This confidence wasn't blind, nor was it a refusal to accept certain cruel facts.
Everything stemmed from the last letter he had received from Yang Fan.
Since Yang Fan's disappearance, he had looked at that letter more than once.
Between the lines, it indicated that this kid Yang Fan was about to do something seemingly very important but couldn't be mentioned in the letter.
At the same time... he also believed in Yao Lao!
He didn't believe that with Yao Lao's protection, Yang Fan would silently disappear from the Douluo Continent.
Even if that kid Yang Fan was really targeted by Spirit Hall, even if Spirit Hall made a move against master and disciple, it would definitely cause a commotion that would make the entire Douluo Continent know.
It was precisely because of this that he didn't blindly search for Yang Fan and attract Spirit Hall's attention.
What he chose was to wait!
To wait for his good grandson Yang Fan to return.
"Patriarch, what exactly is going on?"
The two elders of the family were puzzled, not understanding why the usually steady patriarch had suddenly become so agitated.
"It's Yang Fan!"
"That kid wrote us a letter."
"He's fine!"
Yang Wudi was normally a stern and unsmiling person before his clan members.
However, at this moment...
He was already moved to tears!
"Little Fan?"
"Where is he now?"
The two elders were similarly beyond excited upon hearing that the family's genius youth had 'returned from the dead.'
To them, Yang Fan was not just the next heir, but also the future hope of their Breaking Clan.
"He's in the Tian Dou Empire."
"The letter says he's fine now and doesn't need us to worry too much."
Yang Wudi didn't reveal too much information about his grandson.
It wasn't that he didn't trust his two elders, but this was safer for Yang Fan.
...
While the family hall was filled with excitement and joy, a clan member hurriedly came to report.
"Patriarch!"
"There's an old man outside who came to visit, saying... his name is Dugu Bo."
Dugu Bo!
This name was no stranger to soul masters on the Douluo Continent.
Especially for family-based members like the Breaking Clan.
"Dugu Bo?"
Yang Wudi and the two elders instantly became tense.
Dugu Bo was no easy character!
His Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor poison, combined with his morally ambiguous personality, made the entire soul master world tremble at the mention of his name.
"Are you certain it's that Dugu Bo, renowned throughout the world for his poison?"
Faced with the two elders' questioning, the clan member standing in the hall looked bewildered.
The Breaking Clan now had minimal contact with the Douluo Continent, so how could they have the opportunity to meet a big shot like a Title Douluo?
"Two elders, come with me to greet the guest!"
The two family elders might not know what connection Dugu Bo had with the Breaking Clan.
But Yang Wudi had previously heard Yang Fan mention detoxifying Dugu Yan.
So Dugu Bo should be a friend rather than an enemy?
However, Dugu Bo's morally ambiguous personality made Yang Wudi uncertain.
Even so!
He couldn't figure out why the normally aloof Dugu Bo would travel thousands of miles to pay a visit?
...
Outside.
Dugu Bo looked up at the Breaking Clan's entrance.
He seemed quite dissatisfied with the current scale of the Breaking Clan.
"Your Excellency Poison Douluo!"
"This is Yang Wudi below. These two are my family's elders Yang Wufa and Yang Wutian."
"I wonder what brings Your Excellency Poison Douluo to personally visit our Breaking Clan this time?"
Although Yang Wudi was normally proud, facing a personal visit from a Title Douluo, he showed the sincerity a host should have.
"Let's talk inside!"
Yang Wudi was stunned!
He completely couldn't figure out what Dugu Bo was up to, suddenly coming to the Breaking Clan.
Could it be because of Yang Fan?
By the time he reacted, Dugu Bo had already passed through the Breaking Clan's Douluo arena.
At this moment...
Yang Wudi could only use his eyes to signal the two elders beside him to be vigilant and cautious.
Dugu Bo was too dangerous!
If this old fellow got unhappy and released some poison, their entire Breaking Clan might be finished.
"Senior Dugu."
"Did our Breaking Clan offend you in some way, or...?"
Before Yang Wudi could finish, Dugu Bo, who had entered the hall, turned around. A pair of green-glowing eyes stared intently at Yang Wudi.
"Your Breaking Clan must be quite lacking in guest elders right now, yes?"
Yang Wudi and the other two looked at each other.
Even more confused!
From just now until now, they completely couldn't guess what Dugu Bo meant by coming to the Breaking Clan.
"What do you think of me?"
Yang Wudi was almost about to write "confused" on his face.
Of course he understood what Dugu Bo wanted to express.
But he couldn't understand!
Couldn't understand why a true Buddha would want to come to their small temple.
"What?"
"You're not willing?"
If not for that stinky kid Yang Fan, he wouldn't be willing to come to such a shabby little family.
No choice!
Who let him promise that stinky kid Yang Fan before?
Yang Fan wanted to participate in the Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament to seek death; he couldn't sit idly by.
But if he wanted to protect Yang Fan, he needed a legitimate reason that could be openly displayed.
"Willing!"
"Of course we're willing!"
If it were the previous Yang Wudi, he might really have refused. But in recent years, Yang Fan had done quite a bit of ideological work with him.
If the Breaking Clan wanted to become bigger and stronger, they couldn't continue to exclude people with other surnames.
Not every person with another surname was like the Clear Sky Clan!
So in the past two years, the Breaking Clan had absorbed many external clan members with good character, strength, talent, and potential.
It was precisely because of this change that the Breaking Clan had developed rapidly in recent years.
"This old man needs a quiet room!"
Dugu Bo's joining seemed like child's play, but no one knew how much struggle Dugu Bo had gone through for this decision.
No choice!
Who let him, Dugu Bo, owe that little bastard Yang Fan.
...
Night.
The two elders quietly came to Yang Wudi's room.
"Patriarch."
"Do you think that one is truly sincere?"
To say a Soul King or Soul Emperor joining the Breaking Clan would make complete sense.
But this was a fucking Title Douluo!
However...
To say Dugu Bo had some conspiracy also seemed to not hold up.
This old fellow could simply release a cloud of poison mist and wipe out the entire Breaking Clan.
"Whether it's sincere or not, we have no reason to push him away."
Yang Wudi's heart was also in turmoil.
Very uneasy!
All he could do now was find Yang Fan and ask that stinky kid what exactly was going on.
He had a very strong premonition: this matter was very likely related to that stinky kid Yang Fan.
"Then we just let him stay like this?"
"What else?"
Dugu Bo's joining didn't bring any joy to the faces of the Breaking Clan.
On the contrary...
Including Yang Wudi, everyone had a trace of tension on their faces.
To them, Dugu Bo was now like a time bomb; one careless move and the entire family might be blown to pieces.
...
A night passed without words...
Dugu Bo was dissatisfied with every aspect of the Breaking Clan.
Especially the Breaking Clan's alchemy!
He just took one glance and already furrowed his brows.
This alchemy level compared to Yang Fan was really a hundred thousand miles apart, let alone that old fellow Yao Chen.
He wondered!
How could a shabby family like the Breaking Clan produce a genius youth like Yang Fan.
They really had the luck of eight lifetimes!
"Your Excellency!"
"Are you interested in our Breaking Clan's alchemy?"
At this moment...
Patriarch Yang Wudi came to stand beside Dugu Bo.
"Just looking around."
"Patriarch Yang doesn't need to call me Your Excellency one after another. I'm now a guest elder of the Breaking Clan; just call me Dugu Bo."
Yang Wudi nodded slightly.
Even so, he didn't plan to directly call Dugu Bo by his name.
"Senior Dugu."
"Forgive my presumption, but why did you choose to join our Breaking Clan?"
Dugu Bo was also a person of status on the Douluo Continent!
From when he first gained some fame on the Douluo Continent in his youth, he was a lone wolf.
The Tian Dou Empire's Emperor Xue Ye personally invited him, and Dugu Bo was only willing to hang the title of guest elder.
Now he was actually willing to actively join their Breaking Clan?
"Don't worry!"
"The reason I, Dugu Bo, am willing to come to the Breaking Clan is because of that kid Yang Fan."
Indeed it was Yang Fan!
Yang Wudi felt much more at ease after hearing this answer.
Yang Wudi and Dugu Bo were both people not good with words.
One wasn't willing to continue speaking, so the other didn't plan to continue asking.
For Yang Wudi, this answer was enough.
...
On the other side.
Upon learning that Yang Fan had returned, Old Man Huo and Dean Huo Bao hurried over upon hearing the news.
One was to confirm the truth of the news, the other was to see what changes Yang Fan had undergone over this year and a half.
Upon meeting...
Huo Bao was somewhat anxious!
That little brat left without saying goodbye. Did he know how difficult this year and a half had been for their Blazing Fire Academy?
Did he know how the outside world viewed Blazing Fire Academy?
Failing to protect their own student was a very embarrassing matter for him as the dean.
Compared to Huo Bao's irritability, Old Man Huo beside him appeared exceptionally gentle.
"It's good that you're back!"
Old Man Huo didn't just see Yang Fan as a junior, but also as the person who could realize his own dreams.
Precisely because of this!
Old Man Huo had been sad for quite a while when he learned Yang Fan had "died."
"Old Grandfather."
"I brought you a gift this time I came back."
While speaking...
Yang Fan took out from his storage soul guide device that Ten-Headed Fierce Yang Serpent Inner Core he had obtained in Slaughter City.
This core shared the same root and source as the Blazing Fire Stones, but its quality was far higher than Blazing Fire Stones.
Whether placing it in the Blazing Fire Tower or swallowing it, it would greatly benefit soul masters.
"This is..."
"Child!"
"Where did you get this thing?"
Old Man Huo was normally a steady and composed elder. Even when seeing pills refined by Yang Fan, he had never been as discomposed as he was now.
However, this time...
It wasn't that the quality of this Ten-Headed Fierce Yang Serpent Pill surpassed fifth-grade pills, but rather the aura on this inner core.
Old Man Huo sensed an identical fire-attribute aura to the Blazing Fire Stones on it.
And that wasn't all!
The fire-attribute aura on the inner core was even purer and denser than that of Blazing Fire Stones.
"Let me see!"
Huo Bao held the Ten-Headed Fierce Yang Serpent Pill in his hand, obvious trembling already appearing in his expression.
"Speak!"
"What do you want, kid?"
Huo Bao's temper was irritable, but that didn't mean he acted without thinking.
Yang Fan was himself a fire-attribute soul master, yet now he took out such an important snake core to gift.
To say there was no purpose, this dean of Blazing Fire Academy wouldn't believe it one bit.
From the previous three years of academy life, he had long known what kind of person Yang Fan was.
Yang Fan laughed heartily...
"Since the Dean has put it this way, it seems inappropriate if I don't want something."
"Um..."
"The Dean also knows that our Breaking Clan has been doing very poorly in recent years."
"We finally developed the Coagulation Powder for stopping bleeding and healing wounds, but still can't open up the market."
"My grandfather's head has been hurting over this for years!"
Before Yang Fan finished speaking, Huo Bao standing before him had already guessed everything.
"You want our Huo family to help sell the Coagulation Powder?"
He wouldn't believe Yang Fan's modest words.
Although Coagulation Powder was a cheap hemostatic medicine, its momentum on the Douluo Continent these days was fierce.
If it were really consignment sales, it wouldn't be impossible!
However... Yang Fan shook his head.
"The Breaking Clan plans to relocate the entire clan to Tian Dou City."
This issue he had discussed with his grandfather Yang Wudi two years ago.
If the Breaking Clan wanted to turn things around, staying cooped up in a border town like Yunluo City would never give them a chance.
He had once considered Star Luo City!
But ever since Dai Weisi wanted his life, this thought was completely dispelled.
It could be said...
Tian Dou City was now the only choice for the Breaking Clan!
The three upper sects of the Douluo Continent were all within the Tian Dou Empire, especially the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, which weren't far from Tian Dou City.
Besides, there were big families like the Feng family and Huo family that could make a name for themselves on the Douluo Continent.
Even if they conflicted with Spirit Hall in the future while their wings weren't fully grown, Tian Dou City would be a good protective umbrella.
More importantly...
If the Breaking Clan wanted to turn things around, they needed allies.
"Kid, you really don't plan to take any losses at all."
One snake pill in exchange for a piece of land in Tian Dou City—no matter how you calculated this transaction, it didn't seem profitable.
"Agree to it!"
After all, this was the Ten-Headed Fierce Yang Serpent Core.
For the Tian Dou Huo family, this snake core with the same attribute as Blazing Fire Stones had extraordinary significance.
Of course!
The reason Old Man Huo wanted Huo Bao to agree without thinking was also because he saw Yang Fan's strength.
As long as this kid didn't have accidents, he would definitely become a super powerhouse resounding throughout the Douluo Continent in the future.
He hadn't forgotten—Yang Fan was only thirteen years old this year!
"Thank you, Old Grandfather!"
If it were just finding a piece of land in Tian Dou City, he, Yang Fan, could handle it alone.
It was just a matter of spending more money!
At worst, the Strength Clan, who were on good terms with the Breaking Clan, could also help.
What the Breaking Clan really needed was their first ally in Tian Dou City.
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