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Yang Xiong didn't even know how he returned home. The two sides of his teachers that were revealed left him utterly shocked.
As the founder of the Body Sect, creating the sect seemed almost too natural for him. He hadn't considered the various potential challenges he might face.
Especially in the future, the internal affairs of the Body Sect would become intricate and complex. Passing this enormous responsibility to the next sect leader would be a huge burden and an incredibly difficult challenge.
While Yang Xiong was lost in deep thought, Lin Gong arrived at his residence.
This was the first time Lin Gong had seen Yang Xiong in such a state of confusion. Unable to help himself, he asked, "Xiao Xiong, what's troubling you? It seems your worries are more than those of us old folks."
After a long silence, Yang Xiong finally voiced his concerns.
Lin Gong looked at him as if he were an idiot, his eyes filled with disdain.
"You little bear, what on earth are you thinking about? In the Body Sect, whether it's me or Yang Wudi and the others, we've entrusted our lives and the fate of our families to you. How can you think so irresponsibly?"
"Whether as a soul master or as the leader of a top-tier sect, what exactly are you thinking about? What is your goal? Do you want the Body Sect to last for eternity, or do you want your descendants to dominate the world, or even achieve some ultimate realm for yourself?"
"Compared to all that, Yang Wudi and the others just hope their families will have a strong backing and a good cultivation environment. Even if something unexpected happens, they can still ensure their legacy continues."
Upon hearing this, Yang Xiong suddenly felt enlightened.
The sect had only just begun. Why worry so much now?
Moreover, Yang Xiong's goal on the path of soul masters wasn't to become a Limit Douluo but to ascend to godhood at level 100.
If he could achieve godhood at level 100, he would gain eternal life. Whether it was his descendants or the sect, wouldn't everything be under his control? Wouldn't these things simply be side benefits?
Seeing that Yang Xiong had regained his composure, Lin Gong finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Xiao Xiong, what are your plans regarding the relocation of the Body Sect? How much longer do we need to wait?"
After careful consideration, Yang Xiong responded, "I still need to wait for someone at the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. Inform Niu Gao and Bai He that the Agility Clan and Defense Clan can send part of their forces to occupy Thunderclap Gorge ahead of time and begin planning for the sect's establishment."
"In addition, we need to renegotiate our cooperation with the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. The Body Sect can commit at most one-fourth of its manpower and resources to the partnership. Moving forward, the priority is the establishment of our own sect."
"The location of Thunderclap Gorge is not simple. Many people are likely watching it, including the Spirit Hall. We are already mortal enemies with the Spirit Hall, so we must be extremely cautious. Otherwise, the Spirit Hall may exploit any weaknesses."
Lin Gong's face showed a hint of confusion: "The Spirit Hall has gone through two major battles consecutively. Do they still have the energy to interfere in the affairs of our Body Sect? I doubt they have many experts left."
Yang Xiong shook his head: "The Spirit Hall still has experts. The Qian Jun Douluo and Subduing Demon (Jiang Mo) Douluo who appeared during the Tian Dou Palace incident are actually the sixth and seventh Worships of the Spirit Hall. There are still five Worships above them—those are the true backbone of the Spirit Hall. We must always be prepared for the Spirit Hall to act out of desperation."
After saying this, Yang Xiong suddenly remembered something and took out two storage-type soul tools from his body.
"Teacher Lin, although our Body Sect and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect will continue to cooperate and remain allies, we cannot rely too heavily on the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect economically or resource-wise. We need our own means of generating income."
"Use these resources for now—they should be enough to cover the establishment of the sect."
After communicating with Lin Gong, Yang Xiong immediately convened all the elders of the Body Sect for a long discussion. This included task assignments, resource distribution, and even arrangements regarding Thunderclap Gorge.
When everyone saw the soul tools Yang Xiong brought out, they were astonished. They hadn't expected Yang Xiong to suddenly become so wealthy, nor did they expect him to convince the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect to let most of the Body Sect's forces leave while maintaining cooperation. This was truly incredible.
After waiting for several days, sure enough, an extremely tall figure appeared at the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
The person was dressed in black, their head completely covered. They appeared extraordinarily tall and muscular, with skin like ancient bronze, exuding immense strength.
When Yang Xiong arrived at Ning Fengzhi's place, both Ning Fengzhi and Jian & Gu Douluo looked unusually serious. Ning Rongrong sat beside Ning Fengzhi, her expression equally solemn.
After Yang Xiong sat down, the visitor removed their black robe, revealing the image of a middle-aged man with a full beard, looking incredibly resolute.
Ning Fengzhi introduced him: "Yang Xiong, this is Tang Xiao, the leader of the Hao Tian Sect and the renowned Xiao Tian Douluo."
Yang Xiong quickly said, "Greetings, Senior Xiao Tian Douluo."
Tang Xiao nodded: "Indeed, heroes emerge from the young. Yang Xiong, you must know my purpose for coming."
At this moment, though Tang Xiao merely sat there, he exuded an extremely firm and imposing aura, like a towering mountain.
Both Tang Xiao and Sword Douluo were 97th-level Title Douluos, but their auras were completely different. Sword Douluo's presence was sharp, like a sword, while Tang Xiao's was more steady, symbolizing unparalleled strength.
Yang Xiong smiled: "Since Senior Xiao Tian Douluo has personally visited, I naturally understand your intentions. However, concerning the overall situation of the soul master world, I hope Senior Xiao Tian Douluo can agree to one condition."
Tang Xiao's expression darkened: "Are you trying to use this information to manipulate my Hao Tian Sect? Our Hao Tian Sect does not negotiate with anyone, nor do we submit to anyone."
Yang Xiong shook his head: "Senior, you're overthinking this. I merely hope the Hao Tian Sect will reemerge. Isn't this something your sect has always pursued?"
Tang Xiao remained silent for a moment before speaking: "Our sect made an agreement with the Spirit Hall not to reemerge. If we break this agreement, the consequences will fall upon us. The Hao Tian Sect will bear the wrath of the Spirit Hall."
Yang Xiong chuckled: "What kind of situation are we in now? Who cares about that old agreement? The Spirit Hall has continuously attacked the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect has been severely weakened, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan has been destroyed. If the Hao Tian Sect doesn't step forward now and allows the Spirit Hall to continue its reckless actions, sooner or later, they'll unify the entire soul master world."
"If that happens, the Hao Tian Sect won't have the chance to reemerge. You'll be trapped in your ancestral lands for the rest of your lives."
Tang Xiao shook his head: "Whether the Hao Tian Sect reemerges is our decision. We don't need outsiders telling us what to do. Are you trying to use this information to manipulate my sect?"
Yang Xiong replied: "Of course not. Even if the Hao Tian Sect doesn't reemerge, I'll still share this information with you. Whether you can act on it is up to you."
"By the way, I can offer another piece of information that might interest you even more."
Tang Xiao's expression darkened: "What information could be more important than my grandfather's whereabouts?"
Yang Xiong shook his head: "The news about Tang Chen might be important, but the information I'm offering is even more critical. It directly relates to why your Hao Tian Sect has fallen into its current state."
"What do you mean? How does this relate to our current situation?" Tang Xiao now looked puzzled.
Yang Xiong's expression turned serious: "It's well known that the conflict between your Hao Tian Sect and the Spirit Hall stemmed from Tang Hao killing the previous Pope, Qian Xunji. But what if this entire event was a conspiracy from start to finish?"
Tang Xiao was shocked: "Yang Xiong, what are you talking about? What do you know? Was there some hidden truth behind the events of those years?"
Yang Xiong nodded: "I've recently obtained some information and drawn new conclusions. Back then, Tang Hao was ambushed by Qian Xunji, the former Pope of the Spirit Hall, along with two Title Douluos. Tang Hao fought bravely, relying on the might of the Hao Tian Hammer to defeat the two Title Douluos and severely wound Qian Xunji."
"After Qian Xunji returned to the Spirit Hall, it took over a month for news of his death due to severe injuries to spread. Have you ever considered this: with the Spirit Hall's capabilities, they have many healing-type Soul Sages. What kind of injury could take a month of continuous treatment to result in death? Perhaps even Tang Hao never considered this question."
Tang Xiao's expression turned grim: "What are you implying? Is there more to this matter involving Brother Hao?"
Yang Xiong smiled: "The issue is quite simple. Tang Hao only severely wounded Qian Xunji. The one who truly killed Qian Xunji was not Tang Hao but someone else within the Spirit Hall."
"Otherwise, with Qian Daoliu's strength back then, how could he allow his only son to be killed without seeking revenge himself?"
"And the Spirit Hall skillfully exploited Qian Xunji's death. With the death of a Pope, they dragged the entire Hao Tian Sect into the conflict, launching a massive hunt for the once-dominant Tang Hao. They even forced the Hao Tian Sect into seclusion using their overwhelming power. From start to finish, aside from losing a severely injured Pope, the Spirit Hall gained immense benefits and rapidly developed over the past twenty years."
Whether it was Tang Xiao, Ning Fengzhi, or the others, their faces were filled with shock. They never expected Yang Xiong to say such things. After all, back then, the Hao Tian Sect was the number one sect in the world, far surpassing the current Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect in strength.
Tang Xiao roared furiously: "Impossible! You're deliberately spreading lies to make the Hao Tian Sect enemies with the Spirit Hall!"
Yang Xiong shook his head: "Why would I lie? Aren't the Hao Tian Sect and the Spirit Hall already mortal enemies? Why would I fabricate such a situation?"
"As for whether Tang Hao killed Qian Xunji, you can simply ask Tang Hao about the details of that battlefield."
Tang Xiao's face turned ashen: "Qian Xunji was Qian Daoliu's only son. Qian Daoliu wouldn't allow anyone else to kill Qian Xunji."
Yang Xiong shook his head: "Others might not, but what about Bibi Dong? Bibi Dong was arguably the biggest beneficiary of that incident. Moreover, Bibi Dong and Qian Xunji had a daughter—none other than Qian Renxue, who orchestrated the recent coup in the Tian Dou Palace."
"Over the years, you should have some understanding of Bibi Dong's behavior. This person is extremely domineering and ruthless in dealing with others. To enhance the Spirit Hall's strength, they've stopped at nothing."
"Back then, the Spirit Hall could still be considered fair and just. But after Bibi Dong's years of development, the Spirit Hall has become nothing but a den of ambition and corruption. You've probably heard of the rampant misconduct of the Spirit Hall's current members—all of which Bibi Dong tacitly approves."
…
After hearing Yang Xiong's explanation, everyone fell into silence. All of Yang Xiong's reasoning was clear and backed by evidence. Everything pointed to the fact that Tang Hao killing Qian Xunji wasn't as straightforward as it seemed.
Tang Xiao remained silent for a long time before speaking: "I'll naturally confirm the events of those years with Brother Hao. For now, I want to know the whereabouts of my grandfather."
"If we can confirm that the Spirit Hall orchestrated a conspiracy back then and determine my grandfather's location, the Hao Tian Sect will truly reemerge and make the Spirit Hall pay for its past actions."
Yang Xiong nodded: "Of course. The Spirit Hall owes the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect thousands of lives, and it owes the Hao Tian Sect even more."
"In fact, I discovered Tang Chen's specific location by chance. Even Tang Hao should have met him. That person is none other than the King of Slaughter from the City of Slaughter."
Tang Xiao roared angrily: "Boy, don't slander our Hao Tian Sect! My grandfather is upright and honorable. How could he possibly be someone as evil as the King of Slaughter?"
Yang Xiong shook his head: "The world is unpredictable. I learned this by chance. If you're suspicious, you can simply have Tang Hao confirm it. Tang Hao should be able to enter and exit the City of Slaughter freely."
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