But Lin Fan did not rush to arrest the wandering bard. Instead, he said:
"The Tang Corporation does indeed have some connection to the old Tang Sect, but the force backing it isn't the true Tang Sect—it's the reclusive Hao Tian Sect.
Anyone who's read The Tale of Shrek's Seven Monsters knows that although the Sea God Tang San hailed from the Hao Tian Sect, the Tang Sect he founded had nothing to do with them.
And now, tell me—why do you think the organization that once bore the name 'Tang Sect' changed its name to the Tang Corporation?"
With that, Lin Fan looked at the wandering bard with a meaningful gaze.
This was no longer the imperial era; societal norms were slightly more relaxed. Many of the smarter individuals in the crowd seemed to catch on to something.
Faced with an official representative, the bard could only laugh awkwardly and remain silent for a long while before finally saying:
"Uh, if there's nothing else for me here, I'll just take my leave, alright?"
As the bard bent down to pick up his hat and leave, Lin Fan pressed a firm hand on his shoulder and slowly said:
"Not so fast, sir. You're now suspected of defaming the honor of the great Tang Sect Soul Master. You'll need to come with me to the station to explain yourself properly."
The bard could only nod bitterly. Had he not made that final rebuttal defending the Tang Corporation, he might have been able to weasel out of this. But alas, he had opened his mouth for a few coins and dug his own grave.
Lin Fan sighed inwardly. He had hoped to pin a charge of assaulting a public servant on the man, but it seemed the bard was sharper than expected.
Still, Lin Fan didn't neglect his duties. Scanning the crowd, he continued speaking:
"The heroic Tang Sect did indeed fall into decline for a time.
At its lowest point, only the current leader of the Tang Sect remained to bear the burden of keeping the sect alive. Even then, the sect's relics were seized by certain individuals.
But thanks to the blessings of the Tang Sect's ancestors, the current leader met Lord Tian Xing and has since restored the Tang Sect's former glory.
So, I hope everyone here understands that there is only one Tang Sect in this world today—the Tang Sect under the Tian Xing Federation.
Don't believe or spread baseless rumors. Always verify the truth.
That's all I have to say. Thank you for your cooperation."
With that, Lin Fan gave a slight bow to the crowd and left, taking the bard with him.
Though Lin Fan's words were brief, they caused a massive stir among those present.
Although Tang Ya was now one of the strongest individuals on the Douluo Continent, her past weakness evoked sympathy from many. Humans, by nature, often felt compelled to pity and support the weak.
Even without Tang Ya actively stirring the pot, the events involving the wandering bards sparked widespread discussions across the continent about Tang Ya's past—how her sect had been taken from her.
Though Tang Ya herself hadn't pursued the matter, the influence of strong figures and role models was undeniable. The Tang Corporation's business began to rapidly shrink.
---
Tang Corporation –
Tang Wulin stared grimly at the report in his hands.
The company's operations and various metrics showed a catastrophic decline.
Though Tang Wulin wasn't a genius, he wasn't a fool either. In an instant, he understood the reason.
"Tang—Ya."
He ground out her name through clenched teeth, but there was nothing he could do.
After all, the Tang Ya of today was no longer the isolated and vulnerable girl from Shrek City who had suffered betrayal and abandonment. His two powerful fathers, formidable as they were, were no match for the Tian Xing Soul Masters who had once defeated them both in a single battle.
At this moment, Tang Wulin began to question his very existence.
"Am I truly the chosen child of prophecy? Why does my life feel nothing like the smooth and triumphant journeys of the divine children in those tales?"
With twin martial souls, a privileged upbringing, and a life free of hardship, Tang Wulin had never tasted failure—save for the one bitter experience of unrequited love for Huo Yu'er.
During that time, however, he had worked hard to improve himself. Now, at Level 86, he was a Soul Ancestor and had transformed the once-small Tang Sect into the massive Tang Corporation.
Yet the bright future he had envisioned for himself never materialized. Instead, the rapid changes of the times had rendered his years of effort seemingly worthless overnight.
"Ahhh!!!"
Tang Wulin wanted to vent his frustration, but even after smashing his desk to pieces, the suffocating weight in his chest refused to lift. Worse still, an error in his soul power flow caused internal injuries, and he coughed up blood.
In that moment, Tang Wulin realized deeply that though he had talent, his abilities were ultimately limited. He needed help.
After hastily patching up his internal wounds with Xuan Tian Gong, Tang Wulin headed straight to the Hao Tian Sect.
To find his fathers.
---
God Realm · Sea God Temple –
Tang San gazed darkly at the stone pillar before him.
"The faith energy has grown fainter again. What on earth are those fools Da Ming and Er Ming doing on the Douluo Continent?"
Tang San had noticed the weakening of faith energy several days ago and had wanted to intervene directly on the Douluo Continent. However, he discovered that many gods in the god realm were now inexplicably paying attention to the continent, preventing him from making any moves.
Currently, the god realm oversaw a total of 108 planes.
Though numerous, these planes were not places where gods could freely propagate their faith or harvest faith energy.
After all, the primordial spiritual essence of each world was finite. If faith energy were harvested indiscriminately, a world would quickly perish.
For the already fractured Douluo God Realm and its stagnant gods, such a loss would be devastating.
Thus, Tang San's source of faith was limited to the Douluo Continent.
Unfortunately, Tang San had destroyed the City of Slaughter when he became the God of Retribution—a decision he deeply regretted later. It wasn't until he tapped into the vast reserves left behind by the former Sea God Poseidon that he managed to ascend to the rank of God King.
Tang San had considered rebuilding the City of Slaughter.
But he realized that the more chaos evil soul masters created, the more people suffering under their tyranny turned to him—the great and untainted Sea God Tang San—for solace and faith. With such a boon, Tang San naturally shelved plans to rebuild the city. After all, he was still young. Even as a First-Rank God, he had room to grow and ascend to the level of God King. There was no need to abandon his divine position prematurely.
If he ever did relinquish his godhood, it would be to someone within his own family. After all, why let outsiders benefit?
Upon reaching the God King level, Tang San came to understand even more deeply the importance of faith energy. Thus, he redoubled his efforts to cultivate the Douluo Continent.
However, the more he tried to manage it, the worse things seemed to become.
Tang San wanted to manifest miracles, but this was strictly forbidden in the Douluo God Realm—even for him, despite his authority as an enforcer. At best, he could manipulate events subtly behind the scenes.
Now, with so many gods watching over the Douluo Continent, Tang San could only curse in frustration, utterly powerless to act.
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