The instant Tang Xiao's hand touched Ah Yin, she vanished.
Tang Xiao panicked.
"Ah Yin! Ah Yin, where are you? Ah Yin!"
The next moment, the world spun wildly around him. Space twisted and warped. When he finally regained consciousness, his surroundings had completely changed.
His body felt light, without pain. Instinctively, he straightened his legs and stood up.
He wasn't crippled?
Before he could even marvel at that, the scene around him seized his attention.
He was standing in a small alley. A familiar one—where he and Ah Yin had first met years ago.
"Our first meeting was destined by the heavens long ago."
Ah Yin's voice echoed from every direction into Tang Xiao's ears.
"Ah Yin!" Tang Xiao shouted excitedly, turning in circles. "Ah Yin, where are you? Ah Yin!"
But she did not appear. Instead, ripples spread across the air at the alley's end, and out stepped two young men—his younger self and Tang Hao—walking together, laughing and chatting.
"You two…" Tang Xiao reached out toward them, but they passed through him as if he were air.
Then, from the depths of the alley, a cry for help—Ah Yin's voice. The two brothers rushed in to save her.
And in that moment, the beautiful Ah Yin fell in love with his younger self.
Tang Xiao gazed with longing at the tender scene before him. He realized now that what he was seeing was a replay of his own memories.
Beside them, Tang Hao threw the Clear Sky Hammer aside and pounded his chest with his fists, letting out a mournful, beast-like howl.
The three of them traveled the land together, until finally both brothers confessed their feelings to Ah Yin. In the end, she chose Tang Xiao.
After that romantic confession, Tang Xiao and Ah Yin walked hand in hand at the front, while Tang Hao trailed behind, dejected.
Tang Xiao's heart tightened. He knew this moment—this was the beginning of all his tragedies. Next, Tang Hao would lash out, crippling him and abducting Ah Yin. He hurriedly cried out:
"Ah Yin, Tang Xiao, beware of Tang Hao!"
But what followed shocked him.
This time, Tang Hao did nothing. When they parted ways, he only said:
"Brother Xiao, Sister-in-law Ah Yin, I can go no further. Our sect needs someone to inherit it, so I must return."
And with that, Tang Hao left.
"He… just left?" From his vantage point, Tang Xiao breathed a sigh of relief. He turned back to Ah Yin and his younger self. Though he knew this was likely an illusion, he could not help but dream of a beautiful ending where he and Ah Yin stayed together.
And indeed, the story unfolded just so. He and Ah Yin traveled the world, living happily. Until, one day—
Ah Yin became pregnant.
"Hahahaha! I'm going to be a father! I'm going to be a father!"
His younger self shouted with uncontainable joy.
Watching, the Tang Xiao of the present felt a rush of envy.
But joy soon turned to sorrow. Because of Ah Yin's pregnancy, they were discovered by the Spirit Hall's Golden Bell and Silver Hammer Douluo. Pursuit began.
While fleeing with Ah Yin, Tang Xiao's eyes turned blood-red. A murderous aura spread from his body.
"This is… the Killing God Domain? How? How could I have the Killing God Domain? Isn't it only obtained after surviving the Hell Slaughter Arena's trial?" Present Tang Xiao exclaimed in shock.
The younger Tang Xiao, too, was surprised. But with no time to dwell, he fought like a man possessed. Against all odds, as only a Contra, he slew the Golden Bell Douluo, crippled the Silver Hammer Douluo, and escaped with Ah Yin. They hid away in seclusion.
But that victory earned them the Spirit Hall's enmity. Soon, they were wanted across the entire continent.
Ah Yin's belly grew larger, until at last, the child was born.
Leaning sweetly against him, Ah Yin asked:
"Brother Xiao, what should we name our child?"
Tang Xiao replied:
"Ah Yin, my surname is Tang. And you, among us three siblings, are ranked third. So… how about Tang San?"
"Good. Tang San—it's a fine name." Ah Yin smiled tenderly, gazing at the wrinkled newborn in her arms.
But their joy was short-lived. Their hiding place was discovered by the Spirit Hall, and the hunt resumed.
On the run, they were chased by Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo.
At last, Pope Qian Xuanji himself descended.
Tang Xiao saw his younger self carrying Ah Yin across mountain cliffs when suddenly, a divine radiance split the sky. A six-winged Angel Spirit appeared, bearing Qian Xuanji as he descended step by step.
Looking down from on high, Qian Xuanji declared:
"Mighty Clear Sky Sect, peerless Battle Hammer… and yet, the heir of this number-one clan dares defy the heavens. This is a doomed path."
Tang Xiao raised his Clear Sky Hammer and retorted:
"Is it I, Tang Xiao, defying the heavens—or you, Qian Xuanji, claiming to be heaven itself?"
Qian Xuanji's eyes narrowed. While unleashing spirit skills, he said:
"Tang Xiao, the Spirit Hall has no wish to be your enemy. Hand it over, and I'll spare your life."
But the pursuit was relentless. In the end, Ah Yin sacrificed herself.
Her death ignited Tang Xiao's fury, enabling him to defeat Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo, grievously wound Qian Xuanji, and flee with Tang San and Ah Yin's seed of life.
Soon after, news spread of Qian Xuanji's death. The Spirit Hall branded Tang Xiao its mortal enemy. After forcing Qian Daoliu back with the Killing God Domain, Tang Xiao brought Tang San to live in Holy Spirit Village.
But Ah Yin's death broke him. He drowned his days in alcohol. When the boy learned to crawl and walk, Tang Xiao abandoned him, leaving him to fend for himself.
From his vantage point, the present Tang Xiao's heart ached.
"So even if Ah Yin chose me, in the end… she still died. Ahh…"
Yet he consoled himself: At least, we had a child.
Looking at little Tang San, his gaze filled with fatherly love. It felt real—he and Ah Yin truly had a son.
But soon, he sensed something amiss.
"No… wait. What's wrong with this child!?"
When little Tang San was just one year old, barely able to walk, he was already cooking porridge and preparing meals.
If that was all, one could still call him precocious. But after doing these things, young Tang San would go into the back mountain to cultivate, muttering things like "Tang Sect," "Purple Demon Eye," "Hidden Weapons," "Mysterious Heaven Skill"…
"No… no, this isn't my child. My son has been possessed!"
From the main perspective, Tang Xiao realized this boy was most likely some old monster who had taken over the body. Even in the illusion, Tang Xiao noticed the same. But he had long drowned in grief over Ah Yin's death and lacked the heart to think deeply.
The turning point came six years later, during Tang San's martial spirit awakening.
He awakened both Blue Silver Grass and the Clear Sky Hammer.
"Hahahaha! That's my son. My son is a genius!" Tang Xiao exclaimed with joy.
At that moment, both the Tang Xiao in the illusion and the real one no longer cared what Tang San's origins were. He was their child regardless.
And so Tang Xiao began plotting revenge. He told Tang San to go study, to hide the Clear Sky Hammer, while he himself protected him from the shadows.
Later, Tang San apprenticed himself to Yu Xiaogang, entered Shrek Academy, and embarked on a path of endless fortune: gaining the Eight Spider Lances, immortal herbs, and leading the Shrek Seven Devils to victory in the Spirit Master Tournament.
Then, when Tang San's beloved Xiao Wu's soul beast identity was exposed and Spirit Hall came to hunt her, Tang Xiao descended in grandeur to save Tang San and Xiao Wu.
After that, Tang San inherited his mother's Blue Silver Emperor bloodline, went to the City of Slaughter to gain the Killing God Domain, foiled Qian Renxue's plot to seize the Heaven Dou Empire, and later underwent the Sea God's trials on Seagod Island—using the divine power of those trials to resurrect Ah Yin.
Later still, Spirit Hall established the Spirit Empire and launched a continental war. Qian Renxue became a god, Tang San became a god, Bibi Dong became a god—and the world entered the era of godly wars.
Tang San, bearing both the Seagod and Asura God thrones, defeated Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue, liberating the continent.
Afterward, Tang San ascended to the God Realm, taking Ah Yin with him to enjoy divine bliss—while poor Tang Hao could only remain on the Douluo Continent, guarding the Clear Sky Sect in solitude until he died of old age.
"Hahahaha! That's my son! That's my son, Tang San!"
Even knowing it was just an illusion, Tang Xiao couldn't help laughing proudly at his son's brilliance.
But then, the illusion shattered, leaving only swirling chaos around him.
"Do you really think he is our son?" came Ah Yin's voice from behind.
"Of course. A child carrying our blood must be our child. How could a martial spirit lie?" Tang Xiao reflexively replied—then suddenly froze. He turned, seeing Ah Yin behind him.
"Ah Yin…"
He reached out, but his fingers passed straight through her form.
They could see each other, yet seemed to exist in different spaces. Perhaps even this Ah Yin was part of the illusion.
"Ah Yin! Where are you? Ah Yin?" Tang Xiao cried anxiously.
Ah Yin said softly:
"Brother Xiao, do you still remember what I said at the very beginning? That our meeting was fate?"
"Our destiny… was for this child."
Her gaze turned forward. Before them, within the chaos, images of Tang San unfolded—infant, child, youth, Blue Silver Emperor, Seagod Tang San, and finally Seagod-Asura Tang San.
"What do you mean?" Tang Xiao asked in shock.
Ah Yin explained:
"The Asura God wanted to nurture his successor. He brought in the soul of Tang San from another world to be his inheritor. But that Tang San needed a gifted vessel to bear him. I was chosen as the mother, while you—or Tang Hao—would provide the bloodline talent and Clear Sky Hammer martial spirit. In other words, whether it was you or Tang Hao who fathered a child with me, the result would still be Tang San—the Tang San carrying the soul from another world, destined to inherit Asura."
Tang Xiao stood stunned. Ah Yin's next words horrified him.
"Tang Hao knew this from the very beginning. That's why he was the first to enter the City of Slaughter and gain the Killing God Domain. And that's why—he stole me from you."
Tang Xiao thought of the illusion. In that vision, he had been Tang San's father, ascended alongside him to the God Realm, and lived eternally with Ah Yin. Whereas Tang Hao had been left behind, to die alone. The two brothers' fates had been utterly transformed by Ah Yin's choice.
But illusions were illusions. In reality, Tang Hao had stolen Ah Yin from him, forcing her to bear a son. That son, too, was named Tang San. Tang Hao's madness, his ruthlessness—it all suddenly made sense.
In the mundane world, disputes over inheritance alone caused brothers to kill brothers, fathers to kill sons.
But this wasn't mere inheritance—it was about gods. Whoever won Ah Yin would become the father of the future Asura God. And Tang San was so filial—how could such benefits not fall to the father?
Tang Xiao's face grew terrifyingly calm, his voice low and hoarse:
"So that's it… so that's the reason… the reason for his madness…"
Only now did he realize Tang Hao had cut him off—stealing not only Ah Yin, but also the divine chance that should have been his. Tang Xiao nearly went insane with hatred.
"Tang Hao——!"
His eyes turned blood-red, his breath came like a raging bull. Beating his chest with arms like an ape's, he roared in fury like a maddened baboon. In his heart, it felt like winning the lottery only to have the ticket stolen—and then watching someone else walk away with hundreds of millions.
In his frenzy, Tang Xiao didn't even realize that Ah Yin was silently watching his outburst from behind.
Ah Yin, however, saw Tang San differently from Tang Xiao and Tang Hao.
In her eyes, no matter the father, Tang San was the life she had carried for ten months and birthed. She could never accept her child being possessed by some soul from another world. Even knowing his future brilliance, she still rejected it utterly.
But to Tang Hao and Tang Xiao, compared with the immense benefits Tang San promised, the question of whether his soul was truly their child's was irrelevant.
Realizing this, Ah Yin's heart grew colder toward Tang Xiao as well.
Hmph. The Twin Stars of the Clear Sky Clan—nothing more than jackals from the same den.
With scorn in her heart, she turned away.