"Thank you, Great Elder. But what about my father…?"
Tang San bowed quickly to the Great Elder, then asked slowly.
"Sigh… come with me inside first."
The Great Elder heaved a sigh and led Tang San into a private room off the meeting hall, motioning for him to enter and speak. Even though everyone present already knew something of the past, the Great Elder didn't want Tang San to be stared at by a crowd while he heard the truth.
"Great Elder…"
"Don't rush. Sit down. Prepare yourself mentally for what I'm about to tell you."
The Great Elder waved for Tang San to sit. Tang San said he was ready, but inside he was still uncertain — he didn't know exactly what Tang Hao had done to deserve the elders' hatred.
"Tang Hao — your father — was an undisputed genius of the continent. At the age of forty-four he had already broken through to Titled Douluo."
"What! Father was a Titled Douluo?!"
Tang San's composure shattered at the first sentence. He had assumed his father had been merely expelled like Yu Xiaogang — clearly that wasn't the case.
"Yes. But his greatest mistake in life was falling in love with your mother — a ten-thousand-year spirit beast."
The Great Elder shook his head regretfully. If Tang Hao had never fallen for the Blue Silver Emperor, the Clear Sky Sect could have faced Spirit Hall head-on without fear. A ten-thousand-year spirit beast's temptation was immense — not only the ten-thousand-year spirit ring but also a ten-thousand-year spirit bone. Even the Great Elder himself only possessed one such bone.
"A ten-thousand-year spirit beast?!"
This news hit Tang San even harder than learning his father was a Titled Douluo. A ten-thousand-year creature meant not just power but legendary resources.
"Yes. A ten-thousand-year Blue Silver Grass. In the end, under the combined assault of a former Spirit Hall Pope and several Titled Douluo, your mother sacrificed herself for Tang Hao."
When the Great Elder finished, Tang San was speechless — shock upon shock washed over him in waves. The Great Elder rose slowly, patted Tang San's shoulder, and left him to absorb the truth in private. He knew Tang San needed time.
"Master Ning, thank you for bringing Tang Hao's child back to us. The Clear Sky Sect will train him well."
When the Great Elder emerged, he smiled at Ning Fengzhi.
"You flatter me, Great Elder. Little San is now a holy son of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. In a few days he and my daughter will be married — we came specially to invite your elders." Ning Fengzhi returned the smile.
"Fengzhi—call me Uncle Tang."
"We don't practice uxorilocal marriage in Clear Sky Sect. Since Tang San's martial soul is the Clear Sky Hammer, it would be better for our sect to personally instruct him." The Great Elder patted Ning Fengzhi on the shoulder.
"Tang San is our holy son, Master Ning. If we don't bring him back, would Clear Sky even know of him?" Ning Fengzhi replied.
At that moment Bone Douluo — who had broken through to Rank 96 with Tang San's aid — stood by. Thanks to his special martial soul and his breakthrough, Bone Douluo was confident he could hold his own against Rank 97 Titled Douluo; even the Clear Sky Hammer wouldn't easily best him. Whether for Ning Rongrong or for Tang San's unique qualities, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect wouldn't easily give him up.
"Hmm?"
The Great Elder's brow tightened as his gaze fell on Bone Douluo.
"Don't say such things again."
"Young man, words that undermine unity are best left unspoken."
The Great Elder walked slowly to Bone Douluo. The bone spirit master stood motionless. It wasn't that he refused to move — the Great Elder's aura had locked him in place. If the Great Elder wanted to kill him, a single motion would be enough. In that moment Bone Douluo realized: even in seclusion, Clear Sky Sect's strength had not diminished — if anything, it had grown.
"Great Elder, if you don't want Tang San to remain the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's holy son, then grant him an equivalent status here in Clear Sky Sect." Ning Fengzhi stroked his hair and said it casually. He had prepared for the possibility that Clear Sky would reclaim Tang San — which, in fact, served his own interests.
The Great Elder was momentarily at a loss. Clear Sky Sect wasn't governed by a single voice; Ning Fengzhi's proposal couldn't be implemented by the Great Elder alone.
"If that boy can take one of my blows, I have no objections."
Old Five summoned his martial soul and spoke up. The others agreed after a brief deliberation: if Tang San could withstand one strike from the elders, they would accept him as Clear Sky's holy son.
"You… he's only a child. How could he possibly take an attack from three Elders?"
The Great Elder looked torn. He cared for Tang Hao deeply and didn't want Tang San to be unduly harmed.
"I will accept," Tang San said, stepping slowly out of the inner room. "If I am to be Clear Sky's holy son, I must prove myself."
"Have you thought this through? Three Titled Douluo's attacks are no joke."
The Great Elder's face was a tangle of emotions — whether Tang San resembled Tang Hao in bravery or in reckless obliviousness he couldn't tell.
"Then we won't have the three elders strike together. If you can take one of my blows, Clear Sky's holy son is yours."
After long consideration, the Great Elder finally relented.
"I know my limits. No more words needed." Tang San replied calmly.
The Great Elder raised his hand to silence Bone Douluo and Ning Fengzhi, who were about to plead. He would not allow arguments to sway him.
"Please, Great Elder — teach me." Tang San summoned his martial soul and bowed, not daring to slacken even a moment.
****
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