Chapter 118: Beware the God of Destruction
"WHAT?!" The God of Destruction was shaken once more. Erasing a plane's consciousness and installing one's own relatives in its place? This was utterly monstrous! A plane's consciousness was the embodiment of a world's fundamental laws. To forcibly erase and replace it could potentially destabilize the entire plane's order, affecting billions of living beings! Moreover, it would require an almost unimaginable level of power and an exceedingly long period of preparation!
"I do not know to what stage this plan of his has progressed, or when he intends to carry it out," Furina added. "But by my estimation, if no one intervenes, he is very likely to succeed within ten thousand years... By then, the entire Douluo Continent will have become nothing more than the Tang family's private garden. Its destiny, its resources, its laws—all will fall into his hands."
The God of Destruction's gaze turned utterly glacial. If what Furina said was true, then Tang San's ambition and methods far exceeded his previous estimations. This was no longer a simple struggle for power and influence—this was shaking the very foundation of a plane!
"There is more," Furina continued, steering the conversation toward another key figure. "I presume you have also noticed that, aside from myself, this generation of the Douluo Continent has another 'Child of Destiny'?"
The God of Destruction's divine consciousness stirred slightly. He had indeed noticed—that youth named Huo Yuhao, upon whom astonishing destiny gathered, to the point of even stirring the power of Fate itself. These were the unmistakable characteristics of a Plane's Child.
"I have noticed. The child called Huo Yuhao." The God of Destruction confirmed.
"Indeed, it is he." A note of intrigue crept into Furina's tone. "And what is fascinating is that this Child of Destiny happens to be at the same academy, in the same class, as Tang San's daughter's half-soul reincarnation—that is, Wang Dong'er. And their relationship... appears to be rather good. Tell me, with Tang San's disposition and methods, what do you think he will do with this Child of Destiny?"
The God of Destruction instantly grasped Furina's implication.
Win him over! Control him! Or even... brainwash him!
Forge bonds between the Child of Destiny and his own daughter (even if only half a soul), then use the daughter and his divine sense imprint to subtly exert influence, ultimately binding the Child of Destiny firmly to his own war chariot! In doing so, he would not only gain a future powerhouse of limitless potential but could also leverage the boy's enormous destiny to better implement his unsavory schemes, and perhaps even... use him against factions in the Divine Realm that were not aligned with him!
And within the Divine Realm, the only one who clearly stood in ideological conflict and power struggle against Tang San—was that not precisely him, the God of Destruction, along with the Seven Deadly Sins under his command?!
What a brilliant scheme! Truly a brilliant scheme! Every link perfectly connected, from his daughter to his Divine Officials, from the plane to the Child of Destiny—all drawn into his grand game board!
"Good... very good!" The God of Destruction's voice was like ten-thousand-year-old ice, carrying boundless fury and resolute determination. "In that case, this old man cannot simply stand by and do nothing!"
He turned his attention to Furina and asked directly: "This Huo Yuhao—he is closely connected to you?"
"He is a member of my Church of the Water God, and moreover, my most trusted companion," Furina answered candidly.
"Then this old man shall now bestow upon him a divine trial mark, to serve as the seed of inheritance for the God of Destruction's divine seat!" The God of Destruction spoke with absolute finality. "Although his current body and strength are still insufficient to formally commence the divine trial, this mark can be implanted first. It will serve not only as a layer of protection, guarding against the infiltration and influence of other deities' divine senses, but also preserve his life at critical moments. When his strength is sufficient, the divine trial will formally activate on its own!"
Joy surged in Furina's heart. This was precisely what she had wanted! Having Huo Yuhao receive the favor and mark of the God of Destruction in advance was equivalent to equipping him with the strongest possible "firewall." If Tang San ever tried to use those subtle, creeping methods to influence him again, the difficulty would increase exponentially!
Moreover, the potential and might of inheriting the God of Destruction's divine seat far surpassed the God of Emotions' seat that Huo Yuhao had inherited in the original story! Not to mention the future inheritance from Electrolux, the Holy Law God of Necromancy—Destruction and Death shared certain commonalities at their core!
"My deepest gratitude, Lord God of Destruction!" Furina expressed her thanks from the bottom of her heart. "This is an immense help—to him, to me, and to the Church of the Water God!"
"No need for formalities. Helping him is also helping myself. This old man will absolutely not permit that hypocrite's schemes to succeed!" The God of Destruction's tone was grim. He had now classified Tang San as an enemy to be taken with the utmost seriousness.
"Is there anything else you wish to say?" the God of Destruction asked. "If not, I will shortly explain the situation to the Goddess of Life and have her bestow a divine trial upon you as well. Accepting the divine trials of two deities simultaneously will be exceedingly difficult—even unprecedented. However, you need not worry. My wife has a gentle disposition and will not deliberately set excessive obstacles. She will make reasonable arrangements according to your actual circumstances."
Furina expressed her thanks once more: "To receive the favor of Her Grace, the Goddess of Life, is my honor. However... before we conclude our conversation, there is indeed one final matter I wish to bring to your attention."
"Speak."
Furina's tone grew cautious: "Please... beware the God of Destruction."
"The God of Destruction?" A ripple passed through the God of Destruction's divine consciousness. The God of Destruction was one of the eight First-Class Deities under his command—immensely powerful and always loyal to him. "What do you mean by this?"
"I have heard..." Furina spoke slowly, "that long ago, when the God of Destruction and his family first arrived in the Divine Realm, they encountered a great calamity, and it was the Sea God Tang San who intervened and saved them. In other words, Tang San holds... a life-saving debt over him."
The God of Destruction fell silent. He had indeed heard of this matter, but had never paid it much mind. Mutual assistance between deities was not uncommon. However, with Furina deliberately raising it at this moment, the implication was entirely different.
"Gratitude... is sometimes the hardest debt to repay, and the easiest thing for others to exploit," Furina said softly. "Should it come to pass, at some critical juncture in the future, that Tang San uses this debt as leverage—demanding that the God of Destruction offer a slight 'convenience' in your plans, or provide some 'misinformation,' or even... perform a little maneuvering behind your back... then your entire scheme could very well collapse entirely due to this single unforeseen 'chess piece.'"
Furina did not spell things out too explicitly, but the God of Destruction fully comprehended the gravity of the situation.
A traitor! And a First-Class Deity traitor within the core circle at that!
If the God of Destruction truly turned covertly toward Tang San out of a sense of indebtedness, then all of his plans in the Divine Realm, all his defenses and countermeasures against Tang San, could be laid completely bare to the enemy! He could even be led into a lethal trap!
"...I understand." The God of Destruction's voice betrayed no emotion, but Furina could sense the storm brewing beneath that calm. "I will handle this matter with great care. Thank you for your warning, young lady."
His regard for Furina had already transformed from "a somewhat interesting mortal from the lower realm" to "a collaborator and intelligence source worthy of serious consideration." This young woman knew far too many secrets, and the information she provided all withstood scrutiny, holding immense value.
"Then let us conclude here for today," the God of Destruction said. "Focus on your preparations. The Goddess of Life's divine trial will descend in the near future. As for Tang San... with this old man here, he will not dare to act openly and brazenly against you and that youth for the time being. Take care of yourself and train diligently. I hope that one day, you will stand within the Divine Realm with your head held high and inherit a divine seat."
"I shall engrave Lord God of Destruction's teachings upon my heart," Furina responded with the utmost respect.
The vast, heavy, destruction-imbued divine consciousness receded just as silently as it had arrived, as though it had never been there at all.
Within her dormitory, Furina slowly opened her eyes. Outside the window, moonlight cascaded like water, serene and tranquil. But she knew that from this moment forward, her gambit with the highest echelons of the Divine Realm had officially begun.
She touched her brow, where a trace of that imperceptible, chilling mark belonging to a God King seemed to still linger.
"Tang San... I fear your 'Ten-Thousand-Year Grand Plan' is about to encounter quite a few unforeseen variables." An almost imperceptible curve lifted the corner of Furina's mouth, and within her eyes flickered a resolute light.