In the months following Tang Ya's arrival in Mingdu, Huo Yuhao frequently visited her whenever he had time. He still cherished the elder sister figure who had once helped him when he first entered the Star Dou Forest.
With Huo Yuhao's presence, Tang Ya quickly shed her initial unease and settled into her life in Mingdu.
Following Jiang Shengyu's instructions, Elder Hong ordered the Soul Hall's various Elders to carefully select potential disciples from within both the Sun Moon Empire and the former Douluo Continent's three nations. Those chosen were then brought to Mingdu for Tang Ya to review.
At the Soul Hall headquarters, within the newly established Tang Sect office, Tang Ya stared in surprise at the dozens of youths standing behind Elder Hong.
"Sect Master Tang," Elder Hong said, gesturing toward the young men and women, "these are the potential disciples I've selected for your sect per the Hall Master's orders. Please review them. If you find any suitable, feel free to take them in."
Most of them were from the Sun Moon Empire. It had proven more difficult to bring in people from the Douluo Continent's three nations. These children had just recently awakened their martial souls, and Elder Hong had brought them here immediately.
As soon as he finished speaking, the group stepped forward and respectfully saluted Tang Ya. "Greetings, Sect Master!"
Hearing so many voices address her as "Sect Master," Tang Ya was momentarily dazed. For as long as she could remember, the Tang Sect had only consisted of herself and her parents. She had never known what it was like to have a flourishing sect.
And yet here she was—only days after arriving in the Sun Moon Empire—being addressed by a crowd as the head of the Tang Sect.
Suppressing her emotions, Tang Ya cautiously asked,
"Senior, may I… accept them all?"
She knew better than anyone that, given the Tang Sect's current state, she had no real right to choose disciples. Just having people willing to join was already a blessing. And considering they had been personally selected by the Soul Hall, she trusted that they all had talent.
"Of course you may," Elder Hong nodded. Knowing Jiang Shengyu's plan, he was more than happy to see Tang Ya take them all in. Every one of these youths had been carefully vetted—they were talented and loyal.
At Elder Hong's gesture, the new recruits began introducing themselves one by one.
He then turned to them and said,
"From this day forth, you are disciples of the Tang Sect! When orders come, you will follow your Sect Master without question!"
"Yes!" they all responded in unison.
Elder Hong looked back at Tang Ya and added,
"One more thing—per the Hall Master's arrangements, a site has already been selected within Mingdu to serve as the new Tang Sect headquarters. I trust that Sect Master Tang will soon reestablish the sect's structure and let its millennium-old legacy shine once more."
"Thank you, Senior! And please, thank Young Master Jiang on my behalf as well," Tang Ya said gratefully, barely able to contain her emotion.
"I won't keep you further. Farewell," Elder Hong replied with a small nod before departing.
Tang Ya took a deep breath and looked at her new disciples, then began to teach them about the Tang Sect's history and its unique practices.
Months passed, and the first group of disciples gradually settled in. Tang Ya began to instruct them in the Tang Sect's secret techniques. Meanwhile, Jiang Shengyu secured a plot of land in Mingdu for building the new Tang Sect headquarters.
One day, Kong Deming paid a visit to Jiang Shengyu, who was busy researching the connection between his martial soul and spirit rings.
"Teacher, you were looking for me?" Jiang Shengyu looked up in surprise. "Aren't you usually busy?"
"The Emperor wants to see you," Kong Deming said bluntly.
"…Huh?" Jiang Shengyu blinked.
"Come with me," Kong Deming said, gesturing him along as they headed toward the imperial palace.
Jiang Shengyu had met the Sun Moon Empire's emperor once before, when he had first become Kong Deming's disciple. After that, he rarely visited the palace.
Inside the grand hall, the aging emperor sat upon his dragon throne, flanked by attendants and courtiers. Kong Deming and Jiang Shengyu stood respectfully below.
The emperor coughed a few times and said,
"I heard you brought the Tang Sect's Sect Master from the Douluo Continent to Mingdu and even helped her reestablish the sect here?"
Jiang Shengyu nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty."
The emperor's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. He laughed heartily and said,
"Excellent! Wonderful! If even a sect like the Tang Sect is willing to make a home in my Sun Moon Empire, doesn't that prove that we are the ones truly favored by the heavens?"
He laughed again, and the surrounding ministers, along with Crown Prince Xu Tianran, echoed the sentiment with polite chuckles. Xu Tianran added a flattering remark:
"Congratulations, Father! At this rate, it won't be long before the three nations of the Douluo Continent fall entirely under our empire's rule!"
But the emperor waved a hand and replied,
"Don't be reckless! The Douluo nations still have deep foundations, and Shrek Academy stands as the continent's most powerful institution. Unless we are completely prepared, we must not act rashly. Peace is preferable."
This reflected the consensus among much of the Sun Moon Empire's nobility.
After losing the war thousands of years ago, the empire had gone through a period of military buildup. But now, much of that resolve had faded, replaced by complacency. Many nobles were content to let the situation remain as it was—after all, their technological advantage with soul tools was overwhelming and hard to match.
Xu Tianran's gaze darkened for a moment, but he quickly concealed it. "You're right, Father. I understand."
The emperor awarded Jiang Shengyu with some rare treasures, then left the hall with the help of his attendants. As he departed, Kong Deming and Jiang Shengyu also prepared to take their leave.
But before they could exit the palace, Xu Tianran called out to them.
"Lord Silvermoon, may I have a word with Shengyu in private?" Xu Tianran asked respectfully.
Kong Deming eyed the crown prince carefully. He knew what Xu Tianran was likely thinking and didn't want Jiang Shengyu getting dragged into any political struggle within the royal family.
"Your Highness," Kong Deming said calmly, "did the emperor instruct you to speak with Shengyu?"
Xu Tianran chuckled lightly. "No, Father is resting. I just wanted to chat. There's no need to trouble him."
But Kong Deming's expression remained stern. "You should know the rules, Your Highness. Members of the Worship Hall must not form personal ties with any royal prince. That's law."
Despite being the empire's crown prince, Xu Tianran was still a junior in Kong Deming's eyes.
Clenching his fists behind his sleeves, Xu Tianran's expression twisted briefly—but he quickly forced himself to smile again.
"If that's all, Your Highness, we'll be taking our leave," Kong Deming said. He turned and walked away with Jiang Shengyu in tow.
Behind them, Xu Tianran watched in silence, his expression growing colder by the second.