Establishing a Sect! <Jade Void Heart Sutra>!

(Beautiful illustration of Tang Ya)

As Lin Ye listened, a storm of shock raged within his heart.

Could it be?

Was it possible that his own arrival had caused the world line to shift?

The true identity of this Ren Zhu... could it be... God King Tang?!

Lin Ye's gaze turned cold, and he whispered to himself in his heart: Very well, God King Tang. Then I shall play along with you.

He steadied his nerves, looked at Tang Ya, and said in a calm tone, "Sister Xiao Ya, there is no need to be sad. If the Tang Sect is gone, then it is gone."

Tang Ya jerked her head up, looking as if she had been struck by lightning, her eyes wide as she stared at him:

"??!! Xiao Ye, how can you say such a thing?! That is the sect our family has guarded for generations..."

Lin Ye did not avoid her gaze, instead looking straight into her eyes, his tone remaining calm: "Sister Xiao Ya, who founded the Tang Sect?"

Tang Ya was stunned for a moment, answering instinctively: "Our ancestor, the Sea God Tang San!"

"You say he is your ancestor, but are you certain you are a descendant of Tang San?" Lin Ye's voice was unhurried. "As far as I know, Tang San left no descendants on the Douluo Continent."

Tang Ya's lips moved as if she wanted to retort, only to find she had no basis for an argument.

"...This... our genealogy indeed does not list the ancestor Tang San..."

"Then that settles it." Lin Ye nodded. "You just happened to share the surname Tang and possess the Blue Silver Grass martial soul, which is why you were roped into being this so-called Tang Sect Master."

His voice was not loud, yet every word was clear:

"Look at that Tang San. Ten thousand years ago, he led the Shrek Seven Devils to godhood, a man standing at the pinnacle of the continent. What did he leave for the Tang Sect?

Nothing! His own family and friends all ascended to the God Realm, leaving the Tang Sect behind for outsiders like you.

Yet you have sacrificed yourselves generation after generation, giving your lives for the Tang Sect."

Tang Ya froze.

Her entire worldview felt as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer, the sound of it shattering echoing in her mind.

It was true...

That so-called ancestor Tang San was indeed nothing more than a selfish person who, after becoming a god, dumped his mess onto outsiders.

She thought of her parents, her grandparents, and all those predecessors who had given their lives for the Tang Sect without even leaving their names behind.

What had they spent their lives guarding? A discarded sect? The descendants of a god who had long since ceased to exist?

Was such a Tang Sect truly worth it?

Tang Ya's eyes remained red, but the tears never fell.

She stood there in silence for a long time, as if bidding a long farewell to her past self.

Then, she suddenly smiled.

There was a sense of relief in that smile, a weight lifted as if the burden she had carried for years had finally been set down.

"Yes," she said softly, "it isn't worth it."

She thought of the current Tang Sect: Ren Zhu, Beibei, Huo Yuhao—each one more bizarre than the last.

With a Tang Sect like that, why stay?

Breaking away from the organization actually made her feel as if she had escaped a sea of suffering.

Previously, she had only felt the psychological burden of "failing her ancestors," but now, after Lin Ye's words, she began to loathe that Tang San.

He was a man who had shackled her entire family's lives with the two words "Tang Sect."

Watching the changes in her expression, Lin Ye knew she had come to terms with it, so he smiled and said in a relaxed tone:

"Sister Xiao Ya, from now on, do whatever you want. You don't have to be bound by that title anymore.

If you like, I'll help you build a new sect. We just won't call it the Tang Sect."

Tang Ya looked up, her eyes still red, but the corners of her mouth curled up slightly: "Xiao Ye, you are so kind."

As she spoke, she stepped forward and took hold of Lin Ye's other hand.

As Lin Ye felt her hand in his, he was already calculating his next move.

He thought of the Jade Void Heart Scripture he had drawn earlier.

That treasure manual, which recorded the various techniques of the Jade Void Palace, was better off being used as the foundation for a new sect than gathering dust in his system.

"How about we call it the Jade Void Sect?" he asked.

Tang Ya was startled for a moment, then her eyes lit up: "Jade Void Sect... that sounds good! But as for the Sect Master, you should be the one to take that role, Xiao Ye!"

"I've finally realized that following you is the only way to have a future. As for that mess of a Tang Sect, whoever wants it can have it."

In her heart, she was still thinking about her own system. With the system and Lin Ye, her fated person, she could achieve Martial Soul Evolution. If she didn't follow Lin Ye, who else would she follow?

Wang Dong'er quickly chimed in: "I want to join the sect too!"

Lin Ye nodded, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth: "Good! Then the Jade Void Sect is established today! I am the Sect Master! Dong'er, Sister Xiao Ya, you two shall be the Vice Sect Masters!"

Tang Ya regained her usual cheerfulness and raised her arms in a shout, "Yay!"

She stood up and wiped her face, looking as if she had come back to life, transforming back into that lively and spirited Tang Ya.

Lin Ye took the Jade Void Heart Scripture out from his Leopard Skin Pouch.

The ancient, simple cover bore no text, yet a faint light seemed to flow within it like a living thing, radiating an aura that calmed the heart.

"This is the Jade Void Heart Scripture!" Lin Ye handed it to Tang Ya and Wang Dong'er. "Sister Xiao Ya, Dong'er, this is our sect's cultivation technique!"

Both girls stared at Lin Ye in shock, then looked at the ancient book he had produced out of thin air.

Wang Dong'er blinked her large, powder-blue eyes and couldn't help but voice the question on her mind:

"Lin Ye... what exactly is that pouch of yours? How can you pull anything out of it? A milk tea machine, the sect's cultivation technique... don't tell me you actually have a treasure pouch?"

Tang Ya leaned in as well, looking up and down at the Leopard Skin Pouch at Lin Ye's waist. "Exactly, you just pulled out a cultivation technique like you were performing a magic trick."

Lin Ye laughed and waved his hands as the two of them bombarded him with questions:

"Don't worry about what it is. Either way, there will only be more good things for the sect in the future. Follow me, and you'll have plenty to eat."

At this, Wang Dong'er's expression suddenly turned serious. "Lin Ye, there's one more thing I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

"The date for the Freshman Assessment is almost here. Teacher Zhou has already had us form teams to prepare over the last two days..." Wang Dong'er's voice lowered, tinged with a hint of worry.

Lin Ye slapped his forehead. "The Freshman Assessment is already here?"

Wang Dong'er nodded and squeezed his hand:

"Don't worry, Lin Ye. Xiao Xiao and I have already applied to be in a team with you. We were prepared to carry your bed onto the arena stage if we had to, just to make sure you pass the Freshman Assessment!"

Lin Ye looked at her eyes, bloodshot yet still bright, and couldn't help but scratch his head:

"Why is that both touching and a little funny..."

Wang Dong'er let out a giggle, then said earnestly:

"Although I haven't cultivated much lately because I was taking care of you... with my strength, taking on three people at once won't be a problem!"

As she spoke, she lifted her chin slightly, her powder-blue eyes filled with confidence.

Lin Ye looked at her face, slightly haggard from staying up late but still resolute, and felt a warmth in his heart:

"Dong'er, since I'm already awake, our goal is no longer just to pass the Freshman Assessment."