Huo Yuhao and Ma Xiaotao cast a brief, indifferent glance at the two of them before walking away without looking back.
Tang Ya glared at Bei Bei, huffing indignantly. "Bei Bei, what are you doing?! If we don't bring him over now, it might be even harder to convince him to join our Tang Sect later!"
Bei Bei looked at the fuming Tang Ya helplessly and gave her a light tap on the head. "I say... can you have a little situational awareness? The guy was already incredibly impatient. No matter how much you wag your tongue, it's meaningless—you might even lose the chance to ever make friends with him."
"...I'm not blind to what you're saying, but I trust my intuition. I feel that if the Tang Sect is to experience a revival, it must have Huo Yuhao!" Tang Ya spoke the last sentence with absolute conviction.
"But if the guy isn't willing to join the Tang Sect, what can you do? Let's just look for someone else."
Tang Ya covered her ears and shook her head stubbornly.
"No, no, no! Bei Bei, you must pull Huo Yuhao into the Tang Sect for me, or I'll stop talking to you!"
Bei Bei: "...Huh?"
...
Douluo God Realm, God Realm Committee.
"I do not agree!"
Tang San slammed his hand on the table and rose, his face flushed with fury, mixed with a hint of grievance and indignation.
This resolution of the God Realm Committee had been proposed by the God of Destruction. His agenda wasn't about expanding the God Realm or anything of the sort; rather, he proposed that the God Realm Core no longer be managed solely by the Sea God, but be jointly governed by the five great God Kings.
Similarly, the Douluo Star would no longer be under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Sea God but would be brought into the open for collective supervision.
This was undoubtedly sabotaging the Ten-Thousand-Year Grand Plan that Tang San took such pride in. How could Tang San possibly agree?
However, the God of Destruction's reasoning was simple: given that a certain Law Enforcer had been consistently flouting the law while enforcing it—and this time had been caught red-handed—such a person could no longer be allowed to maintain sole control over the God Realm.
Since the matter wasn't catastrophic but wasn't minor either, a formal warning was appropriate. Thus, this move was intended to divide Tang San's power rather than strip it away entirely.
Slow and steady; there was no need to rush a political struggle.
The God of Destruction didn't even acknowledge Tang San. Instead, he looked at the two substitute God Kings, Evil and Good, as well as the Goddess of Life. "The situation is essentially as described. Everyone, please vote."
He was the first to raise his hand. "Without rules, there is no order. I vote to dissolve the Sea God's exclusive control over the God Realm Core."
Eyes fell upon the two God Kings, Good and Evil.
Lie Yan and Ji Dong shared a tacit look, instantly understanding each other's intent.
Better to keep playing the role of the neutral meddlers... After all, they weren't the original God Kings of Good and Evil.
Ji Dong sighed inwardly. If the original Gods of Good and Evil could remember their responsibilities and return to the God Realm, would there be so many headaches now?
But those two had been entangled in the cycle of reincarnation in the lower realms for countless lifetimes, playing around for who knows how long.
Every time they reached the peak of cultivation and recovered their memories, by the time Lie Yan and Ji Dong went down to find them, they would refuse to return to the God Realm and opt to reincarnate again.
This behavior left the current pair helpless. Thus, Lie Yan and Ji Dong consistently cast abstention votes to ensure that Tang San and the God of Destruction wouldn't truly come to blows.
As expected, Tang San then turned a hopeful gaze toward the Goddess of Life.
Generally, every God Realm Committee meeting ended the same way: Tang San would propose something and Destruction would oppose it, or vice-versa. Evil and Good would abstain, and the Goddess of Life, to keep the God Realm from fracturing, would side with Tang San at her husband's expense.
To an outsider, it might almost seem like Tang San was the Goddess of Life's husband...
But unexpectedly...
The Goddess of Life frowned and shook her head seriously. "Sea God, as a God Realm Law Enforcer, you should know that without rules, there is no order. Law Enforcers must also act according to the rules."
"I agree that the five of us should jointly govern the God Realm Core and the Douluo Continent."
"What?! Life, you..."
The Goddess of Life was simply disinclined to manage affairs; she was far from stupid! One must remember that if she truly wished for it, the control of the God Realm Core would actually be in her hands.
This time, Tang San's actions had truly touched the bottom line of the God Realm, leaving her no choice but to stop yielding.
On the surface, the God of Destruction remained as calm as a deep well, but inside, he wanted to dance on Tang San's head while pointing mockingly at his own temples.
He hadn't been this excited since Tang San first arrived in the God Realm.
This is the greatest high! Hahahaha...
No, no... I must reward Little Green properly when we get back!
Initially, the God of Destruction feared the Goddess of Life would play the peacemaker again, as the severity of the incident was debatable. But he didn't know what the Holy Necromancer had said to her to make her change her mind and stand by his side.
"You..." Tang San panted like an ox, but seeing the God of Destruction watching him like a hawk, he forced himself to endure.
What was the most important quality for a soul master?
Endurance! This was a truth Tang San had learned back at Yue Xuan.
As if wearing a mask, the red-faced, vein-popping Tang San reverted to his image of a modest gentleman. With a flick of his wrist, an octagonal golden key flew toward the God of Destruction.
"I hope the God of Destruction doesn't forget that the five of us govern the God Realm Core together. The God Realm is not yet a place where you can cover the sky with one hand!"
The God of Destruction didn't yield an inch. "Heh... I am only responsible for my portion. I won't be like certain people who fixate on everything."
At this point, Ji Dong seized the opportunity to play peacemaker. "Then let's leave it at that. Starting from today, the God of Destruction takes the first day, the Sea God the second, the Goddess of Life the third, and Lie Yan and I will supervise the fourth and fifth days, and so on."
Tang San gave a cold laugh and cupped his hands toward Ji Dong and Lie Yan. "Since it has been decided, this seat will return to cultivate."
After Ji Dong and Lie Yan returned the gesture, Tang San didn't spare another look and walked out quickly.
His power had been divided, but not stripped. This meant he was still the Asura God, the head of the Law Enforcing Gods.
And that meant he decided which god was guilty.
Causing him to look so pathetic just days after arriving—if that wasn't a crime, what was?
If I say you are guilty, you are guilty!
Tang San transformed into a streak of blue light, charging straight toward a specific location.
...
In the Free God Domain located in the north of the God Realm, at the foot of a snowy mountain range.
Legend has it that back when the Douluo God Realm was still the Dragon God Realm, this mountain range was home to the Ice Dragons of the Water Dragon clan. But the Water Dragon King had been dead for countless years, so the place had fallen into ruin.