After a long while, the laughter in the courtyard subsided and gradually grew quiet.
Then, Tang Xiao wiped the smile from his face and said solemnly: "Having finished discussing the first matter, let's move on to the second matter—Xiao San!"
Seeing this, Tang San stepped forward, bowed to all sides, and said in a deep voice: "Greetings to all elders and clan members."
"Who are you?"
After examining Tang San, the eldest of the five elders—a long-browed old man—frowned and asked.
"I am Tang San. My father's name is Tang Hao!"
At these words, the entire venue erupted in commotion.
Tang Hao?
This name was far too familiar! Although many present had never even seen him, except for the very youngest, none had not heard of the current generation's Heaven Dou Douluo's fame, and his "glorious achievement" of hammering to death the former Spirit Hall Pope Qian Xunji.
Immediately, everyone's gaze toward Tang San changed. A small portion of people had unreadable expressions, while the majority's eyes turned to hatred.
"Hmph, why has the son of that wretched Tang Hao returned? Our Hao Tian Sect can't afford to accept him—lest the sect's millennia of inheritance be destroyed in the future!"
A slender elder sneered coldly.
"Regardless, I, Tang San, have Hao Tian Sect blood flowing in my veins. I am willing to atone for my father's sins and devote myself fully to helping the sect restore its former glory. I humbly request the sect master and all elders to permit me to recognize my ancestors and return to the clan."
Automatically filtering out the slender elder's sarcastic words, Tang San bowed to Tang Xiao and the five elders one by one.
Hearing this, the slender elder became furious: "Nonsense! Given what your father has done, you will never be allowed back into the sect! You are the son of him and that wretched spirit beast—just a bas—"
Before the slender elder could utter the word "bastard," an unparalleled powerful aura suddenly rose in the courtyard. A terrifying soul power pressure targeted solely at him descended, forcing this elder—who was only at Level 89—to close his mouth.
"Elder, though you are my senior, I ask you to watch your words."
"When that incident occurred years ago, Xiao San was merely a newborn infant. Even if Tang Hao was at fault, you cannot blame his mistakes on Xiao San."
"Moreover, Xiao San is Yuehua's nephew—and therefore my nephew, Chu Chengzhou's nephew."
Chu Chengzhou stood with his hands behind his back, nine soul rings—black, black, black, red, black, red, red, red, red—blooming around his body. His expression remained calm as he spoke.
The meaning was clear: Old man, Tang San is my eldest nephew—under my protection!
Tang San: Uncle-in-law is the best!
"Nine-ring Titled Douluo?!"
As everyone's attention focused again on Chu Chengzhou, exclamations rose throughout the courtyard.
At this moment, no one was paying attention to what Chu Chengzhou was saying—they were all shocked by the four black and five red nine soul rings blooming around him.
Titled Douluo—they had seen them before. Sect master Tang Xiao and four elders were exactly that. And some present had even seen hundred-thousand-year soul rings before. But having nine rings at the ninth rank, along with four ten-thousand-year soul rings and five hundred-thousand-year soul rings all appearing on a young man who looked barely twenty years old—that they had never seen before.
"Brother-in-law, you... you..."
Tang Xiao pointed at the nine soul rings around Chu Chengzhou, his face filled with shock, his speech faltering.
"Eldest brother-in-law, no need to be so surprised. There will be even more astonishing things later!"
Chu Chengzhou waved his hand, then withdrew the soul power pressure he had directed at the slender elder.
Glancing around at the crowd, Chu Chengzhou focused his gaze on the eldest of the five elders—the long-browed elder who appeared to hold the highest status—and said: "Xiao San has Hao Tian Sect blood in his veins. This cannot be changed. May I have your attention, respected elders?"
Perhaps still possessing some self-awareness, though the slender elder's eyes burned with fury after being intimidated by Chu Chengzhou's soul power pressure, he remained silent and didn't unleash another verbal assault.
"Please speak!"
The long-browed elder—Tang Bo, the second elder of the Hao Tian Sect—said respectfully, hands clasped.
If the previous Chu Chengzhou had merely been a young "local tycoon" and his junior, in Tang Bo's eyes, the current Chu Chengzhou was now a powerful expert of the current era—and one whose strength far surpassed his own.
With a soul ring configuration of four blacks and five reds, regardless of Chu Chengzhou's exact soul power level, he could easily handle Tang Bo—a Titled Douluo who had just reached Level 94 with optimal soul ring configuration.
Even all five elders together might not defeat Chu Chengzhou. Such a powerful expert, even if not one of their own, deserved his respectful attitude.
"May I inquire about the names of the five elders?"
Chu Chengzhou clasped his hands respectfully.
"I am Tang Bo, humbly serving as the Hao Tian Sect's second elder, title: Vast Sun."
"I am Tang Yan, Hao Tian Sect's third elder, title: Blazing Sun."
"I am Tang Ling, Hao Tian Sect's fifth elder, title: Soaring Sun."
"I am Tang Li, Hao Tian Sect's sixth elder, title: Heavenly Sun."
"I am Tang Lie, Hao Tian Sect's seventh elder."
The five Hao Tian Sect elders successively announced their titles.
Chu Chengzhou took an extra glance at the seventh elder Tang Lie, whom he had just intimidated.
This seventh elder Tang Lie, due to the current timeline being several years earlier than the original story, had not yet broken through—he was only a Level 89 Soul Douluo.
Tang Lie: What are you staring at? I'll break through soon too!
"On this continent, strength is supreme. Do the five elders agree?"
Chu Chengzhou asked with a smile.
"You—"
As soon as Chu Chengzhou finished speaking, the seventh elder Tang Lie—who held the greatest prejudice against the Tang Hao father-son pair—couldn't restrain himself.
But before he could continue shouting, the leading second elder Tang Bo pulled him back and said solemnly to Chu Chengzhou: "Correct! The continent truly values strength above all, just like the former Spirit Hall."
"Nephew-in-law, are you forcing us to submit? If so, we accept."
If Chu Chengzhou were merely an insignificant junior, Tang Bo naturally wouldn't listen to him. But Chu Chengzhou was a young Titled Douluo whose displayed potential surpassed even their former invincible ancestor Tang Chen.
Such a current expert and future peerless powerhouse—and nephew-in-law—was absolutely someone they couldn't afford to offend. It was possible that restoring the Hao Tian Sect's glory would require this nephew-in-law's assistance in the future!
Compared to restoring the sect's glory, letting go of their prejudice against the Tang Hao father-son pair and accepting Tang San back into the clan—which was more important? Tang Bo knew clearly.
"No no no, you overestimate me!"
Chu Chengzhou hurriedly waved his hands and said: "I, Chu Chengzhou, am naturally ruthless toward enemies."
"For example, I had grievances with the Star Luo Empire in the past. They repeatedly sent experts to intercept and kill me. To date, more than a dozen Titled Douluos and Titled-level Nether White Tiger fusions from the Star Luo Empire have died by my hand. The empire's collapse is imminent. But toward my own people—I, Chu Chengzhou, have always been very kind, 'nuclearly' kind!"
Chu Chengzhou: The "nuclear" in nuclear weapons!
Hearing this, the five elders shuddered involuntarily, their eyelids twitching nervously.
Good heavens, killed over a dozen Titled-level experts? The Star Luo Empire is about to be destroyed? This is a ruthless one!
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