Having just finished a lengthy meeting about the expansion of the Divine Realm, Tang San hurried back to his palace to investigate what was happening on Douluo Continent.
"What?!"
Tang San shot to his feet from his divine throne. His eyes, usually so full of wisdom and depth, had gone completely blank.
What had he just seen?
Three Huo Yuh aos had appeared in the Sun Moon Empire? And the people with them seemed to be from the Sun Moon Empire. They looked quite familiar, chatting and laughing together.
"This... How is that possible?!"
Tang San's mouth twitched.
According to his script, Huo Yuhao should still be in that ivory tower called Shrek Academy, filled with "love and hardship," enduring all kinds of injustice and oppression. That would spur him to grow stronger, until he eventually became powerful.
How had he suddenly ended up in the Sun Moon Empire? That was an enemy nation! He'd even helped connect Huo Yuhao with the Holy Spirit Cult.
This wasn't how the script was supposed to go!
What made Tang San's heart pound even harder was yet to come.
His gaze quickly shifted to Shrek Academy, the place that should have been Huo Yuhao's cradle of growth.
Inside Sea God Pavilion.
A golden light shot into the sky, making even him feel a trace of unease. It contained no divine power, but its quality seemed to have brushed against the threshold of godhood!
At the center of the light sat a young man with strikingly handsome features, cross-legged. His air of absolute supremacy was even more arrogant than Tang San had been in his youth.
"Is that... Mu En?!"
Tang San was completely stunned. He couldn't make sense of it.
Wasn't Mu En supposed to be on the verge of death?
He'd even written a whole script for Mu En's death: Mu En would exhaust himself protecting the academy, then give Huo Yuhao extreme training on a seven-day cycle. When the beast tide arrived, they'd bring out the already-dead Mu En to fight Di Tian once more. Finally, while helping Huo Yuhao form a Second Soul Core, Mu En's soul would scatter into nothingness.
What a perfect chain of events! So moving!
It would have kept Huo Yuhao firmly tied to Shrek Academy.
But now...
Who the hell was this?!
This man looked only twenty, with vitality as vigorous as a dragon's. His strength had reached the peak of demigodhood, just one step away from ascending. Was he really the same frail, elderly Mu En?!
"Rejuvenated... and his strength has skyrocketed along with it..."
Tang San's expression darkened at once.
"Uncontrollable... far too uncontrollable!"
The appearance of this younger Mu En had once again thrown his entire plan into disarray.
If Mu En didn't die, how could Huo Yuhao be provoked? How could he be tied to Tang San's boat?
More importantly, there was Mu En's strength...
Tang San's eyes narrowed, a cold glint flashing in them.
"Demigod..."
"If he ascends to the Divine Realm as a god, with that unmanageable personality, he'll become a major wild card."
Tang San tapped the armrest of his divine throne with his fingers, making a steady "tap, tap" sound. It was a habit of his whenever he was thinking about how to scheme against someone.
"But fortunately..."
Tang San felt a little more at ease.
"Godhood Inheritance on Douluo Continent isn't easy to obtain these days. Aside from the Ice God's, the God of Emotion's is in the hands of my brother Rong Nianbing, and the Butterfly God's godhood has long been promised to my daughter."
"Even if you're extraordinarily gifted, without a godhood, you can forget about ascending!"
Without a godhood, you could cultivate until the day you died and still be no more than a Limit Douluo.
As for forming a godhood on your own? Impossible. Even Tang San had ascended by inheriting the godhoods of Asura God and Sea God. How could a mere Mu En be better than him?
"Still, Mu En is a threat."
A murderous glint flashed through Tang San's eyes.
"Either I find a way to make him submit and become the guardian of the Tang Sect in the lower realm..."
"Or... I'll have to... find an opportunity to make him disappear without raising suspicion."
He deserved to die!
While Tang San was still calculating how to kill the younger Mu En, his Spiritual Sense swept over another corner.
A figure as black as ink, radiating overwhelming evil, was lurking in some shadowy corner of the continent.
That aura shared the same origin as Mu En's, yet was its complete opposite!
Tang San felt like his head was about to explode.
Another one?!
And Mu Xuan wasn't weak, either. That evil aura was even purer than that of the rabble in the Holy Spirit Cult.
"What in the world is going on?!"
Tang San was furious.
Three Huo Yuh aos, a young Mu En, and an evil Mu Xuan...
The source of all this seemed to point to that strange little river!
"Water God!"
Tang San's voice pierced through layer upon layer of space, resounding directly in the Water God Hall.
A moment later, the Water God appeared in Sea God Hall, trembling in her flowing, water-blue dress. Her features were gentle.
"Lord Sea God, may I ask what this is about?"
The Water God lowered her head. His tone sounded like he was about to reprimand her, but she couldn't think of anything she'd done.
"What's going on with that little river on Douluo Continent?!"
Tang San looked down at the Water God, his voice cold.
"You govern all the waters in the world. Did you tamper with that river?"
"I'm innocent, Lord Sea God!"
The Water God took a moment to sense the little river on Douluo Continent, then cried out in indignation.
"I can't even investigate what's happening with that river!"
At the Water God's expression, Tang San's face returned to its calm. He let her leave; it really didn't seem to be her doing.
"Hmph! Useless!"
Tang San snorted. What good was she as the Water God if she couldn't even figure this out? She couldn't investigate it, either. Useless!
Tang San rubbed his brow, feeling more irritable than ever. Everything had slipped out of his control, and he had no idea where to start.
"Third Brother..."
Just then, a gentle hand rested on his shoulder.
Xiao Wu had appeared without his noticing. Seeing his furrowed brow, concern filled her eyes.
"Are you still worried about what's happening on Douluo Continent?"
Tang San sighed and took Xiao Wu's hand in his. The gloom on his face eased a little, replaced by a tender expression.
"Yes, Xiao Wu. Douluo Continent is our homeland, and the foundation of the Tang Sect. With so much chaos breaking out, I'm worried... worried about our daughter, and all those innocent lives."
"It'll be all right, Third Brother."
Xiao Wu leaned gently against Tang San and comforted him softly:
"As long as you're here, nothing will go wrong. You're the cleverest and strongest person in the world. No matter what difficulties come your way, you'll overcome them."
"Even the Spirit Hall, which everyone once thought was invincible, was defeated by you, Third Brother."
Listening to his beloved wife's soothing words, Tang San's agitation miraculously faded.
That was right.
He was Tang San.
He was Tang San, who had climbed from the lowly rank of Soul Scholar all the way to the throne of God King.
How could a mere little river and a few unexpected variables possibly stump him?
If he couldn't see through that river, then... he'd test it!
A sharp glint suddenly lit up Tang San's eyes.
He contacted Da Ming and Er Ming of the Clear Sky Sect directly.
"Da Ming, Er Ming, there are unexpected variables on Douluo Continent. Xiao Qi's safety is at stake, and I need you to do me a favor."
"Take Xiao Qi to that little river on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest at once."
"Remember, once you get there..."
Tang San paused, his voice taking on an oddly meaningful tone:
"Throw her into the river."
"Huh?!"
Inside the Clear Sky Sect, Er Ming's ox-like eyes widened as he stared at Da Ming, utterly baffled.
"Big Brother, did I hear that right? Tang San wants us to throw Xiao Qi into the river?!"
That was his own daughter!
What kind of father would do that?!
Da Ming's brows were knitted, too, but out of the blind trust he'd placed in Tang San over the years, he took a deep breath and said solemnly:
"If Tang San is doing this, he must have a reason."
"Let's go! Bring Xiao Qi. We're heading to the Star Dou Great Forest!"
Divine Realm, Sea God Hall.
Tang San cut off the connection, a cold smile curling his lips.
That river, too, would eventually become a piece on Tang San's chessboard!
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