The next day.
Yin Zhang woke slowly and looked at Hu Liena resting beside him, lost in thought. Memories of the previous night surfaced, but he pushed them aside, choosing to focus on the present.
"Nana?"
He gently woke her. Hu Liena rubbed her eyes and gradually came to, her expression softening when she saw him.
When she tried to rise, a trace of lingering discomfort made her pause. Yin Zhang noticed immediately and felt a flicker of self-reproach. He helped her settle comfortably, speaking quietly until the moment passed.
That day, the two remained where they were, resting and recovering, letting the journey wait. Without words, they acknowledged the change in their relationship.
Later, they worked together to prepare food from a massive beast's right leg bone. The marrow within was extremely nourishing. Yin Zhang used the flames of his Spirit, Charizard, to scorch the bone clean. After it cooled, he split it and carefully extracted the marrow.
"Brother Zhang, you eat," Hu Liena said with a smile, handing him the dish. Her eyes were bright and warm.
"This is very nourishing—you should have more."
Yin Zhang laughed softly and accepted it.
Several days later, the two finally arrived at the residence of the Yang Family of the Breaking Clan.
The Breaking Clan had become a renowned and powerful family in a major city of the Star Luo Empire. Relying on their exceptional pharmaceutical skills, they conducted business between the two great empires and had accumulated immense wealth.
The Clan Chief, Yang Wudi, had recently broken through to Spirit Douluo, and the entire clan was steeped in celebration.
After learning about the clan's current situation, Yin Zhang felt a surge of emotion.
To think the Breaking Clan, which met such a tragic fate in the original story, has risen so high in this world.
In the original timeline, the Breaking Clan and the other three single-attribute sects had been heavily targeted by Spirit Hall. Their foundations were damaged, and nearly half of their vitality was never recovered. Yang Wudi's only son had died in that conflict, while his younger brother, Yang Wushuang, was captured—events that later drove the clan to join the Tang Sect because of Tang San.
Yet now, fate had clearly diverged.
As Yin Zhang and Hu Liena entered the clan grounds, the first person they encountered was Yang Wudi's son—someone who, in the original history, had died during Spirit Hall's purge.
His name was Yang Tianxia. His Spirit was the Soul-Breaking Spear, and he was a level 64 attack-type Spirit Emperor.
"Who are you, and what business do you have with my Breaking Clan?" Yang Tianxia asked, frowning as he looked at them.
Instead of explaining at length, Yin Zhang and Hu Liena exchanged a glance and released their Spirits simultaneously.
"Charizard, possess!"
"Charming Fox, possess!"
Six pitch-black spirit rings rose beneath Yin Zhang's feet, while the phantom of a colossal dragon appeared behind him. A powerful dragon might surged outward, filling the area with oppressive force.
Yang Tianxia's eyes widened.
A fourteen-year-old Spirit Emperor? And all six spirit rings were ten-thousand-year level?
Even more astonishing was the dragon-type Spirit—one of the most powerful categories in existence.
Hu Liena stood beside him, graceful and composed. Her spirit ring combination—two yellow and one purple—was perfectly optimized, especially remarkable for her age.
Yin Zhang smiled faintly. "Allow me to introduce myself."
"My name is Yin Zhang, a level 64 attack-type Spirit Emperor, fourteen years old. This is Hu Liena, twelve years old."
Yang Tianxia felt his mind reel.
A fourteen-year-old Spirit Emperor with six ten-thousand-year spirit rings… What kind of monster is this?
Hu Liena, though less overwhelming at first glance, was clearly a top-tier genius of the Douluo Continent as well—already a Spirit Elder at such a young age.
Only then did Yin Zhang state their true purpose.
"We are from Spirit Hall. My teacher is the Second Consecrator of the Hall of Worship, and Nana's teacher is the Supreme Pontiff of Spirit Hall."
"I came here—for the sake of both Spirit Hall and the Breaking Clan—to request an audience with your father, Clan Chief Yang Wudi."
The Second Consecrator? The Supreme Pontiff?
Yang Tianxia's heart pounded.
One disciple from the Hall of Worship, another from the Supreme Pontiff's line—and together?
Wasn't it common knowledge that the Supreme Pontiff Palace and the Hall of Worship were at odds?
And now, these two prodigies had come directly to the Breaking Clan.
It didn't take much thought to understand their intent. They were here to persuade the Breaking Clan to align with Spirit Hall.
Yang Tianxia felt conflicted. Spirit Hall's shadow had long loomed over the single-attribute sects, and it was precisely because of Spirit Hall that the Breaking Clan had once been overshadowed by the other three.
Even so, after a brief silence, Yang Tianxia still said: