Chapter 281: Taking Control of Heaven Dou (4K Combined)
BOOM!
The God of Death's sword descended with devastating force, striking directly at the forehead of Yu Yuanzhen's dragon form.
In that instant, cracks spread rapidly from the dragon's head. The massive body fractured piece by piece before finally shattering completely.
Yu Yuanzhen reverted to his true form and plummeted to the ground with a thunderous crash, creating a massive crater - devoid of any signs of life.
Yu Yuanzhen, the current patriarch of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, a 95th-ranked Titled Douluo bearing the title "Thunder," had met his end.
With Yu Yuanzhen dealt with, Xiao Yu left the battlefield to Dugu Bo and Aphrodite.
Xiao Yu was no bloodthirsty killer, but neither was he naive enough to show mercy where none was warranted. While there might have been innocents among the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, since they were destined to be enemies, complete eradication was the only solution.
Under the combined lethal toxins of Dugu Bo and Aphrodite, the entire Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan - even the corpses left behind by the Spirit Hall's attack - dissolved into pools of blood, leaving not a single trace behind.
...
"How dare they! The Spirit Hall has gone too far! What do they think they're doing? Do they truly believe the Heaven Dou Empire won't dare declare war?"
Within the imperial palace of Heaven Dou Empire, Emperor Xue Ye was so furious he nearly shattered the armrest of his dragon throne with a single slap.
Both the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had been powerful pillars supporting the empire.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's loyalty was unquestionable - they had firmly supported the empire since Xue Ye's days as crown prince, and their cooperation had only deepened after his ascension.
As for the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, though traditionally neutral, they had recently shown signs of leaning toward Heaven Dou.
Over a year ago, Yu Yuanzhen's eldest grandson Yu Tianheng had married Princess Xue Ying of the imperial family, with Emperor Xue Ye personally presiding over the wedding.
After the banquet, at Ning Fengzhi's invitation, Xue Ye and Yu Yuanzhen had enjoyed a pleasant discussion.
Now, with one great clan severely weakened and the other completely annihilated, Emperor Xue Ye's rage was mixed with deep fear.
His furious outburst served both to mask that fear and to ensure Ning Fengzhi's gratitude: "Mobilize the troops! Ge Long, immediately gather all imperial elite forces! I shall lead the expedition myself to punish the Spirit Hall and demand justice for the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan!"
Only a handful were present in the palace: Ning Fengzhi, who had narrowly escaped death; Xue Qinghe (actually Qian Renxue in disguise); Marshal Ge Long, the empire's top military commander; and a few other trusted aides.
As for a certain "Grandmaster" - without the halo of the so-called "Tang God King," Emperor Xue Ye couldn't care less about him.
Everyone present was sharp-witted. Even Ning Fengzhi, who had just survived his clan's near-destruction, couldn't help twitching at the emperor's obvious theatrics.
Qian Renxue cursed the old fool inwardly before stepping forward respectfully: "Father, please calm yourself. The Spirit Hall's power is at its peak - they control over 70% of the continent's spirit masters, and several subordinate kingdoms are already colluding with them. We must not act rashly."
Emperor Xue Ye glanced subtly at Ning Fengzhi: "How can I stay calm? Sect Master Ning has devoted himself to the empire, yet nearly died at the Spirit Hall's hands. If I do nothing, how can I face his fallen clansmen?"
Ning Fengzhi sighed inwardly. As a 79th-ranked Spirit Sage, how could he miss the emperor's transparent maneuvering? But with his clan weakened, he had no choice but to accept this "favor."
Suppressing his frustration, Ning Fengzhi said: "Your Majesty's kindness is appreciated. But now is not the time for open conflict. As His Highness said, the Spirit Hall's strength is overwhelming. Just this operation deployed at least four Titled Douluo against us, while simultaneously attacking two other factions. They likely have over ten Titled Douluo, tens of thousands of spirit masters, and allied kingdoms' armies. We cannot oppose them alone."
Seeing Ning Fengzhi accept his gesture, Emperor Xue Ye turned to the real threat: "Sect Master Ning, what do you suggest?"
...
Meanwhile, the target of their discussions - Spirit Hall's leader Pope Bibi Dong - was furious enough to explode, her face dark with rage.
A trembling red-robed bishop reported the Soul Hunting Operation's results: "5,000 spirit masters attacked Nine Stars Palace's Sunset Forest branch. The enemy detected us and counterattacked fiercely. We lost over 3,000, with the Third Elder and Elder Mad Rhino dead. The Fourth Elder had to call reinforcements to retreat.
10,000 attacked Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, breaching their defenses and killing 1,500 disciples at cost of 2,000 casualties.
8,000 stealthily attacked Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, eliminating all Soul Douluo-level experts except Yu Yuanzhen. But responding to the Fourth Elder's distress call forced premature withdrawal, leaving the mission incomplete. The Fifth Elder was severely injured during rescue and remains unconscious!"
"USELESS!" Bibi Dong exploded, crushing her teacup to dust. "Over 20,000 spirit masters, including eleven Titled Douluo and forty-plus Soul Douluo, launching surprise attacks - yet not one target fully eliminated? Are you all incompetent?!"
Only the Lion Doulro dared speak: "Your Holiness, we underestimated Nine Stars Palace. A mere branch housed six powerful Titled Douluo who suppressed our elders. Especially that Xiao Yu - barely twenty yet already a Titled Douluo with a divine spirit. His power far exceeded expectations. He killed the Third Elder and crippled the Fifth."
"What? Xiao Yu is already a Titled Douluo? And killed the Third Elder alone? Impossible!" Bibi Dong stood shocked. A Titled Douluo in his twenties was unheard of. Even she had only reached that level in her thirties through special means.
From Xiao Yu defeating two veteran elders, it was clear he was no ordinary newcomer. Could her de facto son-in-law now rival her?
Chrysanthemum Douluo confirmed: "It's true. Ghost and I saw him overpower the Fifth Elder with a spirit bone skill. Our Spirit Fusion barely restrained him long enough for rescue, yet he tore through it in seconds!"
"Could it be that her de facto son-in-law was now on the same level as her?"
"It's true, Your Holiness!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo spoke cautiously: "When Ghost and I arrived, we witnessed Xiao Yu using his right-arm spirit bone skill to overpower the Fifth Elder. We immediately activated our Spirit Fusion Skill to restrain him and barely managed to save the Fifth Elder. Yet in mere seconds, Xiao Yu tore through our fusion skill from the inside with sheer force!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo had long served as Bibi Dong's most trusted enforcers, representing the Spirit Hall in external affairs. Hearing Chrysanthemum Douluo's account, Bibi Dong fell into deep silence.
"Teacher!"
Just as the hall sank into stillness, Hu Liena—newly appointed as the Holy Maiden—pushed open the doors and bowed slightly. "We've just received new reports. With the Heaven Dou Empire's assistance, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan has relocated entirely to Heaven Dou City, while the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan... has been completely annihilated, with no survivors!"
"Impossible!"
The objection came from Lorda Yarla, one of the Spirit Hall's four Platinum Bishops and deputy commander of the operation against the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. With Light Feather Douluo critically injured, it fell to him to report the results.
Lorda Yarla shook his head firmly. "While we dealt a heavy blow to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, when we withdrew in response to the emergency signal, there should have been many survivors. Patriarch Yu Yuanzhen was struck by the Fifth Elder's arrow and only temporarily unconscious—not dead!"
"Yet the confirmed reports state otherwise," Hu Liena frowned. "The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan has been wiped out, their sect looted clean. The True Dragon Mountain area in particular was drenched in blood, with most corpses inexplicably dissolved into puddles. Only Yu Yuanzhen's body remained—impaled on a flagpole and hoisted atop the mountain peak!"
"If it wasn't us... then who did this?"
"Who else could it be?" Bibi Dong sneered. "The Nine Stars Palace is the only faction with such capability. That bastard Xiao Yu struck at the perfect moment. Now, the world will only blame us for the massacre, while he lurks in the shadows and steals the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's wealth accumulated over millennia!"
A trace of regret flashed in Bibi Dong's eyes.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had an ancient lineage—once one of the six founding families of the Spirit Hall before splitting off due to disagreements. Though their accumulated wealth couldn't compare to the business-savvy Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, it was still enough to make any major power covetous.
"Teacher, why would Xiao Yu target the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?" Hu Liena wondered. "Since we attacked all three factions simultaneously, shouldn't he be trying to ally with the remaining two against us?"
"Because his ambitions are no smaller than ours!" Bibi Dong's gaze turned icy. "If I'm not mistaken, he's also eyeing the Heaven Dou Empire. By eliminating powerful sects within its borders, he clears the path for his own rise. If Ning Fengzhi hadn't acted swiftly to relocate his clan to Heaven Dou City with imperial assistance, he would have met the same fate."
"Next, that traitorous daughter of mine will persuade Emperor Xue Ye to ally with the Nine Stars Palace against us, allowing Xiao Yu to infiltrate the empire's upper echelons. Once Xue Ye is removed, the two of them will jointly rule Heaven Dou!"
"Damn it!"
Bibi Dong cursed inwardly. Her meticulously planned Soul Hunting Operation had only paved the way for her ungrateful daughter and even more ungrateful son-in-law!
...
Heaven Dou Imperial Palace
As Bibi Dong had predicted, when Emperor Xue Ye sought Ning Fengzhi's counsel, the latter proposed uniting all factions opposed to the Spirit Hall.
Before Ning Fengzhi could finish, Qian Renxue (disguised as Xue Qinghe) eagerly pushed the Nine Stars Palace into the spotlight.
Emperor Xue Ye was intrigued—the Nine Stars Palace's strength was undeniable. Of the three factions the Spirit Hall had attacked simultaneously, only the Nine Stars Palace had repelled them decisively, forcing the Spirit Hall to send emergency reinforcements—indirectly allowing the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan to survive.
Though Ning Fengzhi avoided mentioning this to save face, the truth was undeniable—over two thousand Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan disciples had witnessed the Spirit Hall's abrupt retreat.
When Xue Qinghe proposed the Nine Stars Palace, Ning Fengzhi's expression darkened slightly. His original intention had been to draw Heaven Dou into an alliance with the Clear Sky Clan, Star Luo Empire, and Sea God Island. He hadn't expected Xue Qinghe to promote the Nine Stars Palace first.
Given the centuries-old enmity between Heaven Dou and Star Luo, Emperor Xue Ye and his court would never choose cooperation with Star Luo when the Nine Stars Palace was an option.
Ning Fengzhi shot Xue Qinghe a look of frustration. He regretted introducing Xue Qinghe to Xiao Yu—their relationship had only grown closer since, and though Xue Qinghe still addressed him as "teacher," Ning Fengzhi could clearly sense the growing distance.
This realization filled him with unease. Emperor Xue Ye's failing health meant Xue Qinghe would soon ascend the throne, likely relying even more heavily on the Nine Stars Palace. Would there still be a place for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan in Heaven Dou then?
No. Absolutely not.
Ning Fengzhi steeled his resolve.
He could not allow the Nine Stars Palace to gain influence in Heaven Dou.
(End of Chapter)
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