The First Golden Dragon King Seal and the Seven-Colored Bloodline

Mu Xi rushed off in a flurry to find Cheng Duoyi. When she saw him, gratitude appeared on her face.

She walked up to Cheng Duoyi, wanting to hug him.

Cheng Duoyi took a step back, while Gu Yue and Tang Wuling naturally moved in front of him. Their hostile, watchful stance made Mu Xi pause.

Her gaze shifted between the three of them, and an inscrutable look crossed her face. These three little ones have something going on...

"This woman seems a little crazy. Maybe she's got something seriously wrong with her," Xie Xie whispered in Yun Xiao's ear.

Yun Xiao gave him a helpless look. "Say that in private. Saying it to her face is asking to die, isn't it?"

Yun Xiao looked around. Thankfully, Cen Yue wasn't there; otherwise, he'd probably have heard.

Xie Xie gave an awkward smile and said nothing more.

"Thank you, little brother Cheng Duoyi. If you hadn't given me that Hundred-Refined Metal, I couldn't have advanced to a third-level blacksmith so quickly!" Mu Xi put aside her curiosity and thanked him. "If anything comes up, just call me. I'll look after you!"

"Sister Mu Xi." Cheng Duoyi looked at her. "The Hundred-Refined Metal I gave you was of a special quality. It may improve your chances of forging Thousand-Refined Metal, but you might not have the same luck when forging other rare metals. So, it'd be best to practice with other rare metals normally, and only use the ones I gave you to attempt Thousand Refinement when you're short on inspiration. You can thank me once you've truly become a third-level blacksmith."

"Okay!" Mu Xi nodded. "I owe you one. If you run into any trouble at Tianhai Academy, come find me. I'll look after you."

"Thanks, Sister Mu Xi," Cheng Duoyi said with a smile.

Hmph, who needs you to look after him? Tang Wuling thought.

Only I need to look after Xiao Yi! Gu Yue thought.

Mu Xi then said, "Are you hungry? I'll take you out shopping. My treat."

"No, thanks. Xiao Yi, Tang Wuling, let's go," Gu Yue said. How could she give Mu Xi another chance to spend time with Cheng Duoyi?

With that, she pulled Cheng Duoyi along and headed out.

Cheng Duoyi looked back with a smile. "Maybe another time, Sister Mu Xi."

Tang Wuling also said, "Thanks for the offer. We'll be going now."

Xie Xie and Yun Xiao naturally followed them.

The five of them left the Blacksmith Association and headed for Eastsea Academy.

On the way.

Gu Yue looked at Cheng Duoyi, her emphasis a little pointed. "Sister Mu Xi~"

Gu Yue's eyes reddened slightly. "Do you like calling other people 'sister'?"

Tang Wuling looked over too, her expression tense.

Cheng Duoyi was completely unfazed by their attention. "My master and Mu Xi's master are old acquaintances. If I don't call her Sister Mu Xi, I can't just call her Mu Xi outright. That'd be rude. But if you don't want me calling her Sister Mu Xi, I'll call her Mu Xi instead. I'll just have to put up with my master scolding me later."

"That's more like it." Gu Yue's expression finally softened a little.

"You two... are you jealous?" Cheng Duoyi asked.

Gu Yue snorted. "No."

Tang Wuling wasn't as easy to fool as she used to be, either.

Since gaining confidence and a bright future, she wanted more!

She wanted him all to herself!

Cheng Duoyi naturally took Gu Yue and Tang Wuling by the hand.

"Come on, Sister Yue'er and little sister Ling'er."

Gu Yue's displeasure vanished instantly at the words "Sister Yue'er."

Gu Yue: Xiao Yi must have feelings for me.

Tang Wuling: I must be special to Brother Yi'er!

The group walked and chatted.

Tang Wuling suddenly remembered something and turned to Cheng Duoyi. "Brother Yi'er, do you know where I can buy Century Ice Crystal Fruit, Century Red Flame Fruit, and century-old dragon blood?"

Cheng Duoyi looked at her, a trace of confusion in his eyes. "What do you need those for? Those materials are pretty rare on the market, especially century-old dragon blood. It's not easy to get."

Tang Wuling hesitated. She was just about to speak when Old Tang's stern voice suddenly rang out in her mind. "Don't tell him! Under no circumstances can anyone find out that you have Golden Dragon King Essence inside you! Otherwise, you'll regret it!"

Tang Wuling swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue, lowered her head, and said softly, "It's nothing. I was just curious..."

Cheng Duoyi gave her a long look but didn't press further.

The next two months passed.

Wu Changkong had no idea what had gotten into him. Every so often, he would put Tang Wuling, Gu Yue, Xie Xie, and Yun Xiao through one-on-one special training. Yes, Yun Xiao was included too. The four of them suffered miserably.

As for Cheng Duoyi, Wu Changkong ignored him. During the tests of their spiritual power and strength, Wu Changkong had seen what a human-shaped Ferocious Beast looked like. His training wouldn't do much for Cheng Duoyi.

After training one day, Tang Wuling felt a little down. For the past two months, Wu Changkong had kept them training, leaving her no time to forge and earn Federation Coins. It was as if she'd taken the third-level blacksmith exam for nothing.

She couldn't buy the materials for fusing the Golden Dragon King seal, either...

What was she supposed to do?

After dinner, Cheng Duoyi told Gu Yue, Xie Xie, and Yun Xiao that he was taking Tang Wuling to take care of something. The three were curious, but didn't ask.

"Ling'er, come on. I'll take you somewhere."

Tang Wuling was puzzled. "Brother Yi'er, where are we going?"

The two left Eastsea Academy. This was Tang Wuling's first time out in two and a half months, and she couldn't help eyeing all the street food.

"I'll tell you when we get there."

"Come on, my treat. First, I'll take you to get some snacks."

"Thanks, Brother Yi'er!"

Tang Wuling hadn't expected Cheng Duoyi to notice even that. Delighted, she wandered around with him, eating all kinds of snacks.

The whole time, Tang Wuling had no idea where Cheng Duoyi was taking her, but she wasn't worried he would hurt her.

Once they'd eaten their fill, the two arrived in front of a villa.

"Brother Yi'er, what is this place?" Tang Wuling asked, confused and unsure why Cheng Duoyi had brought her here.

"Come on. What I want to tell you is inside."

After Cheng Duoyi swiped his card, the door opened. Tang Wuling had never seen such a luxurious home before. "Brother Yi'er, did you buy this villa?"

"My godmother gave it to me," Cheng Duoyi said.

Tang Wuling looked all around, very excited. "A villa this big must have cost a fortune."

"It wasn't much." Cheng Duoyi went into the living room and handed her a jade box. "Here. This is why I brought you here. Check whether what's inside is right."

Tang Wuling took the jade box and eagerly opened it.

"This is..."

When Tang Wuling saw what was inside, her heart trembled.

"Brother Yi'er, you..."

She hadn't expected Cheng Duoyi to remember something she'd mentioned in passing, let alone buy it and give it to her.

She didn't know how to thank him.

Cheng Duoyi had been so good to her. Without him, she couldn't have advanced so quickly. She was already at level nineteen and could break through to level twenty at any moment.

"What are we to each other?" Cheng Duoyi said sternly. "You can tell me anything you want or need. You've always been family to me. I won't hold back when it comes to family; I'll do everything I can to help you!"

"Enough. First, check whether the things inside are what you need. If they aren't, I'll contact someone else to buy them."

Tang Wuling spoke with Old Tang in her mind. "Old Tang, are these the materials I need?"

Old Tang answered, "Yes. And all three are thousand-year-old materials. The dragon blood even contains a drop of heart's blood, which will greatly benefit your physique and the fusion. Find some time, and I'll tell you how to use them."

Old Tang remembered something and said sternly, "Though Cheng Duoyi treats you well, you can't be sure what he's thinking. Whatever you do, do not tell anyone about me or the Golden Dragon King Essence!"

"Brother Yi'er..." Tang Wuling took a deep breath and made up her mind. Her gaze grew unshakably firm. "There's something I need to tell you."

"Hmm? What is it?" Cheng Duoyi asked curiously.

"Actually... I have Golden Dragon King Essence inside me." Tang Wuling finally revealed the secret she'd kept buried in her heart for two and a half months. "I need these materials to absorb the Golden Dragon King Essence and break through the seal."

The moment she finished speaking, Old Tang's despairing wail rang out in her mind. "It's over! It's all over! I told you not to tell him! Why won't you listen? Now he's definitely going to capture you! You, you... I don't even know what to say to you. You trust people that easily? Can't you think about your own safety for once?"

Tang Wuling ignored Old Tang's breakdown. She simply watched Cheng Duoyi in silence, waiting for his reaction.

Unexpectedly, there was no surprise or greed on Cheng Duoyi's face.

He simply nodded calmly, then smiled warmly and happily. "Thank you for telling me your secret."

Tang Wuling froze. "That's... that's it?"

"What else?" Cheng Duoyi raised an eyebrow. "I don't know what Golden Dragon King Essence is, but if it can make you stronger, I'm happy."

"Still, some secrets are best kept from other people, including me."

Tang Wuling's expression turned solemn. "Brother Yi'er, you're not someone else. You're family! I don't believe you'd hurt me. And even if you really did, I'd be willing!"

Old Tang: How did my second daughter become such a lovestruck fool?

Cheng Duoyi smiled. "What nonsense are you saying? How could I ever hurt you?"

"Enough, let's leave that for now. How are you going to use these three things? I'll get everything you need ready."

Tang Wuling really didn't know how to use them, so she asked Old Tang, "Old Tang, don't interfere in my life. Just tell me how to fuse the Golden Dragon King Essence. Tell me now: how do I fuse it?"

Old Tang was helpless. In the end, he looked at Tang Wuling and thought, She's my girl. I have to dote on her. Don't be angry, don't be angry...

Old Tang was still sulking, but he reluctantly said, "First, put the Millennium Ice Crystal Fruit and the Millennium Red Flame Fruit into a cup. Then pour the dragon blood in and shake it until it's evenly mixed. Drink it all. No matter how awful it feels, you have to endure it. During that time..."

Tang Wuling nodded and looked at Cheng Duoyi. "Brother Yi'er, could you prepare a cup for me? A metal one would be best."

Cheng Duoyi nodded and prepared a large cup for Tang Wuling.

Following Old Tang's instructions, Tang Wuling opened the two jade boxes.

In the box on the left sat an ice-blue fruit radiating bone-chilling cold.

In the box on the right sat a fiery red fruit radiating searing heat.

She took a deep breath, picked up both fruits, and put them in the cup. Then she poured in the dragon blood, put on the lid, and began shaking it furiously.

"Ling'er, what are you..." Cheng Duoyi asked, puzzled.

Tang Wuling felt a little embarrassed. She could see the confusion and puzzlement in his eyes. "Don't worry. This won't cause any problems."

Cheng Duoyi still warned her, "I thought you had some clever method. The Millennium Ice Crystal Fruit and the Millennium Red Flame Fruit have completely opposite properties. If you mix them like that, their effects might disappear. And even if they don't, are you planning to swallow them just like that? Can your body handle it?"

Seeing that, Tang Wuling asked Old Tang, "Old Tang, you aren't lying to me, are you? This doesn't seem very reliable."

She looked at the cup shaking in her hands, afraid something might go wrong.

"If I wanted to hurt you, I'd have done it ages ago!" Old Tang said irritably. "Remember, anyone in this world might hurt you, but I never will!"

"Fine. I believe you." Tang Wuling had no other choice but to trust Old Tang.

Tang Wuling looked at Cheng Duoyi. "It'll be fine, Brother Yi'er. Let me get my condition in order first."

"Okay." Cheng Duoyi nodded.

Tang Wuling sat cross-legged and entered meditation. Cheng Duoyi sat in front of her and held her hands.

In that instant, Tang Wuling could feel the energy in her body quickly settle. It's still so much easier to cultivate with Brother Yi'er.

Old Tang felt bitter. What a foolish daughter. Aren't you afraid he'll just swallow you whole? His body contains the aura of the Dragon God!

In the end, Old Tang could only watch helplessly while keeping an eye on Cheng Duoyi. If Cheng Duoyi tried anything bad, he would use one of his few remaining three chances to try to kill him!

Of course, he wouldn't do that unless he had no other choice.

Whenever he considered killing Cheng Duoyi, he felt as if death itself was looming. That made him afraid to act.

"Brother Yi'er, when I drink this spiritual liquid in a moment, could you keep meditating with me?"

"No problem."

Seeing this, Tang Wuling hesitated no longer. She opened the cup and found the liquid inside looked awful, like water from a stinking ditch.

"Glug, glug."

Tang Wuling forced herself to drink it all despite her revulsion.

"Huh? It tastes pretty good."

Old Tang hurriedly reminded her, "Don't let your thoughts wander. Get into a meditative state right away."

At his words, Tang Wuling didn't hesitate and entered meditation.

With Cheng Duoyi there, she slipped easily into a meditative state.

The spiritual liquid that had just tasted good now transformed into two opposing streams of energy and surged into her body.

One was bone-chillingly cold, as if it would freeze even her blood.

The other was scorching hot, as if it would burn her internal organs to ashes.

"Ah!"

Tang Wuling couldn't help crying out in pain as her body trembled violently. The torment of the two extremes of ice and fire was unbearable. A layer of frost formed over her fair skin, then it turned red-hot.

At that moment, the dragon blood took effect, slightly balancing the two violent forces. But it did little to help.

In just a moment, the pain grew even more intense. Tang Wuling felt as if her body were about to be torn to pieces, and her consciousness began to blur.

"Brother Yi'er, Brother Yi'er..." she cried out to Cheng Duoyi in her heart.

Old Tang saw this and thought, She didn't even call for me... I'm so sad...

He was staring at Cheng Duoyi when he saw rainbow-colored light radiating from his body. The violent energy inside Tang Wuling was easily dispelled by Cheng Duoyi, and her pain instantly eased.

Old Tang: Hmph, at least you're good for something, kid.

Guided by the Dragon God Heart, the energy that had been violent turned docile. At the same time, the first seal of the Golden Dragon King was broken, and all its energy flowed into her body.

The Golden Dragon King's aura was violent at first, but the moment it encountered the Dragon God's aura, it behaved itself.

It slowly circulated through Tang Wuling's meridians, nourishing her body bit by bit.

At the same time, a faint trace of the Golden Dragon King's aura flowed through the Dragon God Heart and into Cheng Duoyi's body, gathering in his dantian.

Cheng Duoyi's heart stirred. The Silver Dragon King's aura left behind by Na'er inside him merged with the Golden Dragon King's aura, transforming into rainbow-colored light.

"This is... the Seven-Colored Bloodline! Also known as the Little Dragon God Bloodline!"