"As for taking over our Breaking Clan, you can forget about that pipe dream. You simply don't have what it takes."
Yang Yong treated his old friend, whom he hadn't seen in five years, as if he were just talking nonsense. Take over? Sure, their Breaking Clan had suffered heavy losses before, with nearly half their people killed in battle, but they still had 267 clan members remaining, including twenty powerhouses at Spirit King level and above.
Even if Ignaz had backing from some clan, trying to absorb their Breaking Clan would still come at a steep price.
What's more, Ignaz had come alone today. How could he possibly take over their Breaking Clan?
Seeing Yang Yong burst into laughter, Ignaz chuckled a few times as well. But in an instant, his expression turned deadly serious.
"Yang Yong, do I look like I'm joking? Is Elder Yang Wudi around? I need to discuss this matter with him face to face. It concerns not just me, but your clan's future development as well. Are you really content to live forever under Spirit Hall's oppression?"
"Of course not."
Looking at Ignaz's serious expression, Yang Yong's cheerful laughter vanished completely. He spoke decisively, "Alright, I'll go notify Grandfather and the other elders right away."
Soon after, everyone gathered in the main hall. Two Spirit Sages, three Spirit Emperors, and Yang Wudi took their seats according to seniority and strength.
When Yang Wudi and the others saw this somewhat unfamiliar Ignaz radiating Spirit King-level fluctuations, they were quite surprised.
"Young Ignaz, I never expected that after five years, you'd already become a Spirit King. You'll probably break through to Spirit Emperor before long, won't you?"
"Pretty much."
Hearing this, Yang Yong, standing beside Yang Wudi, looked absolutely shocked. He never imagined that this kid, whose spirit power had once matched his own, had now leaped ahead to Spirit King level, while he himself was still barely at level 42. There was simply no comparison.
Seeing that everyone had more or less arrived, Ignaz stood up from his seat at the far end and respectfully bowed to the Breaking Clan's elders.
"Clan Leader Yang, honored elders, the Breaking Clan's current predicament is partly my responsibility. If I hadn't killed all those Spirit Hall pursuers back then, the Spirit Hall bishop in Sky Star City wouldn't have taken his anger out on the Breaking Clan."
"What did you say? You killed that Spirit Grandmaster executor and six Spirit Masters?"
An elder beside them looked at Ignaz in great surprise. Though he'd long suspected that Ignaz might have been responsible, hearing this bombshell information directly from Ignaz's mouth still felt somewhat unbelievable.
They had all witnessed Ignaz's previous strength firsthand, but that had been a coordinated attack by a high-level Spirit Grandmaster and six high-level Spirit Masters. He'd managed to counter-kill them all?
Without waiting for questions, Ignaz continued, "Everyone, my purpose in visiting the Breaking Clan for the second time is to integrate the Breaking Clan and establish a new alliance to deal with all the crises that will emerge over the next twenty to thirty years."
The elders exchanged glances, then looked toward Yang Wudi.
"Big Brother, Spirit Hall has been oppressing our Breaking Clan too harshly these past two years. If this continues, our clan alone might not be able to hold on. An alliance isn't necessarily a bad idea."
Over these years, ever since that Spirit Hall executor was killed, that Miami bishop in Sky Star City had intensified his oppression of their Breaking Clan. In the past two years especially, he'd forbidden them from opening medicine shops within the city.
If not for their Breaking Clan's reputation in medicine-making attracting quite a few families and clans as customers, they would have been drinking the northwest wind long ago.
Though the direct cause of this whole affair was Ignaz, fundamentally it was still their Breaking Clan's grudge and had nothing to do with someone who'd simply come to buy medicine.
Hearing this suggestion, the elders all voiced their agreement, though they still looked toward Yang Wudi in the main seat—the clan leader was their Breaking Clan's true foundation.
Yang Wudi frowned, and after hesitating for a while, he asked, "Young Ignaz, don't talk to this old man about alliances. This is all your hidden clan's idea, isn't it? Our Breaking Clan has had enough of clan betrayals. Even if our family is destroyed, we absolutely will not join any clan."
Hearing this, Ignaz burst out laughing. He never expected that the Breaking Clan currently thought he was from some hidden clan. Their intelligence-gathering abilities were truly lacking.
"Kid, what are you laughing at? Are you looking down on this old man?"
If not for their relationship, Yang Wudi would have already made this disrespectful young Ignaz try out his latest developed poison.
Seeing this, Ignaz immediately suppressed his laughter and looked seriously at the Breaking Clan's decision-makers before him.
"No, no, no, I'm not mocking you. I understand your concerns. The Breaking Clan was established relying on the Clear Sky Clan, and because of the Clear Sky Clan, you've become what you are today. The debt between you and the Clear Sky Clan has been settled."
"As for me, I wasn't from a clan before, and I'm certainly not from one now. I want to establish my own alliance."
The Breaking Clan elders present heard these words with extremely grave expressions, especially the elder who had strongly supported the alliance idea earlier. Beyond surprise, he now wore a look of disgust.
"A kid without clan protection still wants to be a clan leader? Isn't that a bit too arrogant?"
"Who says I can't establish a force just because I don't have a clan behind me?"
Ignaz immediately pulled out a dark green token for everyone to see.
"I have a Poison Douluo backing me. If the Breaking Clan had a Titled Douluo presiding over it, your future situation would be completely different."
"Really? Is Dugu Bo truly your backer?"
Yang Wudi walked toward him with great confusion, then suddenly burst into laughter, saying with extreme envy, "I never expected you'd have such good fortune, kid. No wonder there were always rumors during the previous Spirit Master Tournament about a Spirit Grandmaster surnamed Cross appearing at Heaven Dou Royal Academy. It really was you!"
"Come, come, please take the main seat."
Yang Wudi pulled Ignaz by the hand to sit in the central main seat of the hall.
Though he'd never met Dugu Bo, he'd long heard through back channels about Heaven Dou Empire's Royal Academy hiding a secret weapon during the last Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament.
And that secret weapon was surnamed Cross. Combined with the token's information, there was no doubt that this young Ignaz had gained an even more powerful backing.
Before Ignaz could speak, Yang Wudi spoke first, "I agree to establishing the clan. Having a Titled Douluo's protection is exactly what I, Yang Wudi, have been hoping for. It's just that..."
As he spoke, Yang Wudi began to hesitate, swallowing back words that had reached the tip of his tongue.