In the Divine Realm, clouds rolled in endless layers like ocean waves.
A tall figure stood motionless amid the sea of clouds, gazing into the distance.
His long, aqua-blue hair fell like a waterfall to his ankles.
If not for his broad shoulders and imposing build, anyone seeing him from behind might have mistaken him for a peerless beauty.
Faint waves flowed across his luxurious blue robe, spreading in ripples.
Anyone who looked closely would find their gaze drawn into that deep blue, as though their very soul might be swallowed by a boundless ocean.
"Third Brother, what's wrong?"
A gentle voice broke the silence.
"Is something troubling you? Why not tell me?"
Before the words had faded, a graceful figure stepped out of the void and came to stand beside the man in blue.
She slipped her arm through Tang San's with easy affection, her voice full of warmth and concern.
Tang San frowned slightly and drew his gaze back from the distance to the woman beside him.
"Xiao Wu, you're here."
He spoke softly, with a trace of weariness in his voice.
"Lately, a new star seems to be rising on Douluo Continent, and he appears to have countless ties to my Tang Sect."
"I wanted to look into the course of his fate, but whenever I try, an unknown mist blocks my sight."
Confusion colored Tang San's voice.
"You know how much I've poured into Douluo Continent and the Tang Sect.
But the Tang Sect is declining across the continent. As its founder, I can't bear to watch it fade away.
Yet as a God Realm Enforcer, how can I interfere with the development of a plane?"
Tang San sounded torn and helpless.
"Third Brother, you needn't worry so much."
Xiao Wu leaned against him and comforted him softly. "In a sense, the Tang Sect's decline is an inevitable result of the times and the plane's development."
Tang San closed his eyes. He said nothing for a long while before slowly opening them again.
"That may be true, but..."
A quiet sigh escaped him, heavy with loneliness and unwillingness to accept it.
He was about to return with Xiao Wu when his expression abruptly changed.
Naturally, Tang San did not tell Xiao Wu every last detail.
He had long since laid out a complete plan for the so-called Child of Destiny. His plans for the next ten thousand years depended on it.
But just now, he had discovered that the Child of Destiny had strayed from his original path. Tang San could no longer even sense his existence.
The sudden change sent shock waves through Tang San's heart, yet he could not determine what had happened.
Xiao Wu had been watching him. Seeing his expression change, she hurriedly asked,
"Third Brother, has something happened? Is it Xiao Qi?"
Anxiety had crept into her voice by the end.
Tang San collected himself and gently patted Xiao Wu's hand.
"Don't worry, Xiao Wu. With Daming and Erming there, Xiao Qi will be fine."
But as he spoke, a shadow passed through his eyes.
Having matters slip beyond his control filled him with an inexplicable irritation and unease.
If the God of Destruction were not watching him so closely, why would he have to act with such restraint?
He had even been forced to split his precious daughter's soul...
And the God of Destruction was to blame for all of it.
The God of Destruction had truly earned himself a path to death.
Outside Star Luo City, in the slums.
In a dark, narrow alley.
A thin boy in ragged clothes lay curled up against a wall, apparently asleep.
Suddenly, his eyes flew open.
At first, confusion flickered in them, as though he had no idea where he was.
Then a brilliant blue light flared deep in his eyes, and a torrent of information flooded his mind.
The boy's original personality was instantly overwritten beneath the weight of those memories.
The confusion faded, replaced by coldness and hatred.
"Damn you, Huo Yuhao!"
The boy—no, the reborn Tang San—spat the curse through clenched teeth.
Memories of his previous life flashed through his mind.
With his world-shaking wisdom and meticulous planning, he had finally brought the God of Destruction and the Goddess of Life to sacrifice themselves to protect the Divine Realm.
After that, who in the Divine Realm could have been more suited to become its new ruler than Tang San?
Yet just as he was about to take full control of the Divine Realm's Authority, Huo Yuhao, his own son-in-law, had dared betray him.
He had even dragged Tang San into the Space-Time Turbulence to die with him!
Had Huo Yuhao lost his mind?
Tang San had given him his most beloved daughter in marriage. What more could he possibly want?
Did he imagine he could rule the Divine Realm himself?
At the thought, a vicious glint rose in Tang San's eyes.
He slowly sat up and began sorting through the memories of this body's former owner.
Whether by fate or coincidence, this body had no surname, but the people around him called him "Xiao San" or "Third Brother."
None of the young beggars had names, so they had been ranked by age from the start. The boy whose body Tang San had taken over was third among them.
Tang San was now certain he had been reborn on Douluo Continent.
He had even returned to the period ten thousand years before Huo Yuhao dragged him into the Space-Time Turbulence, when Huo Yuhao was rising to prominence on Douluo Continent.
That meant he might have a chance to kill Huo Yuhao before he grew strong.
He possessed the Tang Sect Secret Arts. Killing that good-for-nothing should be easy enough.
His only concern was whether killing Huo Yuhao would draw the attention of God Realm Tang San.
The mere thought of that other "him" in the Divine Realm made Tang San more irritable.
The man was now a supreme God King and possessed the same world-shaking wisdom as Tang San.
One careless move that exposed him to that man's gaze, and he would likely be reduced to ash in an instant.
From the start, he and the Tang San in the Divine Realm had been destined for opposing sides.
Even Tang San himself could never tolerate the existence of another "him."
Besides, becoming a god again mattered far more than taking revenge on Huo Yuhao.
Even if he succeeded in his revenge, without a Godhood he would live only a few hundred years at most.
For someone who had once been a God King, that was unacceptable.
But how was he to become a god?
On the Douluo Continent of this era, becoming a god by normal means was all but impossible.
Still, he had to do it. Only then would he have a chance to kill God Realm Tang San in this timeline, take his place, and reclaim Xiao Wu.
He would never share Xiao Wu with anyone, even his former self.
At that thought, Tang San instinctively looked inward at his Spiritual Sea.
When he saw a golden Trident tinged with red floating silently within it, his frustration deepened.
The Trident was a divine artifact, but it held no Sea God Godhood. There was no God Trial to be had from it, and he did not dare use it lightly.
Knowing himself as he did, he was certain God Realm Tang San would try every means to eliminate him if he discovered that Tang San also possessed a Trident.
For now, whether he wanted a chance to kill Huo Yuhao later or to find a way to become a god, the most important thing was to awaken his Martial Soul first.
But when he learned from this body's memories that Martial Soul Awakening cost money, his face stiffened.
He was merely a beggar living on the streets. Unless he joined a noble's private troops or the army, he had no chance of getting his Martial Soul awakened for free.
This body was already ten years old. Though he did not yet know what its Martial Soul was, Tang San could vaguely sense that its Innate Soul Power was level one or two at most.
Even with the Mysterious Heaven Skill, matching what he had achieved at the same age in his previous life would not be easy.
The thought made Tang San curse the Star Luo Empire inwardly.
It was even worse than that evil Spirit Hall. How thoroughly rotten and corrupt it was.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
Several horse-drawn carts laden with goods rolled slowly along a broad road. In the distance, the city walls gradually came into focus.
The goods were not bound for Heaven Dou City itself, so the convoy stopped a short distance from the gate.
"Young Huo, Miss Huo, we're here."
The driver of the lead cart leaned out and called toward the carriage.
Huo Yuhao heard him and quickly helped his mother, Huo Yun'er, down.
He took several Silver Soul Coins from his clothes and offered them to the driver.
"Sir, here's the fare."
"Hey, young Huo, what are you doing? Put that money away."
The driver waved both hands and refused the Silver Soul Coins.
"If it weren't for you and your mother, how would old fellows like us have enjoyed such delicious grilled fish along the way?"
"That's right! We'll probably never taste grilled fish that good again!"
The drivers of the other carts chimed in, their voices full of regret at parting.
"You're too kind. It was the least I could do."
Huo Yuhao smiled, thanked them softly, and returned to his mother's side.
A young girl was standing beside Huo Yun'er.
She looked about thirteen or fourteen years old.
Long golden hair cascaded down her back in gentle curls, setting off her snow-white skin and delicate features.
Though simply dressed, she was tall and slender, with a graceful figure that had already begun to blossom.
When she saw Huo Yuhao return, she gave him and Huo Yun'er an apologetic smile.
"Aunt Huo, Yuhao, I have to go ahead. Sorry I can't travel with you."
Without waiting for either of them to reply, she channeled her Soul Power and raced straight toward Heaven Dou City.
Watching her disappear into the distance, Huo Yuhao could not help thinking how small the world was.
He and his mother had only wanted a ride to Heaven Dou City, yet they had happened to meet Jiang Nannan.
He did not know why Jiang Nannan was here. By rights, classes at Shrek Academy should still have been in session.
But Huo Yuhao did not dwell on it.
After waving goodbye to the drivers, he took Huo Yun'er's hand and headed toward Heaven Dou City.
He had chosen Heaven Dou City after careful thought.
With the White Tiger Duke's wife wielding influence in Star Luo City, capital of the Star Luo Empire, he and his mother could hardly stay there.
The Dou Ling Empire was too weak, so Huo Yuhao had ruled it out as well. The Ming Capital was out of the question, leaving only Shrek City and Heaven Dou City.
If safety were the only consideration, Shrek City would certainly have been best.
But with their meager savings, they probably could not even afford to rent a place there, let alone cover their other expenses.
After weighing his options, Huo Yuhao had settled on Heaven Dou City.
Beyond finding a place to live, another matter weighed on his mind.
Years of toil at the Duke's Mansion had left his mother with lingering ailments. He needed to buy medicinal herbs and help her recover.
Over the past half month, he had gradually worked out some of the functions of the Eye of Destiny and the Golden Dragon King Divine Core, both of which had been reborn with him inside his spiritual space.
The Golden Dragon King Divine Core supplied him with a constant flood of Bloodline Power. His physique far surpassed what it had been at the same age in his previous life, and in raw physical strength he already rivaled an ordinary Beast Martial Soul Soul Elder.
Huo Yuhao could even guide that Bloodline Power into someone else's body to help them recover.
He had been using it to slowly improve his mother's health throughout the journey.
But it was no long-term solution. She still needed medicinal herbs to help her recuperate.
Huo Yuhao was also grateful that the chaotic, savage consciousness within the Golden Dragon King Divine Core had been sealed deep within the Eye of Destiny's core.
Otherwise, the Golden Dragon King's violent consciousness would have affected him badly. It might even have given him the Golden Dragon King's bloodline, turning him from a human into a Soul Beast.
The Eye of Destiny, which had been reborn alongside Huo Yuhao, had also been affected by the Space-Time Turbulence. Its abilities were vastly different from those of his previous life.
Because it was suppressing the Golden Dragon King Divine Core, many of its original abilities were now inaccessible.
For the moment, Huo Yuhao could only use the Eye of Destiny to glimpse the Threads of Fate within all things.
With enough Soul Power, he could turn an impossible fate into a possible one—even make it inevitable.
Take the simplest example: an ordinary person had no ability to fly, but Huo Yuhao wanted that person to soar through the sky on their own.
By expending enough Soul Power and spiritual power, Huo Yuhao could make that person grow wings or awaken a Martial Soul capable of flight.
The amount of Soul Power and spiritual power required depended on how difficult the desired fate was to bring about.
It was this ability of the Eye of Destiny that showed Huo Yuhao a way to kill Tang San with his own hands after returning to the Divine Realm.
If he inherited Rong Nianbing's Godhood again in this life, he would probably still struggle to stand against Tang San.
His success in his previous life had depended partly on Tang San's weakened state, but more importantly, the God of Destruction and the Goddess of Life had already sacrificed themselves.
With no other God Kings left in the Divine Realm to stop him, he had seized the chance to drag Tang San into the Space-Time Turbulence and die with him.
Now that he possessed the Eye of Destiny, he might one day kill Tang San himself.
But becoming a god and then taking revenge on Tang San was still a distant prospect.
For now, what mattered most to Huo Yuhao was settling down with his mother in this unfamiliar city and building a stable life.
Fortunately, as someone reborn with memories of another life, Huo Yuhao had no shortage of ways to earn a living.
After careful consideration, he decided to sell grilled fish while trying to make Soul Tools to sell.
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