A month after Tang San disappeared from Soto City, the Star Crown Sect's spies at the Soto Battle Spirit Arena still hadn't seen him appear, so they reported the news back to the sect.
Along with this news, the Star Crown Sect also received a secret letter regarding Shrek's announcement of school closure and the disappearance of Dean Flender along with the teachers and students.
"Tang San suddenly disappeared. Did he go to Sea God Island or Slaughter City?"
Xu Mingxi, who was sitting cross-legged under the Star Tree, read the information sent by the sect leader, and his calm heart shattered, rippling.
Now that Tang San's supporters had essentially been eliminated by him, the only possibilities left were Slaughter City—the legacy of the Asura God—and Sea God Island—the legacy of the Sea God.
Since both gods liked to observe the underworld, Xu Mingxi had never set foot in either place, so he didn't know what the situation inside was like.
However, Slaughter City was extremely chaotic, not a place suitable for the still-immature Tang San.
Based on Xu Mingxi's guess, Tang San had probably been taken to Sea God Island and might have begun undergoing the trial reserved for the Sea God's heir.
Due to the gap in strength, even if he knew Tang San's plans in advance, there was no effective way to stop him from going to either of these places.
"Don't worry, there's still time. If Tang San wants to inherit the divine throne, then simply gaining soul power from the God's Trial isn't enough."
The God's Trial could be considered the biggest cheat on the Douluo Continent. Whether it was soul power level, soul ring age, or even spirit bones, everything a soul master needed could be obtained through it.
But divine inheritance couldn't be passed on through cheating. Otherwise, the Asura God wouldn't have needed Tang San and could've just given the throne to Tang Chen.
Tang San, who had been staying on Sea God Island all this time, clearly wasn't as good as his great-grandfather Tang Chen. He would definitely go to Slaughter City in the future to gain experience and then continue to rise using Spirit Hall as a stepping stone.
At this stage, Xu Mingxi could only comfort himself this way. The weak could only endure the great changes brought by the strong.
Closing his eyes, Xu Mingxi returned to cultivation mode. Cultivate and cultivate. Once he became strong enough, he could kill anyone he wanted—including Tang San's strongest supporter in the underworld, Bo Saixi.
"Perhaps we'll need to cooperate with Spirit Hall by then."
A sigh echoed beneath the Star Tree, then slowly faded into silence.
Only the Star God Tree, which had grown into a small sapling beside him, swayed its branches, absorbing starlight from the sky, as if born with spirituality and wisdom.
While Xu Mingxi remained in seclusion, the Star Crown Sect wasn't idle either. The middle-aged and young talents devoted their time to cultivation.
The older generation of soul masters began venturing in groups into various soul beast forests, searching for soul beasts aged 100,000 years—especially the large soul beast clusters outside the Great Star Dou Forest.
There were even traces of them overseas. Riding Swordfish, few sea soul beasts could pose a threat to them.
However, if you walk by the river often, your shoes will get wet. Without Titled Douluos, casualties were inevitable when facing 100,000-year-old soul beasts.
But the older generation of the Star Crown Sect didn't back down. They fought for their younger generation and their sect's future.
With the sect's current development, as long as the location was known, hunting 100,000-year-old soul beasts was relatively easy.
And within the sect, even the younger generation needed multiple 100,000-year-old soul rings. The more such spirit bones, the better.
While the soul masters across the continent remained unaware, the Star Crown Sect had secretly pinpointed the locations of many 100,000-year-old soul beasts. As soon as the sect's prodigies needed them, they could set out to hunt them.
However, such actions would inevitably leave traces. Even if the Star Crown Sect disguised such large-scale operations, it couldn't escape the attention of certain powerful forces across the continent.
On the Douluo Continent, there existed such a power—a massive alliance composed of seven great soul master families, who supported each other and stood above the mundane world.
They only sought profit, and their most famous enterprise was the Grand Spirit Fighting Arena.
These seven great families rarely interfered in power struggles across the continent, but no one dared provoke them. No one knew the full extent of their hidden strength.
Now, the patriarchs of the seven great families, scattered across Douluo, had gathered at the Chen family's main estate in the northwest of the Heaven Dou Empire.
"Old Chen, what do you think the Star Crown Sect is after with these 100,000-year-old soul beasts? What are they planning?"
"What else? What do you get from soul beasts? Either soul rings or soul bones."
"Soster, must you argue with me to death?"
"Who told you to be so dumb?"
The other patriarchs watched the two old men bicker once again, feeling helpless.
The Suo family and the ancestral lands of the Mu family were both in central Heaven Dou Empire. They had frequent conflicts in business and development. Both patriarchs were hot-tempered, so arguments were a daily occurrence.
"All right, all right. The situation on the continent is complex, and we may not be able to stay uninvolved. Let's stop arguing and hear what Old Chen has to say."
In the end, an old woman seated at the end spoke up to calm things down. She was Du Xing, head of the Du family. Their main business was intelligence, and they were the first to discover the Star Crown Sect's activities.
Everyone turned their attention to the white-bearded old man who had been silent. The Chen family was their core and the most powerful among them.
"Old Chen, please speak. Should we maintain the current course or make some changes?"
The seven great families were deeply entangled with Spirit Hall and both empires.
Especially with the two empires, most of their industries had long been integrated, and any chaos would be bad for business.
The white-bearded old man remained silent for a long time. This matter concerned the fate of the seven families, and he truly couldn't make a hasty decision.
"Everyone, raise your hands and vote. But there's something I want to say first. Spirit Hall has increased their 'protection fee' this time by 40%."
"What?!"
"They're robbing us!"
"That's impossible! The original 'protection fee' already took 30% of our profits. If they raise it by 40%, we'll have hardly any money left for ourselves."
The seven families had been able to grow their industries to this scale largely thanks to Spirit Hall's early support. Of course, they had to pay a share of their profits.
But now, with their own strength sufficient to protect their businesses, Spirit Hall's demands for so much gold soul coins and resources seemed excessive.
The white-bearded old man glanced at the clan leaders on both sides, who had varying expressions, but his face remained calm.
"Very well, let's vote now. Should we stay the same or make changes?
As usual, the minority obeys the majority. Once a decision is made, don't regret it."