The ancestral land of the Speed Clan.
Patriarch Baihe held the Spirit News in his hand, weeping with joy."It seems the hard days of our Speed Clan are finally over. With our abilities, the Haotian Sect will definitely recognize our value and invite us back. When that day comes, I can hold my head high."
Although Baihe harbored deep resentment toward the Haotian Sect for abandoning the Speed Clan, he would still return without hesitation if they called.The reason was simple—he was related to the former suzerain of the Haotian Sect. His elder sister had been that suzerain's wife.
He believed that once the Haotian Sect realized the strategic importance of the Speed Clan, they would take them back.Even though the sect had sealed its mountain and ceased all public activity, it still quietly engaged in purchasing supplies, overcoming cultivation bottlenecks, and hunting spirit beasts.The Spirit Hall didn't intervene in these private affairs. If they did, the elders of the Haotian Sect would certainly retaliate with everything they had.
So Baihe wasn't worried that the sect wouldn't receive the Spirit News. Even if their disciples out on supply runs and hunts ignored outside developments, Tang Yuehua's Yuexuan in Tiandou City would surely send the news to the sect.
In a few days, someone from the Haotian Sect would surely come find him.
He was ready to accept the invitation. After all, life for the Speed Clan had been hard. They frequently relied on aid from the other three clans, and this dependence was humiliating.If they returned to the Haotian Sect—even under mountain closure—their kinship with the former suzerain would grant them some comfort.As natural scouts, they didn't need to move in large numbers like the Haotian Sect. They could covertly gather intelligence for the sect from all across the continent.
They were useful!
However, reality seldom followed expectations.
Half a month passed, and there was still no word from the Haotian Sect.In contrast, emissaries from Spirit Hall, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and the Lower Four Sects had frequently visited, offering their condolences with warm attitudes.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had only come once. But the Spirit Hall and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect visited every two or three days, bringing gifts. Baihe was beginning to feel embarrassed.
The Spirit Hall even sent the very people who had killed the most members of the Speed Clan, offering them up for judgment. They insisted that the past tragedies had nothing to do with the current Pope and were instead orchestrated by the subordinates of the previous Pope.
Baihe had long known this truth. Though he was filled with rage, Spirit Hall's sincerity made it difficult to continue refusing them.Moreover, the younger generation lacked the memories and bitterness of the older generation, and Baihe had to consider the future of the entire Speed Clan.
"Damn Haotian Sect… It's been half a month. They must have received the Spirit News—so why haven't they come? Have they really lost all backbone?"
Baihe sighed deeply, finally accepting that the Haotian Sect might be hopeless.If they waited any longer, other factions might lose patience. The Spirit News was a double-edged sword—it highlighted the value of the Speed Clan, but also alerted others to how dangerous they could be.
If the Speed Clan couldn't be won over, other factions might try to destroy them, lest they join the enemy.Compared to the other three clans, the Speed Clan's reconnaissance capabilities were the most valuable in wartime.
Unable to wait any longer, Baihe summoned all members of the clan, explained the severity of the situation, and asked everyone to vote on which faction to align with.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was ultimately chosen.
The sect relied on the Star Luo Empire's royal family but remained largely independent, and their reputation was good.The Lower Four Sects had no Titled Douluo, so they weren't a serious option.The Spirit Hall had made sincere gestures—even offering up those who had harmed them—but most of the elders still couldn't forgive them. The pain of loss was still too raw.
Among the three great sects, the Haotian Sect had completely failed to show up, losing the Speed Clan's trust.The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had only come once, and their arrogance was no less than that of the Haotian Sect. If the Speed Clan joined them, they likely wouldn't be taken seriously.
That left only one viable choice—the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Regardless of whether Ning Fengzhi was a shrewd old fox, he was at least outwardly kind and respectful. That sincerity mattered.
Furthermore, the sect's two Titled Douluo—Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo—were not members of the direct bloodline and did not possess the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.Baihe and the clan believed they would be treated fairly.
Elsewhere, the Strength Clan and Defense Clan dismissed the theory in the Spirit News.Their losses in the previous purge had been minimal, and they lived in major cities under the Empire's protection. They were in no rush and simply continued their normal lives.
The Breaking Clan hesitated but ultimately chose independence. While their Breaking Soul Spear martial spirits were suited for war, there were other families with similar weapon spirits.Their risk was lower, so they opted to remain neutral.
Within the Haotian Sect
Tang Yuehua had indeed sent the Spirit News to the sect, hoping they would reassess the four clans' value.
Unfortunately, the elders didn't care.Proud and stubborn, they refused to acknowledge that expelling the four clans might have been a mistake.In their eyes, Haotian Sect was never wrong.
To them, the publication was a slap in the face from the Spirit Hall. The theory's author was named Tang San—and that surname only deepened their suspicion.They interpreted it as open mockery.
Even Tang Xiao, the current suzerain and more open-minded than the rest, felt conflicted.He recognized the theory's uniqueness—but also couldn't shake the feeling that it was a calculated insult from the Spirit Hall.
After all, he had been raised in a sect that cultivated pride as its central tenet. Some beliefs were too deeply rooted to shake off.
Tiandou Empire, Tiandou City
In Yuexuan, Tang Yuehua suspended her classes for the day to meet secretly with a man in black.
"Brother Hao, you're finally willing to come to me?"Seeing Tang Hao's aged, weary face, Tang Yuehua hugged him, tears falling freely."Why have you become like this? Where did the mighty Haotian Douluo go?"
"Ah Yin is dead. My heart died with her."Tang Hao remained detached. After Yuehua let go, he sat down and stated his purpose.
"Someone stole the Blue Silver Emperor sapling that Ah Yin left behind. I want you to help me investigate. Find out if any new spirit masters have appeared recently—people strong enough to be at least Soul Emperor level."
In his mind, only someone of that level could have reached the cave where the sapling was kept.He never imagined that a non-spirit master might have used tools like ropes to climb down.
Tang Yuehua sighed."I'll help you. But... are you really going to keep living like this? What about your son?"
"I've severed our father-son relationship."
"What?"Her hand trembled as she poured tea. She quickly set down the cup."How could you be so heartless? He's only seven years old, isn't he?"
"His martial spirit is Blue Silver Grass—Ah Yin's inheritance. The sect will never recognize anyone without the Haotian Hammer or anyone whose hammer has mutated.He's now enrolled in a junior academy in a small city. For the next six years, I don't have to worry.If he can't graduate smoothly, he'll return to the small village where I once lived. The storms of the spirit master world will never reach there."
Tang Yuehua opened her mouth to argue but couldn't find the words. In the end, she sighed."What a poor child. At least tell me his name. You don't have to say where he is exactly—but I should visit him, as his aunt."
"...Tang San," Tang Hao said.
"Tang San?"Tang Yuehua froze for a moment, then took out the Spirit News and pointed to the byline under 'Spirit Master Self-Positioning Analysis Theory.'"Could this be the same Tang San?"
Tang Hao looked over the article.He remembered seeing Tang San explain soul ring selection to Su Yuntao, and the writing style was exactly the same.
"It shouldn't be... He's only seven..." he murmured.
"It's him."Tang Hao's words crushed Yuehua's faint smile.
"This is exactly how my son talks. Even if it's written down, I recognize it. He's long dreamed of becoming a spirit master. Before he even awakened his martial spirit, he was already studying and borrowing books from the local Spirit Hall."
Tang Yuehua was amazed."Xiao San is that talented? His theory has been acknowledged by nearly every spirit master across the continent!"
"So what? His martial spirit isn't the Haotian Hammer."Tang Hao threw the Spirit News aside.No matter how hard Tang San cultivated, without the Haotian Hammer, he'd only be a theorist.Tang Hao had broken ties to sever any association. At least this way, Tang San could live in peace.
"But his theory has practical value. It helps spirit masters identify their roles and lets major sects recruit more strategically. He could help the Haotian Sect become strong again."
"Forget it," Tang Hao said, shaking his head."What's the use of all that? It's all empty talk compared to the strength of the Haotian Hammer."
Seeing his impatience, Tang Yuehua said no more.
"I can't change your mind. But it's clear that Spirit Hall has already noticed Xiao San."
"It doesn't matter. His martial spirit is Blue Silver Grass. It has nothing to do with the Haotian Sect."Tang Hao stood up slowly."Just keep an eye on the people around him..."
He recalled the ten-year-old soul beast he saw in Nuoding City.It still lingered in his mind as a potential threat.Still, if he could live in seclusion with Tang San in Holy Soul Village, that wouldn't be so bad after all.