Old Tang's Surprise: My Good Son Has Become My Daughter?

After Cheng Duoyi and the others finished eating, they parted ways.

Gu Yue left the academy, though it was unclear where she went.

Eastsea Academy did not forbid students from going out, provided they were in class during school hours, so no one would find fault with them.

Tang Wuling went to her dormitory to cultivate.

Without Cheng Duoyi around, Tang Wuling found her cultivation speed slowing down; furthermore, she realized she could not bear to be apart from him and longed to stay by his side.

However, she knew that was impossible for now; this was an academy, not home, which caused her great distress.

Could it be that I can only help Brother Yi'er with forging, and nothing else?

No! I can do it! I definitely can!

Just then, as Tang Wuling meditated, golden patterns appeared on her forehead and along her spine, and the faint sound of a dragon's roar echoed in her ears.

Huh? What is happening?

Tang Wuling discovered with surprise that she had entered a vast, pitch-black space.

She did not panic, instead observing her surroundings carefully.

At that moment, a golden light illuminated the distant sky.

Immediately after, a massive golden dragon appeared within her field of vision.

This dragon had no wings and possessed five claws, looking nothing like any dragon Tang Wuling had ever known.

Tang Wuling also noticed eighteen blue rings of light surrounding the golden dragon.

What is going on?

Tang Wuling was even more confused.

"You finally... wait? Why are you a girl?"

"No, you..."

The voice was clearly filled with shock and confusion.

Tang Wuling was baffled. "If I'm not a girl, what else would I be, a boy?"

Looking at the golden silhouette that had suddenly appeared, Tang Wuling asked, "What is this place? And who are you?"

The golden silhouette observed Tang Wuling for a long time before finally sighing.

"Fortune plays tricks on people; is this truly heaven's will?"

"Hey, you haven't answered my question yet! What is this place!"

Tang Wuling did not understand what the golden silhouette meant; she only wanted to leave this place as quickly as possible.

"This place is a part of your own body," the golden silhouette said with a sigh. "As for my identity, I no longer know it myself. You may call me Old Tang. I am merely a sliver of divine consciousness, here to guide you in merging with these essences."

"What do you mean? Are you saying that not only is there a golden dragon inside my body, but I have to merge with it?" Tang Wuling asked in surprise.

At the same time, she felt a surge of joy in her heart.

She understood now why her cultivation speed increased when she stayed by Cheng Duoyi's side, and she realized how she could help him.

As long as I merge with this golden dragon, I'll be able to help Brother Yi'er! Tang Wuling thought to herself.

Old Tang had no idea what Tang Wuling was thinking; if he did, he would surely have coughed up blood.

My dear child hasn't just turned into a daughter, she's become a lovesick fool!

"That is correct," Old Tang said sternly. "Do not be happy too soon. While I can guide you in merging with the essence of the Golden Dragon King, if you fail even once, the outcome will be death!"

"Ah! De... death?"

Tang Wuling felt a jolt of fear and stammered.

She did not want to die; she wanted to stay with Cheng Duoyi forever.

Subconsciously, she wanted to back out of the merger.

But thinking of Cheng Duoyi, Tang Wuling gritted her teeth and said, "Old Tang, how do I merge with the essence of the Golden Dragon King?"

Old Tang was quite satisfied with Tang Wuling's attitude. He nodded and said, "This golden dragon is the essence of the Golden Dragon King. There are eighteen strands in total, which also serve as eighteen seals. This means you can merge eighteen times. While the process carries risks, it will also bring you immense benefits."

Hearing that she could merge eighteen times, Tang Wuling's eyes lit up.

She no longer felt the fear of death, only a burning desire to become stronger!

She wanted to say to fate: No! No one can stop me from walking the path to help Brother Yi'er!

"Old Tang, tell me the method to merge with the Golden Dragon King's essence!"

Old Tang looked at the high-spirited Tang Wuling. Having already had the experience of raising a daughter once, he considered whether he should split his soul into three again.

No, the God Realm was no longer there.

The Plane Master of the Douluo Continent was already his father, and the Golden Ancient Tree and the Core of Life were his mother.

Besides, the ten-thousand-year plan could not fail; it was already halfway through, so how could he give up now?

With this thought in mind, Old Tang looked at Tang Wuling and said, "The fact that you could enter this place proves 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-level dragon-type soul beast. When the time comes, I will naturally appear."

"Understood!" Tang Wuling nodded, and her consciousness immediately returned.

Tang Wuling was so happy she could have jumped for joy: I never expected there to be a dragon inside me, and the Golden Dragon King at that! If I can fuse with the eighteen essences of the Golden Dragon King, there is no reason I can't compete for him!

If the Tang Wuling of the past had felt somewhat inferior, her Blue Silver Grass martial soul having made her afraid to harbor any extravagant hopes for Cheng Duoyi, wishing only for him to stay by her side.

But now!

She wanted to compete for him!

"Na'er, Gu Yue, I won't let you snatch Brother Yi'er away from me!"

Tang Wuling had spoken these words aloud, so Old Tang naturally heard them.

He was very confused.

Who was this Brother Yi'er?

And who were Na'er and Gu Yue?

Tang Wuling couldn't wait to find Cheng Duoyi; she wanted to tell him about this matter.

Old Tang realized things were heading in an uncontrollable direction and hurriedly asked, "Tang Wuling, where are you going?"

Tang Wuling smiled and said, "Me? I'm going to find Brother Yi'er."

"Who is Brother Yi'er?" Old Tang asked urgently.

"Brother Yi'er is Brother Yi'er, who else could he be?" Tang Wuling felt Old Tang was being inexplicable.

"Wait, you aren't planning on telling this Brother Yi'er of yours about my existence, are you!" Old Tang thought of a terrifying possibility.

"Yes, what's wrong with that?"

Tang Wuling was already about to head out.

Old Tang exclaimed, "No! You cannot tell anyone about me."

"Why?" Tang Wuling frowned.

"Because the existence of the Golden Dragon King cannot be known by anyone, otherwise it will bring a fatal disaster upon you!" Old Tang said hastily.

Tang Wuling was silent for a moment: "Brother Yi'er wouldn't hurt me."

Seeing Tang Wuling like this, Old Tang was extremely angry.

He was furious—which punk had managed to lead Tang Wuling astray!

"Just because you think he won't, doesn't mean he won't! What makes you trust him so much!" Old Tang pleaded earnestly.

"You don't understand!" Tang Wuling shouted in her heart: "Brother Yi'er couldn't possibly hurt me, it's just impossible!"

Old Tang felt as if the sky were collapsing!

I don't understand?

I am your father, and you say I don't understand?

In this moment, how Old Tang wished that Tang Wuling were Tang Wutong!

If that were the case, he could have made her follow the path he had paved for her, rather than being led astray by some punk!

"Fine, you trust him, but I want to ask you this: don't you know how to be self-reliant? If I'm not mistaken, you were planning to have this Brother Yi'er of yours help you find the materials I mentioned."

"If you truly want to be with him in the future, you cannot spend his money, and even less should you accept his favors. You must rely on your own efforts to become stronger; only then will you be equals!"

It was unclear which of these words had caused Tang Wuling to stop.

"That's right! Brother Yi'er has already helped me so many times, 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?

Fortunately, Old Tang breathed a sigh of relief when he realized Tang Wuling wasn't going out.

But when he thought about Tang Wuling's situation, it was truly a sin!

Could this be the price of raising a son-in-law?