After Cheng Duoyi and the others finished eating, they went their separate ways.
Gu Yue had something to do and left the academy.
Eastsea Academy didn't forbid students from going out. As long as they were in class during lesson hours, no one would give them a hard time.
Tang Wuling went back to her dormitory to cultivate.
Without Cheng Duoyi around, Tang Wuling's cultivation speed slowed. What was more, she realized that she couldn't bear to be apart from him and wanted to stay by his side.
But she also knew that wasn't possible right now. This was an academy, not home, and that left her troubled.
"Could it be that the only way I can help Yi'er is through blacksmithing, and I can't help him in any other way?"
"No! I can! I know I can!"
Just then, as Tang Wuling meditated, golden patterns appeared on her forehead and along her back, while faint dragon roars echoed in her ears.
"Huh? What's going on?"
Tang Wuling was astonished.
She found herself inside a vast, pitch-black space.
Tang Wuling didn't panic. She carefully observed her surroundings.
Then, a golden light flared in the distant sky.
Immediately afterward, an enormous golden dragon appeared in her field of vision.
The dragon had no wings and five claws. It was nothing like the dragons Tang Wuling knew.
She also noticed eighteen blue rings of light surrounding the golden dragon.
"What's going on?"
Tang Wuling was even more confused.
"You've finally... Huh? Why are you a girl?"
"No, you..."
The voice was unmistakably full of shock and confusion.
Tang Wuling was baffled. "If I'm not a girl, what am I supposed to be, a boy?"
A golden figure suddenly appeared. Tang Wuling looked at it and asked, "What is this place? And who are you?"
The golden figure studied Tang Wuling for a long time, then sighed.
"Fate plays tricks on us. Is this heaven's will?"
"Hey, you still haven't answered me. What is this place?"
Tang Wuling didn't understand what the golden figure meant. All she wanted was to leave as soon as possible.
"This place is part of your body," the golden figure said with a sigh. "As for who I am, I don't know anymore. You can call me Old Tang. Right now, I'm just a strand of divine consciousness, here to guide you as you fuse with these essences."
"What do you mean? Are you saying there's not only a golden dragon inside me, but that I also have to fuse with it?" Tang Wuling exclaimed in surprise.
At the same time, she was delighted.
She knew why cultivating beside Cheng Duoyi had made her progress faster, and she understood how she could help him.
Tang Wuling thought, As long as I fuse with this golden dragon, I'll be able to help Yi'er!
Old Tang had no idea what Tang Wuling was thinking. If he had, he would have spat blood.
My good son didn't just turn into a daughter—she's a lovesick fool, too!
"That's right." Old Tang's tone was grave. "Don't get excited too soon. I can guide you as you fuse with the golden dragon's essence, but if you fail even once, you'll die!"
"Ah! D-Die?"
Tang Wuling was startled and stammered.
She didn't want to die. She wanted to stay by Cheng Duoyi's side forever.
Instinctively, she didn't want to fuse with it anymore.
But when she thought of Cheng Duoyi, Tang Wuling gritted her teeth. "Old Tang, how do I fuse with the golden dragon's essence?"
Old Tang was satisfied with her attitude and nodded. "This golden dragon's essence comes from the Golden Dragon King. There are eighteen portions, each sealed by one of eighteen seals. That means you can attempt the fusion eighteen times. The process is risky, but it will also bring you tremendous benefits."
When Tang Wuling heard that she could attempt the fusion eighteen times, her eyes lit up.
She wasn't afraid of dying. All she wanted was to become stronger!
She wanted to tell fate, No! No one can stop me from helping Yi'er!
"Old Tang, tell me how to fuse with the Golden Dragon King's essence!"
Watching Tang Wuling brimming with fighting spirit, Old Tang considered whether he should try dividing his soul into three again, now that he had some experience raising a daughter.
No, that wouldn't work. The Divine Realm was already gone.
The Plane Master of Douluo Continent was already her father, while the Golden Ancient Tree of Douluo Continent and the Core of Life were her mothers.
Besides, the grand plan of ten thousand years couldn't fail. They were already halfway through. How could they give up now?
With that in mind, Old Tang looked at Tang Wuling. "If you can enter this place, your body is strong enough to withstand the first seal of the Golden Dragon King. Prepare a Century Ice Crystal Fruit, a Century Red Flame Fruit, and ten drops of blood from a century-old dragon Soul Beast. I'll appear when the time comes."
"Okay!" Tang Wuling nodded, and her consciousness returned.
Tang Wuling was so happy she could've jumped for joy. "I can't believe there's a dragon inside me—and it's the Golden Dragon King! If I fuse with all eighteen portions of its essence, maybe I can compete for a place at the top!"
In the past, Tang Wuling had been somewhat insecure. With her Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, deep down, she hadn't dared to hope for anything from Cheng Duoyi. All she wanted was for him to stay by her side.
But now!
She wanted to compete for him, too!
"Na'er, Gu Yue, I won't let you steal Yi'er from me!"
Tang Wuling said those words aloud, so Old Tang could hear them.
He was baffled.
Who was this Yi'er?
And who were Na'er and Gu Yue?
Tang Wuling couldn't wait to go find Cheng Duoyi and tell him about it.
Old Tang realized things were going in an uncontrollable direction and hurriedly asked, "Tang Wuling, where are you going?"
Tang Wuling smiled. "Me? I'm going to find Yi'er."
"Who's Yi'er?" Old Tang hurriedly asked.
"Yi'er is Yi'er. Who else could it be?" Tang Wuling thought Old Tang was being rather strange.
"Wait, you're not planning to tell this Yi'er of yours about me, are you?" Old Tang realized a frightening possibility.
"Yes. So what?"
Tang Wuling was already on her way out.
Old Tang cried out, "You can't! You mustn't tell anyone about me."
"Why?" Tang Wuling frowned.
"Because no one can know the Golden Dragon King exists. Otherwise, you'll be putting your life in danger!" Old Tang hurriedly explained.
Tang Wuling fell silent for a moment. "Yi'er wouldn't hurt me."
Seeing her like this made Old Tang furious.
He was livid. Which punk had stolen Tang Wuling away?
"You think he won't, so that means he really won't? Why do you trust him so much?" Old Tang pleaded.
You don't understand! Tang Wuling cried out inside. There's no way Yi'er would hurt me. He just wouldn't!
Old Tang felt as if the sky had fallen.
I don't understand? I'm your father, and you're saying I don't understand?
At that moment, Old Tang wished more than anything that Tang Wuling were Tang Wutong!
Then he could have guided Tang Wuling down the path he had laid out for her, instead of letting some punk lead her astray!
"Fine, you trust him. Then let me ask you this: don't you know how to stand on your own two feet? If I'm not mistaken, you want your Yi'er to help you find the materials I mentioned, right?"
"If you really want a future with him, you can't spend his money, and you certainly can't accept his favors. You have to rely on your own efforts to become stronger. That way, you'll be equals!"
Somehow, one of those words finally made Tang Wuling stop.
"That's right! Yi'er has helped me so many times already. How can I keep troubling him?" Tang Wuling said.
Old Tang: ...
Old Tang: So after all that, you didn't listen to a word I said?
At least Old Tang saw that Tang Wuling wasn't going out, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
But when he thought about Tang Wuling's situation, he could only think: what a mess!
Was this the price of raising a son-in-law?
Before you continue