When they returned to Tiandou City, night had already fallen.
The gates of the Iron Guard base opened quietly as the three figures entered.
Liu Ming was supporting Zhao Qing. Zhao Qing's body was weak from the heavy injuries he had suffered earlier, and each step required effort.
Wang Yan walked beside them. Chen Yu rested in his arms.
The guards at the base noticed them almost immediately.
At first, their expressions showed relief at seeing the three founders return. But that relief froze the moment their eyes fell on the still figure Wang Yan was carrying.
The courtyard slowly grew silent. No one needed to ask what had happened. The sight alone was enough.
Without waiting for orders, the Iron Guard members began preparing the funeral.
Some lit torches around the courtyard. Others quietly arranged the necessary rites.
Meanwhile, a healing-type soul master had already been called to treat the injured.
Liu Ming sat down nearby while the healer examined his wounds. Although he had suffered injuries and traces of poison remained in his body, his condition was stable enough to recover with treatment.
Zhao Qing's condition was more serious. The injuries he had taken had nearly pushed his body to its limit. Even sitting upright required effort while the healer slowly treated the deep wounds across his body.
Wang Yan rested beside them.
Compared with the other two, his exhaustion was far lighter. His Back Soul Bone quietly absorbed spiritual energy from the surroundings, allowing his spirit power to recover faster. Even so, the long battle had still left its mark on him.
The three friends remained seated together. None of them spoke.
Not far from them, two women sat quietly in one corner of the courtyard. Tang Yuehua and Shuo Ling'er.
Their eyes rested on Chen Yu, and the sorrow within them did not need words to be understood.
Time passed slowly.
When the preparations were finally complete, the Iron Guard gathered in silence. The funeral began under the quiet night.
There were no loud speeches. Only a solemn farewell. When it ended, the guards gradually returned to their duties.
The courtyard slowly emptied until only five people remained.
Wang Yan, Liu Ming, Zhao Qing, Tang Yuehua, Shuo Ling'er.
No one moved for a long time. The night continued to pass in silence.
.....
Several hours later, inside one of the rooms of the Iron Guard base, five individuals sat together.
Zhao Qing, Liu Ming, Wang Yan, Tang Yuehua, and Shuo Ling'er.
The room was quiet. The faint light of a lamp spread softly across the table, while none of them spoke for some time.
Finally, Wang Yan broke the silence.
"I will kill him." His voice was calm, yet the determination within it was unmistakable. "The Bloodscale Clan Patriarch… I will personally take his life."
Liu Ming and Zhao Qing looked at him. There was no surprise in their expressions. The same thought had already settled in their own hearts.
Liu Ming slowly nodded. "He escaped today," he said quietly. "But we know where he will return."
Zhao Qing's gaze hardened. "The Bloodscale Clan."
For them, there was only one place to go.
Tang Yuehua stood up and walked toward Wang Yan. She gently took one of his hands, her eyes filled with concern as she looked at him.
"You… do not act recklessly."
Wang Yan looked at her for a moment. Then he raised his hand and gently brushed aside the strands of hair near her face, his fingers lightly touching her cheek.
"Don't worry," he said calmly. "I know what I'm doing."
His voice grew firmer. "I will avenge Chen Yu."
At that moment Liu Ming stood up from his seat and walked over, stopping beside Wang Yan.
"You are not going alone," Liu Ming said.
Zhao Qing also rose and joined them.
"We will do this together," Zhao Qing said steadily.
The determination among the three men was clear.
After a short silence, Liu Ming spoke again, his tone now more practical. "We should rest tonight," he said. "Tomorrow we will leave."
He looked toward the others before continuing. "We will go to Shenwu City."
No one objected. The decision had already been made.
.....
The next morning, the three friends left Tiandou City.
There was no unnecessary delay. After making their preparations, Wang Yan, Liu Ming, and Zhao Qing departed from the Iron Guard base as the morning light spread across the city.
Their destination was clear, Shenwu City.
The journey was not very long. Shenwu City was relatively close to Tiandou City, but even so, the three of them traveled for the entire day without stopping. None of them spoke much along the way. Their expressions remained calm, yet the determination in their eyes never faded.
By the time the sun began to set, the distant outline of Shenwu City finally appeared before them.
The city gates stood tall against the fading evening light as people continued moving in and out of the busy streets.
The three men entered the city quietly. They did not rush toward the Bloodscale Clan immediately. Instead, they had already decided on their first step.
Before taking any action, they needed to understand the current situation of the Bloodscale Clan inside Shenwu City.
Only after learning everything about their enemy would they make their next move.
After entering Shenwu City, the three did not act hastily.
For nearly three hours, Wang Yan, Liu Ming, and Zhao Qing quietly moved through different parts of the city, gathering information. Through taverns, merchants, and ordinary conversations in the streets, they gradually learned more about the situation of the Bloodscale Clan within the city.
By the time the sky had grown darker, they had already obtained the information they needed. Afterward, the three of them found an inn within the city and took a room there.
Inside the quiet room, the three friends finally sat down together.
Inside the room of the inn in Shenwu City, Wang Yan, Liu Ming, and Zhao Qing sat around the table. The information they had gathered throughout the city during the past few hours was now laid out clearly between them.
After a moment of silence, Liu Ming began to speak.
"The Bloodscale Clan is a large clan," he said slowly. "Their total population is a little more than three hundred people. Of course, not all of them are combatants. Many of them are part of the younger generation whose spirit power has not yet reached level forty."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Before the battle we fought earlier, their true combat strength was quite formidable. At the top stood the clan patriarch, an eighty-second rank Soul Douluo. Under him were nine Soul Saints."
Zhao Qing listened quietly as Liu Ming continued explaining.
"Below the Soul Saints were around fourteen core Soul Emperors belonging to the clan itself. After that, there are about thirty-five Soul Kings and around sixty Soul Ancestors between level forty and forty-nine."
Liu Ming then mentioned another important part.
"In addition to their clan members, the Bloodscale Clan also maintains around sixty external protectors. These people are not part of the clan bloodline, and their martial souls are all different."
He explained their strength as well.
"Among these protectors, there are six Soul Emperors, about thirty Soul Kings, and the rest are Soul Ancestors."
He leaned back slightly after finishing the explanation.
"So before that battle, the Bloodscale Clan possessed an extremely strong foundation."
After a brief pause, Liu Ming continued in a calmer voice.
"But that strength has already been reduced."
He looked toward Wang Yan and Zhao Qing.
"In that battle, we killed five of their Soul Saints and four of their peak Soul Emperors."
Zhao Qing nodded slowly. He clearly remembered that fight.
Liu Ming continued explaining the current situation.
"So now the Bloodscale Clan only has four Soul Saints remaining. Among their core Soul Emperors, ten are left."
He spoke the final summary.
"Even after those losses, if we include both their clan members and their outside protectors, they still have elite fighters above level forty."
The room fell silent.
Zhao Qing slowly exhaled. "Even after losing five Soul Saints and four peak Soul Emperors…" he muttered, "…their remaining strength is still dangerous."
Liu Ming nodded.
"That's why attacking them directly would be extremely difficult." Wang Yan, who had remained silent until now, finally raised his head.
His eyes were calm, yet cold. "Then we won't attack them directly."
Liu Ming and Zhao Qing both looked toward him.
Wang Yan's voice remained steady.
"We attack them secretly."
End of chapter.