Chapter 87: Tang San Notices
At the very same moment Huo Yuhao suffered the spiritual backlash, far away in the Divine Realm, a man robed in blue abruptly opened his eyes. A flicker of startled suspicion crossed his ordinarily placid features, and his slender fingers unconsciously tightened around the golden Sea God Trident at his side.
"This is..." Tang San murmured under his breath, a deep, unfathomable divine light swirling within his eyes. "The divine consciousness seal I placed within Xiao Qi's spiritual sea—has it actually been triggered? And by a spiritual attack, no less..."
He slowly rose to his feet and began pacing through the divine hall. The radiance of the Divine Realm streamed through the seven-colored glazed windows, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow across him. As an enforcer of the Divine Realm, he had long since grown accustomed to holding everything firmly within his grasp. Yet what had occurred at this moment had exceeded all his expectations.
Under normal circumstances, an attack from a soul master of the lower realm could only reach the level of Wang Dong'er's own soul. It should have been absolutely impossible for it to directly impact the divine consciousness seal he had placed upon her. That seal not only protected his daughter's soul but also served as a vital medium through which he monitored the lower realm and guided the flow of destiny. That someone could now simultaneously strike at both levels—this was something he could not afford to ignore.
"Let me see... just who exactly this is..." Tang San closed his eyes, and a wisp of divine sense swiftly descended toward the lower realm along the connection to the seal.
A moment later, he opened his eyes once more, his expression now tinged with complexity. The good news was that the attacker was none other than the Child of Destiny he had been closely monitoring—Huo Yuhao. Moreover, just as he had meticulously arranged, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong'er had been assigned to the same dormitory. The clash just now had been nothing more than an ordinary sparring match, and in the end, it had even been a blessing in disguise—the relationship between the two had actually improved because of it.
Even more importantly, Huo Yuhao had emerged completely unscathed from the backlash of his divine consciousness. This left Tang San both astonished and relieved. Had the Child of Destiny been damaged in the process, the plans he had so painstakingly constructed over the years would likely have crumbled to nothing.
However, the results of his probe had also planted a seed of deep wariness in his heart. Within Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea, he had detected the remnant soul of a divine consciousness—one no weaker than his own at its full, flourishing peak. Though the other party was currently in an exceedingly weakened state, so long as it continued to be nourished within the Child of Destiny's spiritual sea, it would fully recover in no more than ten years. And when that happened, it would become the greatest variable—the most dangerous obstacle—to his control over Huo Yuhao.
"This... will be troublesome," Tang San murmured, his fingers lightly tracing the sharp edge of his trident, the light in his eyes flickering between light and shadow.
Descending to the lower realm directly to eliminate this hidden threat was clearly not an option. The Divine Realm Committee had strict regulations forbidding gods from interfering in the lower realm. What was more, the God of Destruction was perpetually watching his every move. If he acted rashly, not only would it damage the image he had so painstakingly cultivated, but it could very well ignite a power struggle within the Divine Realm itself.
"Very well. For now—observe and wait," he reached his decision at last. "The most pressing matter is to ensure that Xiao Qi establishes a deeper bond with the Child of Destiny. As for that mysterious divine consciousness... There will be time soon enough. A solution will present itself."
Just as he was about to withdraw his divine sense, he suddenly perceived an extraordinarily powerful surge of providence emerging on the Douluo Continent. This providence was not only connected to the Tang Sect's own fortune, but also carried a sacred, hallowed aura he had never before encountered.
"This is..." Tang San once more focused his divine sense, and his awareness spread downward like a vast, intricate web. "A newly risen sect? To possess such magnificent, surging providence..."
His divine sense locked onto a grand, majestic temple located within the borders of the Star Luo Empire. At the center of the temple stood an unfamiliar divine statue—that of a young goddess wielding a longsword, her entire form wreathed in flowing, coursing water patterns. There was more than one such statue, and each received the devout worship and veneration of the sect's faithful followers.
What was even more astonishing was that the scale of this temple's influence had already spread across more than half the Star Luo Empire. The speed of its expansion was such that even the widely experienced Tang San couldn't help casting a sidelong, appraising glance.
"The Church of the Water God?" Tang San's brow furrowed slightly. "This is not the Water God I know... This divine statue is completely different."
What amazed him even further was that this sect was actively and systematically gathering faith power. In all the ten thousand years since the Divine Realm had been established, aside from the existing gods, no lower-realm power had ever been able to condense faith with such remarkable efficiency.
"Interesting..." A deeply meaningful smile curved at the corner of Tang San's lips. "To think someone would actually attempt to create their own divine seat through the collection of faith? This is a rare talent indeed."
He walked slowly to the stargazing platform of his divine hall and gazed down at the Douluo Continent, where seas of clouds churned and roiled below. As someone who had once ascended from the lower realm as a mortal, and had even helped Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing create their own divine seats—the God of War and the God of Speed—he understood better than anyone what kind of heaven-defying talent and audacity it took to attempt to forge one's own godhood from the lower realm.
"Perhaps... this is an opportunity," Tang San mused. "If I could recruit the talent behind this Church of the Water God to my banner, they could prove a valuable asset in the coming struggle against the God of Destruction."
But in the next instant, his eyes sharpened with a cold, cutting edge. "But if they cannot be made to serve my purposes..."
The unfinished words dissipated into the gentle breeze of the Divine Realm, but the meaning they carried was unmistakable.
Tang San raised his hand and gave a light tap. A divine message shot forth, streaking toward the temple of the Water God. As the chief deity governing the element of water in the Divine Realm, the Water God had surely long since noticed this sect that bore her name. He needed more intelligence before he could make his next move.
The setting sun of the Divine Realm slowly sank into the sea of clouds, stretching Tang San's shadow long and thin. This God King, who had held the reins of divine authority for so many years, felt, for the very first time, a creeping crisis—the sense that events were slipping beyond his control. The mysterious divine consciousness within the Child of Destiny. A newly risen sect suddenly surging upward from the lower realm. And the ever-watchful, ever-covetous God of Destruction... All these variables intertwined, forming a chessboard of staggering, intricate complexity.
"It seems... it is time to rearrange the pieces," Tang San murmured softly, a flash of grim resolve passing through his eyes.
He turned and strode toward the depths of his divine hall, the Sea God Trident gleaming with a cold, sharp light beneath the reflection of his divine radiance. No matter how many variables lay ahead, he had to ensure that, in the end, everything proceeded according to his design. After all, this concerned the future of the Divine Realm itself—and whether he could forever safeguard all that he wished to protect.
Far below, on the distant Douluo Continent, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong were utterly oblivious to the ripples they had stirred up in the Divine Realm.
The afterglow of the setting sun streamed through the dormitory window, draping a warm, golden halo over the shoulders of the two youths. After the sparring match just now, the atmosphere between them had noticeably thawed. Huo Yuhao leaned against the window frame, his gaze unconsciously drifting toward Wang Dong. Outlined by the golden light, this roommate's profile seemed especially refined. Even that one stubborn, unruly tuft of pinkish-blue hair springing up at the back added a touch of vivid liveliness.
"Speaking of which," Huo Yuhao was the first to break the silence, his tone carrying genuine curiosity, "what exactly is your martial soul? During our match, I thought I saw a very beautiful butterfly."
Wang Dong turned his head at the words, an unconscious, proud curve lifting the corner of his lips. "You've got a decent eye." He tapped his fingertip lightly, and a stream of light traced the outline of a butterfly's wing in the air. "My martial soul is the Goddess of Light Butterfly—one of the most beautiful light-type martial souls there is."
That fleeting, evanescent trail of light and shadow made Huo Yuhao's breath catch for just a moment. He quickly gathered himself and answered honestly, "My martial soul is a Body martial soul—Spirit Eyes."
"No wonder," Wang Dong studied his eyes with a thoughtful expression. "When you activate your martial soul, your eyes glow with a faint golden light." Then, somewhat awkwardly, he averted his gaze and lowered his voice. "About what happened earlier... I was truly too impulsive."
Huo Yuhao waved a dismissive hand, a relieved smile spreading across his face. "It's in the past. Though I have to say—that temper of yours doesn't quite match your martial soul."
"You—!" Wang Dong bristled, ready to flare up again, but then unexpectedly laughed himself. "Forget it. I won't hold it against you. But seriously—you need to step up your training. I can tell your talent isn't bad, but your current soul power rank really isn't much to look at."
These words struck a chord deep within Huo Yuhao. He let out a soft sigh, his gaze drifting toward the gradually darkening sky beyond the window. "I know. Starting tomorrow, I'll redouble my efforts."
As dusk deepened, the two youths chatted idly in their dormitory, neither knowing a single thing. Neither could have imagined that this seemingly ordinary dispute between roommates had long since pierced through layers upon layers of space and alerted the most supreme existence in the Divine Realm. The threads of fate were silently, inexorably weaving together, guiding their futures toward a direction no one could possibly foresee.