The Asura God opened his divine vision, presenting a certain lower plane under the divine realm to the assembly of gods.
A martial arts plane — the Bashu Tang Sect.
A clever rat took advantage of the sect's relaxed guard to stealthily steal the sect's legacy tome, Xuan Tian Baolu, then hid quietly in a cave.
Before opening Xuan Tian Baolu, he couldn't hide the excitement on his face. But suddenly, as if recalling something, he pressed his palms together in prayer, as if addressing some long-deceased ancestors:
"Ancestral spirits of the Tang Sect, today I, Tang San, have broken sect rules, but it was out of desperation. The Tang Sect's legacy has long been lost to legend, with many supreme skills remaining unfathomed. I thirst for these arts and hope to revive the sect's glory. Though I must resort to this extreme, when I master these skills, I vow to return all the knowledge to the sect."
With that, the clever rat kowtowed several times on the ground. His conscience eased, he finally opened the tome and began cultivating.
This scene unfolded within the Asura God's divine vision.
"How about it? How's this great treasure of mine?" the Asura God asked.
This…
The Sea God stepped forward without hesitation and said, "Truly worthy of being the great treasure chosen by Your Majesty, the Asura God. This individual possesses unique insight and extraordinary talent. Though he obtained the sect's legacy by unconventional means, I see his sincere love and devotion to the sect's heritage."
The Sea God's words sparked the other gods to awaken to the situation. They all began flattering the Asura God.
"It really shows Your Majesty's sharp eye. This great treasure couldn't bear to see the sect's legacy lost, so he resorted to extraordinary means. After succeeding, he still wishes to repay the sect—that truly reflects his sincere heart," the Food God added flattery.
The War God also gave his opinion: "The Asura God's choice of this great treasure as the next leader of the divine realm will surely bring vitality and prosperity to our world under his guidance."
The gods lavishly praised the Asura God's chosen treasure, almost painting him as a paragon of virtue—gentle, humble, diligent, and possessing a perfect balance of virtues.
From the Asura God's perspective, this was the honest truth. After all, his keen eye had truly picked a gem.
"Now that we have a worthy candidate, when the critical moment arrives, I will guide his soul to Douluo Continent to benefit from its millennia of fortune and let him break through to godhood in one leap," the Asura God said. "However, before that, we must prepare a suitable host body for our great treasure."
Regarding the choice of host father, the Asura God already had a clear candidate. There were many suitable candidates on Douluo Continent for godly succession—Hao Tian Hammer, Seven Kill Sword, and others—but the Asura God had a special fondness for Hao Tian Hammer. Tang Chen's performance had not disappointed him.
Although Tang Chen had fallen into that bastard Huo Yuhao's trap, Hao Tian Sect was not empty.
The divine gaze fixed on two heirs of Hao Tian Sect, Tang Xiao and Tang Hao. Both had innate full spirit power. If the Asura God wished to tutor them as he did Tang Chen, having them become the second Tang Chen would not be a problem. But Tang Chen already represented the limit—raising another just like him was pointless.
Instead, it would be better for them to contribute their excellent bloodline and become protectors for the great treasure.
However, being the father of my great treasure is a blessing in itself. Now, let's see which one of you is lucky enough to enjoy this blessing. To become the great treasure's father, the first test is the City of Slaughter—take the Killing God Domain first, then we'll talk.
With a thought, the Asura God sent two beams of light down from the divine realm, landing on Tang Hao and Tang Xiao.
"Next is the mother of the destined child. A good mother can nurture a prodigy. Which one should I choose?" the Asura God's divine mind swept over Douluo Continent.
In the human world, few mothers could match the Hao Tian twins' excellent bloodline. Suddenly, the Asura God had a daring idea.
Humans wouldn't do, but perhaps a transformed soul beast could. Especially a soul beast with a lifespan of 100,000 years; their bodies themselves would have undergone cultivation for that long, which was extraordinary.
With soul beasts as a new direction, the Asura God's goal became clearer. He soon fixed on one target—the Blue Silver Emperor deep in the Blue Silver Forest, a soul beast with ultimate life attributes.
With her bloodline forging the ultimate foundation of vitality, my great treasure could confidently wield the Hao Tian Hammer and Asura God's killing weapons. Also, Blue Silver Emperor's martial soul was formidable.
However, there can only be one Blue Silver Emperor on the continent. Once my great treasure is born, I will dispose of this soul beast to make way for him to inherit the Blue Silver Emperor's legacy. Sorry, Blue Silver Emperor—your value ends the moment you give birth to my great treasure.
The Asura God thought this as a beam of light entered Douluo Continent, landing on the Blue Silver Emperor.
…
Hao Tian Sect.
Tang Tian sat in the sect leader's seat, looking at his two sons.
"You both want to go to the City of Slaughter?" Tang Tian asked.
"Yes, Father. A voice in my soul tells me I must go there, or I will regret it forever," Tang Hao said.
"Me too, Father. Please allow me to go to the City of Slaughter," Tang Xiao said.
Tang Tian shook his head. "No. That place is perilous beyond measure. Throughout history, only six Killing Gods—including your grandfather Tang Chen—have left that place alive. You two are the future of Hao Tian Sect. I can't let you risk yourselves."
"Father, Grandpa fought his way through that place to become one of the three unbeatable extreme Douluo on the continent. Without this trial, how can we become true warriors?" Tang Hao replied.
"Yes, Father, Grandpa emerged from the City of Slaughter. We want to try for the Killing God Domain chance," Tang Xiao added.
Seeing their resolve, Tang Tian relented: "You both represent the sect's future. I will allow one of you to go to the City of Slaughter. The other must stay behind to serve as the sect's future backup."
In the end, the bold and headstrong Tang Hao set off for the City of Slaughter, while the calm and steady Tang Xiao stayed behind as a candidate for future sect leader.
As the saying goes, hesitation leads to defeat. In the original timeline, their fates diverged at that moment. If Tang Xiao had known what he lost, he would have defied his father's opposition and risked everything to enter the City of Slaughter to compete with Tang Hao.