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Upon hearing those words, the Sixth Elder was enraged to the extreme. Anyone with a shred of sense could see this was merely an excuse for the Spirit Hall to destroy the Clear Sky Clan. Expelling Titled Douluos and then forcing them to destroy their own sect to earn forgiveness—was there anything more shameless under the heavens?
"All Clear Sky Clan disciples, flee! If even one of you escapes, it's worth it!"
The Sixth Elder knew that the Clear Sky Clan could not survive the day. Empowered by his soul power, he shouted into the air and then, wielding his Clear Sky Hammer, charged toward the Spirit Hall members. He intended to sacrifice himself to buy time for the others to escape.
"Seventh Soul Skill—Martial Soul Avatar!"
"Heaven-Splitting Strike!"
The seventh soul ring beneath the Sixth Elder lit up as his Clear Sky Hammer swelled dramatically in size, growing as large as a small hill. He swung it down toward the four Titled Douluos.
"Impressive courage."
The four Titled Douluos hadn't expected the Sixth Elder to take the initiative. But it was no matter. The moment his seventh soul skill activated, they all sprang into action. Before his hammer even descended, Ghost Douluo had already rushed forward and pierced the Sixth Elder's heart with a single claw.
By now, the Clear Sky Clan was in total chaos. Tang Yuehua, who had spoken so confidently moments ago, was utterly stunned. The disciples gathered in the square were either fleeing or hiding, knowing that with only four Titled Douluos present, the Spirit Hall couldn't thoroughly search every corner.
"Little San, come with your aunt!"
Tang Yuehua looked around at the panicked disciples, biting her lip as a flicker of sorrow flashed through her beautiful eyes. She grabbed Tang San's hand and ran toward a nearby room.
They arrived at a relatively spacious chamber, furnished with a long stone table and a few stone chairs—it had originally served as a Clear Sky Clan meeting room.
Tang Yuehua went to a hidden corner of the room and began feeling around on a section of the wall. Suddenly, she pressed down firmly, and a secret passage opened before them.
"Quick, Little San, go in!"
She urged Tang San forward. There were several secret passages in the Clear Sky Clan, but only the elders and the clan master knew of this one. Tang Yuehua was only aware of it because she was the clan master's younger sister. Tang Xiao was not only a cautious strategist but also fiercely protective of his sister.
Tang San nodded and dashed into the passage. After a short distance, he discovered it was actually a smooth slide-like tunnel just wide enough for someone to stand. The slope was polished to a mirror-like finish, and even using his Purple Demon Eye, he couldn't see the bottom. He couldn't fathom how it had been built, how long it had taken, or how much manpower it required.
"Aunt, come with me!"
Tang San turned and called out to Tang Yuehua, but his expression froze. Tears welled in her eyes, yet she smiled at him with warm affection. That look was exactly the same as when Tang Hao had been crippled by Qian Renhan's sword and Tang Xiao had handed him the escape pouch, urging him to leave the Clear Sky Clan.
"Little San, I'll stay here. The clan is already doomed. It's all over. I'm just a pampered level-nine soul master—if I go with you, I'll only be a burden."
Tang Yuehua smiled as she looked at the teary-eyed Tang San and said, "Live, Little San. Survive. You are the Clear Sky Clan's last hope. If you can't defeat the Spirit Hall in the future, then listen to your aunt—don't obsess over revenge. Don't drag yourself through pain and suffering. Find a small village, marry, have children, and pass down the Clear Sky Hammer. Live a peaceful life."
"Aunt, no—!"
Tang San activated Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track and dashed toward her, intending to bring her with him.
But Tang Yuehua activated the mechanism again, and with a deafening rumble, a massive boulder fell, sealing the passage. Her loving smile was the last image Tang San saw.
"No—!"
The giant stone crashed down, and the passage was completely sealed, plunging into absolute darkness.
Outside the main Clear Sky Clan stronghold, Thornfish Douluo unleashed his Martial Soul Avatar and sprayed poison gas wildly at the mountain. The toxic mist spread much faster here than it had on the original mountaintop. When attacking the Clear Sky Clan earlier, he had held back, fearing the poison might harm Spirit Hall soul masters stationed below. But now, he had no such concern.
Snake Lance Douluo also activated his Martial Soul Avatar, transforming his weapon into a twin-headed serpent that sprayed venom at a section of the fortress. Though his poison wasn't as potent as Thornfish Douluo's, it rivaled that of the Emerald Scale Serpent in lethality.
Meanwhile, Chrysanthemum Douluo used his soul power to detect disciples escaping through hidden passages. Ghost Douluo followed and silently eliminated them one by one. Not a single Clear Sky disciple who fled to the mountainside via the secret tunnels survived Ghost Douluo's deadly claws.
After half an hour of relentless assault, the entire fortress was reduced to a living hell. No one survived, except for Tang San, who had escaped through a secret passage and crawled to the foot of the mountain. When Tang Yuehua decided to let Tang San walk the path alone, she had already resigned herself to the fate of sacrificing everyone in the fortress, including herself.
One day later.
Spirit Hall, Douluo Hall.
A thunderous sound reverberated throughout the entire Douluo Hall.
"Xue, what happened to you? The Heart Demon Root, your nature is corrupted."
Qian Daoliu stared at Qian Renxue in shock, his pupils trembling. For the first time in his 140 years of life, the usually composed elder lost all restraint. The Heart Demon Root meant that Qian Renxue could never recover her former brightness.
"Qian Xin, come here!"
Qian Daoliu roared, demanding the truth. He needed to understand why Qian Renxue had fallen so far.
Qian Xin, trembling, knelt outside the Douluo Hall and told Qian Daoliu everything. When Qian Daoliu learned that this had happened because of Bibi Dong, his composure nearly shattered.
"Xue, come here."
Qian Daoliu clung to the last shred of hope. He grabbed Qian Renxue's hand and led her to the Angel Statue, kneeling to pray. As a divine candidate, she was supposed to undergo the eighth trial of the Angel. Only if the divine trial continued would there be hope for her to ascend to godhood.
But after a moment, Qian Daoliu's facial expression twisted in agony. The eighth trial of the Angel did not manifest, and the statue seemed to reject Qian Renxue, signaling that she had completely lost her chance to become a god.
"Damn it! That bastard destroyed the future of my Angel Clan's divine successor!"
Qian Daoliu's fury overwhelmed him, causing him to spit out blood. His once towering figure suddenly aged decades, and he collapsed, his body falling stiffly to the ground.
"Father!"
"Grandfather!"
Qian Xunjie and Qian Renxue were both startled and rushed to support Qian Daoliu.
"That bastard... Where is he? I'll destroy him!" Qian Daoliu turned to Qian Renxue with cold eyes, his gaze bloodshot, no longer showing the warm grandfather he once was.
"I don't know. After we destroyed the Clear Sky Clan, my brother said he had to handle his own affairs and left." Qian Renxue's voice trembled, though she didn't reveal that Qian Renhan had gone to hunt soul beasts for soul rings.
"Xunjie!"
"Father."
Qian Xunjie's body involuntarily trembled. It was the first time he had seen Qian Daoliu lose control like this.
"I'm going out for a while. Before I return, I expect you to remarry and add to the six-winged Angel bloodline. Understand?"
Qian Xunjie swallowed hard. The way Qian Daoliu spoke was not a question but a command. If he didn't comply, he would likely face a rather... 'complete' childhood when his father returned.
(End of Chapter)