"Seeking death!!!"
Those four words, brimming with endless slaughter and mercilessness, surged instinctively into Tang San's mind!
A terrifying wave of divine sense began brewing furiously within that wisp of his divine consciousness!
How many years had it been?!
Ever since he became a god—no, ever since he became a powerful cultivator back on Douluo Continent, no one had dared speak to him like that!
In the Divine Realm, the Five Great God Kings treated one another as equals and showed each other due respect. And which First-Level God hadn't treated him with the utmost reverence?
Anyone who had dared to scold him, Tang San, like this had long since vanished into the dust of history!
This was practically... the heavens' way of balancing the scales?! Today, he'd actually been cursed out by his own son, right to his face?!
An indescribable humiliation and fury surged through his soul like molten lava!
Killing intent!
Cold, pure killing intent! It nearly broke free of his divine sense's restraints!
Whoever he was, anyone who dared offend a God King's dignity like this...
But!
At the very instant that destructive divine sense was about to spiral completely out of control, Tang San "saw" the young, furious, yet utterly familiar face in the depths of the sea of consciousness with perfect clarity.
That face carried his bloodline!
It was the son he had with his wife! Their only son!
The son for whom he had poured out his heart and soul, even crossing planes to set up a seal to protect him!
Blast Tang Wulin's soul? Detonate this wisp of divine consciousness and take them both down?!
No!
He couldn't do it!
At that thought, Tang San forcibly cut off the source of that terrifying divine sense, powerful enough to annihilate the soul of an ordinary Titled Douluo!
Aggrieved!
Utterly, devastatingly aggrieved!
It was like a mouthful of blood rising to his throat, only for him to have to force it back down!
It felt worse than being smashed ten thousand times by a Clear Sky Hammer!
Tang San's divine-consciousness orb quivered violently and silently, its light flickering erratically like a candle in the wind.
He was furious!
So furious that even his soul trembled! Yet he was helpless against this "unfilial son"!
He couldn't hit him, and as for scolding him... he probably couldn't even win that fight?
The situation was awkward enough to dig out an entire Sea God Temple!
For the first time, Tang San understood what it meant to have "strength but nowhere to use it," and to have "anger with nowhere to vent."
A dignified God King had ended up in such a humiliating predicament in front of his own son!
The entire sea of consciousness was filled with suffocating awkwardness and deadlock.
After shouting those words, Tang Wulin had vented most of his anger, and his head had cooled a little.
He looked at the golden figure deep in his sea of consciousness, its light flickering violently. It was clearly furious, and his heart gave a sudden lurch.
Had he... gone too far?
Though Old Tang might be an Evil Soul Master.
But Tang Wulin had been raised far too well by his adoptive parents.
As he thought about it, a trace of guilt crept into Tang Wulin's heart.
He took a deep breath, tamped down his surging blood and energy, and let the anger fade from his face. His voice dropped, carrying a hint of apology.
"Ol... Old Tang..."
"I'm sorry..."
"Just now... I got too worked up. I spoke without thinking."
"I shouldn't have yelled at you like that."
"It's just... Big Brother Yao Chuan... he's really helped me so much. When I needed help the most, he was the one who pulled me out of a jam. I don't believe he'd hurt me."
"I trust my instincts."
Tang Wulin sounded completely sincere. His apology was heartfelt.
But his determination to defend Yao Chuan was just as unwavering.
That apology was like cold water poured over a red-hot iron.
Hiss!
At last, the frantic fluctuations of Tang San's divine sense were forcibly suppressed.
The light stopped flickering so violently, though it still looked rather dim and... stifled.
With Tang Wulin's apology, the suffocating tension in the air, as if they were on the verge of coming to blows, finally began to ease.
The awkwardness still lingered.
But at least the clash that had nearly shattered his divine sense had temporarily subsided.
Tang San was utterly speechless.
At that moment, the dignified God King had no idea where to begin.
What could he say?
"Brat, I'm your father"?
That foolish kid would probably turn around and fire back, "An Evil Soul Master is trying to possess me! Take this, Blue Silver Entanglement!"
"Yao Chuan is stealing your power"?
Looking at how fiercely the foolish boy defended him, saying that would only make him more resentful. He'd think Tang San was jealous and trying to drive a wedge between them!
He was numb.
At that moment, Tang San felt like a complete sucker of a tool.
Silence.
A suffocating silence enveloped Tang Wulin's sea of consciousness.
It seemed to last an entire century.
Tang San's divine-consciousness figure fluctuated violently a few times. In the end, it seemed he had finally accepted reality.
A weary feeling of "Fine, whatever. Let it all be destroyed. Just get it over with. I'm tired" spread through him.
Picking a fight with this foolish son over Yao Chuan was purely asking for misery.
It would achieve nothing and might even drive the foolish kid straight into the other man's camp.
What mattered most right now?
Getting the foolish kid to undo the Golden Dragon King's seal and survive!
Helping him gain strength!
As long as he became powerful enough, one day he'd see Yao Chuan's true face for himself.
As for himself...
Tang San's heart was bitter.
He could only endure it for now.
He'd just have to do it for his son.
This damned fatherly love!
He forcibly suppressed the turmoil of frustration churning inside him and tried to make his voice sound as calm as possible, even giving it a deliberate touch of "gentleness."
"Let it go."
His voice echoed through the sea of consciousness, carrying the resignation of someone who had given in.
"As for that Yao Chuan..."
Tang San paused. Even saying the name made his teeth grind.
"We'll leave him aside for now."
He changed the subject, firmly drawing Tang Wulin's attention back to the urgent matter at hand.
"The most important thing right now is to absorb the three spiritual treasures in front of you."
"They're the key to unlocking the Golden Dragon King's first seal!"
"If you miss this perfectly balanced state, with the spiritual powers blending together, it'll be difficult to find such a suitable moment again."
His tone turned stern and grave.
"Wulin."
"Focus."
"Set aside all your doubts and distractions for now."
"Trust me this once."
"Follow my instructions."
"Guide the power of these three spiritual treasures and use it to strike the seal!"
"This is your first step toward becoming stronger, and a crucial one!"
"We must not fail!"
Tang San's words carried an unquestionable force, instantly dispelling the last traces of distraction lingering in Tang Wulin's mind after their argument.
Tang Wulin's heart gave a sudden leap.
He looked at the three streams of spiritual light before him, icy blue, fiery red, and dark gold, blending together and giving off an alluring yet dangerous aura.
Undo the seal!
Gain strength!
Become a powerful Soul Master!
Find his parents!
Those thoughts instantly eclipsed everything else.
He immediately cast aside all distractions, his expression turning intensely focused.
Whether Old Tang was the remnant soul of an Evil Soul Master or something else, at least so far, everything he'd said about the Golden Dragon King's seal seemed true.
And the spiritual treasures Big Brother Yao Chuan had gone to such lengths to obtain for him absolutely couldn't be wasted!
"Okay!"
Tang Wulin nodded firmly, his eyes more resolute than ever.
"What should I do?"
He showed the image of Old Tang in his sea of consciousness an almost reverent respect and obedience.
After all, he had just yelled at the man, and he felt guilty.
Whatever Old Tang said now, he'd do!
"Quiet your mind and steady your breathing. Draw on your Soul Power from your dantian, and first wrap it around the cold energy of the Ice Crystal Fruit..."
Tang San's voice rang clearly and slowly through the sea of consciousness, explaining every step in meticulous detail.
His son's life and future were at stake. He didn't dare make the slightest mistake.
Even though he was about as aggrieved as a person could be, he still brought a hundred and twenty percent of his patience and care to the task.
Tang Wulin held his breath and focused, following every instruction to the letter.
He carefully guided his Soul Power, extending a thread of it toward the icy-blue orb that radiated bone-chilling cold.
Hiss!
The instant it made contact, a chill that seemed capable of freezing his soul surged back along his Soul Power!
Tang Wulin grunted, his body tensing against his will as frost instantly coated his eyebrows and hair.
But he gritted his teeth without retreating an inch. He steadied his Soul Power and, following Old Tang's guidance, slowly wrapped it around the orb and began to guide it.
"Steady your mind! The cold tempers your muscles and bones; only through pain can you forge resilience!" Tang San's voice rang out like a great bell, just in time to catch Tang Wulin as his resolve wavered.
Tang Wulin gritted his teeth and endured, as if ice picks were stabbing through his sea of consciousness.
Next came the energy of the Red Flame Fruit, wild and untamed.
"Use the cold as your foundation, then draw in the essence of the red flame! Water and fire may clash, but they can also give rise to one another!" Tang San's instructions came right on cue.
The moment the Soul Power carrying the icy attribute wrapped around that fiery red blaze—
Boom!
Two forces of utterly opposite nature collided inside Tang Wulin's body!
One half of his body plunged into a ten-thousand-year-old ice cavern, his blood and marrow on the verge of freezing solid.
The other half seemed to have been thrown into a molten hell. His skin burned like it was about to catch fire, and his meridians seared with unbearable pain.
Ice and fire at their extremes!
Tang Wulin's body began to tremble violently. His skin turned ghastly pale one moment and furnace-red the next. Sweat froze into ice crystals the instant it emerged or evaporated in a flash.
His clothes were torn to shreds by the silent surges of energy.
It felt as if his meridians were being ripped apart, then forcibly fused back together.
Pain!
Unimaginable pain swept through his entire body!
A bestial growl rumbled from Tang Wulin's throat as his fingernails dug deep into his palms.
"Hold on! Guide them! Strike the dragon bone in your spine! That's where the seal is!"
Tang San's voice carried urgency and encouragement.
Tang Wulin's eyes were bloodshot. Fueled by his determination to find his parents, protect his friends, and become stronger, he endured the inhuman torture by sheer force of will.
He frantically circulated the Mysterious Heaven Skill, guiding the two violent, clashing forces as they struggled toward his spine.
Every strike felt like a massive hammer slamming into his bones.
"Now! Infuse it with Dragon Blood! Use the Dragon Blood as a guide to harmonize the ice and fire, then strike the core of the seal!" Tang San's voice suddenly rose.
Tang Wulin didn't hesitate for a moment. He separated a wisp of Soul Power, wrapped it around the drop of dark-golden Century Dragon-Type Soul Beast Essence Blood radiating an ancient, awe-inspiring aura, and resolutely sent it into the raging vortex where the ice and fire energies clashed!
Buzz!
A thunderclap that seemed to split heaven and earth exploded inside Tang Wulin!
The energies of the Ice Crystal Fruit and Red Flame Fruit, which had been clashing violently like fire and water, miraculously began to merge and revolve when infused with a drop of pure Dragon Blood.
The ice blue and crimson energies no longer devoured each other. Instead, like two flood dragons, they coiled around the drop of dark golden Dragon Blood, forming a torrent of energy in three mingling colors: red, blue, and gold!
The torrent radiated an aura that was even more ancient, domineering, and pure!
Following the path Tang Wulin had guided it along, it surged like a raging river bursting through its banks and slammed into an invisible barrier deep within his spine!
Crack!
A crisp sound that only Tang Wulin could hear, as if it came from the depths of his soul!
The invisible shackle deep within his bloodline, binding a terrifying power—the Golden Dragon King's first seal—shattered under the violent impact of the fused power of the three spiritual treasures!
Rumble—!
An indescribably vast energy surged out of the shattered seal!
It was like an ancient Ferocious Beast awakening from its slumber and opening its eyes!
The energy swept through Tang Wulin's entire body in an instant, coursing through every meridian and soaking into every inch of his flesh and bones!
Under its cleansing force, the extreme pain of Ice and Fire Body Tempering melted away like snow beneath the blazing sun, transforming into something else!
In its place came a sense of comfort beyond words!
Power!
An unprecedented sense of power filled his entire body!
Tang Wulin clearly felt his bones and sinews sing with joy, his muscles grow tougher, his blood surge like rivers, and his Soul Power rocket upward!
The most obvious change appeared in his right hand.
Golden light swirled around it as his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul appeared on its own.
But unlike before, the base of the once slender, delicate Blue Silver Grass now blazed with golden light. Its leaves seemed gilded, making them look tough and strong.
The very tips of the leaves gleamed brightest. They had clearly swollen to many times their former size, radiating a restrained yet weighty sense of power!
His Martial Soul had evolved!
The pure power drawn from the Golden Dragon King Bloodline had fed back into his Body Martial Soul!
"It worked!!!"
"Success! Wulin! The first seal is broken!"
His voice brimmed with wild joy and relief.
He immediately seized this perfect opportunity to press his advantage, explaining the benefits in hopes of salvaging even a shred of his pitiful credibility.
"How does it feel?!"
Tang San's voice was unmistakably excited, with just a hint of self-congratulation.
"I didn't lie to you, did I?!"
"Breaking the first seal feels completely different, doesn't it?!"
"Can you feel that power?!"
"This is the benefit of the Golden Dragon King's essence merging with your body!"
"Breaking the seals one by one will bring you nothing but tremendous benefits!"
"It'll transform you completely!"
"It'll let you stand at the pinnacle of this world!"
"Trust me!"
"As long as you keep moving forward step by step, in the future..."
Tang San's divine sense rapidly worked out its next move.
This was the perfect chance to rebuild trust and establish his authority!
He was already planning how to guide his son step by step, how to obtain the remaining spiritual treasures, and how to make the boy recognize "Old Tang's" tremendous value all over again...
He was even imagining the scene of his son gazing at him with admiration and calling him "Dad."
The road ahead was still long, but at least they'd gotten off to a good start, hadn't they?
However.
The next moment.
Tang San's scheming came to an abrupt halt.
Because he saw—
Tang Wulin, immersed in the joy of his surging power, merely gave a perfunctory nod or two.
His eyes were clearly still caught up in the excitement of "Wow, I'm so awesome!" and "Big Brother Yao Chuan's spiritual treasures are incredible!"
Then.
Before Tang San could work out his next line to build father-son affection and a bond between master and disciple—
Tang Wulin's consciousness—whoosh!
Carrying that newly acquired, fresh and potent sense of power—
Blew away like a gust of wind.
He left this sea of consciousness without the slightest hesitation!
He was gone in a flash!
It was as if a Soul Beast were chasing him!
Tang San: "..."
The entire phantom of his divine sense froze in place.
Like a puppet with its strings cut.
He'd just been wondering how to draw up a blueprint for trust.
He hadn't even finished sketching it in his mind.
And the protagonist had run off?!
Run off?!
Wait!
Where are you going?!
Tang San's divine sense reflexively tried to grab Tang Wulin's consciousness.
But it caught nothing but empty air.
All that remained was a fragment of Tang Wulin's excited thoughts, practically overflowing with joy, echoing through the empty sea of consciousness:
'Amazing! It worked!'
'Power! I can feel it! Such incredible power!'
'The spiritual treasures Big Brother Yao Chuan gave me really are amazing!'
'I have to go tell him this great news right away! He'll be so happy for me!'
The sea of consciousness.
Absolute silence.
Only Tang San's frozen phantom of divine sense remained, like an island abandoned in the heart of a storm.
Dumbfounded.
Aggrieved.
In disbelief.
An indescribable, overwhelming sense of having been used and discarded washed over the dignified God King's divine sense.
He stood there, dazed.
It was as if even the particles of divine sense forming his phantom were about to weather away and crumble.
After a long while.
The phantom finally gave the faintest of tremors.
A thought filled with absurdity, grievance, fury, and helplessness drifted through the silent sea of consciousness like a ghost:
"I..."
"This is..."
"Did I just get used for free???"
Before you continue