PS: Bei Bei took his mother's surname. It was mentioned in the original work that, because their line was passed down through a single heir, they all took their mother's surname. But Bei was hard to use in a name, so the protagonist was given the surname Mu.
"Tianyi, do you want a wife?"
"If you want a wife... just say the word, and I'll send one over later."
Sea God Island, somewhere within Lakeside Villa.
The afternoon breeze passed through the parasol leaves, scattering ripples of light across the lake.
Mu Tianyi sat cross-legged on his bed. Beneath his feet, a pale violet soul ring slowly rose.
Behind him, the phantom forms of a white dragon and a black dragon seemed to be doing the same, their eyes closed as they quietly sensed something.
"At last, I've completely absorbed the energy of my second soul ring. Next, I can get ready to cultivate," the boy murmured.
Just then.
An aged yet vigorous voice drifted over.
Mu Tianyi froze.
He slowly raised his head.
At some point, the courtyard gate had been opened. At the entrance stood an old man in white robes, bent at the waist and leaning on a cane, smiling pleasantly.
The old man's silver-white hair spilled over his shoulders. His face was aged, but his gaze was as deep as the sea.
"Xuan Zu? Why are you here?"
Mu Tianyi asked in surprise.
The newcomer was none other than one of the strongest figures on the Douluo Continent, the pillar of Shrek Academy, his Xuan Zu—the Dragon God Douluo, Mu En.
Behind Mu En stood a young girl in silence.
She looked to be around eleven or twelve.
Her smooth black hair fell to her waist, and her skin was fair. Her delicate features were soft and refined.
She wore a pale blue dress and stood with quiet poise, like a breeze by a spring lake.
Gentle and tender.
She did not look like a soul master at all, but rather like a well-bred young lady from a scholarly household.
Her eyes in particular were clear and tranquil, carrying a touch of intelligence.
Mu Tianyi stared blankly for two seconds.
He blinked, then asked in confusion.
"This is?"
Mu En stroked his beard, his smile profound.
"Let me introduce her."
"This is Zhang Lexuan."
"From today onward, she is your fiancée."
The air abruptly fell silent.
Even the wind went quiet.
Mu Tianyi: "?"
The boy froze where he stood.
His CPU instantly burned out.
What was this?
A fiancée?
Although Mu Tianyi, as a transmigrator, had the mentality of someone in his twenties.
The problem was...
He was only eight years old in this life!
More precisely, he had turned eight just yesterday.
And today, he was skipping the dating stage entirely and heading straight for the ending of his life?
Mu Tianyi's mouth twitched.
"Xuan Zu, are you serious?"
Mu En nodded calmly.
"Of course."
"See how well your Xuan Zu treats you?"
"Your father didn't even get this kind of treatment back then."
Mu Tianyi: "..."
This was bad.
It was officially approved, too.
At that moment.
Zhang Lexuan, who had been standing quietly, stepped forward slightly. With her hands folded before her, she gave Mu Tianyi a gentle curtsy.
Her movements were so graceful that not a single flaw could be found.
"Young Master Mu, hello."
"Please take care of me from now on."
The girl's voice was lovely as well.
Soft and gentle.
Mu Tianyi opened his mouth.
But suddenly, he did not know what to say.
Logically speaking.
With all his years of internet experience from his previous life, he should have said something like:
"Hello, I'm your future husband."
But the problem was...
How old was he now?
The girl opposite him looked even more like one of those outstanding children other parents always talked about.
This was seriously beyond the syllabus.
Mu Tianyi gave a dry cough.
"Um..."
"You agreed to this too?"
Zhang Lexuan paused slightly.
She seemingly had not expected him to ask that.
After a moment, she nodded gently.
"Elder Mu saved my life."
"I am willing to remain in the Sea God Pavilion and join Shrek Academy."
"And I am also willing..."
At this point, the tips of her ears faintly reddened.
The latter half of her sentence came out more softly.
"To become your fiancée."
Mu Tianyi: "..."
It was over.
Who could withstand this?
He instinctively looked toward Mu En.
"Xuan Zu, did you trick this young lady?"
Mu En immediately blew his beard and glared.
"Brat, do I look like that sort of person?"
"Lexuan agreed to it herself!"
"Besides, she has Innate Full Soul Power and a special martial soul. In the future, she'll at least have the potential to become a Super Douluo. Do you think she isn't worthy of you?"
Mu Tianyi fell silent.
It was not that she was unworthy.
It was just...
Too sudden.
One second, he had been cultivating.
The next, a wife had fallen from the sky.
And besides...
Mu Tianyi paused as his mind raced.
In the original story, Zhang Lexuan had originally been raised as Bei Bei's child bride.
But Bei Bei was a complete lolicon. Tang Ya had him wrapped so tightly around her finger that he could barely walk, and he had no idea how to appreciate an older woman.
Big sisters were the best, okay?
Since he did not understand, then... fine. Mu Tianyi would understand in his place.
The boy took a deep breath and carefully chose his words.
"Um, Sister Lexuan." He spoke tentatively, his voice steadier than usual. "From now on... can I call you that?"
Zhang Lexuan was slightly stunned, then nodded, a gentle smile appearing in her eyes. "Of course. Then shall I call you Tianyi from now on?"
"Mm!" The boy nodded with a smile, his tone bright with earnest delight. "If you run into any trouble on Sea God Island from now on, just come find me. I'll... definitely help you solve it."
Zhang Lexuan lowered her head slightly, blush spreading over the tips of her ears as she softly said:
"Then I'll be relying on you. I'll work hard as well. Let us strive forward hand in hand."
Mu En watched the two interact and nodded slightly, though he remained silent.
Yet his heart felt extraordinarily at ease.
He knew he was old. He would not be able to hold on much longer against the shifting tides of the Douluo Continent.
What worried him most was not his own death, but Shrek Academy, the children's growth, and their future.
Tianyi's arrival had allowed him to see hope in his twilight years.
The talent possessed by his great-grandson had long surpassed his own.
The Twin Martial Souls of the Bright Sacred Dragon and the Dark Sacred Dragon destined Mu Tianyi to suppress an era in the future, perhaps even to challenge that ethereal God Realm.
All Mu En could do was give everything he had to raise Tianyi into the strongest, leaving a solid foundation behind for both the academy and the family.
He sighed softly, his silver-white hair drifting in the wind.
"Tianyi, remember this," Mu En said slowly, his voice carrying unquestionable resolve. "Your power is meant to protect yourself, and to protect those you care about."
Mu Tianyi's smile faded as he nodded seriously.
"I'll remember, Xuan Zu."
The boy's voice was not loud, yet it carried a weighty strength.
Mu En was briefly stunned, then broke into a broad grin, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes bunching together.
"Good, good, good."
He said "good" three times in a row and tapped his cane against the ground.
Then Mu Tianyi suddenly remembered something. He scratched his head, his tone as casual as if he were mentioning what he had eaten that day.
"Oh, right, Xuan Zu. I'm level twenty."
Mu En froze.
"I broke through just before you arrived." Mu Tianyi scratched his head. "I need to find a second soul ring."
The old man fell silent for two seconds, then laughed.
Eight years old, level twenty.
Fine. As expected of Mu En's descendant.
"Alright, leave this to your Xuan Zu." Mu En braced himself on his cane. "Get ready. After lunch, your Xuan Zu will take you to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt a soul beast."
Before you continue