Tang Hao crossed his arms, speaking proudly:
"That's right. From birth, my little San was chosen by the God of Shura—he is the Child of Destiny of this era, the successor to the Asura God."
"Asura God…" Yu Xiaogang muttered. The concept wasn't entirely clear to him.
"Not clear? Let me give you a comparison. The Sea God and the Angel God are both first-tier gods in the Divine Realm. The Asura God, however, is a God King, the ruler among gods in the Divine Realm!"
"God King… ruler of the gods…" Yu Xiaogang whispered, his breathing growing rapid.
Tang San had been chosen by the Asura God, destined to inherit the position of God King. Heavens—didn't that mean he, Yu Xiaogang, would one day be known as the teacher of a God King? That he had cultivated a god himself?
"A god—whose life is nearly eternal, whose powers mortals cannot comprehend. I'll give you one simple example: gods can grant a soul master a God-bestowed Spirit Ring. Such a ring doesn't require hunting a beast; it generates a skill that perfectly fits the martial soul. Whatever upper limit your body can bear, that's the year level the ring can be—even a hundred-thousand-year ring can be given."
"Gods can also bestow martial souls. A god-bestowed martial soul sits at the peak of the martial soul hierarchy. The Six-Winged Angel of Spirit Hall came from the Angel God, allowing Qian Daoliu to reach Ultimate Duoluo. The martial soul of Bo Saixi, the Sea God Douluo, was granted by the Sea God himself—its power is equal to the Angel Martial Soul."
Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang's mind short-circuited.
For a long while, he just sat there, stupefied. Gods could grant martial souls, grant spirit rings—wasn't that… overwhelming?
If little San became a god, wouldn't that mean he could rewrite Yu Xiaogang's talent, change his martial soul, make him a peerless powerhouse—in a matter of minutes?
Not only that—Tang San was destined to be a God King. Surely, he could grant Yu Xiaogang a divine position. Yu Xiaogang didn't ask for much—just a first-tier god would be enough!
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. His body trembled, his face twisted, drool leaking from the corner of his mouth.
Slap! Tang Hao's palm whipped across his face, sending Yu Xiaogang flying, spinning a full 365 degrees before crashing down.
"Yu Xiaogang, what stupid dreams are you having? Right now, you're nothing but a mangy dog of the Tang family. Don't forget your place. You think you're my son's teacher? You? Worthy?" Tang Hao snarled. He had guessed half of Yu Xiaogang's fantasies—though he hadn't guessed the other half, that Yu Xiaogang actually dreamed of using his son to secure a god position for himself.
The blow shattered Yu Xiaogang's delusion. As he came to, he realized how utterly ruined his relationship with Tang San was.
Once, after Tang San had castrated him, Yu Xiaogang's hatred had burned. But now, learning Tang San was destined for godhood, all that hatred vanished—leaving only bitter regret and venomous loathing toward Bibi Dong.
Regret, that he hadn't treated Tang San better, hadn't taught him more, hadn't helped him gain stronger spirit rings. If he had, maybe Tang San wouldn't misunderstand him so deeply now.
Hatred, because he knew Tang San had apprenticed to him originally because of Bibi Dong. But that vile woman had refused to respect him—driving a wedge between master and disciple, destroying what could have been his chance to become the teacher of a god.
Tang San raised his stubby little leg and stomped hard on Yu Xiaogang's broken body.
"So, Gangzi, do you still feel wronged being the Tang family's dog?"
Yu Xiaogang, face twisted into a sycophantic smile, said:
"Not wronged, San, not at all. To be the Tang family's dog is my honor."
In his heart, he added: Of course, I'd much rather be your true teacher. Once a teacher, forever a father.
"Gangzi, do you think becoming my family's dog is something you can just choose?" Tang San sneered.
Yu Xiaogang froze. Wait—hadn't he just been told to be their dog?
"To be our dog, you'll have to pass a test first." Tang San nodded at Tang Hao.
Tang Hao tossed a lotus leaf bundle before Yu Xiaogang.
"Your first test: eat this roasted chicken!" Tang Hao growled.
"Roasted chicken?" Yu Xiaogang unfolded the leaf. Inside was a small, pungent roasted chicken, reeking of a foul mix of meat and musk. His face went pale, nausea rising.
"Ugh—"
He gagged.
"Can't do it? Then roll back to wherever you came from! If you can't even eat the Tang family's piping hot shit, you're not fit to be our dog," Tang Hao spat.
"No, I'll eat it, I'll eat it!" Yu Xiaogang said miserably. Forcing down the disgust and humiliation, he pictured Tang San as a future god—lifting him up, granting him divine power—and shoved the entire roasted chicken into his mouth.
"Well? Tastes good, doesn't it?" Tang Hao asked.
"Y-yes… delicious," Yu Xiaogang choked out, fighting back the urge to vomit.
Tang San patted his shoulder.
"Not bad, Eunuch Dog, you're obedient. Don't worry—so long as you stay a good Tang family dog, I have a hundred ways to break your so-called talent limit and make you a noble Soul Elder."
As the saying goes—beat him with a stick (castrate him), then dangle a carrot (promise a future).
But Tang San didn't realize Yu Xiaogang's ambitions went far beyond that.
"Yes, yes, I'll be a good Tang family dog," Yu Xiaogang said sheepishly. Inside, though, he shamelessly thought:
San, do you think I'm satisfied with scraps? You becoming a god—no, a God King—and I, your teacher… how could you not grant me a divine position? I don't ask much, just a first-tier god. That would be enough.
Still, he knew his relationship with Tang San was deeply broken. Tang San didn't even acknowledge him as a teacher anymore. For now, he had no choice but to cling on—even as a dog. Then, little by little, he would climb back up, until he could once again stand over Tang San as his teacher. Once a teacher, forever a father. Only then would his true wish be fulfilled.
Seeing Yu Xiaogang grovel so obsequiously, Tang San's heart surged with contempt.
He didn't even bother to glance at Yu Xiaogang, and said with disdain:
"Of course, if you want to be the Tang Clan's dog, you'll have to prove your worth first."
"How do I prove it?" Yu Xiaogang asked.
"In the coming years, I'll be devoting myself entirely to the inheritance of the Asura God. I won't have time to spare for other matters on the continent. Spirit Hall harbors ambitions of devouring the land, and now that the Angel God's inheritor has appeared, I'm deeply worried about the future of Douluo. Gangzi, your task is this—while I undergo my god trial, you are to consolidate the forces of the continent, unite them, and weave a net around Spirit Hall."
Yu Xiaogang's jaw nearly hit the floor.
"Little San, do you think something like that can be done by your teacher, a mere rank 29 Grandmaster?"
Tang San cast him a sidelong glance.
"That's your problem. Figure it out yourself. Don't you claim to possess unparalleled wisdom? If you can accomplish this, you'll be an outstanding old eunuch-dog of my Tang Clan. When I ascend as a god, I may consider helping you break your talent limit, allowing you to reach Soul Elder. If you fail… then Gangzi, you won't even be worthy of being the Tang Clan's dog."
This vision of someday reaching Soul Elder was already the greatest "generosity" Tang San would grant him.
Yu Xiaogang forced a smile.
"Alright, Little San, I'll get it done. Don't worry."
At this moment, Tang Hao stepped out and told Yu Xiaogang:
"Enough, Gangzi. You can crawl away now—go handle your business."
"Yes, yes… ah!" Yu Xiaogang struggled to stand, but as soon as he did, pain tore through his crotch wound. Limping, he hobbled off.
Watching that pitiful, crippled back, Tang Hao asked:
"Little San, can that failure really handle such a task?"
Tang San's face was one of confidence.
"I've dealt with him across two lives. No one understands Gangzi better than me. He's a waste who cannot stand being a waste. For the chance to surpass Soul Elder, he'll do anything to complete the task I set him. And if he manages it, so much the better. If not, it doesn't matter—I never expected much from that useless man anyway."
Tang Hao nodded, then asked:
"But Little San, if Gangzi really succeeds, will you truly help him break his innate limit and reach Soul Elder?"
Tang San sneered.
"Father, I was only amusing him. The best fate for Gangzi is to struggle forever at rank 29, like a clown writhing in misery. His misfortune is my greatest joy—why would I ever put an end to one of my few sources of happiness?"
Tang Hao felt the same. Father and son, in this life, had suffered setback after setback, far less fortunate than their past life. But whenever they saw Gangzi writhing miserably at the boundary of rank 29, their bitterness felt soothed.
Both father and son drew happiness from Yu Xiaogang's pain.
But Tang San had miscalculated our "flat-headed" Gangzi.
He thought dangling a few empty promises would be enough to toy with Yu Xiaogang. But ever since learning Tang San bore the potential not just to become a god, but a God King, Yu Xiaogang's ambitions had already shifted. Could a mere breakthrough to Soul Elder as a dog of the Tang Clan satisfy him?
No—Yu Xiaogang wanted to be Tang San's teacher, the one forever honored as "a teacher for a day, a father for life." He wanted Tang San, once a god, to transform his innate talent, to elevate him into a peerless powerhouse. Ideally, even to grant him a godhood. He wasn't greedy—if Tang San would be a God King, then as his teacher, he at least deserved to be bestowed a first-class god's throne!
After parting from Tang Hao and Tang San, Yu Xiaogang's flat head spun with schemes.
What he pondered was not how to complete Tang San's assigned mission, but rather—
How can I bind this soon-to-be godly disciple firmly to me, so that once he ascends, he cannot forget to reward his teacher?
In the last life, Tang San had easily shaken him off because, before ascending, he always played the part of the filial disciple, giving Yu Xiaogang a false sense of security.
Yu Xiaogang never suspected he'd be abandoned. But when the Shrek Seven, along with Tang Hao and his wife, ascended to the God Realm, Yu Xiaogang was left behind on Douluo.
Defenseless and abandoned, in his later years he could only gaze up at the God Realm, bitterly waiting for the day Tang San would descend to fetch his teacher. He died in resentment.
This life was different. Tang San had never once given him any sense of security. Instead, he hated his teacher, had even castrated him, committing a monstrous crime.
Their bond as master and disciple had already withered. With things as they were, how could Yu Xiaogang believe Tang San would take him to the God Realm, let alone grant him a godhood?
Gangzi was a man deeply insecure. When he felt safe, he could put on the image of a dignified teacher.
But without that sense of security, to protect his own interests, he would start plotting. When his own gain was involved, Gangzi's mind turned cunning.
He mused:
"At the tournament podium, I disappointed Little San, driving him to commit such a heinous act. He probably wanted to kill me but didn't dare, fearing the stigma of being branded a teacher-slayer!"
Then he stroked his chin.
"But for someone destined to become a god, would reputation really matter so much? Could it be…"
He recalled Spirit Hall's long history—how they carefully maintained their name, gathering faith for millennia. Suddenly, everything became clear.
"So that's it." A glint of "wisdom" flashed in Yu Xiaogang's eyes.
"Little San must also need faith. For faith, he must maintain a spotless reputation, an image of purity. And since I am known as his teacher, he cannot commit the act of killing me, for it would tarnish his name and hinder his future faith as a god."
At last, everything fell into place. Yu Xiaogang had found Tang San's weakness—he cared about reputation.
Good. If he cares about reputation, then I must never let go of it either. Whether he wishes it or not, I will make sure the entire continent knows I am the Teacher of a God!
Let them all know it was I, Yu Xiaogang, who raised a god!