Inside the small, half-enclosed room.
It should have been cool, but a "heat source" had warmed the place.
Before this, Tang Wulin had been sitting comfortably on the bed.
The feeble fluctuations of Soul Power around him had completely transformed since that morning, a sign that he had broken through the first hurdle on the path of a Soul Master.
It also marked his leap from a ten-level Soul Scholar to a One-Ring Soul Master.
In his hands, the blades of grass curled inward, each one like a vine. Look closely, and tiny scale-like marks could be seen on both sides of the leaves.
The Grass Snake Soul Spirit had grown by an inch as well, and a faint blue tint had appeared at the tips of the scales covering its body.
The fusion of the Trash Martial Soul, Blue Silver Grass, and the defective Soul Spirit was complete.
But after the fusion, the host suddenly began to feel unwell, and his body gradually grew hot.
The golden mesh that had appeared all over Tang Wulin's body when he awakened his Martial Soul three years ago now surfaced once more.
He felt wisps of scorching "substance" constantly seeping out from within his entire spine, then spreading of their own accord to every inch of his body.
The spine was the main place where the Golden Dragon King Bloodline was stored.
Thus, from the moment the Golden Dragon Spear returned to his waist and spine, transformed into his forty-ninth rib and completed the bloodline information, the curtain had risen on the Dragon God's Path.
Nourished by the Golden Dragon King Bloodline, the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul and the Grass Snake Soul Spirit both began to change for the better.
Golden veins began to grow through the Blue Silver Grass, as if bones had been injected into it.
The little, earth-brown Grass Snake shed its old form and turned yellow. A golden line crawled upward from its tail, finally gathering at a single point on its forehead and forming a pure-gold scale.
As he endured the scorching heat, Tang Wulin suddenly sensed something familiar—someone familiar—drawing near.
It was as if they were just on the other side of his door.
Yet the searing heat surging through him inexplicably began to feel afraid, and it actually started to settle into a gentle, flowing warmth.
At last, Tang Wulin found relief amid his discomfort. Soaked in sweat, he sank into a hazy sleep, while his spiritual power and level-ten Soul Power rose once more.
After a comfortable stretch of sleep, that "something unseen" which had troubled him as he tried to make his choice turned back into a sea of Blue Silver Grass, slowly enveloping every inch of his soul...
When Tang Wulin woke again, it was evening.
All his discomfort had vanished. Someone had changed his clothes and the sheet beneath him, leaving everything fresh and dry.
He sprang out of bed and stretched hard, but the moment he raised both arms, the air let out a "whoom" of a sonic boom. It was faint, but the disturbance was real.
Tang Wulin startled himself. Before he could try again, the door swung open.
Three adults and one child barged in.
"Wulin? Wulin, are you all right?" Lang Yue swept Tang Wulin into her arms and couldn't hold back her sobs.
Tang Ziran and Na'er followed close behind, and even Mang Tian had come to visit Tang Wulin's bedroom.
After receiving a huge amount of comfort—and giving plenty of it in return—Tang Wulin finally used his level-eleven Soul Power to calm his parents.
At the forging instructor Mang Tian's insistence, Tang Wulin hurriedly demonstrated his Martial Soul and Soul Skill. But under the latter's forceful testing, his level-eleven Soul Power was rapidly drained.
After feeling how tough the grass vines threaded with golden lines were, Mang Tian immediately declared that the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul had mutated.
Just then, a string of "growls" rang out clearly in the bedroom.
The little glutton hadn't even had time to hug his younger sister before he clutched his stomach and scratched his head, looking toward his mother.
Lang Yue wiped away her tears and broke into a smile. "You little glutton, come on out."
"The good friend you made at lunchtime brought enough food to fill the kitchen of a high-end hotel."
"Huh? What good friend?"
Tang Wulin scratched his head as he stepped out of the bedroom. A mouthwatering aroma, far beyond what a working-class family could afford, rushed into his nose.
His little home was crowded with chefs in long coats and lantern-shaped hats.
They fried, stir-fried, deep-fried, braised, and stewed; every kind of cooking utensil gave off a delicious aroma.
Even passersby and neighbors outside the front door couldn't help poking their heads in for a look.
Tang Wulin could barely take it all in when suddenly—
The head chef cut "clack" through the protective wrapping, took out a fresh deep-sea Sea Soul Beast, sliced it into pieces, and arranged them on an ice platter.
Tang Wulin's drool was almost dripping onto the floor. His stomach felt so empty it was as if his front and back were pressed together.
As the chef carried the seafood sashimi past him,
amid all the bustle of everyday life, Tang Wulin saw that unfamiliar yet familiar profile again.
He stood quietly there, watching a dish being plated with a curious, studious look.
As if sensing something, the man suddenly turned those Golden Pupils toward him.
The face everyone remembered as stern and unsmiling curved into a faint, toothy grin.
"Oh? You're awake."
Everything around them fell silent. The busy bustle faded away, all the dishes were ready and laid out on the table, and the staff bowed before filing out.
In an instant, the little house was empty and quiet.
Tang Wulin blanked for a moment before stammering, "B-Brother H—"
"Brother Huang?"
"What are you standing there for, Wulin? Go wash your hands and eat." Lang Yue came up behind him, herding him first toward the sink, then toward the big dining table.
Looking at the feast spread across the table—food he had never seen in his life—Tang Wulin swallowed again and again, his appetite roaring.
But remembering his parents' repeated teachings, he held back his dragon's palate.
Everyone had taken their seats, but Tang Wulin was still dazed from just waking up and had no idea what was going on.
Then he suddenly heard Qi Tian say, "You all eat first. I'm heading back."
Tang Ziran and Lang Yue tried to keep him there, but both turned to look at the guest of honor across the table.
The Dragon Emperor lowered his eyes and said, "I came to visit my younger brother Wu Ling at Uncle Tang's invitation. I'll follow the host's lead."
Only then did Tang Wulin understand what had happened. He couldn't help feeling moved by his father's efforts; getting someone of "Huang's" distinguished status to come over must have required plenty of humble pleading.
The Dragon Emperor gestured toward the twenty-eight dishes on the table and lifted his chin. "Go ahead and eat. I didn't know what kind of dishes or flavors you liked, so I brought everything and had it all cooked here."
The Holy Dragon King, like a servant, poured a small cup of purple liquid for the Dragon Emperor.
"Well..." Tang Ziran picked up a piece of meat and put it in his son's bowl. "Go ahead and eat. Young Master Dragon heard our family wasn't well-off, and he's just made you his younger brother today, so he brought the entire Spirit Pagoda kitchen into our living room."
He didn't mention that this might have been a reward for willingly handing over the blueprints.
Lang Yue picked up her chopsticks too. "That's right, Wulin. You made a good friend today. I heard you two already knew each other."
Tang Wulin shoveled mouthfuls of dishes with completely different flavors into his mouth, feeling his empty stomach grow full again and waves of warmth spread through him.
He suddenly realized that he had found that feeling of happiness from the morning again, becoming the sort of crybaby his peers were.
Yes, what had he wanted from becoming a Soul Master?
Wasn't it to sit with his parents in a warm, cozy atmosphere and enjoy a delicious meal together as a family?
"That's right, that's right." Tang Wulin suddenly burst into tears.
It was as if all the bitterness he had endured that day was being squeezed out of him with every delicious bite, turning into trickling tears that fell into his bowl and melted into all the love there.
"Oh, you silly boy. You've made a friend, so why are you suddenly crying?" Lang Yue hurried to wipe away her son's tears.
Then she raised her head and smoothed things over. "Please don't mind him, Young Master Dragon. Wulin went through a lot today. He used to be very strong, and he usually smiled all the time."
Tang Ziran chimed in too. "That's right, he's not usually like this. He's always hardworking, whether it's studying or earning money..."
The Dragon Emperor swirled the Purple Brew in his cup, unconcerned. "Uncle and Auntie, you're making too much of it. I value Wulin as a friend, and I admire who he is. That's why I decided to cover all his expenses for attending Eastsea Academy."
"And his meals."
"Oh, right..."
"My name is Long Zijin."
"From now on, Uncle and Auntie, you can just call me Zi Jing."
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