"It's begun, Father," Tang San said.
"What is the content of the Asura God's trial? Is there anything I can help you with?" Tang Hao asked.
Tang San replied, "Father, the first trial of the Asura God requires me to find the Asura God's Scabbard and fulfill one small request from the Scabbard.
If Xiao Wu is satisfied, then I can complete the trial and obtain a ten percent increase in affinity with the Asura God's divine power, as well as restore your arm."
"That simple?" Tang Hao turned his head to glance at Xiao Wu, who was tidying the room like a virtuous wife and loving mother. He urged, "Then hurry and do it. Xiao Wu is the Asura God's Scabbard, bearer of the divine position, and she's also given birth to three children for you. She's the greatest contributor to our family.
Whatever she asks, I want you to satisfy her completely — no, not just completely, twelvefold satisfaction! Leave her with no reason to complain, you hear me, Xiao San?"
"I understand, Father. I was just about to ask Xiao Wu," Tang San replied.
Xiao Wu washed dishes, swept the floor, and cleaned the entire house spotless. When she noticed Tang San standing at the doorway watching her with a blissful expression, she smiled.
"Xiao Wu, I've been away from you for five years. Now that I'm back, I want to make it up to you. Tell me, is there anything you want? Just tell your San-gege, and San-gege will definitely fulfill your wish."
Xiao Wu answered gently, "San-gege, what wish could I possibly have? With you safely back, Xiao Wu is already satisfied."
Tang San quickly replied, "Xiao Wu-meimei, don't be so polite with me. Otherwise, San-gege will feel guilty."
"Then… really, any wish can be granted?" Xiao Wu lifted her head, gazing innocently at him.
Tang San hesitated for a moment, then nodded firmly. "Yes."
Xiao Wu led Tang San outside. The two of them stood together, watching as their three children played in the grass, chasing bugs.
"San-gege, those are our children. They're already five years old this year," Xiao Wu said, her gaze soft with motherly affection.
Tang San sighed regretfully. "Yes… it's a pity I missed their growth. But it couldn't be helped."
Xiao Wu gave him a meaningful look. "In just one more year, they'll be old enough to awaken their martial spirits. San-gege, what do you think their spirits will be?"
Tang San answered proudly, "Of course they'll awaken my invincible Clear Sky Hammer! Xiao Wu-meimei!" He also thought of his Blue Silver Emperor, but since the part of his body belonging to Ah Yin had been stripped away, only ordinary Blue Silver Grass remained. His descendants could only inherit the Clear Sky Hammer, not Blue Silver Grass.
"Why couldn't it be my Soft Bone Rabbit?" Xiao Wu asked angrily.
Tang San hastily coaxed her: "Xiao Wu-meimei, in the Tang family, the sons inherit the Clear Sky Hammer, while the daughters inherit the Soft Bone Rabbit. Let's just have another daughter, what do you say?"
"Alright, San-gege," Xiao Wu agreed sweetly.
"Then, Xiao Wu, what does bringing me to see them have to do with your request?" Tang San asked curiously.
Xiao Wu said, "San-gege, our children were destined to be extraordinary from birth. I hope we can hold a grand martial spirit awakening ceremony for them — one witnessed by the major powers of the entire continent. Just imagining that moment makes me so excited."
No sooner had she finished speaking than Tang San received an update on his trial:
Asura God's First Trial — Fulfill the Scabbard Xiao Wu's request:
Hold a world-shaking martial spirit awakening ceremony for the three children, witnessed by the major powers of the continent, and during this process, fulfill all of Xiao Wu's requests. Success depends on her satisfaction.
Tang San kept the content to himself and proudly said to Xiao Wu, "Of course! My Tang San's sons should naturally stand above others, the focus of the world's gaze." To him, this was perfectly reasonable. After all, in his past life, his two children had been born under the watchful eyes of the gods themselves.
Still, Xiao Wu's request touched him — that she focused not on herself, but on their children. What a good mother, he thought with satisfaction.
"What's Xiao Wu's request?" Tang Hao asked.
"It's a little troublesome," Tang San admitted with a frown. "Next year, Wu Bai, Wu Heng, and Wu Le will awaken their martial spirits. Xiao Wu wants to gather the major powers of the continent and hold a grand martial spirit awakening ceremony for them."
Hearing this, Tang Hao frowned as well. "Gathering the continent's powers won't be easy. Right now, our reputations are in tatters."
Tang San rested his chin on his hands, equally troubled. Thanks to the Spirit Hall's slander, his infamy as a "beast-man" had spread across the entire Douluo Continent. Now, to invite all the continent's powers to witness his sons' awakening — this was truly difficult.
"Next year is their awakening ceremony. That means we have only one year left," Tang San sighed.
Father and son both sat in heavy thought.
Suddenly, inspiration struck Tang San. He turned to Tang Hao and asked, "Father, what about Gangzi? How is he doing now?"
Tang Hao spread his hands. "I don't know. After we drove him away, I never paid attention to him. These years, I've only been watching over Xiao Wu for you. I had no time to care about outside matters."
Tang San said, "But back then, when we told Gangzi to get lost, didn't we also give him a special task? To unite the major powers of the continent and form an alliance?"
"But do you really think he could manage that?" Tang Hao asked skeptically. Back then, the request had been more a way to humiliate Gangzi than a serious command. Neither of them had believed that useless fool could accomplish such a thing.
Tang San replied, "I doubt his ability, but not his motive. Now that he knows I can become a god, that fool will do everything he can to complete the task. He's just a chamber pot — and now it's time for us to use him. If he can't even serve as a chamber pot, then he's not fit to be even a dog of the Tang family."
After saying this, Tang San turned to Tang Hao. "Father, could I trouble you with something? Bring Gangzi here. I want to personally inspect his results."
The reason Tang San wasn't going himself was simple: after five years apart from Xiao Wu, he wanted to spend every moment of this time with her, cherishing her and — hopefully — making a few more little rabbits. How could he waste time on that useless fool Gangzi?
Tang Hao nodded. "Very well. I'll go for you."
Coconut Grove City, by the lake
A young man with a flat crew cut stood gloomily at the edge of the shimmering lake.
His name was Yu Xiaogang, and he was the current leader of the Divine Order Alliance on Douluo Continent.
When he first obtained this position, Yu Xiaogang felt all-powerful, brimming with ambition and schemes he wanted to unleash.
He planned to command the Alliance's strongest sect—the Body Sect—along with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, to attack Spark Academy and seize their technology. With that technology, he could restore his lost Golden Holy Dragon Martial Spirit.
Then he would order the Alliance's powerhouses to assist him in cultivation, boosting his strength rapidly—ideally leaping straight to the level of Titled Douluo.
He wanted to reestablish his position within the Alliance as a theoretical master of soul masters.
He wanted to wield the authority of the Alliance Leader, to harshly punish those who had mocked and humiliated him in the past.
He wanted to incite all major forces into launching war immediately—destroying Spirit Hall and Spark Academy—so that history, even thousands of years later, would forever remember the great name of Alliance Leader Yu Xiaogang.
His heart was full of ambitions. Yet, each time he proposed one of them, he faced resistance.
Gradually, Yu Xiaogang realized the truth: though titled Alliance Leader in name, he was actually nothing but a puppet. The true powerhouses of the Alliance never took him seriously.
This left Yu Xiaogang frustrated and bitter. I, Yu Xiaogang, guide you all with my superior wisdom, leading you on the right path—so why, why won't you listen?!
"Ah, Little San, when will you finally come back?" Yu Xiaogang sighed with longing.
Suddenly, a rough, booming voice reached his ears:
"Gangzi, what are you doing over there wallowing in sorrow? Get over here!"
Yu Xiaogang's eyes lit up at the familiar voice of Tang Hao, and he quickly scurried toward the source.
He entered an alley where a one-armed figure stood with his back to him.
"Greetings, Lord Tang Hao."
"Gangzi," Tang Hao sneered, "remember your identity. You are but a dog of the Tang family. You should be calling me Master."
Yu Xiaogang's heart twisted with jealousy and resentment. Why? Why isn't Tang San my son? He had painstakingly raised Tang San, guided him on the proper path of cultivation, even pointed him toward godhood. And Tang Hao? Other than being the boy's father by blood, what had he ever done? Yet in the end, a father's bond outweighed a teacher's? Was mere bloodline really so important?
Though his heart seethed, Yu Xiaogang dared not show it. He bowed low, eyes downcast, and said, "Yes, Master."
"Gangzi, I hear you've been doing quite well," Tang Hao said with disdain. "Even set up some Divine Order Alliance on the continent, and made yourself Alliance Leader?" He had heard this from his spies among the Strength Clan.
Yu Xiaogang forced a flattering smile: "It's all thanks to Master's glory and Little San's blessings that I achieved such a thing!"
"Little San?" Tang Hao spat. "Yu Xiaogang, you are but the Tang family's dog. How dare you call him Little San? You will address him as Young Master."
"Yes, yes—Young Master, Young Master." Yu Xiaogang bowed even lower.
"Hmph." Tang Hao snorted coldly. "Never forget: everything you have comes from the honor of me and my son. Without us, you are nothing but a pile of trash."
"Yes, yes…" Yu Xiaogang's heart twisted in envy, yet outwardly he remained submissive. Then he asked, "Master, may I ask why you have summoned me? Has something happened with the Young Master…?"
Tang Hao's eyes narrowed. "What you are allowed to know, you will be told. What you are not allowed to know—you had better not ask. Understand?"
"…Understood." Yu Xiaogang nodded.
"Come with me."
A few days later, Tang Hao brought Yu Xiaogang to the Tang family's hidden residence. By then, Tang San had already been indulging in intimate seclusion with "Xiao Wu" for several days.
Of course, the Tang family's sacred threshold could never be sullied by someone like Yu Xiaogang. So, from a distance, Tang Hao used voice-transmission to call out:
"Little San, I've brought that wretch Gangzi here."
After a while, Tang San appeared in the forest, meeting Tang Hao and the crew-cut figure.
"Little San, is that you?" Yu Xiaogang asked excitedly.
Only to be smacked to the ground by Tang Hao's slap. "Call him Young Master."
"Yes, yes—Young Master…" Yu Xiaogang looked up pitifully at Tang San.
Tang San crouched before him and said coldly: "Gangzi, we had an agreement. In public, I may respectfully call you Teacher. But in private—you are nothing more than the Tang family's dog. There are no outsiders here. Don't forget your place."
"Yes, yes…" Yu Xiaogang's voice trembled. Inside, his heart ached bitterly. How long will Little San continue to misunderstand me? No—I must find a way to change his view, to make him realize that 'once a teacher, always as a father' is a disciple's true duty.
Tang Hao looked at the fallen Yu Xiaogang with disdain. "Don't think being my family's dog is shameful. Little San—show him."
Tang San nodded. From his brow, the God Mark of the Asura God emerged.
"This—this is…?" Yu Xiaogang stared in shock at the divine symbol.
Tang Hao sneered: "Hah, as if a fool like you would know. That is the Asura God Mark. Whoever bears it has gained the qualification to undergo the Asura God's divine trial. Upon completing it, he will ascend to become the God King Asura of the God Realm."
He puffed with pride. "And now that mark rests on my Little San's brow. You understand what this means."
Yu Xiaogang's breathing quickened. His eyes burned feverishly as he stared at Tang San's god mark.
"It means my Little San is already walking the road of godhood. Once he completes the divine trial, he will become the God King Asura!" Tang Hao declared, his eyes shining with pride before turning scornfully back to Yu Xiaogang.
"So, Gangzi—understand this well. To serve as the Tang family's dog is a privilege. Do not forget your place."
Yu Xiaogang lay prostrate on the ground, nodding frantically. "Yes, yes, Master. Yes, Young Master. It is my honor to be the Tang family's dog."
At last, Yu Xiaogang's heart settled. He had confirmation—his disciple Tang San truly bore the destiny of godhood. But… Little San still misunderstands me deeply. I must change this. I must make him see: a teacher is as a father for life. That is the true bond of disciple and master.