In the Elder Hall of the Clear Sky Sect, several white-haired elders were discussing strategies to repel the enemy with Tang Xiao.
The Second Elder stroked his graying beard, his aged and turbid gaze fixed on Tang Xiao. "The Spirit Hall has been attacking our Clear Sky Sect for over half a month now. It seems they are determined to annihilate us."
"The Spirit Hall's wolfish ambitions are known to all. Do we even need facts to deduce that?" The hot-tempered Fourth Elder angrily slapped the armrest of his chair and snorted.
Tang Xiao's expression was grave. Rubbing his right hand, he frowned slightly. "Given the current situation, we must quickly seek allies! With the strength of our Clear Sky Sect alone, it will be difficult to resist the powerful Spirit Hall. The principle of 'when the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold' is something other forces should understand. Our Clear Sky Sect can no longer remain isolated, turning a deaf ear to the outside world."
Tang Xiao looked up at the sky, his face filled with worry.
"Sect Leader, there's no need for excessive concern," the Second Elder raised his hand to console him. "Our Clear Sky Sect's geographical location is uniquely advantageous, with the mist and clouds acting as a natural barrier. Even if the Spirit Hall's army tries for half a year, they won't be able to break through!"
In his youth, the Second Elder had participated in the maintenance of the iron chains. Even for the Clear Sky Sect, familiar with the paths and possessing maps, that maintenance effort had inevitably cost the lives of over a hundred disciples.
Let alone the Spirit Hall, which was completely in the dark.
Half a month ago, the Spirit Hall's scout team was a clear example. A team of over a hundred scouts had been wiped out without even breaching the first chain. And beyond that, there were still five more chains to cross.
"I hope so," Tang Xiao said, his face still heavy.
Since assuming the position of Sect Leader, he had worked tirelessly day and night. In recent years, the Clear Sky Sect's strength had shown signs of recovery, with a large number of core disciples trained.
But compared to the rapidly rising Spirit Hall, the Clear Sky Sect was ultimately falling further behind.
This was the drawback of isolating the sect.
Although sealing off the sect back then had successfully preserved the sect's vital forces, it had also cost them the support of their subsidiary sects and the sharpness of their ambition.
Losing the drive to strive was undoubtedly the most terrifying.
Moreover, the decision to seal off the sect back then was to avoid conflict with the Spirit Hall.
Now, it seemed inevitable.
The Clear Sky Sect could not escape the fate of fighting for survival.
At that moment, a slightly plump young man hurriedly burst into the hall.
The young man's face was filled with panic. A broken arrow was embedded in his back, blood streaming from the wound, making his complexion extremely pale.
"Sect Leader... Second Elder... the Spirit Hall... is attacking..."
The young man's words were almost delirious. Severely wounded, making it to the hall was already his limit. He had no strength left to speak further.
Seeing this, Tang Xiao quickly stood up from his seat and rushed to the young man's side, supporting his collapsing body. His eyes filled with concern, he asked gently, "What happened? Explain clearly."
"The Spirit Hall... is attacking." After saying this, the young man immediately fainted.
This time, Tang Xiao understood. His heart sank.
He hadn't expected the Spirit Hall to act so quickly.
The Second Elder, on the other hand, wore an expression of disbelief. He sprang up from his seat. "There's been no sign of an army crossing the iron chains! Could the Spirit Hall's troops have flown here through the sky?"
Tang Xiao sighed softly and clenched his fists tightly. "At this point, there's no use wondering how the Spirit Hall's army got here. We must quickly gather our disciples to counter their surprise attack!"
Hearing this, the Second Elder nodded deeply. "The terrain of the Clear Sky Sect is treacherous. The attacking force can't be large! As long as our sect stands united, we can annihilate them all!"
However, when the Second Elder, Tang Xiao, and the others climbed the watchtower next to the Elder Hall, they were stunned.
In their field of vision, thousands of fireballs emerged from the thick sea of clouds.
Each fireball, upon landing, transformed into over a dozen armored soldiers.
"What kind of sorcery is this?" The Second Elder was dumbfounded.
Could fire carry people through the air?
This scene was beyond the Second Elder's comprehension.
"Sky lanterns!"
Tang Xiao frowned at first, then exclaimed in realization.
His keen eyes quickly noticed that above each fireball was a large white canopy, blending with the clouds. From a distance, it looked like fire carrying people.
"The Spirit Hall must have a genius among them to think of using sky lanterns to cross our Clear Sky Sect's cliffs!"
Tang Xiao's face turned pale with anger. He knew the Clear Sky Sect was in serious trouble this time.
"No matter what, I will protect the Clear Sky Sect," Tang Xiao silently clenched his fist.
"Clear Sky Hammer," he murmured.
Instantly, a small silver hammer crackling with electricity appeared in his palm.
In the blink of an eye, the hammer suddenly enlarged, and Tang Xiao's figure shot into the air.
"Disciples of the Clear Sky Sect, heed my command! Slay all who dare invade!"
His voice, amplified by soul power, echoed throughout the Clear Sky Sect.
At this moment, Tang Xiao's face was filled with determination, an aura of dominance emanating from him.
"Bibi Dong, your enemy is me! Come out and fight! Invading my Clear Sky Sect will cost you tenfold!"
"I admire your courage in challenging me," Bibi Dong's graceful figure emerged from the clouds.
Her proud, brilliant eyes gazed at Tang Xiao. "But I also find you foolish and arrogant.
"Not only are you sending your disciples to their deaths, but you're also throwing your own life away.
"...Very well, today I shall grant your wish."
...
Heaven Dou City, in the Imperial Hall.
The coronation ceremony before the late emperor's coffin was proceeding smoothly.
After the high priest finished chanting the requiem for the late emperor, the chief eunuch standing beside Qian Renxue began to read Emperor Xue Ye's edict:
"We, by Our humble virtue, have succeeded to the great throne of Our ancestors, trembling with care day and night, fearing We cannot bear the burden...Our eldest son and Crown Prince Qinghe, endowed by heaven with benevolence, filial piety, and wisdom, resembles Us greatly... It is Our wish that he ascend the throne immediately..."
The edict, of course, was not written by Emperor Xue Ye.
But none of that mattered now.
The ministers and observing students all bowed to Qian Renxue.
A kingdom cannot be without a ruler for even a day. Thus, after the late emperor's death, the new monarch would immediately assume all powers of the state.
This was the purpose of the coronation before the coffin.
After this ceremony, the new monarch could refer to themselves as "We."
The ministers would also change their address to "Your Majesty."
However, it was worth noting that the coronation before the coffin was not the enthronement ceremony.
Given the late emperor's recent passing, out of respect, a grand enthronement ceremony could not be held immediately.
That would have to wait until the mourning period was over.
Legally speaking, after the coronation before the coffin, the new monarch was only the acting emperor, not the true emperor.
Only after the enthronement ceremony and coronation would the new monarch be considered the true emperor.
Of course, legality was just legality.
No minister would dare treat the acting emperor as anything less than the real emperor—unless they had a death wish.
"Rise, Our beloved ministers."
Qian Renxue, dressed in plain white mourning clothes, stood from the throne and lightly raised her hands.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" The ministers in the hall chorused.
Qian Renxue's gaze swept over the crowd before she waved to Eunuch Yu.
The eunuch immediately understood.
He respectfully placed the late emperor's edict before Emperor Xue Ye's coffin.
Then, he took out another decree from his sleeve.
Unfolding it, Eunuch Yu's soft voice filled the hall:
"By the first decree of the Son of Heaven!"
"We, newly ascended to the throne, ruling over all under heaven... The governance of the state lies in smooth administration, and smooth administration lies in harmony among men... We hereby appoint Ye Tian as the Imperial Preceptor of Heaven Dou, overseeing all military and state affairs!"
"Ye Tian, receive the decree." Eunuch Yu smiled warmly as he looked into the crowd.
In truth, he had no idea who Ye Tian was.
To be honest, Eunuch Yu found it rather absurd.
The first decree of every Heaven Dou emperor had always been a general amnesty to showcase the new monarch's fresh governance.
But with Xue Qinghe, the tradition was broken. The first decree was now the appointment of a single individual.
If this person were a seasoned veteran with great talent for governance, it might make sense.
But he had heard that Ye Tian was just a young man under twenty.
If someone like that had the ability to govern, it would be a miracle!
Of course, grumbling aside, Eunuch Yu knew his place.
As the chief eunuch, his duty was simply to read the emperor's decrees verbatim.
He must never voice even the slightest opinion.
Otherwise, it would cost him his life sooner or later.
"Your subjects humbly obey the imperial command!"
The ministers were also very tactful, all voicing their assent.
There was no choice—the emperor had already met with them in the imperial study beforehand.
If anyone dared to oppose now, it would be a direct slap to the emperor's face.
"Ye Tian actually became the Imperial Preceptor!"
Among the student representatives, Xiao Wu's expression was extremely animated.
She was almost laughing out loud, overjoyed for her good friend.
"Ye Tian has really made it! Good heavens, others rise step by step, but he's gone straight to the top!"
The Imperial Preceptor was the pinnacle of official positions.
Even Titled Douluos would have to show respect.
Beside her, Ning Rongrong was also surprised.
"It seems His Majesty Qinghe holds Ye Tian in high esteem."
Dai Mubai smiled faintly and said, "I don't know about Ye Tian's other talents, but one thing is certain: with him as Heaven Dou's Imperial Preceptor, the empire's economic strength will grow even stronger.
"Economic strength, to some extent, determines military strength. So, Ye Tian's appointment is well-deserved."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded thoughtfully, her beautiful eyes glancing at Ye Tian as he walked toward the throne.
"Is Ye Tian really that impressive?" The supervising Grandmaster couldn't help but interject.
Hearing the decree read by Eunuch Yu, the Grandmaster had already felt bitter.
Now, listening to his former students praise Ye Tian, he couldn't help but recall the humiliation he'd suffered in the imperial study.
"More than impressive. To put it this way, Ye Tian's economic talent rivals your theoretical expertise in soul masters," Ning Rongrong said earnestly.
Despite her bias against Ye Tian, she could still give him fair credit for his abilities.
Dai Mubai chuckled. "I once mentioned Ye Tian to my father.
"Unfortunately, while my father admired him, he couldn't offer high enough terms.
"In the end, Heaven Dou snatched him up."
This struck a heavy blow to the Grandmaster's self-esteem.
So, Ye Tian really was better than him.
Xue Qinghe wasn't lacking in judgment after all.
He had simply been making a fool of himself.
"How unfair heaven is! Why don't I have such talent?"
The Grandmaster was utterly disheartened.
Having no talent for cultivation was one thing.
But now, even in politics, he couldn't compare to a teenager.
For the first time, the Grandmaster felt his life was so bleak.
His greatest dream was to return home in glory.
To go back to the clan that had once filled him with despair and humiliation, under the envious gazes of others.
To show his uncles, aunts, siblings—who was the most outstanding among them!
But now, at forty-three, after striving for twenty years, he still hadn't achieved it.
Perhaps he would remain like this forever.
Meanwhile, those who had once looked down on him were now thriving.
Some had become Spirit Sages, revered wherever they went.
Others had risen to high positions in the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, wielding immense power.
Only he remained a mere Spirit GrandMaster in his twenties.
Wherever he went, he was met with disdain.
"Damn it all!"
Overwhelmed by frustration, the Grandmaster suddenly felt a sweetness in his throat.
His blood surged, and he fainted.
The Grandmaster's collapse startled Ning Rongrong and the others.
"Grandmaster, what's wrong?" Ning Rongrong asked anxiously. He had been fine just moments ago—how could he faint so suddenly?
"Quick, get Ye Tian over here!"
Xiao Wu also panicked and immediately thought of Ye Tian.
Hearing Ye Tian's name, the Grandmaster felt another surge of sweetness in his throat.
Unable to hold back, he spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Don't call Ye Tian! I can hold on!"
The Grandmaster struggled fiercely, shouting hoarsely.
Seeing the Grandmaster's extreme aversion to Ye Tian, even to the point of vomiting blood, Xiao Wu turned pale with fright and covered her mouth.
This scene reminded her of the first time she had mentioned the Grandmaster in front of Ye Tian.
Back then, she had said the Grandmaster had food.
But Ye Tian had bluntly refused, preferring to go hungry rather than eat the Grandmaster's food.
"Could the Grandmaster and Ye Tian have known each other before, with some enmity between them?"
This thought flashed through Xiao Wu's mind.
She smiled bitterly and muttered, "It seems I still know too little about Ye Tian."
"No, no."
Then, she shook her head vigorously.
"We're just friends, and friends have boundaries. It's normal not to know everything about him.
"Yes, just friends!" Xiao Wu affirmed inwardly.
(End of Chapter)