At that moment, the entire continent fell silent.
Countless people stared wide-eyed at the scenes on the Sky Screen, shock written all over their faces.
In the Heaven Dou Empire's camp, Yu Xiaogang's body gave a violent shudder.
Ning Fengzhi sighed and closed his eyes.
They had never imagined that the famed Clear Sky Douluo would say such things to his own son.
In the scene.
Tang Hao picked up the crying baby and tossed him into the grass by the roadside.
The icy rain instantly soaked the baby's tender skin.
The baby wailed desperately, his tiny hands flailing helplessly in the air as if trying to grasp his father's clothes.
But Tang Hao didn't even spare him a glance.
He turned and strode into the downpour, his figure soon vanishing into the darkness.
In the grass, only the baby remained, shivering in the wind and rain, on the verge of death.
The scene ended abruptly there.
The Sky Screen in the heavens gradually dimmed, but discussion erupted across the continent like a landslide.
"Heavens! Even a vicious tiger won't eat its own cub. Tang Hao actually did something like this!"
"Just because he despised his son for having a Trash Martial Soul and Soul Beast bloodline, he tossed his newborn into the pouring rain?"
"That's vicious beyond belief!"
"What's even more ridiculous is that he married a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast himself, yet despised his son's Soul Beast bloodline. What a hypocrite!"
Curses rang out in every corner of the continent.
Inside the Clear Sky Sect.
Several elders were livid.
"Tang Hao! That beast!"
Elder Lieyang smashed the stone table beside him with a single slap.
"He's brought shame upon the entire Clear Sky Sect!"
"He went to war with Spirit Hall for a Soul Beast, only to abandon his own son for having Soul Beast blood. What was he thinking?"
The Clear Sky Sect disciples exchanged uneasy glances, their eyes full of shame.
They had always regarded Tang Hao as a legend of their sect. They had never imagined that this legendary figure could be so vile behind closed doors.
In the Heaven Dou Empire's military camp.
Emperor Xue Beng sat inside the main tent, his expression terrifyingly dark.
"Imperial Preceptor, is this the man you called the indomitable Clear Sky Douluo?"
Xue Beng looked at Yu Xiaogang, his voice thick with accusation.
Yu Xiaogang opened his mouth, only to find that he couldn't refute him at all.
"Your Majesty... Perhaps there's some misunderstanding..."
Yu Xiaogang spoke without conviction.
"Misunderstanding?"
Xue Beng let out a cold laugh.
"Could the scenes on the Sky Screen be fake?"
"Now that Tang Hao's reputation lies in tatters, the Heaven Dou Empire has become a laughingstock along with him!"
Ning Fengzhi, seated nearby, spoke slowly.
"Your Majesty, now isn't the time to dwell on this."
"Tang Xiao has displayed terrifying strength, and he's also the ruler of the Blue Silver Empire."
"If he seeks revenge for what happened back then, the Heaven Dou Empire won't be able to stop him."
At those words, Xue Beng shuddered, a flicker of fear passing through his eyes.
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
In a secluded valley outside Heaven Dou City.
Tang San carried the one-armed Tang Hao and stumbled to a stop in front of a cave.
Tang Hao had already passed out. His left arm was gone, and although the bleeding had stopped, his aura was extremely weak.
Tang San stared at the scene that had just vanished from the sky, as if struck by lightning.
He stood there dazed, his mind utterly blank.
"How could this happen..."
"Back then, Father really did abandon my older brother..."
Tang San's voice trembled.
He had always believed he was Tang Hao's only son.
He had also always believed his father was a devoted and noble man.
But now, the bloody truth lay before him, shattering everything he had believed to pieces.
"No... That's impossible..."
Tang San looked at Tang Hao lying on the ground, his face deathly pale, his heart a tangle of conflicting emotions.
Suddenly, he felt as if he'd been deceived.
His respected father had turned out to be such a hypocritical, selfish coward behind closed doors.
"Cough, cough..."
Tang Hao's weak coughing brought Tang San back to his senses.
Tang San hurriedly crouched down and sent divine power into Tang Hao's body, protecting his heart meridians.
"Father, how are you?"
Tang Hao struggled to open his eyes and look at Tang San, pain and shame filling his gaze.
"Xiao San... You... You saw it all?"
Tang Hao's voice was hoarse, heavy with regret.
Tang San said nothing. He only nodded silently.
Tang Hao gave a bitter smile, blood spilling from the corners of his mouth in great gouts.
"Retribution... It's all retribution..."
"I despised him back then... Now he's become a God King... and I've become a cripple..."
Tang Hao closed his eyes, two trails of muddy tears running down his cheeks.
Watching this, Tang San suddenly felt an intense sense of danger well up inside him.
Tang Xiao's power was far too great.
He was so strong that even Tang San, a Sea God, couldn't last a single move against him.
If Tang Xiao really wanted to kill them, they had no chance of surviving.
No. I can't just sit here and wait to die.
Tang San said to himself.
He looked down at his hands, a complicated gleam in his eyes.
"I'm Blue Silver Grass too... No, I'm the Blue Silver Emperor."
"We share the same blood."
"Since we're brothers, why can't we join forces?"
Once the thought appeared, it grew wildly in Tang San's mind.
He believed Tang Xiao had attacked them only because of the resentment he'd held since back then.
But if Tang San offered him enough benefits, or played on their family ties, he might still be able to win him over.
After all, the Divine Realm was their common enemy.
If he could gain the support of a God King, his goal of unifying the continent and even controlling the Divine Realm would soon be within reach.
With that in mind, Tang San settled Tang Hao, then vanished from the valley in a flash.
Outside Jialing Pass.
Atop a towering peak that pierced the clouds.
Tang Xiao stood with his hands behind his back, facing the mountain breeze as his white robes snapped in the wind.
Qian Renxue stood beside him, holding his arm, her manner gentle.
"Husband, what are you thinking about?"
Qian Renxue asked softly.
Tang Xiao smiled faintly and stroked her hair.
"I'm waiting for someone who thinks he's clever."
As soon as he finished speaking, the space ahead rippled.
Then Tang San's figure slowly emerged.
This time, Tang San hadn't brought the Seagod Trident or released any divine power.
He had even deliberately reined in his aura, appearing warm and sincere.
"I knew you'd be here."
Tang San looked at Tang Xiao's back, took a deep breath, and spoke slowly.
Tang Xiao didn't turn around. His voice was calm.
"What are you here for?"
Tang San took a few steps forward and looked at Tang Xiao's tall, straight back. A flash of envy crossed his mind, but he quickly suppressed it.
He put on what he considered a sincere smile.
"Brother."
At that single word, even the wind atop the mountain seemed to stop.
Qian Renxue, standing beside Tang Xiao, furrowed her brow slightly, a look of disgust flashing in her eyes.
Tang Xiao slowly turned around and looked at Tang San.
His gaze was calm, utterly unruffled, as if he were looking at some insignificant passerby.
"What did you call me?"
Tang Xiao asked indifferently.
Tang San sighed, his face showing pain and remorse.
"Brother, I know Father wronged you back then."
"He did something wrong, and I know he was in the wrong."
"But no matter what, we're blood brothers. We share the same blood, and we have the same mother."
Tang San spoke with such sincerity that his eyes even reddened slightly.
"You've reached such heights, and I've inherited the Sea God Godhood."
"If we join forces, this Douluo Continent—and even the Divine Realm—will be ours."
"Then we can revive Mother together, rebuild the Clear Sky Sect, and make the Blue Silver clan the most revered people in the world!"
Tang San looked at Tang Xiao, his eyes filled with anticipation and fervor.
He believed there was no one who could refuse such a temptation.
Rebuilding a sect and bringing glory to one's ancestors—that was the lifelong pursuit of countless Soul Masters.
Besides, they were blood brothers.
After hearing Tang San out, Tang Xiao suddenly laughed.
His laughter was soft, but it carried an unmistakable note of mockery and disdain.
"Brothers?"
Tang Xiao looked at Tang San as if he were an idiot.
"Tang San, have you lost your mind?"
"You enjoyed his protection in Holy Soul Village. You enjoyed all the love he gave you."
"Now that I've become a God King, you come to talk to me about brotherly affection?"
Tang Xiao took a step forward.
Boom!
An invisible, utterly terrifying pressure descended upon the mountaintop.
Tang San felt his whole body grow heavy. His knees buckled, and he nearly fell straight to the ground.
The Sea God Divine Power inside him surged wildly, only just managing to withstand the pressure.
His face turned terribly grim.
"Brother, I knew nothing about what happened back then. I was a victim too!"
Tang San gritted his teeth, trying to shift the blame.
"You knew nothing?"
Tang Xiao sneered.
"Do you really think you knew nothing?"
"When you used the life force of Blue Silver Grass to replenish your paltry divine power, did you ever think of them as your people?"
"When you destroyed all of Slaughter City just to clear the trials, leaving countless fallen people with nowhere to go, did you ever think about the greater good?"
"You constantly preach about justice, yet after learning what Tang Hao did, you still chose to stand by him."
Tang Xiao looked at Tang San, his eyes full of revulsion.
"Tang San, you and your hypocritical father are cut from the same cloth."
"Selfish and utterly false."
"The moment your interests are at stake, you'll abandon anyone—including those you call family."
Every word Tang Xiao spoke was a blade, stabbing straight into Tang San's heart.
Tang San's face changed from white to red, then from red to green.
He glared at Tang Xiao, furious and humiliated.
"Tang Xiao! Don't push your luck!"
"I am now the Sea God, and I represent the will of the Divine Realm!"
"No matter how powerful you are, do you really think you can stand against the entire Divine Realm?"
"I came to find you today to give you a chance!"
Tang San snarled, his earlier sincerity gone from his eyes, replaced by boundless rage.
At those words, the smile vanished from Tang Xiao's eyes.
In its place came a chilling cold that made it hard to breathe.
"The Divine Realm?"
"To me, the Divine Realm is nothing but a gathering place for a bunch of false gods."
"And as for you..."
Tang Xiao looked at Tang San and slowly raised his right hand.
"You're not even worthy of being my opponent."
As the words fell,
Tang Xiao gave a casual wave of his right hand.
Boom—!
An indescribably terrifying force instantly gathered in the void.
It was as if the gravity of the entire earth had been piled together in that instant.
Tang San didn't even have a chance to react.
Bang—!
A muffled crash rang out.
Tang San was struck as if by a crushing blow, and the divine power protecting him collapsed at once.
He spat out a mouthful of blood, his body flying backward like a shooting star.
Tang San spewed blood in midair. The dazzling blue light of his Seagod Divine Armor dimmed in an instant.
The force, surging like an avalanche, hurled him thousands of meters away. He slammed into the mountainside beyond Jialing Pass, kicking up clouds of dust.
"Damn it... How can his power be this strong?"
Tang San struggled out of the rubble, feeling as if every bone in his body were about to fall apart.
He looked at the figure in white, standing in the void, and a trace of fear flashed in his eyes.
He knew that if he stayed any longer, he might really die here today.
"Go!"
Tang San gritted his teeth. His body turned into a streak of blue light as he skimmed across the ground and grabbed the unconscious Tang Hao.
Then he fled toward the distance without looking back, moving at top speed like a beaten dog.
As Tang San fled in disgrace with Tang Hao in tow, the million-strong Heaven Dou Army fell into deathly silence.
Their once-high morale crumbled to dust in an instant.
Marshal Ge Long slumped in his saddle and stared at the figure in white in the void, his face ashen.
"Retreat! Fall back at once!"
Emperor Xue Beng shouted frantically from his imperial carriage at the rear, his voice filled with fear. He didn't even notice that his crown had slipped askew.
The Heaven Dou Army retreated like a receding tide, abandoning their armor and helmets in their desperate flight.
Bibi Dong let out a sigh of relief atop the city wall, but her gaze at Tang Xiao grew even warier.
She knew that after this battle, the balance of power on the Douluo Continent would change.
Tang Xiao watched the retreating Heaven Dou Army with an impassive expression and made no move to pursue.
In his eyes, these mortal soldiers were nothing but ants, not worth a second glance.
He turned and looked at Qian Renxue beside him.
Qian Renxue was pale. Although her body had been successfully restored, her divine power had yet to fully recover. She had just forced herself to wield Angel Divine Power again, and her body could no longer take it.
"Let's go back,"
Tang Xiao said softly, with a hint of tenderness in his voice that was hard to detect.
He slipped an arm around Qian Renxue's slender waist, and space rippled faintly.
The next instant, the two vanished from before Jialing Pass.
When they appeared again, they were in a quiet manor a hundred li from Jialing Pass.
It was a temporary headquarters of the Blue Silver Empire. Golden-blue Blue Silver Grass grew all around, giving off a gentle glow.
Tang Xiao carried Qian Renxue into the house and laid her on a wide, soft couch.
"Husband, I'm fine. I'm just exhausted."
Before you continue