The gentle halo was like a mother's hand, softly caressing the delicate skin of the clouds, giving the ethereal space an exceptionally compelling sense of reality. In the vagueness, not far away, there seemed to be an imposing palace that was illusory yet real under the gentle caress of the halo.
A figure stood quietly among the mist, gazing into the endless distance, unaware of what he was watching.
He had a head of waterfall-like, water-blue hair that fell all the way to his feet. Had it not been for his tall stature and broad shoulders, a view from behind might have led one to think he was a woman.
His luxurious blue robe seemed to ripple like water. If one looked closely, they would be instantly captivated by the deep blue, even their whole soul might be drawn into that ocean-like, boundless blue.
That handsome face, seeming to be only in his early twenties, had a pair of profound eyes. His gaze appeared empty but encompassed everything. Occasionally, a flash of purple would pass through, touching one's soul with the sensation of ephemeral beauty and the instantaneous silence of life and death.
"Ah—" the man sighed softly, a faint sorrow appearing between his brows as his eyes gently closed, as if contemplating the ultimate truths of the world.
"Third Brother..." a soft call resounded. A figure stepped out from the illusory space and came to the side of the man in blue, naturally and gently taking his arm in a motion that seemed so harmoniously perfect, as if it had been done thousands of times before.
It was a woman in a pink dress, her long hair tied into a long scorpion braid that dangled lightly, revealing her delicate and graceful slender white neck from the side. The dress cinched at the waist, subtly accentuating her enchanting figure.
Her breathtakingly beautiful face wore a faint smile as she looped the man in blue's arm, gently resting her head on his shoulder. Her compliant scorpion braid swayed and curled quietly upon the man's blue hair, coiling around it.
The man in blue's handsome face showed a slightly indulgent smile tinged with helplessness, "You're still so playful even after becoming a mother."
The woman in the pink dress pouted discontentedly, "So what if I'm a mother? Can't I be spoiled? After you became a law enforcer of the divine world, the Sea God, you're still called Tang San, aren't you? Still, my Third Brother."
Tang San embraced the woman in the pink dress, smiling, "Of course you can be spoiled. No matter when, you're always my dearest Xiaowu. Just make sure your precious daughter doesn't see us. Otherwise, she might get jealous."
When Xiaowu heard Tang San mention their daughter, her eyes immediately filled with tenderness, "Xiao Qi is too clingy. We only get to spend a moment alone when she's asleep. Third Brother, I noticed you seemed upset just now, is it because of Soul Land again?"
Tang San nodded, sighing softly, "A day in the Divine Realm is a year in the mortal world. It's the same in any plane. Initially, I wanted to stay a bit longer in Soul Land, but because of a wager between the God King of Kindness and the God King of Evil, I had to return to the Divine Realm to oversee the bigger picture. Little did I expect, more than twenty years passed in the Divine Realm, but in Soul Land, it's been ten thousand years, and Tang Sect has declined."
Xiaowu said irritably, "Kindness and Evil, those two cunning rascals. Using the wager as an excuse, they went down to have fun themselves, which is truly irresponsible. The couple they found to take over the godhood had such a sad past; why not let them oversee things, so you can have some respite?"
Tang San said, "It may seem like a God King and a law enforcer of the divine world are high and mighty, but not everyone is willing to take on the responsibility. After ten thousand years of changes, Soul Land has become a bit chaotic. Especially the continental collision caused by the crustal movement over four thousand years ago, it didn't just more than double the size of Soul Land but also brought about many uncertainties."
"That was when Tang Sect started its decline, right? Third Brother, don't think too much. In some ways, the decline of Tang Sect is also due to the advancement of eras and planes," Xiaowu said.
Tang San nodded, "You're right, but after all, Tang Sect was created by my own hands, and I truly cannot bear to watch it just fades away. And as a law enforcer of the divine world, I cannot interfere with the changes of a plane. However, it seems that a new star has recently emerged in Soul Land, with a destiny that is intricately linked to Tang Sect, though shrouded in mists. I hope that everything develops in a good direction."
Her eyes shining, Xiaowu said, "If even you call him a new star, he must be the right person. If he can take over your godhood in the future, wouldn't we have time to go out and have fun?"
Tang San flicked her nose affectionately, "You and your play."
As they were talking, a small head peeked out from the mist not far away. She looked to be about eleven or twelve years old, with beautiful, bright eyes that blinked. Her features resembled Tang San's at least by seventy percent, but with much softer lines and eyes that were more like Xiaowu's.
"I always hear Dad and Mom talking about Soul Land, it seems so fun! Hehe." Saying this, her petite figure quietly vanished into the mist.