In a void, Liu Erlong opened her eyes. There was nothing around. Ahead, a figure was walking forward. At the end of that road was the gate of hell. She recognized him at a glance—it was her beloved, Yu Xiaogang.
"Xiaogang, don't go! Xiaogang!!!"
Amid her desperate cries, Yu Xiaogang still walked through the gate. Liu Erlong fully awoke—only to see not Yu Xiaogang, but Yu Yuanzhen.
"Uncle!" Liu Erlong seemed to find her anchor and threw herself into his arms, sobbing. "Uncle, I just dreamed Xiaogang died."
Yu Yuanzhen gently stroked her hair. The Thunderclap Douluo's eyes were moist. "Erlong, that wasn't a dream. This is the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. You and Xiaogang were ambushed by Tang Xiao and were at death's door. Thankfully, Brother Gu acted, saving you—but we were still a step too late. Xiaogang is gone."
"No… impossible. I don't believe it!" Liu Erlong refused to accept that Yu Xiaogang would fall before proving his theories.
Not until Tianlin produced the Grandmaster's corpse sealed by Dark Gold did she finally accept the truth.
Staggering to the body, Liu Erlong wailed. Yu Yuanzhen rubbed her back. "Erlong, the dead are gone. We must avenge Xiaogang now. Tell me what happened. Why did Tang Xiao kill him?"
"I… I don't know. Right—Niu Ben. Tang Xiao mentioned Niu Ben of the Defense Clan when he talked to Xiaogang. Maybe he knows something. Oh no, Uncle, go save Niu Ben! Tang Xiao said they were after him too."
Without hesitation, Yu Yuanzhen flashed with lightning and shot out of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
Seeing this, Ning Fengzhi smiled slightly. The plan was complete. He had already helped them find the Clear Sky Sect's plan and motive. The rest he left for Yu Yuanzhen and Bibi Dong to deduce themselves—what you figure out is more convincing. In any case, a good show was guaranteed.
…
Elsewhere, Tang Xiao dragged his injured body back to the Clear Sky Sect and recounted the ambush. Hearing it, Tang Yuehua and the elders fell into heavy silence.
They hadn't expected Tianlin to be this strong. With his current power, even Spirit Hall might not be able to destroy the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. Their plan was impossible to complete.
Then Tang Yuehua realized something: why had Tianlin appeared so coincidentally to ambush Tang Xiao?
"Ning Fengzhi wants to kill the Grandmaster and frame us." She didn't know Ning Fengzhi's entire plan, but she guessed the end goal.
"Second Elder, go to the Heaven Dou palace at once and find Niu Ben. Kill him at all costs. If he dies, whatever Ning Fengzhi's plan is, it won't work."
Though slow to start, Tang Yuehua quickly pinpointed the recipient of the Grandmaster's second letter.
"Understood. Leave it to me." The Second Elder didn't hesitate. With Tang Xiao and the First Elder injured, he was currently the strongest in the sect—it was his duty.
He rushed to the Heaven Dou imperial palace, where the Defense Clan was building the empire's barracks.
Though their sect master had been harmed by Tang Hao, they had nowhere else to go; only by joining Heaven Dou could they preserve their last spark.
Yu Yuanzhen was already lying in wait. He wanted to see who the Clear Sky Sect would send. Though Tang Xiao had escaped, they had killed his son—he would exact a blood price.
Niu Ben had no idea death was near and continued directing construction.
Suddenly, a lethal spinning hammer shot down from the sky. At the last second, a dragon claw swept in and blocked the Clear Sky Hammer.
"W-what's happening?" Niu Ben fell on his butt in fright. He'd almost died.
"The weight of that Clear Sky Hammer… It's you, Tang Tai! Get out here!!!" Yu Yuanzhen roared to the heavens. Instantly, dark clouds gathered over the palace; thunder pealed. The Super Douluo's fury triggered a localized anomaly in heaven and earth.
Tang Tai was the Clear Sky Sect's Second Elder—the Berserker Shatter Douluo. His Clear Sky Hammer was known for its weight. Perhaps in defense he was the weakest Title Douluo in the sect, but in offense he was second only to Tang Xiao—because he only attacked, never defended.
Tang Tai hadn't expected Yu Yuanzhen to be here. He was no match and wanted to retreat, but Yu Yuanzhen's spirit sense blanketed everything; any movement would be detected.
"In the sky!" Yu Yuanzhen looked up. "Eighth Soul Skill—Dragon's Ascending Thunderburst!"
Opening with the eighth soul skill showed how furious he was. He condensed a broad swath of blue-black thunderclouds, which rained countless bolts down. Each bolt formed a small thunder dragon mid-descent, inflicting paralysis.
"Old madman!" Tang Tai cursed as he recalled the Clear Sky Hammer and re-summoned it, executing the Nine Absolutes of the Clear Sky, scattering dragon after dragon.
The spreading lightning surged into the palace, demolishing swathes of buildings.
Yu Yuanzhen flew into the sky. Seeing the hammer wielder, his hatred overflowed. "Tang Tai, it is you! Clear Sky Sect—return my son's life!"
"Old dragon, calm down. We didn't kill your son…" Tang Tai tried to explain, but Yu Yuanzhen—who had seen Yu Xiaogang killed by a Clear Sky Hammer—was blood-crazed and wouldn't listen.
Thunder dragon claws raked relentlessly. No matter how high Berserker Shatter Douluo's attack, it couldn't surpass Thunderclap Douluo's. In a few exchanges, Tang Tai was covered in wounds from the lightning.
Fortunately, just as he was about to be killed, the Shocking Heaven Douluo arrived. Tang Yuehua had worried and sent another elder. The two Title Douluo together still couldn't defeat Yu Yuanzhen, but could protect themselves.
Killing Niu Ben under Yu Yuanzhen's guard was impossible. In the end, they had to retreat helplessly.
Furious as he was, Yu Yuanzhen didn't lose his reason. He knew he couldn't kill them quickly; the priority was to uncover the truth.
He grabbed Niu Ben and flew back to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
Emperor Xue Ye walked out of his hall and stared at the devastated palace, wearing the blank look of "who am I and where am I."
The places Tianlin had wrecked before had barely been repaired; now, forget repairs—time to rebuild from scratch.
The emperor was aggrieved. If the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect and the Clear Sky Sect's Title Douluo wanted a spar, why the palace of all places? And no apology afterward—just flying away.
Fine. You're Title Douluo, aloof and mighty. I can't afford to offend you.