"It's here!" the God of Destruction shouted in a low voice. The gods were poised to strike. But at this moment, a sudden change occurred—that will did not pounce toward the aura as expected, but instead divided into countless fine threads, bypassing the barriers and stabbing straight toward Tang Wulin's brow! At the final moment, it had seen through the trap and chose to directly attack the vessel's main body!
"Careful!" Qian Renxue reacted extremely quickly, the Angelic Holy Sword slashing out, sacred flames burning the fine threads. But there were too many threads, and they were formless and substanceless—actually penetrating through the sword light and entering Tang Wulin's forehead. Tang Wulin's entire body shook violently, his eyes instantly turning dark red, twisted veins appearing beneath his skin.
"Wulin!" Qian Renxue threw herself forward without regard for anything, attempting to use sacred power to purify the erosion. But the Eye of Annihilation's will was extremely powerful. It laughed madly, echoing in Tang Wulin's consciousness: "What a perfect body... though fragile, its potential is infinite... become my vessel!" Tang Wulin's consciousness was dragged into darkness, countless negative emotions surging forth: despair, anger, hatred... He seemed to have returned to that moment when controlled by the Golden Dragon King—cold, violent, only wanting to destroy everything.
No, he couldn't repeat the same mistake. Tang Wulin gritted his teeth and persevered in the depths of his consciousness. He remembered Qian Renxue's tears, the children's calls, his parents' expectations, and Isis's final smile. Those warm memories were like lighthouse beacons, guiding the way in the darkness. He struggled fiercely, attempting to seize back control, but the Eye of Annihilation's will was like bone-rotting maggots, constantly eroding his sanity.
Outside, the gods launched their attacks. The God of Destruction's destruction authority, the Goddess of Life's life imprisonment, Tang San's Sea God Trident... countless divine powers bombarded that will, but it had taken root within Tang Wulin—if forcibly stripped away, it would likely damage his soul. Qian Renxue's eyes reddened with urgency. Suddenly, she thought of something.
"Wulin! You said you would control it!" she shouted, her voice carrying sobs, "You said we would return together! You said no one was allowed to die! You promised me!" The same words, shouted before the Abyss Gate, now rang out once more. Tang Wulin's body shook, the dark red in his eyes fading slightly. Qian Renxue saw hope and continued shouting: "Look clearly, it's me! And Mom and Dad, the children, everyone is waiting for you! You said you would protect us, you can't break your promise!"
More memories flooded his heart. The Sea God Fate at Shrek Academy, the vows at the wedding, the crying at the children's births, the warmth of family reunions in the Divine Realm... Those beautiful, worth-protecting images were like sharp swords piercing through the darkness. Tang Wulin's consciousness recondensed. He "saw" that dark red will in his sea of consciousness—it was like a giant worm, entrenched in the depths of his soul.
"Get out." Tang Wulin shouted in a low voice in his sea of consciousness. His soul, though fragile, was incomparably firm. The Eye of Annihilation laughed madly: "A mere mortal, daring to resist? Your body is mine!" It opened its giant mouth, devouring toward him. Tang Wulin didn't retreat, but instead charged forward. At the instant of collision, from the depths of his soul, a point of golden light suddenly lit up—that was the ember of the Dragon God's soul, sealed yet never extinguished. The golden light like a prairie fire instantly ignited the dark red will.
"Impossible! You were already sealed! How can you still have Dragon God power!" the Eye of Annihilation screamed. Tang Wulin's consciousness coldly responded: "What was sealed was only power, not will. And I am Tang Wulin." The golden light surged, completely swallowing and purifying the dark red will. Outside, Tang Wulin's eyes suddenly opened wide, the dark red fading, clarity restored. He opened his mouth and spat out a mass of black qi. The black qi twisted and dissipated in the air, emitting a mournful shriek.
"It's over..." he said weakly, his body swaying as he fell into Qian Renxue's embrace. The gods breathed a sigh of relief and hurried forward to examine him. Fortunately, the erosion time was short—though Tang Wulin's soul was damaged, his foundation wasn't harmed. Instead, the Eye of Annihilation's will had been backlashed by the Dragon God ember, suffering heavy wounds, unable to cause trouble again for a considerable time. The cracks at the Abyss Gate gradually closed, the low voices disappearing.
A crisis was resolved in an unexpected manner. Though Tang Wulin was weak, there was a bit more spirit in his eyes—during the confrontation just now, he had sensed the seal loosening slightly. Though it was minuscule, it proved that the Dragon God's power had not completely left him. As long as he continued cultivating, perhaps one day he could regain control of that power.
After half a month of recuperation, Tang Wulin's body gradually recovered, his soul power also increasing to Level 20 due to this unexpected tempering. He remained weak, but the deathly aura between his brows had lessened somewhat, replaced by a bit more vitality. Qian Renxue accompanied him in cultivation daily. The two's soul powers vaguely resonated upon contact, actually showing a trend of mutual reinforcement. The Goddess of Life said this was a manifestation of divine soul compatibility—perhaps dual cultivation could accelerate Tang Wulin's recovery.
But Tang Wulin was not anxious to seek quick results. Having experienced life and death, he cherished the present peace even more. Every morning, he would stroll in the Garden of Tranquility with Qian Renxue's support, watching the Divine Realm's sunrise. The children often came, pestering him for stories or showing off newly learned divine arts. Tang Xuanyu had already begun contacting divine position inheritance, but insisted on coming daily to consult his father; Tang Yilin had become obsessed with alchemy, often picking strange flowers and exotic plants to "experiment," making her little face soot-black; Tang Nianxue loved nestling in her father's embrace most, listening to those ancient stories.
Sometimes, Tang San and Xiao Wu would also come, the whole family sitting together, drinking tea and chatting. Topics ranged from Divine Realm government affairs to interesting news from the lower realms, occasionally mentioning old friends from the Douluo Continent—Dai Yuhao and Tang Wutong often brought news from the lower realms, saying what geniuses had emerged from Shrek Academy again, how prosperous the Tang Sect had become, what new changes had occurred in the Star Luo Empire and Tian Dou Empire. Tang Wulin listened, his eyes carrying nostalgia. He thought of Lin Yue, thought of Gu Yuena, thought of those comrades who had fought alongside him. He didn't know where they were now, whether they were well.
"When you're better, let's return to the Douluo Continent to take a look." Qian Renxue said softly. Tang Wulin nodded: "Alright."
The cultivation path was long and arduous, but Tang Wulin was no longer anxious. He relearned the most basic soul power control, practiced the simplest soul techniques, experiencing the joy brought by every bit of progress. He discovered that after losing heaven-destroying, earth-shattering power, he could instead perceive the subtle aspects of the world more clearly—the flow of wind, the temperature of light, the breathing of plants, and every slightest emotional change of those around him. This was perhaps another kind of progress.
Half a year later, on a certain day, Tang Wulin's soul power broke through Level 30, officially becoming a Soul Elder. Though this was insignificant in the Divine Realm, the entire family celebrated for him. Xiao Wu personally cooked a table of dishes; Tang San brought out treasured immortal brew; the children chattered noisily, extremely lively. Tang Wulin raised his cup—inside was the gentlest fruit brew. He looked at Qian Renxue beside him, at his parents, at his children, his eyes full of tenderness.
"To the past, to the present, to the future." he said softly. Qian Renxue clinked cups with him, tears glistening in her eyes but carrying a smile. Yes, no matter what difficulties and obstacles lay ahead in the future, as long as the family was together, there was nothing to fear.
Night deepened, the children were coaxed to sleep, Tang San and Xiao Wu also departed. Tang Wulin and Qian Renxue sat side by side in the pavilion of the Garden of Tranquility, gazing up at the Divine Realm's starry sky. The galaxy was brilliant; in the direction of the distant Abyss Gate, the Tree of Life's radiance was like a lighthouse, quietly shining.
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