Divine Realm, Asura God Temple
As usual, the Asura God was simultaneously observing the Wuxia World and the Douluo World. On one side, Tang San was making great strides in his cultivation and had crafted many ingenious hidden weapons; on the other, Tang Hao and Tang Xiao were traveling the continent, while Ah Yin had taken human form to experience life in the human world.
The Asura God was very satisfied with this "precious treasure." He said, "Worthy of being my chosen successor—he has already mastered the profound arts of the Tang Sect. With these secret techniques, I'm sure he'll thrive in the new world like a fish in water."
"Now, it's time to arrange a meeting between your parents in the other world." With a single thought, the Asura God sent a mysterious force to the Douluo Continent, causing the three to feel a strange pull, as if fate itself was guiding them toward a destined reunion.
Douluo Continent, Sanghai City
Tang Hao had reached level 68 in cultivation, while Tang Xiao had reached level 79. As they traveled the continent, they not only made friends and increased their strength, but also made the name "Haotian Twin Stars" known throughout the soul master world.
Eventually, they arrived at a place called Sanghai City.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing~" A clear, melodious cry instantly caught the brothers' attention. The voice was so pleasant that Tang Hao and Tang Xiao felt like their ears were getting "pregnant."
"You little lady, just be obedient and follow me. Tonight, I, Zhao Hu, will give you the time of your life. From now on, you'll be the first wife of our Fierce Tiger Gang!"
Someone was harassing a good woman? Tang Hao and Tang Xiao weren't particularly surprised—such things were common on the Douluo Continent, and even their own sect, the Haotian Sect, wasn't innocent of such behavior. Normally, they wouldn't bother getting involved, especially since the Fierce Tiger Gang was a powerful local faction—not worth offending.
But her voice was just too lovely, and it made both brothers want to see what she looked like.
Following the voice, they came upon a dark alley where several burly men had surrounded a young woman.
The burly men were soul masters, soul rings glowing around them—some were Soul Saints, and others Soul Kings and Soul Emperors. The woman they surrounded was only a Soul King, but the moment the brothers laid eyes on her, they were stunned.
She stood there, slender and delicate, as if even a breeze could blow her away. The dim alley light shone on her, casting a faint silver glow that added a touch of ethereal elegance to her beauty. Her features were as refined as a painting—brows like distant green hills, eyes like clear autumn waters. Her long lashes fluttered like butterfly wings, giving her a fragile, heartbreaking charm. Her skin was as pale as snow, blending with the moonlight and evoking a deep urge to protect her.
Her sea-blue hair fell like a waterfall, shimmering silver in the night. As it gently flowed, it carried a sense of vitality. She looked on in fear and despair, hands nervously twisting together as if silently hoping for a hero to rescue her. Her delicate appearance was the purest form of beauty—so fragile it softened the heart and made one want to shield her from all harm.
Tang Hao and Tang Xiao were completely entranced.
All thoughts of avoiding conflict vanished from their minds.
"I, Tang Hao, and my brother Tang Xiao, are heroes of unmatched valor! How can we stand by and let evil men bully an innocent woman?!"
"Beast! Let that woman go, and face me—Tang Hao!"
"Picking on a woman? Today, I, Tang Xiao, shall teach you a lesson in the name of justice!"
The brothers immediately summoned their Clear Sky Hammer martial spirits and charged into battle, killing without hesitation.
Tang Hao's attacks were especially fierce. Immersed in the thrill of battle, he fought with reckless abandon.
During the skirmish, the woman twisted her ankle and began to fall. Quick-eyed Tang Xiao instantly stopped fighting, rushed over, and gently helped her up like a true gentleman. "Are you alright?" he asked tenderly.
The woman lifted her head, her big watery eyes gazing directly into Tang Xiao's. In that moment, Tang Xiao's soul was hooked—so… beautiful! From then on, his eyes saw no one else but her.
"I—I'm okay." Her cheeks flushed slightly, heart pounding like a drum. What a handsome, gentle man! Her teary eyes reflected only Tang Xiao's rugged but kind face.
They stared deeply into each other's eyes—a moment that felt eternal.
She must be looking at me, thought Tang Hao. She must be captivated by my heroic form. The thought thrilled him, and he fought with even greater vigor. He challenged more than a dozen enemies alone, smashing them with his hammer one by one. As a Soul Emperor, he even forced Soul Saint Zhao Hu into retreat. Finally, with a mighty roar, he raised his hammer high and brought it crashing down—Zhao Hu's skull burst open, blood and brain matter flying.
She must be admiring me, Tang Hao thought, completely entranced by my heroic figure. He tossed aside his hammer, flexed his bronzed muscles, and let out a primal roar of masculine dominance. He beat his chest with his fists, letting the thump thump echo like a mating call.
But… where was her voice? Where was the praise? The adoring gaze?
After a while, Tang Hao realized something was wrong. He turned around—and saw a heartbreaking sight:
His brother Tang Xiao was holding the woman in his arms, and she was gazing at him with deep affection.
"My name is Lan Yin, but you can call me Ah Yin. What's your name, my savior?" Her voice was gentle and flowing like water.
"My name is Tang Xiao, but you can call me Ah Xiao—or Brother Xiao." Tang Xiao gazed at her lovingly.
At that moment, Tang Hao felt like a clown.
Acting on impulse, he stepped forward and interrupted the romantic scene. "Your name is Ah Yin, right? I'm Tang Hao. I just took care of all those guys who were bothering you. Pretty cool, huh? Your Brother Hao!"
He wagged his "tail," looking for praise, and pointed proudly at the defeated foes behind him.
Ah Yin finally turned around, saw Tang Hao's rugged face, and then looked at the scene he was pointing to—a street littered with injured and dying soul masters, some moaning, some with their brains splattered out.
"Ahhh—so scary!" Ah Yin had never seen such a bloody scene. Her face went pale, and she let out a scream before leaping into Tang Xiao's arms in fright.
Tang Xiao gently comforted her.
Feeling the heartbeat in his chest, Ah Yin slowly calmed down. Subconsciously, she muttered toward Tang Hao: "So rough!"
Tang Hao: "..."
At that moment, Tang Hao felt like he had been born in the wrong universe—he should have been born in Gotham.
And just like that, the two brothers became a trio with a new dynamic—Tang Xiao as the eldest brother, Ah Yin as the second sister, and Tang Hao as the youngest brother.
Originally, Ah Yin should have been the youngest sister, but she refused. She said she would only see Tang Hao as a younger brother, and so the ranking was settled like this. (Then when Tang San is born, should he be called Tang Er?)
During their journey, Tang Xiao felt like he was living in a honey jar. Ah Yin was gentle, considerate, understanding, skilled both in the kitchen and around the home, and an amazing cook who took meticulous care of him.
But Tang Hao felt unbearably stifled. From the moment he first laid eyes on Ah Yin, he had fallen in love with her. Yet no matter how many times he confessed or tried to show affection, Ah Yin's eyes were always on Tang Xiao.
When the three of them went out to eat, Ah Yin cooked a table full of delicious dishes for Tang Xiao and affectionately picked up food with her chopsticks to place in his bowl piece by piece.
Out of "elder sister-in-law" concern (as she saw herself) for Tang Hao, Ah Yin made an extra dish for him—a fish dish called "Plenty of Fish."
Tang Hao ate the "Plenty of Fish" while watching his brother being fed bite after bite by Ah Yin, his heart aching as if cut by a knife.
He felt regret. Why, during their first meeting, did he activate his Killing God Domain and lose control? Why did he leave such an unbearable impression on Ah Yin?
If only, at that moment when Ah Yin had fallen, he had gently helped her up—then perhaps the one sitting in his brother's place would be him.
The trio continued their journey and arrived in Mali City.
Ah Yin spotted a noodle shop and pointed at it excitedly, saying to Tang Xiao, "Brother Xiao, I've been to that noodle shop before. It's so good! Want to try it?"
Tang Xiao replied, "Sure, let's give it a try. I trust your taste, Ah Yin."
And so, Ah Yin linked arms with Tang Xiao and entered the shop, with Tang Hao tagging along behind them like a lost puppy.
They ordered a feast once inside.
Watching Ah Yin and Tang Xiao being all lovey-dovey, Tang Hao's heart felt even more tortured. He turned his grief into appetite, stuffing his face as fast as he could. While eating, Tang Hao suddenly let out a loud burp.
Ah Yin frowned and complained, "Hao-di, can't you eat a little more gracefully?"
Tang Hao scratched his head awkwardly and apologized, "Sorry... I won't do that next time."
On the other side, Tang Xiao was also devouring his food, and in the end, he even picked up his noodle soup and drank it all. Afterward, he too let out a big burp.
Seeing this, Tang Hao thought it was his chance to strike at his romantic rival. He pointed at Tang Xiao and sternly said, "Brother Xiao, can't you eat a little more gracefully?"
Tang Xiao also looked awkward and replied, "Sorry, I won't do that next time."
"It's okay, a man eating like this is manly," Ah Yin said sweetly.
"Agh—" Tang Hao felt his heart shatter.
…
That night, the two brothers stayed in the inn while Ah Yin had a room to herself.
Tang Xiao, deep in thought, finally said to Tang Hao, "I've decided. Tomorrow, I'm going to confess to Ah Yin."
Upon hearing that, Tang Hao's fragile heart was crushed. Although Ah Yin had clearly been leaning more and more toward Tang Xiao, as long as they hadn't made things official, he still felt he had a chance. But if they truly got together, then he...
"But Brother, I love Ah Yin too," Tang Hao said painfully.
"Hao-di, you can't force love. Love is love. If she doesn't love you, she just doesn't. I can see clearly that Ah Yin doesn't return your feelings. Your love is destined to go nowhere," Tang Xiao replied.
Still, Tang Hao tried to resist, "Brother, how can we know it's destined unless we try?"
"All right then. Tomorrow, let's both confess to Ah Yin. Whoever she chooses, it's her decision. The one she doesn't choose will step aside willingly and not interfere. How about that?" Tang Xiao proposed.
"Okay," Tang Hao agreed.
"Then it's settled," said Tang Xiao.
That night, Tang Xiao slept soundly, but Tang Hao tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.
From the moment he first saw Ah Yin, Tang Hao felt there could be no woman more beautiful in the world. He was completely captivated—by her scent, her clothes, everything about her.
He swore he would love only Ah Yin in his life. If it wasn't her, he'd marry no one.
But his brother stood between them like an insurmountable chasm.
During their time together, he could feel Ah Yin drifting further and further away. Her eyes always focused on his brother, never leaving room for him.
Even though they planned to confess together tomorrow and he still had a theoretical chance, Tang Hao knew deep down it was just self-deception.
He wasn't stupid—he could already guess the outcome. Ah Yin would accept Tang Xiao's confession. All this would do is crush his final hope.
But he wasn't willing to give up. He couldn't bear the thought of his Ah Yin becoming another man's wife—even if that man was his own brother.
If Ah Yin said yes to his brother… what then?
Would he just spend the rest of his life comforting himself with Blue Silver Grass in the dark?
The more Tang Hao thought, the more bitter he felt. Eventually, he drifted into sleep amid the torment.
In the dead of night, everything was silent.
Huo Yuhao's divine sense quietly appeared in the room where the three were staying. He floated in the air, watching the two brothers sleep, a sly smile playing on his lips.
In the original timeline, the one Ah Yin was supposed to fall in love with was the powerful and domineering Tang Hao—not the reserved, gentle, and considerate Tang Xiao. This change in her affections was Huo Yuhao's doing. But he wasn't playing matchmaker out of goodwill. Helping Tang Xiao to take revenge on the Tang family? That wasn't his style.
Because—he was a fox. And foxes go for the big prize.
"All right, our co-director's script has entered the next act. Time to invite the next main character onto the stage."
A glowing orb formed in Huo Yuhao's hand and floated toward Tang Hao. The moment it touched Tang Hao's forehead, it merged into his mind.
Staring at the sleeping Tang Hao, Huo Yuhao let out a cold laugh.
In the world of Douluo, love triangles are common. It's always two people ending up together while one is left with "Plenty of Fish." That third person usually steps aside gracefully, living out a lonely life of unrequited love.
Tang Xiao did it. So did Flender. Given the same situation, what would Tang Hao do?
And if love is tied to endless, entangled interests—Tang Hao, what will you choose? Will you fight, or will you give way? I can't wait to find out.
In any case, my revenge against your Tang family—who played with my fate in my past life—starts now, with you.
With that, Huo Yuhao's divine sense faded into the darkness.
Douluo Continent, Plane Space (The time Before the start of this story)
Ah Yin leaned blissfully against Tang Hao's shoulder. Over the past twenty thousand years, they had spent most of their time either in deep slumber or locked in struggle with the Plane Will and the Core of Life (similar to the relationship between Gaia and Alaya). Thus, quiet moments like this—just the two of them—were incredibly rare.
"Douluo Continent has reached another ten-thousand-year cycle of fate convergence. In the previous era, we failed to seize the plane's authority, and let that outsider, Huo Yuhao—not of our Tang Clan—become the Child of Destiny. That was my mistake. It won't happen again. From now on, the Child of Destiny for each ten-thousand-year cycle must come from the Tang Clan." Tang Hao was sensing the flow of the world's fate through the authority of the plane.
Ah Yin said, "The war in the Divine Realm has ended. Thanks to Xiaosan's machinations, the God-Kings of Life and Destruction have already entrusted their godseeds to him."
Tang Hao gave a cold laugh. "Two foolish God-Kings—living for who knows how long, yet not even comparable to a strand of our Xiaosan's hair. It's time they stepped down. Those two godseeds will now serve to create two new God-Kings for the Tang Clan."
He continued, "Recently, Xiaosan said he plans to secretly release the Golden Dragon King, engage in battle with him, and eventually guide him to transfer the Golden Dragon King's bloodline into our grandson, Tang Wulin. That's the key step in our scheme to seize the Dragon God's bloodline. How is it going on Gu Yuena's end?"
Ah Yin smiled faintly and said, "Don't worry. I've already used the authority of the Core of Life to influence Gu Yuena, the Silver Dragon King, while she was in hibernation. Only she, the sovereign of soul beasts, is worthy of being a daughter-in-law of our Tang Clan. Still, she was once the ruler of soul beasts—if she ends up with Wulin, how do we even define that relationship?"
Tang Hao snorted domineeringly. "Hmph, so what if she was the soul beasts' sovereign? Once she marries into the Tang Clan, she'll call you grandmother, whether she likes it or not!"
"What if she doesn't obey?" Ah Yin asked.
"Then we'll tame her. Just like we tamed Huo Yuhao—tame her until she's utterly obedient, and bears children for our Tang Clan!" A cold gleam flashed in Tang Hao's eyes.
Ah Yin chuckled softly, as though mocking the fate that awaited the Silver Dragon King. In the soul beast world, where bloodline hierarchy reigned supreme, forcing the Silver Dragon King to call her "grandmother" and call Xiao Wu "mother" would be a disgrace of the highest order. It was something Ah Yin wouldn't have dared imagine in the past—but now, backed by the Tang Clan, even though she was only a second-level god, her status rivaled that of a God-King.
Tang Hao's eyes burned with ambition. "The next twenty thousand years are crucial. As long as we bring Gu Yuena into the Tang Clan and have her bear a child with Wulin, we can seize the Dragon God's divinity. At that point, our Tang Clan will hold the divine thrones of Life, Destruction, and the Dragon God. No one will be able to shake our dominance."
"Aiming for three God-King thrones? Isn't your appetite a little too big? Aren't you afraid you'll burst from it?" A venomous voice echoed from the depths of the plane.
Suddenly, the residual will of the Plane and the Core of Life launched one final desperate counterattack. This surprise assault severely injured Tang Hao and Ah Yin, who had dropped their guard.
"What's going on? Didn't we already refine the Plane Will and the Life Core?" Ah Yin exclaimed in shock.
"I don't know. But one thing's for sure—this is their last struggle. Let's finish them off." Killing intent surged in Tang Hao's eyes.
Thus, within the plane space, Ah Yin and Tang Hao began a fierce confrontation with the remnants of the Plane Will and Core of Life.
"Grandfather, Grandmother," came a familiar voice from behind as they fought. It was Huo Yuhao.
"Yuhao? Why are you here?" Ah Yin turned and saw it was just a divine sense projection of Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao's divine sense spoke respectfully, "Grandfather, Grandmother, the Golden Dragon King has already been slain in the Divine Realm. Father foresaw changes happening in the Douluo Continent plane and specifically sent me to assist you."
Tang Hao nodded, suspecting nothing. "You've come at just the right time, Yuhao. Help us suppress these two pests."
"Of course. Leave it to me. Today, I, Huo Yuhao, will eliminate you two pests myself."
Without warning, Huo Yuhao unleashed his two signature divine skills: Fate's Sorrow and Soul Severance.
The two divine techniques split into four beams of light and shot toward Tang Hao and Ah Yin. Caught completely off guard, they were struck directly, momentarily separated from their godseeds of the plane core and the life core. The original Plane Will and Core of Life seized the opportunity to reclaim their divine authority.
By the time Tang Hao and Ah Yin recovered, they finally realized what had happened. Their twenty-thousand-year-long scheme to usurp the plane and life cores had just crumbled.
The situation had taken a sharp turn for the worse. With their authority restored, the Plane Will and Life Core showed no mercy. They sealed off the plane space, cutting off all escape routes, and launched a full assault on the pair.
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao's divine sense also joined the attack. Tang Hao and Ah Yin were caught in a deadly pincer.
Deprived of the plane's authority, Tang Hao couldn't withstand Huo Yuhao's divine onslaught and was quickly forced into retreat. Bloodshot eyes wide with rage, he shouted, "Huo Yuhao, do you even know what you're doing!?"
"Old dog Tang Hao, of course I know what you've been plotting—and I know exactly what I must do." Huo Yuhao's divine sense attacked relentlessly. Fueled by the power of the restored plane, his weakened soul form was now replenished and refused to dissipate.
"You forget all the kindness the Tang Clan showed you?" Ah Yin cried, now suppressed by the Core of Life. The will she had used for eons to dominate all life was now being violently consumed in backlash.
"What kindness?" Huo Yuhao roared. "You merely turned me into a well-trained dog."
"Without Xiaosan's support, you'd never have become a god," Tang Hao shouted, but his Clear Sky Hammer had already cracked and was being forced back.
"What a joke! I, Huo Yuhao, was the Child of Destiny of the previous era—becoming a god was my fate. That dog Tang San only took interest in me to tame me into another obedient tool." Huo Yuhao's tone turned icy. "But I know the difference between gratitude and vengeance. I owe my position today to the grace of the Douluo world. Now your Tang Clan seeks to monopolize fate and enslave the will of the masses—I cannot stand by and watch. From the moment I was born, I was trapped in your schemes. I endured for ten thousand years, waiting for this single opportunity."
"If I, Huo Yuhao, do not repay the world and rescue its people from your tyranny—and instead continue to serve the Tang Clan as a lapdog—then what kind of Child of Destiny would I be? No better than a beast!"
"Today, I shall join forces with the Plane Will and the Life Core and wipe you two dogs off the face of this world!"
Seeing their side falling into a desperate situation, Ah Yin quickly tried to play the emotional card. She said, "Yuhao, don't you care about Wutong's feelings?"
"Wutong? Hahaha…" Hearing that, Huo Yuhao laughed furiously instead.
"What are you laughing at?" Tang Hao asked.
"Don't think I don't know. From the very beginning, you've tried to use your daughter to manipulate me. I admit I was moved by Wang Dong'er and Wang Qiu'er." Huo Yuhao sneered. As a transmigrator, he knew the origins of Wang Dong'er and Wang Qiu'er, so he had always been on guard and hadn't fallen for them as quickly as the original Huo Yuhao did. But he had indeed been touched by these two women who had wholeheartedly stood by him. Thinking of this, he continued, "But before I even started to love them, your dear father had already killed them, leaving behind a stitched-together monster."
"Shut up! Wutong is not a stitched-together monster! She is Wang Dong'er and Wang Qiu'er!" Ah Yin snapped angrily.
Huo Yuhao retorted furiously, "Only people like you would treat a Frankenstein's monster made from a few soul fragments as a granddaughter. But I will never see her as my lover. Would you fall in love with a dog leash around your neck?"
"So you're saying your love for Wutong was fake? What did you do to her?" Ah Yin asked, shocked and furious.
"Tang San used his daughter to monitor me—he can't blame me for taking control of her spirit. She turned around and fooled Tang San. Back and forth—it's clear she was just a tool!" Huo Yuhao said coldly.
"No—" Ah Yin's mind went blank. Heavily wounded in her life core, the plane's will followed up with another blow. Her body was destroyed, and her soul began to wear away.
"Ah Yin—" Tang Hao howled in grief. Ignoring Huo Yuhao's pursuit, he turned to try and save Ah Yin.
"Hao-ge, don't…" In the final moment of her soul's collapse, Ah Yin called out to Tang Hao.
"You'd better worry about yourself." Taking advantage of Tang Hao's distraction, Huo Yuhao used the technique "Black Tiger Steals the Heart" to pierce Tang Hao's back and seize his still-beating heart.
"Huo Yuhao, Life Core, Will of the Plane—don't get too cocky. Xiao San is a God King. He will avenge me and Ah Yin!" Blood spilled from Tang Hao's lips as his life ebbed away, but he remained defiant.
"Sea God, Asura God, Butterfly God, Plane's Master, Life Core—and your plans for the three major god positions: Destruction, Life, and Dragon God. The Tang family will build a divine palace towering into the clouds, hosting a feast filled with honored guests. If you survive this calamity, the God Realm and the Douluo Continent will fall under your rule, unshakable by any force." Huo Yuhao played with Tang Hao's still-beating heart between his fingers, his icy blue eyes gleaming with mockery. "What an honor—I am your calamity. The one who will topple that divine palace with my own hands."
"What… do you mean?" Unease flashed in Tang Hao's heart.
"Mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Your Xiao San is already in hell waiting to reunite with you." With that, Huo Yuhao crushed Tang Hao's heart.