Haji San Hissed

The Divine Realm, the Sea God Temple.

Azure divine power surged through the temple like the tide, and every inch of this Divine Domain was filled with the majesty of its laws.

Yet at that moment, the tranquility was shattered by a fury laced with Asura's murderous intent.

Tang San, the Divine Realm's enforcer, Sea God and Asura God, was clutching another God King by the collar, his face icy.

"Ji Dong! Explain yourself!"

Tang San's voice was low.

"Why did Ji Jing show up on Douluo Continent? And right by Xiao Qi's side!"

"When did he go down to the mortal world? Why didn't he go to Five Elements Continent? Why didn't you tell me!"

The one whose collar Tang San was gripping was the God of Evil, Ji Dong.

Unlike Tang San, who was blazing with fury, Ji Dong wore a smile. He patted Tang San's hand, still clenched around his collar, signaling him to calm down.

"Come on, Third Brother, don't get so worked up."

Ji Dong slipped free of Tang San's grip and straightened his divine robes.

"I just thought we could become family through marriage."

"Become family?"

Tang San gave a cold snort.

"Is keeping me in the dark really how you go about becoming family?"

Ji Dong poured a cup of nectar for himself and one for Tang San, took his time savoring a sip, then spoke leisurely:

"Third Brother, that's not fair."

"Besides, when Xiao Qi was little, you let her spend so much time with Ji Jing. She called him 'Brother Jing' all day long. Are you really going to tell me you never had any other ideas?"

Tang San was momentarily at a loss for words.

He had indeed considered it.

Ji Jing had inherited the strongest bloodlines of both Ji Dong and Lie Yan, two God Kings. His talent was unmatched throughout the entire Divine Realm.

A union with Tang San's daughter would be the best choice, whether for bloodline inheritance or the future order of the Divine Realm.

It was just...

"That's different!"

Tang San argued.

"I never intended to trade my daughter's happiness for anything!"

"Then I don't know what to tell you."

Ji Dong's expression turned serious. He set down his cup and looked Tang San straight in the eye.

"But I really won't interfere. That's why I let Ji Jing go down there on his own. The children should sort things out for themselves."

Then he shifted the conversation, his tone taking on a deeper meaning:

"I know you're in a hurry right now. Douluo Continent's plane power is declining, so you want to scheme for its fate, control that child of destiny, and keep the future firmly in your grasp to pave the way for your grand plan."

Tang San's pupils contracted sharply, and the divine power around him became violently unstable.

This was his greatest secret!

Ji Dong waved a hand, signaling that he didn't need to be nervous.

"Relax. I won't tell Destruction. I won't interfere with how you raise or use your chosen child of destiny."

"But..."

Ji Dong smiled.

"Let Xiao Qi and my son be. Let the youngsters see where things go on their own."

"After all, there's no point interfering in matters of the heart. You know that better than I do, don't you?"

"You and Xiao Wu went through so many trials before finally ending up together. These two kids seem like a good match to me."

"If they end up together, we should leave them to it. If they don't, I won't meddle either."

Tang San fell silent. As he looked into Ji Dong's open gaze, the anger and wariness in his heart gradually subsided.

Ever since Ji Jing was born, Tang San had watched Ji Dong and Lie Yan cherish the boy as their greatest treasure, pouring all their love and effort into him.

That pure parental love, free of any scheming, had deeply moved him.

Seeing them was what had finally made Tang San give up on folding his own child completely into his plans, allowing Tang Wutong the freedom to choose for herself.

He let out a long sigh, and the tension in the temple ebbed away.

"Aren't you worried... Xiao Qi might not choose your son in the end?"

Tang San rubbed his brow, his voice tinged with weariness.

"Then that's her choice. It just means Ji Jing wasn't good enough."

Ji Dong smiled with easy confidence.

"All I hope is that, whatever the outcome, my son can have a youth without regrets."

Tang San was thoroughly convinced.

He sat back down on his divine throne and waved a hand.

"Fine. Let them be. Just make sure they don't throw my whole plan into chaos."

"Don't worry."

Ji Dong raised his cup in a distant toast.

"Ji Jing is still of Five Elements Continent's bloodline. Nothing on Douluo Continent is something he'd consider."

With that, he downed his nectar in one gulp. His figure dissolved into pinpricks of red light and vanished from the Sea God Temple.

Tang San sat alone in the empty temple, his gaze seeming to pierce endless space and time before settling on the continent where he had been born and raised.

After a long while, he finally murmured, his voice filled with conflicting emotions:

"Xiao Qi... I hope you can make the choice that will bring you happiness."

The next morning, Ji Jing and Wang Dong arrived at the classroom together.

They were in Class One, Zhou Yi's class.

Ji Jing didn't particularly care whose class he was in. Even if Zhou Yi really was the sort who often flew off the handle, it wouldn't affect him.

Besides, Zhou Yi also had connections to the Soul Guidance Department. For Ji Jing, who was interested in studying souls, that could be a worthwhile opportunity to observe.

As for her infamous habit of expelling students on a whim, Ji Jing didn't care.

Zhou Yi was certainly at fault, but on Douluo Continent, the one with the bigger fist had the final say.

If a bunch of Soul Masters and Soul Grandmasters dared to slack off when ordered by a Soul Emperor, then they had only themselves to blame for getting expelled.

At Shrek, rules and regulations were all rather vague.

Zhou Yi had been doing these things for so long without being disciplined, which showed that the academy approved of her methods.

After all, the outer courtyard wasn't the heart of Shrek. Apart from the core disciples, none of the students there were truly one of their own.

Ji Jing and Wang Dong sat together, quickly drawing the attention of the girls in their class.

Wang Dong looked incredibly handsome dressed as a boy, the kind of heartthrob who held an irresistible appeal for ordinary girls her age.

Ji Jing was different. His features were handsome and rugged, and his rolled-up sleeves revealed arms lined with striking muscles.

The girls who liked that sort of thing could hardly take their eyes off Ji Jing.

Even the boys envied his manly appearance.

Some of them even swallowed as they stared at Ji Jing's muscles.

Ji Jing noticed one boy's behavior and shuddered.

Oh no. Was there a gay guy at Shrek Academy?

He was obviously a little bottom. Otherwise, why wasn't he paying any attention to Wang Dong? The guy sitting next to Ji Jing looked much more likely to be into men!

Ji Jing casually rolled down his sleeve, his expression strange.

Twelve years after being born, he, a second-generation god, had felt fear for the first time...