Xiao Wu's divine-consciousness avatar looked exactly like her, dressed in a smoky-pink gown whose close-fitting cut perfectly outlined her curvy figure.
Her hair was braided into a scorpion tail and pinned with a jade hairpin. She had a slender waist and long legs, and the curves of her chest were full and rounded.
The mature charm Xiao Wu had gained after giving birth was impossible to conceal, even in a mere avatar of her divine consciousness.
Xiao Wu's gaze immediately settled on Tang An. As she looked at his face—several times more handsome than Tang San had been as a youth, with a cool, clean aura—an inexplicable sense of closeness grew stronger in her heart.
Tang San stepped forward of his own accord, adopting the humblest posture as he threw himself wholeheartedly into doting on his little brother.
"Xiao An, I'm your big brother, Tang San."
"I only learned of your existence yesterday, and seeing your heaven-defying talent filled me with joy. The Tang family has a worthy successor."
As Tang San spoke, he gently patted Tang An on the shoulder, his eyes full of hope.
"From now on, with your big brother around, no one on the entire Douluo Continent or in the entire Divine Realm will dare bully you."
Tang An immediately bowed, looking shy and well-behaved. "Greetings, Big Brother. Greetings, Sister-in-Law."
Seeing his younger brother's sensible, innocent manner, Tang San felt even more pleased. Without another word, he waved his hand and sent over several jade slips of instruction, each wreathed in flowing light.
Every jade slip radiated a gentle yet immense energy. Light coursed across their surfaces like living things, making it clear at a glance that they were no ordinary treasures.
"These are the Tang Sect Secret Arts and the Clear Sky Sect techniques that I personally enhanced and perfected with divine power. The Mysterious Heaven Skill, Purple Demon Eye, Nine Absolute Techniques of Clear Sky, Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer, and the rest are all here."
"All the techniques have been optimized and automatically adapted to your Twin Martial Souls. Your cultivation speed and power will far surpass the originals—by more than ten times. From this day on, these will be the foundation of your cultivation."
It was no exaggeration to call them the crowning work of Tang San's life, the treasures he had kept in reserve. Now, without hesitation, he gave them all to Tang An.
Delight and gratitude instantly appeared on Tang An's face. He hurriedly accepted the jade slips with both hands, his eyes utterly sincere.
"Thank you, Big Brother!"
He looked so genuine that no one could find the slightest trace of pretense.
Inside, though, he was perfectly clear-headed.
Just sugar-coated bullets.
The more top-tier the resources he gave me, the deeper Tang San's designs on me must be—and the greater his expectations.
No matter. You keep fawning over me, and I'll keep acting.
I'll make sure to "repay" you properly for paving the way for me.
Tang San was in high spirits at his little brother's obedient demeanor, and no longer hid his plans.
He crouched in front of Tang Yuan, bringing himself level with Tang An's eyes. "Xiao An, let me ask you something. Do you know how many God Kings of Law Enforcement there are in the Divine Realm?"
Tang An shook his head, looking utterly clueless.
Tang San slowly raised one hand, spreading all five fingers, his face brimming with undisguised pride.
"Five. Your big brother holds both the Sea God and Asura God godhoods, making me the chief of the five enforcers.
"The other four are the God King of Goodness, God King of Evil, God King of Destruction, and God King of Life."
As Tang San spoke, a flash of annoyance crossed his eyes. He openly vented his complaints without hiding a thing.
"Goodness and Evil are reasonably clear-sighted and stick to neutrality, but those two—Destruction and Life—are downright stubborn old fogies."
"They've occupied their godhoods for so many years that they've grown rigid and old-fashioned, and they're still greedy for the power in their hands.
"For years, I've wanted to reorganize order in the Divine Realm, reshape its structure, and strengthen its foundations. Every time, they've joined forces to block me and restrain me at every turn."
Tang San suppressed his displeasure and turned his attention back to Tang An, his tone growing especially serious.
"Those two godhoods are now powerful in name only. They haven't lived up to their positions for a long time, and it's not as if there's no one who could replace them. But the key problem is that the two of them don't want to pass their godhoods on separately. They want to pass them on together."
Tang An deliberately put on a curious, clueless expression, blinking as he played dumb.
"Big Brother, if they're planning to find successors, why haven't they chosen anyone yet? Why have the positions stayed open all this time?"
Tang San patiently explained:
"The reason is simple: suitable candidates are far too hard to find."
"The God King of Destruction needs the ultimate power of destruction, while the God King of Life needs the ultimate power of life. These two forces are naturally at odds.
"How easy is it to find one person who can possess both forces and keep them balanced without conflict?"
As he spoke, Tang San's gaze grew burning hot.
"But you're different, little brother. You can do it."
"Your Crimson Annihilation Hammer was born with the purest origin of ultimate destruction. Your Immortal Scythe contains the richest origin of ultimate life."
"Across the entire Divine Realm and even the myriad planes of existence, you're the only one naturally suited to both godhoods. You're the perfect candidate to replace them."
Tang An feigned bewilderment, but a genuine storm raged in his heart.
Good grief!
Tang An had never imagined Tang San's ambitions could be this vast!
This wasn't simply a matter of raising his little brother!
He was planning to swallow up more than half the power in the Divine Realm!
And Tang An was the perfect tool he had chosen to replace the two of them—the greatest card in his hand for turning the tables and unifying the Divine Realm.
Tang San rose to his feet, standing tall as he solemnly laid out his ultimate plan.
"Xiao An, today I'll tell you everything I have planned."
"I'll pave the way for you myself, clear away every obstacle, and support you all the way, so you can inherit both the God King of Destruction's and the God King of Life's godhoods."
"The day you turn thirty and have fully come into your own, you'll be the Divine Realm's one and only dual God King!"
Tang An suppressed his shock, leaving only the pure, innocent look of a boy astonished by the revelation.
He gazed obediently at Tang San, looking as if his big brother's grand vision had completely overwhelmed him.
Inside, though, he sneered.
Tang San, Tang San.
I have my doubts about how good you're being to me.
You've gone to all this trouble to make plans, hoping to use me as a blade to cut down your rivals and rise to the top of the Divine Realm.
Then I'll play along with your little act and see who has the last laugh.
"But before that," Tang San continued, changing tack.
"You need to go to Star Dou Forest and obtain your First Soul Ring. Your Crimson Annihilation Hammer and Indomitable Scythe are both god-level Martial Souls. Giving them ordinary Soul Rings would be a waste.
"Fortunately, there's a million-year-old soul beast in Star Dou Forest that will awaken soon, and the timing is just right. Its million-year spiritual Soul Ring will be the perfect starting point for you."
Once he claimed that Soul Ring, little brother Tang An's starting point would crush that of every Soul Master throughout history.
Tang An's thoughts stirred.
A million-year-old soul beast? Wasn't that Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, Huo Yuhao's First Soul Ring in the original story? Was Tang San planning to take him there and steal Huo Yuhao's opportunity?
Tang San was about to speak when his expression suddenly changed. He looked up, seemingly sensing something with his divine consciousness, and furrowed his brow.
A powerful surge of law fluctuations suddenly came from the direction of Sea God Hall in the Divine Realm.
A domineering, violent force of Destruction Divine Power raced over from afar, carrying an unmistakable warning and probing intent.
It was the God of Destruction!
The God of Destruction had sensed abnormal fluctuations in the lower realm and was already turning his attention this way.
Tang San's expression shifted.
He had to return to the Divine Realm at once to deal with the God of Destruction's probing and prepare the groundwork for his younger brother to inherit the godhood of Destruction.
If the God of Destruction discovered his plans early, all his schemes would come to nothing.
But Tang San couldn't bring himself to leave young Tang An unattended.
After thinking it over, Tang San made his decision.
He turned to Xiao Wu beside him and said in a low voice, "Xiao Wu, after I leave, stay here and look after Xiao An."
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