At Last, Tang San

When Huo Yuhao and his group passed through the long, dark passageway of the Heavenly Prison and arrived at the cell where Tang San was being held, guided by the guards, Tang San was sitting cross-legged in the center of the room.

He stood ramrod straight, his hands resting on his knees, his eyes slightly closed, his breathing steady and even, displaying a detached demeanor that remained unshaken by any external changes.

But Huo Yuhao's eyesight was so sharp that he saw through his true nature almost instantly.

Tang San's breathing rhythm and the slight curve of his shoulders were deliberate, clearly a composed demeanor he had put on only after sensing someone approaching.

He appeared as still as a mountain, but in reality, there was a subtle tension that was extremely difficult to detect.

The group stood outside the cell. Tang San slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping over each of their faces before finally settling on Xiao Wu. After a long pause, he said, "Xiao Wu, you've lost weight."

Xiao Wu's eyes reddened slightly, but she didn't respond to his words. She simply pursed her lips, her voice calm yet tinged with a hint of detachment. "This time, it's Xiao Qi who's coming. She has a question for you."

Upon hearing this, Tang San turned his gaze to his daughter.

He looked at Tang Wutong's face, which was much more haggard than he remembered. His brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and a complex emotion flashed across his face, but he quickly regained his usual composure.

Before Tang Wutong could speak, he said, "Xiao Qi, I know you resent me, but you have to understand that everything I did was ultimately for your own good."

Tang Wutong's gaze suddenly sharpened, her voice rising abruptly, filled with suppressed grievances and anger, almost blurting out. "For my own good? Tearing apart my soul is for my own good? Sealing my memories is for my own good? Controlling my actions is for my own good?"

With each word she spoke, her voice rose a notch, until finally she screamed almost hysterically, "I am your daughter, but I am not a puppet for you to control!"

"I have my own preferences and choices, and not everything has to go according to your wishes! Did you even ask me if I was willing?!"

As she finished shouting, her voice trembled slightly, her eyes were red, and her chest heaved violently. The words that had been bottled up in her heart for so long finally poured out like a flood breaking through a dam.

Tang Wutong swayed slightly, and Huo Yuhao reached out and firmly supported her shoulder.

Huo Yuhao, seeing this, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He understood that these words had been weighing on Tang Wutong's mind for far too long, and it was far better to say them out loud than to keep them bottled up inside.

A hint of displeasure flashed in Tang San's eyes, and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

He couldn't understand why his daughter thought that way, why she couldn't understand his good intentions.

He admitted that some of the arrangements were indeed inappropriate, but the starting point was ultimately for her own good, to pave the safest and brightest path for her.

He took a deep breath, his voice lowering slightly, and his tone carrying a hint of matter-of-fact. "If it weren't for my plans, would you have met and fallen in love with Huo Yuhao?"

"As the Child of Luck on the Douluo Continent, he is the perfect match I have chosen for you."

"I even plan to pass on my God Position to him at the appropriate time."

No sooner had these words been spoken than the God of Destruction, who had been standing outside the cell with his hands behind his back, scoffed coldly and said bluntly, "Come on, someone as power-hungry as you, how could you possibly be willing to pass on your God Position to someone else? You can fool others if you want, but don't try to deceive yourself in front of me."

Upon seeing the God of Destruction, Tang San was instantly enraged. His face turned ashen, and his voice was filled with fury. "How could I be deceiving myself? If you hadn't interfered and intercepted Yuhao halfway, he would be my successor now!"

"And you, after taking advantage, still have the nerve to make sarcastic remarks?"

The God of Destruction showed him no mercy, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow as he retorted, "So, you're saying you've been eyeing Huo Yuhao for a while now?"

"But you won't pass on the God Position, and you're blaming me for beating you to the punch?"

"You're the one who's slow and stubborn, refusing to budge, and you won't let others get there first?"

Tang San's expression darkened further, his lips tightening. He then argued forcefully, "I was testing him! To see if he was qualified enough to bear my God Position. The title of God King cannot be easily passed on; it must undergo layers of trials before it can be judged..."

"Oh," the God of Destruction interrupted him, adding indifferently, "You're already preparing to send your daughter away, and only now you're thinking of testing her? The order of your tests is certainly quite unique."

Tang San's face stiffened, his lips moved, but he was speechless for a moment.

He hadn't expected that his hasty words would give the God of Destruction an opening; now he was indeed contradicting himself.

This made his face turn pale and then red, and he couldn't say anything more.

Seeing Tang San rendered speechless by the God of Destruction's words, Huo Yuhao stepped forward and asked the question that had been lingering in his mind for a long time, "When did the Sea God start paying attention to me?"

Having fallen into such a predicament, Tang San no longer bothered to lie.

Moreover, he always felt that he had done nothing wrong, that he was just unlucky and constrained by many parties.

So when faced with Huo Yuhao's question, he answered frankly, "I noticed you the day you were born."

Huo Yuhao thought to himself, "Just as I thought." He composed himself and continued, "Then the Sea God also has plans for me?"

Tang San nodded, a hint of smugness in his voice. "As the Child of Luck of the continent, you are destined for endless opportunities."

"I also hail from the Douluo Continent, so we can be considered fellow countrymen. I'm optimistic about your future and naturally want to make some investments in you."

He paused, then added, "However, those who wish to inherit my God Position must naturally undergo corresponding trials."

Huo Yuhao didn't believe a word Tang San said.

According to historical records from ten thousand years later, he did eventually become a god, but he inherited the God Position of the God of Emotions, not the Sea God or the Asura God.

Tang San's current vow to pass on the God Position to me is nothing but sophistry.

Huo Yuhao didn't dwell on the matter, but instead asked, "Then the Snow Empress's outburst and the Sacrifice of the Auspicious Beast were also the work of the Sea God, weren't they?"

Tang San's eyes flickered. He neither directly admitted nor denied it, but replied vaguely, "Becoming a god is not so easy. One must undergo trials of life and death to forge true divinity."

Upon hearing this, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but glance at the God of Destruction beside him, thinking to himself that becoming a god was actually quite easy.

The God of Destruction didn't subject him to any so-called life-or-death trials. The Divine Examination were arranged simply and clearly, and he smoothly progressed to where he is today.

In comparison, the seemingly grand "tests" that Tang San mentioned seem more like a carefully crafted facade.

Thinking of this, Huo Yuhao's expression turned cold when he looked at his "father-in-law" again.

His tone was calm, yet carried an undisguised coldness. "It seems the Sea God has been high and mighty for too long, wanting to control everything."

"I, the Child of Luck in the lower realm, am like this, and so is my own daughter..."