For the past two days, Chen Yi and the others had been staying in Stone City, experiencing the unique customs and habits of the region. At the same time, Chen Yi sparred with the young disciples of the Breaking Clan. The Soul Breaking Spear truly lived up to its reputation as one of the best martial souls ever proposed on the net in his previous life. Its lethality was on par with the Clear Sky Hammer and Seven Killing Sword.
On the martial stage, Chen Yi had just finished a series of bouts with the Breaking Clan's young elites. A fine sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead. In his hands, the Soul Breaking Spear was still incomparably sharp, the penetrative soul power perfectly condensed into a single point. With each clash, he gained a deeper understanding of just how deadly this peak martial soul was.
The disciples who had participated in that tragic battle outside Clear Sky City possessed, in addition to the sharpness brought by their martial souls, a tenacity refined through life-and-death struggles. Whether in terms of experience or mental state, they were far superior to ordinary soul masters.
Chen Yi rolled his wrist, then walked off the stage with the Grand Elder toward the edge of the arena. As usual, he was about to speak with someone about their nightly coordination when a man hurried over and blocked their path.
The newcomer looked to be around thirty, his aura strong. He was clearly one of the powerful members of the clan who often stayed at Yang Wudi's side.
He bowed respectfully to Chen Yi and the elders, then said calmly:
"Grand Elder, Patriarch Ye, Young Sect Master Chen.
Our clan's elder has returned from outside and has specially ordered me to invite you."
"The Patriarch said," the man continued, "that honorable guests have come right to his doorstep, and he is overjoyed. He has prepared a small banquet for tonight and hopes to have the pleasure of sharing a drink and seeing a few familiar faces."
Hearing that Yang Wudi had finally returned, the young people accompanying Chen Yi couldn't help showing faint joy on their faces.
They had stayed in this stone city for two days, appreciating its unique customs and gaining much through their exchanges with the Breaking Clan's younger generation. However, in the end, this was still a foreign land, their main mission was not yet completed, and they always felt as if something were hanging over their hearts.
Now that the clan head had returned, it meant the purpose of their journey would soon become clear, and they could more or less estimate when they would be able to return.
The Grand Elder, however, remained as calm as an ancient well. No ripple of emotion appeared in his deep eyes. He simply nodded lightly to show that he understood.
...
At the same time, in the depths of the Breaking Clan's territory, inside Yang Wudi the Ancestor's room, the atmosphere before the planned banquet was anything but peaceful.
Dust still clung to Yang Wudi's clothes, and he hadn't even had time to remove his cloak. As soon as he returned and heard that disciples of the mysterious power who had appeared outside Clear Sky City had come to visit, his heart trembled. He immediately went to his elder brother Yang Wushuang's room to discuss the matter.
"Wushuang, is that news true?
Are they really people from that senior's sect?"
Yang Wudi's voice carried the exhaustion of travel, yet it was even more solemn because of it.
His figure was sturdy, his features resolute. Between his brows, a vertical crease seemed to have been engraved there by long years of frowning.
Yang Wushuang nodded affirmatively.
"They brought this year's alchemical insights with them.
I don't think the information is false."
He then carefully explained to Yang Wudi the intentions of Chen Yi and his group.
After hearing his brother's account, a bright gleam streaked across Yang Wudi's eyes. Alchemy, alongside martial soul cultivation, was one of the foundation stones of the Breaking Clan's strength. The very fact that this mysterious force had come here meant their need for the clan's alchemy was urgent.
If, through the alchemical techniques of the Breaking Clan, they could establish a relationship with that mysterious power—a power capable of nurturing at least two peak Title Douluo—then for the Breaking Clan it would truly be a hundred benefits without a single harm.
Seeing his brother's stirring emotions, Yang Wushuang expanded his line of thought further. His voice dropped, but each word landed clearly, striking at Yang Wudi's heart.
"Brother, in my opinion, for our clan, this isn't just about the benefits of an alchemy collaboration."
Yang Wudi looked at him with interest.
"Oh? Then how do you see it?"
Yang Wushuang slowly said:
"Think about it.
In their sect, that Sect Master and this Grand Elder may be present at the same time.
At the very least, there are two peak Title Douluo-level experts.
The depth of their foundation may far surpass anything we can imagine."
"Right now, our Breaking Clan is confined to this desolate stone city.
Our resources are limited, and so is our development.
The younger generation has good talent, but the environment wears them down.
It's difficult for them to bring out their full potential."
"If, with this opportunity, we can truly forge a solid connection with such a power, then perhaps… perhaps we can find a way out of our current predicament for our people."
"A way out?"
Yang Wudi instantly caught the deeper implication in his brother's words. His expression clouded over, and the excitement in his heart turned into a cold vigilance.
He suddenly raised his head, his eyes narrowed like burning torches. His voice involuntarily rose, barely concealing his anger.
"Wushuang, what do you mean by that?
Have you already forgotten the lesson Clear Sky Sect taught us?"
"Back then, our four great clans were mercilessly abandoned by them—
cast aside like worn-out shoes!"
"In that battle, how many of our clansmen shed blood outside Clear Sky City?
The lessons of the past, those bloodstains—
they haven't even dried yet.
And now, you want to wager the fate of our clan again,
to so easily entrust our roots to yet another external power we don't truly understand?
Do you intend to push our entire clan into the firepit once more?"
Yang Wudi's words were like heavy hammers, shattering the silence of the room and slamming into Yang Wushuang's heart.
The betrayal of Clear Sky Sect back then had carved scars into the bones of the Breaking Clan's survivors. As the clan's current patriarch, Yang Wudi bore that pressure and suffering more than anyone.
Yet Yang Wushuang did not retreat in the face of his brother's sharp questioning. He met Yang Wudi's scorching gaze, shook his head, and maintained a calm, analytical attitude.
"Brother, the humiliation Clear Sky Sect brought us is something I'll never forget.
It's precisely because I can never forget that I'm always thinking about the clan's long-term future."
"Back then, the people of Clear Sky Sect were arrogant and domineering.
They treated their vassals like slaves."
"But in these few days of observation, I've found that the Grand Elder is dignified, yet restrained, with no domineering airs.
As for the young Sect Master Chen Yi—
he has great talent, but his temperament is steady, and he treats others generously.
He's nothing like those madmen from Clear Sky Sect."
"Judging from the way his sect seems to operate, they might be worth trusting."
"Besides, what we're talking about right now is nothing more than an alchemy cooperation.
We are far from the stage of entrusting our fate to them.
Everything is still in the phase of trial and evaluation."
"Trust? What trust!"
Yang Wudi waved his hand harshly, anger flaring even higher.
"If you weren't my own blood,
I'd say you'd already changed your heart and forgotten who you are."
"Did Clear Sky Sect treat us coldly only at the end?
No! They used us up as disposable tools and then kicked us away!"
"Wushuang, you're taking too much for granted.
Outside of alchemy, I will never agree to us forming deeper entanglements with them.
There is nothing more to discuss on this matter!"
Seeing that his elder brother's stance was so resolute that there was almost no room left for discussion, Yang Wushuang understood he needed more compelling proof.
He took a deep breath and said slowly:
"Brother, do you know there's another person traveling with them this time?"
Yang Wudi frowned.
"Who?"
"The current Patriarch of the Nine-Heart Begonia Ye clan: Ye Cien."
Yang Wushuang enunciated every word clearly.
"Ye Cien?"
Yang Wudi was genuinely stunned. The anger faded from his face a little, replaced by a flicker of doubt.
"He's part of their group as well?
The Ye clan has always kept their distance from worldly struggles and focused on the path of healing.
They rarely get deeply involved in conflicts of the soul master world.
Could it be… that power is related to the Ye clan?"
The reputation of the Nine-Heart Begonia Ye clan was like a golden plaque in the soul master world—a symbol of ultimate treatment and absolute reliability. The fact that Ye Cien was so close to Chen Yi's group added a credible aura to their background.
Yang Wudi's heart wavered slightly. The presence of the Ye clan was like a stone cast into the still lake of his tightly sealed heart, stirring up faint ripples.
But the shadow of Clear Sky Sect's betrayal was too heavy. The pain was unforgettable, and in an instant, it suppressed those ripples.
He shook his head hard, as if trying to cast off those unrealistic thoughts. His voice remained cold and unyielding.
"Even with the Ye clan involved, it still doesn't fully explain everything.
People's hearts are separated by their bellies—you can never truly see through them.
What happened back then must never be allowed to repeat."
"We can talk about alchemy cooperation,
but if you want to tie the Breaking Clan to another's chariot again—
don't even think about it!"
Yang Wushuang knew his brother's heart was weighed down by too much, and this wasn't something that could be resolved with just a few sentences. He took two steps closer, lowered his voice, but sharpened his words.
"Brother, I'm not suggesting we immediately evacuate the entire clan.
What I mean is:
they came to us because they need us.
And alchemy is the strength of our clan.
That is our greatest bargaining chip."
"We should agree to refine elixirs with them,
and at the same time, make an agreement to visit their sect's headquarters."
"On one hand, we fulfill the cooperation and display our clan's value.
On the other,
isn't that the best opportunity to observe them?"
Yang Wushuang's eyes burned as he continued his analysis.
"There's an old saying: 'What you hear may be false; what you see is true.'
Only by stepping into their sect with our own feet,
observing its atmosphere with our own eyes—
seeing how they treat subordinates, how they distribute resources,
and even what the character of their higher-ups is—
can we make the most accurate judgment."
"If, on the surface and in practice, they prove to be truly trustworthy allies who act fairly and cherish their people,
then we can use this alchemy cooperation as a bridge.
Gradually deepen our ties."
"And only then, after sufficient understanding,
should we consider whether to entrust the clan's future to that connection—
on the condition that our clan can leave this bitter, frozen land and gain better prospects."
"Isn't that a clear and viable way to lead the clan out of its current predicament?"
Yang Wushuang paused, watching the stubborn struggle in Yang Wudi's eyes, then finally raised the heaviest, most realistic question. His voice was low, but it rang like thunder in Yang Wudi's ears.
"Brother, can you truly bear to watch the children of our Breaking Clan
be trapped in this desolate wilderness for generations—
battered by wind and sand, suffering from a lack of resources?"
"Can you bear to watch them, despite possessing top-tier martial souls and outstanding talent,
find it difficult to climb to the highest peaks due to environmental constraints—
remaining nobodies, forced to endure endless desolation and loneliness here?"
The moment these words left his lips, the room fell into a deathly silence.
Yang Wudi's straight-backed figure trembled almost imperceptibly. The joints of his clenched fists turned white from the force. For the first time, a fierce struggle and deep pain surfaced in his eyes, usually sharp as spears.
On one side was a wall of vigilance forged from the tragic lessons of history.
On the other was the cruel question of the clan's future—and the future of generations to come.
Yang Wushuang's words were like a key, precisely probing the lock of Yang Wudi's tightly closed heart, trying to pry open a door that had been sealed shut by fear of betrayal.
…
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