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*****
Under Ye Lan's meticulous arrangement, Zhao Wuji utilized the token he had once gifted to Xiao Wu to lure her out. As Tang San watched the scene unfold before his eyes, his face drained of all color, and a sense of impending doom gnawed at his heart.
As the phantom images shifted and changed, the truth finally dawned on Tang San. He understood how Zhao Wuji had betrayed Shrek and why Xiao Wu had appeared so tense upon seeing him. It turned out that Xiao Wu had been deceived by Zhao Wuji, bound, and delivered directly to Ye Lan.
The moment he saw Ye Lan take custody of Xiao Wu, Tang San gritted his teeth so hard that fresh blood seeped from the corners of his mouth.
Following a brief exchange between Ye Lan and the Silver Wolf Douluo—where the latter wore a meaningful expression that any man would understand—the forest was left with only Ye Lan and Xiao Wu.
Tang San let out a primal roar of fury: "Ye Lan!! How dare you!!!"
Meanwhile, watching the scene in real-time, Ma Hongjun's expression was one of perverse excitement, while Oscar, standing beside him, looked utterly distressed.
"Tsk tsk, is it really this intense? I never imagined Ye Lan would cuckold Third Brother like this. No wonder they've been drifting apart on Sea God Island lately; Ye Lan finally snatched her away," Ma Hongjun remarked, his eyes gleaming with an evil light as he anticipated the coming events.
"Fatty, stop watching!! We need to find a way out of here!!" Oscar urged frantically. "If Tang San finds out we've seen Xiao Wu's... body, we're as good as dead!"
Hearing Oscar's warning, Ma Hongjun finally snapped back to reality. Knowing Tang San's narrow-minded and petty nature—especially now that he had lost his grandmother—Tang San would likely slaughter them both in his rage.
The two immediately bolted toward the exit of the Sea God Temple. However, no matter how hard they pushed against the massive gates, the doors remained immovable. Even their most powerful attacks failed to leave so much as a scratch.
By then, the sounds of Xiao Wu's soft moans and her pained cries calling out Tang San's name began to echo through the hall.
"Damn it!! If I'm going to die, I might as well enjoy the show!!" Ma Hongjun declared, completely giving up on escape. He pressed himself against the golden doors, his eyes glued to the real-time projection.
Beside him, Oscar also succumbed to fate. He sat on the ground, watching the "drama" involving the Blue Silver Grass, the Ancient Beast's Touch, and Xiao Wu, all while trying to figure out how he would handle Tang San's inevitable wrath.
Inside the trial, Tang San was forced to endure the agony of watching Ye Lan humiliate Xiao Wu from start to finish. Every time she cried out his name, it felt as though his heart was being shredded.
Pain! The pain was unbearable!!!
Tang San wailed in absolute misery. Only now did he realize how much he had wronged Xiao Wu. He was the one who had pushed her away. He was the one who suspected her of having an affair; he was the one who refused to believe in her, even going so far as to try and force himself upon her.
It was his repeated emotional assaults that had finally led Xiao Wu to choose to become Ye Lan's maidservant rather than Tang San's lover.
"Xiao Wu!!!!!!"
"I was wrong, Xiao Wu!!!!!"
"Please come back!!!!!!"
"Aaaaaahhh!!!"
Tang San howled in despair. He had completely misunderstood her. Xiao Wu hadn't been unfaithful; she was being held by the throat by Ye Lan. Even as she succumbed to the power of the "Blue Silver Grass," her heart had always remained with him. That was why she could be threatened by Ye Lan in the first place. This was the dark truth behind how Ye Lan had obtained his hundred-thousand-year spirit ring.
Wallowing in self-loathing, Tang San cried out over and over, regretting his lack of trust.
Just then, the scenery abruptly shifted. The world of pain vanished, replaced by a realm of vibrant colors. A lush green forest appeared, with a crystal-clear lake reflecting the sky. The sounds of insects and birds chirped in his ears, and the fresh air was so sweet it compelled one to take deep breaths.
In this beautiful tableau, a young girl dressed in white sat upon a large rock by the lakeside. Her long hair cascaded down, reaching the surface of the water. She held a small wooden comb, gently stroking it through her tresses.
Tang San froze. Xiao Wu. Even without seeing her face, he knew—this was his Xiao Wu!
He stood a mere two meters away from her. Suddenly, Xiao Wu turned her head, elegantly sweeping her long hair behind her back. She revealed her flawless, exquisite face and looked at Tang San with a sweet, radiant smile. "Ge, did you know?"
Looking at the pure, innocent Xiao Wu, Tang San's heart instantly melted. This Xiao Wu seemed untouched by the world, her heart belonging solely to him.
"Know what?" Tang San asked instinctively.
Xiao Wu's eyes danced with joyful laughter. "Mama said that a girl's hair should only be combed by one man in her lifetime. Are you willing to comb my hair for me?"
Tang San wept tears of deep remorse, murmuring, "I am willing!!!"
"Xiao Wu!! I, Tang San, swear I will never doubt you again!!"
"Come back to me!! Xiao Wu!!!"
In the next moment, Tang San, who had been repressed for decades, suddenly lunged and pinned Xiao Wu down. She blushed deeply, whispering a soft, "Don't..."
Outside, Ma Hongjun and Oscar watched the explosive scene between Tang San and Xiao Wu with dropped jaws.
Ma Hongjun's face turned grim. "Oscar, if Tang San still hated Xiao Wu, we might have had a chance to live. But seeing him like this... once he realizes we saw him and Xiao Wu in such an intimate 'zero-distance' situation, we're definitely dead."
Oscar replied, "Fatty, our only hope is to use the ultimate technique Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang taught us. No matter what, we cannot admit to seeing anything. As long as we deny it, Tang San won't know for sure."
"Fine!!!" Ma Hongjun agreed, but his eyes never left the screen. He couldn't help but complain, "Tang San is too fast. No wonder Xiao Wu chose Ye Lan."
Watching the cycle of Tang San and Xiao Wu repeat over and over, Oscar muttered, "Until Tang San is fully satisfied, I don't think this divine trial will end."
Ma Hongjun gave a wicked grin. "With Xiao Wu's delicate body, Tang San won't let her go for a month or two, will he?"
Oscar looked at Ma Hongjun's lower half and instinctively moved a few steps away.
Many days later, Tang San finally broke through the cycle of the Love Tribulation, using his acting skills to shatter the illusion. However, his heart was now split; one half was reoccupied by his love for Xiao Wu, and the other half was filled with Bo Saixi.
Tang San resolved that as soon as he became a god, he would immediately resurrect Bo Saixi and then inherit the position of the God of Shura.
Eager to reunite with Bo Saixi, Tang San quickly conquered the remaining trials and finally began to absorb the Sea God's Divine Light.
After a long time, under the anxious gaze of Yu Xiaogang and the others, a phantom image of the Sea God, thousands of meters tall, flickered above the temple. The phantom's facial features were seventy percent similar to Tang San's, looking very much like an ordinary person. If not for the thirty percent of divinity adorning it, he would have looked like a monkey wearing a crown.
"Fantastic!!! Little San has finally become the Sea God!!!!" Flender cheered excitedly.
Yu Xiaogang laughed with a feminine, high-pitched glee. "Erlong!! Did you see that!!?"
"I have trained a God!!!!!"
"Xiaogang!! I saw it!!!! I saw it!!! You trained a God!!!" Liu Erlong beamed, clutching Yu Xiaogang's arm.
"Father!!! Second Uncle!!!! The Sect!!!"
"Do you see this??!! I, Yu Xiaogang, have trained a God!!!"
"You looked down on me back then, but now I'll have the entire sect come out to invite me back to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect!!"
"They will beg the world's number one grandmaster of theory to return!!!"
In stark contrast to the cheering outside, Tang San's face inside the temple was incredibly grim. He sensed the divine power within his body once more and said in disbelief, "Impossible!! Poseidon clearly told me the Sea God was a First-Class God, and Shura was a God King!!"
"Why is my divine power only that of a Second-Class God!!?"
The moment the words left his mouth, Tang San realized he had misspoken. He looked up at Ma Hongjun and Oscar.
The two stared at Tang San's dark expression, swallowed hard, and asked, "Third Brother? What is a Second-Class God, and what is a First-Class God?"
"Address me as Sea God Tang San!! Am I close with you people? You bunch of trash!!" Tang San snapped coldly.
"Yes, yes, yes!! Sea God Tang San!!!" Ma Hongjun and Oscar immediately knelt and bowed their heads.
Tang San let out a cold snort and turned to sit upon the Sea God's throne. Just then, his eyes caught the golden gates. He looked at them with suspicion. The gates were still displaying the final scenes of his Sea God's Ninth Trial.
"Did you see the contents of my Ninth Trial?" Tang San's pupils flared with murderous intent.
"No, no!!! Third Brother, we didn't!!" Oscar and Ma Hongjun trembled under the weight of his killing intent.
"Do you really think you can lie in front of a God?"
"Xiao Wu shall not be defiled by anyone, not even by a mere glance!!" Tang San's forehead pulsed with veins.
Ma Hongjun and Oscar felt their hearts go cold. Seeing that death was inevitable, Ma Hongjun looked up and cursed, "Tang San!! You hypocrite!!! If it weren't for you and that 'Tang Mutt' causing so much trouble, how would we have ever offended Ye Lan!! It's all your fault!"
"The fact that Xiao Wu and your mother ran off with Ye Lan is exactly what you deserve!!!"
"Die!!!!"
With a furious roar from Tang San, Ma Hongjun and Oscar instantly exploded into a mist of blood.
Looking at the two pools of blood on the floor, Tang San spat and murmured, "Grandmother!! We will meet again soon!!! I will definitely resurrect you!!!"
He then activated his divine soul to search for Bo Saixi's spirit. After a long while, his expression gradually turned to panic.
"Impossible!! Impossible!!"
"Poseidon clearly said that even for a Second-Class God, resurrecting someone is easy!!! One just needs to find the soul, wash it with divine power, and they can be brought back as a divine soul!!"
"Grandmother!! Grandmother!! Where are you!!!"
Tang San's face turned deathly pale. He couldn't find her soul anywhere. After a moment of frantic recollection, he collapsed at the foot of the throne. He remembered... his grandmother's soul had been entirely converted into the "Soul Fire" to send him into the Ninth Trial.
"Poseidon!!! Get out here!!!" Tang San roared at the sky.
"What's all the noise for!? You've inherited my seat and you can't even show some respect?!!" Poseidon appeared, looking drowsy and annoyed.
"Poseidon!! Isn't the Sea God a First-Class God!!? Why am I only Second-Class??!!"
"And why didn't you tell me that inheriting the seat required the sacrifice of the High Priest!!!" Tang San's rage was reignited by Poseidon's flippant attitude.
Poseidon looked at Tang San's suffering and let out a sneer.
"Tang San, there is only one reason for your situation: you took shortcuts throughout your entire Ninth Trial."
"What was your Sea God Affinity?"
"Sixty percent. Is there a problem?" Tang San shot back.
"Ah hahahahaha!! That is truly the lowest affinity I have ever heard of. God knows how much you slacked off. But it makes sense; your first spirit was completely ruined by your own hand. If Bo Saixi hadn't gone easy on you, you wouldn't have passed at all. I suppose the pressure Ye Lan put on you was exceptionally high, wasn't it?" Poseidon laughed.
"Let me tell you, affinity isn't just about the difficulty of the trials; it determines the grade of the godhood. With sixty percent affinity, it would be a miracle if you became a First-Class God."
"And did you really think the High Priest always has to die to inherit the seat?" Poseidon asked rhetorically.
"Give me back my grandmother!!! Her soul is gone!!" Tang San cried in agony.
"Tsk, tsk. Don't blame me. This is all on you!!"
"If you had completed the trials through your own hard work, why would she have needed to ignite her soul? As long as the soul isn't ignited, you could have resurrected her after becoming a god."
"I suspect that without Bo Saixi sacrificing her soul for you, you wouldn't even have been able to open the Ninth Trial. If she hadn't sacrificed herself, the one who died would have been you," Poseidon said.
"What!!?" Tang San's face was ashen as he fell to his knees.
"Grandmother!!!!"
Tang San wailed, pounding the floor. He never imagined that the person who killed his grandmother was himself. The person he loved most, looked up to most, and owed the most to, had been killed by his own hand!!
"Aaaaahhh!!!" Tang San roared at the heavens, weeping in despair.
Watching him, Poseidon added, "By the way, don't say I didn't warn you. The window to become a Dual God is extremely short. Once your Sea Godhood is fully solidified, inheriting the Shura Godhood will be nearly impossible."
"With your current Second-Class God physique, you can just barely manage it. Hurry up and inherit it. The Boss and I can't wait to hand over the management of the Divine Realm."
After giving the reminder, Poseidon cut off the communication.
For a long time, Tang San looked exhausted, his eyes filled with a sense of emptiness. In this world, only Xiao Wu and his father remained in his heart. His grandmother's death had hardened his resolve to take back Xiao Wu. He believed that with the power of Dual Godhood, he could surely snatch her back.
Tang San's palm flashed with golden divine power, and he snatched two transparent souls—one red and one blue.
"I'm letting you off easy. Become the nourishment to open the Shura God Trials. Otherwise, I would have made sure you both suffered for defiling Xiao Wu."
With his other hand, Tang San gripped the Shura Sacred Sword and connected with the Shura God Trials. Though he was now the Sea God, he knew that without the Shura position, he couldn't defeat Ye Lan. According to what he knew of the abyssal monsters in the Douluo Empire, the Abyssal Sage, Ruler of the Abyss, was a First-Class God.
Ye Lan, who could slay the Abyssal Sage, was not someone a Second-Class Sea God could handle. Only the Shura God King, infinitely stronger than a First-Class God, could utterly crush him!!
Tang San slowly buried the grief of Bo Saixi's death in the deepest part of his heart. Now, his spirit was sustained only by Xiao Wu and Tang Hao as he officially opened the Shura God Trials.
Fortunately, the Shura trials were not like the Sea God's. Since the content was simply to complete the Sea God's trials, his affinity for the Shura position was exactly one hundred percent. According to the information Poseidon gave him later, this was just enough to become a true God King Shura.
(End of Chapter)