Once they controlled Nether Thunder Douluo, they could use him to lure out Nangong Wan. After all, the elders of the Holy Spirit Church all knew each other. It was well known that the Second Elder of the Holy Spirit Church was a coward. Compared to loyalty to the church, Nangong Wan cared more about his own life and cultivation. If his life were threatened or his cultivation was at risk of being crippled, he would immediately surrender.
"When do we proceed with this plan?" Nan Shuishui knew she had no right to refuse. To ensure her survival, she had to bow her head.
"If it were Old Tianlong facing this, he would probably fight them head on," she thought bitterly. "At the root of it all, it's because I'm not strong enough. Earth Dragon Sect is not strong enough."
"Tomorrow, we can proceed with the plan. But today, we need to stay at Earth Dragon Sect for a while," Huo Yuhao said.
As the head of Mingde Hall and a Rank 9 Soul Engineer, Jing Hongchen was a high ranking figure in the Sun Moon Empire. Contacting Nether Thunder Douluo, who was also a Rank 9 Soul Engineer, wouldn't be difficult for him. Of course, getting him to agree to a meeting was another matter. However, if they used Nan Shuishui as a reason, it wouldn't be too hard to arrange.
Nan Shuishui was puzzled. "Do you have other matters that require Earth Dragon Sect's assistance?"
Huo Yuhao got straight to the point. "Of course. Sect Leader Nan, aside from dealing with Nether Thunder Douluo, we are also very interested in Earth Dragon Sect's secret land particularly the cave within it."
He didn't bother hiding his intentions. Aside from obtaining the Ice Extreme Divine Crystal and the Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow, he also wanted to take control of Earth Dragon Sect. The others in the sect were uncertain, but these two women, with proper training, could both become Titled Douluo. Moreover, with their martial soul's Annihilation attribute, they would be far stronger than ordinary Titled Douluo.
Nan Shuishui's expression turned to one of disbelief as she stared at Huo Yuhao. Earth Dragon Sect's secret land had always been a closely guarded secret. Aside from her and Nan Qiuqiu, no one else knew about it.
How did they find out? Was there a traitor in the sect?
Could Qiuqiu have accidentally let something slip? No, impossible. Even though Qiuqiu was arrogant, she would never make such a mistake regarding something this important.
"How do you know about this? Do you want the secret land to mine its metal veins?" Nan Shuishui looked at Huo Yuhao with growing suspicion.
Huo Yuhao nodded without hesitation. "Yes, I came for the metals inside."
Nan Shuishui was bewildered. According to what she knew, Earth Dragon Sect had never been able to explore the cave fully because the temperatures inside were too low.
Even their Titled Douluo ancestor had only managed to confirm the presence of a metal vein before being forced to leave. If he had stayed any longer, he would have frozen to death. Yet, this young man was so certain he could mine the cave. Could it be that the Sun Moon Empire had developed some kind of special soul tool to do so?
She said, "If the Sun Moon Empire wants it, then Earth Dragon Sect's secret land "
Nan Qiuqiu panicked and interrupted. "Mom! That belongs to Earth Dragon Sect! They're not offering anything in return, and they expect to take it just like that?"
Nan Shuishui's expression darkened. "Qiuqiu! Silence!"
She sighed inwardly. Even if they refused now, if these people decided to use force, they would have to give it up anyway. To avoid unnecessary bloodshed, she had no choice but to submit.
Of course, she had no deep attachment to the secret land. Throughout Earth Dragon Sect's history, it had never brought them any real benefits. But it was still theirs handing it over so easily left a bitter taste in her mouth.
She turned to Huo Yuhao and the others, forcing a polite smile. "I apologize. It is my failure as a teacher that led Qiuqiu to speak out of turn. I will punish her later and have her apologize to you all."
Jing Hongchen glanced at Nan Shuishui and said, "We have no personal grudge against Earth Dragon Sect. If we were to take the secret land by force, of course, your daughter would be upset. It's natural for children to speak their minds I understand.
How about this? I propose a duel. If Yuhao loses, we will give up on the secret land and even offer ten Rank 8 soul tools as compensation. We will never bring up the secret land again. But if Yuhao wins, the secret land belongs to us, and Earth Dragon Sect must submit to Yuhao. He is the champion of the Soul Dueling Tournament, and I have great confidence in him."
During their journey, he had already discussed with Huo Yuhao the plan to bring Earth Dragon Sect under their control. Otherwise, he wouldn't have adopted such a diplomatic approach.
He had also devised a method to help Huo Yuhao gain control through a duel. If he simply used raw power to suppress them, he wouldn't win their loyalty.
With Huo Yuhao's strength, no one in Earth Dragon Sect could defeat him in a one on one fight.
"This…" Nan Shuishui was surprised. She was a Soul Douluo, whereas, according to the last Soul Dueling Tournament records, Huo Yuhao was only a Soul Elder. Even if he was incredibly talented, at most, he should have reached the Soul Ancestor level. There was no way he could defeat her.
"Dean Jing, have you given Huo Yuhao some Rank 9 soul tools?" she asked.
She knew that some Rank 9 soul tools could be used regardless of cultivation level. If they were making such a confident bet, it had to be because of a powerful soul tool.
Jing Hongchen did not deny it. "That's right."
She looked at him and asked, "What is Huo Yuhao's current cultivation level?"
"He is now a Soul King," Jing Hongchen replied.
Nan Shuishui was stunned. "A Soul King already? Did he take some kind of pill? How did his cultivation rise so fast? Not long ago, he was just a Soul Elder."
"If it's a one on one fight, even with a Rank 9 soul tool, he cannot be my opponent. The stronger the soul tool, the greater the soul power required to wield it. He is only a Soul King! Dean Jing is overestimating him. That means I can still protect Earth Dragon Sect's secret land.
But in this situation, I have no choice but to accept the duel. Otherwise, who knows what they'll do?" Nan Shuishui's mind raced.
She turned to Jing Hongchen and said, "Fine. I accept the duel with Huo Yuhao."
The others quickly cleared an open space, leaving only Huo Yuhao and Nan Shuishui at the center.
Huo Yuhao's five soul rings rose beneath his feet, while Nan Shuishui's eight soul rings emerged in response.
(End of chapter.)
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