Chapter 16: Leaving the Haotian Sect

Chapter 16: Leaving the Haotian Sect

After successfully breaking through Spirit Hall's blockade, the leaders of the Four Single-Attribute Clans—Yang Wudi, Tai Tan, Bai He, and Niu Gao—gathered to discuss their next steps, particularly where to go and how to plan their futures.

Tai Tan leaned towards heading to Heaven Dou City, where the Li Clan had a foundation. Niu Gao and Bai He preferred Star Luo Empire as their destination. On one hand, Star Luo's strong government would make it difficult for Spirit Hall to act recklessly, and on the other, both clans had ancestral ties and holdings there, which would make starting over easier.

Yang Wudi, however, was undecided. Although Star Luo was a viable option, most of his clan's children were already in Heaven Dou City, and the opportunities for growth there were promising.

When Niu Gao learned that his daughter and grandson were also in Heaven Dou City, he decided, after brief consideration, to head there as well. Bai He of the Min Clan, observing that the other three clans had all chosen Heaven Dou, decided to join them, at least for now, to escape Spirit Hall's immediate threat.

This recent battle had cost the Four Single-Attribute Clans dearly. Apart from the Po Clan, the other three clans had suffered losses exceeding half their members. Remarkably, the Po Clan, starting with around 700 members, still had over 400 remaining, due in part to their lack of children present, which allowed them to concentrate on fighting, with many of the elders sacrificing themselves at the forefront to protect the younger generation.

In the end, the four clans agreed to regroup in Heaven Dou City and decide on their future later. However, their troubles weren't entirely behind them; Spirit Hall dispatched pursuers to harry them on the way.

Luck, however, was on their side. After an hour's escape toward Heaven Dou City, they encountered a large contingent from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, led by its leader, Ning Fengzhi, and Sword Douluo. This force had initially been assembled to reinforce the Haotian Sect.

With Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo, and a strong force from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, the Spirit Hall pursuers had no choice but to withdraw, sparing the Four Clans further casualties.

Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo were puzzled to see Haotian Sect's affiliates fleeing. The Haotian Sect had a reputation for resilience and dominance, making it strange to witness an apparent retreat. However, with the three great sects united, Ning Fengzhi's priority was to rescue their allies, so Sword Douluo intervened to block the pursuers.

Though Spirit Hall had claimed victory in its campaign against Haotian Sect, its own losses were substantial. Without a desire to provoke an all-out war with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, Spirit Hall's forces retreated, knowing that dispatching Titled Douluo to pursue would only hurt their reputation.

When Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo learned of Haotian Sect's fate and its decision to withdraw from the soul master world, they were stunned. Deciding to regroup, they set up camp and waited for the arrival of reinforcements from other allied forces.

Half a day later, a makeshift conference room was set up. There, the leaders gathered: Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, Yu Yuanzhen of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, Prince Xue Xing of the Heaven Dou Empire, and the four patriarchs of the single-attribute clans. The recounting of the war from Yang Wudi and additional sources shocked everyone in attendance.

No one could have foreseen that the prestigious, undefeated Haotian Sect, which had stood at the pinnacle of soul master powers, would fall so far. The deaths of Sect Master Tang Zhen and the First Elder, and the devastating casualties among Haotian Sect disciples, forced it to abandon the soul master world. The entire assembly was filled with a deep sense of foreboding.

After a long silence, Ning Fengzhi spoke. "Upon receiving word of the crisis, our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan gathered its forces as quickly as possible to come to Haotian Sect's aid. But who could have expected Spirit Hall's ruthless and meticulously timed actions? They moved with incredible speed and precision."

"If Spirit Hall's actions had been delayed by even half a day, we would have arrived in time to prevent such devastation."

Yu Yuanzhen and Prince Xue Xing shared his regret, as their forces had also mobilized as soon as they received word, yet they were still too late.

After a long pause, Yu Yuanzhen commented, "Spirit Hall's actions were both calculated and ruthless. From leaking information to gathering troops and deploying Titled Douluo to Haotian Sect, every move was perfectly planned. Spirit Hall will only become more dangerous in the future."

With Haotian Sect's withdrawal, a palpable sense of pressure now weighed heavily on the three allied powers.

When the leaders learned of the Four Single-Attribute Clans' intent to settle in Heaven Dou City, they were taken aback. Prince Xue Xing was especially pleased, as the clans' strength and reputation would bolster the Heaven Dou Empire's power. Moreover, as adversaries of Spirit Hall, the clans were natural allies.

Both Ning Fengzhi and Yu Yuanzhen also extended offers for the clans to settle near their respective sects, but the clans politely declined. Having been abandoned by Haotian Sect, ambushed, and relentlessly pursued by Spirit Hall, they harbored deep resentment toward both and were hesitant to align with any other sect.

Ultimately, with Prince Xue Xing's assurances and his commitment on behalf of the Heaven Dou Emperor Xue Ye, arrangements were made for the clans to establish themselves in Heaven Dou City, bringing an official end to the Haotian Sect War.

News of Haotian Sect's fate spread swiftly across the soul master world. Due to Tang Hao's actions against Spirit Hall's former Pope, Qian Xunji, Haotian Sect, the most powerful soul master sect, had been forced to withdraw from the soul master world. Its Sect Master, Tang Zhen, had perished, and Tang Hao was expelled from the sect. The Four Single-Attribute Clans, Haotian Sect's former affiliates, also severed ties with the sect and were now set to rebuild in Heaven Dou City.

The news shook the Douluo Continent. Haotian Sect, once celebrated for its strength and dominance, led by the invincible Tang Chen and wielding the mighty Clear Sky Hammer, was considered the pinnacle of soul master power. Many revered it as the mightiest sect, yet it had been driven to this end.

In Haotian Sect's ancestral grounds, everyone wore mourning clothes. The grand hall was filled with coffins, with Sect Master Tang Zhen's placed prominently in the center, flanked by the First Elder's.

The war had left Haotian Sect in ruins. With the deaths of Sect Master Tang Zhen and the First Elder, the sect had lost two Titled Douluo. Over two thousand disciples had been reduced to fewer than eight hundred, marking a loss exceeding sixty percent. The Four Single-Attribute Clans had also been forced to withdraw, while Haotian Sect's foundation as the foremost sect in the land had been shattered beyond repair.

In the Heaven Dou Empire's Fasino Province, a scruffy middle-aged man with a young child clinging to him heard the news. As he processed the tragic downfall of Haotian Sect, he kept pouring himself drinks, his face stained with tears. In a soft, broken voice, he muttered, "I am the sinner of Haotian Sect."

(End of Chapter)

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