Clifford let out a miserable shriek and hurriedly ordered his subordinates to help.
"They aren't from the branch hall; they are imposters from the Breaking Clan!"
Upon hearing their boss say this, his subordinates subconsciously summoned their spirits, ready to strike. However, Ya Li clearly had no intention of letting them have their way.
With her Wish Angel Spirit manifested, Ya Li, who had previously appeared somewhat delicate, gained an air of majestic authority, bolstered by the innate nobility of the angel. Ya Li spoke in a loud, clear voice.
"Clifford, Branch Hall Master of the Münster City Martial Soul Branch Hall, has, since assuming his post, oppressed the common people, run rampant in the countryside, amassed wealth through illicit means, and disregarded the laws and regulations of our Martial Soul Hall."
"We have deployed the Holy Tribunal Knights to carry out this judgment. Anyone who obstructs the execution of justice shall be killed without mercy."
The local Martial Soul Hall members, who had been confused after seeing their boss taken down, realized their leader's crimes had been exposed the moment they saw Ya Li's spirit and heard her words. They immediately bowed their heads, not daring to utter a sound.
As for Clifford, the target of the arrest, his face turned deathly pale upon hearing Ya Li's words, drained of all color. Although he possessed the cultivation of a peak Soul Emperor, the exposure of his crimes, combined with the Soul Douluo cultivation displayed by Yang Wutian, meant he had almost no chance of survival today!
Thinking of this, Clifford ignored the pain in his shoulder. Though he didn't know if it would be of any use, he begged for mercy repeatedly.
"Your Highness Saintess, I come from a poor background. My mind was momentarily clouded, which led me to commit such grave errors. I beg Your Highness Saintess to spare my life!"
"I beg Your Highness to spare me."
If he weren't currently pinned to the wall by Yang Wutian's Soul Breaking Spear, he would surely be kowtowing to Ya Li right now.
Seeing Clifford's pleas, Ya Li ignored him. From the moment his name was placed on the list, his fate had already been sealed.
Seeing Clifford like this, Yang Wutian let out a savage grin. He then broke all four of his limbs on the spot and, ignoring the looks from the crowd, dragged him away by mounting his horse. Yang Wutian rode the horse while dragging Clifford by the leg, his face scraping against the ground.
The other members of the Martial Soul Hall were terrified to their core by Yang Wutian's methods; it was cruel, far too cruel. Clifford's loyal lackeys knelt on the ground, begging for forgiveness and claiming that Clifford was the mastermind, hoping for leniency from their superiors.
Since the Saintess herself had been dispatched, this was clearly no small matter. If they didn't confess now and strive for a lighter sentence, they would simply be waiting for death.
Seeing them like this, Ya Li felt a surge of anger. They knew to beg for mercy now, but where were they when the crimes were committed? She immediately issued the orders she had prepared in advance.
"Bishop Mai Wen, where are you?"
From the back of the welcoming procession, a middle-aged man with an ordinary appearance stepped out and bowed to Ya Li.
"Your subordinate, Mai Wen, greets Your Highness Saintess."
Seeing him step forward, Ya Li dismounted, produced an official decree from the hall, and spoke.
"During his tenure, Bishop Mai Wen has worked diligently and earned a reputation for excellence; he is a model for our Martial Soul Hall personnel."
"Following a decision by the Elder Hall, Bishop Mai Wen is hereby appointed as the acting Branch Hall Master of the Münster City Martial Soul Branch Hall."
Mai Wen was stunned to hear he had been promoted. Seeing his reaction, Ya Li smiled slightly.
"The hall has seen your steadfastness over these years, Mai Wen. This is what you deserve."
After receiving confirmation from Ya Li, Mai Wen realized it was true, and he was overcome with joy. He immediately bowed to accept the order.
"Your subordinate accepts the order!"
"Many thanks to the Elder Hall, many thanks to Your Highness Saintess!"
Ya Li gave one final reminder.
"Maintain this in the future, and do not follow in Clifford's footsteps!"
Mai Wen responded with a firm tone.
"Yes! Your subordinate will not fail the Saintess's expectations."
Ya Li nodded. This was the preparation she had made in advance; once a hall master was removed, she naturally needed to find a capable successor to handle the subsequent affairs. Her criteria for selection were simple: be virtuous, be talented, and serve the people—that was how one earned a promotion.
Afterward, Yun Ming had the members of the Breaking and Defense clans assist Mai Wen in rounding up the scum within the hall who had conspired with Clifford. Once they had helped Mai Wen gain initial control of the branch hall, the group left the Martial Soul Hall to find Yang Wutian, who had departed earlier.
When they found Yang Wutian, they discovered that Clifford had already breathed his last. There wasn't a single patch of intact flesh on his entire body, clearly having been tortured severely before death. Meanwhile, Yang Wutian was weeping with old tears, whispering softly.
"Xiaoyun, Big Brother has avenged you."
Yang Xiaoyun was Yang Wutian's younger sister. Fourteen years ago, while Yang Wutian was dealing with experts from the Martial Soul Hall, she had died at the hands of Clifford while they were fleeing.
Seeing this scene, Yun Ming let out a sigh.
Seeing the others return, Yang Wutian wiped away his tears and spoke.
"Let's go!"
The group set off once more, heading toward their next destination.
Over the next half-month, Yun Ming and Ya Li led the two clans across a large portion of the Heaven Dou Empire, finding and killing the people on their list one by one.
Just as Ya Li had anticipated, because they acted with such high profiles and ruthless methods—killing wherever they went without suppressing the news—the interior of the Martial Soul Hall was thrown into a state of panic.
Some clever individuals deduced their selection criteria based on the spirits displayed by Yun Ming's group and the conduct of those who had been killed. Some on the list had considered resisting, but in the face of the formidable strength of Yun Ming's group, all their preparations were useless. In the end, they could only die in despair, just as Yang Wudi and the others had hoped.
Martial Soul City, inside the Pope Palace.
Bibi Dong sat upon the Pope Throne, speaking to the thin, dark shadow below.
"How is it?"
This was Ghost Douluo Guimei, one of Bibi Dong's two staunchest supporters.
Ghost Douluo's hoarse voice rang out.
"The Star Luo Empire has been dealt with."
As he spoke, he waved his large hand, and over a dozen square boxes appeared within the grand hall. Because of the boxes' appearance, a faint scent of blood subtly permeated the air.
Upon smelling the scent, Bibi Dong frowned slightly and issued an order.
"Send these to the Worship Hall!"
Ghost Douluo received the order and departed.
Yun Ming and the others had accepted orders directly from the Elder Hall, and they acted with such speed that by the time Bibi Dong received the news, several high-ranking officials of the Heaven Dou Empire branch halls had already died at their hands.
To be honest, these people were scum within the organization, and she did not particularly care about them. However, after these people died, their positions were filled by individuals handpicked by the Elder Hall, and their subsequent stance was self-evident; this was something she could not tolerate. Yet, she had no way to change the Elder Hall's orders, so she took the initiative to send people to clear out the scum of Martial Soul Hall within the Star Luo Empire who met the criteria first, replacing them with her own people to stop the losses.
Now, by sending the heads of these people to Qian Daoliu, he would naturally understand her intentions.
Not long after Ghost Douluo left, his close companion Chrysanthemum Douluo arrived in the hall, bowed, and saluted.
"Your Majesty, the Saintess is arriving at Martial Soul City soon with the members of the Breaking and Defense Clans."
Hearing the news, Bibi Dong's eyes were like deep pools as she murmured.
"It seems it is time for this to end. What will the final result be? I am truly curious!"
It was not only Bibi Dong who received the news; there was also the person involved, a man dressed in golden armor with a rugged face: the Hall of Papal Knights Captain, Gu Li. Yet, after hearing the news, his expression remained calm; after all, knowing the outcome already, he had no reason not to be calm.
The moment Gu Li received the definitive news, he knew he was a dead man. Yun Ming and Ya Li had caused such a massive commotion, yet Martial Soul City had shown no reaction, clearly indicating the tacit approval of the higher-ups. Now, all he could do was fulfill that person's request as much as possible. A flash of madness crossed Gu Li's eyes as he looked into the distance and whispered.
"Saintess, Breaking Clan, let us have one final battle."
He then turned and walked toward the Dark Canyon behind him.
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: DaoistReader