The tumultuous dispute and shouting before Sea God's Palace gradually subsided, and the surging waves of divine power slowly grew calm.
Tang San, who had just been furious with a gloomy face and whose entire body was filled with a piercing, oppressive might, slowly shed the hostility from his expression, recovering the calm and detachment of a God Realm Enforcer he usually wore.
Those eyes, as deep as the sea, reined in all their anger, leaving behind only an unrippled, unfathomable depth that revealed not the slightest emotion.
He raised his gaze, looking past the void within the hall and landing on that petite figure at the entrance who was clutching the hem of the Goddess of Life's dress, daring only to poke her little head out to steal peeks at him, and spoke in a flat tone:
"Tang Wutong, aren't you coming over yet? What is the meaning of hiding behind Life? Could it be that your father would actually eat you up?"
His voice was not loud, yet it carried the majesty exclusive to a Divine King, steadily ringing throughout the entire palace square.
Tang Wutong, hiding behind the Goddess of Life, instinctively shrank her neck, secretly pouted her little mouth, and muttered softly:
"That's not necessarily true... Who knows if the old fogey will settle accounts after autumn."
As her words fell, the Goddess of Life, who had consistently remained gentle and composed, finally failed to maintain her dignified posture, covering her red lips with a hand and letting out a low, soft chuckle.
Her brows and eyes curved, her gentle radiance rippling.
That trace of a faint smile diluted the tense atmosphere of the confrontation just moments before, making her appear all the more gentle and moving.
She raised a hand, gently rubbing the soft, long hair of the little girl in her arms, her fingertips brushing across the latter's slightly tense little face, and spoke in a soothing, gentle tone:
"Silly girl, hurry on over. Your father is a dignified Divine King, a man of his word; naturally, he keeps his promises and will never casually vent his anger upon you."
Tang Wutong blinked her large, water-filled eyes, a trace of lingering nervousness and hesitation still hidden within their depths.
Her little hands still tightly grasped the Goddess of Life's hem, her feet seemingly nailed to the spot as she delayed taking a step forward.
She understood her own father far too well; usually, he appeared warm and impartial, but when he grew serious, he held the deepest grudges.
Tang San took in every bit of her cautious appearance, a flash of imperceptible displeasure sweeping across the depths of his eyes.
He then deliberately darkened his expression slightly, speaking in a flat tone as he dangled the condition Tang Wutong found most impossible to resist:
"What? Hiding and refusing to come over means you have no plans to go to Douluo Continent?"
This sentence could be called a precise strike to her weakness!
All of her momentary nervousness and fear were instantly cast to the nine heavens by Tang Wutong.
Going to play on Douluo Continent was a wish she had plotted for a long time!
Her eyes suddenly lit up, instantly forgetting her fear. She immediately let go of the hem she was clutching and, like a cheerful little fawn of the forest, trotted over to Tang San in quick, hurried steps.
The young girl's posture was petite and lively, her exquisite and peerless face held high.
A pair of clear, sparkling eyes gazed brightly at Tang San, their depths filled with anticipation and obedience.
Her long hair swayed gently with her movements, her brows and eyes bright, standing prettily in place looking impossibly well-behaved and stunning enough to steal one's breath away.
Looking at his daughter's thoroughly joyful and completely defenseless appearance, Tang San felt a mixture of emotions within his heart.
The reprimands he had prepared beforehand were entirely blocked in his throat, and for a moment he actually did not know how to speak.
Outwardly he remained calm and unruffled, yet the scheming in his heart grew all the more clear and resolute.
A moment later, the Goddess of Life, wearing a faint smile, exchanged glances with the God of Destruction, who had quietly observed the entire process, and the somewhat helplessly expressioned Li Changsheng.
The three of them were extremely tactful, choosing not to linger further. They quietly turned and departed, leaving the entire space of Sea God's Palace exclusively to the father and daughter.
Until the auras of the three figures completely faded away, the sea of clouds restored its tranquility, and no outsiders remained before Sea God's Palace, Tang San finally put away all his surface nonchalance.
He looked earnestly at the Tang Wutong before him, and asked in a deep, slow voice:
"Are you truly determined to go to Douluo Continent for seasoning and experience?"
Tang Wutong nodded heavily and firmly, her head bobbing with crisp, decisive movements and her eyes full of yearning: "Mm-mm! I've wanted to go see the lower realm for ages! I've long since grown tired of roaming the God Realm; the lower realm must be exceptionally fun!"
Finished speaking, she seemed to suddenly recall the dispute from moments before. Raising her little face once more, she looked at Tang San with eyes full of vigilance and pursued with a soft question: "Father, then you've agreed? You won't trick me and go back on your word later, refusing to let me go, right?"
Tang San looked at his daughter's pure and naive appearance, feigning gentleness as he spoke in a resolute tone: "When has your father ever tricked you? Do you take your father for a person who breaks his word?"
Tang Wutong blinked her large eyes, pondering earnestly, carefully, and thoroughly for a moment.
Then she nodded very sincerely, and replied in a crisp voice: "Yes!"
Boom!
A mere single word instantly caused Tang San's complexion to turn completely black.
The Sea God's might that had just settled around his body abruptly surged and suppressed itself once more, the air freezing instantly.
He wielded the divine authority of dual gods, sitting supreme at the pinnacle of the God Realm's enforcers. Throughout his life, his actions had been upright and above board, adhering strictly to the rules, and he had always been revered and feared by others. When had he ever been so bluntly exposed and had his credibility doubted like this?
And of all people, the one who spoke these words was the very biological daughter he had raised and cherished with his own hands!
It was simply reaping what he sowed, a grievance too bitter to voice!
The temples of Tang San's head throbbed faintly, his heart feeling helpless and stifled. Yet, unable to throw a tantrum over it, he could only forcibly suppress his surging emotions.
Knowing full well that arguing right and wrong with a child was entirely useless, he simply stopped dwelling on this awkward topic.
Thus, he shifted the conversation directly to the core matter he truly cared about, asking:
"Then tell your father, what are your thoughts regarding Li Changsheng?"
This sentence concealed a deep meaning; it was the absolute priority he truly wanted to ask about today.
Tang San had long since thoroughly calculated everything in his heart.
The couple, the God of Destruction and the Goddess of Life, had always cherished Tang Wutong immensely, treating her as their own daughter.
Today, they had even openly backed her up, going so far as to openly state their intention to take her as a god-daughter.
This was ample proof that Destruction and Life already held not the slightest objection to this tacitly understood marriage, and were even happy to see it come to fruition.
Now that the obstacles posed by the elders on both sides had been completely cleared away, the only thing that needed to be managed was his own daughter's sentiments, along with Li Changsheng's attitude.
As the old saying went, a man chasing a woman spans a thousand mountains and rivers, while a woman chasing a man is separated by only a single layer of gauze.
Tang Wutong possessed a simple, straightforward nature and a pure disposition.
As long as his daughter was made to thoroughly fall for and depend on Li Changsheng, then this god-generation youth with a boundless future and the bloodline of dual Divine Kings would inevitably be reeled in without fail!
At this thought, a trace of extremely deep, undetected ambitious amusement quietly swept across the depths of Tang San's eyes.
As long as he successfully brought about the union of Tang Wutong and Li Changsheng, binding the two families completely together and fusing their bloodlines, the Tang Family would then be able to successively link four supreme divine authorities: the Sea God, Asura God, Destruction God, and Life God.
Four Divine Kings in a single household, with even the magnificent prospect of achieving a grand gathering of five Divine Kings in the future!
By that time, within the entire God Realm, no one would be able to contend with him!
He, Tang San, would truly become the Supreme Sovereign of the God Realm who wielded all creation and overlooked the heavens!
This top-tier deal that guaranteed a profit without any loss was something he was determined to win!
How could Tang Wutong possibly know that such far-reaching and meticulous calculations were hidden within her father's heart?
Hearing this, she tilted her head, earnestly recalling the bits and pieces of getting along with Li Changsheng, her brows and eyes curving as she spoke in a sincere and brisk tone:
"Changsheng is wonderful! He's gentle and formidable, and he never bullies me. Whenever I'm bored, he keeps me company, and Uncle Purple and Aunt Green dore him to pieces as well. He's my very best little companion in the God Realm!"
The young girl's pure and untainted evaluation fell into Tang San's ears, making the scheming in the depths of his eyes all the more resolute.
Very well.
The foundation of good feelings was already in place. Next came naturally unfolding the layout, allowing the two of them to rely upon one another in the lower realm, sharing life and death through hardships until they were thoroughly immersed in mutual affection and became utterly inseparable!
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