After Ye Lingling left, Dugu Feng's days returned to their usual rhythm.
Cultivation filled his every moment.
Spirit skills, spirit power, the Killing God Domain, and his two Serpents.
When he left the Slaughter City, the serpents' cultivation years had already reached six thousand.
Now, they had nearly grown to seven thousand.
An increase of more than a hundred years every month, which was truly astonishing!
Their growth was fast because their treatment was excellent.
The Dugu Clan's immense resources ensured that herbs and blood meals were never lacking.
They were carnivorous spirit beasts, after all.
Then there was the Pearl. Its circulation with the serpents nourished their bodies and spirit power.
And finally, their own bloodline talent.
Their absorption speed was abnormally high.
Even so, Dugu Feng still felt it was too slow.
Only when they became ten-thousand-year spirit beasts, paired with their strange skills, would they truly be useful.
For now, their strength was still a bit lacking.
So he constantly drilled their techniques, forcing their bloodline powers to awaken more fully, sharpening their combat abilities.
Time slipped by.
Dugu Feng was gradually reaching the end of his final year at Tian Dou Royal Junior Academy.
But outside, the seeds he had planted had already erupted into a storm across the spirit master world.
At the edge of Star Dou Forest, two tall, broad-shouldered old men in black robes and bamboo hats moved swiftly toward the outside world.
The one in front had long white brows that reached down to his neck, his face glowing with health, so vigorous that one might not guess he was an old man at all.
The one behind had a face like a carved blade, sharp and stern, his eyes flashing with light, his aura surging with excitement.
"Second Brother, now that I've absorbed my ninth spirit ring, that makes four of us elders who have reached Title Douluo.
Add the Sect Master, and the sect has five Titled Douluo.
When we return, we should urge the Sect Master to lift the seal. It's time for the Clear Sky Sect to return to the world!"
The blade-faced man's tone was full of eagerness.
The long-browed elder remained calm. "The Sect Master may not agree. Five Titled Douluo sounds strong, but the Spirit Hall also has many. He will likely choose to endure still."
The blade-faced man scowled. "Endure, endure, endure. We've endured for eleven years. How much longer?"
He was the Fifth Elder, Tang Fangrui, who had just advanced with the aid of the Second Elder, Tang Ming.
"Not until Seventh Brother also breaks through to Title," Tang Ming said evenly.
Fangrui fell silent.
Back then, the sect had seven elders. The First and Sixth Elders died in battle.
Now only Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh remained.
Eleven years later, four of them had become Titled.
The Seventh Elder was already at rank eighty-eight. In a few more years, he too would break through.
"Then we'll wait. When Seventh becomes Titled, I'll see what reason the Sect Master has left to hold back!"
Fangrui's voice dripped with hate.
Vengeance—this was the obsession burning in every Clear Sky's heart!
They had cultivated in fury all these years, for the day the sect would reemerge and shake the world.
When the Seventh Elder broke through, six Titled Douluo together...what a sight that would be!
The thought alone made their blood stir.
What Dugu Feng would never imagine was that his casual fabrication about the Fifth Elder becoming Titled had struck reality by sheer coincidence.
The Fifth Elder had indeed been absorbing his ninth ring in Star Dou Forest during this very time.
The coincidence could not have been greater.
Half an hour later, the two elders reached a supply town at the forest's edge.
"Second Brother, let's eat something warm. Three months hunting for a spirit beast, not a moment's rest."
Fangrui looked at the bustling street, unable to suppress the longing in his eyes.
For eleven years, he hadn't seen so many people.
This was his first time leaving the sect in over a decade, sneaking and hiding all the way.
Tang Ming sighed.
His brothers lived like thieves just to obtain spirit rings, not daring to show their faces, not daring to linger.
"Let's go."
He couldn't refuse. Today was Faingrui's glory—his breakthrough!
So he allowed himself to be persuaded, and they entered a two-story inn.
A private room was quickly arranged.
Fangrui eagerly ordered over a dozen dishes.
"Second Brother, when we get back, won't they be envious?"
He grinned as he ordered.
Tang Ming, however, felt a pang of sorrow. Ordinary life had become a luxury to the Clear Sky Sect.
With his strength, he could clearly sense the laughter and chatter below, the lively atmosphere of the common hall.
How long had it been since their sect had felt such life?
Then voices drifted up from downstairs—
"Have you heard? The world's number one sect, the Clear Sky Sect, has had all its members in seclusion, cultivating for revenge against the Spirit Hall!"
The voice was low, conspiratorial, but brimming with excitement.
"Oh? Tell us more!"
Encouraged, the speaker grew even more animated.
"You think Spirit Hall is the strongest power? Wrong. Dead wrong.
It's the Clear Sky Sect.
Someone saw a man in Star Dou Forest with the Clear Sky Hammer, absorbing his ninth spirit ring.
They say it was the Fifth Elder.
Now think—if the Fifth Elder has broken through, what about the First, Second, Third, Fourth? Surely they're all Titled too.
And add the Sect Master, add the Clear Sky Douluo himself… that's at least seven Titled Douluo.
Tell me—are you shocked? Surprised?"
The crowd downstairs gasped.
"Seven Titled Douluo? Wouldn't they flatten Spirit Hall?"
"Exactly! Spirit Hall's doomed this time!"
"That's nothing. That's just the Titled ones. How many Soul Douluos? How many Saints and Kings? Hundreds, at least.
I heard from a senior that finding a ten-thousand-year beast has become nearly impossible.
You know why?
Because the Clear Sky Sect has been breaking through nonstop, slaughtering Star Dou's beasts!"
Another voice joined in loudly.
"Thirty years east, thirty years west. Just wait. Clear Sky Sect and Spirit Hall are going to clash. Who wins? Hard to say this time."
One after another, more people chimed in.
The entire inn buzzed, excitement boiling.
Curiosity and gossip itch burned in every listener.
Already, they were planning how they would brag of this news once they returned to their academies and cities.