The sound of hurried footsteps echoed as a divine official arrived at the door to report, "Lord Sea God, the God King of Destruction has come to visit. He is currently waiting in the main hall."
Tang San, who was pondering how to deal with Wang Chen, heard that the God King of Destruction had arrived. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he thought to himself, "Why is Destruction here? He never takes the initiative to deal with me. Did the sun rise in the west today? Or is he here to cause trouble?"
Tang San was well aware that the God King of Destruction was deeply dissatisfied with him because the previous God Kings of Kindness and Evil had entrusted the Divine Realm's Core to him before their reincarnation. Destruction believed that Tang San was unworthy of controlling the Divine Realm's Core and was constantly looking for an opportunity to seize it, hoping to convene the Divine Realm Committee to strip Tang San of his authority and take control of the Divine Realm himself.
The Divine Realm's Core was the most critical entity in the Divine Realm. Whoever controlled it essentially held dominion over every aspect of the Divine Realm. It could harness the Divine Realm's stored energy for numerous purposes, allowing any ruler to govern the Divine Realm through it. Moreover, the Divine Realm's Core had formidable defensive capabilities, impervious even to a single God King's attacks. By controlling it, one could also unleash Divine Punishment. While Divine Punishment couldn't target the five supreme God Kings, even a First-Class God would perish under its power. This was the true strength of the Divine Realm's Core. Whoever held it was effectively half the master of the Divine Realm.
Tang San always sneered at the God King of Destruction's ambition for power. While Destruction was stronger than him in terms of raw power, his mind was far less sharp. Destruction was rigid, cold, and prone to getting stuck on trivial details. In terms of social maneuvering, he was far inferior to Tang San. Wanting to catch Tang San in a major misstep was nothing but a pipe dream. Tang San never acted directly, at most skirting the edges of the rules. Such minor infractions were hardly enough to bring him down, especially since bending the rules was common among gods. The previous Sea God, Shura God, and God Kings of Kindness and Evil had all done it. Tang San was merely following a fine tradition. If Destruction wanted to make an issue out of bending the rules, he should first go after the previous generation of gods.
In any case, Tang San was determined to hold onto the Divine Realm's Core. Once something was in his hands, the God King of Destruction could forget about taking it away. However, despite his confidence that Destruction couldn't seize the Core, Tang San remained cautious of the immensely powerful God King of Destruction.
Currently, the Divine Realm was divided into three factions. The God King of Destruction led the most dominant one. Not only was he a God King himself, but his wife, the Goddess of Life, was also a God King. Under his command were eight First-Class Gods and numerous Second-Class God subordinates, making his faction the most powerful in the Divine Realm.
The second faction was the neutral faction, which was not inherently weaker than Destruction's. However, the neutral faction was loose and disorganized, unable to consolidate its strength, and thus couldn't rival Destruction's faction. It was led by the new God Kings of Kindness and Evil, along with seven First-Class Gods, including the Elemental Gods and the God of Emotion, Rong Nianbing.
The third faction was Tang San's own. Having ascended to the Divine Realm relatively recently, Tang San had fully mastered the Sea God position over the past ten thousand years. However, he still struggled to control the domineering and formidable Shura God position, making him far weaker than the previous Shura God. Among the five God Kings, Tang San's strength only surpassed that of the new God Kings of Kindness and Evil, who lacked super divine artifacts (as the previous God Kings of Kindness and Evil had taken their super divine artifacts with them upon reincarnation). Not only was Tang San himself weaker, but his subordinates were also lacking. He had no First-Class Gods under his command, only the Shrek Seven Devils and a handful of Second- and Third-Class Gods he had recruited in the Divine Realm—a pitifully small group.
Because of this, even though Tang San controlled the Divine Realm's Core, he remained wary of the God King of Destruction. Upon learning of Destruction's visit, Tang San, despite his dislike for him, knew he had to go out and receive him. Destruction could openly show his dissatisfaction, but Tang San couldn't afford to do the same. Instead, he had to greet him with a smile, ensuring the gods of the Divine Realm saw him as a benevolent figure.
Tang San's strategy for establishing himself in the Divine Realm and controlling it was to build a positive reputation, expand his influence, and win over the neutral faction's gods to counter Destruction's faction. If he could secure the support of the neutral faction, Tang San would have the confidence to challenge Destruction openly. Once Destruction was toppled, Tang San would become the true ruler of the Divine Realm.
With a profound look in his eyes, Tang San slowly rose and walked out of the room toward the main hall.
…
In the main hall, the God King of Destruction sat on a sofa, his face expressionless as he waited for Tang San. His purpose for this visit was to warn Tang San. Tang San wanted to target a young man named Wang Chen from Douluo Star, but Destruction was determined to protect him. Not only would he protect him, but he also intended to help Wang Chen ascend to the Divine Realm and become a god.
The God King of Destruction was deeply resentful that the previous God Kings of Kindness and Evil had passed the Divine Realm's Core to Tang San. Whether in terms of strength, seniority, or influence, Destruction believed Tang San was far inferior to him. By all rights, he, Destruction, should have been the one to control the Divine Realm's Core and lead the Divine Realm. Who was Tang San to deserve it? He couldn't even fully master the Shura God position, so what qualified him to hold the Divine Realm's Core? Did he even deserve it?
The God King of Destruction's face was cold and stern, his aura so oppressive that the surrounding divine officials and Third-Class Gods trembled, bowing their heads and avoiding his gaze. The entire hall was silent, the atmosphere heavy with the weight of Destruction's presence, as if a mountain pressed down on every god's shoulders.
At that moment, a refined and amiable man with a warm smile, starkly contrasting Destruction's cold demeanor, walked into the hall.
"Lord Sea God!"
"Lord Sea God!!"
The divine officials and Third-Class Gods in the hall immediately bowed and saluted Tang San.
Tang San nodded to his subordinates with a smile, his warm expression as soothing as a spring breeze, showing no trace of the gloom he felt privately. He laughed heartily at the God King of Destruction, saying, "What a rare guest! What wind has blown you here today, God King of Destruction? Your visit truly delights me."
Tang San and the God King of Destruction were mutual adversaries, constantly vying for control of the Divine Realm's Core and its authority. They were political enemies, always clashing behind the scenes. However, on the surface, they maintained decorum. They couldn't afford to openly break ties, as that would lead to an all-out conflict. Tang San's warm smile might fool others into thinking he and Destruction were close friends.
The God King of Destruction looked at Tang San's smiling face, his own expression unchanged, but he thought to himself, "Hypocritical scoundrel."
Seeing Destruction's cold, stern face, as if Tang San owed him money, Tang San felt a surge of irritation. "Putting on airs in front of me? I, Tang San, am the true master of the Divine Realm's Core."
Maintaining his smile, Tang San waved his hand, dismissing the Third-Class Gods and divine officials. He knew that Destruction's visit likely wasn't for anything pleasant, and to avoid any potential conflict being witnessed by subordinates, which could harm his reputation, he cleared the hall first. Matters between those in power shouldn't be seen by those below, lest it tarnish their pristine image.
Soon, only Tang San and the God King of Destruction remained in the hall. Their eyes locked, and Tang San spoke first, "It's rare for the God King of Destruction to visit my home. I must treat you well."
With that, Tang San personally brought out divine tea and divine fruits from his reserves to entertain Destruction. He brewed the tea and poured a cup for Destruction.
The God King of Destruction waved his hand in refusal, saying, "I don't drink tea. No need to pour it for me. I'm here because I've discovered a genius in the lower realm. I want him to ascend to the Divine Realm and become a god to serve it."
Seeing that Destruction refused the tea, Tang San didn't bother insisting. He poured a cup for himself, took a sip, and said, "For such a minor matter, God King of Destruction, you can handle it yourself. Why consult me?"
The God King of Destruction replied, "Sea God, you should know that there aren't many unclaimed divine positions left in the Divine Realm."
Tang San nodded. He was aware of this. Due to the Dragon God incident long ago, the Divine Realm had suffered heavy losses, with many gods perishing. This had left numerous divine positions vacant, which was why the Shrek Seven Devils had been able to claim divine positions so easily ten thousand years ago. However, over time, those vacant positions had been filled, and divine positions had become scarce. Countless exceptional talents in the lower realms couldn't ascend due to the lack of divine positions. Creating a divine position was an immense challenge, nearly impossible for even the most extraordinary geniuses. Even those with profound insights into the rules were limited by their lifespan, making it almost unattainable to create even a Third-Class divine position within their lifetime. Ten thousand years ago, each of the Shrek Seven Devils had secured a divine position, but in the present era, aside from Tang San, none of the others would have qualified to become gods based on their talents.
Tang San looked at the God King of Destruction with suspicion and said, "What, God King of Destruction? Are you saying you have no vacant divine positions left?"
Inwardly, Tang San thought, "I didn't expect divine positions to be so scarce now that even Destruction lacks any."
The God King of Destruction shook his head. "I do have divine positions, but they're only Second-Class and Third-Class ones. The genius I've found is so exceptional that a Second-Class divine position is unworthy of him."
Tang San smiled and said, "Oh? What kind of lower-realm genius has caught your eye so much that you think a Second-Class divine position isn't enough for him?"
The God King of Destruction looked at Tang San, a slight smirk forming on his previously expressionless face. "From Douluo Star, a young man named Wang Chen."
Tang San's smile froze instantly. Wang Chen? How could it be Wang Chen? This was the Child of Destiny of Douluo Star, someone Tang San had to either control or eliminate to secure his grip on the star. If Destruction was now backing him, how could Tang San make a move?
Seeing Tang San's stiff smile, the God King of Destruction felt a surge of satisfaction. He had long found Tang San's hypocritical smile irritating, and seeing it falter was immensely gratifying. Ignoring Tang San's expression, he continued, "Sea God, I've come to ask you to give up one of your divine positions for this lower-realm genius. After all, holding both the Sea God and Shura God positions is excessive and goes against the Divine Realm's rules. What do you say, Sea God?"
Upon hearing this, Tang San's smile vanished completely. Inwardly, he raged, "Good, good, good! What a cunning God King of Destruction! No wonder he came to see me—he's after my divine position. In your dreams! It's impossible. Neither the Sea God position nor the Shura God position will I give up. After years of cultivation, the Sea God position is nearly at the God King level, and the Shura God position is my foundation in the Divine Realm. Giving up either would weaken me. How could I compete with you or maintain control over the Divine Realm then? God King of Destruction, you dare scheme for my divine position? You're courting death!"
…
Meanwhile, on Douluo Star, deep in the Extreme North, within the secret chamber of the Extreme Ice Cave.
One day in the Divine Realm equaled one year in the lower realm. While Tang San and the God King of Destruction were conversing, two days had already passed on Douluo Star.
Wang Chen sat cross-legged, his injuries fully healed. With his recovery, his body had become even tougher and stronger. Though battles at the Limit Douluo level were brutal, surviving them was immensely beneficial for growth. Not only had his body grown more resilient, but his soul power had also become more refined.
Wang Chen slowly opened his eyes, an icy blue light flashing within them. His entire body radiated an icy blue glow, the temperature so low it seemed to freeze the very space around him.
Over the past two days, while his body recovered, Wang Chen hadn't been idle. He had been meditating and cultivating, mastering his second martial soul, the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion. Using a secret technique derived from the Black Book, Wang Chen had easily mastered the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion martial soul, tapping into its origin power—the Origin of Ice. This granted his second martial soul formidable combat strength.
Wang Chen retracted the power of the Origin of Ice and slowly stood up, striding out of the secret chamber. His eyes were piercing, exuding an unstoppable aura.
Looking into the distance, Wang Chen thought to himself, It's time to reach the pinnacle…
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