šļø Arrival at Clear Sky Clan
Three Days after, a group walked the mountain roads toward the gates of the Clear Sky Clan.
At the front was Su Yan'er(Diplomat / Emissary,Feather of Peace)her diplomat's robes fluttering. Beside her walked Mei Rulan(Spirit Farmer / Herbalist,Blooming Soil Heart)calm as a mountain stream. Yin Xuelan(Counter-Intelligence / Surveillance,Shadow Widow Veil and black crow)moved in shadows, unreadable, while Rong Jie(Engineer / Defensive Strategist,Living Metal Core) walked with silent steel in his step. Lu Shen(Healer / Cleanser,Mistweaver Palm) adjusted his spirit-tech devices absently. Qiao Ming(soul beast, raging bull) cracked his knuckles, grinning like a storm.
Wei Huo(Combat Vanguard,Burning Remorse Flame),Zhan Yefu(Silent Blade / Assassin,Echoless Fang),Nie Fenghua(Interrogation / Charisma / Spy-Breaker,Glamour Serpent),Xun Feihong(Scout / Mapmaker,Hollow Eye Lens)and Yuan Duyi(Tactician / Spirit Arrays,Mirror Mind Formation)followed behindāeach quiet, but radiating strength.
At the rear walked Qian Yusheng, the captain. In his arms, sleeping soundly against his shoulder, was a small child.
Their journey here had not been peaceful.
They healed the sick in village after village. They built shelters from ruined homes. And when they stumbled upon the ashes of a village slaughtered by evil soul masters, they ended the threat mercilessly. That was where they found the childāno more than two years old, crying over the broken remains of what was once her home.
Yusheng said nothing. He simply lifted her into his arms and hadn't put her down since.
ā°ļø At the Gates
The gates of the Clear Sky Clan opened. Two elders greeted them and guided them inward without question.
As they walked through long-abandoned posts and empty courtyards, Qiao Ming clicked his tongue.
"No guards? No presence? What a lonely number one sect," he muttered.
But the two elders who led them were quietly shakenānot by his words, but by the presence this group exuded. Not oppressiveā¦ but overwhelming. Not a single one among them was weak. Each one was a mountain. But the man carrying the childā¦ had no presence at all. And that made him the most dangerous.
šļø Inside the Grand Hall
Inside the main hall, the entire Clear Sky Clan had gatheredāelders, warriors, and even the family retainers of side branches. The room was thick with pressure, a show of dominance.
But Qiao Ming simply laughed.
"Measly pressure," he scoffed. "Even that demon killer whale had more presence than this."
With that, he released just a sliver of his power. The opposing pressure shattered like glass.
"Qiao Ming," Yusheng said calmly from the back. "Let's not wake the child."
Yusheng walked to the front, gently shifting the sleeping girl's position in his arms before sitting down on the floor.
The Clear Sky Clan patriarch finally spoke, his voice laced with pride and challenge.
"Are you the leader of thisā¦ unusual crew?"
Yusheng looked up with a kind smile. "Yes."
"And why did you ask to meet us?"
Yusheng bowed his head slightly. "It is an honor to meet the patriarch of the continent's greatest weapon martial soul. I'll begin with the truth: My full name is Qian Yusheng. I am the brother of the late Pope of Spirit Hall."
The hall froze.
Martial souls flared. Soul power gathered.
But Yusheng raised one hand.
"I'm holding a sleeping child," he said gently. "Let's be conscious of that."
Suddenly, all soul power in the room collapsed. It was not sealedāit simply ceased to exist under his aura.
After a long silence, the patriarch of the Clear Sky Clan lowered his gaze.
"We offer you our deepest condolences for your brother's death," he said respectfully.
"Thank you," Yusheng replied, voice serene. "But the truth isā¦ our findingsāand your ownāpoint to a single conclusion: Tang Hao killed my brother."
The patriarch looked pained, but nodded. "Weā¦ reached the same conclusion."
His voice grew solemn. "Then as of this day, for the sake of clarity and peace, Tang Hao will be removed from the Clear Sky Clan and the Tang family lineage."
š©ø A Spark Ignites
The Fourth Elder rose suddenly, face red. "Hold on! That's too extreme. We are stillā"
But he didn't finish.
Qiao Ming was on him in an instant. A crashing blow sent the elder flying, slamming into a pillar.
"When the grown men are talking, weaklings don't interrupt," Qiao Ming barked. He grabbed the elder again and began pounding him. "Number one sect? You people are frogs in a well!"
The Clear Sky warriors tried to move.
But they couldn't.
Ten pairs of eyes were on them, and the pressure from the rest of the Ringless Bloom felt like the edge of death. Not overbearingābut absolute. Moveā¦ and die.
"Speak up, old man!" Qiao Ming roared, raising his fist again.
"Enough," the patriarch said, sweating. "Captain Qian Yushengā¦ please, control your crew."
But Yusheng had not moved.
And yet, every Clear Sky member present felt itāa deadly warning not from Qiao Ming, but from the captain himself. A presence more divine than oppressive, more final than violent.
"Qiao Ming," Yusheng said, tone unchanged. "You'll wake the child."
The fist stopped midair. Qiao Ming gritted his teeth.
"They pretend to be mighty, but they haven't walked the world! Give the word, CaptaināI'll stain this place in blood!"
As he released his full aura, it took the shape of an ancient beast, suffocating the hall. People fell to their knees. Some couldn't breathe.
Thenāanother aura bloomed.
Yin Xuelan, calm as death. Hers was not flame or might. It was despair. The aura of quiet murder. Several Soul Douluo fainted outright.
"Respect the captain," she said quietly.
Thenā
"Silence."
Yusheng stood, and released his own aura.
But it did not crush. It healed.
Those who had fainted awoke. The beaten elder's wounds closed. The stifling weight lifted. And in its place was a sea of peace that filled the hall like morning light.
Even the child stirred in his armsā¦ but did not wake.