Three Years Later and the Promise

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, three years had passed.

Cheng Duoyi was now nine years old.

He had grown a bit taller, and his complexion had improved somewhat due to the presence of Na'er and Tang Wuling, though his hair remained white, unchanged.

At the same time, the Dragon God Heart caused the Silver Dragon King and Golden Dragon King auras within Na'er and Tang Wuling to resonate.

This not only stabilized his life force but also caused his Soul Power Level to rise to fifteen without him even realizing it.

This was only because Cheng Duoyi hadn't been actively cultivating; otherwise, breaking through to level twenty or even thirty would have been no problem at all.

After all, with Leng Yaozhu around, the rare treasures needed for Cheng Duoyi to solidify his foundation and raise his level were within easy reach, but his physical condition required maintaining a delicate balance, so he could not advance too quickly.

During these three years, besides keeping Leng Yaozhu company, Cheng Duoyi would take Na'er to play with Tang Wuling every day, with Leng Xue'er always following behind them, silently protecting them.

Whether they were going to the beach to pick up seashells, visiting the amusement park, or eating their way through every snack in Proud Arrival City, Cheng Duoyi covered all the expenses.

At first, Tang Wuling felt very embarrassed and wanted to split the costs, but as a young child, how could she have any money?

Every time she pulled out Federation Coins, Cheng Duoyi would smile and push her hand back, saying softly, "Little Sister Ling'er, why are you being so formal with me? I may lack many things at home, but I have plenty of Federation Coins. If you really feel bad about it, just protect me when you grow up."

Tang Wuling nodded firmly: "Okay, Brother Yi'er, I will protect you well!"

Tang Wuling thought to herself: Brother Yi'er, even if you didn't give me gifts or treat me to delicious food, I would still protect you!

As time went on, Tang Wuling grew accustomed to Cheng Duoyi footing the bill.

Knowing that Cheng Duoyi was in poor health, she would take the initiative to carry things for him and look after him whenever they went out to play.

During this period, when Tang Wuling was six and a half, she took Mang Tian as her master and began learning blacksmithing with him.

But blacksmithing was an incredibly grueling task.

Whenever Cheng Duoyi saw Tang Wuling injured, he would care for her, asking Leng Yaozhu for some healing ointment to apply to her wounds.

This ointment was specially made by the Spirit Pagoda, infused with various precious medicinal herbs, and was highly effective; even severe wounds would heal more than halfway by the next day without leaving any scars.

Most importantly, for Tang Wuling, it also had the effect of increasing her cultivation speed.

Furthermore, because Cheng Duoyi possessed the Dragon God aura, Tang Wuling's body recovered twice as fast as usual whenever she stayed by his side.

Not only that, but her Soul Power Level had also reached level six, moving one step closer to breaking through to level ten.

Tang Wuling knew this was all because of Cheng Duoyi, and she began to develop special feelings for him.

Three years passed, and Tang Wuling's talent for blacksmithing became evident.

Her level had also broken through to eighteen, which was due to Cheng Duoyi's presence; as long as he was by her side, Tang Wuling's cultivation was twice as effective with half the effort. Her first soul spirit was also chosen by Cheng Duoyi—a small golden snake.

"Brother Yi'er, this is the rare metal I forged. I believe that in a little while, I can start Thousand Refinement!" Tang Wuling ran excitedly to Cheng Duoyi to share her joy.

Looking at her small face covered in sweat, Cheng Duoyi said with a pang of heartache: "Little Sister Ling'er, you are truly amazing, but you must take it slow and not push yourself so hard. What will you do if you tire yourself out?"

Tang Wuling's face flushed slightly, and she lowered her head, whispering: "I want to become a blacksmith quickly so that I can earn money. In the future, I will earn lots and lots of money to buy the best medicine for Brother Yi'er and cure your illness!"

Cheng Duoyi felt a warmth in his heart; he looked up into Tang Wuling's earnest eyes and smiled: "Alright then, I'll wait for Little Sister Ling'er to earn big money and support me."

Na'er sat to the side, watching the two of them, and pouted, saying with a hint of jealousy: "Brother Yi'er, you only care about Sister Ling'er and don't care about me anymore."

Cheng Duoyi chuckled, reached out his other hand to pat Na'er's head, and said: "How could I not care about you? Both of you are the most important people to me."

Na'er had hardly changed at all over these three years.

She was like a child who never grew up, always sticking to Cheng Duoyi's side.

Her favorite thing to do was to hold Cheng Duoyi's hand and lean on his shoulder, occasionally murmuring: "It smells so good, I wish it could stay like this forever..."

As long as she was with Cheng Duoyi, she felt incredibly at peace.

At the same time, she and Tang Wuling had an astonishing passion for food, and every time they went out to eat, they could consume a great deal.

Cheng Duoyi always watched them eat with a smile.

No matter what Na'er and Tang Wuling wanted to eat, Cheng Duoyi would satisfy them.

At the same time, Cheng Duoyi knew that Na'er would eventually leave.

He also knew the reason for her departure, but he didn't point it out; he simply cherished the time spent with her even more. In the past, Cheng Duoyi would hold Na'er's hand while blacksmithing, but now he didn't—he just stayed by her side.

Over these three years, Cheng Duoyi bought Na'er all sorts of beautiful dresses, took her to eat all the local delicacies, watched the sunrise and sunset with her, and counted the stars with her.

He had thought that such days could last for a long time.

But he hadn't expected the day of parting to arrive so quickly.

The weather was beautiful that day, and the sun was shining brightly.

Cheng Duoyi brought Tang Wuling and Na'er to the beach once again.

Na'er sat on the sand, looking at the endless ocean in the distance, her mood very low.

She kept her head down, playing with the sand in her hands, not saying a word.

Cheng Duoyi walked over to her, sat down, and said: "Na'er, what's wrong? Are you unhappy? Did someone make you angry?"

Na'er looked up at Cheng Duoyi, her eyes red: "Brother Yi'er, if one day I were to leave you, would you be sad?"

Cheng Duoyi's heart sank heavily.

He knew that what was meant to come had finally arrived.

He reached out, gently wiping the tears from Na'er's face, and said softly, "What nonsense are you spouting? I will always be by your side! Besides, if you truly have to leave, I'm sure you have your reasons. I will wait for you forever—unless, of course, you are the one who wants to leave me?"

"But I don't want to leave you!" Na'er threw herself into Cheng Duoyi's arms and began to sob uncontrollably. "Brother Yi'er, I don't want to leave you! I want to be with you forever!"

Cheng Duoyi held her tightly, patting her back gently as he whispered words of comfort. "I know, I know. Be good, Na'er, don't cry, don't cry. I won't leave you."

Na'er bit her lip. "Brother Yi'er, my family has found me and wants to take me home to complete my awakening. Once I finish, I will definitely come back to find you. Will you wait for me?"

Tang Wuling stood not far away, watching the two embrace with a twinge of bitterness in her heart. Hearing this, she said, "Na'er, both Brother Yi'er and I will wait for you."

"Alright, I will wait for your return," Cheng Duoyi said. "By the way, Little Sister Ling'er is planning to attend Eastsea Academy. I'll be going with her, so Na'er, once you've finished your awakening, you can come find us at Eastsea Academy."

Na'er nodded firmly. "Okay, I will!"

Tang Wuling cheered, "Yay! I get to stay with Brother Yi'er all the time again."

The sun set in the west, casting golden light upon the three of them and stretching their shadows long across the ground...