Chen Yan's Past or Future?

The Soul Guidance Car slowly drove away, leaving this seemingly peaceful place.

They left quietly, just as they had come in silence.

With a wave of their hands, they took all the clouds away.

From then on, the Tang Sect had lost Dragon Valley, just as Islam had lost Jerusalem.

Though the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well still remained, immortal herbs that appeared only once every hundred years were simply beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Moreover, this was Star Luo Continent. Dragon Valley could be said to be the Tang Sect's most important strategic resource and talent cultivation base in this region. Without it, the quality of local personnel would visibly decline in the future.

Ever since Chen Yan had heard about another version of himself, he had grown quiet. Even after getting into the car, he remained silent.

Looking at Chen Yan's silent profile, Gu Yuena softly asked, "Is there nothing you want to ask?"

"Can I?"

Chen Yan turned his head, his gaze deep as though he were examining the questions hidden in the depths of his heart. His voice was low and steady, carrying a faint, barely noticeable expectation. (He actually wanted to ask, but was too embarrassed.)

Gu Yuena smiled slightly and nodded gently, encouraging him. "Of course. As long as you want to know, I'll tell you everything I know."

Ever since Dragon Valley—or, more precisely, since he had absorbed the dragon soul—Chen Yan felt that Gu Yuena had cast off the shackles around her heart. She had become much more cheerful around him, as if revealing the secret in her heart had allowed her to finally breathe a sigh of relief and shed her burdens.

"Then... when did you meet the other me?"

"When? It was after Dragon God Grass created a divine realm belonging to the Dragon Race. I remember we even fought when we first met," Gu Yuena answered softly, her voice tinged with nostalgia and emotion.

"But it didn't take long before you admitted defeat. You said something like, 'You don't truly know someone until you fight them. Now that we've fought, we can be considered acquainted.'" As she spoke, she unconsciously laughed.

Wait, are you sure that was me? Was I really that dense? Fighting as soon as we met and then saying something like that? Was my skin really that thick? Chen Yan listened with a face full of question marks.

"At the time, the Dragon Realm had only just been established and was still unstable. If two God Kings fought with all their strength, the damage to the Dragon Realm would have been far too great. So after Dragon God judged that he wasn't confident he could defeat you, he agreed."

"You were also wearing a suit of golden armor. You said it was called Emperor Armor, and you even asked the Dragon God if he wanted a set. You said that if he gave you some Dragon Scales, you'd make one for him for free." A glimmer flickered in Gu Yuena's eyes. Clearly, she was recalling that memory, which she found both amusing and unimaginably distant.

After hearing that, Chen Yan was so embarrassed his toes nearly dug out a four-bedroom apartment. He could not help asking, "I... really said something like that?"

Gu Yuena nodded gently, her eyes filled with longing for that scene. "Yes, you really did. You even invited the Dragon God to invite you to stay in the Dragon Realm."

Chen Yan: ???

What kind of ridiculous stunt was that?! I invited him to invite me? Well... if we were already close, I guess that really was possible.

Chen Yan reluctantly accepted that explanation. It was just incredibly awkward hearing it from a woman. And she had just mentioned Emperor Armor, which happened to align perfectly with his own idea. Battle armor only covered part of the body—was that really enough defense? What about the uncovered areas? Were they simply ignored?

Besides, armor was so cool. On one hand, it covered the entire body, providing 360-degree defense without blind spots. On the other, it was full of childhood memories and fulfilled his dream of wearing armor. It was just a pity that his martial soul was not Ultraman; otherwise, he could have fulfilled his Ultraman dream too. When danger came, perhaps he could even gather the light of the world!

All in all, what Gu Yuena said basically matched him—or perhaps his future self? Chen Yan's heart churned like a stormy sea as countless emotions intertwined. He tried to find clues in Gu Yuena's words, wanting to understand what was truly going on. He could not help asking, "Then... what happened after that? What did Dragon God say?"

Gu Yuena smiled slightly, seemingly amused by Chen Yan's reaction. "Dragon God naturally agreed. But in order to keep an eye on you, the two of you lived very close to each other. Then you started showing up at his door every day, either to chat or play chess. Sometimes, you even dragged Dragon God out fishing. There was already a mountain of government affairs to deal with. During that time, you really made Dragon God suffer—he practically never got any rest!"

Chen Yan's surprise was beyond words. This was a development he had never imagined. He had actually formed such a close relationship with Dragon God. Imagining himself chatting, playing chess, and fishing with Dragon God every day, he could not help feeling stirred. That sounded like an incredibly wonderful life—practically the life of his dreams!

"Then... Dragon God didn't mind?" Although Chen Yan thought it sounded pretty good, he was still uncertain about Dragon God's attitude.

A mischievous glint flashed through Gu Yuena's eyes. "At first, Dragon God really wasn't used to it. After all, his status and responsibilities were very special. But the two of you couldn't determine a victor anytime soon, and you were so shamelessly persistent. So gradually, he was assimilated by you too."

Chen Yan felt a trace of comfort after hearing that. Time to embrace a laid-back life and enjoy a happy existence!

"Then, what was my life in the Dragon Realm like?" Chen Yan asked curiously, wanting to learn more about his future.

Gu Yuena smiled slightly, seemingly recalling those wonderful times. "You lived very well in the Dragon Realm. Aside from the time you spent with Dragon God, you also took up a position at his suggestion and participated in drafting and enforcing the Dragon Race's laws. Your prestige among the Dragon Race even surpassed that of the Dragon Kings, second only to Dragon God, who created the Dragon Realm."

Chen Yan was too stunned for words. Damn, was I really that awesome?!

"But how did I eventually leave the Dragon Realm?" Chen Yan pressed on. He loved knowing the future and satisfying his empty curiosity.

Gu Yuena shook her head, her gaze seemingly carrying a trace of regret. "One day, you suddenly left. You only left behind this shield and one sentence: See you in the future."

"See you in the future..." Chen Yan softly repeated the words, as though he could sense the karmic ties of time and space within them.

Gu Yuena looked at the pensive Chen Yan and pressed her lips together. If you hadn't left back then, perhaps the Dragon Race wouldn't have ended up like this. But then we would never have met either!

She took a deep breath and decided not to dwell on the past any longer, but to focus on the present. Dragon God was already gone, and Chen Yan was all she had before her now. Everyone had their own choices and destiny. Perhaps his departure had also been part of fate.

Perhaps it was precisely because he had left that they were able to meet here.

Dear readers, go to bed early (^o^)