Chapter 60 — Ning Fengzhi's Beautiful Dream Shattered
Tai Tan was the most loyal hound at Tang Hao's side.
He maintained excellent relations with the other three affiliated clans as well.
With his help, Tang San could very likely rely on the power of the four subsidiary clans to establish the Tang Sect.
But now, Tai Tan is dead. The Strength Clan would cease to exist.
And the possibility of founding the Tang Sect had vanished along with them.
The next day.
The Shrek group received the devastating news that the entire Strength Clan had been massacred.
They hurried to the clan's ruined estate, accompanying the grief-stricken Tai Long.
The sight before them made everyone draw in a cold breath.
The once-magnificent estate was now reduced to rubble. Broken walls trembled in the wind, as if silently recounting last night's brutality.
The air was thick with the acrid stench of burning and blood. Corpses of the Strength Clan's people lay scattered everywhere.
Tai Long's legs went weak. He nearly collapsed on the spot.
He had been at Shrek Academy preparing for the upcoming advancement matches, narrowly avoiding the calamity.
But now his family had suffered complete annihilation. His world was shattered instantly.
"No! Father… Grandfather…"
Tai Long's voice trembled with despair. Tears flowed uncontrollably as he screamed for his loved ones—yet no answer came.
Tang San felt a deep ache in his chest at the tragic scene.
The Strength Clan's destruction meant he could no longer deliver the hidden weapons he had promised Ning Fengzhi.
Tai Tan had mentioned the other three affiliated clans before.
Tang San originally planned that after the Continental Tournament ended, he would use Tai Tan's help to contact the other three clan leaders and formally establish the Tang Sect, preparing to oppose Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo.
But now—with the Strength Clan wiped out and Tai Tan dead—those plans had all turned to dust.
Tang San and Yu Xiaogang did not get stuck in grief. Instead, they carefully searched the estate for clues.
Luckily, a few of the elderly, weak, or sick had survived.
Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo hadn't bothered to kill them.
From their accounts, Tang San and Yu Xiaogang learned that it was indeed Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo who destroyed the Strength Clan.
Tang San felt once again that he was being targeted.
"Teacher, the Strength Clan had no deep grudges with those two. Though they were dragged into the Clear Sky Sect incident years ago and attacked by Spirit Hall, those two have already left Spirit Hall. There was no need for them to do this."
Yu Xiaogang shook his head with a sigh.
"I don't know why they would go this far."
Tang San continued, "Teacher, they cut off Clan Chief Bai He's arm and took his heirloom. Then they chopped off Senior Lou Gao's arm. Now they've eradicated the Strength Clan. When you connect these incidents… all of them seem to be related to me."
"Related to you?" Yu Xiaogang frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"
Tang San explained:
"Clan Chief Bai He is my grand-uncle. Senior Lou Gao and Tai Tan were three great master craftsmen alongside my father. Now, two of the three master craftsmen have already fallen. The hidden weapons I designed might never be mass-produced."
"Xiao San… what you're saying does make sense. With only your father left as a master craftsman on the continent, his situation will become even more dangerous."
Yu Xiaogang's tone carried clear worry.
Although he had always idolized Tang Hao, believing him to be invincible…
He also knew that Tang Hao's internal injuries were severe, and he shouldn't clash with a Titled Douluo.
Tang San realized this as well.
"Teacher, don't worry. I'll warn Father. After the Soul Master Tournament, I'll return to the Clear Sky Sect with him."
"Mm. The Clear Sky Sect is full of experts. With your uncle and the elders there, your father can finally rest and recover."
The two were still speaking when Ning Fengzhi hurriedly arrived at the ruins.
The moment his eyes fell on the devastation before him, he was utterly shocked—and even more heartbroken.
He had originally placed great hopes on the deadly Godly Zhuge Crossbows and other powerful hidden weapons to elevate the strength of his sect.
But now, all those hidden weapons have been destroyed. His beautiful dream crumbled along with them.
Tang San walked up to Ning Fengzhi.
"Sect Master Ning, with the Strength Clan gone and the hidden weapons destroyed, our plans have been disrupted. But please rest assured—I won't give up so easily. After the tournament ends, I will look for another way to fulfill our agreement."
"Xiao San, you're thoughtful. Let's set this matter aside for now and focus on preparing for the upcoming advancement rounds."
A faint smile appeared on Ning Fengzhi's face. It was as if he saw a glimmer of hope again—even if that hope was incredibly slim.
Soon, Emperor Xue Ye also received news of the incident.
He was furious.
This had happened right under his nose, in the capital of the Empire itself. It was a blatant provocation to his authority.
Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo had completely ignored him, running wild in his territory.
However, once he calmed down, he felt a wave of helplessness.
Because the strength of Ghost Douluo and Chrysanthemum Douluo was simply too overwhelming.
They had already left Spirit Hall and become free soul masters with elusive movements.
Trying to deal with them… was easier said than done.
The annihilation of the Strength Clan would undoubtedly cause an uproar throughout the soul master world.
As for what would happen next—no one knew…
The advancement matches came to an end.
Just as Ghost Douluo predicted, every team forfeited the moment they encountered him.
Even Shrek Academy didn't dare act stubborn this time.
For the safety of his students, Yu Xiaogang advised them to avoid battle.
After studying the book Multi-Entity Fusion Skills, Yu Xiaogang gained inspiration and successfully developed a Seven-in-One Fusion Skill.
With Tang San's eight spider lances and his hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor soul bone, his body could withstand the power generated by several people merging their strength.
By combining the power of seven people into one, Tang San's combat strength could temporarily soar to the Soul Saint level.
With this ultimate trump card, both Yu Xiaogang and Tang San were filled with confidence.
They firmly believed that with this move, they would be able to defeat both the mysterious Wuming and the powerful Spirit Hall team in the Continental Tournament.
However, once this trump card was used, deploying it a second time would be extremely difficult—because opponents would be ready for it.
So Yu Xiaogang conceived a strategy: force the Spirit Hall team and the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy's second team to clash in advance.
When two strong teams fight, one is guaranteed to fall.
Then, Shrek Academy could sit back and reap the benefits, using the Seven-in-One Fusion Skill to defeat the remaining opponent.
The finals of the Continental Soul Master Tournament would be held in Spirit City.
Under the leadership of Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, the Heaven Dou Empire's sixteen competing teams set off toward Spirit City.
The day before departure, Yu Xiaogang quietly left alone.
He was going to meet Bibi Dong—to borrow her power to eliminate Wuming.
In the cold, spacious Pope's Palace…
Bibi Dong sat on the lofty Pope's throne, silently reading through the intelligence reports in her hand. The expression on her face gradually hardened.
"I never expected the Heaven Dou Empire to have such an incredible young soul master."
"What exactly is this Wuming's background? Those three traitorous fools actually let him join the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's second team. Are they trying to cause trouble for me? Ridiculous!"
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End of Chapter