What Are the Odds?
As for the pain of being separated from one's soul, it's nothing.
Chapter 318 Is it really such a coincidence?
The scroll of memories in the void did not stop, but continued to reveal even more astonishing content.
In the scene, Tang San, who has become the God King, makes a seemingly strange condition when his daughter Tang Wutong asks to travel to the Douluo Continent: she must dress as a man and use the alias "Wang Dong".
Watching Tang Wutong, with her overly delicate face, use the Martial Soul that only women in the Douluo Continent can awaken— the Light Goddess Butterfly —to pretend to be a boy in front of everyone, even though some teachers have already noticed but she pretends not to know, several observant gods couldn't help but twitch their lips slightly.
At the same time, the gods were also puzzled: why did Tang San make such an arrangement in the scene?
The scene shifts, and the perspective follows Tang San's divine sense, descending to the lower realm.
Tang Wutong, who uses the alias Wang Dong, has had her related memories sealed and genuinely believes that she is the "Wang Dong" from the Clear Sky Sect.
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao, another boy who shared a dormitory with her, gradually became the focus of the scene.
When they first saw Huo Yuhao's First Soul Ring, that seemingly shabby and pitiful "ten-year white Soul Ring," it didn't initially attract much attention.
However, as the memories unfolded and their true nature was revealed—this Soul Ring was actually Simulation by a million-year-old Soul Beast Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, in a special way. Its true energy level and growth potential far exceeded that of an ordinary Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, and it also came with the unparalleled ability to share Spiritual Origin and provide strategic support...
A suppressed murmur arose within the temple.
"Million-Year Soul Ring... as the First Soul Ring?!" A priest's voice trembled, filled with disbelief, jealousy, and shock.
Countless gods endure countless hardships before attaining godhood, and obtaining a high-quality Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring is already a stroke of luck; Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring is a legendary find that is extremely rare. But Huo Yuhao started at the million-year level, and perfectly fused with it in such a special way! This cannot be described as "extraordinary talent"; it is simply the ultimate blessing of fortune!
But this is just the beginning.
The Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion willingly sacrificed itself to become the Second Martial Soul!
The Heavenly Snow Woman, aged 700,000 years, merged into the body in embryonic form, bringing with her Ultimate Ice and the nascent form of Soul Spirit!
Furthermore, there is also a necromancer named Electrolux from another world, of extremely high status, whose remaining consciousness still possesses god-like abilities, who comes to inherit and protect him, almost equivalent to a god protecting him!
"The Ice Empress, the Snow Empress... and the soul of that necromancer... This, this Huo Yuhao's luck is simply too terrifying!" A Second-Level God murmured, his tone filled with complex emotions.
Finally, a deity uttered the guess that was gradually becoming clear in the hearts of all the viewers. "Could it be... that this young man named Huo Yuhao is the... chosen one of destiny of that generation of Douluo Star?!"
The chosen one is someone who carries the strongest fortune and destiny of an era and a plane. Their growth is often accompanied by dramatic changes in the times and tremendous opportunities. Only this explanation can rationalize the series of incredible "adventures" that Huo Yuhao has experienced and the top-level power that has gathered within him.
Seeing this, the gods' doubts about Tang San's previous "perfunctory" arrangements suddenly became clear.
I see!
The mighty God-King, by using his own daughter in such a deliberate and calculated way to approach and accompany the chosen one of destiny, clearly had an ulterior motive—to win over, bind, and even... control.
The memories continued to unfold, confirming the gods' predictions.
Tang San's attention to Huo Yuhao far exceeded that of ordinary people; he secretly guided him and even exerted influence at certain crucial moments.
Meanwhile, the feelings between Tang Wutong and Huo Yuhao deepened day by day, and their fates became closely intertwined.
This was not merely an arrangement based on personal feelings, but a meticulously planned gamble and a reaping of rewards against the tides of the times.
Using blood ties as a bond, they completely bring the chosen ones under their control, thereby indirectly seizing or even dominating that enormous destiny of the era.
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Watching the scene in his memory where Tang San, as the God King, used his daughter as a bond to guide and bind Huo Yuhao, the chosen one of destiny, step by step, and even secretly interfere in the lower realm, the Asura God's scarlet eyes did not reveal the slightest rebuke or contempt. Instead, they gradually filled with undisguised admiration and recognition.
Rules? Influence on the lower realms? Personal involvement in the planning?
In the eyes of the Asura God, these rules may be insurmountable iron laws for weak gods, but for the God-King who truly stands at the pinnacle and shoulders the responsibility of maintaining the stability and security of the Divine Realm and even subordinate planes, the rules have always been defined by them and implemented at their discretion.
As long as the final outcome is "beneficial" to the Divine Realm, the process is irrelevant!
Tang San's approach—locking in the chosen one of destiny in advance, ensuring that their growth trajectory would not deviate, and ultimately bringing them into a controllable system—was seen by the Asura God as visionary and courageous.
This is the mindset a God-King should have: not getting bogged down in details, but focusing on the big picture, eliminating or turning potential destabilizing factors into advantages.
However, as the scene progressed and it was revealed that Huo Yuhao ultimately inherited only the Emotion God, the Asura God's usually calm and even slightly approving brows furrowed slightly.
First-Level God?
In the eyes of ordinary priests and Second-Level God, this was already the highest and most honorable position.
However, according to the judgment criteria of the Asura God, given the heaven-defying and unbelievable luck that Huo Yuhao displayed (his First Soul Ring was a million years old, gathering the legacy of many top Soul Beast and otherworldly powerhouses), being merely First-Level God seemed... far too meager.
That's right, it's shabby.
In the eyes of the Asura God, given Huo Yuhao's potential and the fortune he possessed, his achievements should have had a much higher ceiling. While the position of the Emotion God certainly had its unique aspects, compared to his legendary starting point, this ending even subtly hinted at a sense of "downfall."
Several thoughts flashed through the Asura God's mind, but he quickly stopped delving into them.
Overall, Tang San's plan was undoubtedly successful—the chosen one of destiny was successfully recruited, and his power was used by the Divine Realm.
That's enough. As for whether Huo Yuhao's final divine position is "emotion" or something else, from the perspective of the overall situation of the Divine Realm, the difference may not be as significant as imagined.
He admired Tang San's decisiveness and execution in bringing all favorable factors under control.
As for those other exceptionally talented geniuses who were overlooked or sacrificed by Tang San but were unable to become gods due to the "fullness of the divine positions"...
The Asura God's eyes remained indifferent, his heart undisturbed.
Becoming a god is a cruel selection process that requires both luck and talent.
Having talent alone, without that crucial element of "divine affinity" or "luck," is ultimately just a mirage.
The number of divine positions in the Divine Realm is limited, resources are constant, old gods do not relinquish their positions, and new gods have no place.
Those mortal geniuses in the lower realms, no matter how brilliant they are, if they cannot wait for a "vacancy" or seize that one-in-a-million "opportunity," they can only shine within their limited lifespan before returning to dust.
This is the rule of this world.
Looking at the "God King Tang San" in his memory, who was a master strategist and even seemed to transcend mere power, attempting to control the course of destiny, the admiration in the eyes of the Asura God gradually settled into a deeper level of contemplation.
Tang San's methods and temperament certainly have some aspects worth learning from.
But did these memories actually happen?
Why did he and the current, disheveled Tang San, who has colluded with the abyss, go to such drastically different extremes?
What went wrong?
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On the high throne of the Divine Realm, the deities watched as Tang San used his daughter as a bargaining chip and tool, meticulously plotting his way to ultimately replace the Daughter of Destiny and control the Son of Destiny. One Second-Level God, renowned for his wisdom, couldn't help but gasp in astonishment. "This Tang San is indeed ruthless. He used his daughter as a bargaining chip and tool, successfully killing, draining, and replacing the Daughter of Destiny, and even taking the Son of Destiny under his own control."
Another deity beside him frowned. "But where did these inexplicable, sudden 'memories' come from? The details are so 'real'... Could this mortal really be a reincarnation of a god-king?"
"Hmph, reincarnation? I doubt it..." Another, older deity stroked his illusory beard and objected.
The gods were abuzz with discussion, some marveling at Tang San's abilities, others speculating about the authenticity of his memories.
Just then, the image in the mirror suddenly shifted, revealing a scene that left all the onlookers speechless and dumbfounded—
In the "Divine Realm" of his memories, Tang San and his wife Xiao Wu have unexpectedly had another child!
A son named Tang Wulin!
"This... how is this possible?!"
"How difficult it is for gods to give birth to offspring! It requires expending a massive amount of their essence, harmonizing the divine essences of both parties, and also depending on whether the rules of the universe allow it... This Tang San has only inherited his divine position for ten thousand years, and his foundation is not yet stable. How could he possibly have given birth to offspring one after another?!"
"Could it be... because his wife Xiao Wu's true form is Soft Bone Rabbit?" A goddess proposed a conjecture that she herself found absurd, "After Soul Beast becomes a god, its reproductive ability is... stronger than that of a native god?" But this explanation seemed pale and powerless in the face of common sense in the Divine Realm.
Before they could recover from the shock, the memories accelerated again, revealing an even more astonishing "internal strife within the Divine Realm."
The God of Destruction advocates expanding the barriers of the Divine Realm to prepare for future crises, but this is met with staunch resistance from the opposition led by Tang San, his wife, daughters, and son-in-law.
The original God of Destruction faction was actually turned against the Life Goddess by Tang San!
The Divine Realm realm is divided into three factions, with the gods of Goddess of Kindness and Evil God remaining neutral observers.
As the conflict escalated, the God of Destruction kidnapped Tang San's son Tang Wulin, as a hostage to coerce him! Tang San's counterattack involved having the Life Goddess personally persuade her husband...
Faced with his wife's persuasion, the God of Destruction's romantic and career-oriented minds clashed...
At this critical moment, a spacetime turbulence occurred.
"What... what is all this?!" A god's lips twitched. "The Lord of Destruction would kidnap an infant? The Life Goddess would betray her husband and stand against him? Does the creator of this memory have some... misunderstanding about the personalities of these god-kings?"
The scene in the mirror reached its climax. Just as the God-Kings were unable to unite and control the central hub of the Divine Realm due to internal strife, a terrifying spatial-temporal turbulence swept in! At this moment, the Divine Realm was in a vulnerable state due to internal conflict and was about to be swept away by the turbulence.
The most absurd and speechless scene for the gods in reality unfolded: the previously invincible God of Destruction suddenly admitted his mistake and, together with the Life Goddess, chose to sacrifice himself, burning his own bodies to save the Divine Realm. After entrusting his divine status to Tang San, they both "went to their deaths."
A long, eerie silence fell over the council chamber of the God Realm Committee.
The gods looked at each other, their expressions shifting from initial shock and confusion to a profound sense of absurdity.
"This memory... rather than being the reincarnation of some god-king," finally, a god slowly spoke, his tone filled with a sense of helpless lament, "Is more like a... third-rate storybook that blends family ethics, power struggles, sacrifice, and salvation?"
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The Life Goddess, who had been quietly observing, slowly turned her head, her emerald green eyes, brimming with endless vitality and gentleness, looking at her husband beside her— the God of Destruction.
Her gaze wasn't stern, but it carried a clear hint of helplessness and a slight reproach.
The God of Destruction naturally noticed his wife's gaze. His usually stern face, unusually, did not immediately refute or show impatience; instead, he fell into deep thought.
A purplish-black aura of destruction slowly swirled around him, darker and more unpredictable than usual.
He completely disregarded the absurd plot.
Kidnapping children, marital discord, sacrifice for love... these are simply insults to his divinity and wisdom.
However, setting aside those ridiculous personal grudges and twisted personalities, there is a core point in this story that precisely hits the nail on the head regarding his long-standing inner conflict.
"Expand the barrier of the Divine Realm..." the God of Destruction repeated the phrase in a low voice, his eyes flashing with purple light.
Yes, he wanted to expand the Divine Realm, a thought that had been brewing for a very long time. As the God-King who ruled over destruction, he perceived more clearly than any other god that the Divine Realm, after enjoying the long period of stability and prosperity brought by the Dragon God's legacy, had already reached an invisible ceiling—the number of divine positions had reached its limit, the cycle of rules was approaching saturation, and development was almost stagnant.
He had examined the barriers of the Divine Realm countless times. The barrier, reinforced by the legacy of the Dragon God and the successive God-Kings, was strong enough and powerful enough to provide a basis for slow and controlled outward expansion.
In his view, clinging to the past is the greatest irresponsibility towards the future of the Divine Realm.
Only by expanding the barriers, absorbing more void energy, and increasing the capacity of the rules can the stalemate be broken, allowing the Divine Realm to truly "grow" and develop, accommodate more new gods, and cope with potentially broader challenges in the future.
Logically, expansion should not be a problem.
But...
"Spacetime turbulence..." The God of Destruction's voice grew even lower.
That perfectly timed spatial-temporal turbulence, erupting at a critical moment of expansion and internal strife, plunged him into deep thought.