"If it were you, what would you choose?"
Ah Yin was stunned.
Wait… what?
This is possible?!
Tang Hao had already read the second volume of the Tang Sect Encyclopedia using his soul communicator alongside Ah Yin.
He knew just how groundbreaking the Spirit Soul Equality Contract was for soul beasts.
For a moment—
He had no idea how to respond.
A Harsh Reality—Shui Bing'er's Potential
After a long silence, Ah Yin hesitated and said:
"If there's no other attachment… then yes, becoming a spirit soul offers more hope."
"But!"
"Everything hinges on Shui Bing'er—the host of this spirit soul—actually becoming a god!"
"I've seen that girl before. Sure, her martial soul evolved into an Ice Phoenix, but… how can you guarantee she'll reach godhood?"
Tang Lan simply smirked mysteriously.
Then—
He activated the divine seal on his chest.
The divine aura emanating from it made all four people present—
Tang Hao, Ah Yin, Dugu Bo, and Yang Wudi—widen their eyes in shock!
"Because of me!"
Tang Lan declared confidently:
"I have inherited the legacy of the God of Fate."
"Once I reach Rank 99, I will inherit a First-Class Divine Position!"
"And as a First-Class Deity, I can bring at least two people with me to the Divine Realm."
"I will promise Ice Empress—
"Even if Shui Bing'er fails to become a god, I will personally bring her to the Divine Realm."
"And once she enters, regardless of whether she ascends as a deity, she will become at least a low-tier divine official—achieving immortality."
"Now tell me—how can Ice Empress refuse?"
Shock Level: Overload
Four people:
⬇⬇⬇
(●—●)●)●)_●)
⬇⬇⬇
Σ(っQДQ)ДQ)ДQ)ДQ)っ
HOLY SH—!!!
Tang Lan… is already a 'Candidate God'?!
(Back when the Life God King descended, time had been frozen, so Tang Hao and the others had been completely unaware.)
Dugu Bo's Counterattack—Math Problems
"Wait a minute! Something doesn't add up!"
Dugu Bo immediately countered:
"You said a First-Class Deity can only bring two people to the Divine Realm, right?"
"But your parents, your two wives—that's four people! How are you adding Shui Bing'er to the list?!"
Tang Lan simply shrugged.
"I never planned on using my slots for Shui Bing'er."
"Because I'm confident she'll ascend on her own."
"Hmm…"
"If she receives Ice Empress' sacrifice and gains Ultimate Ice, her path to godhood is basically guaranteed."
Four people: "…"
Tang Lan—The Master of "Persuasion"
So this was it, huh?
Sweet-talking Ice Empress into sacrificing herself?!
Under the strange gazes of the four people, Tang Lan grinned.
Not a trace of embarrassment on his face.
"It's just a little white lie."
"As long as the final outcome is good, what's the harm?"
Reactions: Mixed Feelings
Dugu Bo snorted and turned to Tang Hao.
His expression clearly said:
"Look at the son you raised. He even dares to scam a 380,000-year-old savage beast."
Meanwhile—
Yang Wudi was full of admiration.
"Our sect master is amazing! He even dares to scam a 380,000-year-old savage beast!"
Ah Yin, on the other hand, was having a complete worldview collapse.
"The world really has changed… Sacrifices don't even need genuine emotions anymore? You can just talk your way into one?"
And Tang Hao?
Tang Hao just burst into wild laughter.
Who cares about scamming?
It doesn't matter at all!
The only thing he cared about—
His son was a Candidate God!
Once he hit Rank 99, he'd ascend immediately!
What else mattered?!
Nothing!
A Father's Unwavering Support
"Good!" Tang Hao agreed without hesitation. "Son, I'll go with you to the Extreme North!"
Now that's more like it.
Tang Lan then looked at Yang Wudi and Dugu Bo.
Securing the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well
"Hall Master Yang, Old Poison."
"You two will be guarding the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well during this time."
"I don't care about anything else, but you know what's at stake."
"If anything happens to this place while we're gone, my father and I will both go berserk."
Yang Wudi nodded solemnly.
"Unless I die, no one will set foot inside!"
Dugu Bo simply waved him off.
"You little monster, stop worrying."
"There are barely any Titled Douluo in Heaven Dou Empire to begin with, let alone now that the Tang Sect is rising like the sun."
"The immortal herbs have already been harvested."
"Even if Spirit Hall shows up, just mentioning the Tang Sect will make them back off a little."
Tang Lan—Still Underestimating Himself?
"Huh?"
Tang Lan scratched his head.
"Does the Tang Sect really have that much influence now?"
Dugu Bo and Yang Wudi exchanged glances, both feeling a little exasperated.
This kid really has no idea how much impact he's made, huh?
The Tang Sect's Influence—A Legacy Beyond Strength
Yang Wudi took a deep breath and said seriously:
"Sect Master."
"If I had heard a month ago that the Tang Sect was in trouble, I would have stepped forward without hesitation!"
"Not for any other reason."
"The Tang Sect Encyclopedia has benefited the entire continent, breaking the knowledge barrier between nobles and commoners."
"It contains an immense wealth of knowledge, and the first level of the Nine Yang Divine Art alone is enough to be considered a great act of mentorship."
"At this point, you could say you have students all across the continent."
"To challenge the Tang Sect now… is to declare war on all commoner soul masters."
Tang Lan blinked.
Now that he thought about it—
The Tang Sect Encyclopedia had actually become mandatory study material in many soul master academies.
So…
Had he really become this legendary already?
It felt… kind of surreal.
"Feels pretty good, huh?"
Dugu Bo: The Annoyed Babysitter
"You little monster, stop showing off!"
Dugu Bo's face was as dark as the bottom of a poison cauldron.
"Go quickly and come back fast—I have no intention of staying here longer than necessary."
Tang Lan shrugged nonchalantly.
After bidding farewell to Ah Yin—
He took his father, Tang Hao, and boarded the Divine Wind Vessel, heading back to Heaven Dou City.
There, he picked up Shui Bing'er and Oscar, who had been notified in advance.
Then, he used Vast Sea Soul Imprisonment to temporarily store them—along with Tang Hao—inside the Blue King Domain.
Once everything was set—
Tang Lan activated Blood Evasion Technique, shooting straight toward Star Dou Forest.
Arrival at Star Dou Forest—The Kings Are Away
He only stopped when they reached the skies above Lake of Life.
No sign of Da Ming and Er Ming.
Tang Lan figured—
"Probably out expanding their territory."
Not wanting to wait, he released Tang Hao, Shui Bing'er, and Oscar to let them regain their bearings.
Then, he pulled out his soul communicator and sent a message.
Sky Shaking—The Arrival of the Beast King!
A few minutes later—
Tang Hao's expression sharpened, his gaze locking onto the eastern horizon.
Shui Bing'er and Oscar followed his line of sight—
They watched as a small black dot rapidly grew in size, transforming into the gigantic form of the Sky Azure Bull Python, surging toward them at high speed!
Tang Hao's Instincts—Time to Run!
"It's the Sky Azure Bull Python!"
Tang Hao immediately summoned the Clear Sky Hammer and shouted:
"That's the King of Star Dou Forest! Lan'er, take the other two and run—I'll hold it off!"
Shui Bing'er and Oscar's faces went pale.
They never expected that the first enemy they'd encounter after leaving the city would be such a terrifying beast.
The Unexpected—Beast King, Why So Chill?
As they spoke—
The Sky Azure Bull Python closed the distance, arriving at lightning speed.
Yet, instead of attacking—
It looked at Tang Hao's battle stance with confusion, then turned its gaze to Tang Lan.
"What's with the hostility?"
Tang Lan, struggling to hold back laughter, grinned.
Then, he casually reached out and pushed down on Tang Hao's arm.
"Relax, Dad—he's one of ours."
Tang Hao.exe Has Stopped Working
Tang Hao: (●灬●)
…What?!
Tang Lan's Insane Request
Then, as if nothing was weird at all, Tang Lan directly said:
"This is my father, Tang Hao."
"He was originally a Rank 96 Assault-Type Titled Douluo, but after removing his spirit bones, his level dropped. Now, he needs to replace his first and third spirit rings."
"Since he has the potential to become a god, we need spirit souls for him."
"So, help me pick one. Find a suitable soul beast willing to become my father's spirit soul."
"But only from the Titan Giant Ape or Ironback Dragon species."
Tang Hao, Shui Bing'er, and Oscar: Brain Crash!
The three of them stood there, dumbfounded.
Did he just ask the King of Star Dou Forest to personally pick out a spirit beast to be his father's spirit soul?
The mental image was too bizarre.
Their brains stopped processing.
The Most Absurd Part? The Sky Azure Bull Python Agreed.
But the craziest thing was—
Instead of flying into a rage, the Sky Azure Bull Python nodded calmly.
"Got it."
"There are a few ten-thousand-year-old ones. I'll have Er Ming ask if any of them are willing."
Wait… What Did It Just Do?!
Then, in a smooth motion, the Sky Azure Bull Python's storage belt glowed—
It pulled out a giant but familiar soul communicator,
And, using its delicate tendrils, it quickly typed out a message.
"Whoosh—"
A soft notification sound signaled that the message had been sent.
Tang Hao: [?]
Shui Bing'er: 「(°ヘ°)」
Oscar: (_)?
WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING?!
(End of Chapter)