radicalducati Chapter 8 The Promise, Forbidden Land of the Gods
Chapter 8 The Promise, Forbidden Land of the Gods
In the days that followed, the once solemn and desolate Temple of Destruction lost all its majesty.
Tang Wutong's figure, like a tireless pink and blue butterfly, would arrive precisely at dawn every day. From afar, her clear and loud voice would drift into the hall first, shattering the silence of the entire hall.
She never knew the meaning of restraint; her voice always preceded her arrival, cheerfully calling out "Zi Lingtian" enough to open the temple doors. The next second, she would stride in like a round little cannonball, her fluffy skirt sweeping across the polished jade floor, creating a gentle breeze that occasionally startled the divine birds perched in the corners, causing them to flutter and scatter a few soft feathers. She would simply tilt her head and giggle, completely unfazed.
She would tug at Zi Lingtian's sleeve, chasing and playing among the massive pillars of the temple, her footsteps echoing through the empty hall; she would stare at the murals depicting the laws of destruction on the walls, then huddle up to Zi Lingtian, covering her mouth and giggling, whispering that the grotesque patterns looked like flattened caterpillars, making even the usually calm Zi Lingtian's eyes soften; she even dared to tiptoe and reach for the dark purple crystals embedded in the armrest of the God of Destruction's chair, and if a passing priest saw her, she would immediately hide behind Zi Lingtian, peeking out half her head to make a face, tightly gripping his clothes and refusing to let go.
The once desolate Temple of Destruction was now bustling with life and excitement because of this little girl's arrival, and even the air felt warm and inviting.
The goddess of life, watching this scene, always smiled gently with her eyes crinkled.
She always felt that Zi Lingtian was too calm and reserved, unusually composed at such a young age, with a deep spring hidden in her heart, lacking the carefree and playful nature that a six-year-old child should have.
Now, Tang Wutong bursts in like a little sun, bringing with her a dazzling vitality that brightens up the quiet world of Zilingtian, allowing him to join in the fun with his peers and stop having to act like a little adult.
The attitude of the God of Destruction, however, is much more complex.
The unspoken rivalry between him and Tang San was an open secret in the God Realm; even the lowest-ranking officials could vaguely sense the distance and competition between them.
But when he faced Tang Wutong, who was as delicate as a porcelain doll and had clear, innocent eyes, the resentment in his heart finally faded—she was just a five-year-old girl with eyes so clean and pure that they contained no impurities. She had no scheming or cunning like an adult, and he had no reason to take his anger out on a child.
Moreover, even before Zi Lingtian was born, he already felt a special affection for this little girl, treating her almost like his own daughter. Now that he has his own son, watching the two children laughing and playing in front of him, a rare sense of peace and warmth has arisen in his hardened heart.
Before long, the pair of Zi Lingtian and Tang Wutong became famous throughout the God Realm.
Tang Wutong was known as the "little witch" in the God Realm, and everyone who had a headache with her was aware of her mischievous deeds. Any one of her mischievous acts could make people laugh or cry, and if they were collected, they could fill a thick book.
She would secretly take the Divine Dew of Colored Light while the God of Kindness was resting with his eyes closed, sneak up behind him, and dye his plain robes with a riot of colors, like a spilled palette. The God of Kindness would be furious, blowing his beard and glaring, but looking at her innocent, blinking eyes, he couldn't bring himself to actually punish her, and could only sigh helplessly.
She dared to sneak into the temple of the evil god and, when no one was looking, smeared his obsidian throne, a symbol of his majesty, with sticky star glue. When the evil god sat down, he was stuck to the throne, unable to move, his face dark and his aura oppressive, while she hid behind a pillar, laughing so hard she could barely stand up straight;
She even dared to run to the Temple of the Sea God, secretly activating her meager divine power to turn all the spiritual water symbolizing the four seas inside the temple into light, floating pink bubbles, enveloping the entire temple in dreamy bubbles, like a sweet candy jar. After leaving a mess on the ground, she disappeared in a flash.
The low-ranking officials in the divine realm trembled at the sight of her, but because she was the apple of Tang San and Xiao Wu's eye, no one dared to really reprimand or stop her. They could only watch helplessly as she made a scene and then left gracefully.
Now, this unruly little witch has a constant companion, Zi Lingtian.
Zi Lingtian would never be as boisterous and proactive as Tang Wutong. He would always stand quietly to the side, his dark eyes always reflecting Tang Wutong's boisterous figure. His gentle features made him seem like a calm and reliable little strategist.
But every time Tang Wutong gets into big trouble and is about to be caught and held accountable, he is always the first to calm down, quickly plan the best escape route in his mind, and even come up with a comprehensive way to clean up the mess.
His mind worked incredibly fast, and his logic was so meticulous that it was nothing like that of a six-year-old. Often, before the priests could even react, he would grab Tang Wutong's hand and disappear without a trace, leaving behind a group of pursuers who looked at each other in bewilderment, unable to track him down.
Once, Tang Wutong found a bottle of Seven-Colored Glow Liquid from somewhere. While the God of Evil was taking a nap, she quietly climbed onto his recliner, tiptoed, and smeared the entire bottle of liquid all over his iconic long black beard.
When the evil god awoke, he touched the colorful, gaudy beard on his chin and was instantly enraged. With a roar that shook the temple, he chased after the evil god, his face turning ashen.
Tang Wutong turned pale with fright and screamed as she ran forward. The evil god's wrath almost burned through the clouds of the divine realm, chasing after her relentlessly for three long streets.
Just as she was about to be caught, her strength failing and her legs going weak, a small spatial teleportation array that Zi Lingtian had already set up in the shadows of the street corner suddenly glowed faintly. He reached out and grabbed Tang Wutong's wrist, forcefully pulling her to his side. The next second, the two small figures disappeared into the light.
Once the two regained their footing, they were already standing on the towering roof of the Divine Realm Committee. Looking down at the evil god who was still angrily circling around searching below, they both burst into laughter. Tang Wutong laughed until tears streamed down her face, patting Zi Lingtian's shoulder hard and praising him repeatedly, her tone full of undisguised admiration.
On another occasion, while the God of Kindness was away, Tang Wutong secretly slipped into his temple, struggled to lift the scepter that symbolized life and mercy, and excitedly ran to the patrolling low-ranking priests. She imitated the God King and waved it wildly, trying to scare everyone.
However, she had no control over the immense divine power within the scepter. Inadvertently, she aroused the power, causing the golden divine light to transform into leaping flames. It was about to ignite the eaves of the adjacent temple, and the priests present panicked and cried out for help to put out the fire.
In the midst of the chaos, Zi Lingtian strode forward, a warm, emerald-green halo condensing at her fingertips. With a gentle tap, she used the power of the Ancient Tree of Life to stabilize the raging flames, turning them into countless points of light that vanished without a trace.
Then, without a word, he grabbed the still-dazed Tang Wutong and skillfully slipped into a hidden passage in the corner of the temple. The whole process was so smooth and fast that only two afterimages remained. Even the monitoring array on the wall only captured two blurry figures before they disappeared in an instant.
Over time, a saying began to circulate in the divine realm—that there were two great demon kings in the divine realm.
Tang Wutong is the little devil in the open, like a blazing and lively flame, always charging ahead, responsible for causing trouble, creating chaos, and wherever she goes, there will be chaos and excitement.
Zi Lingtian is a little devil in the shadows, like a bottomless spring. He appears calm and taciturn, but he always manages to stabilize the situation, plan the route, and handle the aftermath at the most crucial moments. Every time, he manages to protect Tang Wutong and help her escape unscathed without leaving a trace.
The two, one in the light and one in the shadows, one active and one quiet, one mischievous and troublesome, the other protective and compliant, worked together seamlessly, as if they were born to be such a perfect team.
The god-kings of the divine realm council were truly troubled by this. Every time they held a meeting, they would be interrupted by the two children's new "deeds," leaving them helpless and at a loss for words.
Tang San looked at his daughter's playful antics and just shook his head with a smile, his eyes full of a father's indulgence and doting. Although the God of Destruction remained cold and composed, he never really restrained Zi Lingtian, letting him play with Tang Wutong.
Seeing this, the other god-kings naturally didn't say anything more—after all, they were all just kids, and their antics in this peaceful divine realm only added to the vitality and energy, and were harmless.
Four months passed in the blink of an eye amidst laughter and play, and Tang Wutong celebrated her sixth birthday, which was also the day that everyone had been looking forward to: the awakening of her martial soul.
The awakening ceremony was to be held at the magnificent Sea God Temple, presided over by Tang San himself for his daughter.
Zi Lingtian, whom Tang Wutong personally acknowledged as her best friend, was persuaded by Tang Wutong to come and witness the ceremony.
She clung to Tang San's arm, swaying back and forth, acting coquettishly and stubbornly, her tone resolute: "Father, you must bring Zi Lingtian. If he doesn't come, I won't awaken my martial soul!" Tang San couldn't resist his daughter's persistence, and finally agreed with a smile, specially sending someone to invite Zi Lingtian over.
On the day of the awakening ceremony, the temple of the sea god was packed with priests who came to watch the ceremony, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.
Zi Lingtian stood in the corner of the crowd. Her small figure was not conspicuous among the tall gods, but she still stood tall and her eyes were calm.
He looked up into the hall and saw Tang Wutong standing in the center of the awakening array outlined by blue crystals. Her long pinkish-blue hair was gently brushed by the surging divine power around her, and the fine strands of hair floated beside her cheeks like a cluster of blooming blue and pink flowers, making her lively little face even more charming and lovely.
As Tang San's deep and solemn incantation resounded, the magic array suddenly burst forth with a dazzling blue light, and gentle yet powerful divine energy surged into Tang Wutong's body like a tide.
Not long after, her martial spirit awakened as expected, exactly as she remembered—
On his left hand, a small but heavy black hammer quietly appeared. The hammer body gleamed with a restrained cold light. It was the Clear Sky Hammer inherited from Tang San. The unique sense of weight and power of the weapon spirit came over him.
Above her right hand, a dazzling light swirled, and a palm-sized Goddess of Light butterfly gently fluttered its wings, its wings shimmering with iridescent light, dazzlingly beautiful. This was the Beast Martial Soul inherited from her mother, Xiao Wu.
Twin Martial Souls, with innate full Soul Power!
Although he did not directly reach the level of a god, such talent is already extremely rare among children in the divine realm.
It's important to understand that even a God-King typically only has one main Martial Soul that reaches the God-level, while the other is usually a support Martial Soul. Tang Wutong, at only six years old, already possesses two top-tier Martial Souls, demonstrating exceptional talent. As for why her subsequent growth seems limited, Zi Lingtian knows in her heart that in the original story, she was never mediocre in talent; it's just that her entire life was meticulously planned, leaving her no opportunity to unleash her full potential.
Tang San stood at the edge of the magic array, watching his daughter awaken her twin martial souls. A smile of undisguised satisfaction appeared on his face, and his eyes were full of pride and joy as a father. Xiao Wu could no longer contain her excitement. She quickly stepped forward and hugged Tang Wutong tightly in her arms. Her eyes were slightly red, and her voice was choked with sobs, full of love.
Zi Lingtian stood in the crowd, quietly watching this scene. Her heart was unusually calm, without the slightest ripple, and even a faint smile appeared on her face.
He even had a thought that crossed his mind with great interest: a rabbit and a hammer gave birth to a butterfly. This kind of martial spirit inheritance is truly wonderful.
While Tang Wutong's twin martial souls were indeed powerful, Zi Lingtian clearly remembered that in the original story, her path to growth had already been meticulously planned by Tang San, with every step being calculated.
That domineering Clear Sky Hammer was almost never truly used; she could only rely on the Goddess of Light Butterfly throughout. Her spirit fusion skill with Huo Yuhao seemed like a destined bond, but in reality, it was just a part of Tang San's grand plan, and even her emotions were manipulated invisibly.
From the moment she was born, her life was firmly pulled by an invisible thread. Even her marriage was always under Tang San's control, and she never truly lived for herself.
Thinking of this, Zi Lingtian lowered her eyes gently, concealing the coldness that flashed across her eyes, as well as her pity for Tang Wutong.
Tang San, you are so calculating and scheming. I will never let you complete your grand plan of ten thousand years so easily.
The emotions surging in his heart all turned into protecting the little girl beside him. He didn't want to see this little girl, who had played with him since childhood and whose eyes were full of innocence, become a pawn in someone else's game.
Just then, Tang Wutong broke free from her mother's arms, completely ignoring the gazes of everyone around her, and like a happy little bird, she took short strides and ran straight towards Zi Lingtian.
Her big, bright blue eyes sparkled like two of the most dazzling stars. Her little face flushed with excitement as she ran to Zi Lingtian, tilting her head back, her eyes crinkling with pride and anticipation, her voice brimming with joy:
"Zi Lingtian, did you see that? I also have twin martial souls, and I'm even born with full soul power! I told you, I would definitely become very powerful and wouldn't lose to you!"
Zi Lingtian looked at the light in her eyes, the faint floral fragrance lingering around her nose, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up. The calmness in his eyes completely disappeared, and his voice was gentle, with a doting tone that he himself did not realize: "Yes, you are very good, better than anyone else."
Upon receiving his affirmation, Tang Wutong instantly smiled, her eyebrows curving into crescent moons like a blooming flower, her heart filled with joy.
She suddenly leaned closer, covered her mouth with her small hand, stood on tiptoe, and whispered mysteriously in Zi Lingtian's ear, "Once I've mastered my Martial Soul, shall we go explore the Forbidden Land of Gods together? I heard from Uncle Priest that there are many ancient divine beasts imprisoned there; it must be incredibly exciting!"
Upon hearing this, Zi Lingtian frowned slightly and softly reminded him, "The Forbidden Land of Gods is a forbidden area of the God Realm. Even God Kings cannot enter or leave at will. It is very dangerous inside."
"It's precisely because it's dangerous that it's so exciting!" Tang Wutong raised her chin confidently, her clear eyes filled with adventurous light, not taking the words "forbidden zone" seriously at all, and still eager to try.
Zi Lingtian remained silent for a moment, then looked down at her expectant, sparkling eyes, and a sense of anticipation suddenly arose in his heart.
Perhaps, breaking free from the predetermined trajectory of fate can begin with this small adventure.
He looked at the delighted little girl before him, nodded slowly, and said in a firm voice, full of protection: "Alright, once your martial spirit is stable, we'll go together."
He had no idea that this casually made agreement, like a pebble thrown into a lake, would soon unleash a massive wave, triggering a huge change that even he could not have foreseen.
Meanwhile, Tang Wutong, already impatient, began clumsily trying to control her twin martial souls.
Although her power was not yet fully refined, and the Clear Sky Hammer sometimes grew larger and sometimes smaller, and the wings of the Goddess of Light Butterfly sometimes brightened and sometimes dimmed, the power belonging to a top-tier martial soul had already taken root in her small body.
For her, who is full of adventure, this power is enough to support a spontaneous exploration trip.