Prologue: The End of Beginning and End

Poseidon Estate.

Tang San raised his wine cup, his gaze passing over the gods trading toasts before settling on the upturned eaves of the lakeside corridor in the distance. The lights made the glazed tiles gleam magnificently, just like his current mood—brilliant, complete, flawless.

At last, they were back.

Xiao Wu's hand shifted gently in his palm.

He turned his head and saw his wife's faintly furrowed brows. Her gaze wandered across the banquet, as though she were looking for something.

"Third Brother." She leaned closer, her voice as light as a petal falling into the lake. "Have you noticed? It feels like someone is missing."

Tang San smiled and shook his head. He set down his cup and reached out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Silly girl, no one is missing. Aren't all our family and friends here?"

He raised a hand toward the banquet. Dai Mubai had an arm around Zhu Zhuqing as they played a finger-guessing game. Ma Hongjun had apparently said something that made Oscar keep punching him, while Ning Rongrong blushed beside them. Tang Wutong sat shoulder to shoulder with Gu Yuena, both smiling as they talked about something, while False Gu Yuena stood beside Tang Wulin and gently kneaded his shoulders.

Xiao Wu followed his pointing finger, her gaze lingering on every face before finally returning to Tang San. She nodded and rested her face against his shoulder.

"Maybe I was overthinking it," she said.

Tang San lowered his head and gently kissed the top of her hair.

The banquet at Poseidon Estate remained lively all night. Amid the clinking cups and exchanged toasts, no one noticed the absent figure, nor did anyone notice a gaze piercing through countless halls from the direction of the God Realm Nexus, silently watching it all.

The following afternoon, sunlight warmed the white jade steps before Poseidon Estate until they were faintly hot.

Tang Wutong sat idly beneath the lakeside corridor with her parents. Xiao Wu peeled a grape, then suddenly looked up. "Oh, right. Where's little Yuhao?"

Tang Wutong pursed her lips slightly, carrying the three parts dissatisfaction and seven parts heartache of any wife neglected by her husband. "He's on duty at the God Realm Nexus." She spat the grape seed into her palm. "He's covering Wulin's shift today, on top of his own shift yesterday. He's already been on duty for three days straight."

Tang San was holding a teacup. At that, he looked up with a satisfied smile. "I knew I hadn't misjudged him."

He set down the teacup, his gaze passing Tang Wutong as he looked toward the God Realm Nexus. His voice was filled with the gratified affection of a loving elder. "He was willing to suffer a little and work a little harder to make our father-son reunion complete. What a fine son-in-law."

The displeasure on Tang Wutong's face faded, replaced by a somewhat shy smile. She lowered her head and softly said, "Dad, he never liked lively occasions to begin with."

Xiao Wu handed her the peeled grape and smiled. "Once he finishes his shift, have him come home for dinner."

The third day.

Gu Yuena stood before the doors of the God Realm Nexus, stunned for three full breaths.

The doors she had passed through countless times were now tightly sealed beneath a golden barrier. She pressed her palm against it and felt a vast, unfamiliar divine power—heavy as an eternal sea of stars, yet sharp as a blade ready to pierce everything.

It was rejecting her.

She turned and left.

Tang Wulin was reading an ancient scroll in the bedchamber. When he saw his wife push open the door, he had just begun to rise with a smile when he met her grave expression.

"Something has happened at the God Realm Nexus."

Half an hour later, the entrance to the God Realm Nexus was crowded with people.

Tang San stood at the front, dressed in Poseidon Divine Armor, the Sea God's Trident planted at his side. The cold gleam on its blade reflected his expressionless face. Xiao Wu stood beside him, her face full of worry. Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, Oscar, and their old friends stood behind him, while farther back were Tang Wulin, Gu Yuena, Tang Wutong, and the eleven God Kings who had rushed over after hearing the news.

"Huo Yuhao." Tang San's voice was not loud, yet it clearly passed through the pale golden barrier. "Open the barrier."

Silence filled the barrier.

Tang San waited three breaths, and his brow faintly furrowed. He tightened his grip on the Sea God's Trident as blue light began flowing along its shaft. "Huo Yuhao, in the name of the God Realm Committee, I order you to open the barrier immediately."

Still no response.

Tang Wutong pushed through the crowd and ran to the barrier, pressing both hands against it. The barrier was icy cold, as though an ancient glacier stood between them. She could not feel even a trace of warmth.

"Yuhao!" Her voice trembled. "Yuhao, can you hear me? It's me. I'm Wutong!"

At last, a response came from within the barrier.

The voice was very soft, as though it came from an impossibly distant place, yet also seemed to whisper beside their ears. "Wutong..."

Tang Wutong's tears immediately spilled over. "Yuhao! Open it! Open it and let me in!"

Silence.

After a long time, the voice sounded again, calm without the slightest ripple. "You can't come in. I can't go out either."

Tang San's frown deepened. He said nothing more. Raising a hand, he made the Sea God's Trident tremble and bloom with dazzling golden light. The flashing radiance instantly split into countless golden halberd phantoms, gathering into a surging golden cloud that covered the barrier—Golden Thirteen Halberds: Endless Ages.

Ripples spread across the barrier before it returned to stillness.

Tang San's pupils contracted slightly.

"This is a divine tool capable of rivaling the Mountain Dragon King's defense." The voice within the barrier drifted out, carrying a faint, almost imperceptible smile. "I call it Eternal Defense. Tang San, don't waste your effort."

Tang San did not answer. He turned, divine power of the Sea God surging into the trident in his hand. Then he spun back sharply and hurled the Sea God's Trident with all his might as though throwing a javelin—Golden Thirteen Halberds: One-Way Return.

The barrier remained utterly unmoved.

The Sea God's Trident turned into a streak of light and returned to his hand. He concealed the gloom on his face, then turned to face the gods behind him.

There was little expression on his face, only a trace of disappointment between his brows. "I fear Huo Yuhao has gone mad." He paused. "He may be planning something harmful to the Divine Realm. Everyone, help me subdue him."

The thirteen God Kings stepped forward at the same time.

Divine lights of every color flared and blasted toward the pale golden barrier. Each attack made the barrier quake violently, layers of ripples spreading over its surface. Tang Wutong stood to the side, tears streaming endlessly down her face. Her hands gripped her clothes tightly, and though she opened her mouth, no sound emerged.

One hour later.

The barrier finally shattered under the fourteenth combined attack, turning into a sky full of golden motes.

Yet before the gods could breathe a sigh of relief, another pale golden barrier rose from the same spot. It was identical to the previous one—heavy, sharp, and indestructible.

"Everyone." Huo Yuhao's voice sounded once more, this time carrying undisguised mockery. "Don't waste your effort. I have dozens more barriers like this. Half a day from now, I'll close them myself and give everyone an explanation."

Tang San's expression darkened.

He lowered his eyes, hiding the fleeting chill within them completely. When he looked up again, his face bore a calm smile, as though everything remained under his control.

He raised a hand, signaling the gods to stop. "Everyone, wait." He looked toward the pale golden barrier, his tone gentle as though comforting a willful child. "I believe Yuhao will give us an appropriate explanation."

The gods exchanged glances, but no one spoke further. The thirteen God Kings each stepped back a few paces, forming a semicircle around the barrier as they waited silently.

Half a day.

To the Divine Realm, it was no more than the flick of a finger.

But to Tang Wutong, that half-day was as long as ten thousand years. She remained standing before the barrier, her hands pressed against it. Her tears flowed dry, then flowed again. The barrier stayed cold, stayed silent, and never gave her any response.

Half a day later.

The barrier disappeared as promised.

Tang San took the lead and pushed open the doors of the divine hall.

His movement paused—his carefully prepared thunderous rage and accusations were suppressed the instant he crossed the threshold. He took a deep breath and adjusted his expression into one of perfectly measured concern and worry.

"Yuhao." His voice was gentle, carrying the affection unique to an elder. "If you have your reasons, tell me. I still regard you as my son-in-law."

Huo Yuhao sat in the main seat of the divine hall.

It should have been the seat of the God Realm Nexus's duty officer, but beneath him, it carried the aura of a throne. He held his chin slightly high, his gaze falling on Tang San's face as though he were admiring an amusing performance.

"Tang San." He spoke in an indifferent tone. "Stop being so hypocritical. I know what you're thinking. In your heart, you've probably already given me several reasons I deserve to die."

Tang San's expression shifted slightly.

It lasted only an instant, so fast that almost no one noticed. But Huo Yuhao saw it, and the smile at the corner of his lips deepened.

"Yuhao." Tang San's tone remained gentle, though the warmth in his eyes had diminished. "You're maliciously speculating about me. I'm only worried because I care."

"Worried because you care." Huo Yuhao repeated the words as though savoring something interesting. He nodded. "What a fine excuse."

He no longer looked at Tang San. His gaze passed over him and landed on Tang Wutong behind him.

"Tang Wutong." When he called her name, his voice suddenly became very soft. "She wasn't Qiu'er or Dong'er, was she?"

Tang San frowned.

He had just been about to speak when a figure behind him had already rushed forward. Tang Wutong ran before Huo Yuhao, grasping his sleeves with both hands. Her eyes were red, and tears swirled in them.

"Yuhao!" Her voice was urgent and tearful. "What nonsense are you thinking? I am Wang Dong'er and Wang Qiu'er! I'm Dong'er, I'm your Dong'er!"

Huo Yuhao lowered his head and looked at the hands clutching his sleeves.

They were slender, fair hands, their knuckles distinct, their fingertips faintly cold. He looked at them for a long time, until Tang Wutong's tears finally fell and landed on the back of his hand.

He raised his head, looked at her tear-streaked face, and smiled softly.

"No," he said, his voice gentle yet certain. "Wutong, you aren't."

"You are only Tang Wutong."

Tang Wutong froze.

Huo Yuhao pulled his sleeve from her hands and rose to his feet. His gaze passed over her and settled on Tang San again.

"Great God King Tang." He spoke calmly, as though recounting something unrelated to himself. "You truly are a master schemer."

Tang San's expression had completely darkened.

"You tore Tang Wutong's divine consciousness into three pieces." Huo Yuhao's voice echoed through the empty divine hall, every word clear as though carved into stone. "One remained in the Divine Realm, one was made into Wang Dong'er, and one was stuffed into Wang Qiu'er's body. You arranged for me to meet Dong'er and fall in love with her. When I had fallen in love with both Qiu'er and Dong'er, you forced the two of them into a duel to the death and caused Dong'er's death. The piece placed inside Qiu'er stole her origin after she sacrificed herself for me, then brought it to Tang Wutong."

He paused, watching Tang San's expression grow increasingly ugly as a mocking curve rose on his lips.

"Then you told me Tang Wutong was Wang Dong'er and Wang Qiu'er." His voice suddenly became very soft, as soft as a sigh. "You used her as a dog chain to leash me. You wanted me to be the Tang Household's loyal dog."

He lowered his eyes and shook his head.

"Great God King Tang. You truly possess world-shaking wisdom."

The divine hall fell into dead silence.

Tang San's face was livid. He took a deep breath, then another, before finally suppressing the surging rage within him. He turned toward the stunned gods behind him, toward Xiao Wu, and spoke each word distinctly.

"My love for my daughter, Tang San's love, is as clear as the moon. Everyone should know that." His voice was steady, carrying the grievance of one falsely accused and the helplessness of being misunderstood. "I would never do such a thing."

He turned back toward Huo Yuhao. In that instant, all warmth vanished from his eyes, replaced by icy fury.

"I truly misjudged you." His voice seemed squeezed from between his teeth. "Yuhao. At first, I regarded you as my successor. Yet you slandered me and defamed me. Now, you are unworthy."

Huo Yuhao smiled.

There was no anger or grievance in that smile, only an indescribable exhaustion and relief.

"Tang San," he said, "I knew you would deny it."

He raised a hand and pointed to his forehead.

There, a third eye slowly opened. It was a strange eye, magnificent radiance flowing through its pupil. Fine black and white threads mingled within its rose-colored halo, as though life and death, past and future, beginning and end were intertwined within it.

"I saw it with my own eyes." Huo Yuhao's voice was soft. "Through my Eye of Eternity. At first, I didn't believe it either. But as my cultivation grew stronger, the Eye of Eternity allowed me to see more and more. Everything that happened at every point in time throughout the universe—a person's, or rather, a god's past, present, future, and destiny. I can see it all."

The light within the Eye of Eternity blazed, projecting onto the wall behind the gods.

They instinctively turned to look.

Within the image stood a figure they all knew well.

Tang San.

A sleeping girl lay before him. She was only five or six years old, her childish features peaceful as she lay there like an exquisitely crafted doll.

Tang San reached out and pressed a hand to the girl's forehead.

A cluster of pinkish-blue light slowly rose from the girl's body, floating in the air and trembling softly as though alive. Tang San thrust both hands into that ball of light and tore—

The light shook violently, trying to escape, but Tang San held it fast and tore it into three pieces.

The Tang San in the image muttered to himself as he tore. His face carried smug delight, like a mischievous child who had completed a prank he was proud of.

"Heh, I really am clever." He spoke to the three pieces of light, his tone so breezy it bordered on frivolous. "That damned Douluo Plane actually dared resist me, God King Tang. It already deserves to die! I'll make you disappointed. Your Child of Fortune is destined to be unable to escape."

He paused, as though suddenly remembering something. The smugness on his face faded somewhat, replaced by a trace of guilt.

"But Xiao Wu can't know about this." He murmured, lowering his head to look at the sleeping girl. "Sigh, Xiao Qi. For Daddy's grand plan, you'll just have to make a small sacrifice."

The image froze.

The divine hall was so quiet that a needle dropping could have been heard.

The gods' gazes slowly turned toward Tang San. There was shock, confusion, doubt, and fear in those eyes. Dai Mubai opened his mouth, his Adam's apple bobbing several times before he managed to make a hoarse sound.

"Little San... is this true?"

Tang Wutong stood rooted to the spot like a statue.

Her tears were still flowing, but her entire body had gone rigid. Her eyes stared fixedly at Tang San, and something within them was shattering bit by bit.

"Dad...?"

Her voice was soft, as though she were talking in her sleep. She raised a hand to press against her temple. No wonder. No wonder she always had inexplicable headaches. No wonder she always felt as though something were missing inside her. No wonder that sometimes, when she looked at herself in the mirror, that face seemed so unfamiliar.

Xiao Wu stood behind Tang San.

Her eyes were red, tears swirling inside them, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall. She stared at Tang San's back. Her lips moved, yet no sound came out. She wanted to step forward, to seize his sleeve, to ask whether it was true—but her feet seemed nailed to the floor, unable to take even a single step.

She only watched him.

Waiting for him to turn around.

Waiting for him to tell her that all of this was false.

Tang San's body stiffened for an instant.

Only an instant. Then he turned around. His face wore precisely the right amount of shock and anger, as though this were the first time he had seen the image, as though he too had been deeply hurt by it.

"This..." His voice was hoarse, as though the words were difficult to say. "All of this was fabricated by Huo Yuhao!"

His gaze swept over the gods, over Xiao Wu, and finally settled on Huo Yuhao's face. In that instant, all warmth disappeared from his eyes, replaced by undisguised killing intent.

"Huo Yuhao." He spoke each word distinctly. "You actually dare slander me. You seek to drive a wedge between Xiao Wu and me. You—"

The Sea God's Trident rose high, golden light scattering from its shaft and illuminating the entire divine hall.

"You deserve to die!"

Huo Yuhao watched him.

He watched the perfectly measured anger on Tang San's face, the undisguised killing intent in his eyes, and the Sea God's Trident raised high above him.

Suddenly, he remembered many years ago.

When he had first entered Shrek, the Sea God statue at Shrek's entrance had seemed so majestic, so sacred. He had wanted to become someone like that.

Until his Eye of Destiny had evolved into the Eye of Eternity amid the turbulence of time and space.

Until he saw where those sufferings had come from.

Huo Yuhao smiled.

The smile was light and faint, as though he had finally set down something unbearably heavy.

"Don't be in such a hurry."

He curled his lips upward. Within the Eye of Eternity on his forehead, rose-colored radiance mixed with black-and-white threads suddenly erupted.

Time seemed to stop.

Tang San's Sea God's Trident, raised high overhead, stopped in midair. The golden light on its shaft congealed into countless motionless streams. Tang Wutong's falling tears hung in the air, crystal clear like frozen stars. Xiao Wu opened her mouth, but no sound came out. The gods' shock, rage, and fear all froze upon their faces, becoming eternal relief sculptures.

Huo Yuhao stood up.

He gave Tang Wutong one final look. Tear tracks were clearly visible on her frozen face. He looked for a long time, so long that it was as though he were carving her into the depths of his soul.

Then he turned around.

Behind him, the God Realm Nexus exploded with a thunderous roar.

Twisted black light surged from the shattered core, like a door opening to another world. It was not ordinary darkness—it was alive, breathing, ravenous. It clawed its way toward the frozen gods, as if it meant to devour everything.

Huo Yuhao stood at the heart of the black light and turned back one last time.

He looked at Tang San's frozen face, at the rage and killing intent locked upon it.

"Goodbye, Divine Realm," he said.

The black light exploded with a thunderous roar, swallowing everything.

"Tang San."

His voice came from deep within the black light, soft, like a farewell—and like a verdict.

"Now, everything begins again."