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As he spoke, his gaze turned toward Tang San, who was kneeling on the ground. The young man radiated an aura of deep humiliation and gloom. Tang Xiao looked at him and spoke with a complicated tone.
"Tang San, you have committed a grave mistake, and the blame is inescapable. However, the Sect is in need of talent right now. If you wish to atone for your crimes, you must redeem yourself through meritorious service. Making amends for your faults is the Righteous Path!"
Tang San, still kneeling on the ground, was trembling slightly. It was not from fear, but from extreme resentment and a refusal to accept his current state. Hearing Tang Xiao's words, he abruptly raised his head. A strange light, mixed with venomous hatred and a hint of ruthlessness, flashed in his originally dim eyes.
"Great Uncle, Elders, I know the person who tricked us out of the Ring Explosion Secret Technique!"
"What?"
"You know him?"
"Who is he?"
As soon as these words were uttered, the entire assembly was astonished. Even the furious Seventh Elder temporarily suppressed his rage. He looked at Tang San with shock and uncertainty, wondering if this was another lie or a genuine lead.
Tang San met the skeptical and scrutinizing gazes of the crowd with perfectly measured sorrow and indignation. Gritting his teeth, as if finding it difficult to speak, he said, "His name is Tang Chen. By seniority and blood relation, he should be my biological older brother."
"Older brother?"
"Tang Hao has another son?"
Upon hearing this, the Elders' eyes instantly filled with shock and disbelief. Even Tang Xiao showed extreme surprise. The idea that their wayward brother had a second son was something no one had expected.
Tang San quickly moved to explain further. "This Tang Chen is slightly older than me. But he has been wicked since childhood. His nature is eccentric and violent. What is worse, he has forgotten his ancestors and already defected to Spirit Hall, willingly serving as their lackey. This person's strength has grown suspiciously fast.
He stops at nothing in his actions, and he is extremely sinister and cunning. Previously, outside Spirit City, he repeatedly opposed me and aided members of Spirit Hall. This time, he deliberately impersonated Great Uncle and the Elders to trick us out of the Ring Explosion Secret Technique.
He must have been instructed by Spirit Hall, intending to weaken the foundation of our Clear Sky Sect. Such a treacherous scoundrel who acknowledges a thief as his father is simply the shame of the Tang Clan and an enemy of the Sect!"
Tang San's highly sensationalized words were like throwing a boulder into a calm lake. Everyone was first shocked that Tang Hao had an eldest son wandering outside. Then, an even greater rage was ignited. This eldest son had not only defected to the Sect's mortal enemy, Spirit Hall, but he had also meticulously planned to scheme against his own family.
"So that's it! He is another son of that scoundrel, Tang Hao. Father and son are cut from the same cloth! Both are scourges upon the Sect. No wonder his methods are so despicable and he knows so much about the inner workings of the Sect. If this fellow is not eliminated, the Sect will never have peace!"
"Is what you said true?" Sect Master Tang Xiao and Tang Yuehua simultaneously stepped forward. Their gazes were like torches, staring intently at Tang San. Tang Xiao's face was full of disbelief, while Tang Yuehua covered her mouth with her hand. Her beautiful eyes were filled with astonishment and a trace of barely perceptible complex emotion.
Tang Xiao never expected that his younger brother, Tang Hao, had another son besides Tang San. Moreover, judging by Tang San's words, this son named Tang Chen seemed to have embarked on a path of enmity against the Sect.
Facing the intense gazes of his Great Uncle and Aunt, Tang San displayed perfectly measured grief and determination. He nodded heavily, his tone resolute. "Great Uncle, Aunt, I, Tang San, swear here that everything I just said is true. I have not said a single false word. Tang Chen is indeed my biological older brother, but he has gone astray.
He defected to Spirit Hall and has gone against us. If the two of you do not believe me, you can descend the mountain with me to find my father. He will naturally explain the whole story to you."
He once again brought up his father, Tang Hao, to increase the credibility of his words. Hearing this, Tang Xiao's thick eyebrows knitted tightly. He fell into a brief silence as he processed the weight of the information.
After a moment, he clasped his hands behind his back and slowly paced in the center of the great hall. His majestic gaze swept over the Elders below, whose expressions varied from anger to confusion. His thoughts spun rapidly.
The news Tang San brought was too shocking. Whether it was the nephew Tang Chen who suddenly appeared, or his act of defecting to Spirit Hall, both concerned the Sect's reputation and safety.
These claims had to be verified. Furthermore, his younger brother, Tang Hao, whom he had not seen for many years, was also a source of deep worry for him.
"Since that is the case, so be it!" Suddenly, Tang Xiao stopped. A flash of determination appeared in his eyes. He spoke in a deep voice, his words echoing throughout the great hall. "Since our Clear Sky Sect has already formed an alliance with the Heaven Dou Empire, and we will soon reopen the Sect, I shall personally descend the mountain.
This trip is, firstly, to further discuss the specifics of the alliance with School Master Ning and the Empire. We must ensure seamless coordination after our Sect emerges. Secondly..."
His voice suddenly turned cold, carrying an undeniable trace of killing intent. "It is to personally meet Brother Hao and ascertain the situation. At the same time, I will fully pursue the whereabouts of that rebellious son, Tang Chen.
If Tang San's words are true, this fellow has betrayed the clan, defected to the enemy, and stolen the Sect's supreme treasure. His crime is unforgivable. I will personally capture him and bring him back to the Sect to enforce the rules!"
These words gave him a legitimate reason to descend the mountain. It also allowed him to put the investigation of Tang Chen and the cleansing of the Sect on the table, making his actions perfectly reasonable to the Elders.
Tang Yuehua stood by, watching her elder brother whose mind was set. Her lips moved, but she ultimately said nothing. However, the worry in her eyes deepened. She was concerned about the reunion between her two brothers after so many years. She also felt an indescribable complex emotion toward her nephew, Tang Chen, whom she had never met but who was already branded a traitor.
Seeing that Tang Xiao had made his decision, the Seventh Elder and the others, although still dissatisfied with Tang San, recognized that recovering the Ring Explosion Secret Technique and cleansing the Sect were the top priorities. Thus, they no longer voiced opposition.
Half a day later, deep within the Star Dou Great Forest, a different struggle was taking place. The two emperors who once shook the forest were now at the end of their rope.
The auras of the Titan Giant Ape, Er Ming, and the Sky Azure Bull Python, Da Ming, were like flickering candles in the wind. Their speed of escape had clearly slowed.
Every step they took seemed incredibly heavy. The liquid spilled along the way was no longer just pure blood. It was poisonous blood mixed with a foul, corrosive odor. Wherever they passed, life ceased to exist.
Bibi Dong still maintained her terrifying Death Spider Emperor True Body. Her eight thick, green-furred long legs moved over the complex terrain as if she were walking on flat ground. She followed unhurriedly behind the dying beasts.
Behind her, five powerful figures followed. Among them was Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan, whose face was slightly pale but whose eyes were excited.
For this hunting operation, she had brought a total of six Titled Douluo level powerhouses. This represented the assembled peak fighting strength of Spirit Hall.
Although during the previous entanglement, one Titled Douluo had unfortunately perished under the dying counterattack of the two Divine Beasts, the remaining force was more than enough to deal with the two dying prey before them.
"Run. The faster you run, the faster you die," Bibi Dong sneered inwardly.
She was waiting for the moment when their vitality was completely exhausted. She wanted them to be too weak to launch a final counterattack. The dying strike of a Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Beast was no small matter.
She did not want to see any more losses among her Titled Douluo subordinates. She watched them struggle, knowing that their spirit rings would soon be hers.