Under the full assault of the Sea Spider clan, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family didn't last long before being completely annihilated.
Most of their corpses were devoured by the spiderlings, leaving only scattered bones behind.
Following Fang Chang's instructions, the spiderlings then scattered the remains of other sea soul beasts throughout the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's territory, creating the illusion that they had been attacked by various marine creatures.
After Fang Chang absorbed Yu Yuanzhen's martial soul, he led the spiderlings in one final sweep of the area to ensure no survivors remained before retreating swiftly back to the ocean through the estuary.
The tragedy of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family wasn't discovered until several days later, immediately causing an uproar across the continent.
Tensions between soul beasts and humans had been escalating in recent years, lacking only a spark to ignite them. The fate of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family became that spark, detonating the powder keg of fear that had been hanging over human soul masters.
Calls to suppress soul beasts spread rapidly among soul masters. But if even a powerhouse like the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family could fall to them, what chance did others have?
For the first time, people began to miss the Spirit Hall. Had they still been at full strength, soul beasts wouldn't dare run rampant like this. Even those troublesome evil soul masters causing trouble lately would have been suppressed by the Spirit Hall.
Then came major news from Heaven Dou City—the rarely seen Spider God's Envoy, who had kept a low profile since the great battle two years ago, suddenly reappeared, inviting leaders of various factions to a meeting in five days.
The entire soul master world speculated about his intentions. The Spider God Church had quietly become one of the top forces in the soul master world. Was this their move at such a critical juncture?
Time flew by. Five days later, leaders from numerous factions gathered at the Spider God Church's headquarters in Heaven Dou City.
Among them were major sects like the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, prestigious soul master academies like the Four Elements Academy, and most surprisingly—even the Spirit Hall had sent representatives.
Once assembled, Fang Chang had an elegant female disciple present a jade tray holding the same black page he had once given to Tang Lin'er.
"Esteemed guests, this artifact was fortuitously obtained by one of our experts," Fang Chang announced, directing a stream of pure soul power into the page. Instantly, images of an elderly man appeared.
The footage showed the old man wielding a sword, cutting through hordes of soul beasts with each swing, his blade claiming multiple lives with terrifying efficiency.
The scene shifted to show the man facing a black dragon-like soul beast. Undaunted, his sword emitted nine feet of green radiance as he engaged the creature in battle.
Their clash nearly shattered the surrounding landscape, flattening entire forests before ending in mutual retreat, both severely wounded.
The recording ended abruptly—Fang Chang had carefully edited out the part where the old man passed his techniques to Tang Lin'er.
With his current strength, Fang Chang could forcibly break the old man's restrictions on the page and make alterations, though it required considerable effort.
The footage left the assembled experts dumbfounded. The Sword Douluo pointed at the black page. "Envoy, what is this?"
"Based on my research and historical records consulted over these past two years, this appears to be a powerful soul master from the last great war between humans and soul beasts."
"Historical records indicate periodic conflicts between humans and soul beasts, with full-scale wars erupting at intervals. And now... that time may have come again." Fang Chang's tone carried deliberate gravity.
A sigh came from the crowd. "I've heard such legends too. The last great war was said to have occurred over a thousand years ago. It was devastating—nearly half the soul masters on the continent perished in the Star Dou Great Forest."
The speaker was a seventy-something soul sage, unremarkable among the gathered leaders but commanding respect when he spoke.
As dean of a prestigious academy and a renowned researcher of soul master history, his authority in this field was undisputed.
Examining the black page closely, the old scholar confirmed, "This is indeed a soul tool from that era—a rare information storage device."
His endorsement lent credibility to Fang Chang's claims. If true, they were indeed facing an impending catastrophe.
Traditionally, the Spirit Hall would lead such efforts—only they possessed the necessary strength and organization. But after their recent decline...
"Friends," Fang Chang addressed the assembly, "the need for unity against the soul beast threat is urgent. Hesitation may lead to more tragedies like the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family."
"Human soul masters must stand together."
Silence fell as attendees exchanged uneasy glances before focusing again on Fang Chang.
Smiling faintly, he declared, "If you'll trust us, the Spider God Church is willing to spearhead this alliance to defend our homeland!"
The proposal hung in the air. With matters at this juncture, refusal seemed impossible. Realistically, only the Spider God Church could assume this role now.
Of the former Top Three Sects, the Clear Sky Clan and Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family were gone, while the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan no longer matched the Spider God Church's influence.
As for the Spirit Hall—besides their weakened state, their recent war made them untrustworthy allies. Moreover, they'd shown no intention to participate.
After a prolonged silence, someone finally stood. "The Shattering Tyrant Sect pledges to join the Spider God Church in defending our home!"
Others quickly followed suit, sealing the historic alliance.
Only the Spirit Hall's representative—a mere Soul Emperor with no real authority—remained silent before quietly slipping away to report back.
In the following days, Fang Chang remained in Heaven Dou City, coordinating with faction leaders to analyze the continent's situation and formulate strategies against the soul beasts.
The first phase would deploy forces to two key locations: the Star Dou Great Forest and Ocean City, to counter threats from land and sea respectively.
The Spider God Church would primarily defend Ocean City with support from elite instructors and students from various academies.
Meanwhile, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan would lead the Star Dou Great Forest front, joined by most of Heaven Dou Empire's sects and backed by imperial troops.
Both fronts would operate independently, though able to request mutual support if needed.
Superficially, this arrangement seemed to disadvantage the Spider God Church, as the sea soul beasts had just annihilated a top clan and were considered more dangerous.
But in reality...