The underground Tang Sect base in Skysea City was still the same as it had been in the past, but Tang Wulin could see a series of complex emotions in the eyes of the Tang Sect disciples, including indignation and pain, but more so fury and humiliation.
Their expressions only eased slightly upon seeing Tang Wulin, and they all extended respectful bows toward him.
The Trial of Five Gods had made Tang Wulin a target of the federation, but it had also allowed him to truly establish himself in the Tang Sect.
Defeating an entire empire through one's individual power was an extremely glorious and monumental feat, and all of the Tang Sect disciples were in full celebration when they saw the footage of the trial. Only then were they made aware of just how powerful their new sect master was. Having such a young leader with such brilliant potential brought immense hope to the Tang Sect.
Ever since that period of time around 10,000 years ago when the Tang Sect had almost fallen into complete obscurity, the sect had taken more care in ensuring its heritage wasn't severed. While still in their primes, all of the past sect masters would choose groups of bright young talents for special nurturing and choose successors from among them. However, the Shrek City bombing had resulted in the deaths of many of the Tang Sect's brightest young talents, which was a contributing factor behind Tang Wulin's accelerated ascension.
Tang Wulin had proven through his actions to the two Limit Douluos of the Tang Sect that he was worthy of their trust. During this journey, which had spanned less than a year, he had undergone a complete transformation and returned as a truly powerful being.
At the same time, he had also brought back the newly ascended Limit Douluo, Holy Spirit Douluo Yali.
Even though the Tang Sect and Shrek Academy were being oppressed by all sides, they had a total of four Limit Douluos among their ranks in the form of Light Dark Douluo Long Yeyue, Heartless Douluo Cao Dezhi, Amorous Douluo Zang Xin, and Holy Spirit Douluo Yali, so they still stood at the very pinnacle of the continent when it came to top-tier power.
"Welcome back." A familiar voice rang out, and a figure silently appeared before Tang Wulin and Yali.
"Your Majesty." The figure who had appeared was none other than Zang Xin, and Tang Wulin's expression finally eased slightly at the sight of him.
Zang Xin wore a faint smile, displaying no visible sign of the immense pressure he had been facing recently.
"I'm glad you're back," Zang Xin said before turning to the Holy Spirit Douluo, "Congratulations, Yali."
He was surprised to discover that not only had Yali become a Limit Douluo, her essence, energy, and spirit seemed to have undergone a complete transformation. The loneliness and despair in her eyes had disappeared, and she seemed to be full of vitality.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. How is the Tang Sect?" Yali asked.
Zang Xin smiled, and replied, "The sky hasn't fallen on us yet. We've actually already anticipated that this day would come. They've already unleashed Godslayer missiles on Shrek Academy and our Tang Sect; nothing is beneath them. They've become blinded by their power, and they're trying to drive us into a corner before completely eradicating us."
Yali nodded in response. "They're being far too reckless, and they've severely underestimated us."
"Let's talk further when we get back."
Lodging was organized for the Tang Sect disciples and Blood Dragon Squad that had accompanied Tang Wulin on his trip, while Tang Wulin, Zang Xin, Yali, and the rest of Shrek's Seven Monsters gathered in the conference chamber of the Tang Sect headquarters.
Zang Xin turned to Tang Wulin, and said, "You've completed your mission to perfection, Sect Master. We've achieved our objective; the federal fleet is still locked in a stalemate with the Star Luo Empire, but it's inevitable that they'll have to turn back, so we no longer need to worry about a war for now."
Tang Wulin nodded in response. "The Star Luo Empire and Dou Spirit Empire have both expressed their gratitude to our sect, and the Star Luo Empire has extended an offer for our Tang Sect to entirely transfer over to their continent if we wished to do so." A hint of admiration for Zang Xin flashed through Tang Wulin's eyes as he spoke. It was clear that aside from trying to prevent this war, the Tang Sect had also chosen to help the two empires to ensure there was always a safety net for the sect.
Zang Xin said, "I know what you're thinking, but the Tang Sect won't leave the Douluo Continent, just as Shrek Academy won't, either. Our roots lie here, and our forefathers had to expend countless efforts for the Tang Sect to achieve its current scale and glory. As their successors, we can't abandon everything they built up."
Yali nodded, and said, "What's the current situation like? Has the federation done anything?"
Zang Xin smiled, and replied, "They haven't dared to do anything too out of line as they're well aware of the power that our Tang Sect holds, and they know that they can't afford to push us too hard."
Indeed, the weapons provided to the two empires by the Tang Sect was sufficient testament of its power. If the Tang Sect were to seek vengeance against the federation without any regard for the consequences, the federation would be in serious trouble.
Zang Xin continued, "At the moment, they're only making further efforts to oppress us and cut off as many avenues as possible through which we obtain resources. At the same time, they've been searching for our bases and have already found three, but we were prepared in advance, so we didn't suffer any substantial losses."
Yali said, "That's good to hear. What are your plans from here onward, Your Majesty?"
Zang Xin turned to Tang Wulin, and said, "That'll be for the sect master to decide."
"Me?" Tang Wulin faltered slightly upon hearing this.
Zang Xin gave a firm nod in response. "Of course. You are the one calling the shots in our Tang sect; you'll be the one to decide the future direction our sect goes in, and we'll be here to support you. We've all witnessed your development during the past years, and to be honest, you've stunned all of us. Your rapid rate of progression is extremely rare even among all of your predecessors, and it shows us that we've made the right decision. On top of that, you've already built up a sufficient level of influence in the sect, so it's time that you lead our Tang Sect and Shrek Academy to glory.
"You can't afford to back down and must continue onward now. Your latent potential is already being tapped into, and now, it's time to tap into your leadership potential as well. Cao Dezhi told me that you're different; he told me that the greater the pressure you're under, the more power you release. We all hope to see this trend continue."
A wry smile appeared on Tang Wulin's face. "Your Majesty, I'm still not familiar enough with our Tang Sect as a whole. I..."
"Do not fear," Zang Xin cut him off, and said, "Think carefully about this, and when you make your decision, we'll help you analyze whether it's viable or not."
Tang Wulin didn't continue after hearing this. Instead, he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes as his brain began to rapidly process the situation.
Even the Tang Sect was under severe threat, so there was no way that Shrek Academy could be rebuilt under these circumstances. The Tang Sect and Shrek Academy were going to face the power of the entire federation, as well as that of the Holy Spirit Cult and the Spirit Pagoda from the shadows. These were all formidable powerhouses; even the Holy Spirit Cult alone may be too powerful for them to oppose at the moment, let alone the might of the entire federation.
Zang Xin merely waited in silence, and everyone's attention also fell upon Tang Wulin. Yali was appraising him with a gentle and encouraging look in her eyes. She had witnessed Tang Wulin's growth during this past year in person, and she had also been astonished by what he had achieved.
He had developed so quickly that it struck her with a surreal feeling. It was most likely the case that Zang Xin still hadn't realized that Tang Wulin was already a Titled Douluo, and nor could he be aware of the miracle that Tang Wulin had created while out at sea.
Without the vital effort he had put in to stall the federal fleet, the Tang Sect's weapons alone wouldn't have been enough to prevent this war.
Tang Wulin currently possessed Spirit Domain realm spiritual power, so even a Limit Douluo wouldn't be able to glean his cultivation rank.
After a long while, Tang Wulin reopened his eyes, and a sense of calmness had replaced the urgency on his face.
"Your Majesty, I think we should split this situation up into several facets and address them in order of priority. Our first priority now is to get rid of this treason tag that's been assigned to our sect. With such a heavy burden weighing us down, we won't be able to do anything."
"How do you plan to do that?" Zang Xin asked.
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