"Let's put the Sage Art aside for now and see if there are any alternative methods in the future," Li Xun said, rubbing his temples.
The Sage Art could indeed make him even stronger, but before that, he needed to understand the principles and essence of how the Martial Soul transformed power.
"Brother Li Xun, Senior Yang Wudi is looking for you," a cool yet gentle voice snapped Li Xun out of his thoughts.
Perhaps the aura was too familiar, as it didn't trigger his instinctive alertness. Li Xun looked up and nearly collided with the person who had spoken.
Zhu Zhuqing hadn't expected Li Xun to be so absent-minded. She had been standing there for a while, and Li Xun hadn't noticed her at all. Seeing that they were about to bump into each other, she quickly took half a step back.
Seeing Zhu Zhuqing's surprised expression, Li Xun laughed and immediately extended his arms to embrace her. "What's wrong?"
"Senior Yang is looking for you. I just saw you heading this way, so I came to check," Zhu Zhuqing said, her face red as she steadied herself against Li Xun's chest, carefully glancing around.
"Is it about the Breaking Clan?" Li Xun asked, somewhat puzzled.
With Yang Wudi's strength, he shouldn't need to call for Li Xun, right? Not to mention the current resources of the Breaking Clan, even in terms of strength, Tai Tan couldn't match Yang Wudi.
Could it be that they're planning to return to their roots and join Tang San? But Tang San doesn't have any Immortal Herbs left. In that instant, Li Xun's thoughts raced.
"It seems so. I heard that the leader of the Breaking Clan and the leader of the Swift Clan invited Senior Yang to Heavenly Dou City for a discussion," Zhu Zhuqing nodded and said softly.
"So it's Old Bai He stirring things up," Li Xun chuckled.
Bai He, the leader of the Swift Clan, was Tang San's uncle, and Bai Chenxiang was Tang San's little cousin. As a close relative of the Clear Sky Sect, although they might not be as loyal as the Breaking Clan, they were still not to be underestimated. When Li Xun had tried to win over the Breaking Clan, he had considered the Swift Clan's situation, which was why he hadn't brought them along.
But since Bai He had come, it meant he already knew Tang San's identity.
"Let's go and see," Li Xun grinned, wrapping his arm around Zhu Zhuqing's waist and lifting her up. Hearing her surprised gasp, he disappeared from the spot in an instant.
Heavenly Dou Royal Academy, Yang Qianjun's dorm.
"Grandpa, I'm fine. My arm is just broken. It'll heal in a few days," Li Xun heard Yang Qianjun's voice before he even entered the room.
"You little rascal, if you hadn't attacked Tailong, would this have happened?"
"Grandpa, how many times do I have to tell you? Tailong was the one who kept pestering me and chased me all the way to the foot of the academy. He was the one who attacked first. I just defended myself. How is that my fault?"
Li Xun coughed twice at the door before entering the room with Zhu Zhuqing.
"Ahem, Xiao Xun, you're just in time. I've already spoken with your teacher before coming here. Now I want to hear your thoughts," Yang Wudi said, a rare smile appearing on his face when he saw Li Xun.
"Senior Yang," Li Xun greeted Yang Wudi with Zhu Zhuqing, and they both took their seats. "What did my teacher say?"
Yang Wudi sighed with a troubled expression. "Your teacher suggested we wait and see. After all, our matters are more important, and it's not good to complicate things now."
Even without considering the Clear Sky Sect, the four single-attribute clans had decades of history together.
For a long time after the Clear Sky Sect closed its doors, it was the four clans supporting each other that helped them through the difficult times.
Now that the descendants of the Clear Sky Sect have re-emerged, the Strength Clan and the Agility Clan have shown signs of leaning towards them once again. This was not good news for Yang Wudi, who still harbored feelings for the past.
Li Xun frowned and pondered for a moment: "Senior Yang, do you wish to return to the Clear Sky Sect? I'd like to hear your most honest thoughts."
"Return to the Clear Sky Sect? Of course not. I once swore that the Clear Sky Sect would forever be my enemy," Yang Wudi sneered. "Back then, the Clear Sky Sect suddenly abandoned our four great clans, indirectly causing the deaths of many of my clansmen. To escape the Spirit Hall, even our daily lives became difficult to sustain."
"Now they want us to fight for them again? Impossible!"
"That's right, impossible!" Yang Qianjun raised his injured arm.
"And it's all because of you, you troublemaker! If it weren't for you stirring up trouble, couldn't we have pretended not to know about this?" Yang Wudi's anger flared up at the sight of his unlucky grandson. "Old Bai He asked me to come over to discuss your marriage with Bai Jing. Are you happy now?"
"Uh..." Yang Qianjun's momentum faltered. He glanced at his fiancée, who also looked displeased, and his confidence waned significantly.
Li Xun was also feeling a headache. These people all had some connection to Tang San, and if not handled properly, internal conflicts could arise.
Observing their expressions, Li Xun noticed that their troubled looks were indeed genuine.
He turned his gaze to Yang Wudi: "Senior Yang, after the Clear Sky Sect's previous seclusion, what do you think their chances are against the Spirit Hall now?"
The air in the room suddenly froze.
This question not only stumped Yang Wudi but also left everyone else in the room in silence.
Yang Wudi frowned for a long time before hesitantly saying, "Probably less than thirty percent."
The pillar of the Clear Sky Sect, Tang Chen, had been missing without a trace. Not to mention that his rival, Qiandao Liu, was still alive, the sheer number of Title Douluos in the Spirit Hall alone would be enough to give the Clear Sky Sect a hard time.
"Then why not try to persuade the Agility Clan and the Strength Clan to avoid jumping into the fire?" Li Xun chuckled.
"Sigh! If I could persuade them, I would have done so long ago. But those two old stubborn men, especially that old Bai Bird, might even try to persuade me instead." Yang Wudi felt a sense of helplessness.
"Then there's no other way."
Li Xun looked at Yang Wudi with some resignation: "I do have a plan, though it might seem a bit unseemly to outsiders, and it might even cause misunderstandings between Clan Leader Bai He and Senior Tai Tan."
"But if this plan goes smoothly, I dare say that for a long time to come, the Agility Clan and the Strength Clan won't want to have anything to do with the Clear Sky Sect."
"Misunderstand me?" Yang Wudi became intrigued. "I knew you had a lot of tricks up your sleeve. Go ahead, tell me."
Li Xun glanced at Bai Jing, who looked utterly confused: "Let's report to the Spirit Hall that the Strength Clan is harboring the wanted criminal Tang Hao."
"What?!"
"Huh?"
The room erupted in shock at Li Xun's suggestion.
Bai Jing, Yang Wudi's fiancée, stared at Li Xun with wide eyes.
As a seasoned elder, Yang Wudi naturally had a stronger temperament, but it didn't take long for him to react. He chuckled bitterly, "Ahem! Xiao Xun, aren't you practically driving these two clans into a dead end?"
"Senior Yang, since I proposed this method, I naturally have the ability to ensure the safety of the Min Clan," Li Xun replied with a smile, looking at Bai Jing. "Moreover, after this incident, I believe Clan Leader Bai He will not contact the Clear Sky Sect for a long time."
"The situation on the continent is becoming increasingly tense, and this move is also a way to protect the Min Clan."
"Xiao Xun, are you confident?" Yang Wudi frowned, still somewhat worried about his old friend.
"Have you forgotten? We have connections in the Spirit Hall," Li Xun said with a smile, pointing to the ceiling.
(End of Chapter)