Inside the Imperial Palace, Emperor Xue Ye was furiously denouncing Spirit Hall, acting as if he would never rest until they were destroyed, but it was unclear how much of his anger was genuine.
As for Li Qing and the others—
Although they were also very angry about the ambush, ultimately they weren't the ones who suffered losses; instead, Spirit Hall incurred heavy casualties.
Furthermore, given Spirit Hall's power, they had no intention of pursuing the matter deeply.
However, not pursuing it deeply didn't mean they shouldn't show their stance; otherwise, outsiders might think they feared Spirit Hall, and sometimes, the more you concede, the more arrogant the other party becomes.
"How about expelling Spirit Hall's various branch halls from the country?"
Just as Ning Fengzhi was still pondering how to demand an explanation without angering Qian Daoliu, Emperor Xue Ye's sudden words startled him.
Expel Spirit Hall?
What a joke.
The various branch halls were Spirit Hall's foundation, its roots. If you tried to uproot them from the start, the Hall of Offerings would surely strike you down.
"Unacceptable!"
Ning Fengzhi immediately refused, "Your Majesty, although Spirit Hall has lost two Titled Douluo and had two defect, their strength hasn't declined as dramatically as you might imagine."
Xue Ye fell silent.
He genuinely didn't understand Spirit Hall's true strength. He had thought that with two dead and two defected, even if Spirit Hall still had a few offerings, they could only barely contend with the combined Upper Three Sects.
Now it seemed that wasn't the case.
Li Qing felt that their discussion was pointless, because no matter what outcome they decided on, Qian Renxue would clearly know their bottom line.
At that time, not only would they fail to regain face, but they might also be put in a difficult position.
"This matter is ultimately just Bibi Dong going mad; there's no need to implicate the entire Spirit Hall. Anyway, Bibi Dong's authority has already been revoked, so let's use this opportunity to force her to step down."
Li Qing suggested.
Doing so had three benefits: first, it wouldn't make Qian Daoliu feel awkward; if he wasn't awkward, he wouldn't go berserk. Second, once Bibi Dong stepped down, she wouldn't be able to cause trouble for a while.
Finally, with Bibi Dong stepping down because of this, their reputation would be preserved.
Qian Renxue couldn't help but glance at Li Qing, feeling incredibly surprised, because Li Qing's suggestion was arguably the only concession they might make.
Aside from making Bibi Dong step down, no matter what demands Ning Fengzhi and the others made, they would not agree to them.
This guy, not only is he exceptionally talented, but his mind seems quite sharp as well. Yet, such a person was forcefully pushed to the opposite side of Spirit Hall by that madwoman.
She really isn't suitable to continue as Supreme Pontiff; otherwise, Spirit Hall will eventually be ruined by her.
"I think it's feasible."
Ning Fengzhi's eyes lit up upon hearing this, because Li Qing's suggestion perfectly matched his expectations: it wouldn't truly anger Qian Daoliu, and it would preserve their dignity.
It could be said to be just right.
Of course, Qian Daoliu might also insist on protecting Bibi Dong for the sake of Spirit Hall's reputation, but this was already the most likely outcome. If even this didn't work, any other demands they made would be even more futile.
Since Ning Fengzhi agreed, Xue Ye naturally had nothing to say. After all, he had little say when dealing with Spirit Hall.
Having discussed most of what needed to be discussed, Xue Ye invited Li Qing and the others to dine with him, and then they left the Imperial Palace.
Ning Fengzhi needed to inform the Clear Sky Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, so he parted ways with Li Qing and the others after leaving the Imperial Palace.
Li Qing and the others returned to the Dugu Residence.
Upon returning to the Dugu Residence, Dugu Bo gave Li Qing two Spirit Bones.
Snake Lance had dropped a total of five Spirit Bones. Dugu Bo kept the left and Right Leg Bone to complete his own set, and planned to let Li Qing use the remaining ones to gain favors.
He knew that Ye Tianxing and Yang Wudi were both striving to become Titled Douluo.
Although they had both consumed immortal-grade items, their spirit power levels were too low at the time of consumption, and they still had a long way to go before reaching the Title Douluo stage. A few Spirit Bones should help them save a lot of time.
If they could gain two more Titled Douluo, then they wouldn't face such difficulties in the future as they did today.
Moreover, with five Titled Douluo, even Spirit Hall would have to be wary, at least they wouldn't risk their lives fighting them over a useless person like Yu Xiaogang again.
Li Qing accepted the Spirit Bones, thanked him, and then sent someone to invite Ye Tianxing and Yang Wudi.
The two Demon Bears had fled, but no one knew if they were lurking somewhere, preparing to launch a surprise attack, so it was best not to run around carelessly.
Ye Residence was not far from Dugu Residence, so he arrived before Yang Wudi.
Upon inquiry, it was learned that his spirit power level had already reached eighty-eight, just two levels short of Title Douluo. Coincidentally, there were still two fire-attribute Spirit Bones left from the previous auction that hadn't been used.
Li Qing gave them all to him. After he absorbed the Spirit Bones, he should be able to break through to Title Douluo.
Ye Tianxing was naturally incredibly excited to receive two Spirit Bones that matched his Spirit attribute. He felt that the most correct decision he had ever made in his life was to let Leng Leng seduce Li Qing.
If not for Li Qing, he probably would never have broken through to Title Douluo until his death, but now, Title Douluo was within his reach.
One must know that breaking through to Title Douluo not only increased strength but also extended lifespan. Who would willingly face death when they could live?
Shortly after Ye Tianxing left, Yang Wudi arrived.
When Yang Wudi absorbed the Ink Jade Divine Bamboo, he was only at level eighty-one, his spirit power level not as high as Ye Tianxing's. However, he had now reached level eighty-six, increasing his spirit power by a full five levels in a short period.
This was already quite good.
In addition to the two Spirit Bones he received from Dugu Bo, Li Qing also gave him two from his own stock, for a total of four Spirit Bones, all of which were over ten thousand years old.
The two from his stock were even over twenty thousand years old, enough for him to break through to Title Douluo.
"Thank you, Young Master!"
Receiving a full four Spirit Bones, each of which was of considerable age, Yang Wudi was incredibly grateful, but being a man of few words, he ultimately only uttered three powerful words.
He admitted that he had taken a gamble back then, but the result told him that he hadn't gambled wrong.
Li Qing was not comparable to Tang Hao. First, he gave him an immortal-grade item, pushing him to eighty-six, and now he gave him a full four Spirit Bones. Tang Hao was not even close to being as generous.
Li Qing said, "The Breaking Clan sheds their blood for me; naturally, I cannot pretend not to see it."
"I cannot take care of the entire Breaking Clan. The only thing I can do is to help you break through to Title Douluo as soon as possible. Only when you break through to Title Douluo can you better protect the clan."
Yang Wudi firmly said, "Please rest assured, Young Master, Yang Wudi will not disappoint you."
Li Qing smiled, "Don't be so serious. It's not a big deal. This is just the beginning. When I grow up, there will be even more unimaginable benefits waiting for you."
"Yes."
Yang Wudi indeed couldn't imagine any benefit greater than breaking through to Title Douluo, but he didn't think much about it, after all, he had already gained enough benefits.