Dou Luo: This Tang San is Different

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"Interesting, truly—" 

Tang Chen suddenly laughed. "Ambitious... So, you're aware that after becoming a god, one cannot interfere in mortal affairs?" 

"I know," Tang San replied without hesitation. "In fact, I was the one who told Bibi Dong about it. To be honest, I was personally approached by two gods who descended just to find me. They wanted me to inherit their divine positions. They even claimed to be God-Kings, representing Life and Destruction." 

Hearing this, Tang Chen's expression turned serious. Having communicated with the Asura God-King, he had a modest understanding of the Divine Realm. Among the five Divine Realm God-Kings, Life and Destruction were two of the most powerful. 

Could it be that Tang San had truly met them? 

"And did you agree?" 

"I refused," Tang San replied nonchalantly, as though it was a trivial matter. "But the Goddess of Life did accept me as her godson." 

Between the lines, the implication was clear: 

He had connections—backing, even. Not just any backing, but a Divine Realm God-King as his adoptive mother. 

Tang Chen felt the urge to complain but didn't know where to start. He swore, in all his years, he had never encountered someone or something so outrageous. This great-grandson of his kept shattering his worldview time and time again. 

"Talking with you is… interesting." At last, Tang Chen said, shifting the topic back to the original conversation. "But are you truly unwilling to return to the Haotion Clan? Your father misses you greatly." 

"Really?" Tang San's face remained expressionless, followed by a long silence that effectively ended the conversation. 

Looking into Tang San's eyes, devoid of the slightest ripple, Tang Chen realized this young man had no sense of familial attachment. He could not be bound by blood ties—or rather, he refused to be bound. 

"The Spirit Hall offers you more freedom?" 

"Something like that." Tang San seemed a bit surprised but nodded. Considering how long Tang Chen had lived, it wasn't surprising he could see through his thoughts. "Besides, I find the atmosphere in Spirit Hall to be very pleasant. There are so many people, all of them talented and eloquent. I really enjoy it there." 

Tang Chen's anger flared. "The Haotion Clan also has many people, all bound by blood ties. It's much closer and more intimate!" 

"There are indeed many people," Tang San said bluntly, "but from what I've seen, they lack the ability to think critically. All they do is swing hammers. My suggestion? Let them go out into the world, maybe enroll in some academies. Otherwise, the Haotion Clan is destined to fade into history. Honestly, they seem pretty dim-witted." 

Tang Chen trembled with anger. "You…!" 

"For example, a girl named Tang Tiantian," Tang San interrupted calmly. "She looks about thirteen or fourteen, doesn't she? But her behavior is as naïve—cough—as innocent and carefree as a five- or six-year-old. In a poor family, a girl her age would already know how to cook, do laundry, and might even be married. Among nobles, she'd likely be managing affairs independently by now." 

"Innocence isn't a bad thing," Tang Chen retorted, after a moment of hesitation. "It shows that our Haotion Clan can protect her, sparing her from hardships." 

"Heh. Innocence is fine," Tang San sneered, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "But does the Haotion Clan really have the right to boast about such protection? This isn't care; it's confinement." 

Did he think Tang San's emphasis on "innocence" was a compliment? 

The greatest love one can give a child is independence. 

In this respect, Tang Hao had done fairly well. Unfortunately, he lacked the heart for it. If not for Tang San's own resilience, he wouldn't have survived long enough to awaken his martial soul at six years old. 

So, Tang Hao didn't qualify either. 

During the most critical years of a child's growth and independence, he had been absent. 

"I... have no rebuttal." Tang Chen couldn't see fault in the Haotion Clan's traditions. After all, he was a product of the "past." He couldn't understand someone like Tang San, who came from another world, was unshaped by its rules, and sought to change them. 

But one thing was certain: If Tang San did not return to the Haotion Clan, then the Clan would become his adversary—one that might someday be eliminated. 

There was no bond of affection left between Tang San and the Haotion Clan. 

And that was bad. 

Very bad. 

A Century Later, He Must Ascend to the Divine Realm 

To Tang Chen, his peerless great-grandson would find a hundred years to be but a fraction—one-tenth of a millennium. Furthermore, from his observation, Tang San's vitality was extraordinarily robust, far exceeding a millennium. It was even possible, given his formidable life force, that Tang San could remain in the mortal world for tens of thousands of years. 

The rules of the Divine Realm were clear: *Gods must not interfere in mortal affairs.* 

Yet now, Tang Chen found this rule deeply flawed. It should include the peerless mortals—those who achieved such unparalleled strength entirely through their own efforts. 

In theory, such beings should naturally pursue higher realms of existence, unmoved by the trifling powers of the mortal realm. But Tang San was an anomaly. 

Although he cared little for power or authority, he held a peculiar concern for the weak and ordinary. 

"I just want to ask one thing," Tang Chen began, speaking candidly, "why do you care so much about those who are not even close to your level?" 

Not understanding soul tools or the like, Tang Chen only knew that since Tang San joined Spirit Hall, the entire continent had seemed to grow restless, with disputes becoming more frequent. 

"Disputes?" Tang San chuckled softly. "But fewer people starve, and more children are born each year. If you insist on asking why, I can only say this: as long as the common folk are well-fed and guided properly, the brilliance of their wisdom can surpass your imagination—so much so that even the gods of the Divine Realm would pale in comparison." 

"They are only stronger than humans in power and longevity," he added, "but in terms of thought and logic, they fall far behind humanity." 

"I don't expect every person in this world to be extraordinarily wise. But if even a thousandth, or a ten-thousandth, of ordinary people can flourish in a relatively stable environment and unleash the light of their inherent brilliance, it would be enough to accelerate the development of Douluo Continent by tens of thousands of times." 

Tang Chen frowned deeply. "What's the point of that? What value does their wisdom hold for you? Your strength is on an entirely different plane. Your status and theirs are worlds apart." 

"We live under the same sky, on the same land," Tang San replied calmly. "Even if someone has never left their impoverished little village their entire life, when they look up, they see the same vast blue sky and starry night as we do. And when they take a step forward, the ground beneath their feet is connected to ours." 

These words weren't inspired by quotes from his past life but rather by the insights Tang San had gained through his journey. From Holy Spirit Village to Nuoding City, then to Spirit City, and through countless towns and villages, his experiences and studies on souls, his understanding of the undying true spirit, and the teachings of "Gu" had all led to this realization. 

"Man stands with his head toward the heavens and his feet upon the earth." 

"And even as a god, isn't that also true for you?" 

"At least," Tang San added with a faint smile, "for the next century." 

And after a century? 

Tang Chen would ascend, leaving Douluo Star and thereby, in a physical sense, transcending the realm of humanity. 

(End of Chapter)