The past

Huo Yuhao! Tang Yin-no, he should have been called Tang San. Though he only froze for a moment on the surface, his heart was already a sea of churning waves, filled with boundless rage.

Tang Yin was merely his alias. After all, his Martial Souls were Blue Silver Grass and the Clear Sky Hammer, and following the path of his previous life, he was still cultivating his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul first. If he also used the name Tang San, he would draw attention far too easily. Attention on the Douluo Continent alone would be fine, but if Tang San in the Divine Realm paid too much attention to him, things would be disastrous.

That was also why he had not gone to kill Huo Yuhao. Tang Yin knew perfectly well what he himself had done back then. If he killed Huo Yuhao, how could someone from the lower realm have killed a Child of Fortune? Would that not expose him to the Divine Realm's Tang San? How would he replace him then?

For the first few years, Tang Yin had not even dared to sleep soundly. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the scene of Huo Yuhao slaughtering the gods.

Back then, he had reincarnated to search for Xiao Wu. He had originally intended to temper Huo Yuhao and let him oversee the Divine Realm for a while. To think he had trusted him so much!

Yet when he returned, that bastard had actually dared to revive that beast and let it possess his daughter. Was he trying to rebel? He even had ambiguous relationships with those two Soul Spirits.

However, Tang San had not made a fuss at the time. After all, under Huo Yuhao's management over those years, quite a few deities had actually come to favor him. What did that make all his own years of effort worth?

He had never imagined that beast Huo Yuhao could keep up such a good act all those years. Making a move then would certainly plunge the Divine Realm into chaos. If he killed his meritorious son-in-law without cause, even the neutral deities and those who favored him might turn against him. He merely committed the deities who sided with Huo Yuhao to memory, intending to settle accounts with them after killing Huo Yuhao!

On the surface, Tang San praised Huo Yuhao, then took back his authority, saying that he had worked hard over the years and should spend some proper time with his family. Afterward, Tang San intended to downplay Huo Yuhao's contributions over the years, then find an opportunity to kill him secretly together with his grandson.

Tang San would never admit that neither he nor his fine, virtuous grandson, Dragon God Tang Xuanyu, was necessarily capable of defeating Huo Yuhao in single combat. Heaven knew how many trump cards Huo Yuhao had! Just how powerful was his spiritual power? In his view, even if he could kill him, he would certainly pay an enormous price!

But with two Supreme God Kings joining forces, a mere half-step supreme who had yet to become a Supreme God King had absolutely no chance of surviving! Afterward, he would announce his crimes to the Divine Realm and purge his subordinates, then magnanimously forgive the trembling deities who had favored him. That would surely raise his own prestige even further!

Soon, Tang San had gathered his evidence. He had heard that Huo Yuhao was having affairs with that Snow Empress and that mermaid, and even his own daughter-in-law, Goddess of Life Gu Yuena, often slipped away to the God of Emotion's mansion behind the Tang family's backs.

Learning this instantly filled Tang San with rage, and he even silenced the divine officials who knew by killing them. He could wait no longer. Once he killed Huo Yuhao, he would announce Huo Yuhao's conduct to the Divine Realm. Although Tang San could produce no conclusive evidence, he believed the gods would believe his words.

I should find an opportunity to dispose of that Gu Yuena too. Since she betrayed my son, there is no need for her to live. She has little value left to exploit anyway. As for Wulin? I will find him another wife. If necessary, I can erase part of his memories.

Within the God of Emotion's mansion, a folded space concealed a palace that no one could discover. Multicolored black light filled the entire palace.

At the center of the palace stood an elevated throne, upon which sat a man in black battle armor, holding a massive, savage-looking black war saber. The man was handsome, with long blue hair, but his eyes were pitch-black as ink. It was Huo Yuhao.

Nine figures stood indistinctly on either side of the throne, concealed beneath curtainlike dark light. Below the throne, a figure knelt on one knee, clad in purple armor, with exquisite, beautiful features, silver hair, and purple eyes. It was Goddess of Life Gu Yuena.

"Rise. Tang San can no longer wait to deal with me." Huo Yuhao spoke calmly. "Gu Yuena, you were too careless. You let Tang San discover something. He must have misunderstood us."

"It merely brings things forward a little. We have already made our arrangements."

Calling them arrangements was generous. In truth, they were merely giving certain people a chance out of regard for their past ties. They had already obtained power from the Empyrean sufficient to overturn the Divine Realm.

"Can you guarantee the loyalty of your subordinates?"

"Yes. I have already persuaded Di Tian and the others. They will stand on our side." Then, with a hint of pleading, she added, "But my child, Xuanyu..."

"It must die!" Huo Yuhao's voice was cold. What that beast had done was something Huo Yuhao could never forgive him for, no matter what. He even wanted to slaughter Gu Yuena for indulging it. "I will not kill Tang Wulin. You can have as many children as you want afterward. Was that not what you two said aboard the Di Tian?"

At this, Gu Yuena roared, "You are humiliating me!"

After learning the truth about the past, without the bloodline and mental suggestions, Gu Yuena no longer had much affection for Tang Wulin. But things had already reached this point, and she had no other choice. Dutifully being the Tang family's daughter-in-law was the only thing she could do. Huo Yuhao bringing this up now was clearly meant to humiliate her!

Huo Yuhao glanced at Gu Yuena and did not provoke her further. He then said, "I will directly abolish the Soul Master cultivation system. I will also set aside an area for Soul Beasts in their original habitats on the Douluo Continent. You can return if you wish."

"You really do not care about the interests of your own kind," Gu Yuena mocked in turn.

Huo Yuhao did not respond to her mockery. They were merely followers of the Tang family. If they refused to obey, he could only resort to force. He then brought up another matter:

"The old Dragon God probably has not died completely."

"I will kill it! It toyed with us for so many years. It is the root of our race's tragedy," Gu Yuena said through gritted teeth.

Just then, a divine official outside the mansion called out, "Lord God King of Emotion, Lord Sea God asks that you bring your wife to the Sea God’s Mansion."

"I will be right there," Huo Yuhao replied, then told Gu Yuena, "Go deal with Tang San's other companions."

Then Huo Yuhao appeared outside the mansion together with Wang Dong'er, Wang Qiu'er, and Gu Yuena.

"What...?" The divine official who had come to deliver the message widened his eyes. The Sea God's daughter-two of them? And Lord Sea God's daughter-in-law, the Destruction God King's wife, the Goddess of Life?

"Lead the way." Huo Yuhao ignored his shock and gave the order indifferently.

"Yes." The divine official hurriedly lowered his head, cold sweat streaming down him.

Meanwhile, Tang San, who was observing the God of Emotion's mansion, tightened his grip on his weapon at the sight. At the same time, he sent Tang Xuanyu a voice transmission. "The moment I strike, launch a sneak attack on him with all your strength."

"Yes, Grandfather," Tang Xuanyu replied. "But what about Mother?"

"She is no longer your mother. Do not tell your father about this either."

"Understood," Tang Xuanyu said firmly.

Before long, Huo Yuhao and the others arrived at the Sea God’s Mansion.

"Yuhao, I originally intended for you to be my successor. I was already planning to take the whole family traveling." The instant Tang San began speaking, he switched to the Asura God's position and unleashed the Asura Blood Sword. At the same moment, Tang Xuanyu's attack arrived.

Yet those two full-power strikes dissipated a meter in front of Huo Yuhao, as though nothing had happened. At the same time, Huo Yuhao's battle armor and war saber appeared.

Without giving the two time to react, Huo Yuhao slashed his saber through the air toward Tang Xuanyu. Tang Xuanyu dared not be careless at the sight and mobilized all his divine power to defend himself, yet he only barely blocked the saber light. His barrier shattered, and Tang Xuanyu spat out a mouthful of blood as he flew backward, smashing through several walls.

"Huo Yuhao, you!" Tang San had completely lost his earlier air of having everything under control. He stared fixedly at Huo Yuhao's battle armor and war saber. "Super Divine Artifacts? No, Super Divine Artifacts are not this powerful! And what is going on with your cultivation?"

The strength Huo Yuhao now displayed completely exceeded Tang San's imagination. His cultivation had clearly surpassed that of a Supreme God King! By then, the commotion had also drawn the attention of others in the Divine Realm.

"The Sea God and the God King of Emotion are fighting?"

"How is that possible!"

"The God King of Emotion's cultivation!"

Huo Yuhao paid them no mind. Seeing that his slash had failed to kill Tang Xuanyu, he slashed again. This time, Tang Xuanyu had no strength left to defend himself and could only watch helplessly as the slash struck him.

"No!" Tang San watched in despair as his grandson was slashed into human debris, his body and soul annihilated! No longer caring about appearances, Tang San desperately cried for help. "Gods of the Divine Realm, Huo Yuhao has gone mad! Let us join forces and kill him!"

Hearing Tang San's cries for help, some God Kings who were on good terms with him and his diehard loyalists rushed toward the Sea God’s Mansion. More, however, had been frightened by Huo Yuhao's two slashes and did not dare intervene.

"I cannot let you pass." Clad in purple battle armor and holding a spear, Gu Yuena guarded the route they had to take. She had already killed five members of First Generation Shrek and placed their heads to one side.

"Na'er, what are you doing!" Destruction God King Tang Wulin was filled with anger and anguish. "Huo Yuhao has betrayed the Divine Realm. He killed our child!"

Gu Yuena said not a word. She simply flicked out her spear, striking Tang Wulin's heart, and his vitality rapidly ebbed away. Right up to the moment of his death, Tang Wulin's eyes were filled with disbelief.

"The God of Life has gone mad too! She killed her own husband. Everyone, attack together!" Light God King Chang Gongwei, Tang San's close friend, reacted at once, rallying the God Kings to attack Gu Yuena.

Yet it was doomed to be futile. Every attack dissipated before Gu Yuena. Fear spread through the God Kings' hearts, and Gu Yuena made her move. The slaughter began.

Inside the Sea God’s Mansion, Tang San had already had his limbs severed and his body nailed to a pillar. He watched helplessly as his descendants and friends were killed one after another, bloody tears running from the corners of his eyes.

"Xiao Wu! No! Huo Yuhao, you deserve to die!"

Xiao Wu, who had been resting, heard the commotion and came out to see everything, only for Wang Qiu'er to drive a spear through her heart.

"Aah!" Amid endless pain and regret, Huo Yuhao's final judgment descended, and Tang San's body and soul were annihilated.

"Did I not die together with Xiao Wu?" Opening his eyes, a small beggar looked himself over.

"Tang San..." An eerie voice rang out in the young child's mind.

"Who is there?"

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am the God of Wisdom, a supreme deity living in seclusion within the universe, symbolizing boundless wisdom and endless knowledge.

"At the instant that Dark Greater Daemon killed you, I rescued the last wisp of your soul." The voice carried mockery that Tang San failed to notice.

"You saved me?"

"Indeed. Do you know why that Huo Yuhao suddenly possessed such immense power?

"You know!" At the name Huo Yuhao, Tang San instantly flew into a rage, wishing he could cut Huo Yuhao into a thousand pieces that very moment.

"Let me tell you a secret.

"My three companions and I are truly supreme deities from the universe's Empyrean. Whether it is your Divine Realm or an advanced God Star, compared with the Empyrean, they are no more than tiny organisms drifting in water.

"The four of us symbolize wisdom and hope, life and eternity, courage and battle, and love and art respectively. Yet in the depths of that unknown darkness, a Dark King is being nurtured.

"He is the embodiment of pure destruction. All matter and life will be annihilated by him. And we exist precisely to stop him.

"But he is about to be born!"

"You mean...?"

"Huo Yuhao is his Greater Daemon! He accepted his power and willingly serves the Dark King. But at the same time, he gained the Dark King's power.

"To bring about the Dark King's birth, he must wreak destruction and slaughter, bringing suffering to all living beings.

"And to stop him, I chose you. I used all my power to bring you to Huo Yuhao's era. Only you can stop him! If you succeed, I will pass the position of God of Wisdom to you."

The God of Wisdom's words left Tang San utterly shocked. Amid his grief and indignation, he also felt a trace of excitement. The God of Wisdom! The Divine Realm had no such divine position. Although the other deities all called him the God of Wisdom, only obtaining the true divine position of the God of Wisdom would make him worthy of the name!

Moreover, the God of Wisdom was a true supreme deity, countless times more powerful than the Dragon God! In that case, he could truly become the god of all gods! He could also replace this era's Tang San without anyone knowing. After all, how could he tolerate anyone else possessing his Xiao Wu? Xiao Wu in this era was still alive!

"I agree! For the sake of all living beings, to defeat the evil Huo Yuhao, who else could shoulder this duty but me!"

"Heh, I knew I had judged you correctly. Since sending you here exhausted my power, I cannot help you for the time being. However, I will leave you a God of Wisdom System. It will activate when the time is right, but you will encounter some setbacks in the meantime."

"Merely a few setbacks. I can endure them perfectly well!"

Afterward, Tang San began his cultivation under the alias Tang Yin.

"What! Awakening a Martial Soul actually costs money? Where am I supposed to get that much money!"

"The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well-how am I supposed to get there?"

"You evil Soul Beast! You actually dared to kill an innocent Soft Bone Rabbit. You have already chosen the path to your own death!"

"If only I had Mother's Soul Bone."

"Shrek Academy actually requires a recommendation letter too? I... will endure it!"

Recalling the bitterness of those years, Tang Yin's hatred for Huo Yuhao deepened another degree.