Add This, Is It Enough?

Tang Ya set out with Gu Lin on a journey to the Sun Moon Empire.

Although the Soul Hall was an illegal organization in the Original Douluo Continent Three Kingdoms, and the Star Luo Empire had even begun purging Soul Hall branches within its borders, Gu Lin still swaggered toward Yu Ming Pass with Tang Ya.

Yu Ming Pass was the Star Luo Empire's sole official passage to the Sun Moon Empire. Unlike the Sun Moon Empire's relaxed arrangements, the Star Luo Empire had built a city here and stationed a highly formidable army, personally commanded by the White Tiger Duke, Dai Hao.

Moreover, due to various factors in recent years, inspections for those entering and leaving Yu Ming Pass had become exceptionally strict. Anyone displaying the slightest suspiciousness would be seized by the local guards.

The walls of Yu Ming Pass were fitted with the most advanced Defensive Soul Tools currently available in the Star Luo Empire.

But in Gu Lin's eyes, such antiques would not even be wanted by students at the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.

The soldiers at the checkpoint were checking the identities of passing travelers. Tang Ya's identity posed no issue. As a member of the Soul Hall, Gu Lin operated under the Soul Hall codename "Gu Lin." Even if the Star Luo Empire possessed a list of Soul Hall members, all they would see were false names.

Just as the two were preparing to leave the pass, the White Tiger Duke, Dai Hao, arrived at the checkpoint with a patrol squad.

He had just received word today that, as the Star Luo Empire was carrying out its purge of the Soul Hall, it had decided to tighten the blockade along the border with the Sun Moon Empire. Thus, he had come here specifically to inspect the area.

Upon seeing Dai Hao, Gu Lin's brows furrowed. Yet he suppressed the turmoil in his heart and calmly led Tang Ya toward the outside of the pass.

With a single glance, Dai Hao could tell that Gu Lin was a Soul Master of no weak cultivation. Under normal circumstances, if he saw a powerful Soul Master passing through Yu Ming Pass toward the Sun Moon Empire, he might only pay a little extra attention.

But the current situation was different. Some of those Soul Masters heading to the Sun Moon Empire might well be members of the Soul Hall. Thus, Dai Hao called out to them, "Wait!"

The soldiers behind him swiftly stepped forward as well, clearing away the nearby pedestrians and travelers before surrounding Gu Lin and Tang Ya.

Hearing Dai Hao's shout, Tang Ya could not help but grow tense. Gu Lin remained composed. He turned to Dai Hao and asked with a smile, "May I ask why this lord has stopped us?"

"What is your name?" Dai Hao approached, staring at Gu Lin as he asked.

Gu Lin gave his real name. Dai Hao nodded slightly, then asked, "What are you going to the Sun Moon Empire for?"

Gu Lin smiled. "Some private business. It would not be convenient to discuss it."

Dai Hao continued, "I am Dai Hao, the White Tiger Duke. Before me, there is nothing inconvenient to discuss. Tell me why you are going to the Sun Moon Empire, or I have reason to suspect that you are spies of the Sun Moon Empire."

"How could that be? Duke, you must be joking!" Gu Lin kept smiling as he repeatedly shook his head.

Dai Hao watched him and said, "If my senses are not mistaken, you possess at least the cultivation of a seven-ring Soul Saint."

Under ordinary circumstances, high-level Soul Masters from the Original Douluo Continent Three Kingdoms would never go to the Sun Moon Empire. To them, there was nothing there that could attract them.

Those Soul Master lords who considered themselves noble looked down on the Sun Moon Empire's heavy investment in Soul Tools. In their view, they were nothing but heretical tricks and frivolous contrivances.

When Dai Hao directly revealed his cultivation, Gu Lin's brows creased slightly. Just as he was considering how to respond, Tang Ya stepped forward from the side and said to Dai Hao, "Greetings, Duke."

Once Tang Ya spoke, both Gu Lin's and Dai Hao's gazes fell upon her.

"And this is?" Dai Hao looked at Tang Ya in confusion. He could see that Tang Ya's cultivation was not high, so he did not regard her as highly as Gu Lin.

"I am Tang Ya."

Tang Ya told Dai Hao her name, then took a deep breath and revealed her identity as well. "Tang Sect Master."

At those words, astonishment appeared on both Gu Lin's and Dai Hao's faces. But Gu Lin quickly regained his composure, for Tang Ya said to Dai Hao, "He is my guard. Our trip to the Sun Moon Empire concerns internal sect matters."

Having revealed her identity, Tang Ya saw the bewildered expressions on the surrounding soldiers' faces upon hearing the Tang Sect's name, and inwardly let out a bitter laugh. Was the once-glorious Tang Sect now so forgotten that few had even heard of it?

Her gaze gradually hardened. The Tang Sect had never wronged the Original Douluo Continent Three Kingdoms. It was the Original Douluo Continent Three Kingdoms that had wronged the Tang Sect!

Dai Hao suppressed his shock and stared at Tang Ya. "I need proof."

Tang Ya took out the token of the Tang Sect Master from her pack. An ancient character for "Tang" was engraved on the front, while intricate Blue Silver Grass patterns covered the back.

A single token bore the weight of a rich history.

Dai Hao said, "It is not enough."

It was only a token. It would not be difficult to forge, and it could not prove that Tang Ya was telling the truth.

Hearing this, Tang Ya spread her hand. A stalk of Blue Silver Grass slowly grew from her palm, stretching out its body as three Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, purple—pulsed around her.

"With this added, is it enough, White Tiger Duke?" Tang Ya softly asked as she looked at the Blue Silver Grass unfurling in her palm.

The Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul was a typical useless Martial Soul. In the ten thousand years since Spirit Hall's fall, no sect or organization other than the Tang Sect had bothered to cultivate Soul Masters with Blue Silver Grass Martial Souls.

Furthermore, many people on the Douluo Continent had yet to awaken their Martial Souls. Aside from Tang Ya, there might not even be a second Soul Master with a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul anywhere on the entire continent.

A Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, yet possessing Soul Rings with the optimal configuration; training a useless Martial Soul to such a level, together with that token, was enough to prove Tang Ya's identity.

Dai Hao returned the token to Tang Ya. Confusion showed in his gaze as he looked at her. "Tang Sect Master, I remember that the Tang Sect..."

"The Tang Sect was destroyed three years ago!" Tang Ya's voice sank. Clenching the token that represented the Tang Sect Master tightly in her hand, she said, "For the past few years, I have been at Shrek Academy."

"In that case, did Shrek Academy not help the Tang Sect rebuild? Why has there not been a single word of it?" Dai Hao asked with a frown.

No matter how far the Tang Sect had fallen, it had once shared deep ties with the Dai Family. Dai Hao had heard of this matter years ago, but military affairs had kept him tied down, and in the end, he could only let it go.

After so much time had passed, had Shrek Academy truly not helped the Tang Sect at all?

Tang Ya gave a cold laugh. "Even the Heaven Dou Empire, which was once supported into existence by my Tang Sect, could stand by and watch the Tang Sect be driven out of Heaven Dou City. Is it so strange that Shrek Academy treated the Tang Sect with indifference?"

Dai Hao fell silent.

Tang Ya continued, "White Tiger Duke, may we leave now?"

She placed particular emphasis on the words "White Tiger."