Summer Three Years Later! Gu Yuena Faces a Choice [3k, Please Keep Reading]

Time flew by like an arrow.

In the blink of an eye, three years had passed.

East Sea Junior Academy, final class.

"Students, starting today, you have completed your studies at the junior academy. After this, everyone may come to the office one by one to collect your graduation certificates. As for the road ahead..."

"Teacher Cai will no longer be leading you forward."

Homeroom teacher Cai Kun stood at the podium, looking at the children who had grown up beneath him. His voice was tinged with sorrow as he spoke slowly.

By the window in the back row, a boy whose looks clearly did not belong on the same level as everyone else was quietly lost in thought.

He was exceptionally handsome, as though he existed on an entirely different layer from the others. Though he was only nine years old, the aura he gave off at a glance was especially intimidating.

He was Jiang Yan.

Three years had passed. Though his childishness had not entirely faded, the aura of a heartthrob had long since begun to emerge.

At that moment, the mechanical chime of the system quietly rang in his mind:

[Growth Mission: Academy Studies I (Completed)]

[Over three years at the junior academy, Host has increased cultivation by twenty-one ranks, Soul Spirit lifespan by eight thousand years, and secondary profession levels by two ranks... You are simply too cool!]

[Congratulations on receiving: one random ten-thousand-year Soul Bone, one ten-thousand-year heavenly treasure]

[Congratulations on receiving a fifty-thousand-year Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex Left Leg Bone and one ten-thousand-year Star Anise Ice Grass]

A Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex leg bone, and ten-thousand-year Star Anise Ice Grass. Let them gather dust in the storage space, Jiang Yan thought silently as he listened to the voice in his mind.

Over the past three years, he had steadily cultivated, attended classes, grown stronger, and studied forging in East Sea City.

Whenever his teacher had free time, he would come from Shrek City to visit him, and in terms of forging, he received personal guidance from the Divine Craftsman Zhen Hua himself.

At the same time, there were progressive system missions and life achievements. In three years, his cultivation had already reached Rank 33 Soul Elder. Beyond that, his secondary profession levels had become equally impressive—

[Host data panel will now be opened]

[Host: Jiang Yan]

[Martial Soul: Dragon God]

[Cultivation: Rank 33 Soul Elder]

[Bloodline Abilities: Sovereign Over All, Ruler of All Living Beings, Master of Elements, Divine Power Nature...]

[Life Traits: Peerless Immortal Beauty! Unmatched Under Heaven! Unbreakable Defense! Heaven-Defying Comprehension! Golden Branch and Jade Leaf!]

[Soul Rings: Purple, Purple, Purple]

[Soul Spirit: Xiao Ba (Eight-Thousand-Year Nine-Colored Tyrannosaurus Rex)]

[First Soul Skill: Dragon Descends Upon the World; Second Soul Skill: Archaic Dragon Body; Third Soul Skill: Dragon God's Prison-Shattering Strike]

[Affiliated Faction: Spirit Pagoda]

[Secondary Professions: Peak Level 6 Blacksmith, Level 6 Mecha Manufacturer, Level 6 Mecha Designer, Level 6 Mecha Repairman]

[Bonds: Jiang Luochuan (family), Jiang Lingli (family), Silver Dragon King Na'er (younger sister), Leng Yaozhu (teacher), Peak Second-Class God Qian Renxue (personal guard), Peak Second-Class God Bibi Dong (personal guard), omitted...]

[System Space: 300 million Federation coins, various hundred-year heavenly treasures, thousand-year Radiant Sun Fruit, thousand-year Dragon Amber Fruit, ten-thousand-year Earth Dragon Golden Melon, ten-thousand-year Fragrant Silkflower, hundred-year Luo Sanpao Soul Bone, thirty-thousand-year Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus Rex Soul Bone, Heavenly Phoenix Token...]

Looking at the data panel in his mind, Jiang Yan's gaze settled on the particularly notable line concerning secondary professions.

That was right. He had long since become more than just a blacksmith.

People said that advancement in secondary professions was limited, but that was precisely not the case for him. Thanks to his heaven-defying comprehension, perhaps "effortless" was the more fitting description.

And the reason he studied these things was not because he liked them.

It was because he was farming rewards.

At present, among the development missions, [Star of Forging] had reached the seventh stage. [Star of Mecha], [Star of Design], and [Star of Repair] were the same.

And what those development missions brought him... naturally, were mission rewards one after another.

For missions this easy, there was no reason not to take them.

"Boss, after we collect our graduation certificates, how about we go out for a meal? My treat."

At that moment, the brown-haired boy beside Jiang Yan quietly poked his arm and spoke with a smile, his tone respectful.

His name was Xie Xie. His Martial Souls were the Light Dragon Dagger and Shadow Dragon Dagger. He was one of East Sea's five great geniuses and a member of the East Sea F5. As for his ranking...

Fourth! Fourth place!

"Yeah, Boss."

"Even though we won't be separating, we should still have some sense of ceremony. It'll count as an explanation for these three years."

Wei Xiaofeng, seated in front of Jiang Yan, also turned around. He stylishly swept back his hair and chuckled.

Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi likewise turned around, anticipation written across their faces.

"..."

Seeing the expectant looks on the four of them, Jiang Yan smiled helplessly. If the intermediate academy had not remained in East Sea, he would have thought the three of them were having a farewell meal.

"No."

"I still need to pick up my sister from school. You guys go ahead."

The next moment, he shook his head.

"Huh?"

"Then why not bring Sister Na'er along?"

Xie Xie froze, then exchanged glances with the other three before immediately making the suggestion. As Jiang Yan's friends and little fangirls, the way they addressed Na'er had been decided from the very start.

Though she was younger, they had always called her Big Sister.

They really wanted to improve.

"Not today."

"There are still some things to handle at home."

Jiang Yan shook his head, his gaze turning toward the window as complicated emotions filled his heart.

Yesterday, a high-level Dragon Clan bloodline wielder had arrived in East Sea City. If his guess was correct, it could only have been the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King, Di Tian.

For the next couple of days...

It would be best for him to spend more time with Na'er.

"Young Master Jiang Yan."

"Please come with me first."

At that moment, homeroom teacher Cai Kun took a deep breath on the podium and turned his gaze toward Jiang Yan.

"Hm? All right."

"..."

One minute later, in the academic director's office.

"Young Master Jiang Yan, as of today, you have completed your studies in the junior division. Thank you deeply for your care over these past three years!"

"I wish you an ever more steady path of cultivation ahead, until you become a Limit Douluo!"

Inside the office, Cai Kun spoke with a smile. As he looked at the boy with peerless features before him, the respect on his face was impossible to conceal.

How could he not respect him?

When Jiang Yan had first entered school in his first year, he could already beat Cai Kun senseless.

By his second year, he could beat Soul Kings senseless.

Now that he was graduating in his third year, his cultivation had already broken through to Soul Elder. To have been his homeroom teacher...

Cai Kun was simply blessed for three lifetimes!

"Teacher Cai, you're too polite."

Jiang Yan smiled and quietly accepted his graduation certificate. Three years had passed, yet Teacher Cai was still so loyal.

What care?

Shouldn't it be the teacher thanking the student?

"It is what I should do as a teacher."

"..."

Not long afterward, East Sea Academy's South Campus.

Not everyone was suited to becoming a Soul Master.

At the school gate, a silver-haired girl stood beneath a large tree in a daze. She stared into the distance, her eyes somewhat unfocused.

She was beautiful. Even at her young age, no one could doubt her potential to become a goddess.

She did not need to do anything. Simply standing there was enough to stir hearts and make countless people stop in their tracks.

She was a goddess by nature.

She was Na'er.

After failing to awaken a Martial Soul, she had enrolled in East Sea Academy's regular academic class under Jiang Lingli's arrangements. Every day, she went to and from school with her brother Jiang Yan, arriving together and leaving together.

Whenever she was with her brother, she was always happy.

Except today.

Today, she was especially worried.

"..."

At that moment, a boy approached from afar and reached her side in just a few steps.

"Na'er, have you been waiting long?"

"My homeroom teacher was handing out graduation certificates today, so it took some time. Come on, let's go home."

Jiang Yan looked at Na'er before him and smiled gently.

"Mhm!"

"Let's go home."

Na'er came back to herself and nodded with a smile. At that moment, she seemed to become her lively former self once more.

Naturally, she took his hand and left the academy with him, following the path they had walked countless times as they headed back again.

"Brother."

"Can we not hurry home today?"

When she spotted the familiar car at the school gate from afar, Na'er slowed down. Her grip on Jiang Yan's hand suddenly tightened, her little face filled with complicated emotions as she asked softly.

"Do you want to go shopping, Na'er?"

"No problem. I'll let Uncle Bai know."

Jiang Yan was startled, then answered with a smile. Naturally, Uncle Li did not always have time to pick them up and drop them off. To save them time commuting to school, he had long since arranged a dedicated driver for them.

As he spoke, he stepped forward and informed the driver.

"Na'er, where do you want to go?"

Jiang Yan looked at her and asked.

"I don't know either..."

"I just want to wander around with Brother."

The girl shook her head and smiled gently.

Where Na'er went did not matter. What mattered was having her brother by her side. She wanted...

To be wherever her brother was.

She did not want to leave her brother.

"Then let's go see the sea."

Jiang Yan smiled gently, rubbed her head, and headed toward the shore.

Na'er followed obediently at his side.

Along the way, they passed through many places. Every time they passed one, fragments of memories surfaced in Na'er's mind.

East Sea City was very small, so small that among the cities within the Spirit Pagoda's eighteen main towers, it could be called the weakest.

East Sea City was also very large. At least, in Na'er's memories, it held all that she had, everything of her own, and...

Everything she had shared with her brother.

"..."

East Sea City was a coastal city, and the scenery by the sea was pleasant.

Especially now, at dusk, when the sea seemed to possess a unique texture beneath the glow of the sky.

Jiang Yan sat down on a beach chair by the shore, watching from afar as the setting sun blended into the sea, a profound look in his eyes.

"The sea..."

"It's so beautiful."

Na'er leaned against Jiang Yan's side and murmured softly.

"It is beautiful."

"When we first came to see the sea, Na'er said that we would come see it every year from then on."

Jiang Yan said with a smile, reminiscence in his eyes.

"..."

Na'er nodded without saying anything. She only gripped his hand more tightly. The warmth where their palms touched was familiar, reminding her of the summer three years ago—

When they had first come here, they had leaned quietly against one another just as they did now, watching the sea together.

Back then, they had been just like they were now.

What they had thought of then was forever, but now...

It was separation.

Thinking of the black-robed figure who had appeared in her room last night, and the name that person had told her, her heart tightened once more.

In the end, she raised her head.

"Brother, if one day I leave, will you..."

"Will you be reluctant to let Na'er go?"

Nervousness flashed through her beautiful eyes as she asked softly.

She was Na'er, but she was also the future restorer of the Beast Clan, the incarnation of the Dragon God, the Silver Dragon King Gu Yuena.

The right to choose was not in her own hands.

Would she still be able to hold her brother's hand this tightly in the future?

And back then, would the hand he was meant to hold...

still be hers?

"..."

P.S. Today's update is 6,000+ words. Please vote with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets! Updating this much during the new book period is genuinely generous.