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"You disappeared for so many years, not even understanding the current situation on the continent. Why would you care about something as trivial as the Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, which is just a game for the younger generation? This doesn't seem like something that fits your style, Tang Chen."

Qian Daoliu asked calmly, and Tang Chen fell into brief confusion.

Indeed, after being away for so many years without understanding the situation on the continent, why was he paying attention to something as petty as children fighting? Logically speaking, if it was about competing for the right to decide Tang Hao's fate, shouldn't he and Qian Daoliu simply settle it in a direct battle and let their strength do the talking?

Why would such a thought even occur to him?!

 What does a fight between children have to do with the two of them, beings akin to demigods? Why use something like this to decide?

Sensing Tang Chen's confusion, the powerful Asura God's divine consciousness within his mind made a very human-like gesture of holding its forehead in exasperation. It continued to subtly guide Tang Chen's thoughts, expending considerable effort to make him disregard this question.

Whether Tang Hao lived or died wasn't important. From the perspective of the Asura God, Tang Hao had already been reused several times as a pawn and was now on the verge of collapse. Even if they went out of their way to repair him, it wouldn't be worth the effort. It would be better to find an opportunity to expend him to further empower the Child of Rebellion.

The key issue was that this was an opportunity. The Asura God wanted to use Tang Hao's life and death as a catalyst to stimulate the rapid growth of the Child of Rebellion. Then, he would enable the Child of Rebellion to ascend openly to the stage of the Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, gathering fortune and destiny for them.

Tang Hao could certainly die, but before that, he had to be squeezed dry of his remaining value.

Due to Tang Hao's hopelessly disappointing behavior, the Asura God had already given up on using him as even a partial guide for the Child of Rebellion. Instead, he planned to have Tang Chen, who originally had a more significant role, step in as a substitute.

Though it wouldn't be possible to directly present the Child of Rebellion with the completed Eight Trials and grant him dual godhood to enhance the Asura God's influence over the Sea God's power, he could at least further remodel the Child of Rebellion.

In short, the Asura God felt that he had truly exhausted himself for the sake of his millennia-long grand plan.

"Hmph, Qian Daoliu, are you afraid?" Tang Chen sneered.

"I just think it's unreasonable, that's all." Qian Daoliu probed a few more times but quickly understood that his old friend had now completely become a pawn whose thoughts were being manipulated. Resigned, he decided not to resist further.

"If you want to gamble, then let's gamble. Let the Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament a year from now be the battleground. The team that wins the championship will have the right to decide Tang Hao's life, death, and the fate of his soul bones. Whether it's your team, mine, or a team from one of the other advanced soul master academies or the two empires, the victor will have that right."

"The victor will have the right to deal with Tang Hao, correct?"

"Naturally." Tang Chen saw no problem with what Qian Daoliu said and nodded in agreement.

Upon hearing the two of them settle his fate, Tang Hao couldn't help but raise his head once more, tears streaming down his face as he looked at his grandfather with gratitude.

To Tang Hao at that moment, this was a sign that his grandfather still cared about him, going to such lengths to save him in a roundabout way.

Large teardrops fell from Tang Hao's eyes. Even though his limbs had been broken, he used his soul power to drag his body toward Tang Chen, trying to hug his leg in gratitude.

Looking at the disgraceful and pathetic Tang Hao, Tang Chen suddenly didn't understand why he had wanted to save this useless grandson in the first place. But a promise was a promise. Since Tang Chen had said it, he would naturally take the matter seriously. After giving Tang Hao one last glance, Tang Chen turned and flew toward the direction of the Clear Sky Sect, leaving Tang Hao surrounded by the people of the Spirit Hall.

As Tang Hao tearfully watched Tang Chen's departing figure, several Spirit Hall soul masters surrounded him, bound him tightly with ropes, and dragged him back to Spirit City like a defeated dog.

Qian Daoliu didn't intervene. He took a deep look in the direction Tang Chen had left, then glanced at the pathetic Tang Hao on the ground. Shaking his head, he returned to the Hall of Worship.

....

At the same time, Chen Ming was sitting beneath the Angel God statue in the Hall of Worship, communicating with a strand of divine consciousness separated from the Angel God statue. When he saw Qian Daoliu return, he opened his eyes.

Without speaking, the two exchanged thoughts briefly through spiritual communication. After receiving Qian Daoliu's confirmation, Chen Ming nodded and left the Spirit Hall, quickly heading into the distance.

...

Just over ten days ago, Chen Ming had sensed the arrival of a presence somehow related to him on another continent of the Douluo Planet. It had been searching for him through the methods left by the God of Destruction to test him and prevent him from being consumed by malicious intent.

Because he had been preoccupied with Tang Hao and Tang San, Chen Ming had temporarily suppressed the other party's perception of him. Now that he had a clear understanding of the Shura God's plans, he was ready to investigate who had descended upon the Douluo Planet.

The other party had likely arrived through legitimate means, sealing their power below the god level and using a method that wouldn't be rejected by the will of the Douluo world.

Otherwise, if it had been a forced descent, the strong individuals of the Douluo Planet would have sensed the changes in the world. An external divine entity forcibly descending into the Douluo world would be akin to shoving a large block of metal into a jar filled with soil.

The process would cause significant disruptions, even threatening to shatter the world barrier of the Douluo Plane.

In the original story, the battle between the three gods in the Douluo Plane had led to this very outcome. For tens of thousands of years afterward, the strength of the Douluo Plane had steadily declined due to the scars left by that divine battle.

Now, Chen Ming's full power was also at the god level, and he had the protective power left behind by the God King of Destruction. He had no qualms about investigating who this god related to the God of Destruction was.

After traveling for a day and reaching an uninhabited area, Chen Ming unleashed his suppressed aura and used the divine trial in his mind to signal his existence to the other party. Within half a day, a man radiating a thick aura of arrogance tore through the space and appeared before Chen Ming.

Sensing the unique aura of the Sin of Pride and its power emanating from the man, Chen Ming immediately understood his identity. Likewise, upon sensing Chen Ming's aura and the power he faintly displayed, the God of Pride showed a rare look of surprise.

PS: Hey! Chen Ming, it's been a while!