect understanding, no one can harm him unless Tang Chen and Poseidon personally come.

"Master Tang".

He looked up at the Haotian Sect Master, whose face was grim, and spoke again: "Two years ago, my Spirit Hall's former Pope died because of your son, Tang Hao. I am here today for that reason. The Haotian Sect must either hand over Tang Hao or give an explanation. In any case, there must be an explanation today."

After Yan finished speaking, he simply raised his right hand slightly, and brilliant light instantly rose from all directions outside the Haotian Sect. More than 10,000 Soul Masters released their Martial Souls at the same time, which was an absolutely magnificent scene.

Countless spirit rings flashed in white, yellow, purple, and black. Although most of them were only white and yellow, the sudden surge of terrifying aura instilled fear in the spirit masters who were not from the Spirit Hall, and they couldn't help but release their spirit rings to fight back.

The Clear Sky Sect also saw many spirit rings rise one after another. The spirits released by the thousands of spirit masters were mostly similar. Apart from the hundreds of Clear Sky Hammer spirit masters, there were also some spirit masters from affiliated families. In total, there were probably nearly a hundred different spirits.

Not only the two main parties, but also the two major sects that were originally preparing to support the Haotian Sect, as well as hundreds of elite royal guards, released their martial spirits at the same time.

The Soul Masters of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School are somewhat similar to those of the Spirit Hall, with a wide variety and complexity. The direct line of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Spirit Masters number only about one hundred, while there are numerous other Spirit Masters of various kinds. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School has the most affiliated Soul Masters among the seven major sects.

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan has fielded its full elite force this time, with over three hundred Soul Masters possessing the direct lineage of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul, and the remaining hundreds also possessing Dragon blood.

The Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan has extremely high requirements for its affiliated Soul Masters. They must possess a Martial Soul with Dragon Clan blood, and they are mostly married within the clan to ensure the purity of their bloodline. The number of affiliated Soul Masters is the smallest among the seven major sects, but this also ensures the cohesion of the clan.

In the original Soul Hunting Operation, not a single member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan surrendered, and most of the more than 1,800 clan members died in battle, causing the Spirit Hall the greatest casualties in the Soul Hunting Operation.

What a scene it must be like for more than 15,000 Soul Masters to release their Martial Souls at the same time! Today, Prince Xue Xing, the famous commander of the Heaven Dou Empire, has witnessed it firsthand.

Although the few hundred men he led also released their martial spirits to fight back, their size was far too small, and their rising aura was insufficient to protect themselves. Compared to the at least a thousand elite troops from the other four sides, they were reduced to cannon fodder in a contest of momentum, and they were all on the verge of despair.

After calming down, Yan Lema raised his head again and spoke, his tone still extremely firm, "Sect Leader Tang, the only son of my Spirit Hall's Pope and Grand Elder is dead. Do you want war?"

His words echoed between heaven and earth, and all eyes were focused on the Haotian Sect Master, with countless people waiting for him to make a decision.

He intends to ignite a massive battle involving over 15,000 Soul Masters, potentially drawing the Heaven Dou Imperial Army and plunging the entire continent into chaos. Or will he choose to retreat, back down, and appease the situation?

At this crucial moment, Tang Xiao's father, the sect leader who had watched the Haotian Sect rise to glory and then led it to its decline, also had a few fine beads of sweat on his forehead; he was nervous too.

"You jest, Your Majesty."

The Haotian Sect Master spoke again, and with just one sentence, countless people felt inexplicably conflicted: "The rebellious son Tang Hao colluded with soul beasts and caused a great disaster, after which his whereabouts became unknown. I have expelled him from the sect, and from now on Tang Hao is no longer a disciple of the Haotian Sect."

The Haotian Sect acted recklessly, and this sect leader failed in his duty to discipline his disciples; an explanation is indeed necessary. From this day forward, the Haotian Sect will return to its founding site, seclude itself in seclusion, and reflect on its mistakes. Is this explanation acceptable?

Chapter 68 Marching In and Forcing

Outside the west gate of the Haotian Sect castle, when the Haotian Sect Master's voice resounded throughout the sect, most of the more than 10,000 Soul Masters showed disbelief in their eyes.

To everyone's surprise, the Haotian Sect, which had always acted domineeringly, actually backed down, and to an unimaginable degree. They went into seclusion, closed their doors to reflect on their mistakes, which seemed to be the prelude to disbanding the Haotian Sect.

"metropolitan?"

"metropolitan!"

"metropolitan."

……

Calls filled with various emotions echoed within the castle of the Haotian Sect. Countless soul masters of the Haotian Sect could not believe that this was a decision made by their sect leader, nor could they believe that this was the way the Haotian Sect operated. To back down, to close the mountain and go into seclusion—was this the Haotian Sect?

Countless Soul Masters of the Clear Sky Sect were bewildered. Many of the direct and collateral line Soul Masters had complicated expressions and dared not look at their thousands of colleagues. They had been informed of the retreat by the elders and higher-ups and were already prepared.

"This can't be true. How could the Haotian Sect retreat? How could they retreat? My husband and son are dead. They died in the previous battle."

"If the Haotian Sect backs down, what's the point of everything we did before? Repentance behind closed doors, hahaha, what a fine example of 'repentance behind closed doors'."

"This is the Tang family, the Haotian Sect, hahaha, laughable, utterly laughable! What a load of bull, the number one sect in the world!"

……

The collapse of faith has unimaginable consequences, especially for those forces affiliated with the Haotian Sect. They risked their lives for the Haotian Sect, hoping it would continue to prosper and provide a better environment for their loved ones.

The Spirit Hall had previously engaged in a major war with the Clear Sky Sect because of Qian Xunji's death. The biggest casualties were not the Clear Sky Sect's direct descendants, but these outer disciples.

These affiliated Soul Master forces have lost countless loved ones. They were all prepared to fight to the death, but then the sect leader publicly declared that the Clear Sky Sect was wrong. How ridiculous!

"Has the Haotian Sect gone mad? How dare they do this? This is a betrayal of the empire."

Outside the Haotian Sect's castle, Prince Xuexing's face was extremely grim. The Haotian Sect's current prestige was largely due to the covert support of the two great empires. Otherwise, how could a sect with only martial prowess solve the basic needs of tens of thousands of people?

"Haotian Sect, Haotian Sect, hehe, so they're 'clever people' after all."

Ning Fengzhi muttered something to himself, then shook his head and gave a self-deprecating laugh, as if he had understood something, and his expression became much calmer.

"What are these guys doing at the Clear Sky Sect? They cowered when the Spirit Hall came knocking. If they like kneeling so much, why don't they just capture Tang Hao and send him to the Spirit Hall? This Tang guy has a tiger father and a tiger son, but he himself is a dog. What a load of bull! The number one sect in the world!"

Yu Yuanzhen of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect couldn't help but curse. Tang Chen, the strongest man in the world, was his idol, and he also admired Tang Hao, his junior. He looked down on the current weak sect leader of the entire Clear Sky Sect. Now, he had watched helplessly as Tang Hao destroyed the strongest sect in the world, and he was furious.

All the intelligent people realized that with the words of the Haotian Sect Master, today's outcome was already decided. The Haotian Sect was finished; its complete surrender had worn down the disciples' morale and left the two major sects and the royal family who came to support them feeling utterly humiliated.

If the two sides were evenly matched before these words, the situation would be at most 70/30 now. It is more likely that the Haotian Sect will suffer a crushing defeat because their morale has been shattered and their fighting spirit greatly diminished. How much power will the so-called Haotian Nine Strikes still have?

"Sect Leader Tang is indeed sensible. All the Spirit Hall wants is an explanation. Since the Clear Sky Sect has severed ties with Tang Hao, we Spirit Hall are quite satisfied with today's explanation."

After a deathly silence, Yan's voice rang out again. He looked up at the Haotian Sect Master on the castle, a hint of confidence on his lips, "Since the Haotian Sect wishes to close its doors and go into seclusion to reflect on its mistakes, my Martial Soul Hall will not stop it."

"The place where the Haotian Sect was founded is the site of the great battle between the Grand Elder of my Spirit Hall and the previous Haotian Douluo, Tang Chen. The Grand Elder made a pact back then, and no one in the Spirit Hall below him dares to break it. Sect Master Tang, please."

As he spoke, he slightly raised his right hand in a gesture of invitation. The many powerful figures on the Haotian Sect castle felt deeply humiliated, but at this moment, no one showed any strong reaction. Instead, each of them had a complicated expression.

When the Clear Sky Sect Master made that decision, many of the Clear Sky Sect's powerful members were already prepared. In fact, when Yan, representing the Spirit Hall, announced the agreement, they breathed a slight sigh of relief, glad that the Spirit Hall had kept its promise.