With the crisis over, Tang Tian's tense body suddenly sagged. He gritted his teeth through his injuries, took Lan Bing and Tang Ya by the hand, and bowed deeply to Cao Longyan and Zhang Lexuan, his voice hoarse but sincere.
"Thank you both for saving us. We'll never forget this great kindness!"
Lan Bing hurriedly nodded as well, her eyes full of gratitude.
Tang Ya, however, said nothing. She simply stared fixedly at Cao Longyan with wide eyes, a hint of curiosity and wonder in her gaze.
The red-haired boy looked even younger than she was, yet his displayed strength surpassed hers. The two giants he had summoned were formidable too, their presence awe-inspiring.
But then she remembered that they were Shrek students. In the past, Shrek had always stood by while the declining Tang Sect was in danger, letting other factions bully them. Anger flared in her eyes, and she glared at Cao Longyan and Zhang Lexuan, her face full of resentment and hostility.
The atmosphere instantly grew awkward. Tang Tian noticed his daughter's reaction and hurriedly tugged at Tang Ya's sleeve, scolding her in a low voice.
"Xiao Ya, don't be rude! They saved our lives! And they're from Shrek!"
Tang Ya bit her lip and fixed her gaze on the Shrek token in Zhang Lexuan's hand. In the end, she said nothing, but the hostility on her face remained.
To everyone's surprise, Cao Longyan's expression stayed cold. He raised a hand and cut off their thanks, dispensing with all pleasantries. His words were sharp as blades, stabbing straight into their hearts.
"You don't need to thank us. This is what Shrek students are supposed to do. But I have a question for you... Is the Tang Sect really worth risking your lives to protect?"
The question exploded beside their ears like thunder. The gratitude on Tang Tian and his wife's faces froze, their smiles stiffened, and confusion filled their eyes. For a moment, they didn't know how to answer.
They had spent their whole lives holding fast to the Tang Sect and protecting its legacy. They had never considered this question...
Had all that devotion really been worth it?
Looking at the declining Tang Sect before them, their injured family, and their enemies watching hungrily, they fell silent. For the first time, doubt took root in their hearts.
"Of course it's worth it!"
A clear, resolute voice rang out. Tang Ya stepped out from behind Lan Bing, her small frame standing ramrod straight, her face set in stubborn defiance and her eyes shining with fervor.
She walked right up to Cao Longyan. Half a head taller than him, she looked down at him, her gaze blazing as she defended the Tang Sect with absolute conviction. Pride shone across her face.
"The Tang Sect was founded by our ancestor, Sea God Tang San. It's the greatest sect in the world! Our ancestor possessed incredible power. He created the Tang Sect's glory a thousand years ago. Protecting the Tang Sect means protecting our ancestor's legacy and protecting hope! As long as we hold on, the Tang Sect will surely regain its former glory, and our ancestor will surely bless us!"
She spoke passionately, her words brimming with blind adoration for Tang San. It was as though he were an all-powerful savior who could lift them out of their predicament as long as they held him in reverence.
Her naïve yet stubborn devotion made Cao Longyan let out a cold laugh. He shook his head, a hint of mockery flickering in his eyes.
"Hmph. Tang San?"
Cao Longyan took a step forward, his sharp gaze fixed on Tang Ya. They stood so close that she could feel the warmth of his breath as he fired off one question after another, each striking at the heart of the matter.
"Did the Tang San you call your ancestor ever truly plan for the Tang Sect's future? Did he think about the Tang Sect a hundred years from now, a thousand years from now, or even ten thousand years from now? After becoming a god, he vanished without a trace, leaving the Tang Sect to decline step by step and its descendants to be bullied by other factions. Did he ever truly care about you, his Tang Sect descendants?"
Tang Ya's face went white. Her lips moved as if to argue, but Cao Longyan's next words left her speechless.
"Back then, Tang San said the Four Great Clans and the Clear Sky Sect would share honor and disgrace with the Tang Sect, and live or die together."
Cao Longyan's voice grew colder, every word pounding on their hearts like a heavy hammer.
"But what about now? Where are the Four Great Clans and the Clear Sky Sect? Haven't they all vanished without a trace? They watched the Tang Sect fall into desperation and never lifted a finger to help. Is this what Tang San meant by sharing honor and disgrace? Is this the hope Tang San left for the Tang Sect's descendants?"
"And you're truly naïve too. You don't even understand the relationship between Shrek and the Tang Sect, or between Shrek and Tang San, yet you irrationally resent Shrek for standing by and doing nothing. Heh..."
The barrage of questions struck at their very hearts.
Tang Ya stood frozen in place, her face as pale as paper. The fervor and defiance in her eyes slowly faded, replaced by confusion and bewilderment. Tears welled in her eyes, but she couldn't say a word.
Tang Tian and his wife bowed their heads, their silence terrifying. Their fingernails dug deep into their palms, and they didn't even notice the blood welling up.
Within them, harsh reality clashed violently against beautiful illusions...
For years, they had relied on the belief that "Ancestor Tang San will bless the Tang Sect" and "holding fast to the legacy will bring hope." But Cao Longyan's words had shattered those illusions to pieces.
Zhang Lexuan, standing to one side, was deeply moved by Cao Longyan's words and fell into thought.
She was a noble of the Heaven Dou Empire. From childhood, she had heard the elders in her family speak of the Tang Sect's rise and fall. She knew how desperate and difficult things had become for the Tang Sect, and she knew how coldly the Four Great Clans and Clear Sky Sect had turned away.
She had never blindly worshipped Tang San. To her, he was simply a legendary powerhouse. But at that moment, Cao Longyan's questions revealed a side of Tang San she had rarely heard about.
He had focused only on becoming a god and basking in supreme glory, then abandoned the Tang Sect he had founded with his own hands, along with its later generations of disciples. How selfish could he be?
Cao Longyan had never expected that the first person his words helped escape Tang San's chessboard would be Zhang Lexuan, who had nothing to do with Tang San.
Zhang Lexuan's eyes gradually grew resolute. As she looked at Cao Longyan, her gaze held more recognition and admiration.
She suddenly understood that Longyan's actions had never been a whim. He had been planning far ahead. Tang San, meanwhile, had never been an idol worth following.
Seeing everyone fall silent, Cao Longyan didn't hesitate. His voice was calm yet penetrating as he tore away the truth they all refused to face.
"You all know in your hearts that Tang San never truly cared about the Tang Sect. He founded it only so he could establish a foothold on the continent and oppose Spirit Hall. After becoming a god, he cast the Tang Sect aside. What you've been holding on to was never hope. It was a delusion Tang San spun for you—a dream you used to deceive yourselves."
Those words shattered the last of their defenses.
Tang Tian shuddered and staggered back a step, despair and anguish filling his eyes.
He... He had held fast to that belief his entire life, and it had been nothing but a delusion.
Lan Bing couldn't help covering her mouth as tears slid silently down her cheeks. Years of grievance and resentment erupted at last.
Tang Ya burst into tears. As she sobbed, she murmured, "Impossible... Our ancestor wasn't like that... It can't be... The Tang Sect I knew wasn't like that..."
Watching their faith crumble, Cao Longyan showed not the slightest pity. He remained composed, as though everything were unfolding exactly as he'd planned.
This was precisely the effect he wanted. The moment had come!
He spoke slowly, his tone softening as he offered them an olive branch at just the right moment.
"Their illusion has shattered, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. I'll give you a choice now. Take what remains of the Tang Sect's resources and return to Shrek with me and Sister Lexuan."
He paused, then candidly revealed his ambition.
"I want to use the Tang Sect's resources to build a faction of my own. It won't be bound by some so-called ancestral legacy, and it won't have a selfish leader. It will have only one principle: never fail a good person, and never let a bad person go. Are you willing to join me and break the old order Tang San left behind?"
When he finished, Tang Tian and his wife slowly lifted their heads. The despair in their eyes faded, replaced by a glimmer of hope.
Tang Ya stopped crying too. She lifted her tear-streaked face, her eyes shining as she looked at Cao Longyan.
Though this red-haired boy was young, he possessed a determination and vision far beyond his years. His words were like a beam of light, illuminating their dark road ahead.
But after a moment's hesitation, Tang Tian frowned, a note of concern in his voice.
"Well, we're willing to follow you, but the Tang Sect's resources were handed down by generations of our predecessors. If we fold them into your faction, we... We're afraid we'd be letting our forebears down..."
This was the last concern in their hearts, the final line they had held for years.
Cao Longyan heard him and gave a faint smile, his tone bold and clear-eyed.
"Let your forebears down? The Tang Sect's resources aren't some inheritance left behind by your predecessors and ancestors. The Tang Sect declined, outsiders eyed its assets hungrily, and your own strength was limited—yet your family held on through sheer effort and protected what remained. You earned it by risking your lives. Those resources rightfully belong to you."
In truth, Cao Longyan had long since seen what made Tang Tian and his wife exceptional.
To preserve the Tang Sect's remaining resources in such desperate circumstances and withstand the covetous eyes of outsiders, they had to have something going for them despite their limited strength—either unique methods or exceptional intelligence.
He had invited them not out of kindness, but because he valued their abilities. He wanted to recruit useful people and strengthen his own faction.
Cao Longyan's words dispelled Tang Tian and his wife's concerns completely.
Watching the boy before her, Zhang Lexuan felt a surge of emotion and delight.
Longyan had seen through things to their essence, and his authority could shake people to their core. With such vision and resolve, he was a born leader!
Tang Tian and his wife were sincerely impressed too. They bowed deeply to Cao Longyan, their voices resolute.
"Good. We're willing to follow you and serve you until death!"
"You don't have to be so formal. I'm not used to receiving bows like that."
Cao Longyan said with a smile. He had wanted to help them up, but there was just one problem—he wasn't tall enough!
"We still don't know much about you. Could you tell us a little? It's fine if you'd rather not."
Tang Tian couldn't help asking. Though he had already decided to follow him, he still wanted to learn more about this young leader.
Cao Longyan smiled faintly.
"My name is Cao Longyan. You can call me Longyan too. I'm six years old, the great-grandson of the Sea God Pavilion Master at Shrek, and I spend most of my time on Shrek's Sea God Island. My Martial Soul is the Ten Halls of Yama, and I possess Ultimate Fire and the bloodline of a true dragon."
Tang Tian and his wife were utterly stunned, disbelief filling their eyes.
At only six years old, he already possessed such strength and vision, not to mention talent and a background like that. He was a genius of the highest order! They were even more grateful for their choice. By following a leader like him, they had finally found a bright road ahead.
Tang Ya gazed at Cao Longyan with adoration too. In her young heart, she had already cast aside Tang San's false image. Now Cao Longyan was her idol, the powerhouse she wanted to follow.
Watching the scene unfold, Zhang Lexuan smiled. She knew that a faction with Cao Longyan at its core would one day stand at the summit of Douluo Continent!
Cao Longyan nodded slightly and gazed into the distance. A trace of resolve flashed in his eyes as he slowly spoke the name he had chosen long ago... Rakshasa Street!
Cao Longyan sneered inwardly. Tang San, look at this. The Tang Sect you founded with your own hands has become the stepping stone for the faction I'm building! Establishing Rakshasa Street is only the first step in overturning your chess game. One day, I'll make you watch as everything you hold dear is dismantled piece by piece. There will be no Tang Sect left in this world, and no more myth of you, Tang San!
Inside the fireball, a blurry image of a Warlord nodded slightly, giving him a look of approval and admiration.
This little fellow certainly had a bit of my former bearing.
Douluo God Realm
Tang San: "My chosen child of fortune—why has his radiance dimmed again?! Wait, what happened to my Tang Sect?! Why has its radiance gone out completely?!"
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