The valley shrouded in night was exceptionally tranquil and silent.
When Ye Tian plunged into the Yin Yang Well of Ice and Fire, he remained unaware that hundreds of miles away on the battlefield, Bi Bi Dong appeared to be in increasing danger.
Back when Ye Tian and the others departed from the Dugu Family residence for the Sunset Forest, Bi Bi Dong's challenge had long been carried by the wind deep into the heart of Clear Sky School territory.
The outcome unfolded exactly as Ye Tian had predicted.
Despite Tang Xiao's repeated attempts to dissuade him, even offering to fight in his father's stead, Tang Zhen unwaveringly accepted Bi Bi Dong's challenge.
Before heading to battle, Tang Zhen had already designated Tang Xiao as the next patriarch of Clear Sky School.
Should he fall in combat, Tang Xiao would immediately assume leadership.
If Clear Sky School faced inevitable collapse, following a unanimous decision by Tang Zhen and the elders, Tang Hao would be expelled from the sect. The remaining forces would retreat to the ancestral lands where Clear Sky School first rose to prominence, sealing the mountain and closing the sect.
Naturally, these contingency plans for defeat were known only to the inner circle of Clear Sky School's leadership. They would never be disclosed to lower ranks unless absolutely necessary, lest it breed cowardice before the battle even began—rendering the fight pointless from the start.
Especially the subsidiary sects—they must not learn even a hint of these plans. Otherwise, who would serve as the rearguard for Clear Sky School?
At this moment, many were hoping Tang Zhen could capture Bi Bi Dong alive to force Spirit Hall's retreat. But was that even possible? Capturing a Titled Douluo alive was far more difficult than killing one.
Three days had passed. Forces gathered from Spirit Hall's various branch halls had already assembled on all fronts facing Clear Sky School's defensive lines, with reinforcements continuously arriving.
Even Demon-Abasing Douluo, who typically guarded Spirit Hall headquarters, had personally led troops to command the full-scale assault.
Had Bi Bi Dong not descended from the skies and disrupted his deployment, Clear Sky School would likely have already retreated ten miles back. Yet if Bi Bi Dong's approach succeeded, it would prove that sharpening the axe didn't delay the woodcutting.
Now, beneath the boundless night sky, Demon-Abasing Douluo listened to the battlefield's thunderous roars with a grave expression.
"Who would have thought," he murmured, "that old hammer-wielder, half in the grave already, could still put up such a fight?"
"Humph!" Demon-Subduing Douluo snorted beside him. "Clear Sky School must have used some vile method to give him a temporary resurgence. Otherwise, he probably couldn't even lift his hammer."
"Even so, the Saintess's situation doesn't look promising," Demon-Abasing Douluo noted with concern. Turning to Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo, he instructed quietly, "Stand ready. The Saintess's life must not be endangered."
"Yes! We understand!" Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo responded in unison.
But in the next instant, an overwhelmingly powerful voice—charged with excitement and cruelty—shot straight from the front lines into their ears.
"No one is to interfere later! Even if I die! Otherwise, don't blame me for turning hostile after the battle ends!"
"???"
Hearing Bi Bi Dong's voice...
The Demon-Subduing Douluo and the others were somewhat baffled, unable to resist asking, "Elder brother, what does she mean by this?"
The Demon-Abasing Douluo watched Bi Bi Dong being suppressed by Tang Zhen and shook his head, speculating, "Perhaps she still has some hidden card up her sleeve. That Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring doesn't seem to have lit up yet."
"..."
On the scorched earth.
A middle-aged man with black-and-white hair and beard, a straight nose, square jaw, thick eyebrows, and large eyes moved swiftly. Beneath his feet, nine spirit rings—two yellow, two purple, and five black—hovered close to the ground as if skimming the surface, following their master's movements.
He was Tang Zhen, the sect master of the Clear Sky School!
The Clear Sky Hammer in his hand erupted with dazzling lightning; with just a slight swing, it caused the air to emit prolonged explosive roars.
The surrounding land appeared as if it had been plowed, sparks flashing in the air as metallic clangs rang out incessantly.
"Haha... Hahaha!"
Wild, shrill laughter continued to echo.
Bi Bi Dong's legs had vanished, replaced below her abdomen by a massive spherical body. From this sphere grew eight thick spider legs, covered in green fur and secreting venom.
They propelled her body forward with astonishing speed.
A sinister smile played on Bi Bi Dong's face,
blood trickling from the corner of her mouth due to internal injuries,
her arms transformed into enormous scythe blades, whirling in an impenetrable defense as they clashed repeatedly with the incoming Clear Sky Hammer.
Faced with Tang Zhen's Haotian Nine Perfections and Chaotic Cloak techniques,
Bi Bi Dong was continuously forced back, yet she showed no signs of toning down her arrogance.
Amid her maniacal laughter, she did not forget to taunt:
"It seems the title of the number one Weapon Martial Soul is merely an empty reputation."
"And the master of the Clear Sky School is nothing special either!"
"Unable to even capture a young, delicate woman like me after all this time."
As Bi Bi Dong spoke,
Tang Zhen remained silent, but the force in his Clear Sky Hammer intensified... lightning crackled across the hammer's surface. With a downward swing, he aimed directly for Bi Bi Dong's face.
Boom—!
The lightning-wreathed hammer collided with the two scythe blades formed from the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone.
A terrifying shockwave caused the ground to sink.
Dust filled the air.
"Pfft!"
Gritting her silver teeth, Bi Bi Dong spat out a mouthful of blood.
Raising her arms, she once again firmly blocked Tang Zhen's attack.
Swallowing the metallic taste of blood,
she lifted her eyes, filled with malice, and sneered like a vengeful ghost:
"Has the elder not yet mastered the Chaotic Cloak technique? Let this junior guess... is your body failing? If this continues, you're going to die, aren't you?"
"..."
Tang Zhen's turbid eyes narrowed slightly,
clearly struck by Bi Bi Dong's words!
Although the Chaotic Cloak technique allowed for continuous power stacking, it placed extreme demands on physical condition.
Even though he had temporarily returned to his peak through a secret art that ignited his potential and drained his remaining life force, his ravaged body could no longer bear the strain.
He truly didn't have much time left!
Noticing Bi Bi Dong spitting blood, Tang Zhen's pupils contracted, a fierce light gleaming in his eyes as an idea formed.
The nine spirit rings beneath his feet began to rotate steadily, glowing brighter one by one.
The Clear Sky Hammer in his hand also started to expand.
"Young one, your talent is indeed rare in this world, but you are far too arrogant. I originally intended to capture you alive and spare your life, but now it seems the Clear Sky School and the Spirit Hall are destined to fight to the death!"
"Oh?"
Bi Bi Dong raised an eyebrow coldly.
As Tang Zhen exerted his power, the eight thick spider legs extending from the sphere beneath her abdomen began to tremble, piercing into the ground and sinking deeper.
Even to the point...
Blood continued to spill from Bi Bi Dong's mouth.
Yet her two massive scythe blades still firmly held the Clear Sky Hammer at bay.
An even more contemptuous expression appeared on her face.
"Does the elder mean to kill me?"
"With just you? A sick cat?"
"Haha... hahaha..."
Bi Bi Dong couldn't help but burst into mad laughter as she watched the Clear Sky Hammer growing larger above her.
"Youngster, know your limits!"
Tang Zhen roared in fury, his turbid eyes lighting up with brilliant lightning.
"Eighth Soul Skill—Heaven Shaking, Earth Moving!"
Boom!
When the eighth spirit ring at Tang Zhen's feet lit up,
Bi Bi Dong couldn't help but widen her eyes in shock. A terrifying shockwave spread across the Clear Sky Hammer, enough to sweep across a hundred-meter radius.
Being at the epicenter,
Bi Bi Dong naturally bore the brunt of it.
Not daring to delay, she immediately used the momentum to explosively retreat dozens of meters away.
Within a hundred-meter radius,
A smooth, massive crater appeared. The previously plowed scorched earth had become hard as stone, forcibly compressed flat.
"Haha!"
"Finally... you old fool, finally decided to go all out? Then let me see the power of a ninety-fifth rank Titled Douluo!"
A violent gust of wind rushed toward her face,
But Bi Bi Dong showed no fear, her face filled with fervor instead, eagerly anticipating the challenge.
Her two giant scythes spread open, ready for battle.
The ninth spirit ring beneath her feet—the hundred thousand year soul ring that had shocked the entire Soul Master Realm—
Began to glow faintly.
"Then have it your way!"
Having already soared to a hundred meters in the air using his eighth soul skill, Tang Zhen's voice rolled like thunder, spreading along with the dark light of his ninth spirit ring.
The Clear Sky Hammer raised high, blood spilled from Tang Zhen's mouth as he let out a roar...
"Ninth Soul Skill, Thunderous... Heaven-Shaking Strike!!"
As his words fell,
The Clear Sky Hammer in Tang Zhen's hands came crashing down as if summoning heavenly thunder.
The night sky
Was instantly torn apart by countless lightning bolts, creating countless fissures.
Innumerable furious thunderbolts, wrapped around the Clear Sky Hammer, swarmed toward Bi Bi Dong.
The speed of lightning was unimaginable.
Before Bi Bi Dong could even blink, before Chrysanthemum Douluo and the others could react,
Bi Bi Dong was buried under the Clear Sky Hammer,
Swallowed by countless thunderbolts.
Shattered to pieces.
A lightning pillar bright enough to blind someone instantly exploded,
Turning the night as bright as day.
It illuminated Tang Xiao's tear-streaked face as he stood on the wall.
"Father!!!"
Tang Xiao knew very well.
After this strike, not even gods could save Tang Zhen.
"Young master, please restrain your grief!"
The several elders of the Clear Sky School and the leaders of the affiliated clans all stood on the wall, watching Tang Zhen's final brilliance.
"Haha... if my master could kill the Pope, then my sect leader can kill your Saintess, hahahaha!"
Titan jumped onto the wall,
Clapping his hands vigorously while roaring to vent his inner fury.
"Long live the Clear Sky School—!!!"
"Long live—Long live the Clear Sky School—Long live the Sect Leader!"
Titan's shouts were immediately echoed by the crowd.
"Your Highness the Holy Maiden—!"
Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo both changed expressions simultaneously.
"Outrageous!"
Demon-Subduing Douluo couldn't help but clench his fists, about to order a full-scale attack when
Demon-Abasing Douluo suppressed his anger and raised his hand.
"Wait a moment longer..."
Amid the earth-shaking cheers...
Half a moment passed.
When the countless thunderbolts and lightning pillar dissipated, only the True Form of Clear Sky—dozens of meters tall and wrapped in lightning—remained standing where Bi Bi Dong had been.
Not a trace remained of Bi Bi Dong's spider-like massive form.
Boom—!
Tang Zhen landed forcefully from a hundred meters high.
The Clear Sky Hammer standing erect in the battlefield crater continuously shrank and tilted slightly, its handle just falling into Tang Zhen's grasp.
Swallowing the blood in his throat, Tang Zhen raised the Clear Sky Hammer, his dim eyes filled with fierce determination. Gazing toward the direction of Spirit Hall, he declared with resounding force:
"The Clear Sky School shall not be disgraced!!!His passionate shout echoed across the battlefield, yet the previously roaring battleground suddenly fell into an eerie silence.
Tang Zhen froze in place, confused as he tried to turn around.
"Heh, dumbass!"
It wasn't until scornful, mocking profanity whispered in his ear that Tang Zhen realized what had happened.
His vision instantly blurred.
Boom——!
The ground beneath his feet surged upward, becoming the highest point on the battlefield as a Spider Lance pierced through his heart.
Squelch——!
"Father!!!"
Tang Xiao's eyes turned blood-red as he roared in anguish.
Bi Bi Dong stood atop the elevated ground, a sinister smile on her face. Unbeknownst to all, she had already switched her Martial Soul. Looking contemptuously at the prey impaled by her Soul-Devouring Spider Emperor's Spider Lance, she sneered:
"And what if I do disgrace you?"
"You—urk!" Tang Zhen spat out a mouthful of blood before he could finish speaking, the Clear Sky Hammer in his hand crashing to the ground.
Before he could say anything more, a devouring force suddenly erupted from the Spider Lance in his chest.
"Ah——!"
Tang Zhen screamed in agony, his eyes filled with disbelief. He had clearly killed her! How could she still be alive?
"Hehe... Strange, isn't it?" Bi Bi Dong reveled in the euphoria of rising Soul Power, her face full of pity.
She softly explained: "I might as well tell you—my ninth Soul Skill is called Undying Body." You should be grateful to die the same death as Qian Xunji."
"!!!"
Tang Zhen's eyes widened in shock.
But Bi Bi Dong's next words made his eyes nearly burst with rage!
"You... you actually..." Tang Zhen was too stunned to speak.
Now he finally understood—their Clear Sky School had been set up to take the blame all along!
"So then~ What does it matter if I disgrace you?" Bi Bi Dong laughed with near madness. "Not only did you take the fall for me, but I even get to trample over you."
Killing and crushing the spirit... it felt as refreshing as drinking sour plum soup! The taste of death wasn't pleasant—this was her revenge!
"Give my regards to my teacher..." Before Tang Zhen could respond, the Spider Lance behind Bi Bi Dong immediately exerted force.
"Ah——!"
Amid Tang Zhen's unwilling screams and the Clear Sky disciples' desperate cries of "Sect Master!" and "Father!", his body withered away, visibly disintegrating before everyone's eyes until only his wide-eyed, unseeing head remained.
"Father!!!"
Tang Xiao roared and charged toward Bi Bi Dong, but how could Demon-Abasing Douluo and Demon-Subduing Douluo, who had been waiting for this moment, simply stand by?
"Attack——!"
Demon-Abasing Douluo's furious roar scattered the dark clouds overhead.
Demon-Subduing Douluo raised his Coiling Dragon Staff high.
"All members of the Clear Sky School... show no mercy!"
"Kill——!"
The full-scale assault was declared with Bi Bi Dong's execution of Tang Zhen.
As the organization with the largest number of Soul Masters across the continent, once Spirit Hall fully mobilized, their forces were truly overwhelming!
"Haha... Hahaha!" Bi Bi Dong stood atop the high ground, holding the severed head aloft as she laughed maniacally.
After devouring Tang Zhen... she had broken through to rank 93!
Her voice, infused with spiritual power, resounded across the entire battlefield.
"Guards!"
"Hang this head upon our banners! Let all under heaven understand – the blood debt owed to our Spirit Hall must be repaid in blood!"
"Yes—!"
"..."
Bi Bi Dong watched the collapsing defense lines of Clear Sky School, a tipsy smile curling at the corners of her lips.
Taking out a bottle of Pills, she murmured to herself:
"Soon, you will rightfully become my Holy Son. When that day comes, I shall make your talent known to all under heaven!"