Ma Hongjun's Inner Monologue, The Dark Side of the God Realm

Ma Hongjun stood in the corner of the room, his fingertips trembling slightly as the surging emotions in his chest threatened to drown him.

Gone was his usual slacker demeanor and lecherous gaze; at this moment, the restlessness brought on by his inner fire had faded, leaving only the relief of having survived a catastrophe.

He looked down at his still-youthful hands, feeling the mere twenty-eight levels of soul power remaining within him, his heart a tumult of conflicting emotions.

In his past life in the God Realm, although he had attained the Phoenix God Position, he had always been a peripheral figure among the gods, his strength so meager that he could not even protect those he wished to shield.

But now, he had been reborn into his youth, and everything could still be mended.

Those past regrets and pains now had a chance at redemption.

Watching Dai Mubai's near-paranoid tugging at Zhu Zhuqing before him, and seeing the hypocritical indifference on Oscar's face when Ning Rongrong was in danger, Ma Hongjun understood in an instant.

These two fellows had also recovered their memories from their past lives.

A complex emotion welled up in his heart, and Ma Hongjun instinctively clenched his fists.

Others might not know the true nature of Dai Mubai and Oscar, but he knew it all too well.

Yet... he himself was no saint either.

Forcibly seizing goddesses and treating low-status, weak-powered divine officials as playthings to be toyed with at will was, to them, merely a daily routine—a "seasoning" for their dull lives in the God Realm.

He still remembered the time he caught Dai Mubai forcibly abducting a goddess who had ascended to the God Realm from another world; the goddess's desperate cries had echoed through the heavens.

Yet Dai Mubai had laughed with smug satisfaction, while Oscar, standing beside him, had fanned the flames.

Then there was Zhu Zhuqing; in her past life, she had lived in the God Realm like a caged bird. Though she held the title of God of Speed, she was controlled at every turn by the Asura God, Tang San.

Ning Rongrong's situation was no better; Oscar's philandering and heartlessness, coupled with Tang San's indulgence, left her with no hope of ever rising above her circumstances.

He had once tried to stand up for them, but they were, after all, the legally wedded wives of Dai Mubai and Oscar.

This was not a matter he should have interfered with.

Later, he simply could not bear it any longer; the desperate gazes of those goddesses and low-ranking divine officials pierced his heart like needles.

They reminded him of his late wife, Bai Chenxiang.

She had originally been qualified to ascend to the God Realm, but an accident on her path to godhood had damaged her origin, leaving her without a chance at the God Realm.

Seeing Dai Mubai and Oscar so depraved, he thought of Tang San.

He had assumed Tang San would uphold justice and put an end to the conduct of Dai Mubai and Oscar.

But when he gathered the courage to find Tang San and lay everything out, he was met with even deeper despair.

Tang San looked at him with a gentle yet distant smile, telling him in a flat tone:

"Hongjun, the God Realm has its own rules. Some things are better left alone."

In that moment, Ma Hongjun finally understood that this seemingly impartial and selfless God King had long since joined the "revelry" of Dai Mubai and Oscar.

They were in cahoots, using their power and strength to turn the God Realm into a playground where they could do whatever they pleased.

Thinking of this, Ma Hongjun's gaze grew complex.

That's right.

He, too, had eventually participated in the revelry of Tang San and the others in the God Realm.

Because he knew all too well the price of failing to conform.

From then on, he truly understood that the God Realm was no different from the mortal world; the hierarchy of the God Realm was rigid, and its system could only be described as rotten and depraved.

And these were not isolated incidents.

Reborn and returned, he saw Tang San once again, appearing harmless to both humans and animals.

Yet he knew that beneath this skin hid the future God King who was cold, selfish, and indulgent of evil.

He did not know how to face Tang San.

What puzzled him even more was Dai Mubai's attitude toward Fu Qin.

Just a moment ago, Dai Mubai had been ready to strike Fu Qin with ruthless intent, yet in the blink of an eye, he was acting like a brother to him.

This was far too abnormal.

Who was Dai Mubai? He was the notorious God of War of the God Realm, violent and arrogant; aside from Tang San, to whom had he ever been so amiable?

Moreover, Fu Qin was merely a level thirty-four Soul Master—a trivial, insignificant character in the eyes of Dai Mubai, a future God King.

Yet Dai Mubai insisted on treating Fu Qin differently, a shift in attitude so thorough that Ma Hongjun could not fathom it.

He lifted his gaze to look ahead.

Fu Qin stood in the center of the room, his posture upright, his features handsome, a faint smile playing on his lips as he calmly handled Dai Mubai's "overtures."

His eyes were calm and waveless, as if the conflict with Dai Mubai just moments ago had been nothing more than a trivial matter.

Clearly just a youth, he radiated a composure and mystery far beyond his years.

In particular, the formidable physical strength he had displayed when clashing with Dai Mubai earlier left Ma Hongjun feeling alarmed.

This Fu Qin was definitely not simple.

Ma Hongjun pondered to himself.

The atmosphere in the room grew increasingly strange and subtle.

Dai Mubai leaned toward Fu Qin with an enthusiastic expression, patting his shoulder with an intimate tone.

"Brother Fu Qin, that was truly a misunderstanding earlier. I was just missing Zhu Zhuqing too much and lost my composure for a moment. Rest assured, from now on we are good brothers; if anything comes up, your big brother has your back!"

His heterochromatic eyes were filled with "sincerity," as if he weren't the same person who had just tried to kill Ning Rongrong.

Fu Qin smiled faintly, neither confirming nor denying.

He could sense the lingering malice on Dai Mubai; although suppressed by the Intelligence-Reducing Halo and the God-Level Luck buff, it had not completely vanished.

Fu Qin remained constantly vigilant toward this God of War who had recovered all his past memories.

Ning Rongrong stood by Fu Qin's side, her small hand gripping his sleeve tightly, her face full of confusion.

She truly couldn't fathom Dai Mubai's train of thought; he had been fierce and menacing just a moment ago, yet now he was so enthusiastic toward Fu Qin, acting like a complete madman.

However, seeing Fu Qin's composed demeanor, the unease in her heart gradually dissipated.

At this moment, she felt that as long as Fu Qin stood by her side, he could provide her with the greatest sense of security.

Zhu Zhuqing leaned into Xiao Wu's embrace, her cold and elegant features still bearing a hint of paleness, her eyes watching Dai Mubai with deep wariness.

Dai Mubai's rough handling earlier had left her shaken, and his current transformation made her skin crawl even more.

She did not understand why he had suddenly changed like this; that paranoia and madness, deep-seated in his bones, filled her with fear from the bottom of her heart.

Xiao Wu's gaze carried a hint of coldness and vigilance.

As a reincarnator, she naturally knew the true nature of Dai Mubai and Oscar.

She just hadn't expected them to expose themselves so thoroughly after recovering their memories.

Oscar stood to the side with a hypocritical smile on his face, though his eyes were secretly sizing up Fu Qin.

Like Dai Mubai, he felt wary of Fu Qin's strength.

The clash between Fu Qin and Dai Mubai earlier had made him clearly realize that this seemingly ordinary youth was definitely a character not to be underestimated.

Ma Hongjun watched this bizarre scene, the doubts in his heart deepening.