When Tang San finally opened his eyes again, a searing pain, as if his bones were being reshaped, stabbed through his body. He couldn't help but let out a muffled groan.
"What are you howling for? If you're not dead, just stay quiet!"
A cold, irritable snort echoed from afar.
Tang San recognized that unpleasant voice. Struggling, he slowly turned his head to look towards the source. The room was dim; at a shabby wooden table sat a burly, bearded man built like an iron tower—a giant gourd of liquor in his hand, drinking deeply.
This was one of the five Clear Sky elders secretly sent to guard him.
Tang San's gaze sharpened instantly, his pain temporarily overshadowed.
It's him!
Last night, the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect's Soul Douluo guardian rescued Ning Rongrong. He, the Fifth Elder, was powerful enough to save me, yet only watched as Shui Bing'er and Xue Wu's fusion skill left me critically wounded, and watched as Chen Yi ripped out my Eight Spider Lances in public—doing NOTHING.
The Fifth Elder felt Tang San's cold, resentful stare, and a nameless fire ignited in his chest. He set down his liquor, glared at Tang San.
This damn brat!
Does he even understand the sect's precarious situation? To keep you alive, I expended rare treasures and herbs without hesitation, barely preserving your life and soul foundation. My own soul power still hasn't fully recovered, yet you dare look at me like that?
The angrier he became, the more the Fifth Elder moved. He suddenly stood, walked to Tang San's bedside, and slapped him brutally.
PA!
The sharp, resounding smack echoed in the room. Instantly, Tang San's already pale face blossomed with the red mark of a swollen palm, his split lip oozing blood mixed with saliva. Stars flashed before his eyes, his ears ringing from the force.
"What? Not convinced?!"
The Fifth Elder stared down at him with sharp, contemptuous eyes.
Tang San endured the burning pain and the monstrous rage in his heart. He lowered his eyelids to hide his resentment, croaking, "No… I dare not."
"See that you don't."
The Fifth Elder coldly snorted and drew his hand back, though the hatred in his eyes remained.
He'd never liked this child, left behind by Tang Hao; ever since taking up the protection duty, Tang San had looked at him with wary, ambiguous eyes—it grated on him. More importantly, in the Fifth Elder's view, if this troublemaker hadn't provoked Chen Yi alone, how would the sect's inheritance soul bone have ended up in the Body Sect's hands?
If Tang Xiao hadn't repeatedly stressed the twin martial souls' potential… How could he bear seeing so much hardship wasted on an outsider?
Still, now that the external soul bone had been drained, Tang San's foundation and potential deeply damaged, he was as good as half crippled.
Thinking about the soul bone, the Fifth Elder's face turned even more hideous.
The loss of the inherited soul bone was already a great humiliation. Now, even the external soul bone of Tang Hao's son had been stolen by Chen Yi.
He had trampled upon the Clear Sky Sect's dignity time and time again.
Moreover, yesterday in the ring, with a single gesture, Chen Yi held back Flender and the others; the five elders saw it clearly from the shadows.
That power was unmatched by ordinary Soul Emperors, nearly rivaling many Soul Douluos. That kid was terribly dangerous—he must never be allowed to grow!
And last night, in the midst of so much commotion, the Body Sect's elder never showed...
The Fifth Elder rubbed his chin, murderous intent flaring in his eyes.
He must be nearby. If he didn't appear, he was either away, or entangled in something even more important...
A bold, tempting idea surged in his heart and rapidly expanded. This is an opportunity—a once-in-a-lifetime chance! Without the Body Sect's elder or their top forces, Chen Yi is surrounded by juniors, and the strongest among them at best are only some soul ancestors. If I unleash all my Titled Douluo-level strength, I could take him in one strike, solve the sect's threat, and retrieve the soul bone—maybe even earn great merit!
Thinking thus, the Fifth Elder's eyes flickered with murderous intent, his breathing grew heavier. He no longer looked at Tang San as a dead dog, no longer thought him utterly worthless.
"Rest here. Don't cause trouble!"
The Fifth Elder left these words behind, turned, and left the room without further explanation.
The door slammed shut.
Tang San did not move for a long time, his head bowed.
Only after several minutes, confirming the Fifth Elder's presence had faded, did he suddenly raise his face. The disguise of weakness and docility vanished, replaced by madness and hatred contorting his features.
"Damn it! Damn you! Damn Clear Sky Sect, you bunch of old dogs! I wish you'd all just... DIE!!"
In his fury, tears nearly burst from his wounds, and he broke out in cold sweat, groaning miserably. He stared after the Fifth Elder, a cold, twisted sneer crawled across his lips.
"Go… by all means go… Let all of you die together…"
…
Early the next morning, on a deserted road outside the city.
Chen Yi and his group traveled leisurely. Weak morning light filtered down; the air was fresh, as though the blood and chaos of yesterday's soul battle belonged to another world.
They discussed last night's one-sided "fight." Cold light had not faded from Dugu Yan's snake eyes, and her tone was heavy with contempt and murderous intent.
"That fool really doesn't know if he's going to live or die."
Jiang Hongfei folded his arms, sneering, "He asked for death. The Young Sect Master was too merciful—should've killed that old thing on the spot, so he'd never show himself to disgust us again."
Chen Yi, leading the group calmly, remarked, "Yu Xiaogang himself is certainly a clown, not worth the trouble. But he does have an old lover involved, which makes things messier—move against him, and you stir up unwanted attention and complications."
He explained that Yu Xiaogang's ability to jump around owed much to not being from the old Three Sects, hinting for Ye Lingling not to bear a grudge after yesterday's incident.
Ye Lingling smiled gently. "I understand. He's just a self-serving clown; I won't mind."
Chen Yi turned back, seeing the sincerity in her clear eyes, and nodded with a light smile.
Just as Chen Yi was about to speak, footsteps suddenly rang out from afar. He turned slowly, gaze sharp as lightning, slicing through the morning mist, eyes fixed on the official road behind them, lips curling with a cold arc.
"Heh…" a mocking laugh escaped him. "So they really do follow me, even courting death."
He turned to Shui Binger, Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling and issued an order.
"Wait at the fork ahead. Remember, don't come back, don't approach without a signal."
Without hesitation, Shui Binger and the others exchanged a quick look of understanding, and hurried off, vanishing into the morning fog between the trees.
Once the team was safely away, Chen Yi turned his gaze back towards the road. The wings behind him fluttered lightly—like a celestial body freed from gravity, he seemed to ascend effortlessly into the air, arms relaxed and calm eyes fixed on the winding road below.