Chapter 179: 197. Dai Mubai and Tang San Discuss Their Past Lives
After revealing their identities, Tang San and Dai Mubai immediately found a small inn where they could talk in private.
"Mubai, tell me honestly," Tang San said sternly, "is there anyone else besides you who's been reborn?"
Dai Mubai replied, "Aside from me, Fatty and Oscar have also been reborn. As for the others, I'm not sure."
Tang San fell silent.
Dai Mubai asked, "Is something wrong, Tang San?"
Tang San's tone deepened. "Mubai, the reborn aren't limited to just us. There are many people in this era who've been reborn. How can we be sure there aren't others outside the Shrek Seven Devils?"
The reborn War God, Dai Mubai, hadn't improved much in intellect. He had always been someone who relied on Tang San to think for him, never giving deep thought to his own fate. In this second life, he still chose to follow the old route of his first one. To him, clinging to Tang San's coattails was equivalent to having one foot already in the divine realm—to being a guaranteed success.
But Tang San's words roused Dai Mubai's vigilance. Indeed, what if other powers also had reincarnators? What if the Spirit Hall did?
Such a thing wasn't impossible. The world had changed in unpredictable ways.
"Then what should we do?" Dai Mubai asked anxiously. "Could someone else steal the immortal herbs before us?" He was clearly more worried about resources—if other factions had reborn individuals, could they still ascend to godhood like before? What if something went wrong at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well?
"Don't worry," Tang San said. "Before our ascension in the previous life, the Du family line perished due to the poison of their own martial spirit. The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well's location has been sealed by my divine power within a realm of poison and illusion. People know the place exists but have no idea where it truly is."
"But—" Dai Mubai said, "what if the reborn happens to be Dugu Bo or Dugu Yan, who already knew that location in our past life?"
Tang San's expression turned serious. "That possibility can't be ruled out," he admitted. "However, Dugu Bo was a man who sat atop a mountain of treasure yet had no idea how to use it. He wouldn't even know the proper way to consume those immortal herbs. Even if he's reincarnated, he'd be no better than a guard dog sitting over jewels. Unless he shares the secret with Chrysanthemum Douluo—but doing so would be the same as seeking death."
"Besides," Tang San continued, "becoming a god isn't something you can just decide to do. Don't forget, Mubai, in the twenty thousand years after our time, geniuses were as plentiful as fish in a river—many even more gifted than us. Even the twin Holy Dragons of Huo Yuhao's era were no weaker than we were after consuming the immortal herbs. But did they become gods? No. Talent alone isn't enough. You need luck—and the inheritance left behind by the gods themselves. Don't forget who I am."
Dai Mubai then remembered—Tang San was the chosen one of fate, personally selected by the Asura God. In this age, his godhood was a certainty. Even the twin goddesses of Spirit Hall existed merely as trials crafted to temper Tang San's growth.
Hmph, what of other reincarnators? No matter how they struggled, they couldn't alter destiny. With the Asura God—one of the five divine kings—supporting Tang San from above, his ascension to godhood was inevitable. And those within the circle of the Shrek Seven Devils would naturally rise with him.
Thinking this, Dai Mubai finally relaxed.
"By the way, Mubai, how come you're three levels weaker than you were the first time we met in our past life?" Tang San asked.
Dai Mubai coughed awkwardly. "I was worried something might change this time, so I tried to follow the old timeline exactly. But I... lost control a bit," he muttered, then quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, Tang San, what happened to your first soul skill? It's way weaker than before!"
"That's because I had to rescue Xiao Wu back then," Tang San explained as he recounted how he'd acquired his first soul ring.
"Seriously, you still took Yu Xiaogang as your teacher? With our experience, you should know how useless he really is," Dai Mubai said.
"Gangzi can't teach me much," Tang San said with a smirk, "but he has his uses. Don't forget who the Pope of the Spirit Hall is."
At that, Dai Mubai suddenly understood. "Right! Without Gangzi, we might not have made it out of the Spirit Hall alive during the tournament."
People often praised Tang Hao's daring assault on Spirit Hall, shouting "fight to the death," but the truth was that Tang Hao had been bluffing. Anyone who truly understood Spirit Hall's depth knew how ridiculous that was. With seven consecrated elders, nine titled Douluos, and Bibi Dong herself, Spirit Hall's power was terrifying. If Bibi Dong had truly wanted to, she could have detained Tang Hao easily. She didn't, though—she let him take Tang San and Xiao Wu and leave.
Why?
Because of Yu Xiaogang.
Bibi Dong couldn't risk it. If a clash of that scale broke out and stray divine power wiped Yu Xiaogang out, she would have turned Spirit Hall upside down with grief and rage. Even the consecrated elders had held back for that reason. Tang Hao's Haotian Hammer didn't spare anyone—but Yu Xiaogang's fragile life became the perfect leverage. Tang Hao hadn't threatened Spirit Hall itself. No, he'd held Yu Xiaogang hostage through circumstance—using him as the shield against Bibi Dong.
"Gangzi's a fine protective umbrella," Tang San sneered. "Naturally, we'll make full use of him. But he'll never break past level twenty-nine—he'll stay there forever, standing at attention."
Dai Mubai chuckled smugly. The thought of Yu Xiaogang stuck at level twenty-nine for eternity brought him an odd sense of satisfaction.
"By the way, Tang San," Dai Mubai said, "why aren't you spending time with Xiao Wu right now? If I recall, in our last life you two shared a hotel room."
At this question, Tang San's expression darkened with frustration. "Don't bring it up," he muttered bitterly. "All of this is because of Gangzi. He ruined the best chance I had to grow closer to Xiao Wu. Right now, we're still stuck at the sibling stage."
(END CHAPTER)
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