Back then, the Clear Sky Clan had mercilessly expelled its four subordinate clans, showing no concern for their survival. Struggling to protect themselves, they had no time to care about others.
In the end, the four subordinate clans suffered heavy losses along the way, which remained the root of their enduring hatred for the Clear Sky Clan.
After the destruction of the Strength Clan, the remaining three clans lived in constant fear.
Now, trying to pull them back under the umbrella of the Clear Sky Clan would undoubtedly be pushing them into a pit of fire.
It was simply unthinkable.
"Fine, I spoke out of turn," Tang Xiao sighed.
The current Clear Sky Clan was like a flickering flame in the wind, in danger of being extinguished at any moment.
The destruction of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan had caught the Clear Sky Clan completely off guard.
"The future of the Clear Sky Clan is bleak..."
The Second Elder's face was etched with bitterness. At this critical moment of life and death, the once-mighty Clear Sky Clan found itself without a single ally.
"Are we really going to be destroyed by the Spirit Hall? Damn it, I refuse to accept this!" The Seventh Elder, overwhelmed with rage, smashed his seat to pieces with a single punch before storming out.
Tang Xiao remained silent. As the clan leader, he was deeply unsettled, his heart weighed down by uncertainty.
"The destruction of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was carried out without a sound. Could there be more to this?" Tang Xiao rubbed his chin, deep in thought.
---
Meanwhile, by the lake outside the ruins of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
Cough, cough, cough!
A violent fit of coughing erupted as Tang San suddenly jolted awake, his eyes wide with shock. He leapt up from the surface of the lake.
"That damned Ye Hao! How did he become so powerful? And that red sword in his hand—what kind of weapon is that? The Clear Sky Hammer is the number one tool martial soul in the world! How could it be shattered into dust with a single strike?"
Tang San looked around, realizing the lake was littered with the corpses of Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan members. The blood had yet to dissipate, staining the lake's surface red. In the distance, the ruins of the clan still smoldered, thick plumes of smoke rising into the sky.
"Father is dead... Xiao Wu is dead... and now even my teacher..."
Tang San clenched his fists. He swam to the shore and retrieved a small fire from the ruins, adding dry branches to it until the flames grew stronger.
"Flander... Just you wait." Tang San's brows furrowed as killing intent surged in his heart.
His only teacher had been killed right before his eyes by Flander's own hands. How could he possibly remain calm?
"Ye Hao is ruthless in his methods. Maybe... Flander has already been killed by him too..." Tang San speculated.
Just as he was pondering his next move, a majestic voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
...
---
After two days and nights of travel, Ye Hao returned to Spirit City.
His first order of business was to report the completion of his mission—the annihilation of two of the top three clans. Only the Clear Sky Clan remained, a tough nut to crack that would require careful planning.
Entering the Pope's Palace, he found Bibi Dong reviewing official documents.
Spotting Ye Hao, she paused, setting down her brush.
"You're back. You've worked hard."
Ye Hao shook his head and sat across from her, rubbing his temples with a sigh.
"The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan are indeed formidable old sects. If not for our preparations in advance, destroying them wouldn't have been possible overnight."
Bibi Dong nodded in agreement.
Thanks to Xue Qinghe's ascension to the throne, Ning Fengzhi had unknowingly allowed Spirit Hall disciples disguised as royal knights to infiltrate the two clans. This had been the key to their downfall.
"What did you do with the clan leaders of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan?" Bibi Dong asked.
Ning Fengzhi and Yu Yuanzhen were the masterminds. Now that their clans were destroyed, their fate was a crucial factor.
"Yu Yuanzhen is dead. Ning Fengzhi is imprisoned in the Death God's Heart, along with the crippled Sword Douluo and Ning Rongrong," Ye Hao replied.
"And how do you plan to deal with them?" Bibi Dong looked at him, waiting for his input.
"Yu Yuanzhen is already dead, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is history. As for Ning Fengzhi... he's a man who prioritizes profit, easily swayed by the wind. I plan to cripple the martial souls of Ning Rongrong, Ning Fengzhi, and Bone Douluo, letting them live as ordinary people. After all, Ning Rongrong and I were once classmates. Killing them would only invite infamy."
Bibi Dong nodded. "Do as you see fit. However, they must live under the Spirit Hall's surveillance from now on. Everyone they interact with must be thoroughly investigated to prevent any unwanted connections."
"Don't worry, I've already arranged for that."
After a brief conversation, Ye Hao left the Pope's Palace and found a spacious house near the center of Spirit City—a tidy residence capable of accommodating four or five people.
The house was fully furnished, but its occupants would be under twenty-four-hour surveillance by the Spirit Hall. After all, their identities were far too sensitive.
---
"Let me go! Release me!"
At that moment, Ghost Leopard Douluo and Falling Devil Douluo escorted Bone Douluo inside.
"Gu Rong, behave!" Falling Devil Douluo pressed down on his shoulder, immobilizing him completely.
"Hmph!" Bone Douluo snorted. "Vile Spirit Hall scum! If you have the guts, kill me! What's the point of capturing me?"
"Enough," Ye Hao frowned impatiently.
"It's you! Ye Hao!" Bone Douluo's eyes burned with hatred upon seeing his "enemy."
"I brought you here for one reason—to reunite you with some old friends."
With a flick of his finger, the Death God's Heart flew out, emitting a flash of purple light.
Three familiar figures materialized—Ning Fengzhi, Ning Rongrong, and Sword Douluo Chen Xin, whom Ye Hao had imprisoned earlier.
The moment they appeared, the three of them glanced around in confusion at the unfamiliar surroundings. But when their eyes landed on Bone Douluo, they finally relaxed. They had feared Ye Hao might have executed him, but he was unharmed.
"Rongrong... Fengzhi... Chen Xin... How did you—?"
The next second, Bone Douluo's expression darkened.
"Ye Hao, don't tell me you've already..."
He could guess the outcome.
"Uncle Bone... the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan is gone," Ning Rongrong burst into tears, her face streaked with sorrow.
"What?!" Bone Douluo's eyes widened in horror.
This was the outcome he had dreaded most—yet deep down, he had already anticipated it.
But to think it had truly happened...
The mighty Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan... destroyed.
"Don't look at me like that. If looks could kill, I'd have died a thousand times over by now," Ye Hao chuckled dryly.
"I'm here today to let you decide your own fate. Do you want to live... or die?"
Hearing this, Ning Rongrong immediately hid behind Sword Douluo, trembling uncontrollably.
"Ye Hao, what do you mean by that?" Ning Fengzhi's brows furrowed, his palms sweating. He could already foresee the worst.
"It's simple. If you want to die, I can grant you that. If you want to live, I can also allow it. The choice is yours," Ye Hao explained.
Ning Fengzhi clenched his fists tightly.
They were now like fish on a chopping board, completely at Ye Hao's mercy with no real power to choose.
Yet before them lay two paths—life or death. Ye Hao had already shown them more mercy than expected.
"I don't want to die! I want to live!" Ning Rongrong blurted out immediately.
She couldn't bear to lose anyone else close to her.
She knew Bone Douluo, Sword Douluo, and her father well—with the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan gone, the three highest-ranking members would likely choose death.
Ye Hao smirked faintly before turning to the other three.
"And you? Life... or death?"
Faced with Ye Hao's question, Bone Douluo showed no restraint.
"Ye Hao, just kill me already! The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan is gone, and we've been captured by you. We're at your mercy now—stop playing these mind games! If you're a real man, give me a quick death!" Bone Douluo roared, his eyes bloodshot with fury.
"Well said!" Sword Douluo Chen Xin coughed weakly but nodded in agreement. "I'm already a cripple with only a few years left to live. Ye Hao, if you give me a clean death, I might even thank you."
Ning Fengzhi clenched his fists, his voice heavy with guilt. "As the clan leader, I bear responsibility for the destruction of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan. Just as Uncle Sword and Uncle Bone said, I will die with them. Living on in disgrace like this is worse than death. I've failed the two thousand disciples of our clan..."
The three of them had resolved to die, begging Ye Hao to grant them that release.
But Ning Rongrong was horrified. She couldn't bear to watch the people she loved most leave this world one by one—it would be more painful than killing her outright.
"Ye Hao, I'm begging you—don't kill Grandpa Sword and the others! I'll do anything you want!"
Faced with Ning Rongrong's desperate pleas, Ye Hao only shook his head with a wry smile.
"Your request is easy enough to fulfill."
With that, the Slaughter God's Sword materialized in his hand once more.
At this moment, Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo, and Bone Douluo closed their eyes, ready to embrace death.
Swish!
Ye Hao swung the sword down, the red mark on his forehead resonating with the blade's power.
"AHHH—!!!"
Ning Rongrong covered her eyes with her hands, screaming in terror as tears streamed down her face.
...
The air froze. Every breath in the room became audible.
When Ning Rongrong finally dared to lower her trembling hands, the sight before her left her stunned.
Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo, and Bone Douluo were still alive—completely unharmed.
But in the next second, Bone Douluo and Ning Fengzhi suddenly coughed up blood. Even Ning Rongrong herself felt a sharp pain—their soul power had vanished in an instant, dissipating like air from a punctured balloon.
And worst of all... their martial souls were...
"Ye Hao... what did you do to us?" Ning Fengzhi spat blood, his voice hoarse.
"Nothing much," Ye Hao said coolly, clasping his hands behind his back. "I just destroyed your martial souls. From now on, you're all ordinary people."
"WHAT?!" Bone Douluo's eyes bulged.
As a Titled Douluo, he could clearly sense the loss of his soul power—and the shattering of his Bone Dragon martial soul.
Falling from the peak to the abyss in an instant, Bone Douluo could hardly process it.
"From today onward, the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda martial soul will cease to exist. The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan is now history."
"You bastard..." Ning Fengzhi gritted his bloodstained teeth. "Ye Hao, just kill us! Destroying our martial souls—is this your way of humiliating us?"
Ye Hao smirked, sweeping his gaze over the four of them.
"Don't worry, I won't kill you so easily. I'll let you live out the rest of your lives in guilt and regret. That's far more punishing than a quick death. Killing you would be too merciful."
With a wave of his hand, Spirit Hall disciples emerged from the shadows, surrounding them.
"They'll monitor your every move. Don't even think about scheming—you're powerless now, just worthless cripples."
"Live with your guilt. And don't bother trying to kill yourselves—they won't let you."
With that, Ye Hao left with the two Titled Douluo.
Once they were gone, the Spirit Hall disciples melted back into the shadows, keeping a close watch on the four prisoners.
"Father... what do we do now?" Ning Rongrong sobbed.
Ning Fengzhi was lost in despair, a crushing sense of failure weighing on him. He wanted nothing more than to smash his head against the wall and end it all.
But with Spirit Hall guards everywhere, even suicide was impossible.
"It's my fault... I underestimated the Spirit Hall. This is all my doing."
He looked decades older, consumed by guilt over the clan's destruction.
Meanwhile, Bone Douluo kept trying to summon his soul power—but it was futile.
"Damn it! My soul power is completely gone! How is this possible?! Ye Hao! If you have any guts, just kill me!"
Falling from Titled Douluo to a powerless commoner in an instant—his martial soul shattered, his strength erased—it felt like a nightmare.
Sword Douluo sighed, placing a hand on Bone Douluo's shoulder.
"Save your energy. After my Seven Kill Sword shattered, my soul power vanished just like yours. We're old men with only a few years left anyway."
He lowered his voice.
"And for Rongrong's sake... we have to live a little longer. No foolish actions."
They were at the mercy of their captors now.
"But I—!"
Bone Douluo seethed with frustration. The clan was destroyed, and living like this—powerless, humiliated—was worse than death.
Ning Fengzhi felt the same, trapped in memories of the clan's fall, drowning in regret and self-loathing.
To them, this was truly a fate worse than death.