The imperial palace, royal study.
The rain outside had stopped, but the clouds had not cleared, the sky stained a gloomy gray. Candlelight flickered in an exquisite lamp, casting the Xue Emperor's shadow long and thin, projecting onto the wall covered with a giant map of the continent.
His fingers unconsciously tapped the window lattice, the rhythm betraying his inner unease.
At last, Xue Ye slowly turned. Though he looked tired in the candlelight, his eyes were as sharp as a hawk's.
"So," Xue Ye's voice echoed in the quiet study, each word crystal clear, "Chen Yi first defeated Tai Tan outside the city, then stormed Heaven Dou City alone and annihilated the entire Strength Clan?"
His tone showed no obvious emotion, but those who knew the king understood that such calmness often meant he was thinking fiercely inside.
"Your Majesty, based on on-site evidence and eyewitness accounts, that is correct," Ge Long replied in a low voice, bowing slightly. "The Strength Clan mansion is in ruins; there were 273 members, including two soul sages, nine soul emperors, and twenty-one soul kings — not one survived."
Xue Ye's pupils contracted slightly. 273. Including two soul sages.
This was not a battle, but a massacre.
"However," Ge Long continued, raising his head, "in my opinion, Tai Tan was not killed directly by Chen Yi's hand."
Xue Ye frowned. "Why?"
Ge Long answered, "For years, whenever the young sect master of the Body Sect appeared, there was always a guardian behind him — the Body Sect's Grand Elder, the Wisdom Brain Douluo. Wherever Chen Yi appears, that Douluo is sure to be nearby."
"What do you mean?" Xue Ye's gaze sharpened.
"Exactly," Ge Long nodded. "Tai Tan is a Soul Douluo, but his Vigorous Orangutan martial soul allows him to compete in strength with a titled Douluo, even if only for a short time. Chen Yi is just a Soul King. No matter how talented, even with special soul rings, it's hard to imagine him killing Tai Tan head-on."
Ge Long paused, waiting for Xue Ye to absorb his words, then continued his analysis.
"But if Wisdom Brain Douluo acted, it all makes sense. A Titled Douluo known for spiritual power — if he attacked deliberately, Tai Tan might have been heavily injured before he could even use his true martial soul."
"Afterwards, Chen Yi just delivered the final blow. That's logical."
Xue Ye was silent for a while. The explanation was indeed reasonable. Titled Douluo versus Soul Douluo was already overwhelming, and Wisdom Brain Douluo was a top expert.
"But what about the Strength Clan?" Xue Ye asked the most crucial question. "Even if Tai Tan was brought down by Wisdom Brain Douluo, the destruction of such a powerful clan was accomplished by Chen Yi alone. All eyewitnesses confirm this."
Ge Long's expression grew solemn. "I double-checked this. According to soul masters present, Chen Yi deployed a highly special field that could trigger heavenly thunder."
"In that rainy weather," Ge Long said, lowering his voice, "Chen Yi was almost a walking natural disaster. The Strength Clan is strong, but their greatest weakness is lack of long-range or anti-air capabilities."
"With thunder constantly falling from the sky, they couldn't even touch the hem of Chen Yi's robe."
Xue Ye slowly paced behind his desk, sat down, his fingers gently tracing the tabletop, deep in thought.
After a while, Xue Ye looked up. "Transmit my will."
Ge Long instantly bowed.
"The Strength Clan disregarded imperial law, attacked and ambushed the empire's genius without discrimination. They deserved to be executed. Leave their corpses exposed for ten days as a warning."
Xue Ye's voice rang through the study, each word carrying imperial majesty. "However, Tai Tan was a powerhouse of his generation. After the exposure period, allow his old friends to collect and bury his remains, to preserve his final dignity."
A flicker of admiration flashed in Ge Long's eyes. "Your Majesty, I obey."
This edict was extremely nuanced. The first half gave face to the Body Sect and showed the empire was on Chen Yi's side. The latter half reassured those with old ties to Tai Tan, reflecting the empire's temperament.
It took a stand, but left no excuse for others.
After Ge Long left, the study returned to silence.
Xue Ye did not summon the next minister, but closed his eyes and leaned back against the wide throne.
In his mind surfaced the secret report recently submitted by the covert security forces: "All That Happened Inside the Dragon Tyrant Academy."
"Chen Yi... Xue Qinghe..." he murmured, a barely noticeable smile at his lips. If Chen Yi truly allied himself with Xue Qinghe, the Heaven Dou Empire might win over the Body Sect.
Compared to the declining "three upper sects," the Body Sect was undoubtedly a better ally.
"The times are changing."
Xue Ye opened his eyes, a complex light in them, and pulled a yellowed file from a dark section of the bookshelf. On its cover, it read:
"Secret Records of the Body Sect: Preliminary Examination"
...
Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, top floor of the Glazed Tower.
Ning Fengzhi sat behind his desk, putting down the information file he held, though his brow remained furrowed.
"Bang!"
Gu Rong slammed the white sandalwood table beside him, cracks spreading like a spiderweb in the hard ironwood, his face unable to hide his sarcasm.
"That old orangutan Tai Tan, the older he gets, the more he regresses! He didn't even know the basic information that 'Wisdom Brain Douluo is always by Chen Yi's side,' and rashly tried to ambush and kill him? He deserved to die!"
Chen Xin stood quietly by the window, dressed in spotless white, speaking lightly without turning around as he looked toward Heaven Dou City.
"Whether it was Wisdom Brain Douluo is still uncertain."
"Who else could it be?" Gu Rong sneered. "How old is that little ghost? Five rings, yet defeated an eighty-five-level Soul Douluo? Was it really Tai Tan?"
"Thunder and lightning," Chen Xin said only that.
Gu Rong was momentarily stunned.
Chen Xin slowly turned, his eyes bright as sword light, looking at Ning Fengzhi.
"It was raining then. According to eyewitnesses, after Chen Yi opened his field, thunder fell from the sky. If his thunder and lightning attributes have truly reached an astonishing level, his combat power in such an environment could transform in quality."
Ning Fengzhi finally looked up, unconsciously scratching his desk and leaving a faint water mark.
"Uncle Sword is right," Ning Fengzhi said, his voice a bit dry. "Whether it was Wisdom Brain Douluo or not, the fact remains that Chen Yi single-handedly destroyed the Strength Clan."
"Even if the time and place were in his favor, just this record alone is enough to shake the continent."
He paused, then forced a bitter smile. "What's even scarier is that he's not even level 60 yet."
The room fell silent for a moment.
Not even at the sixtieth level, he had leapt across the ranks to kill soul sages and even a soul king suspected of killing a Soul Douluo, single-handedly exterminating a soul master clan with a legacy of centuries... The weight of this information and its shock left even two seasoned Douluo stunned.
Ning Fengzhi rubbed his brow, his face showing fatigue. Over the years, the Body Sect's geniuses had repeatedly caused earth-shaking waves, but what about the three great sects?
The Clear Sky Sect was isolated, its younger generation unknown by name. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was constantly at odds, and even the twin geniuses were not as outstanding as Chen Yi...
As for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, no matter how talented its direct lineage, they were all support soul masters and needed the protection of others. Even the most gifted girl, Rongrong, could not compare to a combat genius like Chen Yi, who could stand alone and wipe out a clan.
After a long silence, Ning Fengzhi suddenly remembered something, a complex light flashing in his eyes.
A few days ago, Tang Xiao brought a youth to visit the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. If he was as talented as Tang Xiao claimed, perhaps he too could challenge the impossible.