The Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect (Haotian Sect) was momentarily stunned. His hands trembled violently, unable to hold the slip of paper. His face flushed crimson as a surge of fury erupted from within.
The next moment, he roared in rage:
"That unfilial son! How dare he?! I warned him countless times to control his temper! And yet he still managed to cause such a catastrophic disaster! Bastard! He's going to be the death of me!"
"Cough, cough—!"
The Clear Sky Sect Master broke into a violent coughing fit, struggling to catch his breath.
Suddenly—
"Pffft!"
A mouthful of fresh blood burst from his lips. His body stiffened, and he collapsed backward with a heavy thud, unconscious.
Bang!
His body struck the ground hard. The slip of paper slipped from his hand and slowly drifted down, stained with smears of blood.
Bang—!
Outside the room, Tang Xiao—who had just recently broken through to the rank of Titled Douluo with the title Skyhowl—heard the crash and rushed in.
"Father!"
He called out, dashing forward to lift his father and carefully place him on the bed.
He shouted toward the door:
"Someone! Quickly summon the healing-type soul masters from the clan! And call the elders too!"
Just then, his eyes fell upon the bloodstained note on the ground.
He bent down, picked it up, and gently wiped off the blood.
As he unfolded and read its contents, his pupils constricted sharply. His expression turned ashen with horror.
"This is bad... This is really, really bad!"
Not long after, the Seven Great Elders of the Clear Sky Sect arrived in a flurry, alarmed by the news of the Sect Master's collapse.
Healing-type soul masters followed close behind.
Even after performing several healing soul techniques, the lead healer could only shake his head in defeat—there was no saving him. The old Sect Master had passed.
At this, grief overwhelmed the room. The elders' hearts sank with sorrow, while Tang Xiao knelt and wailed in anguish.
Once the mourning ebbed slightly, the most hot-tempered among them—Seventh Elder Tang Lie—broke the silence.
"What happened here?"
Reluctantly, Tang Xiao handed over the bloodstained note, hesitant and pained—he knew all too well the implications of what was written.
The elders took turns reading the message. One after another, their blood pressure surged and curses flew:
Some furiously condemned the Spirit Hall (武魂殿), calling it despicable, shameless, and full of deceit. They cursed it for framing their sect, for pushing too far, and vowed they would never cower—even if it meant mutual destruction.
Others turned their wrath toward Tang Hao:
"Outrageous! He defied his elders, disregarded his teachers, brought calamity upon us for personal satisfaction, and even caused the death of his own father! Unforgivable! He must be held accountable!"
Apart from the First Elder, who remained calm and collected, the rest—burly, battle-hardened men—unleashed an onslaught of coarse, angry outbursts.
The hall fell into chaotic uproar.
Yet, despite the rage, not one elder said they should hand Tang Hao over to Spirit Hall.
After all, extreme loyalty to their own was an old tradition in the Clear Sky Sect.
"You can hit our people? No. Only we can hit our own people."
That had always been their unspoken rule.
Tang Xiao, hearing the elders' curses toward his brother, wore an expression both dark and conflicted.
"Elders!"
He raised his voice to halt the shouting and refocus the room's attention.
"Regarding this matter, I believe we must look at it more carefully."
"I know Hao well. He would never go so far as to murder the Supreme Pontiff and elders of the Spirit Hall. This is undoubtedly a scheme by the Spirit Hall to destroy the Clear Sky Sect."
"Besides, even if Hao made a mistake, he's one of our own. It's not the Spirit Hall's place to punish him. If we hand him over, the sect's authority will be shattered. How would we ever stand in the soul master world again?"
"Now is not the time to assign blame. We must focus on one thing—how to defend against the Spirit Hall's assault."
Surrendering Hao was simply out of the question. Not now, not ever.
That's why Tang Xiao's first instinct wasn't to pacify the Spirit Hall, but to mobilize the sect into battle—to ensure his brother's safety.
He deliberately cut off the path to negotiation, steering the elders toward the inevitability of war.
"Hmph! What's there to discuss? If Spirit Hall dares to attack, we'll fight them head-on!"
Seventh Elder Tang Lie—ever brash and defiant—spoke first, his attitude as aggressive as ever.
The Second Elder, though slightly more composed (and closely allied with the Seventh), nodded in agreement:
"I stand with Seventh Brother. Spirit Hall is bullying us to our face—if we don't strike back, the so-called Number One Sect under Heaven will become a laughingstock! Fight! We must fight! The Clear Sky Sect will never bow!"
The others, emboldened by the battle cries, echoed the sentiment: they would make Spirit Hall pay dearly.
Finally, the First Elder stepped forward, his expression solemn.
He tapped the metal hammer-head of his cane on the floor with a series of clang—clang—clang sounds, silencing the others.
"Brothers, calm yourselves."
As the highest-ranking elder, his voice held authority. The hall quieted.
He let out a long sigh and spoke:
"Let us set aside Tang Hao's case for now. As for Spirit Hall, war is inevitable."
"Issue an internal summons. Call back all our disciples outside the sect to reinforce our defenses. Increase patrols around the compound."
"Understood, First Elder!"
All six elders and Tang Xiao responded in unison.
The First Elder continued:
"One more matter. With the Sect Master's passing, and danger closing in on us, we must urgently choose a new leader—someone powerful enough to guide the sect through this crisis."
"According to sect tradition, the selection will follow our established rules. Given the urgency, the selection will take place tomorrow. Anyone wishing to participate should prepare themselves."
At these words, the elders looked delighted—like they'd just won the lottery.
Naturally, many of them had their sights on the Sect Master's seat—especially the Second and Seventh Elders.
Tang Xiao, however, did not look pleased.
That seat had been meant for his younger brother, Tang Hao. But now, the First Elder was calling for a full selection process, and hadn't mentioned Hao at all.
Though seething inside, Tang Xiao said nothing.
Deep down, he knew—
With Tang Hao's current predicament, he likely no longer qualified to inherit the position.
The sect was now in crisis, and it did need a strong leader to navigate through it.
After discussing all necessary arrangements, the elders gradually took their leave.
Only Tang Xiao and the First Elder remained.
The elder walked over and, noticing Tang Xiao's gloomy face, sighed.
"Tang Xiao, I know you're upset. But this... this couldn't be helped. And I believe you understand that."
"Among the younger generation, you are actually the one I hold in highest regard—more than even your brother, Tang Hao."
"Aside from your inability to master the Clear Sky Clan's ultimate technique, the Grand Sumeru Hammer, your talent, your cultivation—you're every bit his equal."
"In fact, there's one thing you possess that he lacks: composure. You're calm and patient. If Tang Hao had even half your restraint, he wouldn't have brought such disaster upon us."
"That's why... I believe you are the better choice."
Tang Xiao looked up at the First Elder, eyes wide in disbelief. His voice trembled:
"First Elder... you..."
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