Wait, Golden Tree

"Actually, I..."

"Yu Rong, come here. We're going home."

"..."

Before Ning Yurong could finish speaking, her father Ye Pi'an's familiar voice sounded behind her.

After a moment of silence, Ning Yurong slowly turned around and looked at Ye Pi'an, who was smiling gently behind her.

Looking at the same gentle smile on Ye Pi'an's face as always, Ning Yurong suddenly felt that her father's head was very bright—blindingly bright.

Closing her eyes briefly, Ning Yurong turned and gave Xue Mingqing a gentle smile.

"Looks like it's time to say goodbye, little Mingqing."

At those words, the smile on Xue Mingqing's face faded somewhat. He glanced at Mu En and Ye Pi'an outside the pavilion, then nodded lightly.

"Mm. Then... see you next time."

Watching Xue Mingqing stand in the sunset, his slender figure somehow giving her endless reassurance, Ning Yurong's eyes shifted as she spoke with a hint of probing.

"By the way... you've decided to join Shrek Academy, right?"

Xue Mingqing froze at the question, then nodded and answered frankly, "I'm not yet ten, the minimum age for enrollment, so Teacher told me to stay on Sea God Island and train with him for a few years. Once I'm old enough, I'll enroll."

After hearing that, Ning Yurong raised her brows slightly. Then, a lovely, sly smile curled across her lips.

"Alright~ Then let me tell you something. I'll be enrolling in Shrek Academy next year when I turn ten. By then, you'll have to call me Senior Sister~"

After saying that, Ning Yurong winked playfully at Xue Mingqing. Before the stunned Xue Mingqing could recover, she sprang forward with several nimble leaps and landed before Ye Pi'an.

"Father, let's go."

Seeing this, Ye Pi'an's mouth twitched uncontrollably. Having watched the entire exchange, he seemed to understand something.

He gave Xue Mingqing an odd look, and for some reason, the boy suddenly seemed a little unpleasant to him.

Taking a deep breath, Ye Pi'an made up his mind. He would definitely give Xue Mingqing a beating if he got the chance!

After taking one deep look at Xue Mingqing in the pavilion, Ye Pi'an grabbed Ning Yurong's fair wrist.

With a tap of his foot, the two of them turned directly into a jade-green streak of light and shot through the air toward the orange-red sky!

Even after Ning Yurong and Ye Pi'an had left, Xue Mingqing continued staring blankly in the direction they had gone.

Seeing Xue Mingqing standing there in a daze, Mu En could not help shaking his head with a smile.

Soul Power wrapped around his wheelchair. With it in tow, he leaped over to Xue Mingqing's side and flicked the back of his head!

Bonk—!

"Ow! Teacher, what was that for?!"

The crisp sound of a solid head flick rang out alongside Xue Mingqing's aggrieved cry as he came back to his senses.

Seeing that Xue Mingqing had snapped out of it, Mu En chuckled. "Alright, kid. Your focus should be on cultivation right now, not romance. Understand?"

Xue Mingqing scratched his head and coughed twice to hide his embarrassment. Then he spread his little hands and turned the tables!

"Ahem... Cultivation is definitely important, but—where's the reward you promised me, Teacher? I beat Bei Bei, you know. He might still be asleep on the Soul Fighting Platform."

At those words, it was Mu En's turn for his mouth to twitch.

He felt as though his own grandson had been beaten up, yet he still had to rush over and hand the victor a reward.

But there was nothing he could do. Xue Mingqing's heaven-defying talent had already made him Shrek's hope.

At least, that was how Mu En saw it.

Mu En closed his eyes briefly and let out a deep breath.

With a flick of his finger, a storage ring set with a starlight-blue sapphire shot into Xue Mingqing's arms.

"Count what's inside yourself. Also, you'll be staying in the first room on the third floor of Sea God Pavilion."

After saying that, Mu En turned his wheelchair and began to leave under the power of his Soul Power.

Seeing this, Xue Mingqing happily put on the ring and moved closer with ingratiating enthusiasm. "Teacher, where are you going? Want me to push your wheelchair?"

As he spoke, Xue Mingqing reached out to grab the wheelchair handles.

Mu En turned his head and gave Xue Mingqing a blank look.

"I'm going to retrieve my sleeping grandson."

Xue Mingqing withdrew his hand, and the cheerfulness on his face instantly became businesslike seriousness.

"Ahem, then take it easy. I'll go cultivate in my room first. I won't keep you company."

With that, Xue Mingqing turned around and ran toward the Golden Tree by Sea God Pavilion as if fleeing for his life.

Watching Xue Mingqing's figure gradually disappear into the distance beneath the sunset, Mu En's expressionless face finally broke into another smile.

With a soft chuckle, he shook his head and headed alone toward the Soul Fighting District.

At the same spot.

Beneath the sunset-lit pavilion, only his sigh continued to echo.

"Youth..."

Elsewhere, Sea God Pavilion—

This was a magnificent structure built directly inside the Golden Tree.

Just because Xue Mingqing had moved in did not mean anyone could enter this place.

In truth, aside from each generation's Sea God Pavilion Master and elders, who could reside here permanently,

Sea God Pavilion members like Yan Shaozhe and Qian Duoduo were simply not qualified to live here.

Throughout history, Xue Mingqing was the only person who was neither Sea God Pavilion Master nor elder, yet could reside permanently in Sea God Pavilion!

As for why this place was so special, it was entirely because of the Golden Tree.

The Golden Tree—the source of life for Douluo Continent—possessed the ability to draw the world's primal energy together merely by existing.

If ordinary people remained near it for a long time and bathed in the Golden Tree's radiance, they would receive many indescribable benefits.

For example, their cultivation progress would accelerate, and their spiritual power would gradually improve, among other benefits.

And that was the reason Sea God Pavilion and Shrek Academy's inner courtyard were so difficult to gain entry into.

However...

Standing before Sea God Pavilion and looking at the Golden Tree glowing with a faint golden light before him,

Xue Mingqing felt nothing but sorrow.

Because—

As a transmigrator, he knew that this seemingly flourishing Golden Tree would soon die.

Not physically, but spiritually.

As for why, that involved a certain pure, noble, radiant, and great Tang San—the Great God King Tang.

In order to turn all of Douluo Continent into his Tang Family Continent, he had not only established the law that only members of the Tang family could become gods, but had also targeted the Douluo Continent's plane consciousness and source of life.

He had ordered his father, Tang Hao, to possess the consciousness of the Douluo Plane, and arranged for his mother, Ah Yin, to possess the Golden Tree's consciousness.

That was why Xue Mingqing said the Golden Tree was about to die. In truth, the Douluo Continent's plane consciousness was about to die as well.

Closing his eyes, Xue Mingqing felt the intense sorrow, fear, and other negative emotions the Golden Tree was sending toward him.

Xue Mingqing clenched his fists and stared deeply at the Golden Tree, but he said nothing and revealed nothing.

He did not know why the Golden Tree was asking him for help, but—

He was still far too weak. Even if he wanted to help, there was nothing he could do.

However...

He patted the Golden Tree's trunk, his gaze gentle and calm.

Just wait, Golden Tree. I, Xue Mingqing, will surely save you from this misery—not for any other reason.

Only because...

I want to become a god too, and I refuse to let him manipulate me...

Xue Mingqing let out a deep breath and suppressed the burning passion in his heart. For now, all he could do was lie low.

He needed to quietly develop and strengthen himself before Tang San discovered that he was an unforeseen variable.

Only when he truly became strong could he contend with Tang San, and right now—

He still needed to grow stronger.

Stepping forward with his resolve firm, he headed into the Golden Tree, toward his own room in Sea God Pavilion.