The Great Deceiver Long Yuan, A Pocket Grandpa?

In his sleep, Tang Wulin arrived at a vast prairie filled with Blue Silver Grass. The sky, however, was golden. A colossal entity seemed to descend from above, and he only had enough time to make out what appeared to be a massive golden maw.

Just as he was about to be swallowed by that gaping mouth, a golden figure suddenly appeared before him.

"Hmph!" With a casual wave of the figure's hand, the behemoth was sent flying away, vanishing into thin air.

"Are you hurt?"

The golden figure reached out and pulled Tang Wulin up from the ground.

Only then did Tang Wulin clearly see the other's appearance: long golden hair, a height of over one meter ninety, and a face both resolute and handsome—more striking than any star he had ever seen on television. Furthermore, the vast and domineering aura radiating from the man, heavy as a mountain, made him feel entirely at ease.

"I... I'm fine."

After a long silence, Tang Wulin tentatively asked, "Um, Uncle, who... who are you? How did I end up here?"

Uncle?

Although Long Yuan desperately wanted to retort, he thought better of it and held his tongue.

Forget it, let the child be.

"My name is Long Yuan. This is your mental space. You fell asleep, so naturally, you arrived here."

Tang Wulin pointed at himself, saying in disbelief, "My mental space? But..."

Although he didn't continue, his meaning was clear.

Long Yuan pondered for a moment before saying, "Me? I was sealed inside your body by someone. Of course, you don't need to be afraid; I won't do anything to you."

As he spoke, he took Tang Wulin's hand. After a dizzying sensation, they arrived at the space where the seal was located.

Tang Wulin stared at the scene before him, too shocked to speak.

A giant golden dragon was slowly circling in the sky. Its body was as towering as a mountain, covered in layers of thick, diamond-shaped scales. The dragon horns on its head were thick, sharp, and stood tall, their surfaces smooth with a metallic luster and etched with mysterious patterns. Its four dragon claws were massive and sharp, shaped like scimitars, with pointed protrusions at the joints. Its powerful aura even caused ripples in the surrounding space.

"This is... a dragon?"

He had only ever seen such terrifying creatures on educational television programs. It was said that they were the pinnacle of soul beasts; any existence even remotely related to a dragon was no simple matter, yet they were incredibly difficult to find now, even the earth dragons.

This was his first time seeing a living dragon!

Watching the stunned Tang Wulin, Long Yuan smiled warmly. "Do you remember how you felt when you awakened your martial soul today?"

"I remember. My head felt a bit dizzy, and my body felt swollen."

"Sigh, speaking of which, this is my fault. I owe you an apology." A perfectly measured expression of regret appeared on Long Yuan's face.

In his current spiritual state, his control over his body was precise to the point of perfection; his acting skills were enough to crush any professional actor.

"It's okay, Uncle," Tang Wulin quickly said.

Long Yuan chuckled inwardly. Human cubs are so cute. Little Tang Wulin is truly not bad.

But on the surface, he maintained his apologetic expression.

"I was originally in a deep slumber, but perhaps because you were about to awaken your martial soul, a sliver of my power leaked out involuntarily, causing some complications during your awakening."

Tang Wulin blinked and comforted him, "It's okay, Uncle. Look, didn't I awaken my martial soul normally anyway?"

"Is that so, Wulin? You don't resent me?"

"I really don't, Uncle."

Long Yuan patted Tang Wulin on the shoulder. "As long as you don't resent me, I can rest easy."

"So, Uncle, are you stuck being sealed here now?"

"Yes, but I've grown used to it. Being sealed here is actually quite peaceful." A look of "relief" appeared on Long Yuan's face.

"Ah?"

"Wulin, remember, the outside world is cruel, especially for those of us who are dragons. If I can spend the rest of my days here, that wouldn't be so bad. Back then, it was... sigh, never mind. There's no need to drag you into this."

Tang Wulin didn't press for details, but he kept the matter in his heart.

Perhaps Uncle Long Yuan had his own hidden secrets.

"Wulin, do you trust me?" Long Yuan suddenly asked.

"Ah? I... I don't know..."

Tang Wulin was, after all, just a child, and he felt flustered when faced with such a question.

"It's fine. Calculating the time, you should be waking up soon. The sliver of power you absorbed during your awakening has already been fully integrated. Once you wake up, you should be able to feel that your strength has increased."

With that, Long Yuan reached out and gave Tang Wulin a push on the back.

Tang Wulin's vision blurred, and the golden light before him rapidly faded away.

"Remember, do not tell anyone of my existence. It will bring you danger."

"Ah—" With a gasp, Tang Wulin sat up abruptly. Only then did he feel that his entire body was sticky with sweat, an indescribable discomfort.

"Phew—was it a dream? Or..."

Tang Wulin looked down at his arm.

"It seems I've become a bit stronger..."

[What are you still staring at? You're all sticky; don't you feel uncomfortable? Hurry up and take a bath.]

A voice suddenly rang out in his ear.

"Ah? Uncle Long Yuan?" Tang Wulin blurted out.

[Shh, keep it down. I'm still in your mental world. Just speak in your mind and I'll be able to hear you, otherwise I'll be exposed.]

"Oh, oh, okay, I understand, Uncle Long Yuan," Tang Wulin said in his mind.

He took off his clothes and went to the bathroom to rinse off quickly.

He was surprised to find that although his body had been drenched in sweat, it carried a faint fragrance, though the scent vanished after he finished his shower.

[How about it? Why don't you go test your strength?]

Long Yuan's voice sounded once again, and Tang Wulin nodded, setting his sights on his bedside table.

He walked forward and gave it a push.

"Creeeak—"

He was astonished to discover that he had pushed the bedside table with barely any effort at all.

Before this, he hadn't been able to budge the heavy piece of furniture even with all his might.

"I never expected my strength to have increased this much!"

Tang Wulin was thrilled, and his trust in Long Yuan grew significantly.

Perhaps I really can become a powerful Soul Master?

The dream of becoming a Soul Master, which had gone dormant after the bad news that his Martial Soul was a Blue Silver Grass with only third-rank soul power, surfaced in his heart once more.

"Linlin, it's time to eat. Where are you?" Lang Yue's voice drifted over.

"Mom, I'm coming!" Tang Wulin called back loudly, then quickly got dressed and shoved the crooked bedside table back into its original position.

In a state of divine consciousness invisible to everyone, Long Yuan floated to the side, watching Tang Wulin's every move, and nodded with satisfaction.

"Very good. It seems this first step has gone well. Now, I shall slowly cultivate this newcomer."

"Hmph, Tang San, you gave birth to him but did not raise him. I'd like to see who Tang Wulin trusts when the time comes."