Chapter 224: Tang Xiao

Yang Xiong didn't even know how to get back home; he felt that the two teachers each displayed a different side, which left him utterly stunned.

As the founder of the Body Sect, it seemed almost too natural for him to have established it, and he had never considered the various things that might arise.

Especially in the future, the internal affairs of the Body Sect will become tangled and complex; leaving it to the next Sect Leader would be a huge burden and a very troublesome problem.

Just as Yang Xiong was lost in thought, Lin Gong arrived at his house.

Lin Gong, seeing Yang Xiong's bewildered expression for the first time, couldn't help but say, "Xiao Xiong, what's wrong with you? You seem more troubled than this old man."

Yang Xiong remained silent for a long while before finally voicing the worries in his heart.

Upon hearing this, Lin Gong wore a look as if staring at an idiot, his eyes full of contempt.

"You little Xiongzi, what on earth are you thinking? In the Body Sect, whether it's me or Yang Wudi and the others, those willing to follow you have entrusted their lives and even their families' fates to you—how could someone like you be so reckless?"

"Whether as a Soul Grandmaster or as the head of a top‑tier sect, what are you really thinking? What is your goal? Do you wish the Body Sect to endure for ten thousand ages, or for your descendants to dominate the world, or perhaps what realm you yourself aim to reach?"

"Compared with that, Yang Wudi and his group simply hope their family gets a solid backing and a good cultivation environment, so that even if anomalies occur, the lineage can continue."

Hearing this, Yang Xiong suddenly seemed to have an epiphany.

The sect has only just been founded; why overthink it now?

As for Yang Xiong's path as a Soul Grandmaster, his aim is not the so‑called Limit Douluo but to become a god at the Hundred Level.

If he can reach Hundred‑Level divinity, he will have an eternal lifespan; whether it concerns his descendants or the sect, aren't those all under his control? Aren't those just incidental?

Seeing Yang Xiong return to normal, Lin Gong finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Xiao Xiong, what plans do you have for the Body Sect's relocation, and how much longer must we wait?"

After thinking carefully, Yang Xiong replied, "I still need to wait for someone at the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, then inform Niu Gao and Bai He; the Min Clan and Yu Yi Zu can dispatch some troops to occupy Thunderclap Gorge early and begin planning the sect's layout."

"Furthermore, the cooperation with the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect needs to be renegotiated; the Body Sect will allocate at most a quarter of its manpower and resources to that partnership, and the more important task now is establishing our own sect."

"The Thunderclap Gorge location is not simple; many are watching, even the Spirit Hall is observing from the shadows. We are now mortal enemies of the Spirit Hall, so we must be especially cautious, lest we give the Spirit Hall an opening."

Lin Gong showed a hint of doubt: "The Spirit Hall has gone through two consecutive great wars; do they still have the energy to meddle in our Body Sect's affairs? I'm afraid they no longer have that many elites."

Yang Xiong shook his head: "The Spirit Hall still has top talents. The Thousand‑Weight Douluo and Demon‑Subduing Douluo that appeared in the Tian Dou Gong Dian are the Sixth and Seventh Great Supplicants of the Spirit Hall, and there are five Great Supplicants before them—that's the true foundation of the Spirit Hall. We must always guard against the Spirit Hall acting rashly."

After speaking, Yang Xiong seemed to recall something and immediately produced two Storage Soul Guide Devices from his body.

"Lin Teacher, although the Body Sect and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect will continue to cooperate and remain an Offensive and Defensive Alliance, we cannot rely too heavily on the latter economically or resource‑wise; we need our own means of earning."

"Take these resources and use them; they should be enough to support the sect's establishment."

After a discussion with Lin Gong, Yang Xiong immediately summoned all the elders of the Body Sect for a lengthy meeting, covering task assignments, resource allocations, and even plans for Thunderclap Gorge.

The others were surprised to see the Soul Guidance Devices Yang Xiong produced; they hadn't expected him to suddenly be so wealthy, nor that he could persuade the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect to let most of the Body Sect's forces withdraw while still maintaining cooperation—truly astonishing.

After waiting several days, indeed a towering figure appeared at the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.

The person was clad in black, even his head concealed, appearing extremely tall and massively built, his skin the hue of ancient bronze, looking incredibly formidable.

When Yang Xiong arrived at Ning Fengzhi's location, both Ning Fengzhi and the Sword Bone Douluo looked exceedingly solemn, and Ning Rongrong sat very seriously beside Ning Fengzhi.

After Yang Xiong sat down, the newcomer shed his black robe, revealing a middle‑aged man with a full beard and a resolutely rugged appearance.

Ning Fengzhi introduced, "Yang Xiong, this is Tang Xiao, Sect Leader of the Clear Sky Sect, a world‑renowned Clear Sky Douluo."

Yang Xiong quickly replied, "Honored to meet you, senior Clear Sky Douluo."

Tang Xiao nodded, "Indeed, heroes emerge in youth; Xiao Xiong, you should know my purpose."

At that moment, although Tang Xiao merely sat upright, an extremely resolute aura radiated from him like a mountain.

Tang Xiao and the Sword Douluo are both Level 97 Title Douluo, yet their auras differ completely; the Sword Douluo's aura is razor‑sharp like a blade, while Tang Xiao's is steadier, embodying unparalleled strength.

Yang Xiong smiled, "Having the Clear Sky Douluo visit in person, I naturally understand your purpose, but concerning the grand affairs of the Soul Master World, I hope the Clear Sky Douluo will grant me one condition."

Tang Xiao's face darkened, "Do you intend to use this information to blackmail my Clear Sky Sect? My Clear Sky Sect will never negotiate with anyone, let alone submit to anyone."

Yang Xiong shook his head, "Senior, you're overthinking it; I merely hope the Clear Sky Sect will rise again, which is precisely what your sect has always pursued, right?"

After a pause, Tang Xiao spoke, "The Clear Sky Sect has an agreement with the Spirit Hall not to emerge; breaking it would void the pact, and the Clear Sky Sect would then incur the Spirit Hall's wrath."

Yang Xiong laughed, "Given the current situation, who still cares about that old pact? The Spirit Hall has repeatedly attacked the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan; the former is severely damaged, the latter annihilated. If the Clear Sky Sect still stays hidden now, allowing the Spirit Hall to run amok, they will eventually dominate the entire Soul Master World."

"If it comes to that point, the Clear Sky Sect will no longer need to consider emerging; they will be confined to your Zu Di for the rest of their lives."

Tang Xiao shook his head, "Whether the Clear Sky Sect emerges is for us to decide; we don't need an outsider's opinion. Are you trying to use that information to blackmail my Clear Sky Sect?"

Yang Xiong replied, "Of course not; even if the Clear Sky Sect stays hidden, we will still pass this information to you. Whether you can act on it is your own matter."

"By the way, I can also give you an additional piece of information; you might find it even more interesting."

Tang Xiao's expression darkened, "Do you have any news more important than my grandfather's position?"

Yang Xiong shook his head, "Tang Chen's information might be important, but the news I bring is even more crucial, possibly explaining why your Clear Sky Sect has fallen to this state."

"'What exactly is the information you speak of, and why does it relate to the current condition of our Clear Sky Sect?' Tang Xiao asked, a hint of doubt in his voice."

Yang Xiong's expression grew solemn, "As everyone knows, the great war between your Clear Sky Sect and the Spirit Hall originated when Clear Sky Douluo Tang Hao killed the former Pope Qian Xunji, but what if the whole affair was a conspiracy?"

Tang Xiao was startled, "Yang Xiong, what are you saying? What do you know? Could there be hidden truths about those events?"

Yang Xiong nodded, "I have recently obtained some information and new deductions. Back then, Tang Hao faced the Spirit Hall's former Pope Qian Xunji, who led two Title Douluo in an assault. Tang Hao fought valiantly, using the Clear Sky Hammer to defeat the two Title Douluo and severely wound Qian Xunji."

"After returning to the Spirit Hall, it took over a month for news of Qian Xunji's fatal injuries to emerge. Considering the Spirit Hall's strength, they have many Healing System Soul Saints; how could a wound be so severe that even a month of treatment couldn't save him? Even Tang Hao might not have considered this."

Tang Xiao's face grew extremely grim, "What are you trying to say? Could there be another hidden aspect to this matter?"

Yang Xiong smiled, "The issue is simple: Tang Hao only gravely injured Qian Xunji; the actual killing was done by other members inside the Spirit Hall."

"Otherwise, considering Qian Daoliu's strength back then, it would be impossible for his sole son to be slain by others without him taking personal vengeance."

"And the Spirit Hall skillfully exploited Qian Xunji's death; using the death of a Pope to drag the entire Clear Sky Sect into the water, launching a massive hunt on the then‑radiant Clear Sky Douluo, even forcing the Clear Sky Sect into seclusion with their strength. From start to finish, the Spirit Hall, aside from losing a severely wounded Pope, actually gained tremendous benefits, and has rapidly developed over the past twenty years."

Both Tang Xiao, Ning Fengzhi, and the others were shocked; they hadn't expected Yang Xiong to say such things, knowing that the Clear Sky Sect was once the Number One Sect Under Heaven, far stronger than the current Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.

Tang Xiao shouted angrily, "That's impossible; you're deliberately spreading falsehoods to pit our Clear Sky Sect against the Spirit Hall."

Yang Xiong shook his head, "Do I need to speak nonsense? Your Clear Sky Sect and the Spirit Hall have long been arch‑enemies; why would I fabricate such a scenario?"

"Moreover, whether Tang Hao killed Qian Xunji, you can simply ask Tang Hao about the battlefield situation back then."

Tang Xiao's face turned ashen, "Qian Xunji is Qian Daoliu's only son; Qian Daoliu would never allow anyone else to kill him."

Yang Xiong shook his head: "Others might not, but what about Bibidong? Bibidong could be called the biggest beneficiary of that incident back then, and Bibidong and Qian Xunji also have a daughter, who is Qian Renxue of this Heaven Dou Palace Coup."

"Over these years you should all have some understanding of Bibidong's way of acting; this person is not only extremely domineering in dealing with others, but also very ruthless. In order to boost the Spirit Hall's strength, one could say he spares no means."

"The Spirit Hall back then could be said to have been fairly just and strict, but after many years of development under Bibidong, the Spirit Hall, apart from ambition and covering up corruption, has lost all of its former appearance. You should have also heard of the current Spirit Hall personnel's lawless behavior; all of that is tacitly approved by Bibidong."

……

After hearing Yang Xiong's description, everyone fell into silence; all of Yang Xiong's reasoning was very clear, even supported by some evidence, and everything indicated that Tang Hao's killing of Qian Xunji back then was not that simple.

Tang Xiao remained silent for a long while before speaking: "I will of course consult Brother Hao about the events of those years; what I want to know now is the whereabouts of my grandfather."

"If we can confirm that the Spirit Hall was a conspiracy back then, and also determine my grandfather's whereabouts, the Clear Sky Sect will truly emerge and make the Spirit Hall pay for its deeds of that time."

Yang Xiong nodded: "Of course, the Spirit Hall owes the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect thousands of lives, and owes the Clear Sky Sect even more."

"Actually, I have occasionally uncovered Tang Chen's exact location, and even Tang Hao should have seen him; that person is none other than the Killing King of the Killing City."

Tang Xiao instantly shouted angrily: "Kid, don't slander our Clear Sky Sect; my grandfather is upright and proper, how could he be the kind of indiscriminately evil person that the Killing King is?"

Yang Xiong shook his head: "The world is unpredictable; I only learn of this occasionally. If you have doubts, you can simply have Tang Hao verify it; Tang Hao should be able to come and go from the Killing City at will."

(End of Chapter)