The next day, as Ye Hao had commanded, Xue Qinghe immediately issued orders to dispatch the Imperial Knights and two thousand soul masters to garrison the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
When news spread, Ning Fengzhi's anxious heart finally settled. He believed the situation was now secure. The Heaven Dou Imperial Knights were stationed at key locations throughout the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, and the one thousand soul masters were also properly arranged by Ning Fengzhi.
For the safety of his clan and the continuation of the Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda legacy, Ning Fengzhi had to make comprehensive preparations.
Little did he know, a hidden killing intent was quietly brewing...
Meanwhile, with matters in Heaven Dou City temporarily concluded, Ye Hao finally returned home after five days and four nights of travel.
How wonderful it felt to be home!
Upon returning to Spirit Hall, Ye Hao's first order of business was to visit the Elder Hall, where he met with Qian Daoliu.
Ye Hao removed the Death God's Heart and released the Bone Douluo.
The moment he regained freedom, the Bone Douluo immediately attacked Ye Hao, his nine soul rings glowing as a skeletal dragon spread its wings behind him.
But before he could strike, Qian Daoliu merely glanced over. An overwhelming pressure crushed the Bone Douluo's entire body—his bones creaking as he collapsed face-first onto the ground, completely immobilized.
"Senior Bone Douluo, you've chosen the wrong path," Ye Hao sighed, crouching beside him.
"Ye Hao! What have you done to Chenxin?" the Bone Douluo growled through clenched teeth, struggling against the pressure in vain.
"The Sword Douluo isn't dead. I only destroyed his Seven Kill Sword martial soul. From now on, he's just a cripple."
The Bone Douluo trembled with rage upon hearing this, like a slumbering beast awakened.
"AAAAH! You ruined him! I'll kill you!!!" he roared, yet remained pinned helplessly.
Qian Daoliu's pressure was simply too immense—so overwhelming that the Bone Douluo couldn't muster even a fraction of resistance.
As a 95th-rank Title Douluo facing a 99th-rank Ultimate Douluo, without gods in this world, Qian Daoliu stood unrivaled as the supreme powerhouse.
Only then did the Bone Douluo notice Qian Daoliu approaching from behind.
"You... you're... Qian..." His voice trembled uncontrollably.
He had been captured and brought to Spirit Hall, with Qian Daoliu himself standing before him.
"Take him away," Qian Daoliu said indifferently, not even bothering to look at him.
The Falling Devil Douluo entered and glanced dismissively at the prone Bone Douluo before hauling him off.
Only a Title Douluo could receive such "honorable" imprisonment here.
Unlike that useless "Grandmaster," who remained rotting in Spirit Hall's dungeons with no hope of ever leaving.
"Grandfather, the Bone Douluo should be detained in the Elder Hall. Ordinary prisons can't hold a Title Douluo."
Qian Daoliu nodded. "You've worked hard these days. I've heard about your exploits at Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan—crippling the Sword Douluo and capturing the Bone Douluo alive. Without its two Title Douluos, the clan no longer deserves its place among the three great clans."
His grandson wasn't just a god's heir—Ye Hao's current strength had reached levels even Qian Daoliu couldn't fully discern.
But one thing puzzled him—the scythe mark between Ye Hao's brows had been replaced by a red sword-like symbol. Could it be...? No, surely not...
"Indeed," Ye Hao stretched, his joints popping. "Now the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan is like a tiger with its fangs pulled—completely harmless. All this traveling has exhausted me. I'll rest now, Grandfather."
After exchanging farewells, Ye Hao departed.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan had no means left to resist. The naive Ning Fengzhi actually believed the Imperial Knights and thousand soul masters were his trump card—how laughable!
With matters concerning the three great clans temporarily settled, Ye Hao needed to carefully plan his next moves to achieve total victory.
First, he would deal with Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. The Clear Sky Clan—with its six Title Douluos—would be left for last, as they posed the greatest challenge.
Victory must be achieved with minimal casualties.
For the Clear Sky Clan, Ye Hao already had a plan in mind.
But first, he wanted to see his daughter. It had been too long since they last met.
"Daddy!"
The moment Ye Hao entered the room, a sweet, clear voice rang in his ears.
A little girl in a light pink dress, barefoot with short golden hair, came running toward him.
Ye Hao smiled warmly, crouching to scoop her into his arms.
"Yue'er, did you miss Daddy?" he asked affectionately.
"Yes!"
"My good girl!"
Qian Renxue emerged from the room upon hearing Ye Hao's return. Seeing this heartwarming scene, she couldn't help but smile—this was true happiness.
A loving family—husband, wife, and child together in harmony.
"You've worked hard," Qian Renxue said, taking Qian Qiuyue from Ye Hao's arms and signaling a maid to bring her to the Pope's Hall.
By this time, it was Bibi Dong's turn to care for the child.
Since Ye Hao's daughter was born, Bibi Dong had poured all the maternal love Qian Renxue never received into her granddaughter—holding nothing back.
"To think that when I appointed Ning Fengzhi as Imperial Mentor, he would ally with the three great clans," Qian Renxue shook her head.
She had intended to reveal the truth at a critical moment. Ning Fengzhi, being the opportunist he was, would undoubtedly have joined Spirit Hall immediately upon learning the Heaven Dou Empire no longer existed.
On one hand, there was the Beautiful Silk Tulip Ye Hao had gifted years ago.
On the other, for the sake of his two thousand clansmen, the choice should have been obvious.
"Ah..." Ye Hao sighed regretfully. "The blame lies with Ning Fengzhi's excessive suspicion. As a clan leader, he was competent—developing Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan to its current state proves his capability."
"But crucially, his cleverness became his downfall. I never intended to oppose the three great clans initially—my visit was meant to recruit them."
"Yet what did I find? The three great clans had already united against us."
Here's the revised translation with your requested changes and formatting adjustments:
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"And so..."
"You destroyed Ning Rongrong's Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda." Qian Renxue raised her eyebrows slightly, giving Ye Hao a deep look.
"You're truly ruthless. The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda—gone just like that. From now on, there will no longer be such a thing on the continent. In the future, it will only be a legend."
"I don't like fence-sitters, and people like Ning Fengzhi, who only care about profit, are even more detestable. What if he stabs me in the back one day? That's something impossible to guard against."
"Rather than that, it's better to just wipe them out and be done with it." Ye Hao shrugged indifferently, plopping onto the sofa and crossing his legs.
"Wife."
Ye Hao pulled Qian Renxue into his arms, breathing in the faint fragrance of her hair as he asked, "Does your Angel Spirit Bone have a disguise effect?"
"Hmm?" Qian Renxue tilted her swan-like neck, looking at him in confusion.
"It does. What kind of scheme are you plotting now?" Qian Renxue asked.
Ye Hao grinned, revealing his pearly white teeth, a mischievous smile spreading across his face.
"I plan to infiltrate the Clear Sky Clan. I hope to borrow the power of the Angel Spirit Bone." He stated his purpose.
"Infiltrate the Clear Sky Clan?"
Qian Renxue shook her head. "That's far too dangerous. Although the Clear Sky Clan has long closed its doors, its strength should not be underestimated. It's not just the six Title Douluos—now the three great clans have banded together. Moreover, the Clear Sky Clan's terrain is naturally easy to defend and hard to attack. If you rush in recklessly, you'll definitely be in danger."
She refused without hesitation. Ye Hao's plan was a risky move.
"Forget the Clear Sky Clan for a moment—just think about how you killed Tang Hao. They hate you to the bone. Consider your identity—you absolutely cannot act rashly." Qian Renxue urged him earnestly.
Hearing this, Ye Hao felt warmth in his heart. He gently pulled her into his embrace and kissed her flawless forehead tenderly.
"Don't worry, I value my life more than anyone. I've already survived the Slaughter City—what's the Clear Sky Clan to me? A den of dragons and tigers?"
"Those old, weak, and disabled Title Douluos may have reached that level, but they're already advanced in age. I don't even see them as a threat. The only one who could pose any danger to me is Tang Xiao. And this is the only way I can dismantle the Clear Sky Clan from within."
"Also, have you noticed any obvious changes in me?"
"Changes?"
Qian Renxue cupped Ye Hao's handsome face, scrutinizing him carefully from all angles.
Finally, she noticed something unusual between his brows.
"Where's that black scythe mark? Why has it disappeared?" She was utterly puzzled.
Ye Hao, as the heir of the Death God, had always carried that mark on his forehead—she knew that.
But now, in its place was a red mark she had never seen before. Just looking at it sent a chill down her spine, an inexplicable sense of dread creeping over her.
"This is the mark of the Shura God's inheritance." Ye Hao explained.
"The Shura God..." Qian Renxue rolled her eyes at him, sighing. "Your luck is just too good. I've long heard from Xiao Hong that you're not only the heir of the Death God but now also the heir of the Shura God. Two divine inheritances at once—two godly positions for one person. Are you even giving others a chance to live?"
Her tone was tinged with envy.
Ye Hao chuckled wryly, muttering under his breath, "Aren't you the heir of the Angel God? This day was bound to come sooner or later."
"What did you say?"
"N-Nothing." He shook his head, then added, "This matter is settled, then."
Seeing Ye Hao's determination, Qian Renxue could no longer dissuade him. She could only silently pray for his safety during this mission to the Spirit Hall.
---
For the past while, things had been peaceful. Ye Hao spent another three months alone at the Spirit Hall.
During this time, he continuously refined his plans for the destruction of the three great clans. Meanwhile, the infiltration plan for the Clear Sky Clan proceeded in an orderly manner.
At the same time, Ye Hao made a decision—he would now move to annihilate the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family, laying the groundwork for his later infiltration of the Clear Sky Clan.
On this day, Ye Hao went alone to the Spirit Hall's underground prison.
The dark, sunless cells were infested with gray rats the size of fists, scurrying in packs into holes. The ground was damp, the air thick with a foul stench.
"Where's Yu Xiaogang? Take me to him."
Ye Hao's main purpose in coming to the prison was to see Yu Xiaogang.
Before setting out to destroy the two clans, he needed to bring out this man—whom the outside world believed to be dead—so that he could witness the destruction of his clan with his own eyes.
Following the guard, Ye Hao arrived at a solitary cell. There, he saw Yu Xiaogang—disheveled, reeking of filth, his mind long lost to madness.
Locked in the dungeon for two and a half years, Yu Xiaogang had not seen the sun for a single day.
Especially after hearing that Liu Erlong had remarried—to Flender—Yu Xiaogang felt as though he had lost all meaning in life. There was no hope left.
Day after day, he wallowed in despair, muttering incessantly to himself until he became like this—a wretched figure even the rats avoided in disgust.
"Yu Xiaogang."
Seeing the disheveled man, Ye Hao couldn't help but sigh.
If Tang San saw his teacher in such a state, wouldn't he…
Yu Xiaogang suddenly stiffened. He had heard that voice—the one he hated most in the world.
He scrambled to his feet, gripping the iron bars of his cell with both hands, baring his blackened, rotting teeth at Ye Hao like a rabid beast.
"Ye Hao! I'll kill you! I'll destroy the Spirit Hall! I'll make you pay!"
Yu Xiaogang had gone mad, shaking the bars violently.
Once, he had been full of ambition. Now, he had nothing.
His wife was gone, his best friend had stolen her, and his reputation outside was ruined—he was now a reviled figure, scorned by all.
Yu Xiaogang wanted nothing more than to kill Ye Hao. His eyes were bloodshot, like a demon possessed.
Ye Hao waved a hand in front of his nose—the stench coming from Yu Xiaogang was overwhelming, worse than even the fallen in the Slaughter City.
"Yu Xiaogang, it's been two and a half years. Seems like you've been living quite comfortably in here!" Ye Hao smirked.
"Ye Hao, I'll kill you! I have nothing left—you ruined me!" Yu Xiaogang continued his frenzied cursing.
"Ruined you?" Ye Hao scoffed. "Yu Xiaogang, you ruined yourself. You have no talent, no integrity. All you did was plagiarize others' work to deceive people. You called yourself a 'Grandmaster' despite having no real wisdom. Where's your shame?"
"AHHH!!!"
Yu Xiaogang didn't respond—he just screamed, shaking the cell door with all his might.
But the door was unbreakable. To imprison such an important figure, it had been forged from Deep Sea Silver—impossible to force open.
"You conspired to kill me, colluding with Tang Xiao and Tang Hao."
"Now, your time is up."
Ye Hao's eyes gleamed with a chilling killing intent.