Imperial Palace, Royal Study.
The Xue Emperor sat straight-backed, his expression calm as he gazed at several important figures seated on either side. On his left sat Prince Xue Qinghe. The crown prince wore a brilliant yellow robe today, his demeanor gentle and graceful.
Beside Xue Qinghe were the protector of the Heaven Dou Empire, Ning Fengzhi, the head of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, and the two guardian Douluos: Bone Douluo and Sword Douluo Chen Xin.
On the opposite side sat two burly guests. One was exceptionally tall and muscular, his face resolute, with a faint trace of melancholy between his brows. This was Clear Sky Sect Master, Howling Sky Douluo Tang Xiao. The other, equally tall with beard and hair, bore no trace of anger or self-righteousness. This was Thunder Douluo Yu Yuanzhen, head of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
At this moment, Yu Yuanzhen's face was extremely grim, like the sky before a storm, dark and threatening to drip with rain. Just by sitting there, the air around him seemed heavy with suppressed thunder and restless anxiety, making the air in the study feel thick.
It was understandable—no elder of the sect had ever been publicly abolished and rendered useless. Yet the one who did it was none other than the Blazing Heart Douluo Xie Xiaoqing of the Body Sect.
According to all current intelligence, the Body Sect's known titled Douluos had reached a staggering seventeen in number, not to mention hidden bloodlines and recent rumors of Spirit Hall elders Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo joining them in secret.
Such a behemoth could almost rival the Spirit Hall. Though the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was powerful, going up against them head-on was like an egg striking a rock.
Any mishandling would only further enrage the Body Sect. The tragic fate of the elder might well repeat itself for the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
This frustration and jealousy nearly turned Yu Yuanzhen's face red. He couldn't vent at the Body Sect, but it wasn't just about them anymore.
Yu Yuanzhen's cold gaze suddenly stabbed across at Ning Fengzhi, who wore an apologetic look.
"So, Sect Master Ning's daughter really did all the talking."
Every word Yu Yuanzhen spoke dripped with sarcasm.
"To put it lightly, my Blue Lightning Clan's Soul Douluo-level elder was injured. Such a 'clever tongue' is truly worthy of the eldest daughter of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan!"
Under Yu Yuanzhen's pointed rebuke, Ning Fengzhi's face grew even more bitter. He stood, solemnly bowed toward Yu Yuanzhen, and lowered his posture to its utmost.
"Thunder Douluo, please quell your anger. Rongrong was spoiled as a child and is stubborn by nature. This time, her inappropriate words caused such disaster and great loss to our clan. All of this is due to my own lack of strict discipline, and for that I am truly sorry."
"I am here on behalf of my daughter, and of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, to solemnly apologize to the Thunder Douluo and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and beg for your forgiveness."
Ning Fengzhi bowed with utmost sincerity, taking all responsibility for his daughter's childish ignorance and never mentioning Yu Tianheng's provocations or Yu Xiaogang's unreasonable theories, giving Yu Yuanzhen plenty of face.
Yu Yuanzhen, looking at the kneeling Ning Fengzhi, felt no joy in his heart, but rather his anger grew even stronger.
"Such a grand gift from Sect Master Ning is too much to bear!"
He snorted coldly, but did not back down.
"Will this gift restore my clan's abolished elder's spirit, or make up for the loss in our reputation and strength?"
"There are losses that an apology alone cannot recover, Sect Master Ning."
Ning Fengzhi straightened his back slowly, the apologetic expression never leaving his face. He knew that mere apologies were useless; real benefits had to be considered.
"Your Excellency speaks truly. Empty apologies cannot compensate for the clan's actual loss."
"To apologize and make amends, I will take the lead in transferring 10% of my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's commercial and trade interests in the Osway Kingdom to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan free of charge as compensation for this incident. How about that?"
As soon as Ning Fengzhi's words fell, not only Yu Yuanzhen but also the Xue Emperor and the resting Chen Xin all lifted their eyelids slightly.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, known as the "number one in the world," had a business network spanning the entire continent. Their holdings in the Osway Kingdom were deeply rooted and highly profitable. While 10% sounded like a lot, given the clan's scale, it was still a huge sum—enough to make countless powers jealous.
Yu Yuanzhen calculated quickly. What he wanted most were, of course, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's precious natural resources, as these could be directly converted into his clan's strength. But he also knew that old fox Ning Fengzhi would only part with what he could afford to lose. Even the two guardian Douluos of the clan, Sword and Bone, were said not to possess complete soul bones—how could real treasures be so easily handed over?
Moreover, the Blue Lightning Clan had lost Soul Douluos over the years and was not as strong as before. What could be gotten from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan was already the limit.
As Yu Yuanzhen weighed this, the Xue Emperor spoke at just the right moment, offering both parties a way forward.
"Clan Master Yu, Ning's daughter is still young and innocent. This time's mistake was truly unintentional, and she herself regrets it deeply."
"Sect Master Ning's apology is sincere, and the compensation offered shows great goodwill. The root causes are complicated, so for my sake, why not shake hands and reconcile?"
Yu Yuanzhen fell silent for a while, finally letting out a faint, resigned sigh as the anger and dissatisfaction in his heart dissipated, replaced by deep helplessness and fatigue.
He accepted, knowing that the ultimate cause lay with his own clan, and that getting 10% of the Osway Kingdom's business empire was the best possible result. Prolonging the dispute would only further isolate his family.
Seeing Yu Yuanzhen's attitude soften, Ning Fengzhi relaxed a little, and a hint of satisfaction flashed through Xue Ye's eyes.
At that moment, Tang Xiao suddenly spoke, breaking the easing atmosphere:
"Sect Master Ning, Clan Master Yu, Your Majesty—recently, the Strength Clan subordinate to my Clear Sky Sect was eradicated by members of the Body Sect, and the Speed Clan was then wiped out by Spirit Hall."
"These two incidents happened in quick succession, both extremely brutal. Doesn't that seem like too much of a coincidence?"
Tang Xiao glanced around at everyone.
"Beneath the seemingly calm waters of the soul master world, there are already undercurrents. It seems some unknown agreement has formed between certain powers."
"Turbulence... It is not far from our homes."
Hearing this, Chen Xin involuntarily opened his eyes and looked at Tang Xiao with a hint of sarcasm. Now, it was acknowledged that the Strength and Speed clans were subordinate to the Clear Sky Sect. Before the sect's closure, they were left to survive on their own—so why hadn't the sect master spoken up before?
He never realized how shameless Tang Xiao could be.
Ning Fengzhi quickly picked up the conversation, nodding solemnly.
"What Sect Master Tang said is exactly what I worry about. The rise of the Body Sect is unstoppable, and Spirit Hall is even more unfathomable."
"Either one could shake the mainland. If they are truly connected, it spells bad news for all our traditional sects."
Yu Yuanzhen frowned. In the past, his Blue Lightning Clan's conservative style might have kept him out of any "united front" talk. But things had changed. The incident at Qianfeng City had already pitted his clan directly against the Body Sect, and the seeds of hatred had been sown.
If he kept his distance now, he feared there would be no help when disaster struck.
The Xue Emperor saw all this, a trace of disdain flashing through his eyes. He had no interest in the schemes of the three clans. Ning Fengzhi wanted to draw in the Blue Lightning Clan, while Tang Xiao hoped to unite the three against potential threats—their intentions were clear.
But for the Heaven Dou Empire, the situation wasn't so bad. So far, the young sect master of the Body Sect, Chen Yi, appeared to have a close relationship with his own prince, Xue Qinghe. This was not a bad thing for the Empire—perhaps even a rare opportunity. For the three unstable clans, navigating these troubled waters alone was impossible.
Noting Ning Fengzhi and Tang Xiao's hints, Xue Ye took a sip of tea, not speaking.
Ning Fengzhi quickly caught the Emperor's indifference, but wasn't discouraged. One of his main objectives today was to promote greater unity among the three clans, so he pressed on.
"Your Majesty, Sect Master Tang, Clan Master Yu—the Body Sect has a genius like Chen Yi, and Spirit Hall has a new generation hero like Qian Renxue."
"Both sides have outstanding young leaders and are gaining momentum. If we want to reclaim our former glory, we must not show weakness but instead show our traditions and fresh spirit."
"Oh? What do you mean, Sect Master Ning?"
Xue Ye put down his teacup, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
Ning Fengzhi smiled slightly, looking around before settling his gaze on Xue Ye. His tone was sincere and solemn.
"As the saying goes, virtue does not shun kin. In fact, there is a great talent in the world whom I wish to recommend to Your Majesty."
"This person has faced ups and downs in life, but especially in the theory of martial spirits and soul master cultivation, his talent is unique. He can be called a 'Grandmaster'."
"If he could be employed by Your Majesty and the Empire, he would bring new ideas and vitality to our soul master world, and help us face future battles with the Body Sect and Spirit Hall with greater confidence and heritage."
"A great talent? A Grandmaster?"
Xue Ye raised his eyebrows, interest piqued.
"Who is this 'Grandmaster' you speak of, Sect Master Ning?"
Ning Fengzhi clasped his hands and said clearly:
"Grandmaster, Yu Xiaogang."
…
Next bonus chapter at 500 PS