Douluo Continent: Long Live the Spirit Hall

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh..."

Just as Dugu Bo was entangled by one person, more figures suddenly emerged from the crowd. These people were all quite strong, with the lowest being at the Soul Saint level. They moved like the wind and remained silent, as if they were all cold-blooded killing machines.

Yan dodged the first wave of attacks with a sudden movement, and then flew rapidly towards Dugu Bo. More ambushers appeared, and just as one of the Soul Saints was about to reach him, figures suddenly appeared and completely surrounded these guys.

"The Spirit Hall has laid an ambush. Retreat."

These people moved like the wind, and once things became untenable, they retreated swiftly. The strong man who was entangled with Dugu Bo swung his iron rod and swept away the figures, preparing to lead his men to escape.

"Has your Haotian Sect gone mad? How dare you show yourselves up and invite trouble in this kind of matter?"

How could Dugu Bo let this person get away at this moment? He revealed his true form and engaged the person in close combat. Although he was not as strong as other experts of the same level, this guy in front of him was not a Title Douluo either, so it would be easy for him to deal with him.

"I am not a member of the Haotian Sect."

This was a furious shout from the Soul Master wielding the iron rod. The continuous blows from the rod in his palm forced Dugu Bo to retreat repeatedly.

Dugu Bo's expression was solemn, and he said coldly, "I have also fought my way through many battles, and I have seen my share of chaotic cloaks."

Amidst the clamor of battle raging around him, Yan was currently without any powerful protectors. However, after waiting for a long time without any further ambushes, he felt slightly disappointed. He surveyed his surroundings and finally shook his head, saying, "Teachers, let's close the net."

As his voice rang out, two figures flashed into the sky. These two figures were originally just ordinary Templar Knights, at most closer to Yan, but now they directly flew through the air, immediately revealing an extraordinary aura.

"Chrysanthemum Pass and Ghostly Realm have always been there, so you have no chance at all."

Dugu Bo, who was fighting the mysterious expert, spoke coldly. As he spoke, his eyes grew colder and his movements became even faster.

"Sect Master, with Ghostly Demon and Moon Gate here, do I still need to take action?"

On a pavilion not far away, Ning Fengzhong, Gu Rong, and Chen Xin appeared. Chen Xin had already summoned the Seven Kill Sword, but at this moment he looked at Ning Fengzhi with some hesitation.

"Uncle Jian, please make a move!"

While adding flowers to brocade is certainly not as good as providing charcoal in the snow, it's even more unreasonable to not even offer flowers. Moreover, today's events are strange; I suspect this is a scheme set up by Yan. To be able to gather three Title Douluos so quickly after being assassinated and orchestrate such a plan is truly terrifying.

"I understand."

Chen Xin nodded slightly, then leaped down from the pavilion and flew straight to Yan's side. After nodding to him, the Seven Kill Sword in his hand flashed like lightning, and in just a moment, he killed two black-clad men who were trying to escape.

With the three Title Douluos making their moves one after another, the group of powerful figures who came to intercept Yan were killed one after another. Dugu Bo's battle dragged on until the very end because his opponent was the strongest, with strength approaching that of a Title Douluo, and whose self-created soul skill was extremely impressive.

"Senior Dugu, try your best to capture this guy alive."

Yan's voice came at just the right time. A sudden gust of wind rose behind Dugu Bo, and Yue Guan and Gui Mei, who had dealt with a group of assassins, were rushing over.

"you……"

However, this powerful figure was no match for a Title Douluo and was forced into a disadvantageous position by Dugu Bo. Yue Guan and Gui Mei were on their way, but this person was quite fierce and actually chose to smash his own forehead with a stick to end his own life. This scene shocked Dugu Bo.

At the street corner where Yan encountered the attack, a noblewoman dressed in a palace dress, with an elegant demeanor, gazed in the direction where the battle had broken out. As she watched the men in black fall to the ground, tears welled up in her eyes.

"Moonlight".

A voice suddenly sounded behind the elegant noblewoman in her palace dress. The next moment, her body trembled violently. She turned around hesitantly, her movements even appearing somewhat flustered. Her originally elegant and harmonious demeanor was completely destroyed at this moment.

She carefully turned around. The guard who had been watching over her had been knocked unconscious, but the assailant had been very careful not to use excessive force. Behind her stood a disheveled, middle-aged man with graying hair, exuding an air of decadence.

The beautiful woman stepped forward tremblingly, quickly grabbing the middle-aged man's shoulders with both hands. Her eyes were already filled with tears. "Hao, is it really you? You, how could you..."

Chapter 191 The Real Scheme

"Yuehua. You wouldn't recognize me now, would you?"

The middle-aged man, addressed as Hao, looked tenderly at the beautiful woman, a hint of self-deprecation on his face.

The beautiful woman's lips trembled as she suddenly threw herself into his arms and burst into tears, her arms tightly wrapped around his waist as if she wanted to merge herself into his body. The usually elegant woman had completely disregarded her image at this moment.

This was a completely emotional outburst of weeping, which drew attention from all sides. The middle-aged man with gray hair gently patted the beautiful woman's back, his face showing tenderness.

The beautiful woman burst into tears, "Hao...where have you been all these years...how come you only just realized you wanted to come find me..."

"Silly girl, when did you become so prone to crying? This isn't like you at all."

The middle-aged man gently comforted her for a moment, then gazed into the distance at the last man in black who had fallen. "Yuehua, let's not talk about that now. Who arranged this assassination today? Why did the Grand Elder personally take action? Was it Father's order?"

"Tang Hao, is this how you think of your elder brother? Have you not paid any attention to the sect's situation all these years?"

The beautiful noblewoman Tang Yuehua couldn't help but burst out, "Do you know why the Grand Elder risked his life? It's because he didn't have much time left, and that guy is the murderer who killed our father."

This middle-aged, dejected man was none other than Tang Hao, the Haotian Douluo who had infamously stirred up chaos in the Douluo Continent nine years ago. Upon hearing this, he was utterly shocked. "Father, Father is gone?"

Tang Yuehua couldn't stop her tears as she spoke. "That's right, Father passed away. Less than three years after you killed Qian Xunji, the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall led a group to force Haotian to retire from the mountains and erect a monument to humiliate him. Father was so angry that he collapsed and passed away less than two years later..."

Tang Hao hesitated for a moment, then asked again, "Then, is the current sect leader my elder brother? Is he alright?"

Tang Yuehua paused for a moment, then slowly shook her head. "I don't know. You know my brother; he keeps everything to himself. But he must be having a very hard time too."

Tang Hao's body stiffened for a moment, and after a brief silence, he said, "I have let the sect down."

Tang Yuehua quickly wiped away her tears, turned to look in the direction of the street, and suddenly seemed to have a goal. She said urgently, "Second brother, we can't miss this opportunity. Those people from the Spirit Hall are caught off guard. If you take action, you can definitely avenge Father."

Tang Hao gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "Yuehua, if I kill that person now, the Haotian Sect will be finished. I know what you want to say, but I can't hide it from you, and I'm not absolutely sure I can do it."

The Spirit Hall has set up a grand scheme this time. Dugu Bo and Ghost Moon Pass are just the visible ones; there are other powerful figures in the shadows. One of them gives me the feeling that he is almost on par with Qian Daoliu back then.

"To kill that Spirit Hall Holy Son amidst this lineup, it's impossible to do so without revealing my Spirit Soul. Even if I did reveal it, I might not be able to kill him. This time, the Spirit Hall has set a deadly trap; once the Grand Elder and the others make their move, they can't escape."

Tang Yuehua was stunned for a moment, and then she thought of the powerful figures from her sect who had personally gone to their deaths, and her heart was filled with grief. "What! The Spirit Hall actually... I understand, this must be that little beast's scheme."

After pondering for a moment, Tang Hao asked, "Yuehua, what is the background of this Holy Son of the Spirit Hall? Why did the Grand Elder have to take such a risk himself?"

"Second Brother, you haven't returned to the sect for a long time, so there are some things you may not know. The current situation of the Haotian Sect is not good, and a large part of the reason is that Holy Son of the Spirit Hall."

After organizing her thoughts, Tang Yuehua said, "The current Holy Son of the Spirit Hall is the youngest successor in the past few hundred years, and also the most terrifying one."

When he first ascended to the throne, he pointed his sword at the Heavenly Battle, led his army to force Haotian to seal the mountain, captured the four single-attribute families, and then took a series of actions to divide the Blue Lightning Tyrant Clan and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, and recruited and subdued the four lower clans, making the Spirit Hall once again an unshakable absolute power in the Spirit Master world.

Following this, the Spirit Hall's series of actions—the Light Ritual, the extermination of the Wolf Bandits, and the efforts to win over the hearts of the common people—were all related to him. Both of the current great empires are worried that the Spirit Hall's influence on the common people is growing.

It's fair to say that he's the most crucial figure in the Spirit Hall's current development. If we don't kill him to stop the Spirit Hall's progress, it will eventually grow into a behemoth influencing the entire continent, and then we'll all...

The Grand Elder had no choice but to take action this time, bringing along several hidden experts from the sect. Due to their hidden injuries and failed breakthroughs, they didn't have much time left. It was worth it for the Pharmacist to exchange his life for the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall.

Unfortunately, we were all fooled. Three days ago, the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall was almost assassinated, and it was Dugu Bo who saved him. Everyone thought he no longer had a Title Douluo-level bodyguard, but it turned out to be a deception. Or perhaps, Ghostly Demon and Yue Guan just arrived?

"Yuehua, there's not much point in worrying about this now. Those two guys have both broken through level 95. Their combined Polar Stillness Domain is something even I would have a hard time breaking. I don't have much confidence that I can kill that kid with them and another strong person present."

Tang Hao responded in a deep voice, then gazed in the direction of Yan, "But don't worry, I will find an opportunity to make my move in the future."

"No, I don't want you to go."

Tang Yuehua quickly shook her head, grabbed Tang Hao's arm, and hurriedly said, "Second brother, the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall is extremely cautious. He always stays in Spirit City, and when he comes out, he is always accompanied by at least two Title Douluos. Nobody knows how many ambushes are hidden in the dark."

The reason everyone acted this time was twofold: firstly, the Grand Elder and his group didn't have much time left; secondly, the assassination attempt three days ago seemed to reveal his lack of protection, presenting the perfect opportunity. Now it seems everyone misjudged the situation.

Don't worry about this anymore. You've finally come back, and I'm not letting you leave again no matter what. You must come back with me.

The sect has become like this, the once mighty number one sect in the world has to hide away. Do you know the suffering of the sect's disciples? Come back with me, the three of us siblings will work together, and I refuse to believe we can't defeat the Spirit Hall..."

Tang Hao smiled bitterly, "Go back? I'm no longer a member of the Haotian Sect. How can I go back? Yuehua, my heart is dead. I no longer have the drive I used to have. The moment A Yin died, my heart went with her."

"I can't help the sect anymore. I don't want to apologize to my elder brother. I believe he understands. I'm leaving now. I'll find a chance to avenge our father in the future..."

After Tang Hao finished speaking, he didn't give her a chance to react. After a gust of wind, only Tang Yuehua was left on the spot.

……

In the square, Yan gazed in all directions for a long time before finally walking up to a knight. The knight looked up and shook his head slightly, indicating that he hadn't noticed either.

Yan suddenly sighed and said, "It seems that no one has made a move. I didn't expect that Tang Hao would still not make a move. Is it so difficult to put him in a deadly situation?"

"Your risky test this time, pretending that you were not protected by a Title Douluo, did indeed tempt many people to show their faces. However, this trick can only be used once. After this, there should be very few people who will try to assassinate you again."

The knight then spoke in a pleasant female voice, which, upon closer inspection, turned out to be the voice of Pope Bibi Dong; she had been there all along.

Yan sighed, "I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing, but after this, ninety percent of the evil soul masters in Tiandou City have been eliminated, and a lot of the hidden forces of the royal family, nobles and Haotian Sect have been wiped out. It can be considered a considerable gain. Let's go back and finish up the arrangements."

After Yan finished his conversation with Bibi Dong, he turned around and arranged for some Spirit Hall experts to collect the corpses. Then, he continued to escort the Evil Bear Soul Saint on his way. This time, however, no one dared to cause trouble, and everything went smoothly.

……

Late at night, in the dungeon of the Spirit Hall. The Evil Bear Soul Saint, who had been paraded through the streets during the day, was imprisoned in the deepest part of the dungeon, his body bound in chains, not a single patch of flesh unscathed. Just as he was secretly gathering his soul power to recover his last bit of strength, two figures appeared before him.

"Your humble servant greets the Pope and His Son."

When the Evil Bear Soul Saint saw the two of them, a hint of excitement flashed in his eyes. Although he was extremely tired, he still managed to utter the sentence completely.

The people who entered the cell were none other than Bibi Dong, the Pope of the Spirit Hall, and Holy Son Yan. The Evil Bear Soul Saint, who had been paraded through the streets by the Spirit Hall for three days, actually greeted them respectfully. If the Pharmacist were to spread this news, it would likely cause a huge uproar.

"Venerable Xiong, you have worked hard. Yan thanks you for your loyalty and dedication to the Spirit Hall."

Yan took a few steps to the Evil Bear Soul Saint, bowed, and then said, "However, the plan is not yet complete, so I will have to trouble you for a while longer."

Although the Evil Bear Soul Saint's voice was extremely tired, it remained firm. "Holy Son, rest assured, since Old Bear is willing to take on this mission, he has already made his decision. My life was given to me by the Spirit Hall, so naturally I will contribute everything to the Spirit Hall."

Yan nodded, a gloomy look on his face. "It's a pity that the Sky Hunting Plan failed this time. Tang Hao is too slippery."

Our informant reported that Tang Yuehua, the master of Yuexuan, acted strangely today, as if she had seen someone. Tang Hao is likely in the city today. However, he preferred to watch the Grand Elder of the Haotian Sect be trapped in a deadly situation rather than show himself to help. We missed our best opportunity.”

Yan sighed and said, his heart filled with even more conflict. If he had known that he had exposed Tang Hao's presence in Holy Soul Village earlier, he might have been able to ambush and kill him back then.

However, he also knew that this was just wishful thinking. Back when Tang Hao was still in Holy Soul Village, his prestige in the Spirit Hall was not enough to command enough strong people to assassinate Tang Hao.

Tang Hao's combat power is astonishing. To kill him, at least one of Bibi Dong, Qian Daoliu, and Golden Crocodile Douluo would have to take action, and a sufficient number of Title Douluos would be needed to block his retreat. Even then, it wouldn't be guaranteed to be safe.

The best opportunity to deal with such a powerful opponent is the first encirclement and killing, so he set up this scheme. This period of time in the Elite Tournament qualifiers is roughly the same as when Ah Yin sacrificed herself back then.

According to the original work, Yan knew that Tang Hao had been mostly in the vicinity of Tiandou City during this period. Therefore, he arranged for the Evil Bear Soul Saint to infiltrate a group of evil soul masters who worked for the nobles. Then, he arranged for his undercover agents to carry out the order for someone to assassinate him. This was the first assassination attempt.

In this assassination attempt, apart from Evil Bear Soul Saint being one of our own, the others were all true evil soul masters or assassins. Even Evil Bear Soul Saint, one of our own, showed no mercy when he attacked.

The first time, Gui Mei, Yue Guan, Bibi Dong and others also arrived, but they would never have made a move if Qian Renxue and Yan Zhen hadn't been on the verge of death.

The plan went smoothly. Yan received Dugu Bo's support, which also revealed to many people that he did not have any more Title Douluos protecting him for the time being.

The second step of the plan was to use his assassination as an excuse to seal off the city and carry out a large-scale purge of unregistered and evil soul masters in the city. Of course, many real villains and bandits were also discovered and wiped out in one fell swoop. Among them, some noble families were exterminated.

This was naturally a ruthless act, and the Heavenly Dou royal family was furious. However, faced with Yan, who was even more enraged, they could only endure it for now, since Yan had been assassinated.

This approach will force more people out, and coupled with the presence of spies who have been infiltrating various parts of Tiandou City since the time of Qian Xunji, there will be more ambushes and assassinations. Even the recent actions of the Grand Elder of the Haotian Sect have the influence of the Spirit Hall.

The Spirit Hall had been laying the groundwork in Heaven Dou City since Qian Xunji was still alive. They had people working for the Heaven Dou City royal family and various nobles, and most of them were trusted confidants. With so many people cooperating and coordinating, organizing this plan was naturally not difficult.

Of course, the most crucial part of this plan is to lure Tang Hao into the scheme, and the trigger is naturally the assassination attempt by the Grand Elder of the Clear Sky Sect. This is a rather difficult task, because the Clear Sky Sect has had little contact with the outside world since it went into seclusion.

However, Yan knew that Tang Xiao and Tang Hao's sister, Tang Yuehua, had been in Tiandou City and had close ties with certain people. These people and Tang Yuehua were all surrounded by members of the Spirit Hall. As long as they collaborated and influenced each other, they could make Tang Yuehua think about avenging her father, and the news would naturally spread to the Clear Sky Sect.