"Tang Sect Secret Arts? Never heard of them. By the way, I forgot to ask—what kind of sect is the Tang Sect?"
Huo Yuhao asked with a puzzled look.
Beibei said, "It's normal that you haven't heard of the Tang Sect."
"After all, the Tang Sect has already fallen into decline."
The history of Douluo Continent did contain records of the Tang Sect, but the passage of time and the sharp decline in the sect's strength had left very few records behind.
Tang Ya was no stranger to strong emotions. The moment she heard the words "fallen into decline," her eyes turned red, and she said pitifully, "The Tang Sect is gone. Our legacy was stolen, and now all that's left of the Tang Sect is Beibei and me..."
"I'm the current sect master of the Tang Sect, and Beibei is my first disciple."
Huo Yuhao was overjoyed. "The Tang Sect is in decline? That's wonderful!"
Tang Ya: "?"
Beibei: "?"
Now it was their turn to fall silent.
Huo Yuhao usually didn't hold grudges. If someone wronged him, he got even on the spot.
Huo Yuhao said with a hint of apology, "Sorry, I didn't mean it that way. I'm just happy that I'll get to join the team working to restore the Tang Sect."
Come to think of it, the Tang Sect's decline was all Tang San's fault.
If he hadn't failed to tell the Tang Sect that his Martial Soul was the Blue Silver Emperor—and that he had Innate Full Soul Power—
then why would generation after generation of Tang Sect masters have played around with Blue Silver Grass?
And if generation after generation of Tang Sect masters hadn't played around with Blue Silver Grass, how could the Tang Sect have fallen so quickly?
Who knew what had made those masters act like fools, stubbornly sticking with Blue Silver Grass.
Then there was what Tang San had left behind. Whether it was cultivation methods or Hidden Weapons, all of it had been cut down to a watered-down, youth-edition version.
Their power was pitifully weak!
Besides, times had changed, yet the Tang Sect still stubbornly clung to Hidden Weapons. If the Tang Sect didn't decline, who would?
And the Hidden Weapons they used were the old-fashioned kind!
Still, there was no denying that the Tang Sect had been truly wealthy in its early days!
It had poured money into nurturing Blue Silver Grass for thousands of years and somehow lasted that long. It was practically a miracle.
The former number-one sect on the continent, and deservedly so!
"So that's how it is." Beibei nodded and patted Tang Ya on the head.
"You know the situation now. It's just Xiaoya and me in the Tang Sect, but we'll work hard to restore its former glory!"
"If you're still willing, then you're welcome to join the Tang Sect."
"And I wasn't lying about the cultivation method. The Tang Sect really does have one that suits you."
"It'll help you a great deal!"
Huo Yuhao said, "I can join, but I'll pass on the Tang Sect's cultivation method."
Tang Ya had no choice but to continue. "All right. After joining the Tang Sect, you'll need to keep raising your level. When the Tang Sect needs you, you'll have to do your part."
"But you really don't want the cultivation method?"
"That's a cultivation method from our Tang Sect!"
"Even though our Tang Sect has fallen on hard times, this is a cultivation method left behind from our glory days!"
"Are you sure you don't want it?" Tang Ya asked, bewildered.
Huo Yuhao spread his hands. "What would I do with a cultivation method?"
"If this method were really any good, how could the Tang Sect have fallen so far?"
"I'm just being blunt. I'm not deliberately slandering the Tang Sect."
Beibei wanted to say something, but couldn't think of what to say. In the end, he said, "You have a point. If you don't want it, then forget it."
"Our Tang Sect was once the number-one sect on Douluo Continent, so we have a special privilege."
"You know about Shrek Academy, right?"
Huo Yuhao said, "I do."
"Shrek Academy's admission standards are very high, but the Tang Sect has one exemption—a special admission slot. Xiaoya and I have already joined Shrek Academy, and one slot happens to be available this year. If you're willing to join the Tang Sect, you can have it."
After saying this, Beibei looked at Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao froze for a moment.
Why did they stop there?
Weren't they going to say that once you joined the Tang Sect, you'd be a Tang Sect person in life and a Tang Sect ghost in death?
It took him a while to come back to his senses.
"Oh, oh, all right." Huo Yuhao had more or less guessed why.
It was because he hadn't wanted the Tang Sect's cultivation method.
But it didn't matter. Wasn't the most valuable thing the Tang Sect had its admission slot at Shrek Academy?
What use was all the other stuff?
Besides, the Selector had given him the True Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record!
Wasn't that better than the watered-down version of the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record?
He really didn't know why the Huo Yuhao in the original story had joined the Tang Sect without hesitation after hearing those terms.
Beibei had even tried to talk him into it, as he recalled.
A smile tugged at Beibei's lips. "Good! From today on, you're a member of the Tang Sect!"
[ Ding! Congratulations, host, on completing Option One. Reward (True Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record!) has been issued.]
[Storage Space: Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring x1, True Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record x1]
Hearing the system's icy notification, Huo Yuhao felt as if he'd just heard the most beautiful sound in the world.
Finally, finally, it had dropped!
"Sect Master, could I ask you for a favor?" Huo Yuhao said to Tang Ya.
"Go ahead." Tang Ya was delighted.
Without hesitation, Huo Yuhao said, "I'd like to ask you to invite me to join the Tang Sect again."
"Yuhao, what do you mean?" Tang Ya asked, confused.
She couldn't figure out what he was playing at.
Huo Yuhao grinned. "Just play along with me, okay? Don't worry, I've already joined the Tang Sect, haven't I?"
"All right. I'll do it." Tang Ya nodded. "Are you ready?"
"Ready. Let's start." Huo Yuhao nodded lightly.
Tang Ya said seriously, "Huo Yuhao, I'm inviting you to join our Tang Sect!"
Huo Yuhao replied earnestly, "Sorry, I'll have to decline."
"I'm not joining the Tang Sect. I'm going to enroll at Shrek Academy."
"?" Tang Ya's face was full of question marks.
"?" Beibei's face was full of question marks too.
Huo Yuhao's antics had left them both completely bewildered.
"Didn't I say we were acting? You two actually took it seriously?" Huo Yuhao burst out laughing.
"Come on, let's go to Shrek City!"
"I've never seen the scenery there before!"
As he spoke, Huo Yuhao took Tang Ya by the hand and started to leave.
Beibei was speechless. "You're going the wrong way!"
"?" Tang Ya was about to lose it.
Was that really what you should be concerned about?
Shouldn't you be wondering why he's walking off with me by the hand?
But Tang Ya didn't say anything, and the three of them returned to the riverside where they'd been earlier.
"Teacher Xiaoya."
Only then did Beibei belatedly notice that Tang Ya had taken Huo Yuhao's hand instead.
At Beibei's words, Tang Ya reluctantly let go of Huo Yuhao's hand.
She looked at Huo Yuhao with a beaming smile. From the look of it, she was very pleased with him.
Of course, she would never admit that she'd originally wanted Huo Yuhao to join the Tang Sect just so she could eat his grilled fish.
And it wasn't her fault. Huo Yuhao's grilled fish was simply too delicious.
Before you continue