Chapter 162 – Damn You, Heavens, I Hate You

If Bone Douluo hadn't already tested the strength of the Demon-Suppressing Douluo, then why would the entire Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan proactively show him kindness?

The more Yu Yuanzhen thought about it, the more alarmed he became. Though he considered himself likely to win in a fight against Bone Douluo, when it came to Sword Douluo, his chances were only about 60–40. Even if he had a slight advantage, it would be a tough battle. But if both Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo joined forces against him, Yu Yuanzhen estimated that he wouldn't even have a 30% chance of winning.

What truly shocked him was that when Bone Douluo had warned him, Sword Douluo had shown just as much apprehension toward Zhao Ling as Bone Douluo did. That alone was enough to suggest that even both of them together might not be able to defeat the Demon-Suppressing Douluo.

Hiss... Yu Yuanzhen took a sharp breath, feeling secretly relieved that he hadn't acted impulsively and gone to seek revenge on Zhao Ling.

If he had, he might not have even known how he died. If he wanted revenge, it absolutely couldn't be driven by hot-headedness.

But Yu Yuanzhen still felt deeply aggrieved. Knowing exactly who turned his eldest son into a fool, and who trampled on the pride and honor of the entire Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, yet being unable to take revenge—it made him want to lose his mind.

His right hand gripped the armrest of the chair tightly, snapping the wooden frame in the process. The three elders beside him were also clenching their fists and jaw, veins bulging on their hands and faces.

It was clear that anger and unwillingness were boiling within them. The current Clear Sky Sect master let out a heavy sigh.

"Patriarch Yu, please calm down. No matter how powerful Zhao Ling is, he's still just one man. Surely he can't take on all three of our sects. The grudge against your two sons must be avenged—but we must not act rashly. We should bide our time, gather our strength, and wait for the right opportunity to strike him down with overwhelming force."

Yu Yuanzhen was unwilling. At this moment, he wished he could immediately see Zhao Ling die. He felt that every additional day, hour, or minute Zhao Ling lived was a stain on the dignity of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

But so what if he was unwilling? Zhao Ling's strength was unfathomable, and now that Clear Sky Sect knew this, they absolutely wouldn't take the risk.

If it were a guaranteed one-for-one trade to kill Zhao Ling, perhaps the three sects might take that gamble. But from the current assumptions, it might not even be possible to trade two or three Titled Douluo just to take him down.

Even if they succeeded, the loss would be too great. While the upper three sects together had six or seven Titled Douluo currently, don't forget—Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo had already shown that they wouldn't participate in any effort to kill Zhao Ling.

If Zhao Ling could take down two or three more from the remaining forces, the overall number of Titled Douluo among the upper three sects would be halved. At that point, they would be at a huge disadvantage compared to Spirit Hall.

And given Spirit Hall's aggressive ambitions, they wouldn't hesitate to strike once they saw an opportunity. Just thinking about that, the Clear Sky Sect master would never be crazy enough to go all in right now.

Sigh... Yu Yuanzhen sighed silently in his heart. A gentleman's revenge can wait ten or even twenty years.

No matter how powerful Zhao Ling was, he was still just one man. But the combined forces of the three great sects totaled more than ten thousand people.

If some geniuses rose among them and were given time, the upper three sects would eventually produce more powerful Titled Douluo.

When the quality and quantity of their Titled Douluo reached an overwhelming advantage, they could then launch a full-out hunt and eliminate the Demon-Suppressing Douluo without leaving a trace.

He kept comforting himself with that thought. In modern Blue Star terms, he was basically embracing the "Ah Q spirit"—delusional self-consolation.

The "Ah Q Spirit" (阿Q精神 - Ā Q Jīngshén) is a term that originates from Lu Xun's famous novella, The True Story of Ah Q (阿Q正传 - Ā Q Zhèngzhuàn). It refers to a self-deceptive and self-consoling attitude

Just then, a servant came into the hall with freshly brewed tea and served everyone in turn.

But at that moment, no matter how they sipped the tea, Yu Yuanzhen and the three elders couldn't taste anything but bitterness. Even the once-comfortable grand chairs now felt like sitting on pins and needles.

After about half an hour, Yu Yuanzhen suddenly stood up and forced a smile at the Clear Sky Sect master.

"Old friend, it's getting late. I must return to my clan. Next time, come to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan for tea."

The Clear Sky Sect master had wanted to keep his old friend for a meal, but seeing that Yu Yuanzhen couldn't even enjoy a cup of tea, he simply nodded.

"Then let me walk you out..."

He stood and personally escorted Yu Yuanzhen and the three elders to the gate.

Outside the main hall, Tang Xiao and Tang Hao had been waiting. Seeing that Yu Yuanzhen's group was already leaving so soon, they were a bit dumbfounded.

Still, out of respect for their alliance, Tang Xiao and Tang Hao both clasped their fists and greeted him.

"Greetings, Uncle Yu."

Yu Yuanzhen looked at the two brothers with a kindly smile and nodded. "You two are becoming more heroic by the day. Old friend, your sons are far more promising than you were back in the day."

The Clear Sky Sect master didn't say anything, but the pride on his face said it all.

Yu Yuanzhen felt like the bitterness in his heart was about to overflow. Look at other people's sons—vigorous and outstanding. Then think about his own—an idiot for an eldest son and a disappointing second.

He just wanted to point at the sky and curse, "Damn you, Heavens! Why are you so unfair to me? Why do you bless others with such excellent sons?"

And when it came to him? He got a useless second son, and even his once-pride-worthy eldest son had been turned into a fool.

Damn you, Heavens, I hate you!!!

With grief and resentment filling his heart, Yu Yuanzhen finally left Clear Sky Sect. His dejected figure gave off an indescribably sorrowful air.

Watching him leave, Tang Xiao turned to his father, the current sect master of Clear Sky Sect, and asked:

"Father, why did Uncle Yu visit us today? He didn't even stay for dinner—came and went in such a rush. It's so strange."

Tang Hao pondered for a moment, then looked at his father.

"Father, was Uncle Yu here because of the Demon Suppressing Douluo?"

The Clear Sky Sect master nodded without hesitation.

"That Zhao Ling—this Demon Suppressing Douluo—his strength is likely far beyond our previous estimations. For now, we'd best avoid provoking him."

"What? Far beyond our estimations? Could his strength already be at level 96 or 97—or even higher?"

Tang Hao and Tang Xiao exchanged stunned looks. According to rumors, this Demon Suppressing Douluo was likely not even forty years old.

To already be level 96 or 97 before forty?

That would mean he reached the rank of Titled Douluo even earlier. What kind of monstrous talent was this?

Absolutely terrifying.