The three attacked with desperate fury, charging at Ye Hao with everything they had!
Yu Xiaogang's death had completely unhinged Liu Erlong. Though she hated Flender intensely, what was done could not be undone. The destruction of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was undoubtedly Ye Hao's doing—he was the root cause of all this tragedy.
"Ye Hao! I'll make you pay with your blood!" Liu Erlong roared to the heavens, her body engulfed in scorching dragon flames.
At the same time, her seventh soul ring lit up as she transformed into a blazing fire dragon. Wreathed in searing flames, she charged at Ye Hao with overwhelming force, the firelight soaring into the sky.
"Seventh Soul Skill—Crimson Dragon True Body!"
This was Liu Erlong's martial soul true form. Beside her, Flender's seventh soul ring also ignited as he morphed into a massive golden eagle, diving from above with razor-sharp talons aimed to tear Ye Hao apart.
Behind them, Tang San dragged his Clear Sky Hammer along the ground, leaving deep grooves in the earth. His eyes burned with fury, his killing intent spreading like wildfire.
"Teacher... Father... Xiao Wu... today, I will avenge you all!"
The three attacked with unprecedented bloodlust.
"Why bother?" Ye Hao sighed, shaking his head helplessly.
Then, the red mark between his brows flashed as he reached into the void, summoning a blood-red greatsword into his grasp.
Holding the Shura Demon Sword, Ye Hao resembled a god of destruction, ready to annihilate all in his path.
For some reason, the trio suddenly felt an overwhelming dread—an instinctive fear of the mysterious crimson blade in Ye Hao's hand.
"I don't have time to play with you."
As soon as Ye Hao spoke, the red mark on his forehead and the Shura Demon Sword erupted with blinding light. A scarlet sword beam slashed through the air.
"AHHHHH—!!!"
In that instant, Liu Erlong and Flender coughed up blood, their martial soul avatars forcibly dispelled.
Meanwhile, Tang San was sent flying by the sword's shockwave, his Clear Sky Hammer shattering into dust mid-air. He tumbled down the mountainside, his fate unknown.
Covered in blood, Liu Erlong and Flender stared at Ye Hao in disbelief.
"What kind of weapon is that? It defeated us with just one strike!" Liu Erlong said through gritted teeth. She had recently broken through to the Soul Douluo rank, making her one of the strongest in Heaven Dou City. Yet she had been effortlessly crushed.
Flender, equally shocked, couldn't hide his fear of the ominous sword.
"Liu Erlong, Flender—I'll give you one chance to live. Dissolve Shrek Academy now, and I'll spare your lives."
Flender immediately rejected the offer. "Never! Shrek Academy is my life's work! After all we've built, I won't let it end like this!"
"From what I know, Shrek Academy's reputation is already in ruins. You barely have any students left—you're no longer a threat. Dissolve it, take the money, and live out your days in peace. I don't need more enemies."
"Ye Hao, if you're going to kill us, just do it!" Liu Erlong spat defiantly. "We lost, but remember this—I'll haunt you from beyond the grave for what you did to Xiaogang and my clan!"
Her eyes burned with hatred, her body weakened, yet her spirit remained unbroken.
"I won't give you the chance to become a ghost."
Ye Hao's expression darkened as he raised the Shura Demon Sword high, preparing to deliver the final blow.
At that moment, an overwhelming wave of killing intent surged forth, drowning Liu Erlong and Flender in despair. Death seemed inevitable.
But instead of killing them, Ye Hao's sword strike caused them to vomit blood violently. Their bodies went limp, their soul power evaporating completely.
"I've crippled your martial souls. From now on, live as ordinary people."
Destroying their martial souls was crueler than killing them outright.
Liu Erlong's eyes widened in horror. She tried desperately to summon her martial soul, to channel any trace of soul power—but nothing responded.
"Why? How? Where is my soul power?!"
Flender, equally stunned, checked his own condition—only to find the same horrifying truth. No matter how hard they tried, their soul power was gone forever. They were now mere mortals.
"My soul power... it's gone too..."
Trembling, Flender looked at Ye Hao in terror. "You... you really..."
Ye Hao smiled faintly, crouching down to pat their shoulders. "Live peacefully as ordinary people. I don't want more bloodshed. Yu Xiaogang deserved death, but you two... I couldn't bring myself to kill. So I destroyed your martial souls instead. From now on, cherish this second chance at life."
With that, Ye Hao stood and walked away. Before leaving, he kicked Yu Xiaogang's corpse into the raging inferno, letting the flames reduce it to ashes.
"NO!" Liu Erlong wailed, her heart shattering as tears streamed down her face. She tried to rush into the fire, but Flender held her back desperately.
"Xiaogang! XIAOGANG!"
No matter how she screamed, the flames consumed Yu Xiaogang completely, leaving nothing behind.
At that moment, something in Liu Erlong died. Her eyes turned hollow as she collapsed, as if life had lost all meaning.
After a long silence, she slowly lifted her head—but now, her gaze was chillingly dark, enough to send shivers down anyone's spine.
"Flender... I hate you."
Those simple words shattered Flender's heart completely. He knew—Liu Erlong would never forgive him.
Killing Yu Xiaogang, his once-sworn brother, had been unintentional. All he'd wanted was to prove himself worthy of Liu Erlong's love.
"Who knew that bastard was still alive? Damn luck..." Flender cursed inwardly.
The fires raged on, reducing the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan to ashes. The flames burned through the night, not extinguishing until dawn.
Thus, the ancient clan met its final end.
After leaving the ruins, Ye Hao finally relaxed, leaning back in his carriage with a long exhale.
"One down. Next—the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. With the Sword Douluo crippled and the Bone Douluo captured, Ning Fengzhi stands alone. Does he really think the Heaven Dou Empire can save him? How naive."
After two days of travel, Ye Hao's group finally arrived at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
---
Night fell, but the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan was anything but peaceful.
The clan's disciples had fortified their stronghold like an iron fortress, reinforced by Heaven Dou Royal Knights and imperial soul masters—armed to the teeth.
In the rear courtyard, Ning Fengzhi sat alone, gazing up at the ink-black sky.
The night was unusually dark—not a single star in sight.
Beside him, Sword Douluo looked far older than before, time carving deep grooves into his face.
With his Seven Kill Sword destroyed, he was now just an ordinary old man—nearly a century old.
"Clan Leader, what troubles you?" Sword Douluo Chen Xin suddenly asked.
Ning Fengzhi had been like this for several nights now.
"..."
No words came, only a heavy sigh.
"I was thinking about our clan's future," Ning Fengzhi finally murmured. "Like the sky above—utter darkness. I see no path forward."
"Will the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan truly be destroyed by the Spirit Hall?"
The pressure had been crushing him lately. His eyelids twitched uncontrollably—a bad omen he didn't believe in, yet couldn't shake.
"Clan Leader, don't worry. Though I can no longer fight... cough cough..."
Chen Xin patted his chest, catching his breath.
"I will stand with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan to the end."
Ning Fengzhi smiled faintly, helping the old swordsman sit. They were like aged confidants now, understanding each other without words.
Then—the night shattered.
*BOOM!*
Deafening explosions rocked the compound. Both men shot to their feet, exchanging grim looks.
The inevitable had arrived.
"Father! Father!"
Ning Rongrong came sprinting, gasping for breath.
"What's happening?" Ning Fengzhi demanded.
Chen Xin remained silent, but his face paled.
"The Royal Knights and Heaven Dou's soul masters—they're attacking us!"
"What?!"
Ning Fengzhi staggered, nearly collapsing.
"Impossible! That can't be!"
"Rongrong, is this true?" Chen Xin pressed.
"Yes!" She nodded frantically. "They're slaughtering everyone! Our disciples can't stop them—most attackers are soul masters! We didn't see it coming until—"
"KILL! KILL! KILL!"
Battle cries erupted across the clan as flames lit up the night.
"No... this can't be..."
Ning Fengzhi muttered in disbelief. "I'm the Emperor's Teacher! Why would the Royal Knights turn on us?"
He grabbed Rongrong's shoulders. "Are you certain it's them? The Royal Knights truly—"
"It's true! Father, we must flee while we can!" Tears welled in her eyes.
"No!"
Ning Fengzhi stormed toward the chaos. "I'll demand answers! Why would Heaven Dou betray us?"
"Because I ordered it."
Ye Hao materialized silently from the shadows.
All three tensed, Rongrong hiding behind Chen Xin.
"Explain yourself, Ye Hao!" Ning Fengzhi roared.
"Do you still naively believe Heaven Dou would protect you?" Ye Hao smirked, studying him like a circus clown.
Ning Fengzhi froze.
"You... you've controlled Xue Qinghe! You're forcing him—"
"Tch." Ye Hao's laugh was icy.
"We're not that crude. The truth? Xue Qinghe has always been Spirit Hall's agent. His mission was to infiltrate Heaven Dou, become crown prince, and now—emperor."
The revelation struck like lightning.
Ning Fengzhi trembled violently, his world crumbling.
"Impossible! Prove it! Let me speak to Xue Qinghe directly!"
"He's emperor now. Why would he bother with a doomed clan?" Ye Hao stepped closer.
"The real Xue Qinghe died long ago. We replaced him. Surely you understand now."
Silence.
Stunned silence.
The scale of the deception was staggering.
"So this was your plan all along," Ning Fengzhi seethed. "Unify the continent through deceit."
Ye Hao shrugged. "I warned you when I left. Everything you had—even your precious 'Emperor's Teacher' title—was Spirit Hall's charity."
His cheerful grin sent chills down their spines.
"Last chance. Sword Douluo is crippled. Bone Douluo is captured. Surrender now, Ning Fengzhi. For your two thousand disciples' lives... choose wisely."
The final ultimatum hung in the air.