Since the Tang Sect was annihilated by the Iron Blood Sect, Tang Ya had tirelessly devoted herself to studying the ancient techniques passed down by the Tang Sect, hoping to use these skills to exact revenge and restore her family's honor.
Unfortunately, Tang Ya never realized that not only were the cultivation methods she studied incomplete versions, but even the legendary hidden weapons and other secret arts passed down by the Tang Sect were also heavily abridged.
The "Buddha's Wrath Lotus," "Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needles," and "Peacock Plume"—three ultimate hidden weapons capable of directly killing Titled Douluo—had not been passed down at all.
Otherwise, even if the threshold for mastering hidden weapons was several times higher than that of soul-guiding tools, what did it matter? In the face of absolute brute force, as long as they could kill Titled Douluo, the Tang Sect would never have fallen into decline.
But alas, there was no "otherwise."
One could even say that the decline of the Tang Sect stemmed from an excessive and blind worship of Tang San.
The sect only recognized soul masters with the worthless Blue Silver Grass spirit, and their cultivation methods were limited to those passed down by Tang San—methods that were themselves incomplete.
Even though a genius like Tang San had emerged in the past ten thousand years, how could anyone shine under such a flawed inheritance?
But Tang Ya didn't know this. She continued to painstakingly study hidden weapons.
Even though she knew that these ordinary hidden weapons couldn't even handle Soul Sages, what choice did she have? Tang Ya was merely a remnant of the Tang Sect, someone who had lost everything and was barely surviving in Shrek Academy by clinging to the remnants of her family's connections.
And yet, despite everything, Tang Ya displayed the same resilience as the Blue Silver Grass, persistently researching for many years.
But even this strong-willed girl eventually left the Shrek Academy, which had been her lifeline, as well as the Tang Sect she cherished so deeply.
All of this traced back to three days earlier.
On that day, Tang Ya was still painstakingly crafting hidden weapons passed down by the Tang Sect.
As for the hidden weapon techniques, Tang Ya had already given up on them. These techniques relied heavily on the soul master's own cultivation level, and Tang Ya knew full well that she would never break through to become a Titled Douluo in her lifetime. Naturally, she dared not pursue the ultimate hidden weapon techniques like the "Guanyin Tears" left behind by the great ancestor Tang San.
*Knock, knock.*
"Is Teacher Xiaoya here?"
Just as Tang Ya was fully focused on crafting a hidden weapon, a clear male voice suddenly called out from outside the courtyard.
Tang Ya's hand trembled slightly, causing the nearly completed hidden weapon to fall apart into scattered parts on the table. She couldn't help but sigh in frustration.
But Tang Ya didn't blame fate or others. She knew it was because her mind wasn't calm enough; otherwise, her hand wouldn't have shaken.
Moreover, she couldn't bring herself to feel angry at the visitor—it was the unparalleled genius she had worked so hard to recruit into the Tang Sect.
"Coming."
Tang Ya responded and went to open the door, but when she opened it, she was momentarily stunned. It wasn't just Tang Wulin standing there.
"Bei Bei, why are you here too?"
Her lover and student, Bei Bei, rarely came together with Tang Wulin, so this was unusual.
Besides the two of them, a burly middle-aged man with a stern expression stood silently behind them. Though he said nothing, Tang Ya could tell from his demeanor that he was no ordinary soul master—he was undoubtedly a high-level one.
But why had they come together like this? At this moment, the kind-hearted Tang Ya still hadn't realized the gravity of the situation.
As the three entered the courtyard, an awkward silence fell over the group. Bei Bei avoided looking at Tang Ya, nervously fidgeting and staring off into space.
Tang Ya noticed something strange but, being her usual lively self, directly asked, "What brings you all here today?"
Tang Wulin, who had been relatively composed until now, also began to look uncomfortable and avoided meeting Tang Ya's gaze.
But the burly man, unfamiliar with Tang Ya, spoke bluntly. "You being so timid won't do, little Wulin. A real man should speak his mind."
He then turned to Tang Ya and said, "Little girl, hand over the Tang Sect's heirloom. From today onward, you are no longer the leader of the Tang Sect."
Tang Ya's initially curious expression darkened as she glared at the three of them with hostility.
"Bei Bei, Tang Wulin, what is the meaning of this?"
The previous warmth vanished entirely, and Tang Ya even addressed them by their names directly.
She even wondered if she was dreaming. One of them was her closest lover, and the other was the pure-hearted boy who always called her "Sister Xiaoya." Why were they taking away the last precious thing she had left?
Seeing the burly man's bluntness, Tang Wulin's face paled, and he hurriedly grabbed the man's arm as if pleading.
"Uncle Er, that was too harsh. Let me handle this."
The stern man immediately relaxed his expression, his eyes filled with affection as he ruffled Tang Wulin's hair.
"You're a big kid now. If you want to handle it yourself, go ahead!"
The burly man was none other than Titan Ape Er Ming, resurrected by Tang San and possessing divine-level strength. He had come to Shrek City under Tang San's orders.
After all, even Tang San had his own desires. As a god towering above mortals, he needed the faith of the masses to sustain him.
Although as long as Shrek Academy existed and the fame of the Seven Treasures of Shrek continued to spread, Tang San would receive a steady stream of faith, it wasn't enough.
Tang San wasn't like the other members of the Seven Treasures, who were mere second-tier gods. He was an unprecedented dual god, holding both the title of the God King Asura God and the First Rank Sea God.
To gain more faith, Tang San had no choice but to revive his foundation—the Tang Sect.
But Tang San himself knew that the root cause of the Tang Sect's decline lay in the flaws he had left behind.
But so what? They were merely insignificant mortals.
How could mere mortals ever inherit the power of a true god?
However, reviving the Tang Sect was urgent, so Tang San set his sights on Tang Wulin.
In the extraordinary world, the power of the masses was always insignificant. Only the strongest could lead the Tang Sect to rise again.
Tang San believed that his beloved son, Tang Wulin, would surely be able to bring the true secrets of the Tang Sect to prominence.
As for Tang Ya—
Though her spirit appeared to be ordinary Blue Silver Grass, she possessed the bloodline potential of the Blue Silver Emperor.
But so what?
A mere Blue Silver Emperor was nothing.
Tang San knew his own affairs well. Though the Blue Silver Emperor was powerful, it wasn't what he relied on to rise to power. Otherwise, why didn't his own son inherit this spirit?
Tang Wulin's hands continuously rubbed together, his eyes filled with complexity. He hadn't expected things to escalate to this point.
"Sister Xiao Ya, you know that the great ancestor Tang San founded the Tang Sect. He is not only the ancestor of the Tang Sect but also the ancestor of our Hao Tian Sect."
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