Chapter 57: Soul Heaven Emperor and Void Swallowing Flame's Speculations
Tianwaitian, Tiance Mansion.
After hearing Xiao Qing's report, Xiao Tiance nodded and asked, "How were the deceased clan members handled?"
"Grandfather Chun opened a small space in the northwest. All the clan members who perished in this tragedy have been buried there. The clan is currently holding a memorial ceremony. Would you like to attend, Third Uncle?" Xiao Qing asked respectfully.
Xiao Tiance shook his head. "I won't attend the ceremony. I had the chance to save everyone, but my decisions cost so many lives. Heh, I don't have the face to see them."
"Third Uncle…" Xiao Qing started to speak but was interrupted by a wave of Xiao Tiance's hand.
"Leave it be. I'll be going into seclusion for a while. In the meantime, all clan matters will be handled by Uncle Chun and the others."
With a thought, Tiance summoned his Heavenly Puppet, the Huang Jiuji , to Xiao Qing's side.
"Additionally, I'll leave this puppet under your command. No clan members, except those from Tianji Tower or the Luo Net, are allowed to leave Tianwaitian. This includes Xiao Wu and the others. If anyone disobeys, detain them immediately and wait for me to emerge from seclusion."
"Understood. I will carry out your orders." Xiao Qing bowed deeply.
"Good. The Soul Clan has suffered such a devastating loss that Soul Heaven Emperor will likely send Soul Hall members across the continent to search for us. Although our operation to eliminate the Soul Clan's Dou Shengs was covert, it's possible that Soul Hall may uncover some clues.
To ensure our safety, no renowned members of the clan must leave Tianwaitian. Even if force is required to keep them here, you must take this to heart."
"Yes, Third Uncle, I will keep this in mind. Oh, before you returned, my master said he would stay in Bai Yujing for a while until two of his clan's younger members are born. Unless there's an emergency, he asks not to be disturbed."
Hearing this, Xiao Tiance nodded. "Got it. You may go."
After Xiao Qing left, Xiao Tiance ascended to the ninth level of Tiance Mansion. He didn't immediately inspect the resources Xiao Xuan had left him. Instead, he stood by the window, gazing at the clan members outside.
Though most of the Xiao Clan's strength had been preserved, the loss of over 2,000 clan members had left a heavy shadow on the survivors.
"Sigh…"
He sighed deeply before heading to the secret chamber to begin his seclusion.
Meanwhile, in the Soul Realm.
Soul Heaven Emperor was in a foul mood after returning to the Soul Realm. The clan had suffered catastrophic losses in the recent operation, and he regretted his decisions deeply.
"I acted too rashly. If I'd waited until Xiao Xuan's death, this outcome could have been avoided."
As he brooded, Void Swallowing Flame entered the room.
"You're blaming yourself?"
"Shouldn't I? My actions cost our clan over a hundred Dou Shengs. Our overall strength has been reduced by at least 50%. This is all because I was too impatient." Soul Heaven Emperor sighed.
Void Swallowing Flame shook his head. "You can't blame yourself entirely. No one could have predicted such a devastating outcome. But... maybe it's just me, but I can't shake the feeling that Xiao Tiance might still be alive."
"Xiao Tiance? Impossible. His soul tablet shattered. He couldn't have survived."
"Are you certain? Are you absolutely sure that the shattered tablet belonged to Xiao Tiance? Did you witness Xiao Xuan killing him with your own eyes? Sometimes, even what we see isn't always the truth, let alone what we hear."
Soul Heaven Emperor fell silent, his mind racing. The Soul Clan's informants had reported that none of the other ancient clans, apart from the Gu Clan, showed any unusual activity. This meant that whoever annihilated over a hundred of his Dou Shengs couldn't belong to those clans.
Moreover, no faction outside the ancient eight clans possessed the strength to carry out such a feat in such a short time. Even a peak nine star Dou Sheng wouldn't have been able to eliminate so many Dou Shengs without anyone escaping.
No matter how he analyzed the situation, he came up empty handed.
"You might be right," Soul Heaven Emperor admitted. "But even if Xiao Tiance survived, even with the entire Xiao Clan's support, they couldn't have eliminated over a hundred of our Dou Shengs so silently."
Void Swallowing Flame nodded, a hint of unease in his eyes. **"That's precisely what I can't understand. Killing so many Dou Shengs without leaving survivors should have been impossible. Even five peak nine star Dou Shengs working together wouldn't be capable of such a clean sweep.
What's more troubling is that their soul tablets shattered simultaneously. For that to happen, the attacker's strength must have been on par with a Dou Di. If we've provoked such an enemy, we'll never have peace."**
Soul Heaven Emperor tapped his fingers on the table in thought. After a long pause, he replied, "There are no Dou Di level experts left on the Dou Qi Continent. You know this as well as I do."
Void Swallowing Flame agreed. **"Yes. As much as I disliked that old Tuoshe Gu Emperor, he wasn't one to lie. He claimed to be the last Dou Di and said there would never be another on this continent.
Without a Dou Di's intervention, over a hundred Dou Shengs dying simultaneously is inconceivable. By the way, you visited the Xiao Realm. Were there any signs of their people remaining?"**
"No." Soul Heaven Emperor shook his head. "I personally investigated the Xiao Realm. It's empty no people, not even corpses. However, I did discover a trace of an unusual energy near the entrance. It resembled Dou Qi but wasn't quite the same."
Hearing this, Void Swallowing Flame nodded. **"No matter what, we must remain vigilant. If the Xiao Clan has hidden themselves, it means they aren't ready to face us head on.
This suggests that whoever dealt with our Dou Shengs may have been injured or unrelated to the Xiao Clan altogether."**
Soul Heaven Emperor nodded in agreement. "You're likely correct. But dwelling on this won't change anything. The resurrection ritual should be ready soon, and I'll need your help with it."
Void Swallowing Flame nodded. "Of course. I agreed to our collaboration, and I'll uphold my part."
With that, the two figures vanished into the void.
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