In his dream, Tang Wulin found himself on a vast grassland covered in Blue Silver Grass. The sky was golden, and a colossal creature seemed to be descending from above. He only had time to make out what looked like a gigantic golden mouth.
Just as that huge mouth was about to Devour him, a golden figure suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Hmph!" The figure casually waved a hand, and the colossal creature was sent flying before vanishing from sight.
"You're not hurt, are you?"
The golden figure reached out and pulled Tang Wulin to his feet.
Only then did Tang Wulin get a good look at him. He had long golden hair, stood over a meter and ninety tall, and possessed a resolute, handsome face. He was better-looking than every celebrity Tang Wulin had ever seen on TV. The man's presence was as vast and domineering as a mountain, and it made Tang Wulin feel completely at ease.
"I-I'm fine."
After a long silence, Tang Wulin cautiously asked, "Um, uncle, who... who are you? How did I get here?"
Uncle?
Long Yuan wanted to object, but after thinking it over, he kept quiet.
Forget it. Let the kid call me that.
"My name is Long Yuan. This is your mental space. You fell asleep, so naturally you came here."
Tang Wulin pointed at himself and said in disbelief, "My mental space? But..."
He didn't finish, but his meaning was obvious.
Long Yuan thought it over, then said, "Me? I was sealed inside you by someone. But don't be afraid. I won't do anything to you."
As he spoke, he took Tang Wulin's hand. The world spun around them, and they arrived in the space where the seal lay.
Tang Wulin stared at the scene before him, too stunned to speak.
A golden dragon slowly circled through the sky. Its body was as imposing as a mountain, covered in layer upon layer of thick, diamond-shaped scales. Its horns were thick and sharp, rising high above its head; their smooth surfaces had a metallic sheen and were etched with mysterious patterns. Its enormous claws were as sharp as curved blades, with pointed protrusions at the joints. Its overwhelming aura sent ripples through the surrounding space.
"Is that... a dragon?"
He had only seen this terrifying creature on educational programs on TV. They said dragons were the pinnacle of Soul Beasts, and that anything connected to dragons was no ordinary thing. But they were hard to find these days, even Earth Dragons.
This was the first time he had ever seen a living dragon!
Watching Tang Wulin's astonishment, Long Yuan smiled warmly. "Do you remember how you felt when your Martial Soul awakened today?"
"I remember. My head felt a little dizzy, and my body felt kind of swollen."
"Ah, speaking of that, I'm partly to blame. I owe you an apology." A touch of just the right amount of remorse appeared on Long Yuan's face.
In his divine consciousness state, his control over his body was so precise it was almost miraculous. His acting was good enough to wipe the floor with any actor.
"It's all right, uncle," Tang Wulin hurriedly said.
Long Yuan chuckled inwardly. Human cubs are so adorable. Little Tang Wulin really is a good kid.
But his face still wore an apologetic expression.
"I was still asleep. Maybe because your Martial Soul was about to awaken, a trace of my power leaked out of me without my control and caused a hiccup when your Martial Soul awakened."
Tang Wulin blinked and comforted him. "It's okay, uncle. Look, I awakened my Martial Soul normally, didn't I?"
"Really, Wulin? You don't resent me?"
"It's really okay, uncle."
Long Yuan patted Tang Wulin on the shoulder. "I'm glad you don't resent me. Now I can relax."
"So you can only stay sealed here now, uncle?"
"That's right. But I've gotten used to it. Staying sealed here is peaceful enough." A look of "relief" crossed Long Yuan's face.
"Huh?"
"Wulin, remember this: the outside world is cruel, especially for dragons like us. It wouldn't be so bad to spend the rest of my life here in peace. Back then, it was... Ah, never mind. There's no need to drag you into it."
Tang Wulin didn't press him, but he kept it in mind.
Maybe Uncle Long Yuan has his reasons.
"Wulin, do you trust me?" Long Yuan suddenly asked.
"Huh? I-I don't know..."
Tang Wulin was still a child. Faced with a question like that out of the blue, he didn't know what to do.
"It's all right. By my reckoning, you should be waking up soon. You've absorbed the trace of power you took in when your Martial Soul awakened. Once you wake up, you should feel that you're stronger."
As he spoke, Long Yuan reached out and pushed Tang Wulin in the back.
Tang Wulin's vision blurred, and the golden world rapidly faded away.
"Remember, don't tell anyone about me. It could put you in danger."
"Ah—!" Tang Wulin cried out and sat bolt upright. Only then did he realize that his whole body was sticky with sweat. It felt awful.
"Whew... Was that a dream? Or..."
Tang Wulin looked at his arms.
I think I've gotten stronger...
[What are you staring at? You're all sticky with sweat. Doesn't that feel uncomfortable? Hurry up and take a shower.]
A voice suddenly sounded beside his ear.
"Huh? Uncle Long Yuan?" Tang Wulin blurted out.
[Shh, keep your voice down. I'm still in your mental space. Just talk to me in your head. I can hear you. Otherwise, you'll expose me.]
Oh, okay. I understand, Uncle Long Yuan. Tang Wulin spoke in his mind.
He took off his clothes and quickly rinsed off in the bathroom.
To his surprise, although he was drenched in sweat, his body carried a faint fragrance. But after his shower, the scent disappeared.
[Well? Want to test your strength?]
Long Yuan's voice sounded again. Tang Wulin nodded and set his sights on the bedside table.
He walked over and gave it a push.
"Creak—"
To his surprise, the bedside table moved, even though he hadn't used much strength at all.
Before this, he hadn't been able to budge the heavy bedside table even with all his might.
"I can't believe I've gotten so much stronger!"
Tang Wulin was thrilled, and his trust in Long Yuan grew considerably.
Maybe I really can become a powerful Soul Master?
The dream of becoming a Soul Master, which had sunk beneath the waves after the bad news that his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul came with only third-rank Soul Power, rose in his heart once more.
"Wulin, dinner's ready! Where are you?" Lang Yue's voice called out.
"Mom, I'm coming!" Tang Wulin called back. Then he hurriedly got dressed and moved the bedside table, which he had pushed out of place, back where it belonged.
Invisible to everyone in his divine consciousness state, Long Yuan floated nearby, watching Tang Wulin's every move. He nodded with satisfaction.
"Good. Looks like I've made a good start. Next, I'll take my time nurturing this newcomer."
"Hmph, Tang San. You brought him into the world but never raised him. Let's see who Tang Wulin trusts when the time comes."