Chapter 232: Aftermath of the Battle

As the battle involving Heavenly Academy concluded, news of Yang Podi's strength spread across the entire continent.

Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo, and Ning Rongrong sat together in silence, seemingly lost in thought.

After a long while, Ning Fengzhi finally spoke, "Sword Uncle, what do you think Yang Podi's strength has reached? Does he truly have the power to go toe-to-toe with Spirit Hall's Grand Worship, Qian Daoliu?"

Sword Douluo shook his head. "The gap between level 98 and level 99 is immense. My father was also level 98, but when he fought against Qian Daoliu, Qian Daoliu countered all nine of his killing techniques. In the end, my father was defeated and died."

"The Angel Spirit is an exceptionally rare god-tier martial soul on the Douluo Continent. In terms of quality, it even surpasses the Clear Sky Hammer. Yang Podi's martial soul is still somewhat inferior. It would be very difficult for him to defeat Qian Daoliu. However, given his age, it's only a matter of time before he surpasses Qian Daoliu."

Hearing this, Ning Fengzhi fell into deep thought. On the entire Douluo Continent, the only one whose strength was close to Qian Daoliu's was clearly Yang Podi. However, Yang Podi seemed impervious to influence. Besides matters involving his own clan, he stayed clear of conflict. If not for the extreme provocation from the Clear Sky Clan this time, Yang Podi likely wouldn't have revealed his full strength.

But Ning Fengzhi suddenly thought of something and turned to Ning Rongrong. "Rongrong, you've been spending time with Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan recently. What level have the other members of Yang Podi's former Heaven Dou Second Team reached now?"

Ning Rongrong shook her head. "I don't know their exact levels, but their strength is incredibly formidable. There was one time when they were having a spirit fight. Even though they didn't display their spirit rings, I gave them auxiliary support, and they drained all my spirit power in an instant."

Ning Fengzhi became more serious. "It's been only five years since the Spirit Master Tournament, and Yang Podi has risen from level 67 to level 98. The others must have also made significant progress. It's possible the strength we've seen from Heavenly Academy is just the tip of the iceberg."

"Rongrong, what do you think of Heavenly Academy?"

Ning Rongrong thought for a moment before replying, "Father, I don't know why, but I feel that training at Heavenly Academy is much faster than anywhere else. And being with Lingling and the others makes me very happy."

Ning Fengzhi couldn't help but speak again. "Rongrong, we'll be leaving soon. If you wish to stay at heavenly Academy, you can stay here."

Hearing this, Sword Douluo was a little surprised. However, seeing that Rongrong was quite happy, he said nothing.

Ning Fengzhi continued, "Sword Uncle, who was it that saved Tang Xiao and Tang Hao in the end? There shouldn't be such a high-level expert in the world."

Sword Douluo shook his head. "Yang Podi's final attack could have killed both Tang Hao and Tang Xiao, even breaking Tang Hao's Great Sumeru Hammer. To block such an attack, someone at least at level 99 would be needed. The person who appeared in the end must have had the strength of a level 99 expert."

Ning Fengzhi was puzzled. "Logically, the only one who would save Tang Hao and Tang Xiao should be Tang Chen. But with Tang Chen's strength and status, he wouldn't need to act in secrecy. Moreover, this battle involved the reputation of the Clear Sky Clan. If it were Tang Chen, he would've revealed himself, wouldn't he?"

"Tang Chen's martial soul is also the Clear Sky Hammer. Why would a black dragon claw appear instead?"

"It seems there are still unknown experts in this world. The Clear Sky Clan's foundations might be deeper than we imagined."

After Ning Rongrong left, Sword Douluo seemed a bit hesitant. "Fengzhi, Rongrong is, after all, the heir to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Staying at Heavenly Academy doesn't seem appropriate, does it?"

Ning Fengzhi shook his head. "Among this generation of young people, only Tang San and the group from Heavenly Academy truly stand out. Instead of sending Rongrong to Heaven Dou Imperial Academy or burdening her with clan affairs, it's better to let her cultivate here in peace. This also gives her a backup plan and keeps her away from unwanted trouble."

Meanwhile, Xue Qinghe spoke to Ghost Douluo. "Ghost Douluo, return to Spirit Hall immediately and inform my grandfather and that woman about today's battle. Have them prepare in advance."

"In addition, who was the person that rescued Tang Xiao and Tang Hao at the end? Could it have been Tang Chen?"

Ghost Douluo shook his head. "The strength of the person at the end was beyond our imagination, likely on par with the Grand Worship."

Xue Qinghe thought for a long time before speaking again. "Return to Spirit Hall first. Also, keep a close watch on Tang Hao and Tang Xiao. Both are severely injured, and this might be a rare opportunity."

Hearing this, Ghost Douluo quietly left the room, clearly eager to inform Bibi Dong and Qian Daoliu. After all, Yang Podi had now become one of the greatest obstacles to Spirit Hall's ambition to unify the continent.

Near Heaven Dou City, a black shadow streaked past—it was Di Tian, carrying Tang San and the others.

As an Ultimate Douluo, Di Tian was incredibly fast, covering three to four thousand kilometers in just half a day.

Di Tian set Tang San and his group down. At this point, Tang Hao was still unconscious, while Tang Xiao, though gravely injured, could barely remain conscious.

Tang San quickly supported Tang Hao. Seeing his father's severed arm and pained expression, his eyes burned with fury.

Tang Xiao, enduring his injuries, bowed to Di Tian. "Thank you, senior, for saving us. May I ask for your esteemed name so we can repay you in the future?"

Di Tian ignored Tang Xiao and instead spoke to Tang San, "You're Tang San? I am Di Tian. I was merely acting on a friend's request to save you. You're now near the Clear Sky Clan's grounds, where there are three Title Douluos who can ensure your safety."

Tang San, seeing Di Tian looking at him, quickly bowed. "Thank you, senior, for saving us. May I ask who this friend is?"

Di Tian shook his head. "You'll meet this friend in due time. Also, you'd better be careful in the future. Avoid provoking those you shouldn't."

Tang San seemed puzzled. "Senior Di Tian, with your strength, you should be stronger than Yang Podi. Why didn't you just finish him off earlier?"

Di Tian snorted coldly. "What do you know? Yang Podi wasn't even using his full strength earlier. If he had gone all out, he would only be slightly weaker than me. And if I truly fought him, none of you would have survived."

"Remember this, Tang San: only the strength you cultivate yourself is truly yours. Before you possess sufficient strength, avoid provoking those you shouldn't. Next time, you might not be so lucky."

With that, Di Tian left, heading back to the Star Dou Forest.

Tang San carried Tang Hao, while Taitan carried Tang Xiao. The group quickly returned to the Clear Sky Clan.

When the five of them arrived at the clan, the three elders were stunned upon seeing Tang Hao and Tang Xiao's grievous injuries. With their strength, few in the world should have been able to harm them to this extent.

Tang Xiao merely shook his head slightly. "We went to Heavenly Academy and had a conflict with them. After a fierce battle, Hao and I were defeated and severely injured. If not for someone's help, we would've died."

The second elder seemed puzzled. "Sect Master, although Yang Wudi and his people are strong, they've only just entered the ranks of Titled Douluo. Their spirit power level shouldn't be that high, so how could they injure you and Tang Hao so badly? And weren't you with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and Prince Xue Qinghe? Where are they?"

Tang Xiao sighed. "This time, we clashed with Heavenly Academy, and Yang Podi has already reached rank 98. Even with Hao and me working together, we were no match for him.

"As for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, they didn't participate in the battle. I suppose they didn't want to completely offend Heavenly Academy."

Tang Xiao then recounted the details of the battle, especially Yang Podi's combat prowess and spirit rings. However, he deliberately omitted the causes of the conflict and the matter of Yang Wudi gifting the Earth Origin Fruit. He merely claimed that the conflict arose because Heavenly Academy refused to rejoin the Clear Sky Sect. This explanation was to prevent members of the Clear Sky Sect from harboring resentment toward Tang San and Tang Hao.

Tang Lie, standing to the side, couldn't help but become furious upon hearing this. "What exactly are the Breaking Clan and the Defense Clan trying to do? Just because they don't want to rejoin the Clear Sky Sect, they injured the Sect Master and Tang Hao so severely? How ungrateful can they be? And what about the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Heaven Dou Imperial Family? Weren't we supposed to be allies? Why did they act this way at such a crucial moment?"

Hearing these words, Tang Xiao and the others fell silent. After all, they couldn't reveal that the entire incident was sparked by Tang San infiltrating Heavenly Academy.

However, the second elder's expression grew serious. "Sect Master, I fear that the Clear Sky Sect's days ahead won't be easy. We've already provoked the Spirit Hall, and now we've made such a formidable enemy. Based on what you said, Yang Podi is only twenty-five years old and has already reached rank 98. It's only a matter of time before he breaks through to rank 99. When that happens, he might come looking for the Clear Sky Sect."

"Sect Master, while Yang Wudi and Niu Gao are a bit headstrong, they're still reasonable individuals. The Breaking Clan and the Defense Clan have benefited from our protection for years, so they owe us a debt of gratitude. Even if the Clear Sky Sect acted improperly back then, it shouldn't have come to this point of enmity. Is there no way to reconcile with them? Even if we can't mend the relationship entirely, perhaps we could at least maintain a peaceful coexistence."

Tang Xiao fell silent once more. This conflict had been entirely instigated by the Clear Sky Sect, so trying to negotiate peace now wouldn't be easy. With Yang Podi's strength, he would likely surpass his grandfather, Tang Chen, in the future. If Yang Podi ever sought revenge, it could spell disaster for the Clear Sky Sect.

Eventually, Tang Xiao spoke, "Let's not worry about that for now. We're currently allied with the Heaven Dou Empire and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, so Heavenly Academy shouldn't target us in the short term. For now, our priority is to heal Hao's injuries. With one arm lost, Hao's future strength will likely be severely affected."

"Besides, the Spirit Hall remains the strongest force in the spirit master world. They will undoubtedly see Yang Podi and Heavenly Academy as a threat. Let's observe how these two forces act next."

Hearing this, the second elder nodded silently. For now, the most important thing was the Sect Master and Tang Hao's injuries. They were the strongest individuals in the Clear Sky Sect and its true foundation. Other matters could be dealt with later. If worse came to worst, they could retreat into seclusion once more. Surely, the Breaking Clan and the Defense Clan wouldn't go to such extremes, as doing so would bring condemnation from the entire spirit master community.

Meanwhile, Tang San silently tended to his father, Tang Hao, while recalling Di Tian's words. Never before had Tang San desired strength so desperately, the strength to avenge the humiliation they had suffered.

As for the cause of all this, Tang San never once believed he had done anything wrong. After all, such actions were common in both his previous and current life.