Chapter 815: Once Strange, Twice Familiar

It wasn't until the sun was high in the sky that Mei Gongzi finally stirred slightly. In the next moment, her body stiffened and tensed up. She didn't lift her head or move a single finger.

Obviously, Tang San knew she was awake, but he held back his laughter and didn't expose her. He remained completely still, pretending to be asleep as well.

After a long while, Mei Gongzi finally peeked up, sneaking a glance at him. What she saw were Tang San's eyes wide open, and his mouth smiling back at her.

"

Aah!

" Mei Gongzi exclaimed, quickly lowering her head and burying it back in his chest, squirming awkwardly to let out her embarrassment.

Tang San hurriedly hugged her tightly, laughing helplessly. "Alright, sweetheart, stop squirming. If you keep moving, something's really going to happen!"

There was a flash of silver light, and Tang San's arms suddenly tightened around the empty air; she had vanished like smoke.

Her voice came from outside the door. "I-I'm heading back to Kali City. You can focus on your research."

With her gone, the place now felt empty, but Tang San just chuckled. "It's fine, there's no rush. Once strange, twice familiar."

After Mei Gongzi returned to Kali City, Tang San didn't rush into seclusion either; he wasn't in the right state of mind for it. Taking the rare opportunity to relax, he decided to leave the room and take a stroll around Crescent Island.

Most people were busy building and improving their new homes. Compared to when they were on the Daemon Continent, humans here were clearly in much better spirits. Most wore joyful smiles, free from anxiety and fear.

This was the first place where they could live in peace and work happily for

themselves

; it was the first place that allowed them to feel warmth. They treasured it dearly.

Tang San walked all the way to the shore, gazing out at the endless blue sea. There was a hint of enchantment in his eyes. The sea was always so beautiful; looking at it always filled his heart with joy.

Humanity had the right to a future in this world. They had the right to enjoy this beauty.

As the Sea God, his duty was to protect this beauty.

He slowly raised his head and looked at the sky. The sun hung high; the sky was an infinite, almost transparent blue. But only someone who had once been a God King like him could truly understand that, beyond all this, an invisible force was always in control of everything.

In a way, Tang San felt he was greedy, for he wanted to be with his loved ones and family forever. In another way, it was only normal; any living being with a good life naturally wants to keep living, and he was no exception. But what does true immortality mean? It means being beyond the control of anything—including the universe itself. It means having your fate a hundred percent in your own hands.

A blueprint for the future was gradually taking shape in his mind, not just for Falan Planet but also for the Douluo Divine Realm.

To truly protect the things he had, he had to break free from all constraints. He had no certainty of success, but he had to try.

In this life, aside from finding his wife, he had also found the answers to many things that he hadn't figured out before. He felt that this was good; understanding these things had improved his state of mind immensely. Because now, he could see the path ahead. Though it would be difficult, at least the direction was clear.

Tang San sat directly on the beach and took out a book from his storage ring.

It was one of the prizes he and Mei Gongzi had won after becoming champions of the Ancestral Court Elite Competition. The other prizes had been used a while back, one way or another. Only this book remained in his possession. He had since taken it apart for research and then restored it.

There were three main conditions if he wanted to create cultivation methods for humans. First, they had to be compatible with the natural abilities of humans. Second, they had to be compatible with the energy available on this planet and the laws of the plane. Third, they had to allow humans to reach the twelfth order. Without Emperor-level cultivation, everything was meaningless. No matter how many Great Kings humanity produced, they could not fight off fifteen Demon and Nymph Emperors.

When he received this book, Tang San already had some ideas in mind, which were further developed through research. Now, it was time to resume that research.

A faint smile appeared on his face, and a subtle divine light glimmered in his eyes. He slowly opened the book and infused his energy into it, observing the phenomena it triggered. At the same time, he started absorbing faith energy from the Endless Blue Sea, entering a state of deep meditation right there on the beach.

***

Kali City.

The first thing Mei Gongzi did was look for her adoptive mother. And when she saw Luo Qingzhu, she couldn't help but be startled.

In Mei Gongzi's impression, the queen consort had always been very serious, even harsh. As a child, she had never once seen the shadow of a smile on this woman's face. Luo Qingzhu had always struck her as rigid, stern, and even filled with disdain towards her.

It wasn't until later, when misunderstandings were cleared and she became the Lord of Kali City, that Luo Qingzhu looked at her somewhat differently. After Mei Gongzi accepted her as her adoptive mother, at least the resentment was gone, and there was even a hint of acceptance. But by then, the Peacock Great Demon King had already passed away, and Luo Qingzhu seemed like nothing more than an empty shell, devoid of any emotion.

But today, when she saw Luo Qingzhu again, the first thing Mei Gongzi noticed was a blush on her face. Yes, a blush—she looked bright, rosy, healthy, and even a bit... shy?

She seemed noticeably more vibrant, like a tender sprout nurtured by rain and dew, full of vitality.

"Hey, what happened to you?" Mei Gongzi rubbed her eyes and looked at her again, just to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

Luo Qingzhu said irritably, "What do you mean, what happened to me? You didn't even call me Mother—I know I'm just your adoptive mother, but still! I've been working my tail off every day helping you manage

your

city."

Mei Gongzi quickly replied, "Thank you for all your hard work, Mother."

Luo Qingzhu smiled. "That's more like it. By the way, why is your face a bit red? Did that boy bully you?"

As she said this, Mei Gongzi's face turned even redder, and she retorted, "Your face is a bit red too! What happened to you? Did Father bully you?"

Luo Qingzhu shot her a glare and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? You're back, so start doing your job and let me have a break!"

Mei Gongzi immediately put on an innocent expression, "I can't do that, I don't know how! By the way, where is he?"

Luo Qingzhu coughed, her cheeks flushing again, and said, "I've infused him with bloodline essence, and he's in seclusion absorbing it now."

Mei Gongzi was taken aback; Xiao He had previously said he wanted to explore the talents Tang San could provide to humanity. So why had he chosen the Peacock Demon clan's essence again?

Of course, Luo Qingzhu wouldn't tell her that she had practically beaten him into agreement. Making him act according to

her

plans rather than the other way around felt pretty good, actually. And over the past ten days, she had regained the feeling she had when she first met the Peacock Great Demon King and fell in love with him. Although he now called himself Xiao He and he was a human, his heart and memories were still the same!

Luo Qingzhu had accepted his human identity, not that she could do anything about it, and their love had rekindled. But first and foremost, she wanted to get him back to his former level. Although he had to start his cultivation anew, Xiao He's human body had exceptional talent and fused well with the bloodline. Because of this, Luo Qingzhu was confident that she could help him return to his peak in the near future. If anything, now that he had her bloodline instead of his old one, he could even reach for greater heights!

Mei Gongzi smiled and said, "That's good. All things considered, he's still most familiar with space."

Luo Qingzhu changed the topic. "Anyway, that's a matter for later. How are things over at the sea? I didn't expect you to come back so soon."

She was naturally aware of the human migration but hadn't made too many comments about it. Over the past few days, she had asked Xiao He a lot, and his response was simple: now, he was also human, so he would contribute to the cause.