Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

However, this is not something it needs to worry about.

The nine-colored deer closed its eyes again, and the nine-colored radiance flowing around it once more merged with the misty vapor of the Lake of Life.

In any case, whatever Di Tian does won't affect it.

At the same time, Di Tian's figure had already appeared high in the sky above the outer edge of the Star Dou Great Forest.

He hovered in the clouds, his golden vertical pupils overlooking the lush forest below. Only after confirming that no one was following him did he turn his gaze back to the distance.

That direction leads to the Dragon Realm.

It has been quite a while since we returned empty-handed from the Dragon Realm's gates last time.

That day, following the guidance of the Dragon God's claw, he found the spatial rift in the Dragon Realm, thinking that he would finally be able to see the relics left by the Dragon God or the signs of the Dragon God's revival.

Di Tian's heart was pounding like crazy.

But the result?

He was blocked by a door.

A door that can't be opened.

Di Tian's cold face showed no expression, but his little finger curled slightly inside his sleeve.

That was a rare little gesture of his, only appearing when he was extremely agitated.

He has lived for over 800,000 years, what storms hasn't he seen?

Back when he followed Lord Dragon God to conquer all directions, Di Tian was a figure whose every stomp of his foot could shake the entire continent.

After the war of the gods, the dragon race was wiped out, and he became the only pure-blooded true dragon on this continent.

The Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King, Di Tian, ​​who lived for 890,000 years, was a beast god whose spirit beasts throughout the Star Dou Great Forest had to bow down to him.

But now, he is shut out by a crack.

He was not reconciled.

I am extremely unwilling to accept this.

That day, he stood before the spatial rift in the Dragon Realm. The Dragon God's claws were so powerful they almost left afterimages as he swung them one after another, radiating black light and so intense that the space itself shattered.

But the crack remained motionless, showing no sign of expanding, as if mocking him.

Di Tian had never felt so frustrated in his life.

What puzzled him even more was that the aura leaking out of the crack was clearly the aura of the Dragon God, carrying the ancient laws of creation and destruction, purer than anything else.

His dragon claws sensed it, his bloodline resonated with it, and every scale on his body told him that the dragon god was inside.

But the crack just wouldn't accept him.

Di Tian snapped out of his thoughts, his golden vertical pupils narrowing slightly. He had never mentioned this matter to anyone, not even Gu Yuena.

He himself couldn't explain why he wanted to hide it; he just subconsciously kept it a secret.

Di Tian took a deep breath, suppressing the surging emotions in his heart, and stopped thinking about it.

He came out without telling Gu Yuena. Ever since the will of the Asura God descended upon the Lake of Life, Gu Yuena had been in seclusion to focus on healing her injuries. She had said not to disturb her unless it was something extremely important.

He secretly slipped out immediately after she went into seclusion.

It wasn't about betrayal, it was just about confirmation.

To confirm whether the suspicion that was causing him so much anxiety was true.

Di Tian's figure transformed into a streak of black light and sped towards the Dragon Realm.

……

Haotian Sect, Council Hall.

Since Tang Yuehua's letters started arriving one after another, this hall, which is usually as quiet as an ancestral hall, has been in constant turmoil.

They argue today, they argue tomorrow, and they continue arguing the day after.

The arguments boil down to just those two sentences.

To go out, or not to go out.

"In my opinion, it's time to consider coming out of seclusion."

The Seventh Elder sat in his chair, his thin fingers tapping the armrest repeatedly. The sound wasn't loud, but everyone present could hear it clearly.

"Yuehua wrote it very clearly in her letter: after Xue Qinghe ascended the throne, he made the late emperor's queen his empress, and now he has married Hu Liena, the Holy Maiden of the Spirit Hall, as his imperial concubine."

According to her letter, the imperial concubine enjoyed exclusive favor in the harem, causing widespread anxiety throughout the court, with everyone fearing that the emperor would be led by the nose by the Spirit Hall.

He paused, his cloudy eyes sweeping over everyone present.

"This is clearly the Spirit Hall gradually eroding the Heaven Dou Empire. Once they completely swallow Heaven Dou, who will be next? The Star Luo Empire will be the first to fall. Can our Clear Sky Sect rest easy?"

The atmosphere in the council hall immediately became even more tense after the Seventh Elder said this.

"Seventh Brother is right!"

The Fifth Elder slammed his hand on the table, making the teacup jump.

"Our Clear Sky Sect has been in seclusion for so many years, not because we're afraid of the Spirit Hall! It was to preserve our strength. Now, we have several Title Douluos within our sect, and countless Soul Douluos and Soul Saints. Looking across the entire continent, which sect can compare to our strength, except for the Spirit Hall?"

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, his white beard trembling: "If you ask me, we should take this opportunity to come out of seclusion! Let the Spirit Hall know that the Clear Sky Sect is not completely wiped out!"

"Leave the mountain? What for?" The Second Elder sneered. He was the backbone of the Fengshan Sect. He didn't talk much, but every time he did, he got to the point.

"Fifth Brother, you said we have several Title Douluos, that's true. But do you know how many Title Douluos the Spirit Hall has?"

The Fifth Elder was speechless at his question.

You don't know, do you?

The Second Elder picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said unhurriedly, "It's good that you don't know. We've been locked up in the mountains for so many years, and all the news from the outside world has been sent back by that girl Yuehua one letter at a time. We know nothing about the current strength of the Spirit Hall, what level Pope Bibi Dong has reached, or how many new young geniuses have emerged."

He put down his teacup, his cloudy eyes sweeping over everyone present: "You rush out without knowing anything? Are you just throwing your life away with a surge of enthusiasm?"

The Fifth Elder was so speechless that his face turned red. He wanted to retort, but the Seventh Elder beat him to it.

"Second brother is right."

The Seventh Elder nodded, but then changed the subject.

"But we can't keep sealing it off like this forever. Yuehua's letter made it very clear that the Spirit Hall has already reached into the inner palace of the Heaven Dou Empire. Once they completely control the Heaven Dou Empire, how long do you think the Star Luo Empire can hold out? Once the Star Luo Empire falls, our Clear Sky Sect will be trapped like a turtle in a jar."

The Second Elder frowned, about to speak, when the Seventh Elder raised his hand to stop him.

"I'm not saying we should leave the mountain immediately, but we should at least make preparations. We need to stockpile medicinal herbs, ores, and soul tools, and repair the channels for communication with the outside world. We can't wait until the fire is at our eyebrows and we're still in the mountains knowing nothing."

"I support Seventh Brother." The Sixth Elder was a kind-hearted man who rarely expressed his opinions, but today he spoke up and immediately took sides. "Rushing out without knowing anything is suicide. But doing nothing and just waiting in the mountains is also waiting to die."

He paused, then added in a low voice, "At the very least, we need to figure out what the situation is like outside."

Silence fell over the council chamber for a moment.

The Fifth Elder wanted to refute, but after opening his mouth, he didn't know how to refute it.

He may have a bad temper, but he's not really stupid. The Second Elder and the Sixth Elder are right; they really know too little about the outside world.

Tang Yuehua's letters could provide limited information; to make a decision concerning the survival of the sect, a few letters alone were far from enough.

But he felt stifled.

He spent decades in the mountains, from his youthful vigor to his graying beard.

He opposed the closure of the mountain back then, but the elders' majority voted for it, so he had no choice but to comply.

Now that they finally saw a glimmer of hope to leave the mountains, it was blocked again by the excuse that "the situation outside is unclear."

What the hell is this?

The Second Elder put down his teacup and glanced around the council hall.

The people sitting in this room are all the titled Douluo of the Haotian Sect.

It seems like a lot; it would be a force capable of changing the landscape, no matter where it is placed.

But how does it compare to the Spirit Hall?

The Second Elder didn't know. Nobody knew. How many Title Douluos did the Spirit Hall have? What level had Pope Bibi Dong reached in her cultivation? How far had the newly emerging geniuses grown in recent years?

The Haotian Sect had absolutely no information on these matters.

To venture out into the mountains without knowing anything is tantamount to sticking your head out and getting yourself killed.

Just when things were at a stalemate, Tang Xiao, who had been silent all along, finally spoke.

"Elders."

His voice wasn't loud, but as soon as he opened his mouth, everyone fell silent.

Tang Xiao sat in the main seat, his rugged face revealing little expression. His gaze swept over the Fifth Elder's flushed face, over the Second Elder's furrowed brows, over the Seventh Elder's clenched fists, and finally landed on the letter on the table, its edges worn from repeated readings.

"Let's wait and see," he said.

The Fifth Elder couldn't sit still any longer: "Sect Master..."

"Let me finish." Tang Xiao raised his hand, silencing the Fifth Elder's next words. "Observing the situation does not mean doing nothing. It is a fact that our strength is greater than the outside world knows. But it is also a fact that we know too little about the Spirit Hall."

He looked at the Second Elder: "The Second Elder is right. We can't just rush out on a whim."

He then looked at the Fifth Elder: "The Fifth Elder is right. We can't hide in the deep mountains forever."

"It is precisely at times like these that we must not be impatient. Our understanding of the outside world is currently limited to Yuehua's letter; we have far too little information. Making any decision under these circumstances would be a gamble."

Chapter 490 Complex

Tang Xiao's gaze swept over everyone present: "I don't want to gamble. I want to win."

No one spoke.

Tang Xiao slowly stood up, his tall figure casting a deep shadow in the candlelight: "Reply to Yuehua. Tell her that the sect has received her message and instructs her to continue monitoring the movements of Tiandou City. Also, ask her a question. Based on her assessment of the current situation, when would be the most appropriate time for the Haotian Sect to intervene?"

He paused, then added, "Her answer may not necessarily represent the sect's decision, but she has lived in Heaven Dou City for many years and understands the power dynamics of that city better than any of us. Her judgment is worth listening to."

The elders exchanged glances and nodded. This was the safest solution; no one could find fault with it.

"Meeting adjourned," Tang Xiao said and left.