The God of Destruction Teaches a Scumbag a Lesson!

[Life God Trial, Second Trial: Save a female Soul Master with a Soul Power Level of around 18 who is facing a life-threatening crisis.]

[Status: Completed]

[Evaluation: Perfectly achieved]

[Reward Settlement: God of Life affinity increased by 10%, current total affinity: 20%]

[Reward Distribution: One God-Bestowed Soul Ring, all Soul Ring ages increased by 1000 years.]

Two warm currents surged from the Mark of Destruction and the Mark of Life respectively—one scorching and violent, the other gentle and soft—rapidly flowing through his entire body, nourishing his bones and meridians before finally settling deep within his two hearts.

Although the affinity had only increased by 10% and the Soul Ring age by only a thousand years, Zichuan could clearly feel that his connection with those two God Kings had become a fraction tighter, and his control over the powers of destruction and life had become increasingly adept.

Those two God-Bestowed Soul Rings stored within his Sea of Consciousness were an even greater guarantee for the future.

"Hmm, not bad." The voice of the God of Destruction rang out, carrying a hint of satisfaction. "Efficiency is quite high. Although the rewards aren't much, even a mosquito's leg is meat; every little bit adds up. Besides, you saved someone, killed someone, and picked up an extra..."

He didn't finish, but the teasing tone was obvious.

Zichuan automatically ignored the rest of his words, his attention returning to reality.

He looked at the blue-haired girl—Tang Ya—who was still sitting on the ground, clutching the unconscious old woman tightly. She was looking up at him with a small face, staring at him with a complex gaze mixed with shock, bewilderment, fear, gratitude, and a hint of dullness.

She looked terrified. And rightly so; anyone who saw a six or seven-year-old child crush weapons with their bare hands, kill a Soul Ancestor with a single claw, and slaughter ten vicious pursuers like chopping vegetables would likely have the same expression.

Zichuan walked over and crouched down in front of her, trying to make his voice sound as peaceful as possible: "Are you... alright?"

Tang Ya didn't answer immediately, just continuing to look at him with those wide, tear-filled eyes, her small mouth slightly agape, as if she hadn't yet recovered from the bloody and shocking scene just now.

After several seconds, she seemed to suddenly realize the other person was asking her something. She shuddered violently, and her tears fell even more heavily, but the fear in her eyes faded slightly, replaced by a trance-like state of having survived a disaster and an indescribable sense of gratitude.

"Th... thank you..." Her voice carried a heavy sob and trembled, but she tried hard to express herself clearly. "Th, thank you for saving us... although... although Grandma and the others..."

She lowered her head to look at the old woman in her arms, whose breath was weak and whose chest wound was still bleeding, then looked at the two corpses of the Tang Sect disciples not far away, and her tears broke through the dam again, leaving her unable to speak through her sobs.

Zichuan didn't say any words of comfort, just watching silently.

He understood the pain of losing loved ones; although he had no personal experience (he was an orphan before transmigrating, and an orphan-plus after), he could understand.

Tang Ya cried for a while before she managed to stop her sobbing. She wiped her face messily with her dirty sleeve, raised her red and swollen eyes to look at Zichuan, and asked in a hoarse voice: "What... what is your name?"

"Zichuan. Zi as in purple, Chuan as in mountain rivers." Zichuan answered quite crisply.

"Zichuan..." Tang Ya repeated it in a low voice, as if trying hard to remember the name, then asked again, "Are you all alone? Where are your mom and dad? Are they... aren't they with you?"

She looked at Zichuan's face, which was clearly much younger than her own, and thought of the terrifying strength he had just displayed, her heart filled with confusion and sympathy.

Such a small child, with such strong power, yet alone in the Sunset Forest... where was his family?

Zichuan shrugged, his tone as flat as if he were talking about someone else: "Just me. No father, no mother. I don't know who they are or where they are."

This was half-true and half-false. He really didn't know who the parents of this body were, and as for the God of Destruction and the Goddess of Life... could they be considered "parents"?

Maybe, but not in the true sense of the word.

However, hearing this, Tang Ya, who had just lost all her relatives and considered herself a fellow traveler in misfortune, felt it strike the softest and most painful part of her heart.

"You... you are also..."

Tang Ya's eyes turned red again instantly, and a strong sense of empathy surged into her heart.

She looked at Zichuan's small face, which was calm but, in her eyes, was written with "loneliness" and "strength" (a product of her imagination). The distance and fear she had felt due to his terrifying strength were instantly washed away by a surge of sympathy and closeness.

She suddenly opened her arms and hugged Zichuan, who was crouching in front of her, tightly!

Zichuan: "!!!"

His body stiffened; he hadn't expected this action from Tang Ya at all.

The tip of his nose was filled with the girl's faint, strange scent—a mixture of sweat, blood, and a hint of grass and trees—and his cheek pressed against her thin but slightly trembling shoulder.

He could clearly feel Tang Ya's warm tears dripping into the crook of his neck, and her arms, which were wrapped tightly around him, exerting force as if seeking comfort after despair.

"Wuwu... Zichuan... thank you... thank you so much..."

Tang Ya buried her face in Zichuan's shoulder and began to cry loudly, as if she wanted to vent all the fear, grievances, hatred, and loneliness of these past days through this hug and these tears.

"We... we are the same... we are both orphans that no one wants..."

Zichuan was a bit at a loss, his body stiff, not knowing where to put his hands. He tried to break free, but Tang Ya was holding him very tightly and crying very sadly.

He sighed, finally relaxing his body and letting her hug him, though he couldn't help but complain in his heart:

Girl, you've misunderstood! Although I don't have parents, I have God King parents (remnant soul version) who chase me to feed me, a super Douluo teacher who is ridiculously protective, and a valley full of hundred-thousand-year immortal herbs waiting for me to favor them... My life is honestly so smooth that even I am scared!

It has nothing to do with the word "miserable" at all!

However, looking at Tang Ya crying so sadly, he didn't say these words after all. Forget it, let her misunderstand; it's a comfort of sorts.

In the Sea of Consciousness, the God of Destruction let out an undisguised, mischievous laugh: "Hahaha! Kid, she's holding on tight! It seems this little girl's first impression of you is good! There's a chance, there's a chance!"

Zichuan was speechless and replied in his heart: "Old Zi, can you be serious? How old is she, and how old am I?"

"What does age matter? You can set it now!" The God of Destruction's theories were endless. "Feelings are cultivated! Look at how much she relies on you now? How much she trusts you? This is a good start! The candidate for wife I picked for you, my eye for talent is good, right?"

"Wait!" Zichuan caught the keyword. "Candidate? What do you mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like," the God of Destruction said as a matter of course. "Tang Ya is just one of your wife candidates. What, did you think there was only one?"

Zichuan: "...???"