Chapter 95: The Spirit Hall and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan
In the imperial city of the Heaven Dou Empire, within the Spirit Temple:
In the grand chambers of the Platinum Bishop Salas…
"What? You're saying that Dai Yao has disappeared?!"
Salas shot to his feet, knocking his teacup to the floor, where it shattered into countless porcelain fragments. His wide, unwavering gaze fixed on Zhu Zhuqing, who looked both exhausted and distressed.
"Yes. When I returned to his usual training spot yesterday, I discovered that he was nowhere to be found. By the next day, he still hadn't returned," Zhu Zhuqing replied, her eyes bloodshot and her voice strained. She had waited for Dai Yao's return all night without a wink of sleep or a single sip of water.
"Very well, then! Someone actually dared to lay hands on someone from the Spirit Hall! They must have the guts of a bear and a leopard!" Salas's voice was measured, but anyone could sense the fury simmering beneath his words.
He paced back and forth, trying to deduce who might be responsible for abducting Dai Yao.
The principal of Oakland Academy was a high-ranking Spirit Saint; anyone capable of seizing Dai Yao without alerting him would have to be a Spirit Douluo or even a Title Douluo.
There were indeed a few Spirit Douluo within the Heaven Dou imperial city, but only four factions had access to Title Douluo powerhouses: the Heaven Dou royal family, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, and that notorious loner, Dugu Bo.
All four factions were potential suspects.
Dai Yao, once a Xing Luo prince, might have made the Heaven Dou royal family wary enough to act. However, since Dai Yao had already broken ties with the Dai family, the most logical approach for Heaven Dou would be to recruit him, not eliminate him.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan had recently attempted to recruit him as well. Just a few days ago, Salas had kept a close watch on Ning Fengzhi, only for the man to send his daughter, Ning Rongrong, to try to recruit Dai Yao.
While it was true that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan was eager for talent, it wasn't in their style to kidnap someone in the middle of the night.
Salas pondered the matter, and only one name remained: Dugu Bo. But Dai Yao had no apparent feud with Dugu Bo. What motive would Dugu Bo have?
Unable to find a clear answer, Salas grew frustrated.
Up until now, he hadn't received any ransom demands, indicating that Dai Yao's captors weren't after money. This also suggested that Dai Yao might be in grave danger.
Any more delay could mean Dai Yao's life was at stake.
With that thought, Salas's eyes sharpened, and he barked, "Someone, come!"
The hall doors opened, and a figure cloaked in gold entered, kneeling before Salas, awaiting his orders.
"Notify every agent we have embedded within the major families and factions of Heaven Dou imperial city. Search for any trace of Dai Yao! Within three days, I want him found—dead or alive!"
"Whoever dared to touch a member of the Spirit Hall… if Dai Yao is dead, I swear they'll pay with their lives!"
Salas slammed his fist down on the table, creating a deep thud that startled the gold-cloaked figure. Glancing at Zhu Zhuqing and hesitating, he finally raised his head and said, "Bishop, the agents we've placed in the Heaven Dou Empire cost us dearly to position. Mobilizing them all for one person would expose them to considerable risk. Shouldn't we…"
Salas silenced him with a wave of his hand, his tone firm and resolute.
"Enough. You don't understand what Dai Yao represents. Mobilize my agents discreetly, investigate Dai Yao's whereabouts, and ensure their safety."
"Yes, Bishop!"
The gold-cloaked figure assented and slowly withdrew.
Moments later, Salas let out a heavy sigh.
He thought back to the competition and Dai Yao's astonishing thousand-year second spirit ring. Losing such a prodigious talent would be an enormous tragedy. If Dai Yao survived, who knew what marvels he might accomplish?
"You have to stay alive!"
Collecting himself, Salas forced a smile and said to Zhu Zhuqing, "Zhuqing, go eat something. Starving yourself won't help."
Zhu Zhuqing shook her head, her spirit visibly drained, yet her gaze remained sharp. "I must wait until he returns."
Salas could only sigh and think to himself, What a devoted pair.
"In that case, let's head to Oakland Academy ourselves. Perhaps we'll find some clue at the scene."
At the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan:
"What? Dai Yao is missing?" Ning Fengzhi repeated, momentarily stunned as he looked at the messenger.
"What happened?" asked the man standing beside him, a dignified figure with a head of white hair. Despite his simple attire, an aura of sharp intensity radiated from him, and a mere glance at him was enough to cause discomfort.
This man was none other than Sword Douluo Chen Xin, one of the two pillars of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
Seeing Sword Douluo by his side, Ning Fengzhi returned to his usual warm demeanor and explained, "I mentioned that prodigious boy to you previously. After Rongrong tried recruiting him to our clan, he refused. Our agent in Oakland just informed me he's now gone missing."
"The boy with the thousand-year second spirit ring?"
Sword Douluo's white hair, meticulously groomed, shifted slightly in the breeze as he raised a surprised eyebrow.
"Yes, that's him."
Ning Fengzhi nodded.
"This young man possesses talent so rare it's almost unheard of. If he were to join our clan, it would only be a matter of time before he became a Title Douluo. He might even become a Super Douluo—or perhaps even an Ultimate Douluo!"
Excitement crept into his voice as he envisioned a future where Dai Yao became a Title Douluo, elevating the clan's prestige to unprecedented heights.
"After I saw him, I did some investigating into his background. Though there was only limited information, I discovered that he's actually the fourth prince of the Xing Luo Empire!"
"Then, if he's from Xing Luo, doesn't that make him unrecruitable?" Chen Xin asked, puzzled.
"Not at all. Precisely because of the Xing Luo family's brutal succession practices, Dai Yao has already cut ties with his family. Although it's not officially declared, his defection is a fact."
While betrayal is usually frowned upon, any faction would hesitate to recruit someone labeled as a traitor, fearing he might betray them as well.
However, when Chen Xin heard that Dai Yao was from the Dai family, his concerns over betrayal vanished.
"With the Dai family's ruthless competition, his defection is understandable."
Chen Xin nodded, showing sympathy for Dai Yao's plight.
Sibling rivalry to the death, cold and ruthless. Just imagining it was enough to make one shudder.
"Exactly. I've also learned that Dai Yao's life in Xing Luo wasn't easy. If we welcome him into the clan and nurture him sincerely, my findings suggest he would remain loyal to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan."
Supporting himself with his staff, Ning Fengzhi moved toward the temple entrance, gazing at the gilded plaque bearing the clan's name.
"Right now, though, several factions are trying to recruit him, and the Spirit Hall has come quite close. His recent disappearance complicates things, but if we can find him and bring him here, he'd be much more likely to join us."
Chen Xin gave a faint smile. "True. I'd like to meet this young man myself."
"Rongrong told me recently that this Dai Yao bullied her. If he doesn't join our clan, I'll use that as an excuse to kill him. Better he dies than joins the Spirit Hall and becomes a potential threat."
Ning Fengzhi nodded slightly, smiling warmly. "No time to waste—let's go to Oakland Academy at once."
"Agreed."
Chen Xin nodded, summoning an ancient sword beneath his feet. He placed a hand on Ning Fengzhi's shoulder and lifted him.
The two turned into a streak of silver, piercing the sky.
(End of Chapter)