Tang Ya set off with Gu Lin on the journey to the Sun Moon Empire.
Although Soul Hall was considered an illegal organization within the Three Former Nations of the Douluo Continent—Star Luo Empire had even begun purging its Soul Hall branches—Gu Lin still swaggered with Tang Ya straight toward Yuming Pass.
Yuming Pass was the only official border crossing between the Star Luo Empire and the Sun Moon Empire. Unlike the relaxed attitude on the Sun Moon Empire's side, the Star Luo Empire had built an entire fortress-city at the border, garrisoned with elite troops under the personal command of Duke White Tiger, Dai Hao.
Due to various recent tensions, inspections at Yuming Pass had grown increasingly strict. Any traveler deemed suspicious would be immediately detained by the stationed troops.
Soul tools equipped atop the walls were the most advanced defensive types Star Luo had to offer—but in Gu Lin's eyes, these antiques wouldn't even be worth giving to students in the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy.
At the checkpoint, soldiers were checking travelers' identities. Tang Ya passed with no problem, and Gu Lin, as a member of Soul Hall, used the codename "Gu Lin." Even if the Star Luo Empire had a list of Soul Hall operatives, all they would see were fake names.
Just as the two were about to pass through the checkpoint, Dai Hao himself arrived with a patrol unit.
He had just received word that the empire was intensifying its blockade against the Sun Moon Empire due to Soul Hall crackdowns, so he had come to inspect the front personally.
Seeing Dai Hao, Gu Lin's brow furrowed slightly, but he quickly smoothed over his expression and calmly continued walking with Tang Ya.
Dai Hao immediately noticed that Gu Lin was a powerful Soul Master. Under normal circumstances, he might have simply taken note and let him pass. But with the current political climate, any powerful Soul Master heading into the Sun Moon Empire was a potential Soul Hall agent.
So Dai Hao called out,
"Hold it!"
His soldiers quickly stepped forward, cleared the area of other travelers, and surrounded Gu Lin and Tang Ya.
Hearing Dai Hao's voice, Tang Ya tensed slightly. Gu Lin, however, remained composed. He turned to Dai Hao with a polite smile and asked,
"Is there something we can help you with, sir?"
"What's your name?" Dai Hao stepped closer, staring Gu Lin down.
Gu Lin gave his real name. Dai Hao nodded slightly and followed up,
"Why are you heading to the Sun Moon Empire?"
Gu Lin replied lightly,
"It's a private matter—not convenient to discuss."
Dai Hao's voice turned colder.
"I am Duke White Tiger, Dai Hao. In front of me, there is no such thing as 'inconvenient.' Tell me your purpose for entering the Sun Moon Empire, or I'll have reason to believe you're spies."
"Surely you're joking, Your Grace!" Gu Lin laughed, shaking his head.
Dai Hao's eyes narrowed.
"From your aura, I'd say you're at least a seven-ring Soul Sage."
It was uncommon for high-level Soul Masters from the Three Nations to head into the Sun Moon Empire. Most of them viewed the empire's obsession with soul tools as lowly trickery—not worthy of real cultivation.
As Dai Hao directly called out his level, Gu Lin silently frowned, trying to come up with a response. But then, Tang Ya stepped forward and spoke,
"Your Grace."
Both Gu Lin and Dai Hao turned their attention to her.
"And you are?" Dai Hao looked at her with mild curiosity. He could tell her level wasn't high, so he didn't take her too seriously.
"I am Tang Ya," she said clearly. Then she took a deep breath and added,
"Head of the Tang Sect."
Both men were visibly stunned by this declaration. Gu Lin quickly masked his surprise, but Tang Ya continued calmly,
"He is my escort. We're heading to the Sun Moon Empire on internal sect business."
Seeing the soldiers around her react with blank stares at the name "Tang Sect," Tang Ya smiled bitterly to herself.
Has the once-famous Tang Sect fallen so far that even soldiers no longer recognize its name?
Her expression hardened.
The Tang Sect has never wronged the Three Nations. It was the Three Nations who abandoned the Tang Sect.
Dai Hao tamped down his surprise and said,
"I'll need proof."
Tang Ya reached into her bag and took out the Tang Sect's command token. One side bore an ancient character for "Tang," the other side was engraved with intricate Blue Silver Grass patterns.
A single token bearing a heavy legacy.
"Still not enough," Dai Hao said.
A token could be forged. It wasn't enough to prove her identity.
Tang Ya took a step forward, opened her palm, and a sprig of Blue Silver Grass slowly bloomed from her hand. At the same time, three soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple—glowed around her.
"How about this?" she asked softly. "Is this enough, Duke White Tiger?"
Blue Silver Grass was universally seen as a useless martial soul. Since the fall of Spirit Hall ten thousand years ago, no sect besides the Tang Sect had bothered to cultivate Soul Masters with it.
In fact, it was likely that no one else on the entire continent even possessed Blue Silver Grass anymore—let alone with such perfect ring configuration.
The presence of such high-quality soul rings on such a weak martial soul, combined with the token, was proof enough of Tang Ya's identity.
Dai Hao handed the token back, a puzzled expression in his eyes.
"Tang Sect Master... I thought the Tang Sect…"
"Was destroyed three years ago," Tang Ya interrupted, her voice low. She clenched the token tightly.
"I've been staying at Shrek Academy ever since."
"Then why didn't Shrek Academy help you rebuild the Tang Sect?" Dai Hao asked, frowning. "I haven't heard a word of this."
Even though the Tang Sect had declined, it still had deep ties to the Dai family. Dai Hao had heard about its fall years ago, but being tied up with military matters, he hadn't followed up.
But had Shrek Academy truly done nothing?
Tang Ya let out a cold laugh.
"Even the Heavenly Soul Empire—which the Tang Sect once helped found—stood by as we were driven from Heaven Dou City. Do you think Shrek Academy was any different? They treated us like we didn't exist. Is that really so surprising?"
Dai Hao fell silent.
Tang Ya asked again, her tone sharp:
"So, Duke White Tiger—can we pass now?"
She emphasized the title heavily.
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