What?! The Clear Sky Clan joined the Tang Sect just like that?!
In the livestream, when it was revealed that Tang San had allowed a large number of Clear Sky Clan disciples to join the Tang Sect, a wave of anger swept through the Four Great Clans—Yang Wudi, Niu Gao, Taitan, and Bai He were all furious.
While Taitan and Bai He didn't hold personal grudges against Tang Hao and Tang San, they, like the other two, harbored deep resentment toward the Clear Sky Clan.
Earlier in the broadcast, Taitan had spoken on behalf of Tang San, stating that Tang San had no connection with the Clear Sky Clan or Tang Hao, emphasizing that the three were completely separate entities.
Yet now, Tang San had allowed the Clear Sky Clan's disciples to join the Tang Sect.
Although technically, this didn't break his promise—since the Tang Sect hadn't merged with the Clear Sky Clan—it still enraged the four leaders. To them, Clear Sky Clan disciples in the Tang Sect were essentially the same as the Tang Sect being absorbed by the Clear Sky Clan. It was a loophole, a blatant manipulation.
Tang San's deceitfulness was clear as day.
In response to this, Lin Yu couldn't help but sneer.
To him, it was no surprise. If Tang Hao was a slave to his clan, then Tang San, in some ways, was a slave to his father's wishes—although perhaps not as extreme.
But whenever Tang Hao voiced his opinions, Tang San would most likely comply.
And now that Tang San had become a god and the Tang Sect was flourishing on the Douluo Continent, far surpassing the Clear Sky Clan in prominence, it was only natural that certain elders from the Clear Sky Clan would get jealous of the Tang Sect's growth. They'd undoubtedly seek out Tang Hao, hoping to ride the wave of success.
Given Tang Hao's personality, if a Clear Sky Clan elder approached him in the name of the clan, appealing to his emotions, Tang Hao would eventually agree.
And once Tang Hao approved, it was only a matter of time before Tang San gave in as well.
After all, to Tang San, the Four Great Clans were nothing compared to his father.
When Tang San first subdued the Four Great Clans, Agility Clan and Strength Clan were relatively easy to manage, but Defense Clan and Breaking Clan had given him nothing but grief—he'd been met with scorn and anger during their recruitment.
It would be absurd to think that Tang San had no lingering resentment toward those clans.
Previously, when the Four Great Clans had been essential to his plans, Tang San could ignore these feelings. But now that he had ascended to godhood and the Four Clans had outlived their usefulness, their opinions no longer mattered.
With his father's request in hand, Tang San could easily dismiss the Four Great Clans, claiming that he was merely being a dutiful and obedient son.
Moreover, when he originally promised that the Tang Sect wouldn't join the Clear Sky Clan, he never said they wouldn't recruit Clear Sky disciples.
Given the state of the Tang Sect in the broadcast, it was clear that they were lacking in blacksmithing talent. The arrival of Clear Sky Clan disciples was a win-win situation for both sides. It only made sense that they would agree.
But while the influx of Clear Sky Clan disciples allowed the Tang Sect to maintain its rapid growth, the animosity between the Four Great Clans and the Clear Sky Clan simmered beneath the surface.
As the saying goes, "Love the house, love the crow that comes with it."
In this case, however, the opposite was true: Hate the house, and you'll hate the crow.
The disciples of the Clear Sky Clan were the "crows" that came along with the house that the Four Great Clans loathed.
As expected, tensions between the disciples of the Four Great Clans and the Clear Sky Clan quickly escalated within the Tang Sect.
It wasn't long before the Clear Sky Clan disciples noticed the animosity, and being proud and strong themselves, they weren't about to back down.
The tension was palpable, and before long, both sides were clashing in open conflict.
As Lin Yu had anticipated, fights between the two factions eventually broke out within the Tang Sect. Despite Tang San's best attempts to settle things by punishing both sides equally—by giving them brief periods of confinement—the solution did little to quell the growing resentment.
For the members of the Four Great Clans, the mere presence of the Clear Sky Clan in the Tang Sect was an affront to everything they had fought for.
Why should the Clear Sky Clan get to reap the benefits of the Tang Sect's success, when it had been the Four Great Clans who had supported its early growth?
One disciple from the Strength Clan—whose family was notorious for always siding with their own—came up with a plan. "Since we can't beat them one-on-one, why not fight them all at once?"
Though the Clear Sky Clan disciples had joined in significant numbers, they were still vastly outnumbered by the collective disciples of the Four Great Clans.
"If the Sect Master won't deal with them, we will!"
The moment the Strength Clan disciple suggested this, he was met with enthusiastic approval from his fellow clan members.
"Exactly! We need to take matters into our own hands! We can't let the Clear Sky Clan steal what's rightfully ours!"
While this idea of a gang fight might have seemed shameful in the broader soul master community, for the Strength Clan, it was perfectly acceptable.
After all, this was the same Strength Clan that once sent fathers, sons, and grandfathers into a brawl during Tang San's time at Shrek Academy. The notion of using superior numbers to crush their foes was nothing new to them.
As for the other clans, a few of the more level-headed members—especially from the Breaking Clan and Agility Clan—felt that such behavior was beneath them.
But collective hatred is a powerful force, and soon enough, the majority of the Four Great Clans' disciples rallied behind the idea of attacking the Clear Sky Clan en masse.
In an environment where hatred for the Clear Sky Clan was considered "politically correct," dissenting opinions were quickly silenced. Even those who disagreed chose to keep quiet rather than risk ostracism.
Thus, as soon as their punishment ended, the disciples of the Four Great Clans began to mobilize.
A massive fight was brewing, and the stage was set for a showdown.
Thanks to their overwhelming numbers, the Four Great Clans soon assembled a force that far outnumbered the Clear Sky Clan disciples within the Tang Sect.
"After all, there's strength in numbers!" they thought.
With this belief, the Four Great Clans prepared to confront their enemies, ready to defend their interests against the disciples of the Clear Sky Clan.