met free Chapter 22 The Game and the Pieces
Chapter 22 The Game and the Pieces
The sinister plots within the Temple of the Sea God were silently concealed beneath the peaceful facade of the divine realm, unnoticed by anyone, yet already brewing beneath the surface.
Tang San's scheme unfolded like an invisible net, quietly drawing Huo Yuhao, Tang Wutong, Zi Lingtian, and even the two God Kings of Destruction and Life into his game. What he wanted was not temporary control, but to grasp all variables, all potential, and all uncontrollable forces in his palm, making them stepping stones for the Tang family to ascend to the top of the God Realm and control everything.
Zi Lingtian, with her half-step God King divine sense, was very clear about Tang San's little tricks.
Since their parting in the grove that day, Zi Lingtian's wariness of Tang San had become deeply ingrained. He seemed to continue cultivating diligently every day, playing with Tang Wutong in the God Realm, maintaining the appearance of a well-behaved and sensible junior. In reality, however, he spared a sliver of his mind to keep a close eye on the movements of the Sea God's Temple, using the concealing properties of his life force to secretly probe the surrounding divine power fluctuations.
He could clearly sense that Tang San's divine sense was frequently traversing between the God Realm and Douluo Continent. That powerful and cold divine aura was probing downwards time and time again, locking onto the Star Dou Great Forest, and the person it was locking onto was naturally Huo Yuhao, who was destined to be controlled by Tang San for life in the original story.
With his half-step God King spiritual power, it was no problem for him to project his divine sense into the lower realm; he had already observed Huo Yuhao.
Zi Lingtian sneered inwardly.
He knew Tang San's methods all too well. The so-called "chosen one" and the so-called "Tang Sect opportunity" were nothing but illusions concocted by Tang San. From the moment Huo Yuhao awakened his martial soul, he had already become a pawn chosen by Tang San, his fate even altered in advance. He was destined to be bound to the Tang family's war chariot for life, becoming a tool for Tang San to control the Douluo Continent and consolidate his power in the God Realm.
What made Zi Lingtian's heart sink even more was that he could feel Tang San's gaze towards him becoming increasingly deep and unfathomable.
When they occasionally met, Tang San still acted like a gentle and loving elder, praising his talent and looking at him with "gratification" in his eyes. However, deep in his eyes, there was scrutiny, calculation, and even a trace of barely perceptible greed, which Zi Lingtian accurately captured.
Especially recently, Tang San would often use the pretext of guiding his cultivation to casually touch his shoulder and brow with his fingertips, probing the power within him. Each time, Zi Lingtian could feel the hidden probing beneath that gentle divine power; the other was carefully sensing the yin and yang power within him, searching for the secret of that nascent divine position.
Zi Lingtian remained calm and deliberately concealed the aura of his nascent divine position, burying it deep within his dantian. He wrapped it with layers of the two extreme powers of destruction and life, revealing only a slight fluctuation of soul power, pretending that he was merely exceptionally talented and had not yet awakened a complete divine order.
He already knew the answer in his heart.
Tang San has his eye on him, not only people but also the divine position.
That new divine position, unbound by the existing order of the God Realm, was both a threat and a readily available treasure for Tang San, who possessed an insatiable thirst for control. Tang San would never allow such an uncontrollable power to exist in the God Realm, nor would he let go of the opportunity to seize this divine position.
The biggest obstacle for anyone wanting to harm Tang San is his parents—the God of Destruction and the Goddess of Life. Given Tang San's ruthlessness, he would never allow the two God-Kings to protect him. Since he wouldn't dare act openly, he would inevitably target his parents, setting up a deadly trap.
A chill ran through Zi Lingtian, and he clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white.
In the original story, the God of Destruction ultimately lost to Tang San, suffering a crushing defeat. In the end, he lost because of Tang San's meticulous scheming and manipulation of people's hearts. Tang San was adept at using anyone he could, exploiting every vulnerability, and using the most "righteous" name to carry out the most selfish calculations.
In this life, with myself here, I will never let tragedy repeat itself, nor will I allow Tang San to treat me like a lamb to the slaughter, plunder his divine position, and control my life.
Zi Lingtian closed his eyes, his mind sinking into his body. The yin and yang energies flowed slowly, the desolate stillness of destruction and the vitality of life intertwining, nourishing the nascent yet resilient divine form. He knew better than anyone that his own strength was the foundation of everything. Right now, he was too weak, utterly vulnerable in a battle between god-kings. Only by desperately becoming stronger and honing his power could he break free from the constraints in Tang San's game and become the true player.
He began to cultivate more diligently, no longer limiting himself to simple power control, but instead focusing on the fusion of Yin and Yang laws, pondering the true meaning of destruction and the origin of life, and secretly learning his parents' divine skills to make up for his lack of combat power.
At the same time, he became increasingly careful to disguise himself, appearing more obedient and docile in front of Tang San, expressing gratitude for Tang San's guidance, and completely letting down Tang San's guard, making Tang San mistakenly believe that he was still the pawn that could be manipulated at will and stripped of his godhood at any time.
Zi Lingtian felt a mix of emotions as she faced Tang Wutong, who came to see her every day.
This innocent and naive girl, whose life had been completely arranged by her father, was unaware of his schemes. Her feelings and her future would become pawns in Tang San's game. Zi Lingtian looked at her youthful, flushed cheeks and clear, innocent eyes, and secretly made up his mind.
In this life, he not only wants to break Tang San's scheme, but also wants to free Tang Wutong from her manipulated fate and prevent her from becoming a victim of her father's power struggles.
Meanwhile, in the Sea God Temple, Tang San was still refining his plan, calculating each step with extreme precision, his eyes filled with unwavering confidence that he had everything under control. He was certain that Zi Lingtian was young and ignorant, certain that his plan was flawless, and certain that all his pawns would follow his instructions, step by step, into the trap.
He will never know that the game he meticulously planned has already been seen through by the "pieces" on the other side.
A hidden power struggle between gods and kings has quietly begun.
Zi Lingtian stood on the high platform of the Temple of Destruction, gazing at the Sea God Temple shrouded in clouds in the distance. In his deep purple eyes, there was no trace of childish innocence, only a profound and coldness that did not match his age.
Tang San, you want to seize my divine position, harm my parents, and control everything.
Then I'll play this game with you to the very end.
Let's see who has the last laugh and who is the one who will truly suffer the consequences.