T.n- This fic got some new raws enough to make a slightly bigger one chapter only so here it is.
The Sun Moon Empire had officially broken through the defenses of the three great empires!
It wasn't that the three empires hadn't fought with all their strength—it was simply that the Sun Moon Empire was far too powerful.
This war had only just begun, yet already tens of thousands of lives had been consumed.
The three empires were shrouded in mourning.
But there was no time to grieve the dead, for next the Sun Moon Empire's legions would march directly into the empires' homelands and slaughter their people!
The nobles and officials of the three empires were all plunged into great panic.
Yet, unbeknownst to all, the emperors of the three empires—and those who truly held power—were not panicked in the least.
In fact, all of this was within their plans.
Because those who truly controlled them, who orchestrated the war, were the men standing behind them.
As for the dead, their lives would not be wasted. Their sacrifices would, in another form, contribute their power.
And in the future, this power would guide all the continent's people toward ascending as Supreme God Kings.
The Sun Moon Empire's attack on the three empires was, in truth, like playing chess against itself.
Whether black stones won or white stones won was but a matter of a single word.
However, something absurd arose—a rumor spread among the three empires that the solution was for the empresses of the three nations to marry the Sun Moon Emperor.
After all, the Sun Moon Emperor was known across the continent as a notorious lecher.
And if the four empires were bound by marriage, the war could end, restoring peace to the continent.
As for the imperial thrones of the three nations, there would naturally be "suitable" candidates to succeed them.
A surprising number of common folk even found this idea reasonable.
They did not care for right or wrong, nor for the dignity of empires. They simply wanted the war to end quickly, to avoid its spread to their homes.
To the commoners, war seemed almost unrelated to them.
In truth, the only thing truly unrelated to them were the spoils of war.
Because… the commoners themselves were part of those spoils, reduced to quantifiable "property."
War, in simple terms, was nothing more than someone breaking into another's home and seizing their possessions—including livestock.
It was obvious this manipulation of public sentiment was orchestrated, especially since the same rumors appeared almost simultaneously in all three empires.
Perhaps the hidden hands thought this would destabilize the internal affairs of the three nations.
When Huo Yuhao discovered this, he couldn't help but clap his hands. He suspected the Sun Moon Empire's hidden schemers had done it.
This method of manipulating public opinion, of stirring civil unrest—yes, it was clever.
Indeed, somewhat brilliant.
But when Huo Yuhao looked more closely at the Sun Moon Empire, he found this wasn't their doing at all.
Mobilizing the hidden forces of the four empires to investigate…
In the end, they discovered it was the work of old nobles from the Star Luo Empire, colluding with aristocrats from the other two nations.
Their goal: to force the empress to abdicate and place their own chosen candidates on the throne.
Even if the three empires were destroyed, these nobles could still join the Sun Moon Empire on the strength of their heritage.
High-quality spirit martial inheritances were scarce in the Sun Moon Empire—surely they would be eager to accept them.
Some nobles had even selected beautiful women as "tribute" for the Sun Moon Emperor.
Of course, if the three empires managed to win the war, these nobles would still profit greatly.
They could feast on the empires' resources during the war.
Afterward, the three empires would become their farms.
Either way, they could not lose.
This time, Huo Yuhao truly laughed in exasperation.
What kind of "great wisdom" was needed to come up with such a plan?
Yet, from the old nobles' perspective, it did make a certain sense.
For they knew nothing of the Sun Moon Empire's true goals, nor the truth of the war.
They only wanted to secure the greatest possible benefit for their families.
Who won in the end did not matter to them—only that their lineages survived.
That was the way of noble houses.
Back when the White Tiger bloodline held the Star Luo throne, internal competition was fierce, and there were no decadent nobles like those in the old Heavenly Dou Empire.
But once the Xingguan lineage took power and relaxed competition, some nobles began to rot.
Left unchecked, they would inevitably become parasites, just like the nobles of Heavenly Dou.
The Xingguan line could not rule with the same iron fist as the White Tiger line—for they lacked the strength.
Most of the military power was still held by the White Tiger Duke's household. The schism had begun at the very moment of abdication.
Huo Yuhao discovered the nobles' plot precisely because among them were his own people.
One of the families tied to the original Seven Jades—Zhu Yuwen's clan—had been pulled into this.
What's more, those nobles planned to offer Zhu Yuwen herself as a "gift" to the Sun Moon Emperor.
Thus she learned of their scheme.
Of course, Huo Yuhao would never spare such traitorous nobles.
At his urging, the three empires jointly declared those nobles guilty of treason, intent on defecting to the Sun Moon Empire. The Guardian Douluo were dispatched to eradicate them.
Meanwhile, the Sun Moon Empire exploited the chaos, pressing its invasion and inflicting ever greater casualties.
If the empires could not unite internally, much less unite with each other, then the Sun Moon Empire's advance would be unstoppable.
Soon, they would be upon Shrek Academy.
Huo Yuhao noticed that as the Sun Moon legions drew nearer, those undertaking divine trials were completing them faster and faster.
Whether the trials were easier, or the looming crisis unlocked their potential, he could not tell.
But they were still far from completing them.
And so, someone needed to buy them time.
Naturally, Huo Yuhao stepped forward.
When he reached the front where the Sun Moon Empire advanced, he saw their Ten Directions Army pushing steadily ahead.
The elite Hand of the Empire legion, however, was—"coincidentally"—absent from the frontlines.
It was not yet their time to act.
Thus, it fell upon the Ten Directions Army and the ordinary soldiers to bear the burden.
"This world breeds slaughter and sin. Though I have no desire to contest dominion, I know the suffering of the people…"
"Sun Moon Empire—you go too far!"
"Frozen World!"
Drawing upon the Frost Centipede spirit, Huo Yuhao unleashed his eighth and ninth spirit rings together, fusing the powers of the Ice Emperor and Snow Emperor with his own.
Normally, this would trigger the Martial Soul Fusion Skill of the two emperors—the Pride of Ice and Snow.
But now, with Yuhao's power added…
It became a Tri-Spirit Fusion Skill.
Its might soared even higher.
He unleashed a strike capable of freezing the entire world.
—Frozen World!
Before countless soldiers and spirit masters' disbelieving eyes, a torrent of frost descended like a river of stars.
A glacier rose, growing visibly from nothing in moments.
In that instant, the Sun Moon soldiers deep in Star Luo territory felt as if they had been cast into the heart of the Extreme North.
Heaven and earth alike turned blinding white.
The ground froze into tundra, life itself sealed away and extinguished without a sound.
The soldiers of the Ten Directions Army, in the moment before their deaths, beheld this vision—and could die without regret.
Upon the land stretched a frozen plain spanning a hundred miles.
A glacier a thousand meters high rose like an unscalable wall upon the icefield, barring the Sun Moon Empire's advance.
The Ten Directions Army, along with their supporting troops, were entombed in the glacier, buried beneath layers of ice—gone without a trace.
At this strike, the continent reeled.
The Sun Moon Empire's offensive was halted, if only for a moment.
And in that pause, precious time was won—for those undertaking their divine trials.
The frozen plains and towering ice walls conjured by Huo Yuhao shocked the entire continent.
The powerhouses of the Four Great Empires all realized just how vast the gap between themselves and Huo Yuhao truly was.
However, the elites of the Star Luo Empire, the Heavenly Soul Empire, and the Dou Ling Empire felt little joy.
As for the experts of the Sun Moon Empire, they weren't overly worried either. Instead, they were seething with anger.
After all, the Sun Moon Empire had gods on their side—seven of them!
Although it was unclear why these seven gods had yet to descend upon the battlefield, their existence alone was an insurmountable peak.
Some speculated that they needed more time to adapt to their divine power before they could act.
But the truth was different. Ever since inheriting their godhood, Xu Tiancheng and the other six already had firm control over their divine might. What they lacked was merely experience and the study of additional divine inheritances.
If they truly acted, their power above Rank 100 was more than enough to crush any Ultimate Douluo.
The Seven Elemental Gods had been generous—before departing, each had left their inheritances behind.
Thus, Xu Tiancheng and his companions received legacies akin to the Golden Thirteen Halberds.
The Seven Elemental Gods were far older than even Poseidon, belonging to the ancient generation of original gods. The inheritances they left were extremely powerful.
Xu Tiancheng, however, was in no hurry to make a move, for two reasons.
First, he awaited Huo Yuhao's command.
But Huo Yuhao wanted the bloodshed across the continent to continue, using the mounting deaths on Douluo Continent to pressure Tang San of the God Realm.
That meant Xu Tiancheng would not receive orders anytime soon.
Second, he was busy hatching an egg.
Yes—hatching an egg, though not his own.
It was a dragon egg, excavated from the Dragon Tomb.
When Xu Tiancheng had been selecting dragon bones to forge his soul bone set from among the countless remains, he discovered this egg hidden in the abdomen of a fire dragon's corpse.
And astonishingly, the egg was still alive.
It was the only object in the Dragon Tomb that still carried a spark of life.
Yet the egg had lain dormant, unable to hatch—its mother had not given it sufficient strength, and there was no energy in the tomb for it to absorb.
Still, its consciousness lingered. It drifted in a hazy state, sometimes flickering into lucid dreams—aware of the outside world, but incapable of acting.
Upon finding it, Xu Tiancheng resolved to hatch it. He was in need of a mount, after all.
What could be more perfect than a Fire God paired with a fire dragon steed?
After inheriting the Fire God's divine realm, Xu Tiancheng placed the egg within it, bathing it in pure flame essence to accelerate its hatching.
And Huo Yuhao knew all about both the egg and Xu Tiancheng's efforts—because Huo Yuhao was the true master.
In fact, he even knew who lay inside: Jialin, descendant of the Fire Dragon King's bloodline.
The last pure-blooded fire dragon.
Her potential rivaled even Di Tian's.
One must not underestimate Di Tian—he had long possessed the qualifications to become a god. His ceiling was no weaker than that of a First-Class God, and he even had a fair chance of achieving God King.
Yet because of the rules of the world, no matter his potential, he was unable to break through his bottleneck.
All he could do was endlessly hone his techniques in hopes of finding other paths forward.
In the original history, Jialin had always remained in the Dragon Tomb.
Later, when the Silver Dragon King took the Dragon God Core and Tang Wulin absorbed the tomb's power to bury the dragon corpses, Jialin remained undiscovered.
It wasn't until the Dragon Tomb was drawn to Tianlong Star, a world of higher life level, and fused with it, that enough power appeared to hatch the egg.
The fusion of Dragon Tomb and Tianlong Star not only birthed a new hybrid dragon race but also awakened Jialin.
Tianlong Star called this event the "Dragon Transformation," which lasted for ten thousand years.
When Jialin first hatched, she was weak and powerless.
Soon, the powerhouses of Tianlong Star discovered her and coveted her bloodline.
But the mongrel dragons of that world, even if they seized true dragon blood, could never live eternally—their lifespan had a hard limit.
Thus, they tried to coerce Jialin into breeding, hoping for true dragon offspring.
She refused, and so their wishes were never fulfilled.
Her sole obsession upon hatching was the revival of the dragon race.
Toward those "mongrels" who had sought to exploit her, she harbored only pure hatred.
Unlike Di Tian, Jialin was forced to sign contracts using the Ascending Dragon Art, sharing her power. This allowed her to break through her bottleneck, gaining god-level strength—but without an actual god position.
The process of hatching Jialin required tremendous energy and unimaginably long time.
Huo Yuhao couldn't possibly guard her egg for tens of thousands of years just to see her hatch.
With that time, he could plot for the Dragon God's power himself and become the new Dragon God.
So the responsibility was handed to Xu Tiancheng.
Perhaps with the nourishment of fire-aspected divine power, Jialin could hatch thousands of years earlier.
Xu Tiancheng was patient and passionate about this task. Even knowing it might take ten thousand years, he did not waver.
He dreamed of becoming a Dragon Knight.
As for the Fire Dragon King's bloodline in Jialin, Huo Yuhao had no designs on it—the Fire Dragon King's soul and bones were already in his possession.
What truly interested him was Tianlong Star itself.
Tianlong Star held life of an incredibly high order, alongside its twin, Tianma Star.
Two worlds orbiting together.
How high was their energy level?
High enough to let cultivators reach First-Class God. With certain methods, one could even explode with half-step God King power. The will of the planets themselves could manifest in physical form.
In the original timeline, the future inheritor of the Dragon God, Tang Xuanyu, even used Tianlong and Tianma Stars as cores to reforge the Dragon God's domain.
Every avatar Huo Yuhao dispatched had missions to complete alongside their trials.
One crucial mission was locating precious worlds—and Tianlong and Tianma Stars were on the list.
Others included the Spirit Star, the Senluo Star, and more—planets clearly described in records.
Douluo Star was merely Huo Yuhao and Tang San's chessboard. Until the final moment, Huo Yuhao wouldn't overturn it or expose all his cards.
Because at that point, he might be facing the siege of the entire God Realm.
But with other worlds, Huo Yuhao was not so merciful.
The Dragon Tomb had already been absorbed into his Palm-Sized Divine Kingdom—and that was the fate awaiting other stars and realms as well.
His Divine Kingdom required vast energy and diverse races to fill it.
And its growth would directly empower Huo Yuhao himself.
After all, the Divine Kingdom was part of his own strength.
If he relied only on personal cultivation to accumulate enough strength to break through to Supreme God King…
He might as well go wash up and sleep—that kind of process could take millions of years.
But by continually absorbing other worlds and realms, enhancing his Divine Kingdom, his power would rise as swiftly as the tide.
Following destiny could never be as quick as following convenience.
And besides, Huo Yuhao wasn't selfish.
The Dragon God had forged his own divine realm, becoming Supreme God King and ruler of myriad worlds.
But Huo Yuhao wanted no barriers between people, no hierarchies between races.
He dreamed of all life and all races sharing equal cultivation environments, of everyone rising together to the Supreme God King level—everyone as dragons.
Thus, he had to spread great love across all worlds.
The entire continent had fallen into a strange silence all because of the massive ice wall erected by Huo Yuhao.
If an Ultimate Douluo possessed such terrifying power, then just how mighty would a being beyond the hundredth rank a God be?
Now, every powerhouse across the continent waited for the seven deities of the Sun–Moon Empire to make their move.
Huo Yuhao: "Alright then, looks like the pressure's on you, Old Tang!"
But to Huo Yuhao's surprise—Tang San really did come up with something new.
Only… instead of strengthening Shrek Academy or aiding the three great empires,
Tang San's first idea was to wipe out all seven gods of the Sun–Moon Empire!
It was clear that Tang San no longer intended to keep pouring his divine resources into the Douluo Continent.
He planned to solve the problem directly—by removing the source.
Thus, Tang San convened the Douluo Divine Realm Council.
The Five Great God Kings assembled.
When the other four expressed doubt,
Tang San stated his intention:
"The Seven Elemental Gods have all passed down their divine thrones. Now, those seven seats in the Douluo God Realm stand vacant.
To maintain the balance of divine power, I propose that we summon the seven new Elemental Gods to the realm immediately."
The God of Destruction narrowed his eyes.
"Who are you calling out, you little brat?"
He didn't even need to say it out loud—the rest already understood Tang San's plan.
He wanted to use the Seven Elemental Gods to balance the power of the Seven Deadly Sin Gods under the Destruction God King.
Tension between Tang San and the God of Destruction had been growing lately due to the God Realm's development issues.
Friction between them had become a daily occurrence.
If the new Elemental Gods remained too long in the mortal world before ascending,
Tang San's faction would fall behind.
And while top-tier deities might not care much about "balance,"
the lesser gods—second-rank, third-rank, divine officials—did.
Furthermore, the Seven Elemental Gods had duties and dominions of their own.
Allowing their successors to take up their roles quickly could only be beneficial.
So instead of arguing, the five God Kings voted.
Tang San voted in favor.The Good God King and Evil God King both abstained
Their current wager between themselves was far more important than God Realm politics, and they might soon leave the realm entirely depending on the result.
At this moment, the stability of the realm mattered less to them than their own plans.
Finally, the Goddess of Life hesitated—then voted with the God of Destruction.
(After all, they were family.)
2 to 1.
Tang San's proposal failed.He was not pleased.
The God of Destruction smirked.
"Tang San, I won't take advantage of you.If the Elemental Thrones are empty,
I'll have my Seven Deadly Sin Gods pass down their own thrones too."
"During their inheritance period, they won't interfere with God Realm matters."
"Whether their inheritances succeed—well, that depends on fate.Suitable heirs aren't easy to find, after all."
"Of course, if you'd like to help them find suitable candidates,I wouldn't mind either… heh heh heh."
Tang San wasn't happy, but at least he'd managed to ban the seven Deadly Sin Gods from acting temporarily.
If not for the fact that the Elemental Thrones had all chosen successors on the Douluo Continent,drawing countless divine eyes there,
Tang San might have simply gone down himself to deal with Xu Tiancheng's group directly.
But if he personally took action,his position as the God Realm Enforcer would be at risk.
So what could he do?
Oh, Tang San had a plan.
He always did.
He summoned the Seven Shrek Monsters.
They were:
War God – Dai Mubai (Second-rank god)
God of Speed – Zhu Zhuqing (Second-rank god)
Phoenix God – Ma Hongjun (Second-rank god)
God of Food – Oscar (Second-rank god)
Nine-Colored Goddess – Ning Rongrong (Second-rank god)
Asura's Sheath – Xiao Wu (Second-rank in normal state; can reach God King level when sharing the Asura God's power)
Tang San called them because these seven were his true loyalists—
the only ones in the God Realm who would completely obey him.
The rest of the Asura God's subordinates were merely Enforcers—
bound by God Realm law,
not personal loyalty.
They served the original Asura God,
not Tang San, the second generation.
Besides, most of those enforcers were bloodthirsty, ill-suited for delicate work.
Tang San told his old comrades three things:
The Douluo Continent faced another crisis:
The Rakshasa God had found a new successor—likely already a God.
Shrek Academy, the three empires, and the three upper sects were in danger—
threatened by the new seven Elemental Gods of the Sun–Moon Empire.
The God of Destruction intended to have the Seven Deadly Sin Gods pass down their thrones.
Hearing this, everyone grew tense.These were all serious matters.
But honestly, the most important was Shrek Academy. It held all their memories and bonds
none of them could bear to see it destroyed.
As for the Rakshasa God's rebirth they weren't too worried.
They'd beaten her once before.Now they were stronger.
Then came the matter of the Destruction God King a problem that could shape their futures.
The three empires and the old sects came last. Those ties were long past. They'd already repaid their debts of gratitude by bringing glory as gods.
After the briefing, Tang San began assigning roles.
He wanted them to move discreetly on the Douluo Continent.
While every eye in the God Realm was fixed on Tang San and the Destruction God King,
they could act under the radar.
They didn't need to descend personally—
just plant methods and guidance for the mortals below.
They could spend any amount of divine resources they needed.
Their mission had two objectives:
Eliminate the Seven Elemental Gods and the reborn Rakshasa God.
Secure the Seven Deadly Sin Thrones.
Priority on the first, the second as a bonus even if they failed the latter, Tang San would lose nothing.
"Destruction," Tang San muttered, "you wanted me to find heirs for your Seven Deadly Sins? Fine—let me personally help you pick them."
However, while instructing the Shrek Seven,Tang San "forgot"—perhaps deliberately—to mention two things: the Child of Destiny, and Tang Wutong.
Those he entrusted only to the two people he trusted most his parents, Tang Hao and Ah Yin, who now lived quietly on the Douluo Continent.
And then…
Most of Tang San's plans and arrangements were promptly leaked by none other than Ning Rongrong and Oscar straight to Huo Yuhao.
"Old Tang's lost his mind, huh?"
"You ever seen a gambler who doesn't go all in after losing too many hands? He's going for the biggest bet of his life."
"The bigger the storm, the higher the stakes. If Old Tang actually manages to seize the Seven Deadly Sin Thrones and destroy the new Elemental Gods, then claim the Elemental Thrones for himself…"
"With Shrek's new generation of deities backing him…"
"There won't be a soul left in the God Realm who can oppose him."
The true power of the Seven Elemental Gods and Seven Deadly Sins wasn't in each individual but in their combined formations.They formed two of the three great divine arrays of the God Realm.
With those arrays, even first-rank gods could challenge a God King.
If the God of Destruction ever flipped the table,Tang San would have the strength to pin him down instantly.
"Still," Huo Yuhao mused,"since he's placing his bet on the Douluo Continent,
why not make sure I'm the one catching all the chips?"
Huo Yuhao opened his metaphorical wallet wide waiting for Old Tang to start throwing in the goods.
After deciding to help Tang San, the other members of the Shrek Seven Devils gathered their thoughts and began discussing countermeasures.
"Although we can't intervene directly," Dai Mubai said with a faint smile, "we can still send some of our inheritances down to the Douluo Continent."
"If a Titled Douluo above rank 95 learns even one or two techniques, they might be able to stand against those newborn gods."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded—she agreed with Dai Mubai's proposal.
What they were planning to release were only fragments of technique inheritances, not full divine inheritances.
But even so, they would be of tremendous help to mortals.
After all, a mere drop of divine essence leaking from a god's fingers could allow mortals to transcend their limits.
As secondary gods, Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing were both among the most skilled in combat.
They even shared a god-level Martial Soul Fusion Technique—together, they could challenge even a first-class god.
"We can also send some immortal herbs and treasures that enhance cultivation down to the continent," Ma Hongjun added.
On the Douluo Continent, immortal herbs were once-in-a-millennium treasures.
But in the God Realm, they were simply rare curiosities.
While not every immortal herb from the mortal plane could be found in the God Realm, many substitutes of similar potency existed.
Ma Hongjun had become far more composed than he was before his ascension.
The smile he once always wore was gone—he was no longer the carefree man of the past.
Ironically, the one who had once been the laziest about cultivation was now the most diligent—he had even surpassed several of his comrades.
Through sheer effort, Ma Hongjun's divine seat as the God of the Phoenix was now close to first-class strength.
A divine position might be fixed, but its power was not—if a god worked hard enough, they could elevate its level.
And in most cases, once a divine position was stabilized, it was rarely degraded.
The God of the Phoenix was, in fact, a rather special secondary god seat.
In ancient times, the original Phoenix God had been of God-King level.
It was only after losing to the Dragon God that the seat was split apart and fell to a second-class level.
Because Ma Hongjun was human, he had been allowed to inherit the Phoenix God's position—to ensure that the Phoenix lineage would not revive as a beast god.
With his relentless effort, once he fully restored the Phoenix God's seat, it wouldn't be impossible for him to reach first-class—or even return to God-King level.
Though, of course, that would take a tremendous amount of time and energy.
At that moment, Ning Rongrong and Oscar exchanged a glance.
Golden light flickered in their eyes, and for a fleeting instant, a phantom of a golden centipede shimmered between them.
"Perhaps," Ning Rongrong said with a sly smile, "we can be a bit bolder."
The others looked at her in confusion.
To be honest, among them, Ning Rongrong had always been the most daring—the witch-like one whose mischievous streak never faded.
Curious, they waited for her explanation.
Ning Rongrong's lips curved into a smile. "There are plenty of vacant divine positions and divine tools in the God Realm…"
Everyone's expression shifted slightly.
Oscar spoke up at once, playing the perfect straight man to her boldness.
"Rongrong, those divine positions and artifacts belong to the beast deities—you can't just tamper with them."
"Who said beast-god positions can't be inherited by humans?" Ning Rongrong countered. "Isn't Hongjun's Phoenix God position originally a beast god's?"
"As long as we handle it properly, and ensure that humans can safely inherit these divine positions, there's no problem at all."
The reason she dared to suggest such a thing was simple—Tang San had already done it!
Others might not know, but Ning Rongrong and Oscar certainly did.
The current divine inheritors in Shrek Academy were almost all successors of beast-god positions.
Of course, ordinary beast-god seats couldn't compare to the Seven Elemental God positions—but they could still serve as valuable forces in a clash.
Tang San had even accounted for the possibility that some of those inheritors might die after ascension.
Once they fell, he could simply reclaim their divine positions—leaving nothing to chance.
With Tang San concealing their ascensions, the other gods in the realm would not notice a thing.
Even if one or two survived, adding a few more minor gods to the pantheon wouldn't upset the balance.
Everything remained under control.
"But Tang San wouldn't allow the creation of any new gods," Oscar said grimly.
Indeed—the root of Tang San's conflict with the God of Destruction lay in this very issue.
Tang San foresaw a looming crisis for the God Realm and sought to tighten control, gathering all divine power to reinforce it.
The God of Destruction, on the other hand, thought Tang San was far too conservative—he wanted to expand, increasing the number of gods to strengthen the realm as a whole.
The Douluo God Realm faced a cosmic catastrophe—a massive space-time turbulence.
Tang San's plan was to build a wall and resist the storm.
The God of Destruction's plan was to make the realm so strong that the storm couldn't harm it—to turn crisis into opportunity.
He remembered how, during the Dragon God era, the Dragon God's domain had been incomparably powerful—why fear a little turbulence then?
By his reasoning, expanding the realm was the logical choice—
Even if it meant accepting weaker quasi-gods and half-gods into the fold.
The two paths couldn't be more different:
one cautious and conservative, the other bold and expansionist.
The Douluo God Realm was connected to 108 subordinate planes.
To grow stronger, it needed new divine blood from these planes.
Many of those worlds were rich in heritage and capable of birthing gods.
On the Douluo Continent itself, even Extreme Douluos had the potential to ascend.
That was how the Sea God and Angel God had once risen to godhood.
But now, with Tang San blocking the path, those on Douluo Continent had no way to ascend—
Except by inheriting an existing divine seat.
And Tang San was no longer willing to allow even that.
It wasn't just Douluo Continent—
Tang San's control had throttled every subordinate plane.
No new gods had been born in ages.
That was why the God of Destruction opposed him.
Normally, any powerful mortal with enough talent and accumulation could become a god,
opening their own divine domain upon reaching the God Realm.
That process would momentarily weaken the realm,
but once their divine seat merged into it, the realm would grow stronger overall.
That was how the divine realms had developed since the Dragon God's time.
To the God of Destruction, Tang San's behavior was nothing but self-serving hypocrisy.
Had he forgotten how he himself became a god—
by leading the Shrek Seven Devils into ascension?
And what about Xiao Wu—a soul beast who entered the God Realm without even a proper divine seat?Was that not favoritism?
Tang Hao and Ah Yin's divine power?
The resurrection and deification of the Sky Blue Bull Python and Titan Giant Ape?
Were those not acts of blatant nepotism?
In short the God of Destruction had never seen a man as shameless as Tang San!
Of course, the God of Destruction was hardly perfect himself, he was stubborn, arrogant, and equally hungry for power.
Many gods in the realm questioned both of their methods—including the twin God Kings of Good and Evil.
It was like how elders Mitokado Homura and Koharu doubted Danzō's leadership in Konoha only to watch Hiruzen Sarutobi guide the village into decline.
And thus, the Douluo God Realm now faced a similar stalemate.
Ning Rongrong's proposal—to release additional divine seats and artifacts was, without doubt, the complete opposite of Tang San's ideals.
Tang San had planned his divine inheritance system so carefully—
allowing for the controlled "sacrifice" of new gods when needed.
But when Oscar questioned her, Ning Rongrong merely smiled.
"Then let's not let the new gods come to our God Realm," she said softly.
"The God Realm isn't the only one that exists, after all."
Everyone: "Huh??"
Indeed, there were other realms of gods, similar to the Douluo God Realm.
But gods born from Douluo's divine power couldn't possibly go elsewhere… could they?
Nine-Colored Goddess, are you serious?
Ning Rongrong only smiled wider.
"What I mean is—other God Realms are about as powerful as ours," she said.
"In the coming chaos, they'll face the same space-time turbulence we do."
"So why not unite the strength of all the realms—
merge them together and survive the storm together?"
"And those new gods… can serve as our envoys—
to reach out to the other realms."
Everyone: "What??"
Ning Rongrong's plan—if one were to describe it politely—was not so much "brilliant" as it was outrageously impossible.
It could be said to be "imaginative but hopeless."
Yet the key point wasn't its feasibility, but rather—its concept!
The focus wasn't on the divine thrones and artifacts to be sent out, but on the possibility of merging multiple God Realms!
The other Shrek Seven Devils didn't grasp the true meaning behind her words; they all rejected Ning Rongrong's proposal.
Thus, following Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun's suggestion, they prepared to send portions of their divine inheritances and resources down to the Douluo Continent.
Such acts weren't forbidden, nor were they rare.
Many deities even sent their divine artifacts into lower planes to accomplish certain goals.
That approach was far more direct than simply distributing resources or legacies—since a god could use their artifact as a medium to remotely influence a lower realm, even project a fragment of their divine will into it.
Throughout all of this, Tang San silently observed the Seven Devils' discussion—listening in secret to Ning Rongrong's plan.
Why secretly?
Because by letting the Seven Devils act freely, he appeared magnanimous and trusting.
But secretly eavesdropping ensured no unforeseen accidents occurred.
That was how Tang San always operated—appearing righteous while controlling everything behind the scenes.
Huo Yuhao had anticipated this trait. That's why he had Ning Rongrong mention the idea of merging God Realms.
If Tang San took the bait, their plan would proceed smoothly.
If not, they lost nothing.
A harmless gamble.
And this time, fate favored Huo Yuhao.
After overhearing Ning Rongrong's words, Tang San indeed caught the core idea—and began to seriously consider the possibility of fusing other God Realms.
Sending emissaries to persuade them? Impossible.
But conquering and absorbing other God Realms through power? That might not only be possible—it could very well succeed.
A starved camel is still bigger than a horse.
Even in decline, the once-unparalleled Dragon God Realm still possessed strength far surpassing that of newly born God Realms.
God Realms may exist on the same dimensional level, but the strength of their gods varied dramatically.
Of course, Tang San told himself he was "righteous" and could never commit acts of aggression.
But there was someone who could serve as his blade—
The God of Destruction.
Swallowing other realms to strengthen the Douluo God Realm? Surely that would interest the God of Destruction.
With the right guidance and manipulation, Tang San could easily let him take action.
And when the Douluo God Realm grew stronger, Tang San's own divine throne limit would rise as well—his power and authority would expand accordingly.
Yet, deep down, Tang San harbored a disdain for allowing mortals to stand on the same level as gods.
When he ascended, he sealed the mortal path to divinity.
When the Heavenly Palace revealed its tip, he covered it—refusing to let the world below glimpse the heavens.
Still, the idea of absorbing other God Realms—that he could accept.
In truth, there was no fundamental "good" or "evil" between Tang San and the God of Destruction; both merely acted in pursuit of their own interests.
Soon, the Seven Devils completed their preparations and began taking action.
Ning Rongrong and Oscar were the first to announce that they would send their inheritances and resources to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
No one objected.
Surely no one thought they'd just hand over their divine opportunities to random strangers, right?
Naturally, they'd choose to pass them to those "most worth nurturing."
And who were such people?
Those of similar bloodlines, of course.
Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing also planned to send their inheritances to their respective clans.
However, while Zhu Zhuqing found her family—the flourishing Zhu Clan—
Dai Mubai discovered that the Dai Clan no longer existed.
"How could this be?!" Dai Mubai's eyes widened in fury, his gaze bloodshot, his divine power surging in rage.
Not only had the Dai Clan lost the throne—they had been wiped out entirely?
How dared they?!
This time, Dai Mubai truly wanted to return to the Douluo Continent and annihilate all his enemies.
But he couldn't.
"Boss Dai, calm down. Don't forget our plan," Ma Hongjun said steadily.
He never imagined that one day he would be the one telling Dai Mubai to calm down.
"Besides, there are only a few who could have destroyed the White Tiger lineage. Their reckoning will come."
Hearing that, Dai Mubai slowly restrained his anger, exhaled deeply, and forced his divine power to stabilize.
Zhu Zhuqing remained silent throughout.
Not because she was quiet by nature—
But because she had noticed something wrong.
Since ancient times, the Dai and Zhu Clans were bound in alliance—
so why had the Dai Clan vanished while the Zhu Clan thrived?
That question led down a dangerous path.
Perhaps…the enemy wasn't external.
Dai Mubai too sensed this possibility, but said nothing aloud.
After countless generations, the Dai and Zhu lineages on the continent were no longer direct descendants—anything could have happened.
Still, he thought grimly:
"If the Zhu Clan truly had a hand in this, then I won't forgive them.
Zhuqing… I only hope you won't hate me when that day comes."
He then forced a stiff smile.
"It's fine. Even if the Dai Clan is gone, I can still sense traces of White Tiger blood on the continent. I'll entrust my inheritance to that descendant."
Everyone agreed—it was a reasonable choice.
"I too have a descendant on the Douluo Continent," said Ma Hongjun, expression conflicted. "I'll pass my legacy and resources to her."
In truth, Ma Hongjun and Bai Chenxiang had never had children—
which meant this descendant was likely born from some chance encounter with a courtesan.
But right now, she was his only option.
Fortunately, she had already purified her Evil Fire and reached the Title Douluo realm—her potential was impressive.
Xiao Wu also prepared a legacy and resources—
but hers were sent to the Clear Sky Sect.
That was Tang San's decision.
Once all targets were chosen, the Seven Devils used the pathways Tang San had opened and cast their legacies down to the Douluo Continent.
As they watched the inheritances and resources vanish through the portals, each of the Seven harbored different thoughts.
But in Ning Rongrong's and Oscar's eyes, a faint golden light flickered.
The others forbade them from casting divine thrones and artifacts—
but did that really mean they couldn't do it themselves?
Their hands were their own, after all.
So long as they acted quietly, who would notice?
Right now, with Tang San and the others focused on the Douluo Continent, they couldn't risk casting divine artifacts there.
But in other planes?
Perfectly possible.
They would seize this opportunity—while everyone's attention was elsewhere—to let their chosen pawns in other worlds ascend and inherit divine thrones.
Then, at the right moment, deliver Tang San a "pleasant surprise."
Their outer incarnations—Golden Immortal Jin Daxian and Phoenix Lord Feng Wudu—had already explored suitable planes.
Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao's main body, having comprehended the Law of Water, was en route to the Elven Star.
Several powerhouses within his divine kingdom were also dispatched into the cosmos to seek suitable planes—
ideally, future worlds like Tianlong Star and Tianma Star.
As long as they refrained from using god-level power recklessly, and with Huo Yuhao's fortune shielding them, the Douluo God Realm would never detect their actions.
And so—
Huo Yuhao began scattering his seeds across the universe, like dandelions in the wind.
Ning Rongrong and Oscar, behind everyone's backs, quietly flung marked divine thrones and artifacts into the cosmos.
These casts were random—no one knew where the inheritances or artifacts would end up.
But through the marks, Huo Yuhao could sense their locations, retrieve them, and reassign them to chosen heirs.
It required cooperation between inner and outer forces—
and Huo Yuhao, conveniently, possessed exactly the means to do so.
The Shrek Seven had begun their grand act of generosity!
A meteor wrapped in divine radiance plunged down toward the Douluo Continent.
Some of the people on the continent received divine guidance from the God Realm, and from that holy light, they gained all sorts of incredible benefits.
Although none of those divine lights were aimed directly at Huo Yuhao, not a single one of them managed to avoid him entirely.
The Douling Empire
Due to the zombie army's rampage, only half of the Douluo Empire remained, its population greatly reduced.
Yet, with the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's backing, the newly founded Douling Empire rapidly recovered its national strength. The half of its territory that remained became incredibly stable, leaving the undead unable to advance a single step further.
Of course, the fact that the empire did not share a border with the Sun–Moon Empire—and thus avoided being stabbed in the back—was also a major reason it could recover so swiftly.
Though Empress Xue Hui of Douling was still very young, she was diligent in her cultivation and had not been usurped by her ministers.
The entire imperial court appeared to be filled with loyal and capable officials who faithfully assisted the young empress in governing her nation.
In truth, the empire's upper echelons—from the empress down to the lowest officials—were all firmly under Huo Yuhao's control.
To say the empire was harmonious would be misleading; rather, every single person was an obedient worker ant executing the plans that Huo Yuhao had laid out.
That day, a pillar of divine light descended upon Nine Treasure City, falling squarely within the core grounds of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Naturally, this drew the attention of countless soul masters.
But no one dared to rush toward the sect to seize the opportunity—no one even dared to probe it with their spiritual senses.
The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was now like a celestial being within the Douling Empire—untouchable and supreme.
The divine light landed right in front of the current sect master, Ning Tian, making her the first to come into contact with this "heaven-sent fortune."
Beside her stood Wu Feng.
As the divine radiance faded, two items were revealed.
One was a pendant shaped like a nine-tiered pagoda—the emblematic Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
The other was a small diamond-shaped carving in the form of a sausage—the likeness of the Sausage Spirit.
Both were special storage artifacts.
Sensing the aura of the Glazed Tile Pagoda Spirit from Ning Tian's body, the two artifacts transformed into streaks of light that shot toward her.
Wu Feng immediately stepped forward to shield Ning Tian, but the two beams nimbly curved around her and burrowed straight into Ning Tian's body—too fast to stop or evade.
"Tian'er!" Wu Feng cried, turning toward her in alarm.
Because of their special relationship with Huo Yuhao, Wu Feng no longer called Ning Tian "Young Mistress" but used a far more intimate form of address.
(Though, during their more... "competitive" moments together, Wu Feng still liked to call her "Young Mistress." It made things more exciting.)
Ning Tian closed her eyes and stood still, seemingly entering a special state.
For a moment, Wu Feng didn't even dare to touch her.
Soon, the sect's other experts arrived. After questioning Wu Feng and getting no answers, they could only watch anxiously.
Fortunately, the situation did not last long.
Just as Wu Feng was about to contact Huo Yuhao for help, Ning Tian opened her eyes, a radiant smile spreading across her face.
"Feng'er, don't worry. This isn't danger—it's an opportunity!"
After dismissing the others, Ning Tian explained the fortune she had received.
"This is a gift from the Nine-Colored Goddess and the God of Food—bestowed upon me and the entire Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!"
Wu Feng froze for a moment, then stared wide-eyed. "Wait—the God of Food and the Nine-Colored Goddess… they're real?"
Ning Tian: "..."
Well, although statues of the Shrek Seven stood proudly at Shrek Academy, many still doubted they had ever truly existed.
Some believed it was all propaganda by the academy—just as, ten thousand years ago, many soul masters doubted that even the Angel God had ever been real.
Humans always struggled to believe in things beyond their own imagination and understanding.
Under Huo Yuhao's secret guidance, Ning Rongrong and Oscar had sent countless treasures down to the continent—far more than any of the other Shrek Seven.
Of course, they did so quietly, without informing the rest.
Within the pagoda pendant and the sausage carving were the complete divine inheritances of the Nine-Colored Goddess and the God of Food.
The Nine-Colored Goddess's legacy included support techniques, cultivation methods, battle experience, and even her divine skills.
It also contained Ning Rongrong's own insights on fusing the inheritance with the Glazed Tile Pagoda Spirit—an invaluable gift that could even help ordinary Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda users evolve their martial spirits.
The God of Food's inheritance was simpler—it came in the form of a cookbook.
That cookbook had been left behind by the previous God of Food.
Among the Shrek Seven, Oscar's compatibility with the God of Food's divinity had actually been the weakest.
When he first received the god's inheritance, Oscar was a complete novice in cooking—his best dish at the time was, ironically, grilled sausages.
Yes, grilled versions of his own spirit.
Yet, despite his lack of culinary skill, his talent was extraordinary. Through sheer effort, he mastered cooking from scratch and passed the divine trials.
The inheritance of the God of Food had greatly benefited him.
He learned to prepare dishes imbued with special effects, using rare ingredients to create divine-level cuisine.
He even developed new varieties of sausages—so potent that, with the right ingredients, a single sausage could rival the effects of a celestial herb.
One bite could remake a person's body and soul.
But there was a price.
Oscar's strength and limits were bound by the path of the God of Food, making it extremely difficult for him to surpass that framework.
Raising the rank of the Food God's divinity was even harder than increasing the rank of the Phoenix God's for Ma Hongjun.
That cookbook was the complete inheritance of the Food God.
While most of its recipes required ingredients unavailable on Douluo Continent, a small number were feasible—and those few dishes could become strategic resources for nations and soul masters alike.
Beyond inheritances, Ning Rongrong and Oscar also sent down vast quantities of resources—some even carrying divine energy from the God Realm itself.
Among them were three special sausages crafted by Oscar himself, each equal in power to an immortal herb.
Anyone could eat them—no restrictions—and each one could utterly transform the consumer.
After organizing the inheritances, Ning Tian immediately sent word to Huo Yuhao, eager to share the discovery.
At the same time, she and Wu Feng began to dream of a glorious future—of catching up to Huo Yuhao, of defying destiny itself.
Similar miracles were happening elsewhere—within the Star Luo Empire, the Heaven Dou Empire, and even the new Shrek Academy.
In the Star Luo Empire, the inheritance of the God of Speed, Zhu Zhuqing, landed within the Zhu family estate.
Zhu Lu was the first to receive it and soon shared it with her clan.
Of course, Huo Yuhao also obtained a copy of the inheritance and all related resources—though he only accepted the inheritance.
To a God King, resources from a second-tier deity were of no real value.
In the Heaven Dou Empire, the God of War, Dai Mubai's inheritance, descended into a hidden forest—where a small village had been built.
There, Dai Huabin, long thought lost, received it.
He had founded the village himself, sheltering the loyal guards who once saved him, along with their children—a hidden seed for the rebirth of the White Tiger bloodline.
Upon obtaining part of the War God's legacy and the accompanying resources, Dai Huabin could no longer contain his emotions.
He fell to his knees and kowtowed toward the sky.
"The ancestors have blessed me!"
"I, Dai Huabin, will rebuild the White Tiger Manor and reclaim everything that was taken from us!"
"The Star Luo Empire, the Sun–Moon Empire, Shrek Academy, Huo Yuhao—none of them will escape my revenge!"
His eyes burned with hatred.
But what Dai Huabin didn't know was that none of the "loyal followers" around him were truly loyal.
Unbeknownst to him, every single one of his guards and children had been possessed by wraiths under Huo Yuhao's command.
They were mere pawns in Huo Yuhao's grand design.
In his ecstasy, Dai Huabin failed to notice how the villagers' gazes glimmered eerily in the shadows—like ghosts wearing human skin.
No, not like ghosts—they were ghosts.
Yet, until their master gave the order, they remained quiet, ensuring nothing appeared amiss.
At the new Shrek Academy, yet another inheritance arrived—this one from Ma Hongjun.
It contained:
All cultivation insights of the Phoenix Spirit up to the Ultimate Douluo level.
Seven divine phoenix techniques adapted for mortal use.
Vast quantities of fire-attribute and phoenix-compatible resources.
A previously unknown fire-type immortal herb.
And a single feather from a divine-beast-level fire phoenix.
Sadly, that phoenix, like Xiao Wu, had never attained true godhood—possessing power but no divine spark.
Had the feather come from a true Phoenix God, its value would have been immeasurable.
Even so, the combination of that feather and the fire herb was enough to help Ma Xiaotao's martial spirit evolve once more—perhaps even beyond the Fire Phoenix itself.
After all, the Fire Phoenix was not the final form of the phoenix lineage.
But further evolution required immense resources and extraordinary fortune.
Finally, there remained only the inheritance that Xiao Wu had released on behalf of Tang San—its whereabouts unknown.
However, Huo Yuhao soon noticed the flow of fate gathering in the far north.
Someone new—someone beyond his control—was about to rise.
Naturally, his attention turned in that direction.
It seemed likely that Xiao Wu's divine gift had fallen there.
While Tang San was executing his plan, the God of Destruction also began to move.
He issued an order to the Seven Deadly Sin Gods, instructing them to search the mortal world for suitable talents — and to pass down their divine positions.
If they happened to find other promising candidates, they were to report back so that divine seats in the God Realm could be chosen for inheritance.
That was, in fact, the God of Destruction's true purpose.
Tang San had restricted the path for mortals to ascend to godhood. After becoming a god himself, he blocked the way for others under the pretext of "maintaining divine order."
This, in turn, prevented the God of Destruction from carrying out his own long-cherished plan.
But the God of Destruction was no fool.
Tang San's impatience had opened a gap — an opportunity.
Having the Seven Deadly Sin Gods pass on their godhood was, on the surface, equivalent to severing one of his own arms.
Yet, for the God of Destruction to willingly make such a sacrifice, it meant that greater rewards awaited beyond it.
His true goal was to use this "inheritance" as a pretext for the Seven Deadly Sin Gods to descend to the lower realm and search for exceptional mortals — and then have those mortals inherit the vacant divine thrones in the God Realm.
Had he done this earlier, Tang San would have been immediately alerted and taken measures to suppress him.
But now, with the Seven Deadly Sin Gods acting in his stead, even if Tang San noticed, the God of Destruction could simply argue that it was "a lawful act of divine succession."
If Tang San dared to interfere again, that would give the God of Destruction legitimate grounds to move against him —
—and tear away Tang San's mask of false virtue.
Then, with the Seven Deadly Sin Gods as his vanguard, the God of Destruction could directly "judge" Tang San.
Without the Seven Elemental Gods to balance things out, the threat posed by the Seven Deadly Sin Gods was something Tang San could not ignore.
The Shrek Seven Devils were merely secondary gods — far too weak to challenge the primary-level Sin Gods.
That was the difference between the new gods and the old ones.
Power could be inherited — but relationships among gods had to be rebuilt from scratch.
Tang San could only curry favor with the Seven Elemental Gods, trying to reestablish the ties once held by the former Elemental deities.
Now that those divine seats were changing hands, there was no telling whether their successors would even side with him.
And as a successor himself, Tang San never truly earned the loyalty of the previous Shura God's subordinates — the God Realm's law enforcers merely obeyed him out of duty, not devotion.
The Seven Deadly Sin Gods, in contrast, had long followed the God of Destruction. As long as their divine seats remained intact, their allegiance would never waver.
Even if their godhoods were eventually passed down, and their personal loyalty waned, it would make little difference to the God of Destruction.
Beyond them, several gods who had survived from the Era of the Dragon God were also his followers.
Among the Five Great God Kings, the God of Destruction already commanded the largest number of supporters.
The God of Kindness and the God of Evil were lost in endless debates, caring nothing for worldly affairs.
The Goddess of Life — the God of Destruction's wife — merely protected a few gentle gods who despised conflict.
Of the remaining deities, most of the truly capable ones had already been won over by the God of Destruction.
So even if Tang San wanted to recruit others now — it was far too late.
At this point, Tang San truly had few people he could rely on.
The only reason he could still stand against the God of Destruction was that their confrontation had not yet escalated into an open war.
If the conflict ever became a direct clash, the other God Kings — including the Goddess of Life — would have to intervene, as the God Kings were forbidden from warring freely.
The God of Destruction only lacked one thing: a justifiable reason and the right moment.
He was confident that if it ever came to battle, he would crush Tang San's faction with overwhelming force.
He didn't interfere with the Sin Gods' mission — because he trusted them.
And in the meantime, he refined his grand design.
"Once the divine thrones are passed on — with my protection — their inheritors will ascend far more easily, Though this alone won't strengthen the God Realm, my true goal isn't the inheritors themselves…"
"It's the companions they bring with them!, Those friends and kin who enter the God Realm alongside the new gods — they'll gain a chance to cultivate divinity."
"Under the nurturing of the God Realm, many of them will eventually open their own divine paths, creating new gods and expanding our realm!, Even if they start as mere third-level gods, that's enough."
"Once the first new divine seat appears, the God Realm's transformation will begin — and Tang San's plan to 'concentrate and consolidate' the God Realm will be rendered meaningless."
"He'll have no choice but to follow my path — letting more ascend, more divine seats emerge, and the God Realm flourish once again!"
Bringing mortals into the God Realm had always been strictly regulated — a rule dating back to the Age of the Dragon God.
Only first-level gods could bring two people with them; all lesser gods had no such privilege.
That was why Ma Hongjun, having missed the position of Fire God, was forever separated from Bai Chenxiang — a regret that haunted him endlessly.
Tang San himself had brought Tang Hao and A Yin into the realm.
To the God of Destruction, Tang Hao had the potential to create his own godhood — but Tang San denied him that chance.
The others in the Shrek Seven? They never had that right to begin with.
They were inheritors, not creators.
If not for Tang San's manipulation, none of them would have qualified for divine inheritance at all.
It wasn't a matter of passing divine trials — they simply lacked the qualification to even draw a god's attention.
And that "qualification" was the most important thing — the ability to comprehend a god's law and path.
Because Tang San "aimed first, shot later," the other Shrek Seven were confined within their inherited godhoods — unable to evolve further.
Only Oscar had truly qualified for his divine path — the God of Food had chosen him personally.
Had Tang San not interfered, Oscar would've continued growing under that god's guidance, slowly understanding the true essence of "food," and one day earning his godhood legitimately.
But as it stood, even Oscar's future was stunted — bound to a path already paved.
The only one with a real chance to ascend further was Ma Hongjun, whose phoenix bloodline still held potential.
Unfortunately, true phoenix essence was now nearly extinct throughout the universe — and without it, his chance remained only theoretical.
Back then, the reason the other Shrek Seven could even undergo god trials was largely because the first generation of gods were preparing to retire many had lost faith after the Dragon God War and sought either seclusion or a higher plane.
Thus, they willingly passed on their thrones.
In fact, there had always been ways to "bend the rules" and bring more companions to the God Realm.
One could raise their friends to the divine level as personal divine officers, granting them eternal life and entry to the realm — though their future growth would depend on their own fate.
Directly bestowing godhood, however, was blatant nepotism, turning public power into private gain.
Regrettably, Tang Hao — who could have forged a godhood himself — took the easy path under Tang San's advice and accepted a secondary godhood.
As for A Yin… in the God of Destruction's eyes, that was outright blasphemy.
A soul beast, elevated to a secondary god?
Wasn't it clearly decreed that beasts could not become gods?!
For the law enforcers of the God Realm to trample its own laws — what justice was that?
Even if she were your mother — that's no excuse for opening the back door!
What kind of "fairness" was that? Just whatever makes you happy?!
The God of Destruction could not comprehend Tang San.
As an original god born from the God Realm's essence, he had no parents — he could not understand "family."
If one stretched the definition, then perhaps the Dragon God himself could be considered his "father," for the God Realm's origin had split from the Dragon God's own essence.
Out of respect for A Yin's pure and gentle nature, the other God Kings chose to turn a blind eye to her case.
After all, the rest bore no malice toward beasts — and none of the five original God Kings were truly "human" themselves.
To them, humans and beasts were all the same — mere vessels of will.
Many gods even had beast companions or divine beasts as partners.
Remember: the original Space God among the Seven Elemental Gods was a beast deity as well, and no one discriminated against him.
The one who first forbade beasts from becoming gods was the Dragon God — and even the five God Kings could not overturn his decree.
Fortunately, A Yin was wise enough to excuse herself, citing "nostalgia for the mortal realm," and quietly returned to Douluo Continent — disappearing from the God Realm altogether.
Out of sight, out of mind.
Were it not for Tang San's opposition now, the God of Destruction wouldn't have bothered digging up these old matters.
After all, even the other God Kings had their selfish moments — the Gods of Kindness and Evil meddled in the mortal world constantly, and no one said a thing.
As long as everyone minded their own business, peace reigned.
But Tang San — Tang San refused to let the God of Destruction live in peace.
"Even the Sin Gods have long harbored thoughts of leaving," he mused. "This time, I'll give them the chance."
"If they fail to pass on their godhoods, there are still plenty of vacant primary divine thrones left."
At its height, the Dragon God Realm once had over dozens of primary gods.
But after the Dragon God's madness and the ensuing war, many were destroyed.
Though later new gods like the Angel God and Sea God filled some of the gaps, the peak could never be restored — the God Realm now held at most eighteen first-level gods.
Some divine thrones, like those of the Gods of Love and Wisdom, had fallen entirely into the mortal world.
Even so, a number of first-level god seats still remained in the God Realm, unclaimed.
And the God of Destruction intended to make full use of them.