Lin Ye listened, and a storm was already raging in his heart.
No way?
Had his appearance caused the course of the world to change?
Could Ren Zhu's true identity... actually be... God King Tang?!
Lin Ye's gaze turned cold. He silently said to himself, Fine, God King Tang. I'll play along with you.
He steadied himself and looked at Tang Ya, speaking calmly. "Xiao Ya, you don't have to be sad anymore. The Tang Sect is gone. So be it."
Tang Ya jerked her head up, her eyes wide as if she'd been struck by lightning.
"??!! Xiao Ye, how can you say that?! The sect was guarded by our family for generations..."
Lin Ye didn't avoid her gaze. He looked her straight in the eyes, his voice still calm. "Xiao Ya, who founded the Tang Sect?"
Tang Ya paused, then answered instinctively. "Our ancestor, Sea God Tang San!"
"You say he was your ancestor. Are you sure you're descended from Tang San?" Lin Ye spoke unhurriedly. "As far as I know, Tang San left no descendants on Douluo Continent."
Tang Ya's lips moved as if she wanted to argue, but she couldn't find a single reason to refute him.
"...Well... our family tree really doesn't list Tang San as our ancestor..."
"Then that settles it." Lin Ye nodded. "You just happen to share his surname and have the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul. That's why you were roped into becoming the so-called sect master of the Tang Sect."
His voice wasn't loud, but every word rang clear.
"Look at Tang San. Ten thousand years ago, he led the Shrek Seven Devils to godhood and stood at the pinnacle of the continent. What did he leave the Tang Sect?
"Nothing! He took all his family and friends to the Divine Realm, leaving the Tang Sect to outsiders like you.
"And you've spent generation after generation giving everything for the Tang Sect, generation after generation laying down your lives."
Tang Ya froze.
It was as if a heavy hammer had smashed her entire worldview, the sound of it shattering echoing through her mind.
That was true...
That so-called ancestor, Tang San, really was nothing but a selfish man who'd left outsiders to clean up the mess after he became a god.
She thought of her parents, her grandparents, and all those predecessors who'd given their lives for the Tang Sect without even leaving their names behind.
What had they spent their entire lives protecting? A sect that had been abandoned? The descendants of a god who no longer existed?
Was the Tang Sect really worth it?
Tang Ya's eyes were still red, but the tears never fell.
She stood there in silence for a long time, as if saying a long, final goodbye to her past self.
Then, all at once, she smiled.
There was relief in that smile, a lightness that came from finally setting down a burden she'd carried on her shoulders for years.
"That's right," she said softly. "It isn't worth it."
Then she thought of the Tang Sect as it was now: Ren Zhu, Beibei, Huo Yuhao—each one stranger than the last.
Why stick around in a sect like that instead of leaving it behind?
Breaking away from the organization actually made her feel as if she'd escaped a living hell.
Before, she'd only been weighed down by the guilt of letting her ancestors down. Now, after hearing Lin Ye's words, she'd even begun to hate Tang San.
A man who'd used the words "Tang Sect" to bind her whole family to a fate that had cost them their lives.
Lin Ye watched her expression change and saw that she'd come to terms with it. He smiled and spoke lightly.
"Xiao Ya, from now on, do whatever you want. You don't have to be bound by that name anymore.
"If you want, I'll help you establish a new sect. We just won't call it the Tang Sect."
Tang Ya looked up. Her eyes were still red, but the corners of her mouth lifted slightly. "Xiao Ye, you're so good to me."
As she spoke, she stepped forward and took Lin Ye's other hand.
Tang Ya held his hand, but Lin Ye's mind was already elsewhere.
He thought of the Jade Void Heart Scripture he'd drawn earlier.
Rather than let that manual of the Jade Void Palace's techniques gather dust in his system, he might as well use it as his sect's cultivation method and establish a sect.
"How about the Jade Void Sect?" he asked.
Tang Ya paused, then her eyes lit up. "The Jade Void Sect... that sounds great! But as for sect master, you'll be the one to take that position, Xiao Ye!"
"I've figured it out. There's a future in following you. Whoever wants that wreck of a Tang Sect can have it."
She was still thinking about her system. With her system and Lin Ye, the person she was destined to meet, she could evolve her Martial Soul. 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 curling at the corners of his mouth. "Good! Then the Jade Void Sect is founded today! I'll be the sect master, and Dong'er and Xiao Ya will be deputy sect masters!"
Tang Ya had returned to her usual cheerfulness. She threw her arms up and cheered. "Hooray!"
She stood up, wiped her face, and seemed to come alive all over again, turning back into the lively, spirited Tang Ya.
Lin Ye took the Jade Void Heart Scripture out of the Leopard Skin Pouch.
The ancient cover bore no writing, yet faint light flowed across it as if it were alive, radiating a calming presence.
"This is the Jade Void Heart Scripture!" Lin Ye held it out to Tang Ya and Wang Dong'er. "Xiao Ya, Dong'er, this is our sect's cultivation method!"
The two women stared at Lin Ye in shock, then at the ancient book he'd produced out of thin air.
Wang Dong'er blinked her big pink-and-blue eyes and couldn't help asking what was on her mind.
"Lin Ye... what exactly is that pouch of yours? How can you pull anything out of it? A milk tea machine, a sect's cultivation manual... Don't tell me you really have a treasure pouch?"
Tang Ya leaned in, studying the Leopard Skin Pouch at Lin Ye's waist. "Exactly! You just pulled out a cultivation manual. It's like you're doing a magic trick."
With the two of them peppering him with questions, Lin Ye smiled and waved a hand.
"Don't worry about what it is. There'll only be more good stuff for the sect from now on. Stick with me, and you'll get to eat your fill."
At that moment, Wang Dong'er's expression suddenly turned serious. "Lin Ye, there's one more thing I need to tell you."
"What is it?"
"The Freshman Assessment is coming up soon. Teacher Zhou had us all form teams and prepare for it over the last couple of days..." Wang Dong'er's voice trailed off, tinged with worry.
Lin Ye slapped his forehead. "The Freshman Assessment is already here?"
Wang Dong'er nodded and tightened her grip on his hand.
"Don't worry, Lin Ye. Xiao Xiao and I have already requested to be on your team. We were prepared to carry you through the Freshman Assessment—even if we had to haul your bed right onto the arena!"
Lin Ye looked at her eyes, bloodshot yet still bright, and couldn't help scratching his head.
"How can that be so touching and so funny at the same time..."
Wang Dong'er burst out laughing, then turned serious again.
"I haven't trained much lately because I've been taking care of you... But with my strength, taking on three opponents at once won't be a problem!"
As she said this, she lifted her chin, her pink-and-blue eyes brimming with confidence.
Lin Ye looked at her face, a little haggard from staying up late yet still resolute, and felt a warmth in his heart.
"Dong'er, now that I'm awake, our goal isn't just to pass the Freshman Assessment anymore."
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