Chapter 335: Undercurrents Surge
"Since the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan is fine, we can leave them aside for now."
Bibi Dong waved her hand, signaling for the Eighth Elder to withdraw. Then she turned her gaze to Gui Mei and Tuoba Xi, who were standing quietly nearby. Her brows drew together slightly as she asked, "What about the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan? Is their situation that complicated?"
Although Gui Mei's face was always blurred because of his Martial Soul, that effect was only significant against Spirit Masters below the Titled Douluo level.
Bibi Dong's cultivation far exceeded Gui Mei's, so she could naturally see that his face was dark and tense, as if he might explode at the slightest spark.
"Your Holiness," Gui Mei said, "it has now been confirmed that Yue Guan is dead. The killer is the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan!"
"Yue Guan is dead?" Bibi Dong had already expected this outcome, so she was not particularly surprised. Hearing Gui Mei's words, she immediately asked, "And the killer was the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan? Do you have proof?"
If she could obtain evidence that the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had killed Yue Guan, then Bibi Dong could use that as a reason to move openly against them.
As for the fact that Spirit Hall had first sent Yue Guan out to intercept and kill an Elder of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, what if the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan tried to claim that Yue Guan had attacked first?
If that happened, Bibi Dong would simply deny it outright and say the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had deliberately conspired to kill Yue Guan.
In terms of influence, even though the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was one of the Upper Three Sects, it still could not compare to Spirit Hall. If both sides released conflicting statements, most Spirit Masters would still choose to believe Spirit Hall.
That would allow her to move against the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan openly and with justification, without having to wait for the Soul Hunting Operation.
If she could seize this chance to deal with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan ahead of time, then when the Soul Hunting Operation began, she could concentrate more power on the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, greatly improving the odds of success.
The moment she heard Gui Mei's words, all of these thoughts flashed through Bibi Dong's mind.
However, when faced with her question, Gui Mei hesitated and said awkwardly, "Although we are certain that Yue Guan died at the hands of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, we did not obtain any direct evidence..."
"No evidence?" Bibi Dong's brows immediately furrowed. "If there is no evidence, how can you be so certain?"
Good heavens. If there was no evidence, was Gui Mei simply convinced that the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was the culprit because of his own assumptions?
That was not impossible. After all, Yue Guan's death had been a huge blow to Gui Mei. Perhaps he had simply decided in his heart that the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was responsible.
At that moment, Tuoba Xi suddenly stepped forward and said, "Your Holiness, this matter is rather complicated. Allow me to explain."
Gui Mei did not react at all to Tuoba Xi stepping in to speak for him, which was essentially tacit approval.
Bibi Dong was slightly surprised by this, but still said, "Very well. Tuoba Xi, explain everything in detail."
Tuoba Xi gathered his thoughts, organized his words, and then carefully recounted everything that had happened during their trip.
They had first visited the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan in a normal manner. Then, a hidden spy on their side had suddenly revealed himself inside the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Just as he was about to reveal information related to Chrysanthemum Douluo, Yu Tianlin had silenced him on the spot. After that, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had shown clear killing intent, and he had quickly retreated together with Ghost Douluo, and so on.
"So that is how it was. It does indeed confirm that Chrysanthemum Douluo died at the hands of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. It is only a pity that you failed to secure any proof." After listening to Tuoba Xi's account, Bibi Dong fell into thought for a moment before nodding in approval. "Tuoba Xi, you handled this matter well. You judged the situation correctly and managed to retreat from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan while still bringing back information about Chrysanthemum Douluo."
"I do not dare claim any credit, Your Holiness," Tuoba Xi said respectfully. "Our Sacred Dragon Sect is a part of Spirit Hall. This is merely what I ought to do."
Bibi Dong was naturally very satisfied with Tuoba Xi's attitude. If even half, or even one-tenth, of the Upper Three Sects had been as obedient as Tuoba Xi, there would have been no need for her to launch the Soul Hunting Operation in the first place.
"Very well. You may all withdraw."
Now that she had received the reports from all three groups, Bibi Dong had a clear grasp of the overall situation. She signaled that Gui Mei and Tuoba Xi could leave as well.
However, after noticing Gui Mei's state, Bibi Dong still offered a few words of consolation. "I also deeply regret Elder Yue Guan's death. It is unfortunate that no evidence was obtained, otherwise we could have moved directly against the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. But even without proof, it does not matter. Spirit Hall will avenge Elder Yue Guan."
What could Gui Mei say in response? He could not blame anyone else. He had personally gone to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and still failed to obtain evidence. That was simply how things had turned out.
Besides, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was already destined to be destroyed in the Soul Hunting Operation. In that sense, Yue Guan would still be avenged.
Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, just wait.
And Yu Yuanzhen, Yu Luomian... when the Soul Hunting Operation begins, I will deal with you personally.
With that thought in mind, Gui Mei and Tuoba Xi bowed to Bibi Dong and withdrew from the Supreme Pontiff Palace.
Once the Supreme Pontiff Palace had emptied out, Bibi Dong fell into contemplation.
The matter of Chrysanthemum Douluo had already alerted the enemy. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan might still be in the dark, but the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan must now be on full alert, and that would inevitably create some trouble for the Soul Hunting Operation.
But it did not matter.
So what if the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had become vigilant? In the face of absolute power, vigilance alone meant nothing.
No matter what measures the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan took, they still only had two Titled Douluo. How many Titled Douluo did Spirit Hall have? At worst, she would simply dispatch a few more Titled Douluo during the Soul Hunting Operation. Crushing the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan would still be easy.
What was more important was that the preparations for the Soul Hunting Operation had to be accelerated. If it dragged on too long, unexpected changes might arise.
Bibi Dong quickly made several decisions in her mind.
Thus, with Yue Guan's death as the fuse, all the major forces began to move.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan had already learned of the Soul Hunting Operation. Both sides were now quietly preparing, gathering strength while waiting for Spirit Hall to come.
Spirit Hall, meanwhile, knew that Yue Guan's death had already put the enemy on guard, so it also began doing everything possible to speed up the operation and avoid new complications from arising.
At the same time, the Four Single Attribute Clans, which had once been subordinate to the Clear Sky Sect, had also united and moved to Heaven Dou Imperial City to establish a new clan.
No one yet knew what kind of impact that new force would have on the coming Soul Hunting Operation.
.....
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