Displeasure Takes Root, Xue Nianbing's Test

Huo Yuhao's childhood experiences had left flaws in his character, making him exceptionally sensitive in this regard.

Noticing that something was wrong with Huo Yuhao's mood, Tang Ya hurriedly said, "Yu Hao, I admit that I did have selfish motives when I learned that you possessed the Spirit Eyes Martial Soul."

"But Beibei and I aren't treating you this way because you have the Spirit Eyes Martial Soul. It's because you joined the Tang Sect and became one of us."

"Xiao Ya is right."

Beibei nodded and stepped forward to comfort Huo Yuhao. "Yu Hao, we were wrong to hide the matter of the Body Sect from you, but we absolutely never intended to use you."

"I truly regard you as a Tang Sect disciple, as my junior brother."

"..."

Huo Yuhao fell silent.

What Tang Ya and Beibei said made sense.

Before they had learned that he possessed the Spirit Eyes Martial Soul, they had already planned to help him hunt Soul Beasts and obtain a suitable Soul Ring.

So they had not used him. He had simply overthought things...

Seeing Huo Yuhao's silent expression, Beibei and Tang Ya could not help but panic inwardly.

After hesitating for a moment, Beibei sighed. "Yu Hao, if you want to leave the Tang Sect, then leave. But you must return the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record."

"What!"

Tang Ya cried out in alarm and immediately grew anxious. "How can that be? Yu Hao has already joined the Tang Sect!"

She truly liked Huo Yuhao. Not only was he an excellent cook, but he was also obedient.

Besides, the Tang Sect had finally gained a new member.

Watching this scene, Huo Yuhao did not know what he was thinking. After a long silence, he looked up and smiled. "Senior Brother, Teacher Xiao Ya, you're overthinking it."

"Since I have already joined the Tang Sect, I will not commit betrayal."

"Although the Body Sect suits me, the Tang Sect is no weaker than the Body Sect. After all, our Tang Sect has produced a god."

"I still want to revive the Tang Sect together with Senior Brother and Teacher Xiao Ya."

His words fell.

"Yu Hao..."

"Junior Brother..."

Tang Ya's and Beibei's eyes trembled slightly, their hearts filled with deep emotion.

At this moment, had the knot between the three of them been untied?

Perhaps it would have been for an ordinary person, but for Huo Yuhao... that was hard to say.

Meanwhile, the culprit behind all this was quietly watching from the side.

"Why do I feel like I'm the bad guy?"

Xue Nianbing muttered, then quickly came to his senses and thought to himself, I actually got sentimental. Looks like my conscience hasn't been worn away enough yet.

Bad person? Good person?

Those were all relative. How could anything be so absolute?

Even the lofty God King Tang was not purely evil, nor was he truly good in the strictest sense.

Xue Nianbing quickly composed himself, stepped forward, and struck while the iron was hot. "The Tang Sect? Are you referring to the Tang Sect founded by Tang San?"

His voice brought the three back to their senses.

When Beibei and Tang Ya saw Xue Nianbing, they both felt somewhat displeased, evidently because of what had just happened.

Huo Yuhao, on the other hand, did not feel much. If anything, he was a little grateful.

If not for Xue Nianbing, he would still have been kept in the dark.

"Hmph."

Tang Ya snorted inwardly, somewhat angry.

Although Beibei was fairly mild-tempered, there was noticeably less warmth on his face as he explained, "Yes, it is the sect founded by the Sea God Ancestor—the Tang Sect."

"Yu Hao and I are both Tang Sect disciples. Xiao Ya is the Tang Sect Leader. As you can see, her Martial Soul is the same as the Sea God Ancestor's from Ten Thousand Years ago: Blue Silver Grass."

Xue Nianbing: "..."

God King Tang, it had to be you.

It had to be said, most of the reason for the Tang Sect's decline was your own doing.

Leaving behind a castrated version of the Hundred Forms of Hidden Weapons was one thing, but you did not even properly explain your own Martial Soul.

This directly led the Tang Sect's descendants to believe that Blue Silver Grass was equivalent to divinity, causing them to fanatically cultivate Blue Silver Grass Martial Souls.

But a Waste Martial Soul was still a Waste Martial Soul.

For the Tang Sect to waste resources cultivating Waste Martial Souls was no different from digging its own grave.

"Forgive me for speaking bluntly, but was Tang San's Martial Soul truly only Blue Silver Grass?" Xue Nianbing asked.

Tang Ya's heart skipped a beat.

It was said that the Sea God Ancestor's Martial Soul back then had indeed not been ordinary Blue Silver Grass, but rather the Blue Silver Emperor, which possessed a higher Bloodline Level.

But that was only speculation. Ten Thousand Years had passed, and there was no way to verify it.

For Ten Thousand Years, the more widely circulated claim within the Tang Sect had been this: Ancestor Tang San had become a god through his Unbending Will, despite possessing the Waste Martial Soul Blue Silver Grass. Such spirit was worthy of emulation.

Thus, every generation of Tang Sect Leaders possessed Blue Silver Grass, hoping to cultivate another god.

Even though they all failed, few ever questioned it. Instead, they felt that they had simply not worked hard enough, that their will was not firm enough.

"Do you look down on Blue Silver Grass?" Tang Ya asked, a hint of displeasure in her voice.

"I do."

Xue Nianbing answered frankly.

"There are no useless Martial Souls, only useless Soul Masters!" Tang Ya declared firmly.

Hearing this, Xue Nianbing sneered. "That statement itself is wrong. It should be, 'Because there are useless Martial Souls, there are useless Soul Masters.'"

"You!"

Tang Ya was somewhat angered, clearly unable to outargue Xue Nianbing.

Seeing Tang Ya angry, Beibei's expression immediately darkened, and his voice turned slightly cold. "Brother Xue, you've gone too far."

"Am I wrong?"

"Tang San was never ordinary Blue Silver Grass to begin with. Yet he did not explain it clearly, leading later generations to believe that Blue Silver Grass had the potential to become divine. They then cultivated it vigorously, wasting countless resources."

"To put it harshly, the Tang Sect's decline was Tang San's own doing. He has no one else to blame."

Xue Nianbing spoke calmly.

There was not the slightest respect for Tang San in his words.

This could not help but leave Beibei and Tang Ya visibly shocked.

Huo Yuhao was the same.

He had always listened to his mother's stories of the Tang Sect, Sea God Tang San, and the First Generation Shrek Seven Devils. He held great admiration and respect for them.

But after hearing Xue Nianbing put it this way, he suddenly felt that the "perfect" god praised by later generations did not seem so perfect after all.

"Brother Xue, please watch your words."

"The Tang Sect was founded by Ancestor Tang San. Even Shrek Academy was established because of Ancestor Tang San. We should respect him."

Beibei spoke seriously.

Hearing this, Xue Nianbing did not answer immediately.

Because he had thought of something else.

"I've said all this, yet the heavens still haven't reacted at all. The sky is even still cloudless for thousands of miles. Could it be... that dream was real?" Xue Nianbing was secretly alarmed.

From bringing up the Body Sect, to discussing the Tang Sect, and finally mocking Tang San.

He had done it all for one purpose: to test him!

With Tang San's scheming nature, how could he allow someone to discuss the great sect in his heart like this?

Xue Nianbing relied on the fact that his destiny was greater than Huo Yuhao's, so he acted without fear.

But no matter how fearless he was, Tang San could not possibly have no reaction at all. At the very least, he should have sent down some Heavenly Punishment or other "minor punishment," right?

There had been no response all along. There were only three possibilities.

First, Tang San was not watching this place for the time being.

Second, Tang San had heard it, but simply did not react.

Third, that dream was real, and the God Realm had truly been sealed.

The first possibility was unlikely. The Child of Destiny had already begun coming into contact with his "Golden Finger," so Tang San could not possibly fail to keep watch at all times.

The second possibility was even less likely. Tang San's character was nothing like that of a "magnanimous" person.