Somewhere in the Douluo Continent.
A colossal tree stretches across this realm, its trunk requiring hundreds of people to encircle it, its canopy blocking out the sky, and its roots winding into the lake. The lake water is emerald green, shimmering with a faint light.
And sitting in that tree was an elegant and intellectual woman.
Ah Yin sat on a horizontal tree root.
She was barefoot, her toes barely touching the water's surface, dressed in pure white, her hair loosely combed. She looked to be in her early twenties.
Tang Hao was at the other end of the tree root.
He leaned against the tree trunk, his long legs stretched out, a black pottery gourd stuffed in his mouth. He tilted his head back and took a swig, the wine dripping down his stubble. He wiped it with the back of his hand.
Ah Yin gazed at the lake for a long time.
Hao.
"Um."
"Still no word from the Little San."
Tang Hao paused in his drinking motion, his expression changing for a moment, as if he was annoyed by Ah Yin's drinking.
" The Divine Realm is gone."
Ah Yin's fingers twisted the hem of her skirt, her voice soft, but her face betrayed an overwhelming sadness.
"My son is nowhere to be found. He's drifted away into the universe from the Divine Realm."
"I don't know if it's dark there or not."
She sniffed, her eyes slightly red.
Tang Hao remained silent for two seconds.
With his Brother Hao immediately came up with a way to appease his wife.
"He's a god."
"Can God be eaten by the universe?"
Ah Yin looked up at Tang Hao, as if to confirm whether this man had some serious mental illness or had simply drunk too much.
Perhaps Tang Hao also noticed his high emotional intelligence in his remarks, and then shut his mouth and silently drank the wine in the pot.
Silence is the bridge to helplessness tonight.
The water surface moved.
It's not the wind.
Ah Yin suddenly looked up, her eyes brightening for a moment, then turning red.
" The Little San?"
A beam of light and shadow rose from the water's surface.
He wore a long blue and gold robe, had a handsome face, lowered eyebrows and eyes, and exuded an upright and honest air. There was no ripple under his feet; he simply stood on the water.
It's our Little Scumbag.
He bowed slightly, his voice gentle.
"Father, Mother."
Ah Yin had already sprung up from the tree root.
She ran to the lakeside in a few steps, frantically wiping her eyes on her skirt before tears welled up in her eyes. She reached out to touch them, but her hand slipped through the shadows.
"You've finally arrived."
She looked her up and down, her lips trembling.
You've lost weight.
'Whether I've lost weight or not, I know it myself.'
Tang San remained unmoved.
This divine sense won't last more than half an hour. Conserve it.
However, he wore a perfectly timed expression of concern.
"Mother, your son is alright."
"Something went wrong in the Divine Realm; they fell into a black hole. Fortunately, we've figured out a solution. It's just that the spatial barrier makes communication difficult."
On the surface, that's what Tang San Tang San, but inside he was furious.
'What's so good about it?'
' The Divine Realm Divine Realm at a critical juncture, what's the point of being "good"? It might change hands tomorrow.'
'It's pointless to say these things to them.'
He suppressed these thoughts inch by inch, a gentle smile on his face.
Tang Hao snorted.
"You little brat, you actually know how to come back? I thought you'd forgotten your parents."
"Father is joking."
Tang San lowered his eyes, his attitude so respectful that not a single flaw could be found; he remained a steadfast feudalist warrior.
"My son came this time because of Wulin."
Ah Yin's heart jumped into her throat.
" Wulin? What happened to him?"
Tang San was silent for a moment. He was actually a little speechless. His son had been sent to the Douluo Continent, right under his grandparents' noses, and yet his things were still stolen. Moreover, Tang Hao and Ah Yin hadn't even glanced at them.
Although Tang San did say he wouldn't interfere with Tang Wulin's growth, it was just talk. Who would have thought that these two old bastards would actually ignore him completely?
" Wulin's Golden Dragon King Bloodline is gone."
Ah Yin staggered half a step.
Tang Hao caught her, his eyes widening instantly.
Lost?
"Don't you still have a wisp of your divine consciousness remaining on him? How can you lose that?"
"Father, please calm down."
Tang San raised his hand, making a soothing gesture, his tone as calm as still water.
"It was our son's arrangement. That bloodline is suppressing him, preventing him from growing up. Losing it is for his own good."
This was purely Tang San's pretense; mainly, saying it like that was indeed a bit embarrassing.
'It's not entirely my fault that my bloodline was stolen. My father and mother didn't keep a close eye on things; I've only just woken up.'
'Who is it that could pull the Golden Dragon King out of the eighteen seals without even letting my divine sense detect it?'
'At least First-Level God.'
'This mustn't be known to Father. He has such a fiery temper; if he hears anyone harming his grandson, he'll grab his Clear Sky Hammer and charge out. We don't want to alert them.'
Tang San's hand, which was tucked into his sleeve, clenched slightly. On the surface, however, it remained completely still.
Tang Hao was stunned for a moment, then slapped his thigh.
"Oh, you arranged this. That's alright then."
He sat back down at the tree root, picked up the gourd, and started drinking again, truly living up to his reputation as a drunkard.
This made Tang San's eyelids twitch.
"I knew it. You've never done anything that didn't make you money."
Ah Yin wasn't so easily convinced. She frowned, her eyes red.
"Did you really arrange this?"
"Mother."
Tang San looked at her, his eyes so sincere they could melt hearts.
When has our son ever lied to you?
Ah Yin stared at him for two seconds, then slowly breathed a sigh of relief. Although Tang Hao's IQ was extremely low, Ah Yin's IQ wasn't much higher either.
'She believed it.'
'She's still my mother. She believes everything I say.'
Tang San thought to himself calmly.
"So you came all this way just to say this?"
Tang Hao took a swig of wine and then asked the question.
"More than."
Tang San shook his head.
He looked at Tang Hao, speaking each word carefully.
"Father, Wulin has awakened his Second Martial Soul."
Tang Hao stopped the wine gourd at his lips, his eyes wide. He already had a premonition of what Tang San was about to say, and this premonition made him very happy.
" Second Martial Soul?"
"Um."
Tang San nodded.
" Clear Sky Hammer."
With a loud clang.
Tang Hao dropped the gourd of wine in his hand. He jumped up, his eyes wide open, not even noticing the wine dripping down his trouser leg.
" Clear Sky Hammer?"
"My grandson, Tang Hao's grandson, has awakened the Clear Sky Hammer?"
"Yes."
Tang San's tone carried a perfectly measured hint of satisfaction.
"He only recently awakened, and we'll need you to teach him some of the Clear Sky Sect's secret techniques."
'We must get him to make a move.'
'I just activated the Asura Bloodline, and the Clear Sky Hammer was his own chosen inheritance. Only a hammer taught by Tang Hao deserves to be called the Tang family's hammer.'
We'll see how well they turn out later.
Tang Hao burst into laughter, looking up at the sky.
He laughed so hard he almost fell over, slapping his thigh so hard that leaves rustled off the treetops.
"Well!"
"My Tang Hao! He is indeed my Tang Hao!"
He stood with his arms behind his back, his chest puffed out like a mountain.
"Do you even need to tell me? I taught him exactly how I hammered him back then. In three months, I'll have him smashing a mountain with one blow!"
"Father, don't tell anyone."
Tang San quickly raised his hand.
"You and your mother are currently lying low. You cannot leave here for too long, and you must not expose yourselves. The other side of the Abyss is watching."
"I know, I know."
Tang Hao waved his hand impatiently.
"I'm not stupid. Every now and then, I'll find a moment to go over and offer a few pointers. It's no big deal."
Ah Yin listened from the side.
Tears welled up again.
She remained silent for a while before speaking softly, her fingers gripping the hem of her skirt.
" The Little San."
"Mother."
" Wulin... he's 9 years old, right?"
Nine years old.
Ah Yin's shoulders began to tremble.
She raised her hand to wipe away her tears, her voice muffled.
"He's nine years old."
"As his grandmother, I don't even know how tall he is."
She sniffed and looked up at Tang San.
" Little San, bring him here."
Tang San's heart sank.
"Mother, what did you say?"
"Next."
Ah Yin's tears streamed down her face.
" My Little San, you're in a dark hole, and I don't know when you'll come back. This is my only hope."
She took half a step forward.
"Let your mother see him, cook him a hot meal, and sew him some clothes. Your mother won't interfere with your important matters; she'll keep him by her side and watch him grow up."
Tang San fell silent.
He couldn't say no; she was his mother.
A grandmother wants to see her son, who is trapped in a black hole, and her twelve-year-old grandson. As the son, he can't bring himself to say no.
However, Tang Wulin was his backup plan. If he were raised by his parents, his growth would be severely hampered, and he would probably end up like Tang Wutong, just loafing around and waiting to die.
How can his grand plan, which lasts for millennia, be implemented then?
He even planned to use Tang Wulin to promote his glory.
' Wulin has to stay outside. He has to hold this plane together for me.'
He was the signpost that led me back.
Tang San suppressed these thoughts inch by inch in his mind.
A troubled expression appeared on his face.
"Mother."
He softened his voice, intending to calm Ah Yin down first.
" Wulin has taken a teacher."
Ah Yin was stunned for a moment.
"Teacher?"
"Um."
Tang San nodded.
"That teacher treated him very well. He taught him cultivation, protected him, and even found him a suitable Soul Spirit. Wulin is happier with him than with us."
He paused, then seemed to remember something, before speaking.
"If we take him away now, that teacher will be heartbroken, Wulin himself won't want to part with him either."
Ah Yin opened her mouth.
"But..."
"Mother."
Tang San looked at her with gentle eyes.
"Boys need to venture out into the world to grow strong. Didn't you say back then that I was as mischievous as a monkey when I was young, and I only caused trouble when I was locked up at home?"
Ah Yin was stunned by what he said.
Tang Hao snorted from the side.
" The Little San is right. What's the point of bringing a boy along? I've been on my own since I was a teenager, and I'm still alive today."
He picked up the gourd and took another swig.
"Let that teacher teach. If he teaches well, that's his job. If he teaches poorly, I'll deal with him."
Qing Linyun: "? Are you talking about me?"
Old man, bring it on then. We'll see who gets the better of whom.
Ah Yin then wiped away her tears and fell silent.
Tang San secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
It's done.
He glanced at his father, then at his mother.
The light and shadow dimmed slightly.
"Father, Mother. The grand plan for ten thousand years is of utmost importance. The Abyss has become increasingly restless in recent years. You two must remember, it must not be exposed."
"Okay, okay."
Tang Hao waved his hand impatiently.
"You recite these same few lines every time you come. Your mother and I have been sitting here for tens of thousands of years, how could anything happen to us?"
Tang San didn't reply; he took one last look at Ah Yin.
"Mother, please take care. I'll keep an eye on Wulin."
Ah Yin nodded vigorously, tears welling up in her eyes again.
Take care of yourself too.
Her voice trembled.
"It's dark on the other side of the black hole, don't be afraid."
Tang San's expression froze for a moment, but only for a very short time.
It was so short that Ah Yin didn't even notice.
"Don't be afraid, son. Believe in him, he'll be back soon."
He bowed slightly. In a flash of light, his divine sense dissipated.
The ripples on the water slowly subsided. Ah Yin stood by the lake for a long time.
The wind blew her stray hairs around, but she didn't bother to smooth them.
Tang Hao sat on the tree root, holding a gourd of wine, without saying a word.
After a while, Ah Yin turned around and sat down next to him. She hugged her knees and spoke softly.
Hao.
"Um."
"His Little San is currently inside a black hole."
"I know."
"Black holes must be very dark, right? Judging from the name, it must be a place without light."
"He is God."
"Is God afraid of the dark?"
Still a top-tier statement.
Ah Yin didn't say anything, probably because she thought Tang Hao's statement was too intelligent.
She rested her chin on her knees.
"Are you really going to Wulin's place?"
"Let's go take a look."
Tang Hao slammed the wine gourd onto the ground.
"Then, I need to see the teacher."
"Even the Little San said she's a good teacher."
"A good teacher?"
Tang Hao snorted through his nose, his eyes narrowing.
"That kid, Little San, is kind-hearted. If someone gives him two pieces of candy, he thinks that person is a living saint."
"How old can a master be who can take a nine-year-old child as an apprentice? At most, twenty years old."
"A twenty-year-old kid teaching my grandson, Tang Hao?"
He slapped the tree root, stood up abruptly, and exuded a heroic spirit.
I'm going to go and see for myself.
Ah Yin quickly tugged at his sleeve.
"Hao, don't cause trouble. The Little San said he's a good teacher."
I won't beat him up.
Tang Hao glared at her, seemingly quite displeased with Ah Yin's dragging-down behavior.
"I'll just take a look."
Ah Yin sighed.
She leaned on Tang Hao's shoulder and closed her eyes.
"Go ahead."
Her voice was very soft.
"Just be gentle."
"Okay, okay."
Tang Hao verbally agreed.
He held his wife in his arms, but his eyes were fixed on the lake.
The resentment in my heart hadn't lessened at all.
'A little kid teaching an apprentice?'
'I'll see what you're really made of.'
But deep within a black hole, at an unknown distance.
Inside the blue-gold temple, Tang San opened his eyes. He remained seated, receiving information transmitted from the Douluo Continent.
The tea that was once steaming hot has now gone cold.
He stared at the boundless darkness before him, a fierce glint involuntarily appearing in his eyes.
" Tang Wulin lost his Golden Dragon King Bloodline... and even got a teacher..."
"Who on earth dares to obstruct my God King spanning ten thousand years? Just wait, when I God King, I will chop you up!"
After venting his anger, Tang San silently sat back down on his throne.
"Is Father going to meet that teacher?"
He murmured to himself.
"Perfect."
"Check it out for me. Maybe the person who stole the Golden Dragon King Bloodline is still around..."
He blew on the tea in his cup, which had long since gone cold.
"The one who can steal the Golden Dragon King Bloodline."
"I'd like to see who you really are."
Tang San glanced at the time; it was almost time. He needed to go cook for Xiao Wu.
Xiao Wu must be getting impatient at home. What should we eat today? Let's have braised beef brisket with carrots.
Master Chef Tang is now officially online.