Save the Tang Sect? No, no, no, I, Cao Longyan, have my sights set on the sect's foundation

After saying goodbye to Zhang Lexuan and Jiang Nannan, Cao Longyan realized it was getting late. He decided to rest in Heaven Dou City for the night, prepare the necessary supplies for the return trip, and set off for Shrek first thing tomorrow morning.

"The largest supply shop in Heaven Dou City is just ahead. Little Brother Longyan, let's go in and take a look. If there's anything you want, just take it—your Sister Lexuan will cover everything."

Zhang Lexuan pointed toward a grand pavilion ahead. The three large characters "Spirit Gathering Pavilion" shimmered brilliantly on the building, and a constant stream of pedestrians bustled by.

"Thank you, Sister Lexuan. In that case, I won't stand on ceremony!"

Cao Longyan nodded slightly with a smile and followed Zhang Lexuan into the shop. Just as they stepped inside, before any clerk could come forward to greet them, a deafening explosion erupted from the street outside. The shop's doors and windows hummed from the vibration, and the air was instantly filled with the scent of gunpowder and the clash of soul power.

"Oh no, something happened outside! But how could Heaven Dou City be under attack?"

Zhang Lexuan's expression tightened. Her figure flashed as she rushed out of the shop, with Cao Longyan following closely behind.

Firelight splashed repeatedly from within the high walls before them, accompanied by a cacophony of clashing sounds and waves of battle cries.

As their eyes swept across the scene, they saw figures dressed in black pouring into the compound through the main gate. On the chests of their garments were two bold, vigorous black characters.

Iron Blood!

The two shifted their gaze from the crowd toward the gate, where they saw a plaque bearing two characters they were intimately familiar with.

Tang Sect!

Cao Longyan realized in that moment: this was the very night the tragedy of Tang Ya's life began.

The Tang Sect was in decline, and her family of three was being ambushed by the Iron Blood Sect. Her parents died tragically before her eyes while trying to protect her. Although she managed to escape, the seeds of hatred were sown in her heart, leading her to change temperament, step toward the extreme, and eventually fall into becoming an evil soul master...

"It's the Tang Sect and the Iron Blood Sect!"

Zhang Lexuan frowned, her tone heavy with gravity.

"Why is the Iron Blood Sect attacking the Tang Sect? What are the guards of Heaven Dou City doing?"

"Little Brother Longyan, Elder Mu once said that the Tang Sect and Shrek have a deep connection. As Shrek disciples, how can we sit idly by while the Tang Sect is in trouble?"

He nodded slightly, his face showing a solemn expression, though he was calculating something else entirely in his heart.

Save the Tang Sect? He had never entertained such a thought.

Though the Tang Sect had fallen, a camel that dies is still bigger than a horse; its century-old heritage remained. Whether in terms of cultivation techniques or resources, it was the perfect foundation for him to build his own power.

Moreover, the Tang Sect, which Tang San had spent his life's blood to build, was at its most vulnerable right now. This was the best opportunity to end Tang San's brainwashing and dismantle the sect. However, Tang Ya's family was innocent; he had to save them from Tang San's clutches. Perhaps in the future, they could become his assets in dealing with Tang Wutong and Huo Yuhao on the Douluo Continent.

This was his best chance!

"Understood, Sister Lexuan!"

Cao Longyan shouted in agreement. His figure flashed in unison with Zhang Lexuan's, and like two streaks of light, they landed in the plaza inside the walls, forcibly separating the two sides.

Before the Iron Blood Sect disciples could react, Cao Longyan stirred his mind, and two massive auras of baleful energy erupted instantly. His two guardian spirits, Xu Chu and Dian Wei, appeared out of thin air. Their figures were towering, exuding a fierce, death-defying aura. The crimson baleful energy shrouded the entire area, causing every soul master present to shudder.

At the same time, Zhang Lexuan's soul power surged, and six soul rings rose from beneath her feet in an instant. The majestic aura of a six-ringed Soul Emperor—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black—exploded outward, sweeping across the area like a tidal wave.

The Iron Blood Sect disciples, who had been fiercely besieging Tang Ya's family, were stunned by this sudden, overwhelming pressure. They stopped in their tracks, their weapons nearly slipping from their hands. Their faces were filled with terror and awe; no one dared to make another move.

"Who is it? Who dares to interfere in the affairs of the Iron Blood Sect!"

An arrogant voice rang out. The crowd parted, and a burly, thick-necked middle-aged man stepped out. It was the Iron Blood Sect Master, Tie Li. He was surrounded by the aura of a four-ringed Soul Ancestor, with four soul rings—white, yellow, yellow, yellow—gradually emerging beneath his feet. While not top-tier, it was enough to run rampant in Heaven Dou City.

But when he saw the two guardian spirits, Xu Chu and Dian Wei, whose strength was comparable to his own, and the perfectly matched six soul rings at Zhang Lexuan's feet, his arrogant tone vanished instantly. A fawning smile replaced it, and he hurried forward, bowing to Cao Longyan and Zhang Lexuan.

The speed of his face-changing was like lightning; truly a "great man" who knows how to bend and stretch...

"I didn't know the two lords were here. My apologies, my deepest apologies!"

Beside Tie Li followed a youth with a similar build—his son, Tie Tang. He had been arrogant before, but now he shrank his neck, not daring to look up.

On the Tang Sect side, a man covered in wounds with blood spilling from his lips slowly emerged from the surrounded crowd. He was the current Sect Master of the Tang Sect, Tang Tian, who was shielding a girl and a woman tightly behind him.

The girl was Tang Ya, and the woman was her mother, Lan Bing.

Tang Ya wore a pale blue dress; she was uninjured, and her clothes were free of dust. Her eyes were stubborn, and tear tracks still stained her cheeks.

It was clear they had protected her well.

Lan Bing's face was pale, her breath weak, and she had also suffered significant injuries.

Tang Tian was covered in wounds and on the verge of collapse, yet he kept his back straight. The look he cast toward Cao Longyan and Zhang Lexuan was filled with confusion and vigilance.

Cao Longyan recognized them immediately. This was indeed Tang Ya's family.

No wonder the Tang Ya in the original story hated the Iron Blood Sect so much...

Zhang Lexuan couldn't be bothered to waste words with Tie Li. She pulled her Shrek core disciple identity token from her robes. The token was pure white, and the three characters "Shrek" shimmered brilliantly, emitting a faint pressure.

"Open your eyes and look clearly. We are Shrek disciples. The Iron Blood Sect is besieging the Tang Sect—do you think Shrek doesn't exist?"

"Shrek?!"

Tie Li's face changed instantly. His body trembled slightly, his eyes filled with terror and resentment.

He hadn't expected that after bullying the Tang Sect for so long without seeing a shadow of Shrek, he would assume Shrek had already abandoned them...

At the same time, he weighed the pros and cons. As the strongest combatant of the Iron Blood Sect, he was merely an ordinary four-ringed Soul Ancestor, while Zhang Lexuan was a six-ringed Soul Emperor. The disparity in strength was vast; a head-on collision would be no different from seeking his own death.

Moreover, the name of Shrek resonated throughout the entire Douluo Continent. Let alone a small Iron Blood Sect, even the royal family of the Heaven Dou Empire would not dare to easily offend Shrek.

Tie Li clenched his fists so hard his nails dug into his palms, his heart filled with unwillingness.

Just one more step, only this final step! He could have completely swallowed the Tang Sect, usurped the nest, and become the number one sect in Heaven Dou City! Yet, why did he have to run into people from Shrek...

But he had no choice; he could only suppress the ferocity in his heart and bow once more to Cao Longyan and Zhang Lexuan, his tone respectful yet laced with unwillingness.

"Yes, yes, yes, this lowly one failed to recognize a titan and shouldn't have offended the Tang Sect. We're leaving now, leaving right now!"

Having said that, Tie Li glared fiercely at Tang Tian, cast a greedy look at the Tang Sect's main hall, and shouted at the Iron Blood Sect disciples.

"Withdraw!"

The group of Iron Blood Sect disciples, as if granted amnesty, hurriedly helped their fallen companions up and fled the street in a sorry state. Before leaving, Tie Tang did not forget to look back and glare at Tang Ya's family, his eyes filled with malice.