"Third Brother!" The Second Elder's eyes nearly burst with fury as he hurled his Clear Sky Hammer. Channeling his soul power, he lifted the hammer high and smashed it down toward the Falling Devil Douluo standing below.
"Die, you scum of the Spirit Hall!" The Second Elder was consumed by rage. The destruction of the Clear Sky Clan was inevitable—everywhere he looked, the corpses of clan disciples littered the ground.
The once-dominant Clear Sky Clan was gone forever. Now, the only thing the Second Elder wanted was to kill—to avenge his fallen brother!
The Clear Sky Hammer descended from the sky like a meteor crashing into the earth, its devastating force striking in an instant.
Yet, Falling Devil Douluo remained unfazed. He pulled out his bloodstained Dragon-Subduing Staff and flung it forward, clashing directly with the incoming Clear Sky Hammer.
In that split second, the Second Elder began to falter. His soul power was already slightly inferior to Falling Devil Douluo's, and after the fierce battle, what little remained was nearly exhausted.
Seizing the opportunity, the Ghost Leopard Douluo struck. His right hand glowed with a dark light as ghostly claws materialized. His body transformed into a black lightning bolt as he lunged at the Second Elder with lethal intent.
"..." The Second Elder's pupils contracted, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Trembling, he looked down—a black claw had pierced through his chest.
At the same time, the Dragon-Subduing Staff overpowered the Clear Sky Hammer.
Now, the Clear Sky Clan had lost two Titled Douluo. Only Tang Xiao remained on the battlefield.
Witnessing this scene, Tang Xiao stood silent for a long time. His clothes were tattered, his entire body bathed in blood.
"AHHHHH—!!!" Tang Xiao roared at the heavens, his hair disheveled, his heart filled with bitterness.
The Clear Sky Clan had been destroyed under his leadership. He had no face to meet his ancestors in the afterlife.
"Tang Xiao, you were a remarkable man. It's a shame the Clear Sky Clan will cease to exist from now on," the Golden Crocodile Douluo said as he approached. Meanwhile, having dealt with the Second Elder, Ghost Leopard Douluo and Falling Devil Douluo surrounded Tang Xiao, leaving him no escape.
The battle was nearing its end. Ye Hao sighed softly and walked over slowly.
"Tang Xiao, never thought the Clear Sky Clan would fall by your hands, did you?" Ye Hao stepped forward, appearing before Tang Xiao in the guise of Tang Yu.
"Tang Yu?!" Tang Xiao froze, unable to believe that Tang Yu had betrayed the clan for the Spirit Hall.
"The Clear Sky Clan never wronged you! Not only did I teach you the Great Sumeru Hammer, but I even named you the next clan master! Why? Why would you collude with the Spirit Hall?!" Tang Xiao demanded furiously. He still couldn't understand why the Spirit Hall had launched this ambush now.
Moreover, the Clear Sky Clan had been left vulnerable—three of its six Titled Douluo were away. The timing of the Spirit Hall's attack was impeccable, sealing the clan's fate beyond redemption.
Finally, everything became clear to Tang Xiao.
Tang Yu had been a "mole" planted by the Spirit Hall.
"You beast! You've disgraced the ancestors of the Clear Sky Clan! You're unworthy of being a descendant of the clan, unworthy of wielding the Clear Sky Hammer!"
Regret consumed Tang Xiao—bitter, futile regret.
Ye Hao smirked, unfazed.
Then, under Tang Xiao's hate-filled gaze, Ye Hao revealed his true face.
"Tang Xiao, do you recognize me now?" Ye Hao's lips curled slightly. The Clear Sky Clan's destruction was inevitable, and Tang Xiao's death was imminent.
Before that, however, Ye Hao wanted Tang Xiao to die with clarity—not in ignorance.
"You… you're not Tang Yu…" Tang Xiao muttered in shock.
"Hahaha…" Ye Hao laughed heartily. "Of course I'm not Tang Yu. The real Tang Yu was killed by me long ago. I've been lurking in the Clear Sky Clan for three months, and you never noticed. Not only that, but you even taught me the Great Sumeru Hammer. And the most amusing part? You made me the future clan master. Tang Xiao, you really thought highly of me."
"Ye… Ye Hao!" Tang Xiao recognized him instantly—the man who had killed his second brother.
It was him! It was all him!
"Ye Hao, even as a ghost, I will never let you go!" Tang Xiao tightened his grip on the Clear Sky Hammer, channeling every last ounce of his strength into a single swing aimed straight at Ye Hao's face.
Yet, as the hammer flew toward him, Ye Hao sneered. His right hand reached into the void, summoning the Shura Demon Sword. With a single slash, the blade met the hammer midair.
The moment they collided, the Clear Sky Hammer shattered like paper, disintegrating into gray dust.
"Tang Xiao, a wise man submits to fate. Tonight, the Clear Sky Clan's fall is inevitable." Ye Hao sheathed the Shura Demon Sword and glanced around at the devastation.
The once-great number one clan under heaven had been reduced to ashes.
"Old Crocodile, Tang Xiao is yours." Ye Hao waved dismissively and turned to walk down the mountain without another glance.
"Understood." The Golden Crocodile Douluo bowed slightly, his expression icy. His right hand morphed into a massive golden crocodile as he lunged at Tang Xiao with killing intent.
Tang Xiao stood motionless, having already accepted his fate. He spread his arms and waited.
Looking back at the ruined clan, all he saw was blood—disciple after disciple lying dead, flames engulfing the rubble, a scene of utter desolation.
A golden flash—
Tang Xiao collapsed onto the snow, blood seeping from his severed neck.
"It's snowing," Ghost Leopard Douluo murmured, stretching out his left hand as a snowflake melted into a droplet on his palm.
The world was silent, the wind howling as the three stood amidst the ruins, lost in thought.
"The Clear Sky Clan is finished. It's time to return and report to the Grand Worship," Falling Devil Douluo said to Golden Crocodile Douluo.
The latter stored Tang Xiao's head in a soul tool.
"Let's go. Back to the Spirit Hall." Golden Crocodile Douluo turned and nodded at the other two.
With that, the three vanished like streaks of light, heading toward the Spirit Hall.
The Clear Sky Clan had fallen. The once-mighty number one clan was no more.
As for the remaining three elders still at large, Ye Hao had no intention of letting them escape. He had already sent Zhuer to track them down. It wouldn't be long before their whereabouts were uncovered.
Ye Hao descended the mountain but didn't rush back to the Spirit Hall. Instead, he went straight to the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.
The Heaven Dou Empire no longer existed. The Spirit Empire was about to rise.
As the young master of the Spirit Hall, Ye Hao faced no resistance entering the palace. The entire Heaven Dou Empire had already been hollowed out by the Spirit Hall—only a formal public announcement remained.
Entering a lavishly decorated room in the palace, Ye Hao flopped onto the bed, utterly drained.
"I don't want to move anymore," he muttered, exhaling deeply. The Clear Sky Clan—his greatest thorn—had finally been plucked out, though only half of it for now.
The three remaining elders still needed to be dealt with quickly.
After a moment of stillness, Ye Hao removed the Death God's Heart from his hair and released Tang Yuehua.
"Where… where is this?" Tang Yuehua asked nervously, glancing around the unfamiliar room.
"The Heaven Dou Imperial Palace," Ye Hao replied lazily, too exhausted to elaborate.
With the Clear Sky Clan—his greatest worry—finally dealt with, he could finally relax.
"The Heaven Dou Imperial Palace?" Tang Yuehua scanned the surroundings. Through the window, she could see the distant Moon Pavilion. This really was the palace.
"But… how can I be here?" she asked in disbelief. The palace was the heart of the Heaven Dou Empire, the very core of the royal family's power.
"Stop fussing. The Heaven Dou Empire is already finished. We've taken over," Ye Hao said flatly, revealing the truth.
---
"What?!" Tang Yuehua gasped in shock, covering her delicate lips in disbelief.
This was the Heaven Dou Empire, a power that once dominated half the Douluo Continent—how could it truly have fallen...?
She couldn't believe that this young man, Ye Hao, barely seventeen or eighteen, had accomplished something so monumental.
"Come here, help me relax."
As soon as Ye Hao spoke, Tang Yuehua's body moved against her will, stepping toward him.
"No! I can't do this! You're the enemy of the Clear Sky Clan, I… I can't—!" She struggled desperately, but the Death God's Heart's control was absolute. She couldn't muster even a shred of resistance.
Ye Hao sat up straight and sighed. "The Clear Sky Clan is already gone. Why cling to it?"
Tang Yuehua froze, her mind blank. Trembling, she sat behind Ye Hao, her hands shakily resting on his shoulders as she began a slow, forced massage.
"What did you say?" She could hardly believe her ears. The mighty Clear Sky Clan—no, it couldn't be!
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" She shook her head violently, fighting the compulsion. She knew this man was the murderer of her second brother, the greatest foe of the Clear Sky Clan.
Yet here she was, the eldest daughter of the Clear Sky Clan, massaging the shoulders of her sworn enemy. If her eldest brother knew, how could she ever face him again?
"Why would I lie?" Ye Hao glanced back at her, smirking. "The Clear Sky Clan is no more. Every disciple has been executed—including the Second Elder, the Third Elder, and your eldest brother, Tang Xiao. They're all dead."
The world seemed to collapse around Tang Yuehua. She sat there, stunned, tears streaming down her face as she muttered, "No… My brother was a Titled Douluo. He couldn't have died. You—you're lying! Tell me this isn't true!"
Her voice cracked with anguish, her eyes burning with hatred as she glared at Ye Hao.
Ye Hao shook his head, turning his weary body to face her.
"Believe what you want. The Clear Sky Clan is history." His tone was indifferent, as if discussing the weather.
But for Tang Yuehua, it was worse than death.
"Ye Hao… just kill me." Her voice was hollow, her spirit broken. With her clan destroyed, she had no will to live.
"Heh…" Ye Hao lifted her delicate chin, amused. "I won't kill you so easily. You're my maid now."
"Spit!" Tang Yuehua recoiled in fury. "Ye Hao, you'd better kill me now. Because if I ever get the chance, I'll slaughter you to avenge my brothers and every disciple you butchered!"
Her words were sharp, her gaze icy—her resolve unmistakable.
"Interesting." Ye Hao rubbed his chin, studying her. Tang Yuehua met his gaze, staring at the man who had annihilated her clan.
"The Spirit Hall and the Clear Sky Clan have been enemies for generations, locked in an irreconcilable feud. It was always going to end with one side's destruction. Now, it's over."
"Tang Yuehua." His voice turned serious. "From today, you're no longer the noble eldest daughter of the Clear Sky Clan. You're just a prisoner of the Spirit Hall. I won't kill you—but I will make you face reality."
"Reality?" She sneered. "The reality where you destroyed my clan? I don't need your mercy. One day, I'll avenge them all."
"Oh?" Ye Hao chuckled. Then, in one swift motion, his left arm wrapped around her shoulders while his right hand cupped under her thighs, lifting her into his arms.
Tang Yuehua stiffened in shock, her mind reeling. Like a startled kitten, she thrashed wildly in his grasp.
"Let me go! What are you doing?!"
"Nothing much," Ye Hao said casually. "Just teaching you how to be a proper maid—serving tea, cleaning, tidying up. Simple tasks. But there's one thing I'll have to personally instruct you in…"
Tang Yuehua paled, her hands clammy. She already guessed what he meant.
"It gets cold at night. A good maid should warm her master's bed. I'm sure you can manage that, right?" His grin turned wicked.
"WHAT?!" Tang Yuehua shrieked, her heart pounding in terror.
So this was it. The moment she dreaded.
"No! No! NO!" She fought with all her strength.
But Ye Hao's grip was unbreakable. He tossed her onto the bed, and she scrambled back in panic, trembling uncontrollably.
Just as Ye Hao leaned in—
Tang Yuehua's eyes rolled back, and she fainted.
"Hahahaha!" Ye Hao burst into laughter, standing up.
"So easily scared. Did you really think I'd touch you?" He shook his head in amusement. He was a man of principle—indulging in such things wasn't his style.
"Master, I have news about Tang San…" Zhuer's voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Speak!" Ye Hao's eyes lit up. Zhuer was efficient—already tracking Tang San's movements.
"Tang San went to Shrek Academy."
"Shrek Academy?" Ye Hao frowned. "He's on the brink of death, and he still has time to visit that place? What's he doing there?"
"Not sure. But I vaguely heard him say… 'Flender has a death wish'…"