The Life and Destruction Gods Descend, Eager to Become Parents

Tang Wulin nodded obediently, silently calculating Mu En's great-great-grandson in his heart...

That should be Bei Bei, right?

Judging by his age, Bei Bei was probably just a six- or seven-year-old brat now...

Still, he should soon have a chance to meet that young Tang Sect master.

Though whether he really had a good personality was hard to say.

If he remembered correctly, Huo Yuhao's habit of cheating seemed to have something to do with them every time.

But he seemed to be considered fairly decent in terms of character at Shrek Academy.

In his opinion, Shrek Academy simply did not deserve its reputation as the greatest academy under heaven. They cultivated strength, not hearts.

Geniuses gathered there, yet more than half died before reaching the end.

In any case, he could not understand the inner court's absurd rules. Hunting evil soul masters could be considered a good thing.

But the problem was, what level were those evil soul masters? They were sending a bunch of half-grown children to face vicious criminals.

Shouldn't the elders be the ones going?

The meeting ended there, and everyone dispersed.

Xuan Zi was the last to leave. Before going, he secretly winked at Tang Wulin and mouthed, "Thanks, kid," only to be glared at by Mu En and flee in embarrassment.

Before Zhang Lexuan left, she looked back at Tang Wulin. The corners of her lips curled up slightly, as though she were saying, "Rest well," before she turned and followed the others.

Soon, Tang Wulin was led by an inner court senior to an exceptionally luxurious little wooden cabin.

The cabin was not large, but every detail was exquisite. Its desk had been polished from a whole piece of iron birch, with dense soul-gathering patterns carved across its surface.

The small wooden bed was covered with snow-white beast-hide bedding, and its pillow was stuffed with century-old Soulfragrance Grass. The moment he lay down, a cool, crisp aura spread from the back of his head through his entire body.

Tang Wulin waited quietly until the senior shut the door and walked away. Only then did he let out a long breath and collapse onto the bed like a deflated balloon.

Finally, he could get some proper rest.

He sat cross-legged in the middle of the bed and adjusted his breathing. Just as he was about to settle his mind and cultivate, the instant he closed his eyes, it felt as if someone had grabbed his ankles and dragged his consciousness into a vortex.

The scene before him abruptly twisted. The warm, dim light of the Sea God Pavilion cabin vanished, replaced by an empty grayish-white void.

There was no ground beneath his feet, no sky above his head. The chaos around him stretched endlessly, like an unopened scroll.

Tang Wulin's heart tightened, but before he could panic—

Green light spread through the void, like the first warm breeze of spring melting snow. Silently, it condensed into the outline of a woman.

Her brown hair fell to her waist, and her green eyes were as clear as emeralds washed by rain. A gentle smile rested in her gaze as she quietly watched him.

"Who are you?" Tang Wulin instinctively took half a step back.

Before his words had even faded, another streak of purple light tore through the grayish-white void and cut in. It arrived with tremendous ferocity, carrying faint thunder and lightning. Crackling sounds rang out as the empty chaos flickered between light and dark.

The purple light landed and took the form of a tall, stern-faced man wearing a purple hood. His brows carried an imposing air like thunderclouds pressing down upon a city. The moment he opened his mouth, his voice rolled over Tang Wulin. "I am the Destruction God of the Divine Realm—"

"Smack."

The Life Goddess raised a hand and gave his arm a light slap.

The Destruction God's dignified face immediately crumpled a little. His lips moved, but in the end, he did not finish the rest of his introduction, merely giving a muffled snort.

Tang Wulin's eyelid twitched. These were the two God Kings of the Divine Realm?

"Don't be afraid, little one." The Life Goddess bent slightly, meeting Tang Wulin's eyes at his level. Her voice was as gentle as a breeze brushing across a lake. "We aren't bad people. I am the Life Goddess, and he is my husband, the Destruction God. You carry my blessing of life, as well as Little Zi's source power, so we noticed you back in the Star Dou Great Forest."

Tang Wulin blinked, his mind spinning rapidly.

He knew about the blessing of life. After all, Tang Wulin had been blessed by the Life Goddess from the moment he was born. But the source of destruction... when had he ever come into contact with that? Could it be some bonus that came with the Golden Dragon King bloodline?

"So..." The Life Goddess paused and glanced at the Destruction God, seemingly confirming something before smiling. "We want to take you as our child."

Tang Wulin froze.

"Your father..." The Life Goddess's voice softened. "Not long after his death, we brought him to the Divine Realm. Little Zi used divine power to reconstruct his body and martial soul. His talent was already quite good, and now he has begun cultivating steadily. Once the old Destruction God steps down, we'll have him pass his godhood on to your father."

"He's already in the Divine Realm?" Tang Wulin blurted out.

It seemed like I hadn't done anything at all!

The Destruction God crouched down.

His movement was exceedingly awkward, as though he had not done such a thing in tens of thousands of years. His knees bent stiffly, and in the end, he simply dropped to one knee so he could barely meet Tang Wulin's gaze.

The eyes that so often carried thunder and lightning had withdrawn all their sharpness. What remained was only an awkward, unpracticed gentleness.

"Child," he said softly, "I know this is sudden. The Divine Realm has been quiet for too long—so long that we have nearly forgotten what liveliness feels like. Your mother and I... we want a family member. You carry my source power and her blessing. More than any other god, you are like the child we would have together."

He paused, then extended a hand, palm facing up, holding it before Tang Wulin.

"Can you... give me a chance to be a father?"

Tang Wulin lowered his eyes and looked at the Destruction God.

They could force this on someone?

He opened his mouth, then closed it again.

Many things flashed through his mind: his solitude in his previous life, his father who had died early in this life, and Tang San, whose attention might fall upon him at any moment.

The Golden Dragon King bloodline was indeed powerful and came with many benefits, but its drawbacks were equally obvious. The Star Dou Great Forest was still at its peak at this time...

Most importantly, he still was not sure whether he could deceive Tang San. With two God Kings behind him, Tang San would not dare scheme against him so freely.

"I..." Tang Wulin's voice was a little hoarse. He cleared his throat, lowered his eyes, and called out in a very small voice, "...Dad."

The Destruction God froze as if struck by lightning, his pupils abruptly widening. It took him two breaths before he scooped Tang Wulin into his arms and held him tightly, resting his chin atop his head as he gave a muffled "Mm." That "mm" trembled fiercely.

The Life Goddess laughed beside them, though her eyes reddened slightly. She leaned in as well, gently wrapping her arms around the two of them from the other side. Her warm breath fell against Tang Wulin's ear. "And me too, Little Lin."

Caught between them, Tang Wulin did not know where to put his arms. In the end, he simply wrapped one around each God King's waist. Buried in the Destruction God's embrace, he added in a tiny voice, "...Mom."

"Yes." The Life Goddess's answer carried both laughter and a sob.