Douluo Continent: Long Live the Spirit Hall

A flash of black light appeared in Tang Xiao's palm, but before he could raise the Clear Sky Hammer, a Clear Sky Hammer several degrees heavier than his directly suppressed the Martial Soul in his hand.

"Tang Xiao, the Haotian Sect has already closed its doors and gone into seclusion."

Beside Tang Xiao, his father squeezed out a hoarse sentence. Looking into his father's eyes, which were filled with murderous intent, Tang Xiao felt extremely frustrated and sad. He knew in his heart that his father was the one suffering the most, but he had to endure it.

Bai He finally collapsed. He was caught in a net near the foot of the Haotian Sect's ancestral mountain and dragged back. He struggled desperately within the net, looking up at the Haotian Sect Master, who was bowing his head and clenching his fists. "Sect Master, Sect Master, we old folks can be captured. But the children are innocent, Sect Master..."

The white crane cried out hoarsely, and the many powerful figures of the Haotian Sect on the mountainside all opened their eyes wide and clenched their fists.

The white crane was eventually dragged away. The Min clan's soul masters struggled for a long time, but in the end, they were captured one by one. Without the protection of the soul masters, the members of the four major clans who had no soul power cultivation naturally had no choice but to surrender.

When nearly two thousand members of the four major single-attribute clans were brought into the Spirit Hall's ranks to register their names, each of them had anger and resentment in their eyes, not only towards the Spirit Hall, but also towards the Clear Sky Sect members who were just a hundred meters away.

While they were still in the Haotian Sect castle, although they had also been abandoned, it didn't feel real yet. After all, yesterday they were still members of the Haotian Sect, and many people on the mountain were still their beloved relatives and friends.

Even if the Haotian Sect was forced to relocate, they could understand to some extent and barely accept it because the feeling wasn't real and they didn't feel abandoned.

However, just now, their beloved sect leader stopped the Haotian Sect members from coming to their aid and watched them being captured. In their eyes, this was betrayal, and they truly felt abandoned. How could they accept this?

People's negative emotions such as anger and resentment can shift their focus, especially when there are two targets. They usually tend to blame the weaker one, since bullying the weak and fearing the strong is a kind of human nature.

The current four major single-attribute clans are like this. They resent the Spirit Hall's 'extermination,' but they resent the Clear Sky Sect's 'refusal to help them in their time of need.' If the Spirit Hall can be considered an enemy, what is the Clear Sky Sect? A friend?

Only at this moment did they truly realize the difference between the direct line and the outer sect. It turned out that in the eyes of the Haotian Sect's higher-ups, their four single-attribute clans were not the backbone, but rather the part that could be sacrificed.

Beneath the ancestral land of the Clear Sky Sect, when all members of the four major single-attribute clans had been detained and captured by the Spirit Hall, Yan rode his tall horse to the foot of the mountain of the Clear Sky Sect's ancestral land and looked up to meet the Clear Sky Sect Master's gaze once again.

"Sect Leader Tang, the Haotian Sect has truly kept its promise this time. I admire them."

After looking around, Yan raised his voice and said, "Since Haotian Sect is so committed to keeping its promise, I, the Holy Son, must also show my appreciation. Elder Qianjun, please deliver a generous gift to Sect Master Tang on my behalf."

As soon as Yan finished speaking, a flash of light appeared in the palm of the Thousand-Pound Douluo who had been beside him. The Panlong Staff flew out and brought back a long stone from its original location. As he wielded the staff with great speed and force, pebbles fell to the ground one after another, and the outline of a stone tablet appeared.

"Oh!"

With a sudden palm strike, the rough stone tablet that had just been carved shot out and, after traversing hundreds of meters, landed vertically on the mountainside, right in front of Tang Xiao and the others.

This rough stone tablet is not exquisite. There are only four characters on the surface: "Keep your promises and keep your word." This is originally a word of praise, but in this context, it is full of irony.

"Hehe, hehe..."

The Haotian Sect Master's body trembled, and he chuckled twice with an inscrutable expression. He then spoke in a deep voice to Yan below, "Thank you for bestowing the monument upon us by the Spirit Hall."

Yan gestured with his eyes for the elders and retainers to return to his side. After the two elders, Guiju and the two retainers, the four Heavenly Kings stood around him, he spoke again: "It's alright, it's alright."

Emperor Taizong of Tang was a man of great vision and ambition. He knew that patience would bring peace and tranquility, and his ability to endure humiliation was truly admirable.

It's a pity, though. The Clear Sky Sect's backbone is broken; its knees haven't bent yet, but they can't stand straight anymore. From now on, there will be no more number one sect in the world. It's truly a shame.

"The number one sect in the world no longer exists, hahahahahaha... pfft..."

Upon hearing his words, the Haotian Sect Master trembled and began to laugh wildly, tears streaming down his face. Blood-red tears dripped from the corners of his eyes. His body shuddered violently, and he spat out a spray of blood. The blood droplets fell into the sky and finally landed on the stone tablet, scattered like stars, a truly shocking sight.

Chapter 77 Haotian's Affairs Are Over

"father."

"metropolitan."

"metropolitan!"

……

The moment the Haotian Sect Master collapsed, everyone in the Haotian Sect panicked. Tang Xiao immediately knelt down and reached out to support his father.

"Xiao'er, Xiao'er, keep it, keep it..."

The Haotian Sect Master called out to his son, pointing to the stone tablet stained with his blood. Tang Xiao, the son, was in great pain and could only nod in agreement.

He understood his father's meaning: to keep this stone tablet so as not to forget the humiliation of today, and to make the Spirit Hall pay the price when the Clear Sky Sect comes out of seclusion again.

"Good, very good..."

A blush rose on the pale face of the Haotian Sect Master, as if he were experiencing a final burst of energy before death. He forced himself to explain the affairs of his father, "Xiao'er, I still remember thirty years ago, from your grandfather's hands... cough cough... how powerful the Haotian Sect was back then."

Unfortunately, under my leadership, the Haotian Sect has weakened, and today it has even gone into seclusion. I have failed the ancestors of the Haotian Sect, failed our forefathers... What a pity, Hao, Hao'er..."

Overwhelmed with emotion, the Sect Master of Haotian closed his eyes and collapsed into Tang Xiao's arms. Tang Xiao's soul power surged wildly, and his tiger eyes were filled with anger and hatred.

"So he didn't die, he just passed out. That made me quite nervous. I thought what they said on TV was true, that someone could be angered to death."

At the foot of the mountain, Yan Yaoyuan watched everything on the mountainside. He was startled when the Haotian Sect Master suddenly went silent, worried that he would be attacked in a suicide attack. However, several Douluo told him that the Haotian Sect Master had only fainted and was not really dead, which calmed his heart a little.

At this moment, Tuoba hope, the leader of the Holy Dragon Army, said in a deep voice: "Holy Son, the Haotian Sect will eventually become a great threat if left unchecked. It is not advisable to make a move openly today, but we will have another chance after the storm has passed."

"No need. If we really want to take down the Haotian Sect, which is a tough nut to crack, the elders will inevitably suffer casualties. It's too risky. Besides, this is the territory of the Tiandou royal family. It's easy for news to leak out and cause trouble."

After thinking it over, Yan gave up on the tempting suggestion. He certainly wanted to destroy the Haotian Sect, but the key issue was that none of the elders and retainers around him, including Tuoba hope who had proposed the assassination, were willing to really risk their lives.

Thirty years ago, before Tang Chen retired, he was in his prime, at the height of his power. These people had all experienced that era and knew very well how powerful that number one expert in the world was. Deep down, they were all cowards. Don't be fooled by how arrogant they are now, forcing the Haotian Sect to close its doors and go into seclusion. None of them would dare to destroy the Haotian Sect head-on.

Yan understood the concerns these people had: they feared Tang Chen was still alive and would come out of seclusion to settle scores later. Under these circumstances, even if Yan forcibly gave the order, these top experts would not obey.

Yan himself wasn't afraid, because he knew that Tang Chen, who was trapped in the City of Slaughter, was basically useless, but he couldn't bring himself to say it.

Tuoba Xi understood what he meant. They could secretly arrange to gradually erode the Haotian Sect's strength, wearing them down bit by bit. This method sounded good, but it was completely useless against a force like the Haotian Sect.

To annihilate the Clear Sky Sect, force is necessary, with the resolve to sacrifice Title Douluos. But this brings us back to the initial problem: these Title Douluos are all afraid of Tang Chen. Aside from the possibility of them dragging their feet, who will actually die?

Therefore, given the current situation, Yan had no choice but to retreat. He didn't want these enemies to lower their guard; he only wanted to lull them into a false sense of security, making them think that everything was over, and then launch a surprise attack to destroy the Haotian Sect when he deemed the time was right.

“Let’s go too. There’s no need to look anymore. Just as the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall said, the backbone of the Clear Sky Sect has been broken. Although it’s still there and there are still strong people, how much of a threat can it pose? The number one sect in the world no longer exists.”

Ning Fengzhi and his group, who were watching the battle from afar, witnessed everything. The young sect leader, who had just ascended to the position and was originally full of ambition, shook his head with a sigh, as if he were a fellow rabbit mourning the death of a fox. "After this battle, the reputation of Haotian Sect has been ruined."

They watched helplessly as the four single-attribute clans were captured alive. Even if it was out of necessity, it made the world's soul masters 'see them clearly'.

Even if they leave the mountain gate again the next day, not many people will be willing to join the Haotian Sect. With only a few hundred direct and collateral descendants, what hope is there for them to rise to prominence?

Ning Fengzhi saw clearly and understood perfectly. He realized that Yan had succeeded in his goal this time. In addition to taking over the subordinates of Haotian Sect, he had also ruined the reputation of Haotian Sect.

Even if the Clear Sky Sect were to re-emerge in the future, without its reputation and credibility, it would be extremely difficult for it to rise again, let alone pose a threat to the Spirit Hall.

"Human hearts are truly a terrifying thing. What's even more terrifying is the guy who schemes against people's hearts. Is he really just a seven-year-old child?"

Before leaving, Ning Fengzhi gave Yan a deep look, remembering this child who had instilled fear in him. The latter's arrangements today had left him both amazed and chilled.

Yan's methods were not sophisticated; he simply went with the flow, taking advantage of the Haotian Sect Master's retreat to launch attacks step by step, forcing him to retreat again and again, and ultimately achieving a result that almost wiped out the Haotian Sect.

He put himself in the shoes of the Haotian Sect Master, but found himself helpless, which is why he felt a chill in his heart. Today it's the Haotian Sect, but tomorrow it will be the Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect? When will it be the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?

"How dare this guy be so brazen? Isn't he afraid that Tang Chen will really come out of seclusion? Or does the Spirit Hall have definite news about Tang Chen? But that doesn't make sense. If Tang Chen is really in trouble, why would the Spirit Hall keep the Clear Sky Sect around?"

Ning Fengzhi couldn't understand Yan's confidence and assurance in doing so. To deal with the Haotian Sect, one would have to consider that previous Haotian Douluo, but how could Yan dare to ignore him? Of course, he didn't know that in a certain world, there was something called a novel that told Yan too much information.

All four major clans with single-attribute attributes were captured and subdued. The elite troops of the Spirit Hall began to clean up the mess. This battle was basically a one-sided victory. The four major clans were targeted and countered. They fought for half the night, and neither side suffered any casualties, which was truly rare.

“Holy Son, it’s getting late. We should be moving into Tiandou City.”

After making some arrangements beside Yan, Tuoba hope asked Yan for his next instructions. At this moment, the way he and the other high-ranking members of the Spirit Hall looked at Yan changed, and their attitude became much more respectful.

Having experienced the series of events that led to the siege of Haotian, they began to show Yan a genuine respect, which meant that Yan had initially established his own prestige within the Spirit Hall.

Chapter 78 Using Both Kindness and Strictness

"Now is not the time to clash with the Heavenly Dou royal family. There's no need to go into the city. Let's just stay at the castle for a while."

After pondering for a moment, Yan shook his head. Compared to the Haotian Sect, the Tiandou Empire's royal family was larger and more troublesome, but also easier to deal with.

The problem with the Heaven Dou royal family, or rather the two great empires and the noble groups they represent, is that they have ruled this continent for an extremely long time, established their own prestige, and their power and influence are even greater than that of the Spirit Hall.

However, for the Spirit Hall, the threat posed by the two great empires is far less than that of the Clear Sky Sect, because they lack top-tier military strength and cannot directly challenge the Spirit Hall's position in the spirit master world. Furthermore, the sheer size of their power also means there are too many individual empires, making them far too easy to deal with.

However, one cannot be hasty in dealing with a behemoth like the Empire. Using the same methods against the Haotian Sect would only backfire. Therefore, Yan does not intend to lead his army to garrison Tiandou City. Otherwise, the Tiandou royal family would not feel at ease, and who knows what kind of trouble it would cause.

The current Heaven Dou Royal Family, with Emperor Xue Ye at the peak of his power, is a very capable emperor with extremely high prestige within the empire. Yan has no need to confront him head-on. In any case, he is just a Soul Master who has risen through resources, and he will be old in another ten or twenty years. He is not a threat at all.

Yan led the army back to the castle that originally belonged to the Haotian Sect. When all the members of the four major single-attribute clans were brought back, it was obvious that the soul master forces that were originally affiliated with the Haotian Sect and remained in the castle all changed their expressions.

They belonged to the outer sect of Haotian, along with the four major single-attribute clans. However, there were significant differences within the outer sect, and these four clans were at the pinnacle, their strength almost comparable to the lower four sects. The fact that these four powerful clans had been captured alive by the Spirit Hall naturally filled them with dread.

If the initial subsidies from the Spirit Hall were like a treat to reassure them, then the capture of the four major clans is like a blow to their heads, showing them the true meaning of power. Only by combining kindness and severity can some of these individuals completely abandon their ulterior motives.

As Yan led his army to garrison the castle, the Soul Master teams from the two major sects outside the castle were also making moves. Too many things had happened during their trip to the Haotian Sect, making it difficult for them to remain calm. However, at this moment, they all wanted to return to their sects as soon as possible.

The upheaval at Haotian Sect was sudden and had a huge impact. As witnesses and leaders of the two major sects, they understood the enormous turmoil this event would cause. They were now eager to return and deal with it.

Inside the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, Ning Fengzhi was arranging for his disciples to pack up and prepare to leave and return. Just then, another Soul Master entered the tent to report.

A Soul Master in charge of intelligence quickly reported the current situation, "Sect Master, we just received news that the Heaven Dou Royal Guards have turned back halfway and retreated to the city. They are now reinforcing the city's defenses, and Emperor Xue Ye has also secretly ordered the troop redeployment..."

"The royal family is too slow. By the time they mobilize their army, it will all be over."

Ning Fengzhi shook his head. To be honest, Emperor Xueye's movements weren't slow, but no one expected Yan's series of actions to be so precise and fast that they didn't have time to react at all.

When the Spirit Hall army first arrived, the royal family, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant School all wanted the Clear Sky School to take the lead and fight the Spirit Hall head-on, while they would provide support.

But no one expected that the Clear Sky Sect would actually 'rebel', not only sealing off the mountain and going into seclusion, but also abandoning so many soul masters to the Spirit Hall.

The Spirit Hall is, after all, a sacred place in the world of spirit masters. It is morally justifiable for them to take over the arrangements for these spirit masters. The key is that the two major sects present do not have the courage or strength to compete.

As for the royal family, just look at their current actions. The royal family both uses and guards against soul masters. Moreover, when it comes to major matters involving the Spirit Hall, Emperor Xue Ye has to listen to the opinions of his ministers. By the time they finish their discussions, it will be too late.

Moreover, even if the royal family reacts immediately, they may not be able to compete with the Spirit Hall in this regard. Look at how the Spirit Hall has sent out all its strongest members this time: three elders, two grand masters, and five titled Douluo. The three upper sects present combined could barely match them.

As for the royal family, they only had a few titled retainers, and they could hardly rely on the higher authorities for such important matters. What could they do? After receiving the specific information, they could only withdraw their troops and return to their defenses.

Five Title Douluos, more than 10,000 Soul Masters, and a Martial Soul Temple within Heaven Dou City—this strength might not be enough to overthrow the Heaven Dou Empire, but it could certainly change the master of Heaven Dou City. Do you think Emperor Xue Ye is panicked or not?

At this moment, another Soul Master responsible for receiving guests came in and reported, "Sect Master, the Spirit Hall has sent someone, saying they want to talk to us. By the way, it seems that the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan also sent a messenger, but Sect Master Yu of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan directly dismissed them and is about to leave with his followers."

"The Spirit Hall wants to meet and discuss things at this time. I'm afraid they don't have good intentions. However, since the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan has already declined, let's decline as well. But to put it tactfully, let's say that the sect has sent a message about important matters and I'm afraid I can't stay any longer."

Ning Fengzhi was better at interpersonal relationships and made more appropriate arrangements. He had already guessed some of the Spirit Hall's thoughts. With the Clear Sky Sect defeated, the alliance of the seven major sects broke down, but the remaining six major sects were still quite powerful.

The Spirit Hall's sending of people is merely an attempt to win them over. Having witnessed the Spirit Hall's strength, Ning Fengzhi had actually considered negotiating. However, Yu Yuanzhen of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan directly refused. As an ally, he couldn't betray him, at least not openly by making a different choice.

……

“Holy Son, both the Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect have refused to discuss the matter.”

Inside the former Haotian Castle, Yan sat in the main seat, discussing the next steps with the elders, worshippers, and high-ranking members of the Spirit Hall. Venerable Shelong entered the main hall to report the replies from the two major sects, and the entire hall fell silent as all eyes turned to Yan.

"They refused, that's normal. Not to mention the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, I never thought those guys from the Blue Lightning Tyrant School would sit down and talk."