"As expected, using Xiao Tian's sword really can kill Tang San. How odd... why do I know this?" Oslo pulled out the demon sword, his face full of confusion.
Previously, no matter how Oslo attacked Tang San's vitals, he could never kill him—it was as if some invisible force told him he was unworthy to be Tang San's killer. Yet another voice told him: if he used Tian Lin's sword, it would work.
"Did any of you feel something strange?" Yu Tianheng looked at his palm. His power and aptitude hadn't changed, but he just felt stronger, as if his potential had grown.
Ye Lingling and the others all nodded. "Yeah, it's a great feeling, though hard to describe."
"So that's it… This Tang San is actually the Child of Destiny of this era," Skydream Iceworm exclaimed, "I once heard a legend: the Child of Destiny is someone loved by heaven and earth itself. Xiao Tian, I always thought only you were the Child of Destiny, but I never expected there'd be another one, and his destiny was even stronger than yours. Originally, he surely would have reached the absolute peak, unmatched by anyone."
"That's also why Oslo couldn't kill him before. With the protection of heaven and earth, a small character like Oslo could never have been his end."
"Then why did using my sword work?" Tian Lin asked, puzzled.
"That's because you're also a Child of Destiny. There are only two kinds of people who can kill a Child of Destiny: one, a rival who is also a Child of Destiny, competing for destiny and thus forced to battle to the death; two, the final adversary at the very top, when the Child of Destiny faces their last trial. No matter how much heaven and earth favor the Child of Destiny, they still have to be tested. It's like the Asura God: he can't just give you the god seat, you have to pass all nine Asura trials first," Skydream Iceworm explained.
Tian Lin finally understood. In simple terms, this Douluo Continent was originally a world centered around Tang San. But because of his own existence, the single male lead had become a double male lead—two opposing protagonists. Tang San had more destiny energy and was the main lead, while Tian Lin was the secondary. Only one could survive to fully inherit the Child of Destiny's fate.
Tian Lin, who was supposed to be at a disadvantage, actually had foreknowledge that Tang San didn't possess, enough to turn the tables.
Oslo, revived thanks to Tian Lin, had absorbed some of Tian Lin's destiny, becoming someone favored by the Child of Destiny. That's why he instinctively knew Tian Lin's sword could kill Tang San.
Now, with Tang San dead under the demon sword, all his destiny had transferred to Tian Lin. Thus, everyone around the new Child of Destiny—his friends and family—would also be blessed by this stronger fate, which is why Yu Tianheng and the others felt their potential surging.
It wasn't just them. At the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Fengzhi and others, even Qian Renxue in Spirit Hall, felt it too. Especially Gu Rong: for nearly ten years after advancing to rank 96 with the Earth Dragon Golden Melon, his soul power hadn't moved, but today, his bottleneck inexplicably loosened.
In short, the secondary protagonist team had now become the main character team.
In the original, Zhu Zhuqing and the others would never have grown so much without Tang San—this was the power of fate.
Skydream Iceworm also understood why the descendant of Nuwa said that if Tian Lin had killed Tang San earlier, he'd already be a Title Douluo by now. Absorbing Tang San's destiny would make Tian Lin's growth much faster, granting him more fortuitous encounters.
Tian Lin stepped up to cremate Tang San's body. After all, as the original protagonist, it was better to make him disappear entirely—if his body remained, there was a risk of him being revived by some miracle.
After the body vanished, a deep blue soul bone dropped where Tang San had fallen. This was Ah Yin's soul bone—the hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor right leg bone, extremely precious.
Having finally resolved a major problem, Tian Lin was in a great mood. He turned, smiling at everyone: "Alright, let's go! Everything's done—let's go home!"
He still had other things to prepare. Now that Tang San was dead, next would be Tang Hao. His grave wasn't here, but much farther away. Tian Lin had promised Skydream Iceworm that, besides avenging Oslo, he would also avenge the soul beasts.
…
Spirit Hall
BOOM—
The entire palace was shaking violently, soul power surging from Bibi Dong's wrath.
A day and a half had passed since the Xiao Wu incident. Yue Guan and others had returned to report everything to Spirit Hall.
Now, they were all kneeling before the Pope, waiting for punishment.
Upon learning that the mission had failed again, that the hundred-thousand-year soul beast had sacrificed itself, and that Ghost Douluo had died at Tian Lin's hands, Bibi Dong could no longer contain her fury.
Had it not been for Qian Renxue's recent efforts to calm her temperament, none of these people—except maybe Hu Liena—would have escaped punishment, and even Hu Liena would at least face solitary confinement.
"Your Holiness, please calm your anger," Hu Liena pleaded, kneeling. "The Emperor Battle team's sudden appearance was simply too unexpected as if they'd been waiting for us. We had no time to prepare and fell into their trap."
"Calm down? We lost a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, and Ghost Douluo was killed. How am I supposed to calm down? Nana, do you realize this is the fourth Title Douluo to fall to Jun Tian Lin?" Bibi Dong's eyes flashed coldly. "He clearly wants a fight to the death with us."
"Your Holiness, if you want to attack the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, I request to lead the charge. I'll personally avenge Ghost Douluo!" Yue Guan seethed with hatred.
"Now is not the time, Elder Yue." Qian Renxue, who had been looking at her hands in confusion, noticing her sudden power boost, quickly interjected, "Jun Tian Lin has killed many of our people, but every time, he's had a legitimate reason."
"He killed Meyers because Meyers provoked him and tried to steal Ning Rongrong. He killed Porcupine Douluo, Demon Bear Douluo, and my grandfather Golden Crocodile Douluo because we had planned to wipe out their families first. As for Ghost Douluo, when Tian Lin was a child, Ghost Douluo attacked him—that's well known. Now that Tian Lin is stronger and has retaliated, it's a personal vendetta. Spirit Hall has no proper justification to attack the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
"If we launch an all-out assault now, the continental war will start prematurely. Our integration of the kingdoms and duchies isn't complete, and although our soul masters are strong, our army is still far smaller than the two empires."
"Xue'er is right," Bibi Dong nodded. "Jun Tian Lin is meticulous. He always has a reason for his actions, leaving no room for criticism. Our failed soul hunt cost us dearly; we can't face the entire continent yet. Until we finish uniting the sects, kingdoms, and duchies, we must endure him!"
"I even suspect this entire incident was orchestrated by Tian Lin himself," Qian Renxue continued, stroking her chin. "He's always had a strange, almost prophetic sense. If he already knew about the hundred-thousand-year soul beast at the Lake of Life, everything makes sense."
"If both he and Tang San were at Heaven Dou, all he had to do was keep an eye on Tang San. When Tang San left for the Star Dou Forest, he could leak the information to us, ensuring we'd meet in the forest. This would force out both soul beast kings, and he could let us battle them, then snatch the rabbit in the chaos."
"As for why he waited for Tang San—it's because only Tang San could make the rabbit willingly sacrifice herself. And sacrifice is the only way a low-level soul master can absorb a high-level soul ring. He even has a skill that can transfer target effects—I've seen him use it before."
"If that's true, Jun Tian Lin is terrifyingly manipulative." Bibi Dong frowned. "It's like we're his puppets."
If Tian Lin knew what this mother-daughter pair was thinking, he could only say: You're overthinking it. I don't know how to scheme; I just have a cheat—foreknowledge.