These individuals were so loyal to the Heaven Dou Imperial Family that they would even lay down their lives for them.
Now, Xue Qinghe, having ascended to the throne, effortlessly took control of these powerful, devoted servants.
Eager to see the Heaven Dou Empire weakened by internal strife, Xue Qinghe began using these servants to eliminate opposing factions within the empire.
This way, not only would the Spirit Hall's forces remain untouched, but the Heaven Dou Empire's strength would also be further diminished.
It was a win-win situation.
...
Savage entered and first bowed respectfully to Xue Qinghe.
He then handed the intelligence he had gathered to a nearby maid.
The maid carefully inspected the documents, ensuring they posed no threat, before presenting them to Xue Qinghe, whose eyes remained calm and unreadable.
Xue Qinghe glanced at Savage, setting aside his tangled thoughts, and casually took the intelligence from the maid.
He opened it and read through it carefully.
A moment later, after finishing the report, he rubbed his temples and sighed.
"This is just too much. I always knew Brother Tong's future was boundless, but this growth speed is absurd. If these two attacks were really his doing, doesn't that mean he's already invincible on the Douluo Continent?"
Wu Tong hadn't bothered to conceal his movements. His strikes against the two factions were purely acts of vengeance, so any moderately capable organization with the intent to investigate could easily trace the attacks back to him.
As Xue Qinghe stared at the intelligence in his hands, he couldn't help but wonder if he should have focused on strengthening his own power instead of undertaking this mission to usurp the throne.
It wasn't surprising that Xue Qinghe was questioning his life choices—Wu Tong's recent actions had left him utterly stunned.
After a moment of reflection, Xue Qinghe set the intelligence aside and addressed Savage.
"Prepare a generous gift for Brother Tong. Send it as my congratulations on his successful revenge."
"Then summon the three deans of the Imperial Academy. Tell them I have important matters to discuss."
"As you command, Your Majesty."
Savage bowed again and quietly exited the study, leaving Xue Qinghe alone with the intelligence in his hands, his eyes flickering with unreadable thoughts.
...
—
Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
In the grand hall, Ning Fengzhi let out a bitter laugh after reading the intelligence report delivered by his disciple.
He summoned another disciple and ordered, "Go and inform Elder Sword, Elder Bone, and Elder Bai. Tell them the operation is canceled."
The disciple nodded and withdrew, carrying out Ning Fengzhi's instructions.
Before long, Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo arrived together in the grand hall.
"Fengzhi, what's going on?" Sword Douluo asked. "Xiao Bai said you suddenly called off the operation. Why?"
"Exactly," Bone Douluo added. "The plan to eliminate the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect to curry favor with Wu Tong took a whole week to prepare. Why cancel it now?"
The two elders stared at Ning Fengzhi, their expressions suggesting they'd think he'd lost his mind if he didn't appear perfectly composed.
Ning Fengzhi sighed and handed them the secret missive.
"There's no need anymore. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect has already been dealt with."
"What? Already?" Bone Douluo's eyes widened in disbelief. "Which faction moved so quickly? It's only been about a month!"
"Was it the Clear Sky Sect? One of the two empires? The Spirit Hall? Or perhaps Sea God Island?"
Sword Douluo rolled his eyes and took the missive from Ning Fengzhi, scanning its contents. Bone Douluo leaned in to read as well.
After a long silence—
"Holy—!" Bone Douluo sputtered, pointing at the letter, utterly speechless.
Fortunately, Sword Douluo voiced the question for him.
"Fengzhi, can we confirm the authenticity of this report?"
Ning Fengzhi nodded helplessly.
"It's been verified. These events truly happened."
"No way," Bone Douluo muttered, still in shock. "You're telling me Wu Tong wiped out the Clear Sky Sect, Moon Pavilion, Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, the Four Single-Attribute Families, Blue Tyrant Academy… all by himself? That kid's that strong?"
If he remembered correctly, Wu Tong was only around twelve years old. Even for a divine trial-taker, wasn't this too monstrous?
What did that make of those who had trained diligently for decades?
"Believe me, I'd rather not accept it either, but it's the truth," Ning Fengzhi said firmly.
"Then what's your plan, Fengzhi?" Sword Douluo asked. "According to this report, Wu Tong is undoubtedly the strongest on the Douluo Continent now."
"We'll let things take their natural course. Our relationship with Wu Tong has always been good—we just need to maintain that bond."
"Besides, we all know Wu Tong's nature. He isn't the type to kill indiscriminately. If those two sects hadn't struck first, I doubt he would've bothered with them at all."
"Still, his actions have rendered all our preparations useless."
Ning Fengzhi sighed.
"That kid… his aversion to trouble remains as strong as ever."
"Speaking of which, Wu Tong's academy is about to open, right? Have Rongrong take some talented disciples and enroll them."
A gentle smile crossed Ning Fengzhi's face.
He understood Wu Tong's methods perfectly. The principle of "eradicating the roots" might seem crude, but it was undeniably effective.
However, when mentioning Ning Rongrong, a subtle glint flickered in Ning Fengzhi's eyes.
As her father, how could he not know of her feelings for Wu Tong?
For years, Rongrong had found every excuse to visit Wutong Courtyard.
It was impossible not to notice.
At the time, Ning Fengzhi had feared his precious daughter was being led astray.
But upon investigating, he realized it was his own "little cabbage" eagerly chasing after the "pig."
The discovery had made him want to disown her, but his paternal love ultimately won out. He decided to let things unfold naturally.
Truly, Ning Fengzhi's judgment was impeccable. Aside from his disastrous investment in Tang San, his discernment was usually spot-on.
The more he thought about it, the brighter his smile became.
Looking back, not interfering in their interactions had been the right choice.
Though in recent years, for some reason, Rongrong had suddenly grown reserved and stopped visiting.
Ning Fengzhi sighed inwardly.
Who knows what that girl is thinking?
Still, he hoped she'd seize this opportunity and make him proud.
"...Fine."
Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo exchanged glances. They understood Ning Fengzhi's intentions perfectly. After a moment's consideration, they nodded in agreement.
...
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(End of Chapter.)