Chapter 125 – 142. Welcome Back, Tang San
Huo Yuhao's arrival was a relief to Tang San. He was grateful that during his previous battle with the Destruction God, he had fallen behind, which eased the pressure on Huo Yuhao, allowing him to ascend to Divine King.
Now, with two Divine King level warriors on their side and the Golden Dragon King reduced to a crippled Divine King, the balance was in their favor.
"As you wish, let's take down this cursed beast together," Huo Yuhao said, standing behind Tang San, drawing out the Ghost Eagle Divine Sword and activating the Eternal artifact.
Proudly, Tang San addressed the crippled Golden Dragon King, "Golden Dragon King, prepare to be punished." Gripping the Asura Demon Sword, he prepared to attack alongside Huo Yuhao, when suddenly a cold, piercing blade stabbed through his damaged divine armor, penetrating his body and piercing his divine heart.
This was Tang San's second near-death experience; the first was twenty thousand years ago with Bibi Dong on Douluo Continent.
"Tsk, Huo Yuhao, why betray me?" Tang San never expected his once-loyal subordinate to stab him at such a critical moment.
"A man lives in the world. How can he linger in servitude? Tang San, I've tolerated you long enough. Say goodbye to your grand ambitions." Huo Yuhao drew the weapon and plunged his hand into Tang San's back wound, clutching his divine heart, then squeezed hard, crushing it. He then seized the divine essences of Life and Destruction.
To prevent Tang San from reviving, Huo Yuhao shattered the Sea God and Asura God divine essences that harbored Tang San's soul.
However, due to the watchful gaze of the vigilant Golden Dragon King and the approaching Divine Kings Ji Dong and Flame, Huo Yuhao failed to notice one thing: just before dying, Asura God's scabbard, Xiao Wu, used her soul's origin power to sever Tang San's remaining soul from the divine essence, escorting a fragment out.
The price for this was Xiao Wu's complete soul annihilation alongside the shattered Asura God essence.
Death is not the end for gods; as long as the soul exists, revival is possible. But once the soul is destroyed, resurrection is impossible.
"Third Brother, run! Forget about me, you must survive to avenge us!" With resolve, Xiao Wu cast Tang San's soul into the time-space chaos.
"No, Xiao Wu." Tang San's residual soul painfully watched Xiao Wu's soul vanish with the Asura God essence under Huo Yuhao's grasp.
Filled with endless hatred for Huo Yuhao, Tang San's soul fled into the temporal turbulence.
Traversing the time-space storm, Tang San's remnant soul's eyes burned red with rage, breath ragged, as he stared at the receding Divine Realm.
"Xiao Wu, wait for me! I vow to avenge you. As always, I will not let those who harm you go unpunished."
"Huo Yuhao, you damned traitor! When you were lowly, I raised you as Douluo Continent's destined son, trained you, and even gave you my daughter. You became a first-level god. Is this how you repay my life-saving grace? You're marked for death. Wait for my triumphant return—I will tear you apart, piece by piece!"
At the last words, Tang San's voice roared with rage.
Suddenly, Tang San smelled a strong, unpleasant odor under a sturdy man's armpit. He instinctively wanted to push away the man holding him but recognized the familiar face.
Though his appearance was disheveled, his spirit low, and face unshaven, Tang San knew who he was—it was his father.
The father's pungent scent no longer repelled Tang San.
But why was his father in such a state?
Tang San recalled that since becoming a realm lord, whenever Tang Hao contacted him across realms, he was always vigorous and proud. Could it be that after his death, Huo Yuhao…
Tang San opened his mouth to ask, but only a baby's cry escaped.
Tang Hao panicked, hastily pouring a bottle of warm goat milk into Tang San's mouth.
The hot milk scalded Tang San, causing him to bubble and emit piercing cries.
Tang Hao was flustered, not knowing how to soothe him.
At that moment, an old man burst in. Seeing Tang San crying in Tang Hao's arms, he pressed down on the milk bottle, his face darkening as he berated Tang Hao.
"Tang Hao, do you know how to care for children? How can you feed the kid such hot milk?"
The old man snatched Tang San from Tang Hao and scolded him severely.
In the old man's arms, Tang San felt displeased. Who was this old fellow to scold his father? Fine—he was courting death.
Tang Hao frowned but remained silent, passing the task of caring for Tang San to the old man.
"Old Jack, I have no experience with childcare. Until Tang San is one, he's yours," Tang Hao said.
Thus, the responsibility for Tang San's upbringing passed smoothly to Old Jack.
Indeed, in the previous life, Tang San's early years had been spent under Old Jack's care. Helping this devil child survive his youth, Old Jack was in some ways an unforgiven figure on Douluo Continent.
Old Jack? The name sounded familiar to Tang San but eluded his memory. However, when he heard the village name—Holy Soul Village—he suddenly remembered.
This was his birthplace last life. Holy Soul Village, Old Jack, Holy Soul Village, Old Jack.
At last, Tang San recalled all memories of Old Jack hidden in his mind's corners.
He remembered Old Jack caring for him as a child before his father took him back.
Later, Old Jack assisted Tang San's martial spirit awakening. Tang San then went to Notting Academy and only returned to Holy Soul Village a few times, never to stay.
When Tang San became a god, he heard that villagers took pride in him and renamed the village "Divine Soul Village." Thinking of this, Tang San felt a quiet satisfaction. Among all of Douluo Continent, no one had brought more fortune to their hometown.
(The author notes an awkward detail: Having a soul master from a village brings many benefits—work-study opportunities, tax breaks, etc. Villagers take pride in producing such a talent. However, since Tang San destroyed Spirit Hall, who will awaken new martial spirits? Without awakeners, how will another soul master arise? Holy Soul Village's residents benefit in the short term from Tang San's divinity—how much do they lose in the long run?)
Sadly, five hundred years after Tang San's ascension, Divine Soul Village was utterly destroyed in an evil soul master's rampage. When Tang San learned of it in the Divine Realm, he mourned but issued a divine decree. Shrek Academy would investigate the massacre, offering redress for those who died.
Hopefully.
(END CHAPTER)
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