The Sea God's Son

Clouds and mist entwined, rosy clouds churned, and a shifting nine-colored halo veiled the entire sky. The vast sea of clouds surged and transformed in the wind, sometimes coiling into a long dragon roaming the nine heavens, sometimes gathering into a phoenix perched atop the clouds, beating its wings. Rosy light streamed down its feathers and scales, and overflowing spiritual energy rode the wind, washing over everything with the boundless essence of immortals.

A waterfall hung at the edge of a cloud-wreathed cliff, like a white silk ribbon cascading from the celestial river. It crashed heavily against the blue-green stone of the divine mountain, shattering into mist that filled the air. An unbroken expanse of palaces lay hidden behind that haze. Moisture drifted over layered eaves and elevated corridors, revealing only glimpses of gilded rooftops and eave corners carved with divine patterns. Solemn and serene, they bore not the slightest trace of mortal bustle.

Below the waterfall, celestial steps built from divine jade unfolded tier upon tier along the mountain slopes. Clear dewdrops of divine power clung to the leaf tips of the divine-nurturing grass beside the path, while unnamed immortal blossoms bloomed at their leisure, a soft, pale-gold glow floating over their petals. The wind passed through the woods, carrying a faint floral fragrance. Flecks of spiritual light drifted through the air like crushed stars. Deep within, a divine temple lay concealed in the clouds. Jade bells at its eaves swayed gently in the wind, their clear chimes passing through layer after layer of mist and drifting across the entire mountaintop.

If a mortal could set foot in such a place, a single breath of spiritual energy would cleanse all the impurities from their body and add decades to their lifespan. Yet mortal flesh could never withstand such boundless divine essence. Inhaling even a little more would stretch their meridians until they ruptured inch by inch; if they greedily forced more into themselves, their body would shatter in an instant, and even their soul would be ground to drifting ash by the overflowing divine power, leaving not the slightest trace.

For this was the Divine Realm.

A young woman sat in a cozy bedroom. Her long hair was woven into a scorpion braid that hung down her back, and her breathtaking beauty stirred the soul, especially her lively pink eyes. Vitality filled the space around her, her figure was graceful and captivating, and she possessed a unique quality that defied description.

Just then, however, an ill-timed voice broke the bedroom's quiet. "Xiao Wu, Xiao Wu!"

A figure wrapped in blue-gold light appeared in the bedroom in an instant. It was Tang San, who had been calmly debating the God of Destruction at the God Realm Committee not long before. Now, however, he could barely conceal his urgency, and even seemed somewhat giddy.

The moment the door opened, the blue-gold figure had already rushed inside, reaching the young woman's side in a flash. He gripped her shoulders with both hands and gazed intently at her, his voice trembling with excitement he could not contain. "Xiao Wu, you're pregnant!"

The blue-haired Sea God could no longer restrain his overwhelming joy. He and Xiao Wu had been in the Divine Realm for many years, and until now, they had only one daughter. For deities, producing offspring was exceedingly difficult. Tang San had already concluded that after having a daughter, he would never have another child. Yet who could have imagined that today, while arguing with the God of Destruction at the God Realm Committee, a chance remark from the Goddess of Life would reveal that he was about to welcome another child?

As a lofty God King who looked down upon the mortal universe, he had not experienced such excitement in a very long time.

In the bedroom, the lovely Xiao Wu pursed her lips slightly and chided him, "All you think about is the baby. You don't care about me at all."

Tang San hurriedly released her shoulders, turned to sit beside her, and gathered her securely into his arms, settling her on his lap. He soothed her gently, "You and the baby are both my most precious treasures. Without you, how could there be a baby?" His eyes brimmed with tender affection.

Reassured, Xiao Wu nestled deep into his embrace and said softly, "The Goddess of Life said our baby is already three months along and will be safely born in another six months. Wutong is going to have a little brother. What do you think we should name him?"

Tang San grinned foolishly, unable to hide his delight. "Wonderful! We're really having another child. This is wonderful! Xiao Wu, thank you." He held her tightly, his eyes filled with irrepressible joy.

Gazing at the gentle, lovely Xiao Wu in his arms, Tang San extended his large, fair, warm hand and laid it lightly over her lower abdomen. His fingertips caressed her with boundless tenderness, as though he were touching the world's most precious treasure.

He considered for a moment, then said slowly, "Our eldest daughter is named Tang Wutong. We took 'Tang' from my name, 'Wu' from yours, and 'Tong' from the saying 'a phoenix roosts in the parasol tree.' She's like our little phoenix."

After a brief pause, anticipation glimmered in his eyes. "Let's follow the same pattern for our baby. If he's a boy, how about Tang Wulin? Tang San and Xiao Wu's little qilin. What do you think?"

Xiao Wu's eyes instantly sparkled, and her voice was sweet and soft. "Tang San and Xiao Wu's little qilin? Yes, yes!"

Then she blinked her bright pink eyes and looked up at Tang San with a hint of playful concern. "But Brother San, the characters for 'Wulin' aren't easy to write. What if little Wulin blames us someday?"

Tang San smiled and brushed a finger over the tip of her nose. "Teaching him to write is naturally my responsibility as his father. As for you, from now on, just relax and keep being my beautiful Xiao Wu."

At his words, Xiao Wu snuggled closer into his embrace and softly asked about the meeting in the Divine Realm.

Recalling his argument with the God of Destruction at the God Realm Committee, Tang San could not help sighing softly. "Back then, Goodness, Evil, and the Great God King—the three of them—found Ji Dong and Lie Yan as their successors. After passing on their godhood, they began traveling the universe. Before leaving, they entrusted control of the Divine Realm Core to me. That has always left the God of Destruction, a veteran God King, resentful."

He paused, then continued, "At first, I didn't pay it much mind. I thought that as time passed, the rift between us as fellow God Kings would gradually narrow. I never expected it to grow deeper instead. This time, he used the expansion of the Divine Realm as another pretext to challenge me. Though I managed to hold him in check, that isn't a lasting solution."

Xiao Wu's lovely brows drew together more tightly. "Things really can't go on like this. Destruction is a veteran God King, and every one of the Seven Original Sin Gods under him is exceptionally powerful. They're his most loyal subordinates. Now that I'm pregnant, I can't do much to help you..." She sighed softly, her voice full of concern.

Then Xiao Wu asked with some puzzlement, "Brother San, is that thing you foresaw back then really going to happen? So many years have passed in the Divine Realm, yet there hasn't been any major event threatening it."

Tang San said gravely, "I have a premonition that disaster will strike soon, perhaps within the next year or two. That's precisely why I don't want the God of Destruction to insist on expanding the Divine Realm at this time. Expanding it would certainly allow us to bring in talented people from the various lower planes and replenish our ranks of deities. But during the expansion, the Divine Realm itself would be unstable. If disaster struck then, the consequences would be unimaginable."

He paused, his tone tinged with conflicting emotions. "Do you think I don't want to expand the Divine Realm and make it better? One day in the Divine Realm is a year in the mortal world. Over all these years, the Divine Realm has accumulated an immense amount of willpower. Under normal circumstances, if it were simply a matter of expanding the Divine Realm and increasing the number of deities, I would certainly agree. After all, from what I've observed, some people in our own Douluo Continent plane already possess enough talent to qualify for entry into the Divine Realm. If not for my premonition of a great catastrophe, I would raise both hands in support of expanding the Divine Realm and increasing our numbers."

Xiao Wu stood and moved to Tang San's side, saying softly, "I believe you, Brother San. It's just... you really should have a proper talk with the God of Destruction. If the conflict grows any worse, I'm afraid..." She did not finish, but she knew Tang San was clever enough to understand her concerns.

Tang San smiled faintly and reached out to draw her back into his arms. "Don't worry. I will."

And where was Tang Wulin, the protagonist of our story, at this moment?