My Name, Long Zijin

Inside the semi-enclosed small room.

The environment should have been cool, yet it became warm and cozy due to a "heat source."

Before this, Tang Wulin had been sitting comfortably on his bed.

The weak fluctuations of Soul Power around his body had completely sublimated compared to this morning, symbolizing that the first hurdle on the path of a Soul Master had been broken through.

It also marked Tang Wulin's leap from a level 10 Soul Apprentice to a one-ring Soul Master.

In his hands, the blades of grass curled inward like vines; looking closely, one could even find fine scale marks on both the front and back of the leaves.

The Grass Snake Soul Spirit had also grown by an inch, with a hint of light blue appearing on the scales of its body.

Waste Martial Soul Blue Silver Grass + defective Soul Spirit, fusion complete.

However, after the host finished fusing the Soul Spirit, he suddenly began to feel distressed, his body gradually heating up and burning.

The golden grid pattern that had appeared all over Tang Wulin's body three years ago when he awakened his Martial Soul now reappeared on his skin.

He felt as if strands of scorching "substance" were continuously overflowing from within his entire spine, spreading autonomously to every inch of his body.

The spine was the primary storage point for the Golden Dragon King bloodline.

Therefore, the moment the Golden Dragon Spear returned to his waist and spine, transforming into the forty-ninth rib and completing the bloodline information, the curtain on the path of the Dragon God was drawn.

Under the nourishment of the Golden Dragon King bloodline, the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul and the Grass Snake Soul Spirit underwent benign changes.

The Blue Silver Grass began to grow golden veins, as if it had been injected with a skeletal structure.

The earth-brown little grass snake transformed into yellow, with a golden line climbing from its tail, finally gathering at a point on its forehead to create a pure golden scale.

While enduring the scorching heat, Tang Wulin suddenly felt that something familiar, someone familiar, was approaching.

It was as if they were just separated by a single door.

The rampant, scorching heat in his body, however, inexplicably produced a feeling of fear, and began to show signs of gentle wandering.

Tang Wulin finally found peace amidst his distress, and covered in sweat, he drifted into a deep sleep, his spiritual power and level 11 Soul Power climbing once more.

In a comfortable sleep, that "mysterious presence" that had interfered with his choices transformed into an ocean of blue silver, wrapping around every inch of his soul bit by bit...

When Tang Wulin woke up again, it was dusk.

All discomfort had vanished, and his clothes and the sheets beneath him had been changed, giving him a dry and comfortable sensation.

He jumped out of bed and stretched vigorously, but as Tang Wulin raised his arms, a "bang" sound exploded in the air; although faint, it was a real disturbance.

Tang Wulin was startled by himself, and before he could try again, the bedroom door was pushed open.

Three adults and one child burst in from outside.

"Linlin? Linlin, are you okay?" Lang Yue hugged Tang Wulin tightly, unable to hold back her sobs.

Tang Ziran and Na'er followed closely behind, and even Mang Tian had visited Tang Wulin's bedroom.

After receiving a great deal of comfort and providing some in return, Tang Wulin finally soothed his parents' emotions with his level 11 Soul Power.

At the request of his forging mentor Mang Tian, Tang Wulin hurriedly demonstrated his Martial Soul and Soul Skill, but during the former's violent testing, his level 11 Soul Power was wasted at an alarming rate.

Having felt the toughness of these golden-veined grass vines, Mang Tian immediately concluded: this Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul had mutated.

At this moment, a series of "rumbling" sounds echoed clearly in the bedroom.

The big eater hadn't even had time to hug his sister before he clutched his stomach and scratched his head while looking at his mother.

At this, Lang Yue wiped away her tears and laughed through them: "You little glutton, come on out."

"The good friend you met this noon has practically moved the entire kitchen of a high-end hotel into our home."

"Ah? What good friend?"

Tang Wulin scratched his head as he walked out of the bedroom, and a fragrance of dishes that didn't belong to a working-class family immediately rushed into his nostrils.

His small home was packed with several chefs wearing white coats and lantern hats.

Frying, stir-frying, braising, and stewing—fragrance overflowed from all sorts of cookware.

Outside the front door, passing pedestrians and even neighbors couldn't help but poke their heads in to take a look.

Tang Wulin was overwhelmed, when suddenly—

The head chef "clacked" his knife, slicing open the freshness-preserving layer to take out deep-sea Soul Beast-grade delicacies, slicing them into pieces and arranging them on an ice platter.

Tang Wulin's drool was almost hitting the floor; it was that kind of hunger where his chest felt stuck to his back.

When that chef walked past him carrying the seafood sashimi.

Amidst the worldly smoke and fire, Tang Wulin saw that strange yet familiar side profile again.

He stood there quietly, observing the plating of a dish with curious eyes and a studious posture.

The person seemed to sense something and suddenly turned those golden pupils toward him.

That face, which everyone perceived as stern and unsmiling, cracked into a shallow, toothy grin.

"Yo? You're awake."

Everything around them quieted down, the lingering smoke and fire dissipated, all the dishes were prepared and placed on the table, and the staff bowed and left one after another.

The small house suddenly emptied and fell silent.

Tang Wulin was dazed for a split second before he stammered out, "Bad, Huang..."

"Brother Huang?"

"Why are you just standing there, Linlin? Go wash your hands and eat." Lang Yue walked past him, shooing Tang Wulin toward the washbasin first, then toward the large dining table.

Looking at the table full of delicacies—the likes of which Tang Wulin had never seen in his life—he couldn't help but swallow his saliva, his appetite thoroughly whetted.

But remembering his parents' earnest teachings, he restrained his dragon-like taste buds.

All the members had taken their seats, but Tang Wulin was still in a post-nap stupor, unaware of what had transpired.

Suddenly, he heard Qi Tian say, "You all go ahead and eat; I'm heading back."

Tang Ziran and Lang Yue wanted to urge him to stay, but they both looked toward the guest of honor opposite them.

Dragon Emperor kept his eyes lowered and said, "I only came to visit little brother Wu Ling at Uncle Tang's invitation. I shall follow the host's lead."

Only then did Tang Wulin realize what had happened, and he felt moved by his father's efforts, knowing that to invite someone of this "Huang's" extraordinary status must have required a great deal of humility.

Dragon Emperor spread his hands toward the twenty-eight dishes covering the table and lifted his chin. "Eat. I didn't know which style or flavor you preferred, so I brought all the ingredients and had them prepared on the spot."

Holy Dragon King, acting like a servant, poured a small cup of purple liquid for Dragon Emperor.

"Well then..." Tang Ziran took the initiative to pick up a piece of meat with his chopsticks and placed it in his son's bowl. "Eat up. Young Master Long heard that our family isn't well-off, and since he just recognized you as his little brother today, he moved the entire Spirit Pagoda kitchen into our living room."

He didn't mention at all that this might have been a reward for him voluntarily handing over his blueprints.

Lang Yue also picked up her chopsticks and said, "That's right, Linlin. You've made a good friend today. I heard you two even knew each other before."

Tang Wulin shoveled the diverse array of dishes into his mouth, feeling his empty stomach become full again and sensing waves of warmth spreading through his body.

He suddenly realized he had found that sense of happiness from this morning once more, reverting to the crybaby nature of his peers.

That's right, what was it he wanted from becoming a Soul Master?

Wasn't it just to be with his mom and dad, eating delicious food together in a warm and loving atmosphere?

"Yeah, yeah." Tang Wulin suddenly burst into tears.

It was as if the bitterness he had endured during the day was being squeezed out of his body along with the delicious food, turning into trickles of tears that fell into his bowl, melting into a bowl full of love.

"Oh, you child, if you know him, you know him, why are you suddenly shedding tears?" Lang Yue hurried over to wipe her son's tears.

She looked up to smooth things over, saying, "Young Master Long, please don't mind him. Linlin has been through too much today. He used to be very strong and was always such a cheerful boy."

Tang Ziran chimed in, "Right, he's not usually like this. He's always been very diligent with his studies and earning money..."

Dragon Emperor swirled the purple brew in his glass and said nonchalantly, "Uncle, Auntie, you are being too formal. I value Wulin as a friend, as a person, which is why I decided to cover all the expenses for his advancement to Eastsea Academy."

"Including his meal expenses."

"Oh, that's right..."

"My name is Long Zijin."

"Uncle, Auntie, you can just call me 'Zijin' from now on."