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In the imperial palace of the Heaven Dou Empire, Emperor Xue Ye paced back and forth before coming to a halt. His voice thundered with rage:
"The audacity of Spirit Hall! They act with impunity within my empire's borders, annihilating the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and besieging the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. And now, they dare to play the victim?"
"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan has been completely wiped out. As for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, if not for Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo, along with Clan Master Ning's amplification abilities, they too would have suffered a similar fate."
"How arrogant! How reckless! It is as if they have no regard for the Heaven Dou Empire at all. We must mobilize our forces immediately and eradicate this terrorist organization from the continent!"
His voice echoed through the grand hall. His eyes, bloodshot with fury, locked onto the weary and haggard-looking Ning Fengzhi, who stepped forward and bowed before speaking.
"Your Majesty, if the empire marches to war, our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan will contribute all that we can. However, I urge Your Majesty to remain calm. While Spirit Hall is merely a soul master organization, it is vastly different from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan or our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Their scale is terrifying. The fact that they could simultaneously attack and overwhelm two of the Upper Three Clans speaks volumes about the number of soul masters at their disposal."
"The empire may command a million soldiers, but Spirit Hall's elite soul master forces likely number in the tens of thousands. If we engage them recklessly, we have no guarantee of victory. We must tread carefully—perhaps there is still a way to exploit their weaknesses."
Emperor Xue Ye's brows furrowed deeply. Even Ning Fengzhi, who bore an unshakable grudge against Spirit Hall, was advising caution. Could Spirit Hall truly be that formidable?
A million imperial soldiers—would they not be enough to crush Spirit Hall? His voice grew colder as he declared:
"Mobilize my million-strong army! With the combined strength of the Clear Sky Clan, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, and our empire's top experts, can we not reduce Spirit Hall to rubble?"
At that moment, Ning Fengzhi turned toward the second elder of the Clear Sky Clan, silently imploring him to speak. Understanding his intention, the elder sighed before stepping forward.
"Your Majesty, to be frank, our Clear Sky Clan shut its doors to the world all those years ago precisely because of Spirit Hall's relentless persecution. It is true that we possess many powerful soul masters, but Spirit Hall has even more."
"They have more than a dozen titled Douluo. Even if we manage to hold off the majority of them, each remaining titled Douluo alone is equivalent to an army of ten thousand soldiers. They possess the mobility and flexibility that no conventional army can match, allowing them to strike anywhere at will. They are nearly impossible to defend against."
"Moreover, their vast numbers of soul masters can fight ten men each, making them comparable to an army of several hundred thousand. I implore Your Majesty to reconsider this course of action."
Even the Clear Sky Clan's second elder was inwardly shaken. Spirit Hall's decisiveness this time had been far more ruthless than in decades past. In a single strike, they had eradicated two of the Upper Three Clans—only the Clear Sky Clan remained standing.
But for how much longer? It was only a matter of time before Spirit Hall turned its attention to them. The thought alone filled him with dread.
Emperor Xue Ye looked at both the Clear Sky Clan and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Neither supported his call to arms. His heart grew cold as he muttered grimly:
"Am I to stand by and let them continue their atrocities? Allow them to run rampant across the continent unchecked?"
Ning Fengzhi, whose hatred for Spirit Hall ran deep, did not hesitate to offer another strategy.
"Your Majesty, we must not allow Spirit Hall to act as they please. But the fact that they can amass tens of thousands of soul masters so easily within the empire suggests they have already infiltrated our ranks, likely bribing nobles and city lords. Our immediate priority should be rooting out these traitors."
"Next, we must prepare our forces and strengthen our defenses against further aggression. Lastly, we need to seek a powerful ally. There is only one force on this continent capable of standing alongside the Heaven Dou Empire against Spirit Hall—the Star Luo Empire."
"Spirit Hall's growing audacity must be intolerable to the Star Luo Emperor as well. If our two great empires join forces, Spirit Hall will be caught between us like fish on a chopping block—free to be cut and carved as we see fit."
Emperor Xue Ye furrowed his brows deeply. He knew his old rival, the Star Luo Emperor, was an ambitious and ruthless warlord. Forming an alliance with him was akin to making a deal with a tiger—dangerous and unpredictable. His voice carried a trace of unease as he said:
"Clan Master Ning, your reasoning is sound. However, the Star Luo Emperor is not one to ally so easily. In the past, he harbored great ambitions to seize Heaven Dou Empire's lands. Will he truly join hands with me now? Even if he does, can I ever fully trust him?"
Ning Fengzhi lowered his head. The thought of his Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, now reduced to fewer than 800 members, with fewer than 100 direct disciples possessing the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, made his heart bleed. Revenge was not just necessary—it was imperative. He spoke with grave determination:
"Your Majesty, there are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests. The dominance that Spirit Hall has displayed is something the Star Luo Emperor cannot ignore. I doubt he will tolerate their growing power either."
"An alliance would be mutually beneficial. The Star Luo Emperor may be ambitious, but Heaven Dou Empire has the full support of both the Clear Sky Clan and my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. We need not fear the Star Luo Empire."
Emperor Xue Ye pondered his words and found them reasonable. He turned to Ning Fengzhi with a sigh, his voice filled with emotion:
"Clan Master Ning, your wisdom is unparalleled. With just a few words, you have dispelled my doubts. But… what a pity. A great pity. My Qinghe—he was your most prized disciple and an exceptional heir to Heaven Dou Empire."
Ning Fengzhi's heart ached as well. Decades of painstaking effort had been lost in an instant. He forced a faint smile and said:
"The Crown Prince remains missing. At this point, the chances of survival are slim. Forgive my bluntness, Your Majesty, but you should consider selecting a new heir. The people of Heaven Dou Empire need reassurance that the empire has a future, that the royal bloodline will continue."
Emperor Xue Ye's gaze darkened. After a brief silence, he nodded solemnly.
"You are right, Clan Master Ning. I have already been considering this matter, though I wish to conduct one final test. This vast empire cannot be entrusted to just anyone."
---
From that day on, the Heaven Dou Empire remained outwardly calm, making no dramatic moves in response to the tragedies that had befallen the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. But behind the scenes, they were anything but idle. They purged internal traitors, strengthened their military, and secretly reached out to the Star Luo Empire—all while keeping their intentions hidden.
Meanwhile, Spirit Hall made the loudest noise across the continent. They issued numerous arrest warrants and declared their intent to punish those responsible for the massacre. Yet, the true culprits remained elusive.
After all, how could they capture themselves? Even finding a scapegoat was difficult—randomly accusing another faction of such a massive crime would only insult the intelligence of the world.
---
At that moment, within the mystical Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Wang Li finally emerged from his seclusion. His eyes shone with an unusual brilliance. His training had yielded remarkable gains—he had discovered a way to harmonize his Blue Silver Soul Power with his body and spirit, resonating at a deep level to stimulate his vitality, enhance his mental strength, and even lay the foundation for the formation of a Soul Core.
His path forward was clearer than ever.
(End of Chapter)