After Tai Long left, Tang San took a deep breath, his eyes showing a trace of confusion.
His mother's spirit bone, and Xiao Wu's mother's spirit bone, had already been lost. It was no longer realistic to obtain them in this competition. Only after he became a god could he take them back.
But that would affect his growth!
Thinking of the scene not long ago—Xiao Wu fusing martial souls with five men—Tang San felt as though his scalp turned green!
Xiao Wu belonged to him, yet so many reckless men had dared to touch his woman, his reverse scale. And worst of all, among them were brothers he trusted.
Tang San felt deeply betrayed. At that moment, endless killing intent surged in his heart. He wanted to assassinate Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, Oscar, Yu Tianheng, and Er Ming—anyone who had fused with Xiao Wu's martial soul must go straight to hell!
"San!"
A familiar, rugged voice entered his ears. Tang San's head snapped up.
Father. His father had returned.
Excitement flashed in Tang San's eyes.
He clenched his fists, a cruel smile spreading across his face.
His father was none other than the famed Clear Sky Douluo, Tang Hao. Not only that—he was also chosen as the guardian of the Shura God, carrying a portion of the Shura God's divine power.
Good. He would let his father kill them all, leaving them without graves!
In a hidden corner of Spirit City, Tang San saw his father's back.
That strong figure stood facing away. When Tang Hao turned around, Tang San saw his rugged face. His darkened body trembled, then suddenly leapt into Tang Hao's embrace—
"Dad…" Tang San cried, tears falling as he sobbed in grievance.
He thought of all the suffering he had endured over the years, and finally he had someone to whom he could pour out his bitterness.
Tang Hao, however, only patted his son's back mechanically. His eyes grew complicated as he looked at this son who now seemed like he'd just been dipped in soy sauce. He had only been gone a short while, yet this son had turned into a lump of coal.
If not for Tang San being the Shura God's chosen, the key to the Tang family's future rise, Tang Hao would have long discarded this lump.
"Xiao San, how did you become this black?" Tang Hao voiced the doubt in his heart.
Tang San lifted his dark face to look at Tang Hao. After hesitating, he decided to tell the truth.
When he heard Tang San's explanation, Tang Hao froze.
"Xiao San, how do you know about the Blue Silver Forest? And that your martial soul carries the Blue Silver Emperor's bloodline?"
Tang San knew he couldn't avoid this question. He said, "Dad, actually—I am a reincarnator."
Hearing this, Tang Hao was stunned. Then a look of realization crossed his face. In a low voice, he said: "Go on."
Tang San then recounted how in his past life he had been so great, how the Tang family had been so glorious, and how, just when their family was about to rise even higher, it had all been ruined by that damned son-in-law, Huo Yuhao, who betrayed him, leading to his rebirth.
When he finished, Tang San looked at Tang Hao. But his father's face showed no shock at all.
"Dad, you…"
"Xiao San, actually, I too… am a reincarnator." Tang Hao said.
Tang San was stunned, raising his head. "Dad, you…"
But then he thought: Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun—those three traitors—had all been reborn. Why couldn't his great father also be reborn?
"What you said is much like what I experienced. When Huo Yuhao ascended, he left behind a divine thought on the continent. At the most critical moment of our plan, that thought secretly stirred the will of the Douluo Plane and the remnant consciousness of the Life Core against us. And that damned Huo family struck us from behind, causing me to suffer the torment of reincarnation!" Tang Hao said.
Father and son locked eyes, both turning red-eyed, their breath like enraged bulls.
If not for Huo Yuhao, one would have been the master of the Douluo Plane, ruling all beings with his beloved wife in his arms, while the other would have been a lofty Enforcer God of the Divine Realm.
If not for Huo Yuhao, Tang San would have already seized the Seed of Life and Destruction, manipulated the Golden Dragon, and guided his son to inherit the Golden Dragon's bloodline. Then, by inserting that power into Douluo Continent, he could have aimed for the Dragon God's throne. Their Tang family would have possessed three God-King positions, their status unshakable.
But everything had been ruined by that ungrateful son-in-law Huo Yuhao. Now they had to start all over again, like homeless dogs.
"Xiao San, remember this—white-eyed wolves can never be raised." Tang Hao thought of how, in this life, Ah Yin had not chosen him, but instead loved Tang Xiao, even sacrificing herself for him.
That left Tang Hao branded with names like patricide, betrayer of kin, and beast lover. His hatred for Huo Yuhao soared to the heavens. "Ten thousand years later, no matter what, we must never forgive that little wolf Huo Yuhao. Our Tang family raised him, and this is how he repaid us!"
"Don't worry." Tang San took a deep breath and said, "Once I regain my godhood, I will arrange matters on Douluo Continent to cut off Huo Yuhao's fate entirely. He will never become the Heaven's Chosen. He will live forever as a useless waste, struggling at the bottom of the continent."
Thinking of Huo Yuhao's pitiful future, the father and son's hatred eased slightly. Their conversation then turned back to current matters.
"Xiao San, you just said the position of Blue Silver Emperor has already been stolen?" Tang Hao asked.
"That's right, Father. I think it must have been that damned Blue Silver King. After my mother fell, instead of waiting honestly to sacrifice himself to me, the Blue Silver Prince, he grew greedy and seized the Blue Silver Emperor's throne meant for me. Father, you must help me take back the Blue Silver Emperor's position!" Tang San said angrily.
The reason he had turned so black, the reason he had become such a freak—wasn't it all the fault of that damned Blue Silver King?!
Hearing Tang San's reply, Tang Hao let out an enraged roar:
"Damn it! The Blue Silver King was nothing but A Yin's dog. Where did it get the courage to steal the Blue Silver Emperor's throne that A Yin left for you?"
(A father's pride kept him from admitting his complicated feelings toward A Yin in front of Tang San.)
"Father, this life is different from the last. Many people's attitudes have changed. In my previous life, the Blue Silver King loyally sacrificed itself to help me achieve the position of Blue Silver Emperor. But in this life, it stole the throne my mother left behind—it's not surprising." Tang San said calmly, "Right now, the urgent matter is how to take back the Blue Silver Emperor's position."
Tang Hao answered grimly:
"Your bloodline has already been stripped. The only way to reclaim it is to attract the new Blue Silver Emperor and its spirit bone. But your spirit power level hasn't reached the point where you can absorb a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring. And besides, that Blue Silver Emperor won't be sacrificing itself for you.
So for now, the urgent thing is still to cultivate the Clear Sky Hammer. Train it at least to the Contra level, and then I'll take you to the Blue Silver Forest to hunt the Blue Silver Emperor."
"I understand, Father." Tang San nodded.
Tang Hao then asked:
"And what's going on with your Clear Sky Hammer?"
Tang San revealed that he had been fooled by Dai Mubai, met Hai Ge, and had been forced to absorb four spirit rings that were completely unsuitable for the Clear Sky Hammer.
"Dai Mubai… Hai Ge…" Tang Hao's fist smashed into the wall beside him, the impact so strong it cracked the stone.
Destroying a person's future is no different than killing their parents.
Tang Hao silently marked this down, preparing to settle accounts later.
Afterward, father and son continued to sort things out—and the more they did, the more Tang Hao's head hurt.
He even regretted letting Tang San grow up unattended. If he had been there, when Tang San went to the Blue Silver Forest—even if he couldn't inherit the Blue Silver Emperor's throne—at least he could have blocked the bloodline extraction, preserving A Yin's blood within Tang San and preventing him from becoming the strange half-breed he was now.
And if, when Tang San first wanted to train the Clear Sky Hammer, he had stepped in to guide him, things might not have ended up this way. Even if Tang San had still chosen to cultivate the Clear Sky Hammer, with Tang Hao watching over him, he wouldn't have absorbed such ridiculous rings. Two snot slimes was already bad enough—but Acid Slime? Do you know what happens if you soak a hammer in strong acid? Shrek beasts might be acceptable for spirit rings, but this—this was a hundred-year ring!
Even a random farmer who managed to cultivate to the Soul Sect level wouldn't have his fourth spirit ring still be a hundred-year ring!
Tang Hao took a deep breath, looked at the sky, then at Tang San. Countless thoughts rushed through his mind.
Wasn't Tang San supposed to be the Child of Destiny, chosen by the God of Asura? Why had his path been so difficult? Was this what destiny's chosen was supposed to experience?
Yes, Children of Destiny faced setbacks—take Huo Yuhao, that white-eyed wolf son-in-law. Early on, as an illegitimate child in the Duke of White Tiger's mansion, he suffered all kinds of inhuman treatment. But the moment he left, his rise was meteoric.
If even that wolfish son-in-law had it so easy, then why did his Xiao San have none of the fortunes he should have had, and all of the hardships—more, even?
And wasn't Tang San supposed to be the Asura God's carefully chosen heir? With Tang San in such a miserable state, why wasn't the Asura God intervening?
Suddenly, Tang Hao slapped his forehead. He remembered.
Back then, at Sky Valley Ridge, he had repeatedly courted death, forcing the Asura God to intervene frequently in the mortal realm. Because of his recklessness, the Asura God was no longer able to interfere with the lower world.
Without the Asura God's protection—Xiao San had ended up like this.
Realization hit him like a hammer. Tang Hao slapped his head again in regret.
Now I understand—the real culprit… is me!
"Dad, what's wrong?" Tang San looked up at him.
"N-nothing. I was just thinking of something else." Tang Hao replied, guilty and evasive. In his heart, how could he dare admit to his son that all of this misfortune had been caused by him?
Quickly, Tang Hao changed the subject:
"Xiao San, what are your plans for godhood? With your Blue Silver Emperor already in this state, can you still inherit the Sea God's position?"
"The Sea God?" Tang San shook his head. "Father, this life, I plan to go directly for the Asura God's position. Inheriting that will be enough."
"Xiao San! The Sea God is also a first-rank godhood. Wouldn't having both be better? How can you just give it up so casually?" Tang Hao exclaimed.
"Father, you're looking at it the wrong way. Dual-god inheritance is actually a trap!" Tang San explained.
He then recounted the truth from his past life.
In his last life, Tang San was chosen by the Asura God. But before he even began the Asura trials, the Sea God snatched him away. Why did the Sea God shower him with so many rewards? It was all to lock him into inheriting the Sea God's throne.
He fully completed the Sea God's trials, reaching one-hundred percent compatibility with the Sea God's divine position. By the time Tang San realized, it was too late to change.
Afterward, the Asura God could only create the "Dual-God Fusion" with Xiao Wu to allow Tang San to balance both thrones.
But because his affinity had all gone to the Sea God, his affinity with the Asura God was low. He could only become a God King through fusing with Xiao Wu. Alone, he was only a first-rank god.
When Tang San ascended to the God Realm and discovered the trick, he cursed Poseidon bitterly—that old bastard had scammed him!
But by then, Tang San had already carried too much karmic debt from the Sea God, and Poseidon had long fled. There was no one to take revenge on.
For reborn Tang San, the choice was simple:
Would you rather be a God King for just one hour a day, or be a God King forever?
For him, the answer was obvious: God King forever.
In the last life, Tang Hao had at best become a second-rank god. Naturally, he hadn't understood the schemes behind divine inheritance. His "I want it all" mindset made him think the more godhoods the better. Hearing Tang San's explanation, he finally understood:
"So that's how it is."
But still, Tang Hao couldn't let go:
Xiao San, that's still a first-rank godhood. It once belonged to our Tang family. Even if you don't inherit it, we must at least hold onto it. How can we let such a divine position fall to outsiders?