Success! God King Tang is Ripped Off!

"A path to certain death!!!"

These four words, laden with endless slaughter and cold ruthlessness, surged into Tang San's heart as if by instinct!

A terrifying ripple of divine consciousness brewed frantically within that wisp of his spiritual sense!

How many years had it been?!

Since he became a god—no, even back on the Douluo Continent, after he had become a powerhouse—no one had ever dared to speak to him like this again!

Within the God Realm, the five God Kings treated each other with courtesy, and which of the other First-Class Gods didn't show him the utmost respect upon seeing him?

Those who dared to berate Tang San in such a manner had long since been reduced to the dust of history!

This was simply... the cycle of heaven?! To be pointed at and cursed by his own son today?!

An indescribable sense of humiliation and explosive rage surged through his soul like molten lava!

Killing intent!

Cold, pure killing intent! It was on the verge of breaking through the shackles of his spiritual sense!

He didn't care who it was! To dare offend the majesty of a God King so brazenly...

However!

At the very instant that destructive divine consciousness was about to spiral completely out of control, Tang San "saw" with absolute clarity that young, furious, yet incredibly familiar face within his sea of consciousness.

That face flowed with his own bloodline!

That was the son of him and his wife! His only son!

The son he had exhausted his heart's blood to protect, going so far as to cross planes to lay down seals!

Strike at Tang Wulin's soul? Detonate this wisp of spiritual sense to perish together?!

No!

He couldn't do it!

With that thought, the terrifying divine consciousness, capable of annihilating the soul of an ordinary Titled Douluo, was forcibly cut off at the source by Tang San himself!

Frustration!

Utter, suffocating frustration!

It was as if a mouthful of old blood had surged to his throat, only to be forced back down!

The feeling was even more agonizing than being struck ten thousand times by a Clear Sky Hammer!

Tang San's ball of spiritual sense trembled violently and silently, its light flickering unsteadily like a candle in the wind.

He was furious!

So furious that his soul was shivering! Yet, he was completely helpless against this "rebellious son"!

He couldn't hit him, and as for scolding... it seemed he couldn't even win an argument?

This situation was so awkward it could carve out an entire Sea God Temple!

For the first time, Tang San experienced what it meant to have "strength with nowhere to exert it" and "anger with nowhere to vent."

A dignified God King, reduced to such a frustrated state in front of his own son!

The entire space of the sea of consciousness was filled with a suffocating sense of awkwardness and stalemate.

After Tang Wulin roared those words, most of the anger in his chest had vented, and his mind had calmed down slightly.

He looked at the golden light shadow deep within his sea of consciousness, which was flickering violently and clearly furious, and his heart skipped a beat.

Just now... was he too harsh?

Even if Old Tang might be an Evil Soul Master.

However, Tang Wulin had been raised far too well by his adoptive parents since he was a child.

With that thought, a trace of guilt crept into Tang Wulin's heart.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his churning blood, and the angry expression on his face softened, his voice dropping lower with a hint of apology.

"Old... Old Tang..."

"I'm sorry..."

"Just now... I was too agitated and spoke without thinking."

"I shouldn't have yelled at you like that."

"It's just... Brother Yao Chuan... he really has helped me too much. When I needed it most, it was he who pulled me up. I don't believe he would harm me."

"I trust my own feelings."

Tang Wulin's voice was very sincere, and his apology was genuine.

But that sense of protectiveness toward Yao Chuan remained equally firm and unwavering.

This apology was like ice water poured onto a red-hot branding iron.

With a "hiss."

The wild fluctuations of Tang San's divine consciousness were finally forcibly suppressed.

The light no longer flickered violently, but it still appeared somewhat dim and... stifled.

The suffocating tension in the air, which had been on the verge of exploding, finally dissipated a little following Tang Wulin's apology.

Awkwardness still lingered.

But at least, the conflict that had been enough to cause a collapse of divine consciousness had, for the moment, eased.

Tang San was completely speechless.

A dignified God King, yet at this moment, he did not know where to begin.

What could he say?

Say, "Kid, I am your father"?

This silly boy would probably counter with, "Evil Soul Master attempting possession, eat my Blue Silver Entanglement!"

Say, "That Yao Chuan is stealing your power"?

Looking at how his silly son was defending him, saying that would only make him more resentful, thinking it was just his own jealousy sowing discord!

He was numb.

Tang San felt like a pure, pathetic tool at this moment.

Silence.

A suffocating silence enveloped Tang Wulin's sea of consciousness.

It felt as though a century had passed.

The light-shadow of Tang San's divine sense fluctuated violently a few times, and in the end, it was as if he had completely accepted reality.

A sense of "forget it, just let it all be destroyed, hurry up, I'm tired" decadence permeated the space.

Going head-to-head with this silly son regarding Yao Chuan was purely asking for trouble.

Not only would it be ineffective, but it might also push this silly boy completely into the other side's camp.

What was most important right now?

It was for this silly son to unlock the Golden Dragon King seal and survive!

It was for him to gain power!

As long as his power was strong enough, there would eventually come a day when he would see Yao Chuan's true colors.

As for himself...

Tang San felt bitter in his heart.

He could only endure it for now.

Just do it for his son.

This damned fatherly love!

He forcibly suppressed the churning frustration in his heart, making his voice sound as calm as possible, even adding a touch of deliberate "gentleness."

"Enough."

The voice echoed in the sea of consciousness, carrying a sense of resigned compromise.

"Regarding that Yao Chuan..."

Tang San paused, feeling his teeth grind just from saying the name.

"We shall not speak of him for now."

He shifted the subject, locking Tang Wulin's attention firmly onto the major task at hand.

"What is most important right now is to absorb the three spiritual items before you."

"They are the key to unlocking your first Golden Dragon King seal!"

"If you miss this state of perfect harmony and spiritual fusion, it will be difficult to find such a fitting opportunity again."

His tone became serious and solemn.

"Wulin."

"Focus your spirit."

"Temporarily set aside all doubts and distracting thoughts in your heart."

"Trust me this once."

"Follow the steps I dictate."

"Guide the power of these three spiritual items to strike at the seal!"

"This is the first step to becoming stronger, and it is a crucial one!"

"It must not fail!"

Tang San's words carried an unquestionable power, instantly dispelling the last trace of distraction in Tang Wulin's heart regarding their previous argument.

Tang Wulin's heart gave a violent jolt.

He gazed at the three clusters of spiritual light—ice-blue, crimson, and dark gold—swirling together, exuding an aura that was as alluring as it was dangerous.

Break the seal!

Gain power!

Become a powerful Soul Master!

Find Mom and Dad!

These thoughts instantly eclipsed everything else.

He immediately cast aside all distracting thoughts, his expression becoming incredibly focused.

Regardless of whether Old Tang was the remnant soul of an Evil Soul Master or something else, at least up to this point, everything he had guided him through regarding the Golden Dragon King seal seemed to be true.

Moreover, the spiritual items that Big Brother Yao Chuan had gone to such great lengths to obtain for him must not be wasted!

"Alright!"

Tang Wulin nodded heavily, his eyes filled with unprecedented determination.

"What should I do?"

He displayed a near-pious level of respect and obedience toward the light-shadow of Old Tang within his sea of consciousness.

After all, he had just shouted at the man, and he felt guilty inside.

Right now, whatever Old Tang said, he would do!

"Calm your mind and steady your breath. Use your Dantian soul power to first envelop the cold energy of the Ice Crystal Fruit..."

Tang San's voice rang out clearly and slowly within his sea of consciousness, explaining every step in meticulous detail.

With his son's life and future at stake, he dared not be the slightest bit careless.

Even though he felt stifled to the point of death, he summoned twelve thousand percent of his patience and rigor at this moment.

Tang Wulin held his breath and focused, strictly following the instructions.

He cautiously guided his soul power, first extending a wisp of soul thread toward the ice-blue light cluster that radiated extreme cold.

Hiss--!

The moment they made contact, a chill that felt as if it could freeze his very soul surged back along his soul power!

Tang Wulin let out a muffled groan, his body involuntarily tensing up as white frost instantly coated his eyebrows and hair.

But he gritted his teeth, refusing to retreat in the slightest. He forcibly steadied his soul power and, following Old Tang's guidance, bit by bit, enveloped and channeled it.

"Steady your mind! Ice tempers the muscles and bones; only through pain can you forge resilience!" Tang San's voice rang out like a tolling bell, arriving just in time as his consciousness wavered.

Tang Wulin gritted his teeth and endured, feeling as if ice picks were piercing through his sea of consciousness.

Next came the violent energy of the Red Flame Fruit.

"Use the cold energy as a foundation, then incorporate the essence of the Red Flame! Water and fire clash, yet they also give birth to one another!" Tang San's command followed immediately.

When the soul power carrying the icy attribute enveloped the cluster of crimson flames—

Boom--!

Two diametrically opposed forces suddenly collided within Tang Wulin's body!

One half of his body felt as if it had fallen into a ten-thousand-year ice cavern, his blood and marrow on the verge of freezing and shattering.

The other half felt as if it had been thrown into a lava hell, his skin burning hot enough to incinerate, his meridians aching with unbearable heat.

The extreme duality of ice and fire!

Tang Wulin's body began to tremble violently; his skin flickered between ghostly pale and red as a branding iron, while sweat turned into ice shards or evaporated the moment it seeped out.

His clothes shattered inch by inch under the silent impact of the energy.

His meridians felt as if they were being torn apart and forcibly fused back together.

Pain!

Unimaginable pain swept through his entire body!

A beast-like low growl escaped Tang Wulin's throat as his fingernails dug deep into his palms.

"Hold on! Guide them! Strike at your spinal dragon bone! That is where the seal lies!"

Tang San's voice was filled with urgency and encouragement.

Tang Wulin's eyes were bloodshot. Relying on the obsession to find his parents, protect his companions, and become a powerhouse, he forcibly withstood this inhuman torture.

He frantically circulated his Mysterious Heaven Skill, guiding these two violent and conflicting forces as they struggled toward his spine.

Every impact felt like a giant hammer slamming ruthlessly against his bones.

"Now! Inject the dragon blood! Use the dragon blood as a catalyst to harmonize the ice and fire and strike the core of the seal!" Tang San's voice suddenly rose in pitch.

Tang Wulin did not hesitate in the slightest. He split off a wisp of soul power, wrapped it around the drop of dark-gold, century-old dragon-type soul beast essence blood—which radiated an ancient and majestic aura—and resolutely plunged it into the core vortex where the ice and fire energies were clashing!

Hum--!

A roar, as if the world were being torn asunder, exploded within Tang Wulin's body!

The energies of the Ice Crystal Fruit and the Red Flame Fruit, which had previously been violent, conflicting, and as incompatible as fire and water, miraculously began to merge and rotate after the injection of that drop of essence blood containing the pure aura of a dragon!

The ice blue and crimson red no longer devoured each other; instead, like two dragons, they coiled around that drop of dark golden dragon blood, forming a torrential flow of energy blended in red, blue, and gold!

This torrent radiated an aura that was even more ancient, more domineering, and more pure!

Following the path guided by Tang Wulin, it slammed fiercely against an invisible barrier deep within his spine, like a raging river bursting through a dam!

Crack!

A crisp sound, audible only to Tang Wulin himself, seemed to emanate from the depths of his soul!

The invisible shackle that had lain across his bloodline, restraining a terrifying power—the first seal of the Golden Dragon King—shattered in response to the violent impact of the fused spiritual treasures!

Boom—!

An indescribably vast amount of energy surged forth from the broken seal!

It was as if an ancient, slumbering beast had opened its eyes!

This energy instantly swept through Tang Wulin's limbs and bones, scouring every meridian and saturating every inch of his flesh and skeleton!

The extreme pain of the previous ice-and-fire body tempering melted away like snow under the scorching sun, transformed by the scouring of this power!

In its place was an indescribable sense of comfort!

Power!

An unprecedented sense of power flooded his entire body!

Tang Wulin clearly felt his sinews and bones singing with joy, his muscles becoming tougher, his blood rushing like a river, and his soul power skyrocketing as if propelled by a rocket!

A more intuitive change appeared on his right hand.

Golden light swirled as his Blue Silver Grass martial soul manifested automatically.

But unlike before, the base of that once slender and fragile Blue Silver Grass was now glowing with intense golden light, and the entire blade seemed to be gilded with a golden edge, appearing tough and powerful.

In particular, the tip of the blade, where the golden light was most concentrated, had clearly expanded significantly, radiating a sense of restrained and profound power!

His martial soul had evolved!

The pure power originating from the Golden Dragon King's bloodline had fed back into his own martial soul!

"It's done!!!"

"Success! Wulin! The first seal has been broken!"

His voice was filled with ecstasy and a sense of relief.

He immediately seized this excellent opportunity to strike while the iron was hot, instilling his philosophy in an attempt to salvage a shred of pitiful trust.

"How is it?!"

Tang San's voice carried obvious excitement and a hint of fishing for credit.

"I didn't lie to you, did I?!"

"Breaking the first seal—doesn't it feel completely different?!"

"Can you feel that power?!"

"This is the benefit of the Golden Dragon King's essence merging with your body!"

"Unlocking the seals layer by layer will only bring you immense benefits!"

"It can allow you to be reborn!"

"It will let you stand at the pinnacle of this world!"

"Believe in me!"

"As long as you follow the steps, in the future..."

Tang San's divine sense calculated rapidly.

This was the perfect moment to reshape trust and establish authority!

He was already conceiving how to guide his son step by step, how to acquire subsequent spiritual treasures, and how to make this kid realize the immense value of "Old Tang" once again...

He was even fantasizing about the scene where his son would look at him with adoring eyes and call him "Dad."

Although the road ahead was still long, it was a good start, wasn't it?

However.

The next moment.

The sound of Tang San's divine sense calculating came to an abrupt halt.

Because he saw—

Tang Wulin, immersed in the joy of his surging power, merely nodded perfunctorily.

That look in his eyes was clearly still immersed in the excitement of "Wow, I'm so strong" and "The spiritual treasures Brother Yao Chuan gave me are so awesome."

Then.

Before Tang San could even brew his next line of dialogue to build up their father-son bond and mentor-disciple camaraderie, Tang Wulin's consciousness, whoosh!

Carrying that newly acquired, fresh, and piping-hot sensation of immense power, Like a gust of wind, Retreated from this space of the Sea of Consciousness without a moment's hesitation!

He ran with such crisp, clean decisiveness!

As if a soul beast were chasing him from behind!

Tang San: "..."

His entire divine consciousness projection froze completely in place.

Like a puppet with its strings cut.

He had just been thinking about how to draft a blueprint for trust.

The blueprint was still being sketched out in his mind.

And the protagonist had run off?!

He ran?!

Wait!

Where are you going?!

Tang San's divine consciousness instinctively tried to grab hold of Tang Wulin's consciousness.

But it only swiped at empty air.

Leaving behind only a wisp of Tang Wulin's lingering thought, overflowing with excitement, echoing through the vast Sea of Consciousness:

'This is amazing! It worked!'

'Power! I can feel such immense power!'

'The spiritual item Brother Yao Chuan gave me is truly incredible!'

'I have to go tell him this great news immediately! He will definitely be happy for me!'

The Sea of Consciousness.

A dead silence.

Only Tang San's solidified divine consciousness projection remained, like an isolated island abandoned in the center of a storm.

Stunned.

Frustrated.

Incredulous.

An indescribable, massive sense of emptiness—the feeling of being used for free—instantly engulfed the divine consciousness of the dignified God King.

He stood there blankly.

It was as if the very particles of divine consciousness that composed his projection were about to weather away and flake off.

After a long while.

The projection finally flickered, ever so, ever so, ever so slightly.

A thought, filled with extreme absurdity, grievance, anger, and helplessness, drifted through the dead-silent Sea of Consciousness like a ghost:

"I..."

"Was just..."

"Used for free???"