The Grandmaster finally made his way to the Seven Treasures Mountain's mid-slope. With his low level and slow pace, by the time he arrived, Tianlin and Dragon Duke had already returned and had been waiting so long they were nearly dozing off.
They also noticed someone sneaking along behind him—Liu Erlong. Ever since the Grandmaster returned from the Clear Sky Sect, she had been ill at ease. She didn't trust the situation. This time he went out without informing her; worried, she secretly followed.
Gu Rong didn't stop her. Better to have her along—one more witness. They had arranged for others to fan the flames anyway; with Liu Erlong here, it would be even easier.
"Senior Dragon Duke, he finally came. You can swallow it now." Tianlin, like a kid who'd made a mistake, spoke timidly in front of Dragon Duke.
He'd forgotten something: the mirror sausage only lasts three minutes. He'd stuffed it in Dragon Duke's mouth too early. Given how slowly the Grandmaster moved, the time would be up long before he arrived.
Fortunately, Dragon Duke had experience. He hadn't swallowed it all, but he couldn't spit it out either, or the remaining sausage would lose efficacy. So he had to hold it in his mouth.
Now his gaze toward Tianlin brimmed with resentment. Brat, even if you wanted me to eat this, you didn't have to do it so early. I've been holding a bloody sausage in my mouth for ages—when I get home, my good wife probably won't even want to kiss me.
Gulp.
Dragon Duke swallowed the sausage in one go, then turned and glared at Tianlin. "Brat, I'll settle accounts when we're home. This time I'm reporting you to your parents for bullying the elderly. Prepare to kneel on the washboard."
"I'm just used to it. When I asked Grandpa Eagle to run errands to Heaven Dou City, he'd always be there and back in two minutes. Who knew the Grandmaster would be so slow?" Tianlin protested.
Dragon Duke blew his beard and glared. "Your Grandpa Eagle is level ninety-two, an agility-type Title Douluo. And this guy? Pfft—level twenty-nine, and not even really any type. How could their pace be the same?"
"Senior, please don't be angry. I'll refine more pills for Yiran and Oscar later. The urgent task now is killing." Tianlin hurried to placate him.
"Hmph!" Dragon Duke was in a sulk and needed to vent. Right then, a Yu Xiaogang popped out of the bushes. "It's decided—it'll be you. Clear Sky Hammer!"
Enraged, Dragon Duke slammed the hammer straight at Yu Xiaogang's face. Yu Xiaogang, a mere level twenty-nine Soul Grandmaster, was so frightened by the suddenly appearing Clear Sky Hammer that he froze, watching it come down on him.
"Xiaogang, careful! Red Dragon True Body!" At the critical moment, Liu Erlong, who had been shadowing them, acted. Activating her Martial Soul True Body, she blocked the blow with her body.
Even so, she was gravely injured by that one hammer, coughing blood. After all, she was just a Soul Douluo. To withstand a Title Douluo's hammer and live was already remarkable.
"Erlong, are you okay?" Yu Xiaogang hurried to help her up. He hadn't expected Liu Erlong to disobey him and follow, but it was lucky she had—otherwise that first strike would have killed him.
"I'm fine. Xiaogang, get behind me." Liu Erlong pulled him behind her and shouted, "Clear Sky Sect—come out! How dare you ambush Xiaogang. Are you courting death?"
Yu Xiaogang's status now was anything but simple. With Heaven Dou Empire's help, he had acknowledged his family again and rejoined the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect. He was also the Empire's National Teacher—of utmost prestige.
"Tch. Such a hassle." Dragon Duke muttered, throwing a black robe over his figure and a mask over his face, then leapt out.
"Who are you? Did Tang Yuehua send you to kill me? Aren't you afraid of my contingency? I've already handed my second letter to someone else. If I die, the letter will soon reach Bibi Dong." The Grandmaster snapped.
"From the Defense Clan—Niu Ben. You think he'll live?" Dragon Duke's voice was cold. "Our sect will deal with him too."
Yu Xiaogang's eyes tightened; he'd been found out.
It wasn't hard to guess. Whoever did this needed to hate all three major forces, with their hatred for the Spirit Hall and Clear Sky Sect exceeding that for the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
For the Defense Clan, the hatred of Spirit Hall and Clear Sky Sect needed no elaboration. Because of the old incident where Chen Xin accidentally killed Niu Gao, the Defense Clan also bore a grudge. Niu Ben, Niu Gao's son, would naturally want revenge for his father.
But since Chen Xin had killed by mistake, and the true culprit was Tang Hao, they hated the Clear Sky Sect even more.
The Grandmaster had given him the letter and told him: only deliver it to Spirit Hall if he died—so the Clear Sky Sect could be exterminated. Niu Ben would not hesitate.
Even if Niu Ben peeked at it, it didn't matter: it only said that the Grandmaster was being coerced by the Clear Sky Sect. In other words, if the Grandmaster didn't die, the letter was useless.
This was the Grandmaster's leverage against the Clear Sky Sect, to stop them from actually killing him for a perfect plan. If they kept their word and saved him, he would immediately have Liu Erlong kill Niu Ben and retrieve the second letter. Faux-death was still death; he feared Niu Ben might exploit it. The sect Yu Xiaogang most wished to destroy was the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
But with Niu Ben discovered early, that card was dead. The first letter had already been sent; once he and Niu Ben were dead, there'd be no proof. The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect would never wash away the false charge of murder, and the Clear Sky Sect would sit back and watch two great powers fight, profiting as the fisherman.
"Good one, Tang Yuehua. I underestimated your wits and your ruthlessness." Yu Xiaogang hissed.
"Hmph. Now you can die with no regrets. Sixth Soul Skill—Howling Sky Divine Hammer!" Dragon Duke didn't waste words; the mirror sausage's time was short, so he went straight for a big move.
He didn't use the ninth soul skill, not because he couldn't, but because using a ninth soul skill to kill a mere Grandmaster and a heavily wounded Soul Douluo would itself be suspicious.
Against Liu Erlong, the sixth was just right.
"Howling Sky Divine Hammer? You're Tang Xiao!" Liu Erlong was shocked. If it were an ordinary Clear Sky elder, she and Yu Xiaogang might have a sliver of hope. But against Tang Xiao, there was none.
Dragon Duke didn't answer. He drew on the might of heaven and earth and smashed down.
"Eighth Soul Skill—Red Dragon Soars to Heaven!" Liu Erlong mustered all her soul power to resist and shouted, "Xiaogang, run!"
"Erlong, be careful!" Yu Xiaogang didn't hesitate and fled at once. Not purely from cowardice—he knew only if he fled would Liu Erlong have any chance.
In times like this, dithering meant both would die.
"Trying to run? Second Soul Skill—Hammer Shadow Clone!" Dragon Duke split off another Clear Sky Hammer and hurled it at the Grandmaster.
Liu Erlong was already beyond her limits just holding off the strike; she couldn't save him. The hammer hit the Grandmaster square in the chest. In an instant, every bone in his body shattered; his heart burst completely.
"Xiaogang!!!" Liu Erlong's scream was piercing. Even if her father or Yu Yuanzhen had died, she wouldn't be this despairing.
"Quit yelling. You're next." Dragon Duke said.
"Who dares hurt my niece?"
"Who dares commit violence on my Seven Treasures Mountain?"
At that moment, space began to ripple, thunder rolling with it.
Hearing the two voices, Dragon Duke feigned alarm. "Not good—Gu Rong and Yu Yuanzhen are here. Damn you, Liu Erlong—if you hadn't made such a scene, I could've killed that trash without a sound."
Dragon Duke hurriedly withdrew his move and hurled a hammer toward the source of the voices. Liu Erlong finally collapsed into unconsciousness. Before she passed out, she saw a massive bone dragon colliding with a Clear Sky Hammer, and a stalwart figure lifting her up.