"Ancestor Xuan!" Bei Bei called out to Mu En.
Mu En looked at him. After a long pause, he sighed and said,
"What do you want to do, Bei Bei?"
"Make Jiang Qingtong bring Xiao Ya back!" Bei Bei replied firmly.
Mu En shook his head.
"I already said this was Tang Ya's decision. It's useless to confront Qingtong. Without the academy being able to openly support the Tang Sect, Tang Ya will not return."
"But—" Bei Bei frowned, still wanting to protest.
"Don't worry. It's not a given that the Tang Sect will be rebuilt in the Sun Moon Empire. The internal power structure of the Sun Moon Empire is no less complicated than the Three Former Nations of the Douluo Continent. Rebuilding the Tang Sect won't be easy."
"I know you care for Tang Ya. If you want to help her rebuild the sect, then train hard. As the Tang Sect's senior brother, once you become a Title Douluo, helping her restore the sect will be a breeze."
With just a few words, Mu En soothed Bei Bei's anger.
Bei Bei nodded. "Understood, Ancestor. I'll do my best to support Xiao Ya!"
Mu En continued,
"Go check on Xu Sanshi. I hear you're close friends. He just lost to Qingtong and is probably feeling crushed right now. Go cheer him up."
"She beat Sanshi?" Bei Bei's expression filled with disbelief.
Xu Sanshi was famous in the Outer Court for his nearly impenetrable defense—known as the "Unbreakable Shield." Jiang Qingtong was at most a two-ring Grandmaster Soul Master. How could she possibly beat him? Maybe she used her ninth-level soul tool?
But if that were the case, Ancestor Xuan and Elder Xuan wouldn't have looked so calm.
He couldn't figure it out. Could her talent really be that incredible? He had to ask Sanshi himself.
Having made up his mind, Bei Bei respectfully took his leave from Mu En.
After Bei Bei left, Xuan Zi said to Mu En,
"Mu En, perhaps I should go after all? No matter what, the Tang Sect is a legacy of Sea God Tang San. If the Sun Moon Empire begins waving that flag, it'll be incredibly humiliating for us."
Mu En shook his head and said,
"Send someone to Heaven Dou City and reclaim the Tang Sect's ancestral grounds. Even if the sect is truly rebuilt in the Sun Moon Empire one day, this will remain our bargaining chip."
Xuan Zi nodded. "Understood."
---
At a small, unassuming town near the Star Luo Empire's border in the Mingdou Mountain Range, in an ordinary courtyard, people moved busily. In a flash of light, Tang Ya suddenly appeared in the middle of the yard after activating the Old Moonlight soul tool, startling those nearby.
"Who goes there?!"
People inside the courtyard quickly surrounded her, releasing their martial souls, eyes filled with caution.
Seeing them ready to fight, Tang Ya immediately raised her left hand and displayed Old Moonlight, explaining,
"I was sent here by Miss Jiang. My name is Tang Ya."
The people didn't know this location had been set as a teleportation point by Jiang Qingtong, so they were confused.
"Miss Jiang? Never heard of her."
"Maybe we should ask the Elder."
"Keep an eye on her. I'll go notify the Elder!"
In the Soul Hall, no matter the size of the branch, the person in charge was always addressed as "Elder." Upon hearing the report, the Elder quickly dropped everything and rushed over.
"You must be Miss Tang, correct?" The Elder smiled warmly as he approached. "May I ask what your relationship is with Miss Jiang?"
Everyone present was stunned by his respectful tone—they had never seen the Elder act like this before. Their curiosity about this "Miss Jiang" surged. Could she be a high-ranking figure in the Soul Hall?
Looking at the Elder, Tang Ya reasoned that if Old Moonlight had brought her here, then this place must be trustworthy in Jiang Qingtong's eyes. So, she answered honestly:
"Miss Jiang invited me to the Sun Moon Empire. We're friends."
Friends?
Would a "friend" really gift something as rare and powerful as Old Moonlight, a ninth-level soul tool?
The Elder silently marveled. Though Tang Ya didn't appear to be very strong, she must be extremely important to Jiang Qingtong.
He immediately gave her the utmost respect and bowed.
"I see, you are a guest of Miss Jiang. I am Gu Lin, Elder of the Soul Hall's Western Branch in the Star Luo Empire. It's an honor to meet you!"
Tang Ya returned the gesture with a bow. "Greetings, Elder Gu." Though puzzled by his title, she didn't question it.
Soul Hall?
What sect is that? She had never heard of it before. Judging by Elder Gu's behavior, Jiang Qingtong's status within the Soul Hall must be extremely high—far above even a branch elder like him.
Gu Lin smiled and said,
"Since Miss Jiang asked you to go to the Sun Moon Empire, it so happens I will be returning there soon to report. Why don't you travel with me?"
"Very well, thank you, Elder," Tang Ya agreed without hesitation.
Tang Ya temporarily settled in the Western Branch. Once the others learned she had ties with a top figure in their organization, they no longer held anything back in front of her.
Through them, Tang Ya learned what Soul Hall really did.
Free martial soul awakenings.
They were giving free awakenings to everyone.
Tang Ya had only ever heard of the ancient Spirit Hall from ten thousand years ago doing something similar. She looked at Elder Gu seriously and asked,
"Doing this… aren't you afraid the Three Former Douluo Nations will join forces to destroy you?"
Gu Lin chuckled and replied,
"Miss Tang, we only wish for everyone to possess the gift the heavens bestowed upon humanity: the martial soul. What crime is that? Surely the people of the Three Nations also want their citizens to have martial souls?"
A passing staff member muttered,
"Exactly. What kind of country wouldn't want its people to grow stronger?"
Tang Ya was at a loss for words.
She didn't know what the governments were thinking, but she knew for a fact that the noble soul master families wouldn't want everyone to awaken martial souls. If enough powerful new souls emerged, it would threaten their power and status.
This problem had existed ever since the collapse of the original Spirit Hall. Even now, many soldiers in the Three Nations' armies still hadn't awakened martial souls—let alone civilians.
Part of the reason the Three Nations resisted soul tools was the fear that they would empower ordinary people and erode the power gap between the commoners and soul masters.
As Tang Ya fell silent, Gu Lin didn't press the issue. He simply said with a smile,
"Don't overthink it, Miss Tang. Once we arrive in the Sun Moon Empire, you'll understand why Soul Hall does what it does."
Tang Ya nodded thoughtfully.
> (Author's Note: For those wondering why the protagonist is helping Tang Ya—it's not really about her. It's about the Tang Sect's name. Having the once-greatest sect now aligned with the Sun Moon Empire is a brutal symbol of reversal. It's poetic justice aimed at the Three Nations and Shrek Academy.)