The Sea God shrank back and gave two dry chuckles. "Just kidding, just kidding."
"Come on, with how close we are, would I really report you?"
Though he backed down verbally, his gaze returned to Lin Changgeng in the image, a strange gleam flashing in his eyes.
"But speaking of which..." The Sea God rubbed his chin.
"This child has excellent potential."
"What, caught your eye?" the Asura God asked.
"He has." The Sea God made no attempt to hide it and answered bluntly.
"You don't want Tang San anymore?" A peculiar look flashed through the Asura God's eyes.
"No." The Sea God shook his head.
"Oh?" The Asura God raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Don't play dumb with me." The Sea God rolled his eyes. "As if we don't both know what Tang San is like."
"I was going to make do with him. After all, promising seedlings in the lower realm are few and far between."
"But after seeing this child today..." The Sea God pointed at Lin Changgeng in the image. "With potential like that, Tang San couldn't catch him even on horseback."
The Asura God looked at him without speaking.
The Sea God continued, "So there's something I'd like to discuss with you."
"I want to make this child a candidate for the Sea God Inheritance, too."
"No." The Asura God refused without a second thought. "He's my chosen successor."
"Don't be so stingy." The Sea God grinned. "Share him with me. I've gotten sick of staying in this Divine Realm, too."
"He hasn't reached your inheritance site yet, so this doesn't break any rules."
Tang San was the successor Asura had chosen. After seeing Tang San, the Sea God had asked Asura to share him, and Asura hadn't minded; he was casting a wide net anyway. After Tang San reincarnated on the Douluo Continent, his behavior became even more baffling. Cultivating right in front of a Titled Douluo was one thing, but he even wanted to establish his own Tang Sect. That had left the Sea God somewhat regretful.
Now that he had seen Lin Changgeng's talent, all he wanted to say was, Tang San, stop contacting me. I'm afraid Lin Changgeng might get the wrong idea.
"No." The Asura God still refused.
"Hear me out." The Sea God put away his smile and spoke seriously. "First, this child's potential is more than just one tier above Tang San's."
"Wouldn't it be a waste for such a fine seedling to inherit only your divine position?"
"Another option would be good for him and for us."
"Second..." The Sea God paused and lowered his voice. "Think about it. Once our successor is settled, won't we both be able to retire?"
"Then we can leave matters in the lower realm to them and go traveling together, find somewhere to drink and fish. Wouldn't that beat watching Destruction, Life, Kindness, and Evil shove their lovey-dovey antics down our throats every day here in the Divine Realm?"
"Retiring alone would be boring. If we go together, we'll have company."
"Besides, you know my divine position. This is as far as I can take it, but in his hands, it might reach the level of a God King."
"With two God Kings in one body, wouldn't we have less to worry about in the Divine Realm?"
The Asura God fell silent.
He looked at Lin Changgeng in the image, then at the Sea God.
The Sea God was right.
Retiring together was better than retiring alone. After all, the Sea God was one of his few friends in the Divine Realm.
As for the other God Kings, he preferred to call them colleagues rather than friends.
It definitely wasn't because he was single.
Having lived since the Dragon God's era, he had enjoyed enough power, however great it might be. Trapped in the Divine Realm for tens of thousands of years, he had long wanted to get out and explore.
To him, the Divine Realm was both a responsibility and a cage.
"It's possible." The Asura God considered it before speaking slowly. "But are you really certain you want him?"
"Certain." The Sea God's gaze was firm. "And I imagine you won't be changing your mind again, either."
Knowing Asura as he did, the Sea God understood that this time, Asura was dead set on passing his inheritance to Lin Changgeng.
"All right." The Asura God agreed. "But his rewards..."
"I'll cover them." The Sea God waved a hand, cutting him off. "It's only a little divine power. I'll handle it."
"Place your mark, then." Hearing the Sea God's answer, the Asura God readily let him place his mark.
The Sea God tapped a finger, and a wisp of gentle blue-gold divine power descended into Lin Changgeng.
"All right, I'll stop bothering you. I'm leaving."
"I'll drop by another day."
With that, he turned into a streak of blue light and vanished outside the hall.
The Asura God watched the direction he had left in and snorted coldly.
"Old fox."
Holy Soul Village
Lin Changgeng said nothing as he watched the blood-red light teleport Tang Hao away.
"He was teleported away..." Wang Qiu'er frowned. "That was divine power just now. Someone's protecting him from the shadows."
"Mm." Lin Changgeng nodded. "It's fine. At least we accomplished what we came for."
He could make a rough guess, but he didn't know the specifics.
Tang Hao had made it through Slaughter City, which was the Asura God's inheritance site. The Asura God had probably intervened so Tang San wouldn't lose his protector. After all, he was the one who had brought Tang San here.
What Lin Changgeng didn't know, however, was that a wisp of divine power within that blood-red light had already silently branded itself into the depths of his soul.
Nor did he know that the Sea God and Asura in the Divine Realm had already made him a candidate for both their inheritances.
"What do we do now?" Wang Qiu'er asked.
"There's a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone in his leg." Lin Changgeng pointed at the severed leg on the ground. "It's an inherited Soul Bone of the Clear Sky Sect, roughly seventy thousand years old."
He walked over, crouched down, and looked at the bloody severed leg.
When Tang Hao had been teleported away, his left leg had been torn off-the very leg that held the Clear Sky Sect's inherited Soul Bone.
It was an unexpected windfall.
"Help me extract the Soul Bone," Lin Changgeng told Wang Qiu'er.
"Sure."
Wang Qiu'er came over, covered her palm in golden soul power, and began extracting the Soul Bone from the severed leg.
A short while later, she pulled out a black left-leg bone.
"Here, take it." Wang Qiu'er handed the Soul Bone to Lin Changgeng.
"Keep it. This Soul Bone is no use to me. Let's find the waterfall." Lin Changgeng didn't even look at it and told Wang Qiu'er to put it away herself.
As an inherited Soul Bone, it had been absorbed countless times, and there was no soul power left inside it. Absorbing it would only strengthen his physique a little, so he was better off leaving it alone.
"All right."
Wang Qiu'er answered and tossed the Soul Bone into her Soul Tool, then took Lin Changgeng to find the waterfall.
Before long, the two found it.
"Is this the place?" Wang Qiu'er asked, looking at the waterfall before them.
"Yes." Lin Changgeng nodded. "Take me up."
At his words, Wang Qiu'er carried Lin Changgeng into the waterfall.
Behind the waterfall was something resembling a hidden door.
"Is this... a mechanism?" Wang Qiu'er looked at the stone door, her brows knitting unconsciously. Isn't this mechanism far too crude?
Noticing what Wang Qiu'er was thinking, Lin Changgeng said, "Didn't expect it, did you? Such a crude mechanism here."
"I really didn't expect Tang Hao to leave his things here." Wang Qiu'er nodded. She couldn't understand why the mechanism was so crude, but once she considered its location, it made sense.
This place was behind a waterfall. Without sufficient cultivation, one couldn't withstand the force of the current. Anyone who forced their way in would be smashed to pieces by the water. Besides, anyone with cultivation who came here would surely draw Tang Hao's attention, and Tang Hao's strength was unrivaled across half the continent. Any outsider visiting would certainly be beaten to death by him. More importantly, who would come to a waterfall with nothing better to do?
"Let me look." Lin Changgeng felt around for the switch and soon found it.
Rumble!
Lin Changgeng pressed the mechanism, and the stone door opened.
Beyond the opened door lay a cave, and Lin Changgeng and Wang Qiu'er walked inside.
The cave was damp, roughly three meters high and two meters wide, stretching inward into darkness.
When they reached its deepest point, everything around them brightened. Looking up, they saw an opening at the top of the cave wall. Here, however, was a stone chamber of only about ten square meters.
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