"Because… this was a conflict of the martial world. The Academy is not a nation; it cannot interfere at will!"
Zhou Yi, seeing Fan Yu remain silent, stepped forward to explain to Tang Ya.
"Then why," Tang Ya sneered in reply, "did the Academy suddenly decide to seize the Tang Sect headquarters back from the Iron-Blood Sect?"
Zhou Yi faltered at the sharp question, momentarily speechless.
When neither Zhou Yi nor Fan Yu gave an answer, Tang Ya spoke for them, her tone mocking:
"Of course it's because Mu En saw me rebuild the Tang Sect in the Sun Moon Empire. He panicked. Shrek Academy panicked. So you rushed to drive out the Iron-Blood Sect and reclaim this compound, thinking you could use it as a bargaining chip against me, isn't that right?"
Fan Yu's face darkened. "The Academy would never stoop to such a lowly scheme!"
"Whether you did or not, I don't care."
Tang Ya shook her head, dismissing his explanation with disdain. "Step aside. This is my home. I'm taking it back."
But Fan Yu shook his head firmly. "I already made it very clear just now, Sect Master Tang. As long as the Tang Sect returns to Heaven Dou City—not only this headquarters, but Shrek Academy will also support you in establishing branches elsewhere. Even in Shrek City itself, if you wish!"
"I don't need it."
Tang Ya rejected him outright. "The Tang Sect's future has no need of Shrek Academy's interference."
"In that case, we cannot hand this place back to you."
Zhou Yi stepped forward. She released her martial soul, spirit rings rising beneath her feet in a perfect configuration. Her aura clashed directly against Tang Ya's, the air between them drawn taut, on the verge of erupting into battle.
Without another word, Tang Ya lashed out with a Blue Silver Vine. Zhou Yi's martial soul roared in response, a dragon's cry echoing as crimson light flared before her, intercepting the vine.
When the Blue Silver Vine collided with the red glow, Zhou Yi was driven back several steps, her face turning pale with shock.
"Your… your martial soul… how could it—"
"Yi'er!"
Fan Yu quickly caught her, glaring furiously at Tang Ya as eight spirit rings rose at his feet.
"Sect Master Tang! Do you truly care nothing for old ties?"
"It was Shrek Academy who cared nothing for old ties first." Tang Ya's voice was cold, her expression untouched by emotion.
Fan Yu drew several deep breaths, then nodded repeatedly. "Fine. Very well! It seems you are determined to walk a dark path. Then I have no choice but to seize you first and let Elder Xuan decide your fate!"
Tang Ya instantly stepped back, and the elder beside her, Elder Chen, strode forward. Raising his hand, he released his martial soul—the Starry Heavenly Mechanism Disk.
Three yellow, three purple, and three black rings rose beneath his feet. A suffocating pressure pressed down upon Fan Yu and Zhou Yi.
"A Titled Douluo!?"
Their pupils contracted sharply. They stared in disbelief at Elder Chen standing at Tang Ya's side.
How long had the Tang Sect even been reestablished, and yet it already possessed a Titled Douluo?
Was the Sun Moon Empire supporting the Tang Sect this heavily?
The surrounding nobles and onlookers gasped in terror and scattered quickly. A Titled Douluo's battle could shake heaven and earth—no one wanted to be caught in it.
At that moment, a thunderous rebuke rang down from above:
"Impudence!!"
The voice boomed across the sky. Everyone looked up to see Yan Shaozhe descending with a middle-aged man dressed in regal finery. The two landed between Tang Ya and the ninth-rank soul engineer.
The middle-aged man fixed a cold glare on Tang Ya and Elder Chen.
"A Titled Douluo of the Sun Moon dares run wild in the capital of the Heavenly Soul Empire? Such audacity!"
Elder Chen frowned slightly, sizing up the newcomer. Judging from his aura, this man's cultivation was at least level ninety-five—a Super Douluo.
"And who are you?" Elder Chen asked.
The man squared his shoulders proudly. "I am Prince Xue Yu of the Heavenly Soul Empire."
When Tang Ya had arrived earlier, some quick-witted young nobles had already run to alert the palace. As it happened, Yan Shaozhe was there at the time, so he had come together with Prince Xue Yu.
Tang Ya stepped forward, meeting his gaze. "Prince Xue Yu, this is a private matter between the Tang Sect and Shrek Academy. It should not concern the Heavenly Soul Empire, should it?"
Xue Yu laughed coldly. "Of course it concerns us! This is Heaven Dou City!"
Yan Shaozhe also stepped forward, addressing Tang Ya. "Tang Ya, the Academy has treated you well. Why bring a Titled Douluo of the Sun Moon to provoke us? If you want this compound, it's not as if the Academy won't return it to you."
Hearing this, Tang Ya burst into laughter—as if she had heard the most ridiculous joke in the world. She laughed until tears welled at the corners of her eyes, her expression unmasked in its mockery and disdain.
"Shrek! This is how your ten-thousand-year legacy repays the Tang Sect? You call this not treating us poorly?"
Among the crowd, Jiang Shengyu sighed quietly. To leave persuasion to Yan Shaozhe—wasn't that simply ensuring the negotiations would collapse?
With that mouth of his, he could turn passersby into enemies.
Tang Ya wiped the tears from her eyes, then turned to Elder Chen. "Elder Chen, prepare to act."
Elder Chen nodded. He produced two ninth-rank soul tools. One shot into the sky, spreading into a starry canopy that draped across the heavens and covered the land below.
The second soul tool also rose into the air, releasing a golden radiance beneath the starlit canopy. As the light spread, everyone within its range suddenly felt their bodies grow heavy.
Even Yan Shaozhe and Xue Yu felt the weight bearing down on them.
It was the Earthly Edict, a ninth-rank soul tool of Elder Chen's own making. Combined with his martial soul, the Starry Heavenly Mechanism Disk, it vastly strengthened his battlefield control. With his ninety-first-level cultivation, he could already contend evenly against ordinary Super Douluo.
With offensive capability added, he became nearly unassailable—able to advance or retreat freely. That was why he had brought not only the Earthly Edict, but also borrowed the Bright Mirror from Elder Hong.
"The Starlight Heavenly Mirror? Elder Chen even brought Elder Hong's Bright Mirror with him…"
Jiang Shengyu and Jiang Qingtong looked up at the celestial canopy in surprise.
It seemed Tang Ya had prepared thoroughly for this confrontation.
Prince Xue Yu roared, "Does the Sun Moon Empire intend to declare war upon the Heavenly Soul Empire?"
But Elder Chen was unmoved. He countered mockingly:
"I am but an elder of the Tang Sect. Today's matter is strictly internal sect business. I urge Prince Xue Yu not to raise everything to the level of state relations. If true war breaks out, I doubt the Heavenly Soul Empire could afford the cost!"
Xue Yu's face grew grim, his expression darkening.
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