Tang Wulin shuddered and whipped around.
"Gu... Gu Yue?"
The silver-haired girl had appeared behind them at some point.
Her face was expressionless, but her gaze was as cold as ice.
Tang Wulin didn't understand why he was panicking.
There was nothing going on between him and Gu Yue, yet at that moment, he felt as though he'd been caught red-handed.
Especially since... he suspected that Gu Yue had always felt something for him that she couldn't quite put into words.
But today, he'd already given his heart to someone else.
Tang Wulin stole a glance at Lin An.
Gu Yue said nothing.
She simply stood there, her gaze passing over Tang Wulin and settling directly on Lin An's face.
Her eyes were full of grievance and hurt, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't bring herself to speak.
It was as though a thousand words were clogging her throat, yet not one could escape.
Only then did Lin An notice Gu Yue.
He glanced at her casually.
Then he saw the entry above her head.
[Dragon God Bloodline: Silver Lv. 1]
Lin An felt reassured.
Golden Dragon King, Silver Dragon King.
The whole gang was here.
From today on, his grand plan for the Dragon God was officially on track.
But... what he needed most right now was the Golden Dragon King's Bloodline to strengthen his physique.
The Silver Dragon King... could wait.
Lin An merely nodded politely in greeting, then looked away.
Gu Yue's face went deathly pale.
Why?
Why did the Golden Dragon King get special treatment from you?
She bit her lip hard, her eyes reddening.
Open your eyes and look! That Tang Wulin is nothing but a mortal who stole the Golden Dragon King's power!
I'm your true wife!
"Gu Yue... what's wrong?"
Tang Wulin stared helplessly at Gu Yue's reddened eyes, a strange wave of guilt rising in his heart.
Could Gu Yue's feelings for him have grown that deep?
But... she'd been hot and cold toward him before.
"Why are you crying?"
Tang Wulin asked cautiously.
Gu Yue snapped back to her senses and raised a hand to roughly wipe the corner of her eye.
"I'm not."
Her voice was as hard as stone.
"I just think this new student... looks a lot like my former lover."
She practically ground out the words "former lover."
Xie Xie's ears perked up, and he caught the scent of juicy gossip.
He quickly looked from Gu Yue to Lin An, then understood.
No wonder someone like this had come to Eastsea Academy.
So there was a story behind it.
"Aren't you only ten? Where'd you get a lover?"
Tang Wulin stared at Gu Yue, looking baffled.
Gu Yue's eyes turned cold, and she kicked him.
"None of your business! What about a lover from my past life?"
Tang Wulin hopped backward from the kick, grimacing in pain, but didn't dare ask again.
He turned his attention to the suitcase beside Lin An, his eyes lighting up as he stepped forward.
"Let me carry that for you!"
His tone was far more eager than necessary.
Lin An took in his eager expression and said coolly,
"It might be a little heavy. Are you sure you don't mind?"
"No problem, no problem!"
Tang Wulin waved both hands, bent down, and grabbed the case.
The moment he lifted it, he paused.
It really wasn't heavy.
He looked Lin An up and down.
Lin An's Soul Guidance Windbreaker was custom-made, his communicator was the latest model, and even the inconspicuous bracelet on his wrist gave off astonishing energy fluctuations.
If Tang Wulin accidentally damaged any one of those things, he'd probably never be able to afford a replacement in his entire life.
A sense of dejection suddenly welled up inside him.
"I called a car too. It's waiting outside. Let's go."
Unwilling to be outdone, Xie Xie took the rest of Lin An's luggage and wore a perfectly cheerful smile.
Lin An nodded and was about to set off when the corner of his eye caught Gu Yue's icy expression. He paused.
He remembered the entry he'd seen—
[Wife of the Dragon God]
A bad feeling rose in his heart.
No, impossible.
How could the dignified Co-Lord of Soul Beasts mistake him for someone else?
Still, he thought it best to explain, just to avoid trouble later.
"Um..."
Lin An looked at Gu Yue and added in a mild tone, "This should be the first time we've met. We don't know each other. You must have mistaken me for someone else."
Gu Yue's expression grew even colder.
"Oh."
That was all she said.
But inside, she was screaming.
Then why are you so warm toward Tang Wulin, but so cold toward me?!
Is it just because of gender?!
Because I'm missing one thing?!
I can change too!
Why?!
The four of them left the station together.
Tang Wulin and Xie Xie walked on either side of Lin An, like two dutiful bodyguards.
Gu Yue trailed behind them, each step heavy as if her feet were filled with lead.
But they hadn't gone far before Tang Wulin and Xie Xie noticed something strange.
With Lin An beside them, the Soul Power in their bodies circulated noticeably faster.
The feeling... was indescribably light and pleasant.
Even the questions they'd had about their cultivation suddenly seemed clearer.
Tang Wulin secretly glanced at Lin An's profile, astonishment rising in his heart.
Gu Yue knew exactly what was going on.
Rainbow Dragon, the world's number one auxiliary Martial Soul.
Just being nearby could increase cultivation speed by more than thirty percent. Its effects were every bit as impressive as the Emperor Auspicious Beast's.
"W-why don't we look around some more?"
Tang Wulin suddenly spoke, his voice a little tense.
"My treat."
He regretted it as soon as he said it. His heart lurched, and he felt his wallet bleeding out.
"Sure."
Lin An nodded without a care.
"Heh."
Gu Yue gave a cold laugh, her face sour as she watched the two up ahead act like old friends. She was practically grinding her teeth to dust.
The next few hours felt like a surreal dream to Tang Wulin and Xie Xie.
First, they wandered around the mall.
Food? On the house!
Clothes? On the house!
Jewelry? People chased after them to give it away, asking only for an endorsement.
Tang Wulin and Xie Xie tagged along the whole time, eating and drinking for free, their mouths never closing.
"Wow, what a beautiful girl!"
"If she'd be my girlfriend, I'd gladly give up ten years of my life!"
Passersby stopped to stare, holding up their Soul Tools as camera flashes went off in rapid succession.
Lin An remained calm, walking straight ahead without looking around. He was already used to all this.
"Lin An, I heard you came from Ming Capital?"
Tang Wulin walked beside Lin An, curiosity filling his eyes.
"Ming Capital is the political center of the entire Sun Moon Federation. I wonder what the talented students there are like?"
"Not bad."
Lin An answered casually, then suddenly remembered something.
"They're just a little too competitive."
"Too competitive?" Tang Wulin looked confused.
"Yeah. I heard some schools, to improve study efficiency and prevent early romance, require all students to undergo sterilization surgery to remove the relevant organs before enrolling, so they can devote themselves entirely to cultivation."
Lin An spouted nonsense with a perfectly straight face.
Tang Wulin and Xie Xie stopped in their tracks at the same time, their expressions turning spectacular.
"Y-you said what?" Tang Wulin thought he'd misheard.
"Sterilization surgery."
Lin An repeated himself, looking far too serious to be joking.
"Want to try it too? You know, everyone else has had it done. If you don't, you'll be behind from the very start."
Tang Wulin's mouth opened and closed, then opened and closed again.
"I..."
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