"Tai Nuo! What on earth are you trying to do? Tang San is my student. I, Liu Erlong, will not stand by if the Li Clan is picking a fight with me!"
Liu Erlong shoved Tai Nuo back with fury in her eyes. The fiery dragon spirit had already possessed her, flames practically spilling from her body as she prepared to attack.
"Dean, wait! My father didn't mean it like that!" Tai Long quickly moved between them, panic flashing across his face. He knew immediately something had gone wrong.
Tai Nuo waved his arms frantically, looking more nervous by the second. "No, no, no! You misunderstand, Dean Liu. That's not what I meant at all!"
Tang San glanced at his teacher, silently asking what he should do.
Yu Xiaogang's eyes flickered as a thought struck him. He quickly seized Liu Erlong's arm before she could erupt further. "Erlong, calm down. Don't be so quick to anger. I think I know what this is about."
His gaze shifted to Tai Nuo. "What I can say for sure is this—Tang San is the son of Tang Hao. Go fetch your clan leader. Now."
The moment those words landed, Tai Nuo's face lit up with unrestrained joy. He had guessed correctly!
The Clear Sky Sect had sealed itself away over ten years ago, and since then, the Clear Sky Hammer had all but disappeared from the continent. And now—this youth right in front of him had revealed the Clear Sky Hammer. There was no doubt in his mind. Tang San was definitely their young master's son.
"Tai Long, with me. We're going back immediately!" Tai Nuo grabbed his son's arm, giving a quick farewell to everyone before hurrying away.
Watching him leave, Flender narrowed his eyes and muttered quietly to Yu Xiaogang, "Xiaogang, the Li Clan was loyal to Tang Hao back then, yes—but after all that happened in the past, do you really think they'll support Tang San now? What if they turn against him instead?"
Yu Xiaogang shook his head confidently. "Don't worry. Didn't you see his expression just now? If he had any intention of harming Tang San, he wouldn't have looked like that."
Tang San listened quietly, frowning slightly. Could this family really have something to do with his father?
In Dugu Bo's Residence
A light knock echoed across the door.
"Come in," Dugu Bo's gravelly voice called from inside.
Xiao Tian pushed the door open, strolling in casually. "Old monster, how's Yanyan's detoxification going?"
"Hahaha!" Dugu Bo laughed heartily, his usual sharpness softened by pride. "Almost complete. Yesterday, I had Yanyan absorb a soul bone first. Then I guided her to transfer the poison within her body into the Eight Spider Lances, strengthening both her martial soul and the soul bone simultaneously. The remaining toxins have been condensed into a medicinal core within her, stabilizing her condition. From now on, her foundation will be solid."
He gestured toward Dugu Yan, who stood quietly beside him, her expression calm yet brighter than before. "See? She's already absorbing the immortal herbs' remaining medicinal effects. The toxins that plagued her body for years are completely gone now. By tomorrow, she'll be ready to travel with us to the Sunset Forest."
"Oh, by the way, little monster," Dugu Bo added, narrowing his eyes at Xiao Tian. "Do any of your companions need to come along as well?"
"That's why I'm here." Xiao Tian grinned. "Xiao Wu and Zhuqing have both hit level forty after absorbing the immortal herbs. They're ready for their fourth spirit rings. Let's set off tomorrow."
"Hahaha! No problem at all!" Dugu Bo burst into laughter again. But then his gaze sharpened slightly as he eyed Xiao Tian. "Still… You didn't come here just for that, did you?"
Dugu Yan tilted her head, noticing Xiao Tian's brief hesitation. She knew at once he was hiding something bigger.
Xiao Tian drew in a breath, then nodded seriously. "Old monster, I came because I'm planning to establish a sect. I want to gather strength of my own, and I'll need your support. Would you be willing to serve as my honorary elder? Don't worry—I won't bind you with restrictions or rules. You'll still have complete freedom. You know I can't reveal the full extent of my strength for now."
Dugu Bo froze for a moment before chuckling knowingly. His sharp eyes instantly saw through Xiao Tian's intent. Of course! The boy didn't want to expose himself too soon. He just needed someone reputable at his side while he built his foundation. To Dugu Bo, it was nothing more than lending his name.
"Fine." Dugu Bo nodded without hesitation.
Xiao Tian's eyes lit up with excitement. He immediately pulled the old man aside and began spilling out his full plan in hushed tones.
By the end of it, Dugu Bo drew in a sharp breath, actually taken aback for once. "You want to lay the foundation of the Shushan Sword School within this very year? Why not wait until after the Continental Soul Master Tournament?"
Xiao Tian only smiled, calm and full of confidence. "Old monster, you know my strength better than anyone. Winning the championship will be easy. That's not enough for me. I want to prepare for the future now. Once the tournament ends, I'll graduate, and frankly, I don't want to be tied down to any empire.
"As for Spirit Hall… let's just say, for personal reasons, that path isn't an option for me. So my only choice is to carve out my own road. Creating a sect will give me freedom to experiment with my ideas. At the same time, I can draw in talents from across the land. My only regret is that I lack the kind of simulated training grounds Shrek relies on—but honestly, that won't even help me at this stage."
Xiao Tian's tone was gentle but unyielding. He knew himself clearly. Mimicry cultivation grounds, effective for common soul masters, held no use to him anymore. He possessed his own martial techniques—unique, powerful, unmatched. Even Xiao Wu and Zhuqing, who trained alongside him, now had martial arts knowledge no simulated environment could ever replicate.
If Ning Rongrong or Zhuqing wished to remain at the academy to cultivate peacefully, Xiao Tian would never force them. His road was his alone.
Dugu Bo hesitated, wanting to say something about Spirit Hall's so‑called "Golden Generation." Rumor had it that the trio within were monsters among geniuses, with one of them close to breaking through to Soul King already. And yet… what did that mean compared to this boy?
Dugu Bo looked at Xiao Tian again and nearly scoffed at himself. The Golden Generation? Hah. This little monster might become a Soul Emperor within the year. What golden generation? They weren't worthy to even shine his shoes.
"You have something to say, old monster?" Xiao Tian caught the flicker in his expression.
Dugu Bo coughed twice to cover himself. "Ahem. Nothing. Only this—if you want to establish the Shushan Sword School this year, you'll need a proper mountain. Something steep and majestic. Finding such a location isn't easy."
Xiao Tian waved it off lightly. "Not a problem. When the time comes, I'll ask Uncle Ning for help. They won't refuse me. If my sword‑control technique really works as smoothly as I expect, it'll benefit support‑type sects like theirs immensely."
Just then, the air in the room shifted, and two towering figures materialized from the shadows. Daming and Erming had arrived.
Daming's voice was calm and deep. "Xiao Tian, we were wandering around the city earlier and came across something at Lanba Academy. We thought you might want to know."
"Lanba Academy?" Xiao Tian eyed them suspiciously. "You two… don't tell me you just 'happened' to run into it. Was this deliberate?"
Daming ignored the jab. "It concerns Tang San. He made contact with the Power Clan. The clan leader, Tai Tan, even knelt in public and acknowledged him as young master."
Erming folded his giant arms. "Little brother, weren't you searching for highly skilled blacksmiths to recruit? The Li Clan is famed as master forgers. Their craftsmanship is extraordinary. But now… Tang San has won them over."
Xiao Tian's expression darkened. He suddenly remembered Tai Long, the Power Clan heir, who had once crossed paths with him at Lanba Academy. Of course. Tang San joined the Blue Tyrant Academy—he must have run into Tai Long. And the Power Clan had always been fiercely protective.
No wonder.
Now, with Tang Hao's name and Tang San's potential, the Power Clan would surely stand behind him. That meant after the Soul Master Competition, Tang Hao would return, bringing Tang San back, and together they'd likely establish the Tang Sect and rally all three single‑attribute clans under their banner.
But Xiao Tian had moved first. He had beaten Tang San to the punch. The foundation Tang San needed for his future sect was already being stripped away.
Yes. From the very beginning, Xiao Tian's plan had been to bring the three single‑attribute clans under his own banner. To reshape the future itself.
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