The Flaws of the Spirit Hall

As Thirteen revealed the Void Devouring Flame, Zhou Wu's expression drastically changed.

He hadn't expected that even after learning of his identity and preparations, Ye Tian would still dare to attack him.

Nor did he expect the terrifying configuration of the spirit rings on the person in front of him, named Thirteen.

Six spirit rings, with only one being purple, the remaining four all being black, representing over ten thousand years, and the last one was even a striking red!

Even a titled Douluo couldn't achieve such a terrifying setup!

Zhou Wu was filled with fear and doubt—was Ye Tian really just an ordinary person as previously investigated?

He instinctively retreated behind his bodyguard, Hei Ba, his face full of panic, as he threatened:

"I'm a member of the Spirit Hall! How dare you attack me? Consider the consequences!"

Ye Tian showed no kindness, not even glancing at Zhou Wu. "I've already considered the consequences. If someone gets hurt, I'll compensate them with twenty gold spirit coins. That's your set price!"

With that, he waved his hand decisively. "Do it!"

"Yes!" Thirteen, with an expressionless face, stepped forward with his left leg, and in an instant, the deep blue flames in his palm expanded.

"Against small fry like you, I don't even need to go all out."

"Third spirit skill, Fire Breath Arrow Rain!"

As his voice fell, countless small flames burst from the deep blue fire.

These flames absorbed the spirit power emanating from Thirteen, growing more intense until they transformed into ghostly blue arrows.

"Go!"

With a gentle push from Thirteen's hand, the arrows shot forward.

They sped toward Zhou Wu's group.

Seeing this, Hei Ba's scalp tingled. What kind of spirit master was this opponent?

The spirit ring configuration was horrifying!

Though they were both Spirit Emperors, they weren't on the same level!

It left him with no will to resist.

But at this moment, if he didn't resist, the damage would be even worse.

With no choice, Hei Ba gritted his teeth and summoned his violent terror bear spirit.

His muscles began to bulge, and hair sprouted from his arms, shoulders, and face.

"Sixth spirit skill, Bear Shield of Heaven's Might!"

Right from the start, Hei Ba used his strongest spirit skill, hoping to block Thirteen's attack.

Zhou Wu, standing behind Hei Ba, was drenched in cold sweat, silently praying, "Please hold on!"

If Hei Ba couldn't hold out, Zhou Wu would be the one injured.

He secretly regretted not bringing along two stronger bodyguards.

But there was no remedy for regret in this world.

The next moment—

The fiery arrows clashed with the Bear Shield of Heaven's Might.

Crack.

Without the slightest pause, the fiery arrows pierced straight through the shield and struck Hei Ba in the abdomen.

The sound of flames scorching flesh sizzled in the air.

Hei Ba groaned in pain, clutching his stomach as he fell to the ground.

"Heh, so weak. How did you even have the nerve to mess with Young Master Ye Tian?" Thirteen coldly looked down at the fallen Hei Ba, stepping forward and kicking him indifferently.

Thirteen was merely the head of the intelligence department, and his strength was only considered middle-tier under Ye Tian's command.

If the elite members of the Celestial Army's "Polaris" squad had been dispatched, this guy wouldn't even have had time to release his spirit skills before dying.

Immediately after, Thirteen set his sights on Zhou Wu.

Zhou Wu instinctively shrank back, pointing at Thirteen and shouting hysterically:

"What are you doing? My grandfather, Zhou Qiankun, is a Spirit Doulou, and my father, Zhou Doupou, is a Spirit Saint!

And behind me is the Spirit Hall! You'd better think twice about the consequences!"

Thirteen ignored Zhou Wu's threats, his spirit rings lighting up again as he continued to close in:

"Sorry, my orders are to cripple you, and I don't care about anything else."

Seeing Thirteen unmoved, Zhou Wu was utterly terrified.

He wanted to call for the other bodyguards to defend him, but to his dismay, they had already knelt down, begging for mercy.

Zhou Wu panicked, desperately looking to Ye Tian with one last shred of hope:

"The Spirit Hall holds grudges! Aren't you afraid of their revenge?"

"Revenge? Ridiculous," said Hu Liena, her eyes burning with anger, as if she wanted to kill Zhou Wu on the spot. "Do you think everyone in the Spirit Hall is as stupid as you?"

"Having people like you in the Spirit Hall is the greatest disgrace to the organization!"

Ye Tian stared at Zhou Wu, his expression blank, saying nothing in reply.

These petty types disgusted him.

So what if he was a member of the Spirit Hall? He had committed a mistake and needed to be punished.

If the Spirit Hall really wanted to retaliate without reason, Ye Tian wouldn't mind wiping them out.

After all, the Spirit Hall wouldn't last much longer anyway; worst case, he'd just take his sister and hide on an island somewhere.

But before that, he had to settle this score.

"No, no!" Zhou Wu, seeing Thirteen drawing closer, completely broke down and began to cry.

But it didn't stop Thirteen from making his move.

The pitiful sound of spirit rings being shattered echoed in the courtyard as Zhou Wu's martial spirit was completely crippled.

He would never again be able to cultivate as a spirit master in this lifetime.

Ye Tian stepped forward, looking at Zhou Wu with pity. "For the sake of the Spirit Hall, I'll spare your life. Go back and tell your family that I, Ye Tian, am not someone to be trifled with."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Wu had already passed out.

But whether or not Zhou Wu had heard his words no longer mattered.

There were plenty of guards around, and someone would carry the message back to the Zhou family.

Ye Tian dusted off his hands, casting a glance at Hei Ba lying on the ground. "Leave now, or should I escort you?"

"We're leaving, right now!" Hei Ba, gritting his teeth through the pain of his wounds, scrambled to his feet. He didn't want to stay here a moment longer—this youth was terrifying.

He turned to glare at the stunned guards and shouted angrily, "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and carry Young Master Zhou away!"

"Y-yes!" The guards, trembling in fear, immediately picked up Zhou Wu and fled, stumbling as they went.

Watching Zhou Wu's group leave, Hu Liena couldn't help but speak up: "Brother, not all Spirit Hall branches are as bad as this!"

"Oh?" This made Ye Tian smile as he looked at her, realizing that Hu Liena had a deep attachment to the Spirit Hall.

With interest, he asked, "How do you know other branches aren't like this?"

"I…" Hu Liena hesitated, blushing as she argued, "I once had the chance to accompany the Pope on inspections of other branches! We visited many places randomly, and their reputations were all good!"

Ye Tian chuckled and tapped her forehead gently. "What the superiors like, the subordinates will imitate. What you see with your eyes isn't necessarily the truth; it could be what they wanted you to see."

"They… did it on purpose?" Hu Liena was taken aback, the thought had never occurred to her.

Even Bibi Dong, standing nearby, fell into deep thought upon hearing this.

She had always been too preoccupied with her conflicts with the Elder Hall to pay much attention to the management of the Spirit Hall's branches.

Hearing Ye Tian's words now, she realized that the Spirit Hall's poor reputation among commoners was likely tied to the actions of these branches.

Seeing the confusion on Hu Liena and Bibi Dong's faces, Ye Tian clasped his hands behind his back and explained:

"You've both stayed in Spirit City for a long time, where management is strict, so you might not know much about the branches.

In reality, the arrogance of the Spirit Hall branches rivals that of the nobility."

Hu Liena's eyes widened in shock. "You mean the situation in the East Sea City branch isn't just an isolated case?"

"An isolated case?" Ye Tian sneered and patted his sister's shoulder. "Nana, you've seen too little of the world. The Spirit Hall's history is just as long as that of the two great empires.

The Spirit Hall has inherited all the flaws of those empires.

Take East Sea City as an example. Who do you think will be the next head of the branch?"

Hu Liena tentatively answered, "Maybe… Zhou Wu's father, Zhou Doupou?"

"Be more confident, and drop the 'maybe'. The Spirit Hall's original system might have been good, allowing any talented spirit master to join.

But in reality, the power of each branch has been monopolized by single families. How are these families any different from the nobility?"

"In fact, since spirit masters are stronger than nobles, they are even more arrogant."

"Now, do you still think East Sea City is an exception?"

Hu Liena was speechless—she had never imagined that, to common people, the Spirit Hall could be seen as the villain!

"Then, Brother, if you know this, why did you previously lean toward joining the Spirit Hall?" Hu Liena asked nervously, her small hands fidgeting.

(End of Chapter)