Seeing her stubborn husband, the Goddess of Life could only sigh helplessly before returning to her own divine palace.
Meanwhile, Tang San arrived at the residence of Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing in the Divine Realm. Aside from the two of them, there was also a gentle-looking woman present.
Unlike Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing, whose bodies radiated divine light, this woman appeared utterly ordinary—no hint of spiritual power about her.
Her name was Huo Yun, the mother of Huo Yuhao. Her soul had been brought to the Divine Realm by Tang San from the Land of the Dead on the Douluo Continent.
As Tang San entered, his gaze swept briefly toward Huo Yun, and his eyes grew slightly cold.
Huo Yun was a sensitive woman; she immediately sensed Tang San's subtle hostility and the faint chill emanating from him that day. She halted her steps, not daring to approach, and instead bowed respectfully from a distance.
Tang San said nothing to her.
Soon after, Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing emerged from within the palace.
Dai Mubai greeted him with a warm smile. "Xiao San!"
"Mu Bai," Tang San nodded in return.
Sensing Tang San's solemn mood, Dai Mubai exchanged a glance with Zhu Zhuqing. She caught on and instinctively turned toward Huo Yun. "Huo Yun, could you give us a moment?"
Huo Yun nodded obediently and left.
Once she was gone, Dai Mubai stepped forward, raising a hand to pat Tang San's shoulder—but hesitated midway, lowering it again. "You're always so busy running the Divine Realm. What brings you to our little corner of it today?"
Tang San's tone was calm. "Naturally, I came because there's something important to discuss with you."
Zhu Zhuqing interjected lightly, "So, you only visit when there's something important?"
Her words made the atmosphere slightly awkward. Tang San quickly replied, "Of course not! No matter what, our bond runs deep. Even without urgent matters, there's nothing wrong with paying a friendly visit, right?"
After a brief pause, both Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing chuckled, easing the tension.
"Alright then," Dai Mubai said, "tell us—what's this important matter?"
Tang San, however, shook his head slightly. "This concerns more than just the two of you. Zhuqing, as the Goddess of Speed, you're unmatched in swiftness across the Divine Realm. Go and gather the others."
"The others?" Zhu Zhuqing was taken aback for a moment, but then nodded. "Understood."
Not long after, Ma Hongjun, Ning Rongrong, and Oscar arrived. Aside from Xiao Wu, the first generation of the Shrek Seven Devils was once again gathered together.
"San-ge, what's going on?" Ning Rongrong asked curiously.
"I heard the God of Destruction's been targeting you lately," Oscar said, glancing around. "Don't tell me it's come to a fight?"
Ma Hongjun's tone turned serious. "If it does, I'll make sure they taste the fury of the Phoenix's divine flame."
Tang San couldn't help but feel gratified by their loyalty, but he shook his head. "No need to worry. I didn't summon you here because of the God of Destruction. Although he keeps opposing me, he hasn't caused any real harm."
"Then what's this about?" everyone asked, curiosity piqued.
Dai Mubai folded his arms. "I'm wondering that myself."
Tang San began to explain the situation on the Douluo Continent. When they learned that an evil entity had risen there—one that was even on the verge of uniting with the Sun Moon Empire to wipe out the three former Douluo kingdoms and destroy Shrek Academy—everyone was furious.
"That damned fiend! How dare it run rampant like this! Tang San, let me go down there!" Dai Mubai slammed a hand on the table and stood up in anger.
Ning Rongrong frowned deeply. "Has it really been over ten thousand years, and Shrek Academy and our sects have produced no leaders worthy of defending themselves? How could this evil grow to such a degree?"
Tang San sighed. "Evil is still evil—their growth rate is beyond anything we righteous ones could predict." He knew about the decline of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and when he looked at Ning Rongrong, a flicker of complexity passed through his eyes.
No one noticed his expression; all were consumed by indignation at the news.
"Mu Bai, calm down!" Zhu Zhuqing placed a hand on his shoulder. "How are you going to go down there? You know the laws—the gods cannot directly interfere in the mortal planes. If they could, San-ge could have resolved this himself. He wouldn't have needed to call us together."
Her words sobered everyone. Their gazes returned to Tang San.
Ma Hongjun asked solemnly, "Then what should we do, San-ge?"
Tang San looked around at them, his tone low and steady. "We pass on our divine positions."
"Pass on our divine positions?"
Everyone froze for a moment, startled—then understanding dawned.
If they chose successors on the Douluo Continent to inherit their godhoods, those chosen ones would experience explosive growth in power, blessed with divine attributes far beyond mortals. Against the invading evil, that would be an overwhelming advantage.
But granting divine inheritance was no simple task.
Ning Rongrong was the first to object. "It's been ten thousand years since anyone with a Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul has appeared in my sect. I doubt there's anyone qualified to inherit my Nine-Colored Goddess position."
Oscar shook his head too. "And as for food-type soul masters, I doubt any have even reached the Title Douluo level. You know how difficult that path is."
"I've already chosen candidates for you," Tang San said, raising his hand. Two orbs of light appeared in his palm before flying toward Ning Rongrong and Oscar.
"The first—Mo Xuan, an inner-court student of Shrek Academy. His martial soul is the Aura. It's a powerful support-type spirit, a true weapon of war. While its targeted abilities aren't as specific as the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, in terms of overall range and amplification, it even surpasses it. He's already a seven-ring Soul Sage, and his talent is considerable."
"The second—He Caitou. Though originally from the Sun Moon Empire, he's long since defected to Shrek Academy and bears deep hatred toward that empire. He possesses twin martial souls, one of which is food-type. His innate aptitude is slightly lacking, but the twin spirits more than compensate for that."
"These two can serve as your successors."
Oscar and Ning Rongrong studied the glowing projections of the two young men, both frowning slightly.
Oscar said hesitantly, "Xiao San, this Mo Xuan seems promising enough—but this He Caitou… he's only just reached the Soul Emperor level. Can he really handle divine inheritance?"
Tang San's expression grew firm. "Once you begin the inheritance, their strength will skyrocket. Their current level is irrelevant."
Seeing the seriousness in his eyes, Oscar and Ning Rongrong exchanged a look, then nodded reluctantly.
"Understood. We'll make contact with them and begin the process of passing on our godhoods."
PS: Access the complete/finished chapters/series at Patreon: NanamiTL
Please drop some power stones support me at my Patreon