Chapter 233 This is my father-in-law's test!
The air inside the Temple of Poseidon seemed to be frozen by some heavy force, and every inch of space was filled with the collision of purple lightning and the divine power of the sea god.
Tang San stood in the center of the hall, his forehead still covered with fine beads of cold sweat, but his eyes quickly regained their usual deep gaze.
And at this moment...
Tang San remained silent for a long time. Under Xiao Wu's suspicious gaze and the overwhelming pressure of the God of Destruction, he finally spoke slowly, his voice carrying a slightly hoarse and heavy tone.
"I really don't know why my future self would choose to appear in person at this moment and in this way."
"But if I had to give a guess..." Tang San turned his head, his eyes revealing a just-right mix of helplessness and deep affection as he looked directly into Xiao Wu's eyes.
"Xiao Wu, you should understand that Dong'er is our only daughter. She is the apple of our eye and my only weakness in this divine realm."
Tang San paused for a moment, making his tone more sincere: "Perhaps, in the future, after seeing Huo Yuhao's hesitation when facing Wang Qiu'er, and after seeing the various flaws he had previously shown, I developed an extreme distrust."
"He believed that this young man was not qualified to entrust Dong'er's life to, so he resorted to extreme measures."
"This cycle of torture and resurrection, in my future view, may just be the final character-building exercise for my son-in-law."
"He had to make sure that this man could completely give up his pride, and even his hatred, for Dong'er."
As Xiao Wu listened to this explanation, the coldness in her eyes gradually melted away.
As a mother, she knew all too well Tang San's controlling nature towards his family and how much he valued his daughter.
If all of this is attributed to "the father-in-law's harsh test of his son-in-law," it may be cruel, but it does make sense within the God-King's distorted view of family.
"Testing the son-in-law…" Xiao Wu murmured to herself. Although she still felt uncomfortable with the scene, the fear that "Tang San is a demon" had been greatly reduced by this "overprotective" reason.
She nodded, which meant she accepted the explanation.
However, the God of Destruction remained unmoved by these kind words. He sneered and slammed his scepter heavily onto the floor once more.
"Testing the son-in-law? Tang San, you can fool Xiao Wu with that kind of excuse." The God of Destruction's expression was extremely sinister.
"The Divine Realm Committee's prohibition is clearly written: God-Kings are not allowed to descend to the mortal realm in their true form to interfere with evolution, and they are even less allowed to inflict such inhumane private torture on mortals."
"You are blatantly trampling on the rules and challenging the fundamental order of the divine realm."
Tang San had regained his composure. He knew very well that this was the best explanation he could give at the moment.
If Xiao Wu knew his true plan—that is, to tame Huo Yuhao's soul by destroying his dignity and then completely transforming it into a tool to solidify his divine authority—she would likely feel disgusted.
As the scabbard of the Shura Sword, Xiao Wu is closely related to the Shura God's position. Once she becomes estranged from him, the foundation of his godhood will be shaken.
"Destruction, I do not deny that." Tang San calmly looked at the God of Destruction, his tone carrying the majesty of a ruler of the divine realm.
"This is indeed a violation, and I admit that I went a bit too far in the future. But aren't you making a mountain out of a molehill by threatening to impeach me?"
Tang San stepped forward and recounted his past: "I have come all the way from Douluo Continent, stabilizing the chaotic order of the God Realm and defeating countless evil forces that attempted to overthrow it."
"Every single one of my contributions to the divine realm is recorded in the committee's annals. Just because I used a little of my personal power to test my future son-in-law, you want to pull me down from my positions as the Sea God and the Asura God? Don't you think that's ridiculous?"
Just as the two were about to clash, a stream of emerald light quietly descended, and the gentle yet slightly melancholic figure of the Goddess of Life appeared in the hall.
"Life, you've come at just the right time." Tang San looked directly at the Goddess of Life, his tone carrying a sense of requesting a fair assessment.
"The two God-Kings, Good and Evil, are not currently in the God Realm. The God Realm Council is now jointly governed by the three of us. Regarding this matter, I hope you can provide an objective assessment."
The God of Destruction looked at his wife, his eyes filled with hope: "Life, you witnessed those cruel scenes. He abused his divine power to slaughter mortals and toy with their emotions; such behavior is unforgivable. You must stand on the side of the rules and support my impeachment!"
A deathly silence fell over the main hall.
The God of Destruction hoped his wife would help him maintain order, while Tang San was gambling on the Goddess of Life's boundless compassion.
The Goddess of Life remained silent for a long time. She first looked at Destruction, whose face was full of hope, then at Tang San, who looked calm, and finally sighed softly.
"Destruction, you should relax a little." The goddess of life's voice was still gentle, but she said something that made the god of destruction feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
"Although Tang San in the future did violate the rules in his behavior, and could even be said to be somewhat extreme, he did not have a significant impact on the foundation of the God Realm, did he?"
The God of Destruction was stunned: "Life, what are you talking about? That's torture!"
"But he is also a father." The goddess of life revealed a gentle smile, her tone conveying a sense of emotional logic.
"For a father who wants to ensure his daughter's happiness, seeing his son-in-law harboring disloyalty, it's understandable that he might impulsively take an extreme action, isn't it?"
"As gods, shouldn't we also have some compassion and understanding? This is at most a 'minor mistake,' not enough to warrant impeaching the God-King."
Upon hearing these words, the God of Destruction completely broke down.
The lightning in his eyes vanished instantly, revealing an expression of disbelief and extreme grievance.
He painstakingly found Tang San's Achilles' heel and tried to set things right through the rules, but his most trusted and beloved partner simply dismissed all the evidence with the words "He did it for his daughter."
"It's understandable...?" The God of Destruction's voice trembled with anger and despair. "You'd trample the rules for your daughter? You'd slaughter mortals for your daughter? Life, are you pitying him, or are you condoning him?"
Looking at the three people in the hall who seemed to have reached a subtle consensus—Tang San's composure, Xiao Wu's relief, and the bias of life—the God of Destruction suddenly felt an unprecedented loneliness and anger.
The rules of the divine realm became utterly ridiculous at this moment. The so-called strict enforcement of the law seemed so pale and powerless in the face of so-called "fatherly love" and "family".
(End of chapter)