1. Divine Realm: Huo Yuhao

1. Divine Realm: Huo Yuhao

Divine Realm, Eternal Temple

As usual, Huo Yuhao activated the Eternal Eyes and looked down upon Douluo Continent. Through a god's vision, the vast continent lay completely exposed before him: the majestic walls of Spirit Hall, the resplendent Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, the towering War Soul Hammer, the solemn and imposing Clear Sky Sect, and the fabulously wealthy Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect... Every detail of the continent was within his sight.

At this moment, the Star Luo Empire was holding its once-every-five-years All-Continent Soul Master Competition. Clear Sky Sect's twin stars, Tang Hao and Tang Xiao, had fought their way into the finals and were now locked in a fierce battle with the Spirit Hall Team. Barring any surprises, this competition would become the opportunity for the Haotian Twin Stars to make their names known across the world.

"Only a few decades remain until Tang San's Birth. Converted to Divine Realm time, that was merely a few dozen days." Huo Yuhao murmured softly, his gaze profound. He could not help wondering whether the future Tang San had once stood high above the continent as he did now, taking in everything below.

Only after Becoming a God did he understand how laughable his thoughts had been when he first arrived in the Douluo world. In this world, divine authority stood high above all living beings of the Lower Realm. Tang Hao was merely a Second-level God, yet he could seize control of the Douluo Plane's will, let alone a supreme God King. A God King's will reached everywhere, almost controlling every person and every matter within a plane. Unless one encountered special circumstances such as Dragon Valley, the God Examination Ground, or carrying a Divine Artifact, the beings of Douluo Continent had virtually nowhere to hide in a god's eyes. The only thing that could truly restrain gods was the rules of the God Realm Committee.

At that thought, Huo Yuhao fell into a daze, a trace of self-mockery rising in his heart. How ridiculous. At first, I naively thought I could pull a few tricks right under a God King's nose.

Thinking back, Huo Yuhao could not help feeling fortunate about his choices. In his previous life, he had been called Huo Qiqiang, a transmigrator. The moment Huo Yuhao escaped the Duke's Estate, he seized the original body's identity. As a transmigrator, Huo Yuhao knew his circumstances all too well. How could he tolerate Little Scamp shitting and pissing on his head?

Although he had no system, Huo Yuhao was full of confidence in the future thanks to his own opportunities and his knowledge of what lay ahead. He first went to the Star Dou Great Forest, obtained the two powerful cheats known as Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and Electrolux, then refused to join the Tang Sect and headed all the way to the Sun Moon Empire.

Yet just as he was about to receive the Sun Moon Empire's green card, a large hand as heavy as a palm-leaf fan patted his shoulder. Huo Yuhao looked up and saw that the man called himself Tai Tan. The Big Brother beside him was named Niu Tian, and they had brought along a young man with pink-blue hair, saying he wanted to meet him. The instant Huo Yuhao saw that pink-blue hair, his heart collapsed—everything seemed to have returned to its original track.

Thus, Huo Yuhao was forced to enroll at Shrek and, under Niu Tian's persuasion, join the Tang Sect. He underwent a series of God King trials that had originally belonged to the Huo Yuhao of the original story, except they became even more difficult. During that time, he tried to resist Tang God King's control, but whenever he showed the slightest abnormality, Tang God King swiftly corrected him, leaving him almost no room to resist.

Facing Tang God King, a max-level final boss, Huo Yuhao's only "advantage" was his identity—a transmigrator, a Son of Destiny. His status as a Son of Destiny prevented Tang San from casually altering his memories or severing his soul as he would with an ordinary soul master. Even when dealing with the Huo Yuhao from the original story, Tang San could only influence and control him through other means, such as using his daughter as a bargaining chip, guiding the original body's soul into the Divine Realm, altering that soul into a tool, or affecting him through various trials.

(Note: If Tang San could treat Huo Yuhao as he treated ordinary soul masters, there would have been no need for him to treat his own daughter as he did in the original story.)

His identity as a transmigrator gave Huo Yuhao a crucial "talisman"—Tang San could not read his memories. This meant that although Tang San could control Huo Yuhao's every move, he could never peer into his true thoughts. Thus, the only realm where Huo Yuhao could roam freely was his sealed inner world, where freedom of thought remained hidden.

His relationship with Tang San resembled the complex, delicate game between the Trisolaran civilization and the Wallfacers in The Three-Body Problem. After repeatedly trying and failing to break free from Tang God King's control, Huo Yuhao finally understood a cruel truth: in this world, unless he became a god, he would never be able to contend with Tang San. So he made a difficult and painful choice—pretend to submit, lay his plans in secret, and wait for the chance to stab him in the back.

Yet this path was destined to be fraught with thorns and dangers. Every one of Huo Yuhao's actions was under Tang God King's strict watch, and he had to constantly display a love for Dong'er that ran bone-deep. If there were even the slightest hint of insincerity in his feelings, a God King's trial would descend at once. Through round after round of Tang God King's tests, Huo Yuhao gradually transformed into an outstanding "actor," loving the Stitched Monster assembled by the God King's own hand with obsessive devotion. He performed those embarrassing Hao Dong Three Absolutes even more sincerely than the original host, and even more awkwardly. Later, his old father-in-law told him that he had even shed a crocodile tear or two watching it.

While acting, Huo Yuhao placed even greater emphasis on strengthening his foundation and cultivating his spiritual power. He understood one thing clearly—a weak foundation meant everything could collapse. He was forced to accept the original host's fate, but he never gave up. Huo Yuhao knew that the turning point lay in the future of the Divine Realm, not on Douluo Continent. Only by Becoming a God could he turn the tables and grind Tang San beneath his feet.

At last, with the God King's permission, Huo Yuhao was able to Become a God, becoming the God of Emotion from the original story. Thus, carrying a hundred-pound body and ninety-nine pounds of rebellion, Huo Yuhao ascended.

The moment he entered the Divine Realm, Huo Yuhao immediately went to Sea God Hall to pay respects to Tang San. Weeping bitterly, he said, "Father-in-law, from this day onward, your son-in-law will follow you wherever you go. I will brave fire and water without hesitation." That bow delighted Tang God King beyond measure.

After that, Huo Yuhao earned Tang God King's trust step by step and won his old father-in-law's favor, gradually entering Tang God King's inner circle of decision-makers. At the same time, he constantly deepened the conflict between Destruction's faction and Tang San's faction, secretly exposed the identity of the mole Zhou Weiqing, eliminated the hidden danger at the God of Destruction's side, and formed secret ties with the Golden Dragon King.

Afterward, war broke out between Tang San and Destruction. Because of Huo Yuhao's existence, Tang God King suffered defeat after defeat. To keep the God of Destruction in check, Tang San had no choice but to loosen some of his restraints, allowing Huo Yuhao to enter the God Realm Central Hub to comprehend the laws of the universe and strengthen his Divine Core.

Through repeatedly nurturing enemies to bolster himself and pursuing personal gain, Huo Yuhao grew into a God King and became Tang San's most indispensable and trusted right-hand man.

At last, the Divine Realm crisis arrived. Life and Destruction sacrificed themselves to preserve the Divine Realm, entrusting two Divine Seeds to Tang San.

The Golden Dragon King broke free of his seal. After battling Destruction, Tang San was forced to face the Golden Dragon King alone. Huo Yuhao intercepted the distress signals he sent to Ji Dong and Lie Yan with his immense spiritual power, then led the two God Kings away.

At the same time, Huo Yuhao activated the arrangements he had left behind on Douluo Continent, wiping out Ah Yin and Tang Hao, who had seized the Plane Will and the Life Core, thereby liberating Douluo Continent.

Only when Tang San and the Golden Dragon King had fought each other to mutual ruin did Huo Yuhao's arrival bring hope to the battered Tang San.

With tears in his eyes, his old father-in-law said, "Yuhao, you've finally come. Help me take down this beast."

A ferocious expression appeared on Huo Yuhao's face. He had endured for hundreds of years—counting time in both the Douluo Plane and the Divine Realm—for this very moment. He launched his backstab—

The instant Huo Yuhao's demonic claw pierced Tang San's heart, Tang God King's face was filled with disbelief. "Why? Why would you betray me?!"

"Old thief Tang San, how could a great man born between heaven and earth remain forever beneath another!" With that, Huo Yuhao crushed Tang San's heart, seized the Divine Seeds of Life and Destruction from Tang San's hands, and fled into the Space-Time Turbulence.