In the pitch-black forest, watching Xiao Wu slowly approach with the hidden weapon blueprints in her hand, Dai Yao smiled and said:
"Well done, Xiao Wu. Now, give me the stuff."
Just moments ago, Xiao Wu was in tears, her heart breaking. Upon seeing Dai Yao, she immediately became wary, clutching a stack of hidden weapon blueprints tightly, shrinking back slightly, and said coldly:
"Dai Yao, before I hand over the blueprints for the hidden weapons, you must swear that you will not harm Third Brother, otherwise..."
Before Xiao Wu could finish speaking, Dai Yao's soul power surged suddenly, his 100,000-year soul ring lit up, and a suction force shot out from the 100,000-year soul ring. Xiao Wu's soul immediately left her body and returned to Dai Yao's spiritual world.
He left behind an unconscious shell, and the blueprint for the hidden weapon in his hand fell to the ground.
"You talk too much nonsense."
Dai Yao muttered a low complaint, walked to Xiao Wu's body, picked up the hidden weapon blueprints, and while brushing off the dust, said in a low voice:
"You really can't see the situation clearly. Your body and soul are in my hands, so what do you have to fight me with!"
In her mental world, seeing the familiar scene, Xiao Wu was stunned for a moment, then burst into anger, sadness, fear, apprehension, regret, and all sorts of emotions surged into her heart.
His facial expression was incredibly complex.
She finally realized the situation: she had absolutely no standing in Dai Yao's eyes. She had to do whatever Dai Yao wanted her to do. Even preserving her chastity was a result of Dai Yao's mercy.
She knelt dejectedly on the ground, grieving, and repeatedly prayed:
"Dai Yao, please, I've done everything you wanted me to do, please let Third Brother go!"
Within the prison formed by lightning, on the Chaotic Green Lotus, the drop of purple liquid transformed once more into a peerless purple figure.
Lei Yuteng quietly watched Xiao Wu kneeling and begging. She couldn't understand why a soul beast would lower its bottom line step by step for a human.
The despair in Xiao Wu's voice made Dai Yao scoff, offering no reply. Let Xiao Wu continue to suffer in this atmosphere of fear and unease.
In the real world, Xiao Wu, now a soulless shell, looked at Dai Yao's face as if she were seeing some terrifying being, and retreated in fear.
But without her soul, she was just an ordinary woman. Her crystal heels sank into the ground, and she accidentally fell to the ground.
Seeing this, Dai Yao flashed to Xiao Wu's side, struck her on the back of the neck with a palm, and threw the unconscious Xiao Wu into the Ruyi Hundred Treasures Pouch.
"The next time I need you will probably be around that time."
A cold smile appeared on Dai Yao's lips.
After taking Tang San's hidden weapon blueprints, Xiao Wu was no longer of any use except for torturing Tang San. However, Dai Yao had already lost interest in torturing the two of them in the same way.
Moreover, although Xiao Wu's body was beautiful, it held no allure for him.
Therefore, Xiao Wu's body will most likely remain in Dai Yao's soul tool until the day he resurrects her...
Flipping through the blueprints for hidden weapons, when he saw the Rain of Pear Blossom Needles and the Buddha's Wrath Lotus at the back, Dai Yao couldn't help but chuckle:
"Oh, Tang San gave the blueprints for both of these hidden weapons to Xiao Wu. He's really deeply in love with her. But Tang San, you'd never guess that I sent Xiao Wu there..."
Before arriving at the Yu Clan, Tang San discussed these hidden weapons with Titan, which is why he prepared such a complete set. However, it was precisely because of this that Dai Yao benefited from them.
"Alright, with these hidden weapons, the Azure Lotus Sect now has an important source of revenue. We no longer need to rely on the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect for financial support."
Dai Yao stored the blueprints for the hidden weapons into his soul tool. Now that he had the blueprints, he lacked the craftsmen to forge them.
On the continent, apart from the people of the Haotian Sect, only the people of the Blacksmith Association have the ability to forge these things.
With a thought, Dai Yao sped off towards the Yu clan.
······
"Young Master, what's wrong...?"
At midnight, Titan and his companions finally found Tang San in the forest. Seeing Tang San collapse to the ground, Titan rushed to his side anxiously and asked...
Tang San's eyes were lifeless, and upon hearing Titan's words, tears involuntarily streamed down his face.
"Xiao Wu, I saw Xiao Wu, but why did she leave me..."
Oscar and Ma Hongjun exchanged a glance, both thinking Tang San had gone mad. Oscar sighed and offered a word of comfort:
"Xiao San, I know you miss Xiao Wu too much, but you also know that Xiao Wu… died at that person's hands. You must pull yourself together."
Tang San said anxiously:
"Xiao Ao, I understand everything you're saying, but it's too real. I can smell Xiao Wu's hair and feel her body temperature. It can't be fake!"
"And she also took my..."
Tang San suddenly remembered something and hurriedly searched the Twenty-Four Bridges under the bright moon. However, when he saw the empty blueprints for hidden weapons, he was stunned.
He then went berserk, searching the surroundings for traces of the hidden weapon blueprints, much to the bewilderment of Titan and the others.
When he finally returned empty-handed, he seemed to understand something, his face filled with disbelief, and an uncontrollable sadness welled up in his heart.
Xiao Wu took away his hidden weapon blueprints, and Tang San knew without even thinking who she gave them to.
He walked along, lost and dejected, muttering in anguish:
"Xiao Wu, why, Xiao Wu, why did you do this..."
Seeing Tang San's state, Titan and the others had no choice but to forcibly take him away. Once inside the carriage, Tang San huddled in a corner like a wounded animal…
Even after returning to the Yu Clan and back to his room, Tang San still looked distraught.
The others had no choice but to stay by his side.
As the night passed, the morning light shone through the window. Tang San hadn't slept all night, and his eyes were bloodshot.
Overnight, he figured out a lot of things.
The disappearance of the hidden weapon blueprints must have been taken by Xiao Wu. This means last night's events weren't a dream, and Xiao Wu is real; therefore, it's possible she has been resurrected.
Although he didn't know what methods Dai Yao had used, he knew that Xiao Wu was not dead.
He firmly believed that Xiao Wu could not have betrayed him, and the only reason was that Dai Yao was threatening her.
"Xiao Wu, I will definitely rescue you from Dai Yao's clutches. Wait for me..."
Gazing at the rising sun, Tang San felt an unparalleled determination welling up from the depths of his heart.
He turned his head, looked at the somewhat haggard Titan and the others, and felt a deep warmth in his heart. He smiled and said:
"Elder Titan, let's go back."
Titan was slightly startled. Tang San's words brought him some joy; his young master had finally recovered. However, he was still somewhat worried and forced a smile, saying:
"Young Master, we have returned to the Yu Clan."
Tang San shook his head, turned to look at the rising sun, his eyes brimming with determination, and said firmly:
"No, we want to go back to the Heavenly Dou Empire."
He is no match for Dai Yao now, and Dai Yao has the support of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. If the Haotian School doesn't intervene, he will be all alone.
What he needs to do now is to accumulate strength.
Titan exclaimed, "Young Master, although the Yu Clan and the Min Clan have sided with Dai Yao, we have the opportunity to recruit the Po Clan. Moreover, the Po Clan's attack power is the strongest among our four major clans."
"If we can recruit them, the strength of our Tang Clan will definitely reach a new level!"
Ma Hongjun chimed in from the side:
"Yes, Third Brother, we shouldn't be discouraged by a temporary setback. Even if there's only a one in ten thousand chance, we must try our best."
Tang San chuckled:
"Fatty, Little Ao, and Elder Titan, you're all right, but as things stand, we simply don't have the resources to recruit members of the Breaking Clan."
"The Po clan hates the Haotian Sect to the bone. Our identities will only attract Yang Wudi's hostility. Therefore, leaving as soon as possible is the wise choice."
Hearing Tang San's rational analysis, Titan felt both gratified and disappointed.
The good news is that the young master has finally regained his former strategic and commanding state; the bad news is that the Power Clan will be absent from the gathering of the four major single-attribute clans.
Titan was furious that Dai Yao had ruined such a rare opportunity for an old friend to reunite. He was also incredibly disappointed in his two brothers.
The group packed their bags and bid farewell to the Yu clan. Just as they reached the door, Niu Gao rushed out, looked at Titan, and with complicated feelings, kept his words stuck in his throat.
After a long pause, he said in a deep voice:
"Take care of yourself."
Titan nodded, glanced coldly at Dai Yao behind Niu Gao, snorted, and turned to leave. On the rooftop, Bai He watched Tang San and his group's departing carriage and bowed respectfully from afar.
He put his hands behind his back again and let out a heavy sigh.
The next time we meet, we might be enemies...
One by one, the carriages of the Power Clan drove out of the gates of Longxing City.
Inside the carriage, Ma Hongjun slammed his fist down heavily, saying resentfully:
"Seeing Dai Yao's smug look makes me furious. Why do the Yu and Min clans have to be accomplices to evil? If nothing unexpected happens, the Po clan will also join that Qinglian Sect."
"Third Brother, don't you have any ideas?"
Tang San smiled and said, "I'm no match for him in strength, so there's really nothing I can do. However, I won't let Dai Yao get away with this either."
Hearing this, everyone became interested. Titan pressed on, asking:
"Young Master, do you have any good ideas?"
Tang San's face turned cold: "Isn't Dai Yao a traitor to the Star Luo Empire? The Star Luo Empire can't wait to get rid of him. I've already sent someone to tell Mu Bai."
"If nothing unexpected happens, the Star Luo Empire's iron cavalry will be arriving at full speed soon."
"At that time, Dai Yao will certainly be exceptionally strong, but the other three major clans will definitely pay a bloody price! Having just joined the sect, he has already encountered such a setback. I want to see how Dai Yao will govern the three major clans!"
······
"Senior Niu Gao, let's go, it's time to go back."
Tang San and the others had already disappeared. Seeing that Niu Gao was still standing there watching, Dai Yao reminded him.
Niu Gao sighed heavily. If they met again, they would draw their swords against each other; he had only been reminiscing earlier. Hearing Dai Yao's words, Niu Gao nodded and followed Dai Yao back to the Yu Clan's residence.
The white crane on the rooftop knew it had to sever ties with Tang San. It closed its eyes and disappeared from the rooftop.
On the way back, Bai Chenxiang quietly approached Feng Wutong. She could sense that as long as she cultivated next to Feng Wutong, her cultivation speed would increase significantly.
But that wasn't her goal. She glanced at Dai Yao in front of her and gently asked Feng Wutong:
"Can I call you Sister Wutong?"
Feng Wutong glanced at Bai Chenxiang expressionlessly. She had no liking for these arrogant family scions.
But Bai Chenxiang was, after all, a treasure of the Min clan, and the Min clan was an important force in the Qinglian Sect. Suppressing her displeasure, she nodded and said:
"Can."
Bai Chenxiang's face immediately lit up with joy, and she said familiarly:
"Sister Wutong, you're so amazing, wouldn't it be better if you were on your own? Why did you become Dai Yao's maid? And why was Dai Yao able to obtain a 100,000-year soul ring when he was only at the sixth soul ring level?"
Feng Wutong stopped in her tracks, staring coldly at Bai Chenxiang. Her imposing phoenix eyes made Bai Chenxiang feel suffocated.
Feng Wutong said in a deep voice:
"I don't know what you're thinking, but never mention anything bad about the young master in front of me. Although the young master may not care, I won't show any mercy."
"As for your sixth spirit ring, young master, you don't need to test me. If you want to know, ask the young master yourself."
Bai Chenxiang paused, then released Feng Wutong's hand with some fear. Indeed, a large part of the reason why their Min clan joined the Qinglian Sect was because of Feng Wutong's existence.
In her eyes, Feng Wutong was beautiful and powerful, and a mere maid was not worthy of her. With just a few words of advice, she could make Feng Wutong leave Dai Yao.
But she never expected that Feng Wutong would be so resolute.
She remained where she was, watching Feng Wutong following closely behind Dai Yao, and couldn't help but think:
"Sister Wutong, what exactly happened between you and him?"
Dai Yao spent another day with the Yu clan, becoming somewhat more familiar with the disciples of both clans. The disciples of the Min clan were no longer as distant from Dai Yao as before.
Finally, the members of the Broken Clan arrived.
The leader was an old man, tall and thin, with a gloomy expression and a sinister gaze that gave people a chilling feeling, like the sharp edge of a spear.
Behind them were two young men, who looked to be about the same age as Dai Yao. However, their gazes kept drifting towards Bai Chenxiang, clearly showing some interest in the pretty girl.
As soon as Dai Yao entered with Feng Wutong, they became the focus of everyone's attention.
Ning Rongrong smiled, glanced at Yang Wudi, and gave Dai Yao a helpless look. She had tried to talk to Yang Wudi earlier, but he was unmoved by her words and wouldn't answer her at all.
Upon seeing Dai Yao enter, the old man glanced warily at the Sword Douluo behind Ning Rongrong, who was resting with his eyes closed, and said in a deep voice:
"Where are the old rhinoceros, the old white bird, and the old gorilla? Why didn't they come? Weren't they always the first to arrive before? Why not this time?"
"Furthermore, why would people from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School appear at a gathering of our four major clans?"
He gave Dai Yao a deep look, then pointed at Dai Yao and said:
"And who is he?" (End of Chapter)