Confused God King Tang: How Did My Son Become a Paparazzo? First Meeting with Gu Yue [Combined]

Tang Wulin had no idea that Buddha Tang was roasting him inside his own mind.

Right now, he was clutching that precious soul camera tightly, standing like a wooden post at the entrance of the senior teaching building.

He was calculating in his heart that the senior sisters would be finishing class soon; this was his vital "source of income."

As soon as the dismissal bell rang, a massive flock of senior sisters, chirping like birds, poured out of the teaching building.

Leading the pack were Ouyang Zixin and Liu Yuxin, their eyes shining like searchlights as they instantly locked onto Tang Wulin at the entrance.

"Little Junior!" Ouyang Zixin's voice carried a hint of sweetness. "Do you have the goods?"

Liu Yuxin also crowded forward, her eyes filled with naked anticipation. "Yes, yes, yes! The handsome photos of Junior Yao Chuan! Did you get them? Did you get them?"

Tang Wulin felt as if he had been instantly surrounded by a group of senior sisters radiating youthful hormones.

He took a deep breath, trying his best not to look like a rookie street vendor, and hurriedly pulled the memory card out of the soul camera.

"Senior sisters, it's all here. I took them exactly as you requested, the angles are absolutely perfect."

"Wow! That's great!"

"Let me see, let me see!"

"Tsk tsk tsk, this profile view is stunning!"

The senior sisters chattered excitedly, passing the memory card around to copy the photos while nimbly pulling out Federal Coins to stuff into Tang Wulin's hands.

Tang Wulin took the money, rubbed the thickness of the stack with his fingers, and his internal abacus clicked away rapidly.

Mm, this would cover his food expenses for a while longer.

His face remained expressionless, but he was quite satisfied inside.

Making a living through his craft (paparazzi work) to support himself—what was there to be ashamed of?

A worker's life, a worker's soul; making money is nothing to be embarrassed about!

After confirming the amount was correct, he didn't say a word, tucked the soul camera into his chest, and hurried off toward the Blacksmith Association.

Making money was urgent, but blacksmithing also required his full attention.

Deep within Tang Wulin's sea of consciousness, a high-dimensional existence—the divine sense of God King Tang—was currently "watching" this scene with great interest.

Seeing his own son surrounded by a group of beautiful senior sisters, the face of Tang San's divine sense, composed of spiritual energy, couldn't help but reveal a gratified, fatherly smile.

"Mm, not bad, not bad."

"My son Wulin truly has a bit of the flair I had back in the day."

"At such a young age, he already knows how to interact with the opposite sex..."

However, his gratification hadn't even warmed up before the subsequent conversation between Tang Wulin and the senior sisters clearly entered his consciousness, and the smile on God King Tang's face instantly froze.

"What? Taking... taking photos?"

"And it's of that kid named Yao Chuan?!"

"Payment? Just for this pittance of Federal Coins?!"

The atmosphere in the divine sense space plummeted to freezing point.

Tang San's illusory face first stiffened, then began to contort, as if it had been ruthlessly trampled by an invisible gravitational force.

An indescribable sense of absurdity and a massive feeling of disappointment nearly caused the divine sense of a dignified God King to shatter on the spot.

"Preposterous!!"

"My son! The son of a dignified God King!! The future heir to the God Realm!!!"

"To actually... actually end up working as a paparazzi for some kid in a small-world academy?!"

"And it's just to earn living expenses?!!"

Tang San's divine sense felt like he was suffocating.

What about the path of stars and seas he had meticulously paved for his son?

What about the script he envisioned where his son would rise to fame under the gaze of the masses?

How did the opening act go so wrong?!

Watching his son take the money with a look of "today's harvest is quite satisfying," Tang San's divine sense felt a mouthful of old blood stuck in his throat (even though he had no physical body).

"This development... this development is all wrong!"

"If this continues, is my son going to become someone's exclusive simp photographer?!"

"A dignified son of a God King, acting as a fan-site master for someone else?"

"This is preposterous! A path to self-destruction, this is definitely a path to self-destruction!"

The image was too beautiful to behold; the more God King Tang's divine sense thought about it, the less he could handle it. His entire spiritual entity fluctuated chaotically in the sea of consciousness, as if it might crash at any moment due to "CPU overload."

Meanwhile, in a secluded training ground at the academy.

Bang! Boom!! Swish--!

The sounds of intense collisions, the explosions of energy, and the sharp whistling of weapons tearing through the air were endless.

In the center of the arena, two figures moved so fast they left behind blurred afterimages.

It was Yao Chuan and Wu Changkong!

Wu Changkong held an ordinary wooden sword, its light as cold as frost and snow. Every strike carried biting chill and exquisite trajectory, as he suppressed his own soul power to match Yao Chuan's level.

Yet, Yao Chuan, standing opposite him, was like a human monster.

Two Black Dragon phantoms flickered behind him, radiating the oppressive aura of a primordial beast.

His movements lacked the polished, aesthetic grace of Wu Changkong's techniques, but they possessed an almost instinctual combat intuition.

His actions were simple and brutal, his power wild and domineering. Every block, every dodge, and every counterattack was terrifyingly precise!

Facing the tricky thrust of Wu Changkong's wooden sword, Yao Chuan twisted his body at an impossible angle. A palm covered in dark golden scales struck the spine of the sword with a sharp, air-tearing whistle.

The wooden sword let out a groan of agony, and even Wu Changkong's arm was sent into a slight numbness by the vibration.

"Good lad!" A flash of admiration crossed Wu Changkong's eyes as he shifted his feet, creating distance.

"Again!"

Yao Chuan let out a low shout, his eyes burning with intense battle intent. Giving him no chance to catch his breath, he lunged forward like a shadow.

The two Black Dragon phantoms let out a low roar, and an invisible pressure spread once more.

The two continued to trade blow for blow, speed against speed, power against technique, clashing head-on dozens of times!

The arena was a mess, littered with the remnants of energy ripples and shattered floor tiles.

Finally, after a violent collision, Wu Changkong abruptly withdrew his sword and stepped back, voluntarily ending the offensive.

He stood in place holding the wooden sword, his chest rising and falling slightly, fine beads of sweat on his forehead. His gaze toward Yao Chuan was incredibly complex, a mixture of shock, appreciation, and a hint of... the sentiment that the younger generation was truly formidable.

"Hoo..."

Wu Changkong exhaled a long breath, the white mist forming a line of frost in the air.

He shook his slightly numb arm and looked at Yao Chuan, whose breathing was a bit ragged but whose eyes remained bright and sharp. He shook his head helplessly, a rare, self-deprecating sigh appearing on his face.

"Little monster..."

Wu Changkong's voice carried a tone of deep emotion.

"Your ability to learn in combat is simply... simply not human!"

"In just ten days, you've almost squeezed dry every bit of my bottom-of-the-barrel combat techniques."

He looked down at the ordinary wooden sword that had accompanied him through countless practice sessions; the blade was already covered in fine cracks.

"To be honest, staying at Eastsea Academy is truly a waste of your talents."

"Even if it's Shrek, it wouldn't matter if you didn't go."

"With your talent and growth rate, you won't be buried anywhere, nor will your pace be slowed down."

Wu Changkong's tone was earnest; this was a sincere evaluation from a six-ring Soul Emperor and a top powerhouse of Eastsea Academy.

Just as Wu Changkong put away his wooden sword and prepared to end today's special training, a figure stood quietly at the entrance of the training ground, as if she had been there for a while, though no one had noticed when she appeared.

The newcomer was Gu Yue.

She wore a simple white dress, her long black hair draped softly over her waist, and her face was exquisitely beautiful. However, those large, pretty eyes held a calmness inconsistent with her age and... a hint of imperceptible scrutiny.

Wu Changkong's gaze turned toward the entrance, his brows slightly raised: "Who are you?"

Gu Yue stepped inside, her gait light, her voice clear yet indifferent: "Teacher Wu, my name is Gu Yue. I wish to enroll in Grade One Class Five."

Wu Changkong remembered.

He scrutinized Gu Yue, recalling the recommendation letter Long Hengxu had mentioned earlier.

"Oh, it's you. I remember the letter saying you missed the registration deadline."

He pondered for a moment and pointed to Xie Xie, who was still meditating nearby—the boy had been so captivated by the intense battle between Yao Chuan and Wu Changkong that he had lost all focus.

"Rules cannot be broken. If you want to enter Class Five, by convention, you must first pass a test. See that boy?"

Xie Xie straightened his back subconsciously when Wu Changkong pointed at him.

Wu Changkong said to Gu Yue: "He is a member of our Class Five, Xie Xie. An agility-type soul master."

"As long as you can defeat him, I will agree to your enrollment."

Wu Changkong felt this arrangement was quite reasonable.

However, Gu Yue's gaze merely swept over Xie Xie indifferently, her eyes calm and waveless, as if she were looking at nothing more than an insignificant blade of grass.

In the next second, her gaze locked firmly onto Yao Chuan!

That look was no longer calm; it carried a strong, undisguised sense of inquiry and... battle intent!

She completely ignored Wu Changkong's arrangement regarding Xie Xie, raised a fair finger, and pointed directly at Yao Chuan, who had just finished his battle and whose breathing had yet to fully stabilize.

"Defeat him?" Gu Yue's voice remained flat, yet it carried a sense of inevitability.

"No."

"I am here for him."

She looked at Yao Chuan, her gaze as sharp as a blade.

"The one I want to challenge is him!"

The entire training ground fell silent in an instant.

Wu Changkong was stunned.

Xie Xie was even more bewildered, and then a surge of indignant fire flared up instantly!

What was that supposed to mean?

In your eyes, is Xie Xie so insignificant that I'm not even worthy of being a test opponent?!

He had just witnessed with his own eyes the terrifying strength Yao Chuan displayed, trading blows back and forth with Teacher Wu even while the latter suppressed his soul power!

Yao Chuan was also slightly taken aback by this sudden challenge.

He raised his eyes to look at Gu Yue, meeting those unyielding, challenging eyes.

The corners of his mouth tugged upward slightly, revealing a playful arc.

"Challenge me?"

Yao Chuan's voice was low and magnetic.

"Very well."

He paused, his gaze flicking toward the flushed and clearly infuriated Xie Xie beside them, his tone carrying a hint of nonchalance.

"Want to fight me? Follow the rules first."

"Take care of your test opponent."

Yao Chuan crossed his arms and tilted his chin toward Xie Xie: "Defeat him, and prove you have the qualifications to stand before me."

His posture was casual, yet it carried an unquestionable sense of dominance and arrogance.

Upon hearing this, Xie Xie was so angry he could explode: "Yao Chuan, you..."

What did he mean by "take care of that test opponent"? He made it sound like he was just some gatekeeping mob!

For the first time, Gu Yue's gaze truly landed on Xie Xie.

That look was no longer like staring at thin air; it carried a hint of... well, how to put it?

It seemed to imply, "Since the procedure requires it, let's just get this over with quickly."

She didn't even waste a single word.

Beneath her feet, a bright yellow Soul Ring rose instantly!

"Hum--!"

The air suddenly grew heavy!

Xie Xie's pupils contracted sharply; a strong sense of crisis forced him into Martial Soul Possession instantly, the Light Dragon Dagger appearing in his hand!

"Watch out!" Wu Changkong couldn't help but call out a warning.

However, it was a step too late!

Gu Yue raised her slender hand, making no flashy movements.

In an instant!

A scorching fireball, like a cannonball fired from a chamber, whistled toward Xie Xie's face!

Almost at the same time, the ground beneath Xie Xie's feet instantly softened and collapsed, turning into a patch of viscous mud that trapped his feet!

Immediately following, several sharp ice cones condensed out of thin air from the side without warning, shooting toward him with bone-chilling cold!

Even more, a fierce wind blade tore through the air, arriving first despite being launched later, sealing off his path of retreat!

Ice! Fire! Earth! Wind! Four distinct elemental attacks erupted simultaneously, coordinated flawlessly to form an airtight, lethal web that covered every inch of space Xie Xie had to dodge!

"Holy sh*t!!!" Xie Xie's scalp tingled!

What the hell was this?? How could one person control so many elements at once? And with instant-cast combos, no less?!

He unleashed all his soul power, waving his Light Dragon Dagger frantically in an attempt to block or evade.

"Light Dragon..."

He hadn't even finished shouting the name of his soul skill.

Bang! Puchi! Sizzle! Boom!

The muffled sounds of energy collisions, the tearing sound of ice cones grazing his skin, and the acrid smell of singed hair instantly engulfed him.

The light dissipated, and the dust settled.

Xie Xie stood there in a wretched state, his clothes torn in several places, a lock of scorched hair hanging over his forehead, and a striking bloodstain on his cheek where an ice cone had grazed him.

The light on his Light Dragon Dagger was dim, he was still trapped calf-deep in the mud, and his face was written with confusion and disbelief.

He hadn't even managed to launch a single effective attack!

Just one exchange!

Gu Yue remained standing where she was, her white robes fluttering without a single crease out of place.

It was as if the terrifying bombardment of composite elements from moments ago had been nothing more than flicking away a speck of dust.

She did not even spare a glance at Xie Xie, who was trapped in the quagmire with a look of existential doubt on his face.

Her gaze shifted, once again fixed firmly and intensely upon Yao Chuan, who stood to the side with his arms crossed.

"The test is over."

Gu Yue's crisp voice shattered the deathly silence.

She took a step forward, staring intently at Yao Chuan, the fighting spirit in her eyes burning like a raging inferno, more fervent than it had ever been!

"Now."

"It is your turn!"

She raised her hand, pointing directly at Yao Chuan.

"Defeat me, or be defeated by me."

The entire training ground was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.

Only Gu Yue's cold and gunpowder-scented challenge declaration echoed through the air.

Wu Changkong's expression was grave, his eyes locked onto the elemental fluctuations that had yet to fully dissipate around Gu Yue.

Xie Xie was still in the quagmire, questioning his life.

Yao Chuan looked at the girl in white before him, whose aura was truly astonishing, and the playful smile on his lips finally blossomed fully, carrying with it an air of arrogance that looked down upon the world.

"Heh... interesting."