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The marriage alliance between Ye Wen and the Silver Dragon King had yet to make substantial progress, as Ye Wen's true body was not on Douluo Star.
However, confident that the Silver Dragon King couldn't escape his grasp, Ye Wen began assisting her in developing the dragon race's spirit beast initiative.
At the same time, Ye Wen was curious about just how formidable the former Asura God must have been to leave the Silver Dragon King with injuries that took twenty thousand years to heal.
From the information gleaned from the Silver Dragon King, it seemed that the Asura God back then wasn't extraordinarily strong—stronger than the current Silver Dragon King, yes, but not to the point of inflicting irreparable damage.
The reason the Silver Dragon King couldn't recover was due to a lack of divine energy.
The faith possessed by the Dragon God wasn't transferable to the Silver Dragon King—they weren't compatible.
Moreover, the Silver Dragon King's physical state wasn't suited for spreading faith. At most, she could proclaim herself the sovereign of ten-thousand-year-old ferocious beasts to gain a limited amount of faith.
But as those familiar with Douluo would know, only a small area like the Great Star Forest truly took such faith seriously. Even then, it took a full twenty thousand years for the faith energy gathered to heal the Silver Dragon King's injuries.
As for retaliating against the god realm? It was completely unrealistic.
Thus, in Douluo III, the Silver Dragon King sought an alternative path, attempting to infiltrate human society to regain her former strength.
Unfortunately, she was intercepted at the very start. Initially not driven by romantic inclinations, she was later influenced by another facet of her personality, causing her mindset to shift dramatically. This led to a series of bizarre actions, culminating in her becoming Tang San's daughter-in-law.
"Congratulations, congratulations," Ye Wen muttered sarcastically. "What a joke!"
Fortunately, in this world, the Silver Dragon King's fate trajectory had been entirely altered thanks to Ye Wen's intervention, leading her to ally with him instead.
To be honest, once one became a god in this universe, species distinctions no longer mattered. Divine energy was highly malleable—one could transform into a pig or a dog if they so desired. It all depended on whether one wished to undergo such a transformation.
The first time Ye Wen saw the Silver Dragon King's true human form, he was momentarily stunned.
Her violet eyes and silver hair were nearly identical to Na'er's, but with subtle differences. Combined with her perfect proportions and an air of aloof superiority, she unexpectedly stirred a sense of conquest within Ye Wen.
The Silver Dragon King cooperated fully with Ye Wen's arrangements. However, Di Tian, standing nearby, glared at Ye Wen with an expression filled with reluctance. Though he attempted to interject several times, the Silver Dragon King silenced him each time.
Ye Wen was pleased with this. Having two voices in a power structure was a major taboo.
This was why Ye Wen had always disdained the management system of the god realm.
Fortunately, the god realm had remained largely uneventful, allowing its long-term stagnation to go unnoticed without apparent harm.
The plan proceeded smoothly. Another millennium passed on Douluo Star, though in the god realm's time, barely three years had elapsed.
During this long period, Ye Wen had already reached the peak of a first-tier god, hovering at the threshold of becoming a God King, needing only a final breakthrough.
"The God King's essence lies in merging with the Dao, embodying the Dao itself. That is the key to breaking through to the God King realm. But as Poseidon said, once one enters that state, there's a constant feeling of losing oneself.
So, what exactly is wrong?"
At this moment, Ye Wen sat atop the Sea God Temple, the trident of the Sea God embedded in his back, emitting gentle ripples.
Though before him lay an expanse of void, any outsider would perceive it as a vast, boundless ocean.
Once, Ye Wen had confidently believed he could overcome the obstacle Poseidon described, but reality had slapped him hard in the face.
The gap between a first-tier god and a God King wasn't so easily bridged.
Over the years, Ye Wen had repeatedly attempted to break through the "merging with the Dao" stage. Each time, he felt the same looming threat of self-annihilation, leaving him stuck at the half-step God King level.
After a while, Ye Wen shook his head, dispelling the frustration from his mind, and decided to take a walk, hoping to gain some inspiration.
Wandering through the god realm, he gazed up at the star-filled sky, often feeling the vastness of the universe and his own insignificance.
Still empty-handed, Ye Wen returned to the temple somewhat disheartened.
But he also knew that breakthroughs couldn't be rushed. After all, even after so many years, the number of God Kings in the god realm remained unchanged, highlighting the immense difficulty. And who among those who ascended to godhood wasn't a prodigy?
Upon returning to the temple, Ye Wen's mood improved significantly. His wives and children were preparing a feast, warmly calling him over.
Feeling the warmth of family, Ye Wen's spirits lifted considerably. At the same time, he reflected on Tang San's inhumane actions.
Though Ma Hongjun had many flaws in the original story, he had supported Tang San wholeheartedly in the later stages.
And Ma Hongjun's wife was Tang San's cousin—yet Tang San hadn't helped bring Bai Chenxiang to the god realm, condemning Ma Hongjun to eternal loneliness. It was utterly tragic.
After becoming a god, Ye Wen understood that the claim that second-tier gods couldn't bring their families to the god realm was nonsense. Second-tier gods were the backbone of the god realm—what harm would bringing one family member do?
Moreover, the divine positions of the other four members of Shrek's Seven Monsters were worth scrutinizing.
The War God Dai Mubai, the Speed God Zhu Zhuqing, the Nine-Colored Goddess Ning Rongrong, and the Food God Oscar.
Aside from the Nine-Colored Goddess and the Food God, who were indeed real deities, the others had no corresponding figures in the god realm.
What did this mean? It meant Tang San was a grand deceiver, misleading Ma Hongjun under conditions of unequal information.
Ye Wen even suspected that in the original story, Tang San might have secretly imprisoned Bai Chenxiang's soul to ensure Ma Hongjun's cooperation. If true, it would be utterly despicable.
On closer reflection, it wasn't impossible. Tang San was someone who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals, yet outwardly maintained an image of purity. He likely cultivated a hidden, darker agent.
The other two god-level couples were harder to manipulate, so Ma Hongjun became the perfect target.
Though this theory seemed far-fetched, upon reviewing the original story, Ye Wen couldn't recall any significant reason for Tang San to single out Ma Hongjun.
The only possible explanation might have been their initial verbal spat when Ma Hongjun first met Xiao Wu—but to hold a grudge over something so trivial until achieving godhood was absurdly petty.
Though all this was now water under the bridge, Ye Wen reminded himself to stay vigilant. Such petty individuals might be rare, but they certainly existed. He needed to remain cautious in his planning.
As Ye Wen chatted casually with his family while silently ranting internally, his body suddenly stiffened.
"This—"
A sudden realization struck him, and a bitter smile spread across his face.
Ah Yin stepped forward, gently embracing Ye Wen with concern.
"What's wrong, Brother?"
Ye Wen lightly patted Ah Yin's hand and smiled faintly. "It's nothing. I've just suddenly come to understand some truths."
Ye Wen entered cultivation once more, his eyes filled with enlightenment, and the aura around him grew increasingly vast and powerful.
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