At the sight, people across the various timelines of the Douluo Continent nearly turned to stone.
The Douluo I world.
Shrek Academy.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on Yu Xiaogang.
Ning Rongrong bit her lip hard, but she finally lost her composure too.
She burst out laughing and teased:
"Grandmaster, Sanpao has been with you for so long. Maybe familiarity has blossomed into love?"
Yu Xiaogang's entire face flushed red. Then, panting like an ox, he roared:
"Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!"
"This damned Sky Screen is insulting me, Yu Xiaogang, the grandmaster of theory!"
"This Lin Hao truly knows no bounds!"
Tang San was utterly speechless too.
The Sky Screen's parodies were honestly a little terrifying. He hoped it would never parody him.
Just having the animation air his embarrassing past was already more than he could bear.
Spirit Hall.
Bibi Dong flew into a rage at the sight of that image.
He dares to defile my Xiaogang? This Lin Hao has already earned himself death!
She turned to Chrysanthemum Ghost Douluo:
"If this Lin Hao dares to appear outside the Sky Screen, capture him and bring him to me!"
Chrysanthemum Ghost: "Understood!"
Though they said that, they couldn't help muttering inwardly: Even you can't do anything about this Sky Screen. What can the two of us do?
As for Lin Hao showing himself voluntarily?
Only if he was an idiot!
The Douluo II world.
Shrek Academy.
Lying in a rocking chair and cosplaying as a dorm supervisor, Dragon God Douluo Mu En was happily basking in the sun and watching the mukbang on the Sky Screen.
But when the meme suddenly jumped out at him, Mu En nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.
As a descendant of Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang's lineage, he had always taken pride in Grandmaster.
He had endured the earlier revelations about Yu Xiaogang's questionable character with nothing more than a frown.
But this image truly broke his composure.
The Douluo II Divine Realm.
At the sight, Sea God Tang San wore an extremely solemn expression and said:
"He dares to insult Gangzi? This damned Lin Hao, well do... has already earned himself death!"
Beside him, Xiao Wu burst out laughing when she saw Brother San deliver those words with such a solemn face. She truly couldn't hold it in.
The modern world.
[Congratulations, host. You have received 200 Emotion Points from Qian Renxue, Tang Wutong, and Gu Yuena.]
Lin Hao was quite surprised too. He hadn't expected a meme like this to provoke such a strong reaction from the three of them.
Combined with their reactions and emotions from eating fried chicken earlier,
he had gained another 200 Emotion Points this time. It felt absolutely incredible.
Tang Wutong glared at Lin Hao, her cheeks puffed out:
"Hurry up and close that stupid picture! It's disgusting!"
Lin Hao chuckled inwardly and said, "Don't get so worked up. It's just a piece of fan art."
Beside them, Qian Renxue curled her lips and said, "I think it's quite good. It would be even more entertaining if you showed more pictures of Tang San, Yu Xiaogang, and the others."
Tang Wutong glared at Qian Renxue. "Qian Renxue, cut out the snide remarks."
Qian Renxue raised an eyebrow. "What? Triggered?"
Tang Wutong said, "You're triggered! You're the one who's triggered!"
Gu Yuena, who had stayed out of it, felt a headache coming on as everyone started arguing again.
As far as she was concerned, what was worth watching about this stuff?
It contained no real information. They would be better off watching the animation.
She interrupted coldly. "Let's watch the animation first. I want to know what happens next too."
Seeing this, Lin Hao quickly said:
"All right, all right. Let's watch the actual show first."
With fan works producing such good results, he didn't want to give them up.
But playing the animation was a steady source of Emotion Points.
Besides, the upcoming fifth episode had an iconic scene too.
He believed the results would be good as well.
Lin Hao adopted a serious expression and said:
"Pay close attention to this fifth episode. Tang San will face his first life-or-death crisis and nearly get solo-killed."
Hearing this, all three women perked up.
Qian Renxue and Gu Yuena were intensely curious. Who could put Tang San in his place at this point?
Tang Wutong grew nervous. Could her dad have encountered an ambush by Spirit Hall?
Just then, the animation began playing.
After tidying up his dorm and finishing his meal, Tang San went to Yu Xiaogang's office.
As soon as he entered, Yu Xiaogang, knowing that Tang San probably hadn't eaten much in the cafeteria, handed him a parcel containing a large steamed bun and a large, glistening chicken drumstick.
Yu Xiaogang said with concern, "Little San, eat first. You're still growing. Poor meals won't do."
Tang San said, touched, "Teacher..."
Yu Xiaogang waved a hand. "Hurry and eat before it gets cold! I have things to tell you afterward. We mustn't waste a young person's time."
At Yu Xiaogang's words, Tang San took a few bites of the drumstick, only to discover that the meat tasted a little off, as though it had been sitting around too long.
He hesitantly put down the drumstick and could only turn to the steamed bun.
Not wanting to waste time, he quickly tore into the bun with large bites.
Perhaps because the bun was too dry, coupled with Tang San eating hastily to save time, a large lump lodged in his throat, unable to go up or down.
Tang San choked hard, his eyes bulging as he clutched his throat with his right hand and tried to save himself.
Fortunately, there was a cup of water on the nearby table. He took a sip, washed it down, and came back to life.
Yet Yu Xiaogang, seated in his chair, showed no reaction whatsoever as he watched Tang San nearly choke to death.
As the scene played, bullet comments drifted across the screen.
[Water: I saved a god.]
[Steamed bun: I solo-killed a god.]
[So the Sea God was already pulling strings in the shadows.]
[...]
At the sight, the three women fell silent.
Qian Renxue and Gu Yuena both turned to Lin Hao, their meaning obvious:
This was the great life-or-death crisis you mentioned? Tang San nearly getting solo-killed?
Tang Wutong gritted her teeth. "You made me worry so much about my dad! Are you out of your mind?"
Lin Hao said with a perfectly straight face:
"Just tell me, was it a life-or-death crisis or not?"
"That steamed bun nearly solo-killed a future Sea God!"
"Thank goodness the most badass water in all of Douluo was on that table. Otherwise, Tang San would've been done for in episode five."
"And think about it. Tang San became the Sea God later. Maybe the Sea God set up that cup of water in advance, planting the foreshadowing early."
Hearing Lin Hao spout this nonsense, Tang Wutong rolled her eyes and planted her hands on her hips. "Listening to all your nonsense-I really must have fallen under your spell."
Meanwhile, across the many timelines of the Douluo Continent.
In the Douluo I world, at Shrek Academy, Yu Xiaogang watched the scene.
The flush caused by that meme had only just faded, but now his face reddened again.
What do you mean, the bun I gave him nearly solo-killed Little San?
I meant well! What is this Sky Screen trying to say?
This Lin Hao is twisting my good intentions.
Yu Xiaogang turned to Tang San and defended himself:
"Little San, this Sky Screen is clearly trying to drive a wedge between master and disciple."
"I was just about to hand you some water, but you managed to swallow it first."
Tang San replied with words he didn't mean:
"Yes, yes, Teacher is right."
He was beginning to understand why his godly future self disdained Yu Xiaogang so much.
He had been young then and hadn't realized it.
Only now, watching the Sky Screen replay it from a third-person perspective, did he realize that he had been choking nearly to death while Yu Xiaogang simply sat there without a word.
It was truly outrageous.
If he hadn't been quick-witted, he would have died long ago.
Even Tang Hao's expression darkened at the sight.
He hadn't expected Little San's first crisis to be getting solo-killed by Yu Xiaogang's steamed bun.
He rebuked him, "Yu Xiaogang, just how are you being a teacher? Never mind the bad drumstick-you nearly let Little San choke to death!"
Seeing that even Tang Hao was criticizing him,
Yu Xiaogang laughed in anger:
"Your Excellency Haotian, what right do you have to criticize me?"
"At least I provided Little San with food. What about you? You even needed Little San to cook porridge for you."
Tang Hao flew into a rage at those words. They had struck him right where it hurt!
"Yu Xiaogang, you're courting death!"
Watching the two argue, Tang San, caught in the middle, helplessly stepped forward to mediate. "Teacher, Dad, stop arguing."
Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and the others nearby exchanged glances, then looked at Tang San with heartache and sympathy.
With a father and teacher like these, it truly hadn't been easy for Brother San to survive this long.
Our Brother San has really had such a miserable journey.
The Douluo I Divine Realm.
Sea God Hall.
Sea God Poseidon was utterly speechless at the sight too.
He had been paying attention to Tang San ever since the Sky Screen first appeared.
After all, Tang San's title was Sea God Tang San.
He also wanted to know why his future self would pass his godhood on to Tang San.
But what do you mean, I set this up in advance?
Set up my ass!
This Lin Hao is talking utter nonsense.
But if that cup of water hadn't saved Tang San, the future Tang San would never have had the chance to inherit the Sea God Godhood.
Meanwhile, in the modern world.
As the story continued, Tang San was about to obtain his first Soul Ring.
Watching Tang San and Yu Xiaogang enter the Soul Hunting Forest, Lin Hao said:
"Another iconic Yu Xiaogang scene is coming up soon."
Having been fooled by Lin Hao once already,
Tang Wutong was on her guard this time:
"By 'iconic scene,' do you mean another scene of that little crew-cut Yu Xiaogang making a fool of himself?"