The competition was temporarily suspended when the Live Broadcast Room appeared at the venue. Tang San stood on the field.
At that moment, no message had arrived yet. Tang San didn't know what to choose, and was still pondering whether to pick Dou Di or God King.
Instinctively, he wanted to choose God King Tang San, because his own name was Tang San.
After thinking for a moment, Tang San decided he might as well take a gamble. Maybe he'd get lucky and turn a bicycle into a motorcycle. Full of confidence, he answered:
"I choose Tang San."
[Congratulations, your answer is incorrect. Punishment: your External Soul Bone, the Eight Spider Lances, has been taken away.]
[Additionally, since you were the fifth and final person to answer incorrectly, no one after you will be punished.]
"No..."
Tang San could feel that he'd lost his connection to his Spirit Bone. He let out a heart-wrenching cry.
His expression was utterly anguished. That was an External Soul Bone, a rare type of Spirit Bone, they said, and worth a fortune.
What hit even harder was the Live Broadcast Room's announcement. He was the last person to answer incorrectly, and no one after him would be punished. It was clearly rubbing salt in his wounds.
The grief-stricken Tang San and Yu Xiaogang outside the arena made quite a pair. Master and disciple were both miserable.
"Little San."
"Third Brother."
The brothers beside him didn't know how to comfort Tang San.
They didn't know what the punishment was, but it had to be awful. Even Tang Hao outside the arena had both hands gripping his trouser legs, his heart in knots.
"Xiaogang, are you all right?"
Liu Erlong was very concerned about Yu Xiaogang, completely ignoring Tang San on the field.
Yu Xiaogang quickly came to his senses. Although he'd been punished, he could still get a reward.
Whether it was Liu Erlong or Flender, if they got a reward, they could help him later. What if his Martial Soul evolved? Or he got a Spirit Bone?
"You two, hurry up and choose. I'm fine. We absolutely can't miss out on the reward."
Yu Xiaogang's heart ached as he said this.
Liu Erlong and Flender snapped back to reality. They'd almost forgotten something so important. They had to answer the Live Broadcast Room right away.
They absolutely couldn't let the reward slip by.
"I choose Dou Di."
"Dou Di is the most powerful."
The two made their choices together. All around them, countless spectators were watching the three of them closely, including the teachers from Shrek Academy.
They all gave their answers.
"We all choose Dou Di."
[Correct answer. Unfortunately, someone else has already answered. Consolation prize: an autographed photo of Dou Di Ye Tianyun.]
The next moment, everyone who'd answered correctly but had been a few steps behind the others found a photograph in their hands.
It was a handsome photo of Ye Tianyun, complete with his handwritten signature at the bottom. Its collectible value was off the charts.
Yu Xiaogang: "..."
He'd been a step too slow, and all he got was this photo.
"Damn, what's the point of an autographed photo? It's completely useless. I'm furious!"
Yu Xiaogang cursed in anger.
There was no way an autographed photo could make up for what he'd lost with his Martial Soul.
Even Liu Erlong couldn't help frowning. But after seeing Ye Tianyun's handsome photo, she nodded without thinking:
"I have to admit, the person in this photo really is handsome."
"..."
Yu Xiaogang was utterly speechless. Liu Erlong was taking another shot at him.
A group of people around them held Ye Tianyun's handsome autographed photo, looking rather at a loss.
This photo was completely useless.
Zhu Zhuqing held one too. Ye Tianyun, the protagonist of another world, utterly outclassed Tang San in looks, and had an imposing air even when he wasn't angry.
How could Tang San compare?
The Live Broadcast Room spoke up again.
[Congratulations to the following viewers on receiving rewards: Bibi Dong, Qian Renxue...]
[The following viewers answered incorrectly and have been punished: Tang San, Yu Xiaogang...]
"Tang San? Tang San got it wrong too? So which one is Tang San?"
"You don't know? That person from Shrek Academy down there. He's that Tang San, the protagonist of Douluo."
"Can't say for sure, but he's probably the protagonist. Anyone standing on that field has to be extraordinary."
The crowd buzzed with discussion, all turning their eyes toward Tang San.
Qian Renxue stared fixedly at Tang San too.
"So that's Tang San? He looks so ordinary. How could he possibly compare to Ye Tianyun?"
Tang San might be from her universe, but compared to Ye Tianyun's photo, he wasn't even in the same league.
[Next, we will conduct a comprehensive comparison of two Douluo Continents, using their protagonists as the basis. We will compare the protagonists in every respect: talent, growth, and their future achievements.]
[Whoever wins the final comparison will receive greater fortune, and their universe will be more likely to produce additional geniuses.]
Yu Xiaogang was a clever man. He saw the problem immediately, and his expression grew worried.
"If Little San loses this comparison, he'll definitely be resented by the people in our universe."
"Exactly. That's human nature. If they get something out of it, they'll praise Little San. But if he loses in the end, they'll definitely resent him."
Flender understood human nature too.
Parallel Universe.
After watching the broadcast, Asura God immediately declared:
"What's there to compare? Our Heavenly Emperor is superior to Tang San in every way. Tang San can't hold a candle to him."
That was some flattery. God of Destruction looked at him with utter disdain. He'd never seen a god so shameless.
Nearby, Zhou Weiqing, the protagonist of the neighboring world, murmured when he heard Tang San's name:
"I keep feeling like I've heard of this Tang San somewhere before, but I just can't remember."
When Zhu Zhuqing heard that, she promptly reminded Zhou Weiqing:
"You've forgotten? There's a Tang San in our world too. He used to be on Douluo Continent, from Shrek Academy. He inherited both the Sea God and Asura God's divinities. During the Battle of Jialing Pass, our Heavenly Emperor killed him with a single palm strike."
The reminder jogged Zhou Weiqing's memory. He really had heard the gods of the Divine Realm mention him.
The only dual god on Douluo Continent.
Zhou Weiqing looked at Asura God, then at Sea God among the crowd.
Why were those two gods still here?
Asura God awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, then immediately looked at Ye Tianyun with unwavering loyalty.
"Heavenly Emperor, I truly never expected that little scoundrel Tang San to have hidden himself so well. He actually dared to challenge you."
What he'd found even more unbelievable was Ye Tianyun's strength. Tang San had possessed both the Asura God and Sea God's divinities, yet Ye Tianyun had still killed him with a single palm strike.
Afterward, Ye Tianyun had stormed the Divine Realm, beaten the Five Great God Kings one by one, and strung them up to take turns thrashing them. Eighteen First-Class Gods had been on the ground in three seconds.
Fortunately, he'd knelt early. Otherwise, he would've ended up like Tang San, his soul pulled out and trapped inside Ye Tianyun's Human Emperor Banner.
After seeing Asura God admit defeat, Sea God also hurried forward, knelt, and begged for mercy:
"Heavenly Emperor, it's all my fault for being blind. I only chose a successor based on his talent, without considering his character. That's why he made an enemy of you. It was a capital offense."
Ye Tianyun, however, paid it no mind, casually waving a hand.
A powerful surge of Battle Qi lifted Sea God to his feet.
"Enough. Tang San's affairs have nothing to do with you. You are all valued contributors to the Heavenly Court. Why would I kill the donkey after it has turned the millstone?"
Above all, Ye Tianyun had never worried that these people would betray him. His absolute strength spoke for itself.
Before you continue