Aftermath of the Battle
On the surface, it seemed as though nothing had changed. Bibi Dong was still the Pope of the Spirit Hall, but in reality, everything had shifted. Bibi Dong's decrees could no longer leave the Pope's Hall.
Having lost the support of many of her loyalists, Bibi Dong was easily sidelined. Even though she remained the Pope, few were willing to listen to her now.
The Spirit Hall's official stance on the recent sieges against the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan was one of vehement condemnation of the "bandits" responsible. However, no further explanations were provided.
The Spirit Hall would never admit to orchestrating these attacks. After all, as the sacred land for soul masters, their reputation was at stake. If the operations had succeeded, it might have been a different story. But after suffering heavy losses and allowing Chen Yuan to rise to fame in a single battle, admitting responsibility was out of the question.
The various factions within the soul master world knew the truth. Only the Spirit Hall had the power to mobilize such a large number of soul masters to simultaneously attack the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. However, no one dared to speak openly about it, fearing the Spirit Hall's retaliation. If confronted, would they admit to the accusations or not?
The Spirit Hall, despite losing five Titled Douluos and a large number of lower-level soul masters, remained the dominant force in the soul master world.
But there were always those who dared to defy the odds...
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At the Thunderbolt Gorge, the former stronghold of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, the land was now scorched and littered with corpses. Rivers of blood flowed as the entire clan, all 1,700 disciples, had been wiped out. Despite holding a favorable battlefield, they could not escape their fate.
Yu Xiaogang wept bitterly. In a single night, his home was gone. His father, his brothers—all were dead. His father's body was mutilated, with all his spirit bones stripped away.
Deep down, Yu Xiaogang understood. Although he had never wanted to return to this family, his status as a twenty-ninth-rank trash Great Soul Master had allowed him to thrive on the continent largely because of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's backing. No matter where he went, people would show him some respect.
Now, even if he returned to Nuoding Academy, the academy's headmaster might not welcome him. It was cruel, but it was reality.
Yu Xiaogang roared in anguish:
"Bibi Dong, I will never forgive you! I will dedicate my life's knowledge to destroying your Spirit Hall!"
What Yu Xiaogang didn't know was that Bibi Dong had already been sidelined. If anyone from the Spirit Hall's higher-ups, other than Bibi Dong, had heard his words, they would have undoubtedly sent someone to eliminate him.
In fact, the Spirit Hall should have eliminated him long ago for compiling the Spirit Hall's vast collection of data into his so-called "Ten Core Competitiveness Theories of Martial Souls" and claiming it as his own research. But Bibi Dong, out of lingering affection, couldn't bring herself to do it. She even made him a Spirit Hall elder, giving him a layer of protection. With his Spirit Hall status, using the Spirit Hall's data was somewhat justifiable, and he eventually earned the title of "Grandmaster."
Otherwise, how could a twenty-ninth-rank trash Great Soul Master like him have access to so much data? It was all the result of centuries of records kept by the Spirit Hall.
When Bibi Dong had questioned Qian Renxue about her inability to control the Spirit Hall's full power, it was because of actions like these that Qian Daoliu dared not fully entrust her with authority.
To Qian Daoliu, Bibi Dong had killed his son and now sought to seize his entire legacy. The only reason he hadn't killed her was that he was waiting for his granddaughter to grow up so he could pass the legacy to her.
If Bibi Dong had truly gained control, she might have brought Yu Xiaogang, her former lover, into the Spirit Hall and handed everything over to him. The Qian family would have become a laughingstock, their millennia of accumulation benefiting the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
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Meanwhile, at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan!
After several days, the fires in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan had been extinguished, and all losses had been tallied.
Half of the clan's buildings had been reduced to ashes. The flames, fueled by the soul masters' attacks, burned fiercely and quickly, turning much of the clan's structures into barren land.
The financial losses were incalculable, but for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, one of the wealthiest factions on the continent, this was merely a drop in the bucket.
On the other hand, the casualties among the clan's 5,000 disciples were severe, especially among the outer sect disciples. On the night of the Soul Hunting Operation, a large number of traitors among the outer sect disciples had turned on their comrades, opening the gates and clearing the way for the enemy. As a result, the outer sect disciples suffered devastating losses.
Fortunately, after Chen Yuan took action and killed Chrysanthemum Douluo, Ghost Douluo, Demon Bear Douluo, and Ghost Leopard Douluo, Chen Xin and Gu Rong were freed to join the battle, inflicting heavy casualties on the Spirit Hall's forces and hastening their defeat.
Compared to the original timeline, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's losses, while still severe, were not as catastrophic as they could have been.
---
In the main hall of the central peak, Ning Fengzhi reviewed the damage reports, his face grim and his eyes bloodshot. After a long sigh, he finally spoke:
"Decades of effort, wiped out in a single night. I took Qinghe as my disciple, inserted myself into the politics of the Heaven Dou Empire, greatly boosted the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's reputation, and spent vast sums to expand the outer sect to 3,000 disciples."
"But out of those 3,000 outer sect disciples, hundreds turned traitor, resulting in nearly 2,000 casualties. Thankfully, most of the inner sect disciples survived. Compared to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, which was completely annihilated, we are still in a better position."
Gu Rong, known for his fiery temper, spoke with murderous intent:
"Should we expose the identities of Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo? Then rally the factions friendly to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and march on the Spirit Hall to demand justice."
Chen Xin, equally furious, added firmly:
"The Spirit Hall suffered heavy losses this time. They might not let this go. Why don't we strike first?"
Ning Fengzhi pondered for a long time before shaking his head:
"No, that's not advisable. The ones who died were mostly outer sect disciples. I don't want to risk the inner sect disciples as well. The Spirit Hall's soul master forces outnumber ours by more than tenfold. If we fight to the end, whether we win or lose, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan will suffer greatly."
"But we cannot let this go unavenged, especially against the mastermind behind this, Bibi Dong. She must pay the price."
"Preferably, we should encourage others to take the lead in opposing the Spirit Hall. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan will contribute some forces, but we must not risk the entire clan."
At that moment, an envoy from the Heaven Dou Empire arrived. Their purpose was twofold: to offer condolences to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and to invite Ning Fengzhi to the Heaven Dou capital to see if the world's greatest support-type soul master could find a way to cure Xue Ye's deadly poison.
Ning Fengzhi agreed. To oppose the Spirit Hall, the Heaven Dou Empire would need to take the lead. With its millions of soldiers, there was a chance to suppress the Spirit Hall.
At the same time, Chen Yuan was also intrigued. He had some matters to discuss with the Heaven Dou royal family.
(End of Chapter)
Word Count : 1,353
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