"Father..."
Yu Xiaogang, who had almost given up hope, was filled with joy at the sight of Yu Yuanzhen descending from the sky, a feeling of having narrowly escaped death.
"Foolish. I told you before that Tang San and his father are not to be trifled with, yet you insisted on getting involved," Yu Yuanzhen looked down at Yu Xiaogang. "You brought this upon yourself."
"Father... You know what I care about..." Yu Xiaogang's voice was hoarse.
How could he not notice the change in Tang San's attitude towards him over the past few months? It was just that he couldn't let go of the nearly six or seven years of effort he had invested.
He just didn't expect things to take a turn for the worse. The disciple he considered the most talented had repeatedly faced setbacks, far from meeting his expectations.
But Yu Xiaogang still held a glimmer of hope. This setback was only temporary for Tang San.
After all, the advantage of Twin Spirits was unparalleled. No matter how strong or talented the opponent was, as long as Xiao San could enhance the Spirit Rings of his second Martial Soul, he would catch up and surpass them.
Not to mention, the Clear Sky Hammer now had four Ten Thousand Year Spirit Rings attached to it, a feat that ordinary people could never achieve in their lifetime.
"After so many failures, you still hold such naive thoughts. You're beyond redemption," Yu Yuanzhen narrowed his eyes, his heart burning with anger.
If Yu Xiaogang weren't his son, he would have punched him, making him disappear from this world forever.
But after all, he was his son. No matter how useless, Yu Yuanzhen felt a twinge of guilt after not seeing him for so many years. He sighed, "What will you do next? Do you want to return to the Blue Lightning Tyrant School with me, or continue wandering outside?"
Yu Xiaogang was stunned for a moment. Hearing the approaching sound of horse hooves, his instinct for survival finally overcame his pride. "Father... Can I still return to the sect?"
Yu Yuanzhen didn't answer. He turned his head to look at the Heavenly Dou Royal Knights who were now within reach. With a swipe of his dragon claw, a dozen knights and their horses were instantly reduced to a pile of corpses.
"Let's go," Yu Yuanzhen grabbed Yu Xiaogang and flew off into the distance like a rainbow.
At the gates of Spirit City, Roxsen had been waiting for several hours without seeing the return of the deputy and knights he had sent out. In his anxiety, he dispatched several more groups of men.
"Captain! The deputy and the others have been killed! We found their bodies twenty miles outside the city. The perpetrator was brutal; the bodies were severed into pieces."
Just as Roxsen was pacing back and forth in agitation, a scout ran back from outside the city, his face filled with panic.
"What!" Roxsen was shocked. He quickly grabbed the scout and inquired about the details.
After listening, his expression kept changing, finally turning into a surge of anger. After all, these were his trusted men!
Though not as close as brothers, they were still people he relied on. He never expected them to fall while pursuing a Soul Grand Master.
"Send some men to secure the scene. I'll go find the Grand Tutor and the others," Roxsen instructed. He then pulled a warhorse from an alley and galloped straight towards the residence of the Heaven Dou Empire's competition team.
In the temporary residence within Spirit City, Li Xun was conducting his daily cultivation with his clone.
Since his Soul Power reached level 65, although his meditation speed was much faster than before, the amount of Soul Power required for each level-up had also become significantly larger compared to lower levels.
Fortunately, he had his Wood Clone to help him accumulate Soul Power together. Upon careful calculation, his current speed of leveling up was not much different from when he was at lower levels.
After a long while, a sudden knock on the door woke Li Xun.
After opening the door and listening to Roxsen briefly describe the situation, Li Xun immediately sought out Ning Fengzhi and others to go and investigate.
"Are you sure the person you were tracking was Yu Xiaogang?" Sword Douluo looked at the corpses scattered on the ground, slightly frowning.
"Your Excellency, there's no mistake. Although that person changed his appearance, his Soul Power couldn't be faked. Moreover, with the strength of the knight order, it was impossible for him to escape, let alone kill them," Roxsen nodded with a grave expression.
Hearing this, Sword Douluo nodded as well: "Then I can roughly guess who it is."
"Yu Yuanzhen?" Li Xun raised an eyebrow as he looked at the claw marks that tore the earth in the distance.
"Exactly. I have fought with the old dragon many times. The traces at the scene, including the condition of the knight order's corpses, are identical to his methods," Sword Douluo gave Li Xun an appreciative look.
Having obtained a definite answer, Li Xun frowned. Was the old dragon seeking an early death and rebirth?
He had considered that Bibidong might send someone to rescue Yu Xiaogang, and he had also thought of Flender, Liu Erlong, and Tang Hao, but he had never expected Yu Yuanzhen.
However, recalling that Yu Yuanzhen had stayed at Shrek Academy for a while, Li Xun felt relieved.
"Commander Roxsen, you don't need to wait for us in Spirit City anymore. Take your men back to Heavenly Dou and report this matter to the Crown Prince," Li Xun pondered for a moment.
Although the original historical trajectory had already changed, Li Xun knew that no matter what, the Blue Lightning Tyrant School would be annihilated in the Soul Hunt Operation five years later.
This actually had nothing to do with Yu Xiaogang; it was entirely because the Blue Lightning Tyrant School stood in the way of Spirit Hall's unification of the continent and refused to submit.
But now, all of this was no longer important.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant School had been too active recently, and after years of accumulation, his side was fully prepared. To prevent it from allying with the Clear Sky Sect and causing trouble, Li Xun decided to nip this potential threat in the bud earlier.
Ning Fengzhi sensed the underlying meaning in Li Xun's words and felt a heavy weight in his heart. He opened his mouth to say something but held back after a moment.
At the same time, he couldn't help but sigh. He never expected that the once closely-knit Upper Three Sects would not only drift apart but also come to the point of armed conflict.
Inside the Pope's Hall.
Bibidong sat on the papal throne, expressionlessly looking at the three members of the Golden Generation standing quietly below: "Have you all heard the news that just came in?"
Hu Liena nodded with a heavy expression, no longer displaying her usual arrogance.
"Teacher, we've heard about the matter, but it's hard to believe for the moment. Could someone really absorb a 100,000 Year Soul Beast at the sixth ring?"
"Right, could it be that guy used some kind of illusionary Soul Skill?" Yan said somewhat defiantly.
Thud—
Just as Xie Yue was about to speak, Bibidong tapped her staff on the ground, and the three immediately fell silent.
"With thousands of eyes watching in Spirit City, how could it be fake? What I want to ask is how you plan to win, not fantasize that your opponent's strength is overrated."
"It seems I've been too indulgent with you all, to the point where you're unwilling to even watch your opponents' matches. If you lose this time, the three of you will go train in the Valley of Death."
Upon hearing the Valley of Death, Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan all shuddered, their eyes filled with fear.
"You actually do have a chance. Go down and think carefully about tomorrow's tactics." Seeing the three of them huddled there like quails, Bibidong rubbed her temples and then waved her hand.
After the three left, Bibidong thought of Li Xun's Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Ring, her gaze drifting as if lost in thought.
(End of Chapter)