But then again, maybe not.
While the most likely suspect remains Dai Mubai, the one from the Evil-Eyed White Tiger Clan who ascended to the Divine Realm, there is also another possibility—the god behind the Tang Sect, which Huo Yuhao had joined.
Does the Tang Sect have a god behind it? Absolutely! This had already been mentioned by Tang Ya during the live broadcast.
Even if it hadn't been explicitly stated, many in the live chat would have immediately thought of Tang San as soon as they heard the name "Tang Sect."
This was exactly the outcome Lin Yu dreaded the most. However, Lin Yu had already exposed Tang San, revealing how he had nearly caused the extinction of the Soul Beast Clan.
Now that the Emperor Auspice Beast had been sacrificed, even if Tang San hadn't appeared personally, the blame would still land squarely on him!
After discussing it, Ning Fengzhi and the others narrowed down the most likely culprits to four suspects: the Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire, Taotie Douluo Elder Xuan, Dai Mubai, and Tang San.
Since this round's reward was another God-bestowed Soul Ring—a clear item reward—like before, Snow Night Emperor, Dai Tianfeng, Bibi Dong, Ning Fengzhi, and Prince Xue Xing all dispatched groups of commoners to guess the answer for them.
One by one, responses flashed across the illusory screen.
As expected, Lin Yu's answer came in first:
[Lin Yu: In the live broadcast, the mastermind behind the sacrifice of the Emperor Auspice Beast is Tang San!]
...
[Zhang Erdan: In the live broadcast, the mastermind behind the sacrifice of the Emperor Auspice Beast is the Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire!]
[Bai Shan: In the live broadcast, the mastermind behind the sacrifice of the Emperor Auspice Beast is Taotie Douluo Elder Xuan!]
[Wang Dachui: In the live broadcast, the mastermind behind the sacrifice of the Emperor Auspice Beast is Dai Mubai!]
[Wu Xiaoqian: In the live broadcast, the mastermind behind the sacrifice of the Emperor Auspice Beast is Tang San!]
...
As all the guesses quickly scrolled across the screen, Ning Fengzhi and Dai Tianfeng exchanged frustrated glances.
Once again, the first answer had come from Lin Yu. Based on their prior experiences, whenever Lin Yu answered first, it was almost always correct.
Since the live broadcast system hadn't been upgraded yet, only the first person to answer correctly would receive a reward.
As expected, the reward this time would likely go to Lin Yu again.
And sure enough, just as Ning Fengzhi and the others had suspected after Lin Yu and the commoners had submitted their answers, a line of blood-red text appeared on everyone's screens, accompanied by a chilling voice.
[Notice: Lin Yu's answer—In the live broadcast, the mastermind behind the sacrifice of the Emperor Auspice Beast is Tang San—was correct!]
[Reward: God-bestowed Soul Ring x3, issued!]
As soon as the notification appeared, confirming that Lin Yu had answered correctly again, envy filled the hearts of many nobles and soul masters.
After all, even the Spirit Hall hadn't won a single reward so far. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Star Luo Royal Family, and that brat Tang San had each won once, but the rest of the rewards? They had all gone to Lin Yu.
It was no surprise people were feeling jealous!
After the system announced Lin Yu's reward, it proceeded to declare the punishments for the commoners who had guessed incorrectly. Only those who had also chosen Tang San were spared, while the others had ten years deducted from their lifespan.
As the punishments were being doled out, over in a remote forest on the border between the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire, Tang San was livid.
Why was he being blamed again? He hadn't even appeared in this broadcast, so how could he be the mastermind behind the sacrifice of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion?
This accursed live stream, and Lin Yu, who kept framing him—it was infuriating!
In his rage, Tang San voiced his anger in the live chat:
[Tang San (angry): @Lin Yu, what grudge do you have against me? Why do you keep accusing me of these things? I didn't even show up in this broadcast! How could I possibly be responsible for the sacrifice of the Emperor Auspice Beast, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion?]
"What grudge?"
Seeing Tang San's message, Lin Yu couldn't help but scoff.
What grudge? The remnant soul of Tang Wutong, your daughter, didn't just magically appear inside the Three-Eyed Golden Lion. If it wasn't your doing, then why was Tang Wutong's memory sealed, leading her to meet Huo Yuhao as Wang Donger?
All of this was because you wanted to bring Huo Yuhao, the chosen one of fate, under your wing. You knew what your daughter was like, so you sealed her memories. But even after doing all of that, you couldn't let go of your daughter, could you?
In the Valley of Love and Truth, you almost drove your son-in-law to death and nearly killed your daughter too.
Not your fault? What a joke!
[Lin Yu (mocking): Not your fault? Even if you didn't appear in the livestream, do you think you had no hand in this? The Three-Eyed Golden Lion and Huo Yuhao are in this mess because of your scheme. Stop pretending! Deep down, you're nothing but a hypocritical, vile, and deceitful man.]
"You!"
Tang San's rage boiled even hotter, his entire body trembling as he responded:
[Tang San (angry): You're accusing me of being the culprit? Where's your proof? My mother was a soul beast, and I respect my parents above all else. How could I do something like this? This is you and the live stream trying to frame me!]
[Ding! The system has detected a challenge to the correctness of the answer. Would you like to view the relevant broadcast footage?]
As Lin Yu and Tang San argued, a line of blood-red text appeared, followed by the system's cold voice.
[Lin Yu: Oh? Can you watch a broadcast related to the answer? Of course, let's watch it!]
Lin Yu was well aware of this feature in the live stream system. By choosing to play the footage, he aimed to fully expose Tang San's true nature.
However, as soon as the option was announced, a stiff expression crossed Tang San's face, a sense of unease creeping into his heart.
But it was too late. The live broadcast had already begun playing, ready to reveal the truth.
The screen, which had been frozen on the moment Wang Donger awakened from her coma, suddenly shifted. The view turned to a pure white space, reminiscent of the opening scenes from previous broadcasts.
Moments later, the white space morphed into a scene of misty clouds, resembling a heavenly paradise.
Though no one had seen this place before, they all instinctively knew—this was the Divine Realm!
As the Divine Realm appeared on screen, the camera zoomed into a grand palace.
Inside, sitting on a throne clad in blue Sea God robes, with long ocean-blue hair, was Tang San. He was holding a spatial orb, which displayed an image of Wang Donger descending into a vast, endless forest.