Seeing the dire situation, Tang Xiao unleashed a desperate strike with the Nine Absolutes of the Sky Hammer, repelling two Titled Douluo and quickly flying to his father's side, relieving Tang Zhen's crisis.
Realizing that defeat was inevitable, Tang Zhen shouted, "All sect disciples, retreat to the ancestral land!"
Immediately, the remaining spirit rings on Tang Zhen's Sky Hammer shattered, and the hammer expanded, creating a massive barrier between the sect and its enemies.
All the sect members heard the command and rushed to the ancestral land, while Tang Zhen's last effort bought them time. In a few moments, they successfully retreated, and their enemies reached the border of the sect's territory.
Douluo of Strength and Douluo of Demon stood guard, but did not pursue. What greeted everyone was a deep sword mark on the ground. When others tried to follow it, Douluo of Demon stopped them: "This mark was drawn by our Grandmaster. No one is allowed to cross it.
The new leader, Bibi Dong, was far less respected than the Grandmaster and couldn't argue. She shouted angrily, "Our leader is dead, and yet they are retreating just because of a pact? How can we let this go?"
The crowd fell silent, neither advancing nor retreating.
Inside the sect, Tang Zhen was on the verge of death after exhausting himself, and the Great Elder was also critically wounded. Tang Zhen forced himself to speak, "Tang Xiao, elders, for the sake of the sect's survival, I, Tang Zhen, as leader, issue my last command."
"From now on, I pass the leadership to Tang Xiao."
"And announce that Tang Hao has been expelled from the sect. From this day on, our sect will withdraw from the world of spirit masters."
With these words, Tang Zhen breathed his last.
All the disciples knelt down and wept in grief, while the elders stood in mourning: "We are the strongest sect, but our leader is dead. We will not retreat, we will fight to the end!"
Many echoed this sentiment, ready to clash with their enemies.
Tang Xiao stood up and addressed the crowd: "We are the greatest, and we cannot let our legacy end. If we continue to fight, we will be wiped out. We lost today, but we will train harder to regain our glory."
With that, Tang Xiao left the sect alone.
The enemy was surprised to see him approach. Wearing white in mourning, he spoke: "Our leader has fallen, and we have expelled Tang Hao. We are leaving the world of spirit masters."
"Is that enough of a resolution?"
His words echoed far and wide, and the gathered Spirit Masters began to whisper among themselves. Since both sides had suffered losses, continuing the fight would only seem cruel.
Bibi Dong bit her lip, glanced at the two titled Douluo beside her, and seeing their satisfaction, said, "I hope your sect will keep its word. Stay away from the world of spirit masters forever."
With that, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
At that moment, another spirit master asked, "What about the sect's allies?"
Bibi Dong thought for a moment: "Bring them to the sect. If they accept them, we will continue the battle. If not, we will punish these allies as a warning.
Soon, the allied clans were brought to the sect's border, but the gates remained closed.
Yang Wudi shouted, "We want to follow the sect into retreat.
The other clan leaders agreed, but the gates didn't move, signaling that they were not allowed to enter.
Inside, Tang Xiao and the elders argued: "They were loyal. Shouldn't we let them in?"
The second elder replied, "No. If we let them in, it will give our enemies a reason to attack.
Tang Xiao hesitated, "But won't they be in danger outside?"
"They have grown because of our support. This is their destiny."
The other elders agreed and refused to open the gates.
Outside the Spirit Master asked again, "What do we do now?"
Bibi Dong replied, "Let us teach them a hard lesson as a warning to others.
The spirit masters surrounded the allied clans, but they refrained from sending their strongest fighters.
Yang Wudi, Niu Gao, Tai Tan, and Bai He fought valiantly, but many of their clansmen fell. Knowing that surrender wasn't an option, they decided to break through the encirclement.
Their enemies didn't try to wipe them out, but let them escape to deal a psychological blow.
After a fierce battle, the allied clans broke free. With that, the battle was effectively over.
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