"Kid, you can't leave yet."
"I haven't finished speaking. I know you still can't fully trust me, but you have to listen to me."
"Only by following my arrangements and guidance can you make good progress."
Watching Tang Wulin's expression grow increasingly grave, Tang San grew a little anxious. He hurriedly continued.
With his exceptional intelligence, he could naturally see the wariness and suspicion in the boy before him. But... he was the boy's biological father!
Besides, the Golden Dragon King Bloodline's seal was so dangerous. Without guidance from a God King like him, the boy had no hope of surviving!
"I hope you'll believe me, all right?"
"..."
"Senior, I'm not saying I don't believe you."
I simply wasn't going to believe you at all.
Tang Wulin's expression remained calm, but inwardly he sneered. This damn Old Tang was all talk, as if he could fool him like some clueless little kid!
Perhaps the other man really did know how to deal with the Golden Dragon King and could help him survive this crisis. But then again...
How had this crisis come about in the first place?
The other man was probably involved somehow!
"You can see you still don't believe me."
"Very well. It seems I'll have to tell you."
"I'm actually your father."
Tang San sighed and, with no other choice, blurted it out at once.
He hadn't wanted to tell the boy this shocking news, but now he had no choice...
"What did you say?!"
Tang Wulin froze at those words, his eyes widening as he stared at Tang San.
A complicated look filled his eyes: confusion, surprise, anger... anger so intense it seemed to consume him!
"I said, I'm your father. I'm the legendary Tang—"
Tang San was very pleased by Tang Wulin's reaction. As far as he could tell, his son was so excited with joy that he couldn't even speak.
But before he could finish, the boy in front of him moved.
A hammer made of Blue Silver Grass had formed in Tang Wulin's hands. In an instant, he swung it at Tang San!
"Blue Silver Has Spirit, Blue Silver Hammer!"
"Bang—"
"Wulin, what are you doing?!"
Tang San exclaimed in surprise. He casually stopped the hammer with one hand. He hadn't used much force, but the rebound still sent Tang Wulin flying.
"You're asking me what I'm doing?"
"You're my dad? Then I'm your grandpa!"
"Have you no shame? No shame at all?!"
Tang Wulin got to his feet in a fury, gripping the hammer formed from his Martial Soul and glaring at Tang San.
"I don't care who you are, but you should never have insulted my dad and my family!"
At that moment, he was truly angry.
His parents had always been the most important people in his heart.
His dream was simple: become a powerful Soul Master—whether a Soul Elder or a Soul Grandmaster didn't matter. He didn't need to be that strong. He just wanted to give his mom and dad a better life.
And this shameless Old Tang, who knew where he'd come from, actually claimed to be his father?
Was there any justice? Any sense to this?!
"No, kid, you..."
Tang San looked helplessly at the wide-eyed boy before him, at a loss for words.
What a devoted son...
But he really was the boy's biological father!
"Could it be that the man you call your father isn't your biological father? I'm your real father..."
"Bang—"
Before Tang San could get a response, the hammer—which was like a plastic toy to him—came swinging at him again. He could only sigh helplessly.
"Kid, it's no use. You can't hurt me."
"My consciousness may be incomplete, but I can still handle a little brat like you."
Tang San couldn't help saying.
"If you keep talking..."
"I'll make you pay, even if it kills me."
Tang Wulin snorted, his expression dark.
"Fine, fine!"
"You'll understand eventually, Wulin. Maybe you can't fully grasp who I am, but I still have to tell you that I mean you no harm."
Tang San said helplessly.
"Next, I'll tell you how to deal with the Golden Dragon King Seal. The further you go, the harder the eighteen seals will become. You must take them seriously. The slightest mistake could make you explode and die..."
"Of course, there are benefits, too. Every seal you break will grant you extraordinary strength!"
"I could die...?"
When Tang Wulin learned he might explode and die, his brows furrowed. For the first time, he looked afraid.
He didn't care about becoming stronger, but dying...
For a nine-year-old boy like him, the idea was almost impossible to comprehend. If he died, he'd never see his mom and dad again, and they would probably cry every day...
Thinking of that, Tang Wulin clenched his fist, trembling. "Tell me, how can I stay alive?"
"You can deal with the Golden Dragon King, can't you?!"
Even if this Old Tang wasn't reliable, he still had to learn something from him—at the very least, how to deal with the Golden Dragon King!
"It won't be easy."
"But you don't need to be afraid, Wulin. As long as you follow my instructions, you'll be able to live a long, healthy life."
"The first seal of the Golden Dragon King is the easiest. After that, you can look for ten-year-level spirit items: Ice Spirit Fruit, Fire Spirit Fruit, and the blood of Dragon-type Soul Beasts."
Tang San smiled and spoke at length, completely unaware that Tang Wulin's brows were furrowing tighter and tighter.
Spirit fruits and Soul Beast blood...
Wouldn't those cost a fortune?
He couldn't imagine how frightening death was, but he knew enough about money. Those things sounded expensive—wouldn't they cost hundreds of thousands?
"I still haven't saved enough to pay Lu Li back for the money he gave me for a Soul Spirit. I guess I'll have to..."
"Pay him back a little later."
Tang Wulin murmured guiltily. If he wanted to stay alive, he'd have to work even harder to earn money!
"Old Tang, I have another question."
"What kind of place is this? Can I only talk to you here, or..."
"Can I enter this place whenever I want?"
Tang Wulin suddenly thought of something. He scanned the surroundings and continued asking.
"I forgot to tell you."
"Wulin, this is your inner spiritual world. The Golden Dragon King's seal is here, and so am I."
"Coming here doesn't affect anything in the real world. Your body outside simply falls asleep. You can come here whenever you want, and leave whenever you like."
Tang San explained slowly.
"So I can leave? Old Tang, I'm tired today. I don't want to talk anymore. Goodbye."
Hearing that, Tang Wulin immediately understood.
"Hey, don't leave yet!"
"Wulin, I really am your fa—"
"Hey, don't go!"
Tang San was taken aback and hurried to speak, but before he could finish, Tang Wulin slowly uttered two words:
"Dumbass!"
"..."
"Is this really my son?"
Tang San gritted his teeth in anger. How could this brat insult his own biological father?
"I thought he had some of my youthful flair, but now it seems his genes have mutated?"
"What did his adoptive parents raise him to be? Apart from being a dutiful son, how does he measure up to me?"
Tang San clutched his chest in anguish. It hurt. It hurt so much!
"What a disaster!"
"..."
Meanwhile, in the outside world.
Tang Wulin came to, opened his eyes, and stared at the ceiling. His expression was complicated; he clearly hadn't yet come to terms with everything that had happened.
The Golden Dragon King Seal.
The risk of exploding and dying.
And that damned dumbass, Old Tang.
Every one of those things made his scalp tingle. He was only a six-year-old child. How had all this happened to him?
"I'm just an ordinary person with Blue Silver Grass as my Martial Soul. Why is heaven treating me like this...?"
Tang Wulin sighed. He didn't need the Golden Dragon King Seal's ability to strengthen his talent, because he'd never wanted to become stronger.
But now...
He had no choice.
"If only Big Brother Lu Li were here."
Tang Wulin couldn't help thinking that whenever he felt helpless, Big Brother Lu Li was always his greatest hope.
The more he thought about it, the wilder his imagination became:
"If Big Brother Lu Li could get inside my head, that'd be great. He's so strong..."
"He could definitely knock Old Tang out with one punch!"
Only then did a smile appear on Tang Wulin's face, the corners of his mouth rising uncontrollably.
"..."
Hearing Tang Wulin's thoughts, Tang San didn't know what to say.
Kid, that wasn't funny at all.
"But..."
"Who's Lu Li?"
"From Wulin's thoughts, he seems to be someone very important to him. Could he be a Titled Douluo?"
Tang San silently committed the name to memory. If Lu Li really was a powerful expert, that would be great. Perhaps he could help Wulin's growth go more smoothly.
"..."
[Lu Li, have you reached your place yet?]
[I had a great time seeing you today, hehe. Thanks for treating me to all that delicious food. How about I treat you next time?]
[If you don't mind, I'll take you to a candlelit dinner next time.]
[If you don't reply, I'll take that as a yes, hehe.]
[Why haven't you replied yet?]
[Are you there?]
[Good night.]
"..."
In Heaven Dou City, Lu Li dried himself off after taking a shower and looked at the string of messages on his communicator. He smiled helplessly.
As expected, adding someone as a friend was a hassle.
He hadn't considered whether she might use his location to track him down, but having to deal with all these messages was another matter.
[Just finished showering.]
He casually sent a reply. The other person's message arrived immediately after:
[Let me see (flushed)]
Lu Li: "..."
[Na Nali, seeing everything will only get you into trouble.]
"How could that get me into trouble?"
"It'd be a reward for me!"
On the other end, Na Nali lay on her bed, kicking her feet in the air, a lovely smile on her face as she murmured to herself.
Lu Li fresh from the shower...
Wouldn't he be like a fragrant, soft little cake?
At the thought, Na Nali blushed, her eyes practically sparkling with hearts.
"Ah~"
"I want to fall in love so badly!"
"..."
Lu Li: Do you want to fall in love, or do you just want to get some?
Na Nali: Both. I want both with you.
Lu Li: ?
Before you continue