Lin Fan stood in the middle of the courtyard. The nine spirit rings around him blazed like suns—each one a hundred-thousand-year ring—and the surging might of his Rank 98 spirit power pressed down on everyone present.
The entire Clear Sky Sect fell silent in shock.
"Everyone!" Tang Xiao stepped forward to mediate, his tone earnest. "I know this is too sudden. Of course, your first reaction is rejection—just as I once refused to accept it when my grandfather vanished without a trace."
"But now that Grandfather Tang Chen has returned, he personally entrusted Lin Fan with his last wish. You've all seen the golden hammer token he gave Lin Fan. His strength is at Rank 98, and he is also Yuehua's husband, making him half a direct descendant of our sect. That is why Grandfather gave him the token."
He turned to the elders, speaking with both respect and pleading sincerity.
"Five Elders, you are my uncles, and I've always respected you. But Grandfather Tang Chen is also your uncle. Can't you at least honor his words, his last wish?"
"If negotiations with Spirit Hall succeed, our children and grandchildren won't have to remain trapped in this sect forever. The continent is vast and full of talents—would you truly keep your descendants imprisoned in these mountains their entire lives?"
Tang Xiao's words carried heartfelt sincerity. He was appealing to emotion, reminding them that they were all one family, living under the same roof.
For a long time, no one spoke. Finally, the younger Seventh Elder snorted proudly:
"You want to negotiate, then go. But I will not. My eldest son died at the hands of Spirit Hall. Nothing you say will change that."
"And before negotiations even begin, Tang Hao must return here. He must kowtow and apologize to our ancestors, and to me. The Clear Sky Sect fell into seclusion because of him—he cannot escape that responsibility."
The elderly Second Elder nodded in agreement.
"Old Seven is right. This calamity began because of Tang Hao. He must repent before the ancestors and before the spirits of the disciples who died that year. If Tang Hao does not return, then there will be no negotiations."
Hearing the elders' hardline stance, Tang Xiao and Tang Yuehua could only give bitter smiles.
Tang Xiao, who had once admired the Blue Silver Emperor, understood better than anyone—asking Tang Hao to bow his head and negotiate with Spirit Hall was harder than killing him.
At that moment, Tang Yuehua stepped forward, unable to stay silent.
"My second brother was expelled from the sect long ago. He is no longer a member of the Clear Sky Sect. That was your own decision!"
The Third Elder retorted coldly:
"That was then. This is now. Back then, Tang Hao chose to protect that transformed soul beast and even struck down the previous Supreme Pontiff of Spirit Hall, killing him. You all know Tang Hao was raised as the heir to the sect. He even fused two of our sect's inherited soul bones, carrying the title of 'Clear Sky Douluo.'"
"Every one of his actions represented the Clear Sky Sect. So even if he was expelled, his blood is still ours. Should he not return, if only to pay respects to the souls who died because of him?"
Other elders chimed in one after another:
"The elders are right. We can reconcile with Spirit Hall, but only if Tang Hao returns to admit his sins before our ancestors, before us all. It was his actions that drove us into hiding in these mountains."
"Yes, Tang Hao must return and atone! While he lives freely outside, we suffer here in seclusion!"
The elders' accusations soon found echo among many of the direct disciples. The name "Tang Hao" became a spark that ignited collective outrage.
"You all—!" Tang Yuehua trembled with anger, seeing not one person willing to stand at Tang Hao's side.
"Yuehua niece," the Second Elder said gravely, "wasn't it your husband Lin Fan who said all this was the old sect master's wish? But if Tang Hao, the one who started it all, is absent, how can we convince Spirit Hall that we are sincere? If we don't bring him, Spirit Hall will surely think we're mocking them."
"But my second brother has been missing ever since he caused havoc in Spirit City two years ago. No one knows where he is. If he doesn't appear, how could anyone possibly find him?" Tang Yuehua defended bitterly.
Still, she also worried. She didn't want her kin to remain buried in these mountains forever, wasting away generation after generation.
Tang Xiao also spoke earnestly:
"Five Elders, brothers, I know you all care for the sect. But my second brother—he doesn't want to return. Even if you find him, he won't come back."
"But if we keep waiting for Tang Hao, whether for a year or ten, we will waste away. Look at our fourth-generation disciples. Children like Tang Tiantian are still young, but should their youth be squandered here?"
"Their lives should be as bright as other children outside—attending academies, entering tournaments, striving for glory. Instead, because of Spirit Hall, we've been forced into hiding, keeping our children caged like birds."
"Now that Grandfather, the old sect master, has reappeared, this is our one chance to reconcile with Spirit Hall. Even if the relationship won't be warm, at least they won't hunt us down like enemies every time."
Tang Xiao's heartfelt plea made many glance at their own children—tender youths with bright futures ahead. Their hearts softened with reluctance.
No one wanted their children to remain trapped forever. Children were meant to soar like eagles, not rot in a cage.
"…Very well. For the old sect master's sake, I'll give in," the Second Elder finally said. "One month. If, within one month, Tang Hao does not appear, then we will go negotiate with Spirit Hall ourselves."
"Thank you for your understanding, Second Elder." Tang Xiao exhaled in relief, smiling sincerely.
"Don't thank me yet. I have one condition." The Second Elder's tone turned cold.
"Please speak, Second Elder," Tang Xiao replied cautiously.
"My condition is simple. If Tang Hao cannot be found within this month, we will permanently expel him from the sect. His name will be erased from the family records. Even in death, his tablet will not enter the ancestral hall. The title 'Clear Sky Douluo' will be stripped from him forever."
"And when we negotiate with Spirit Hall—if Tang Hao dares appear to obstruct us, then the Clear Sky Sect will join Spirit Hall in hunting him down."
"This is my bottom line."
"This is our bottom line as well!" the other elders echoed in unison.This! Tang Xiao faltered. The condition was cruel beyond belief. To erase a name from the family registry, to deny a place in the ancestral hall—that was a punishment far worse than death itself.