The tense atmosphere eased slightly as Titan and Talon spotted Ma Hongjun at a glance.
"Fatty, after being apart for over ten days, I didn't expect we'd run into each other here."
"Talon, I didn't expect to meet you here either."
At this moment, Bai He had originally wanted to chase this uninvited fatty out of the estate, but seeing Talon's familiarity with him, he decided to let it slide.
"Grandpa Bai, let me introduce you—this is my good brother Ma Hongjun, also my comrade from the Soul Master Tournament."
Talon glanced at Bai Chenxiang, who looked thoroughly displeased, and quickly pieced together that the two had had some previous disagreement. He immediately spoke up to defend Ma Hongjun:
"Chenxiang, don't judge him by his looks. He's actually a good person, and his martial soul is extremely rare—an elite Beast-type: the Fire Phoenix."
"What? Fire Phoenix?"
Before Bai Chenxiang could react, Bai He's eyes widened in shock. The Phoenix martial soul was the king of all bird-type martial souls, and the Fire Phoenix specifically originated from the Fire Phoenix Sect, which had been wiped out centuries ago.
According to the ancestral records of the Speed Clan, their ancestors were once ordinary outer disciples of the Fire Phoenix Sect. Back then, the sect could rally over 20,000 Soul Masters—stronger than the Clear Sky Sect even at its peak.
All disciples of the Fire Phoenix Sect had bird-type martial souls, and a thousand of them were direct-line disciples awakening Phoenix-class martial souls. These weren't ordinary birds with Phoenix bloodlines—they were true Phoenixes. The sect's strength rivaled that of the Soul Hall itself.
If it weren't for internal crises in the Fire Phoenix Sect and the overhunting of Phoenix-type spirit beasts—which caused some Five Soul inheritances to be lost, giving the Soul Hall an opening—the top sect of the world today wouldn't be the Clear Sky Sect. Even the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Sect would have had to bow to the Fire Phoenix Sect.
After the Fire Phoenix Sect fell, the newly rising Clear Sky Sect, founded by a blacksmith, inherited only a fraction of its legacy, giving rise to the Clear Sky Hammer and the imposing Clear Sky Sect we know today. During this period, the Bai family also gradually developed, eventually forming the modest Speed Clan.
Bai He never expected that in his lifetime, he would witness the legendary Fire Phoenix martial soul—once the symbol of the Fire Phoenix Sect's thousand-year legacy—flapping its fiery wings before his eyes. It was clear Ma Hongjun's background was extraordinary, likely the last surviving direct bloodline of the Fire Phoenix Sect.
"Child, may I ask where you come from?"
Bai He looked at Ma Hongjun with the excitement of a man who had found his own son.
"I'm an orphan. Before awakening my martial soul, I lived in Phoenix Village in the southwest of the Barak Kingdom. Why do you ask—do you know about my background?"
"Do you happen to have a red feather marking on your body?"
Ma Hongjun's eyes widened in shock. He stared at Bai He, nodded vigorously, and pulled down the skin on his left rear shoulder to reveal a small red feather pattern.
At this moment, Bai He was ecstatic.
"Child, you're remarkable. Would you humble yourself and join the Speed Clan as my grandson-in-law?"
The words stunned everyone. Bai He's sudden change in attitude was shocking, and Bai Chenxiang on his right was clearly displeased:
"Grandpa, this annoying fatty has been bothering me, making me uncomfortable. Why would you make him your grandson-in-law?"
"We'll discuss that later. With Ma Hongjun's martial soul, his future achievements could rival a Title Douluo."
Bai He hadn't revealed everything in front of the others. Although their ancestors were only ordinary outer disciples of the Fire Phoenix Sect, they still knew some of the cultivation methods for Fire Phoenixes and other Phoenix variants. Moreover, the ancestor had once said that if a direct-line disciple of the Fire Phoenix Sect could be married into the clan, the Speed Clan's Sharp-tailed Swift martial soul might undergo a beneficial mutation, erasing their clan's long-standing weakness in attack.
Bai He also hoped that if Ma Hongjun married a suitable girl from the clan, their descendants might awaken one or two Fire Phoenix martial souls. In this way, the Speed Clan could eliminate its greatest weakness in the shortest time and be reborn stronger. Bai Chenxiang, as the future heir of the Speed Clan, was the perfect candidate for this plan.
Although Bai Chenxiang was his beloved granddaughter, her individual desires were insignificant compared to the future of the Speed Clan. And Bai He wasn't exactly selling her off—after all, Ma Hongjun was just a son-in-law by marriage.
Ma Hongjun, after being stunned for a minute or two by the proposal, finally nodded.
"Thank you for your kindness, elder. Then I'll stay."
"Good, very good."
Bai He's smile was almost too wide. He calmed himself, then announced in front of Yang Wudi:
"From today, the Speed Clan officially joins the Tang Sect."
Hearing this, Titan finally allowed himself a long-overdue smile. Niu Gao, however, refused to join the Tang Sect, choosing instead to side with the Pozhi Clan, standing with them through thick and thin.
"Old Rhino, Old Goat, we're on different paths. Even though we each have our own directions, this gathering can end early."
Bai He was eager to conclude the meeting quickly so he could help Ma Hongjun stabilize the evil fire in his body—the only way to ensure the Fire Phoenix wasn't disturbed by it—and safely marry Bai Chenxiang to him.
"Since you hate the Clear Sky Sect and the Tang family so much, the four single-element clans split completely from today. From now on, there are no longer the Li, Yu, Min, and Po clans—only the Tang Sect and the other two Soul Master families. Your Po and Yu clans have nothing to do with us."
Titan was disappointed by Niu Gao's actions. He never expected his old friend, with little connection to Yang Wudi, to abandon him in favor of Yang Wudi.
At this moment, Ignaz spoke politely:
"I heard the Speed Clan has a family heirloom. Why not sell it to me? I happen to need it, and I'll pay any price you name."
"Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng? I, Bai He, will never sell it. You may leave."
Upon hearing the term "family heirloom," Bai He shot Yang Wudi a glare, knowing that Yang had likely leaked information about the ginseng to Ignaz.
"I don't want to waste words either. This is the one thing I want most on this trip. If you refuse to sell, I'll have to take it by force."
Suddenly, a figure appeared beside Ignaz. Dugu Bo threw a golden card containing 100,000 Gold Soul Coins at Bai He.
An overwhelming aura of a Title Douluo forced Titan, Bai He, and the others to their knees.
"I'm not unreasonable. Purchasing your Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng for 100,000 Gold Soul Coins is already my utmost indulgence."
Dugu Bo then approached Bai He, forcibly extracting a delicate wooden box from his Spirit Conduction device. Slightly opening it, a pale blue ginseng resembling crystal lay inside.