Flying Side by Side

Tidewatch City's outline gradually shrank behind them, eventually becoming a blurry silhouette on the horizon. Tang Wulin and Gu Yuena did not choose to push their cultivation to its limits and race toward the heart of the continent at breakneck speed. To them, this journey back to Shrek was itself an extension of their time alone together. There was no need to hurry; they only wished for the road they shared to stretch a little longer.

Three years ago, news of their awakening had been like a boulder cast into a tranquil lake, sending enormous ripples through the upper ranks of the three great powers. Yet, unexpectedly, whether it was the Tang Sect, Shrek Academy, or the internally divided Spirit Pagoda, all of them maintained an unusual calm on the surface after the initial shock. There was no grand welcome, nor any public announcement, as though the news had sunk without a trace and never existed. Whether this was the calm before the storm or the various factions quietly maneuvering as they waited for the best opportunity had, for the time being, nothing to do with these lovers who only wished to enjoy each other's company.

After leaving Tidewatch City and confirming that no one else was nearby, the two stopped in perfect unspoken accord and smiled at each other.

"It's been a long time... since we let them out for some air." Tang Wulin's eyes shone with nostalgia and a trace of barely concealed excitement.

Gu Yuena nodded slightly, her violet eyes gleaming as well. "Yes. Let's feel them again—the battle armor that has accompanied us the longest."

The next instant, two indescribably vast auras erupted from the two of them! There was no earth-shattering spectacle, yet it seemed to stir the laws of the surrounding space. The air froze, and even the light appeared to dim for a moment.

A dazzling golden radiance shot into the sky from Tang Wulin's body!

It was not a blinding glare, but a noble golden light containing supreme majesty and the aura of creation. A suit of battle armor perfectly fitted to his tall frame instantly covered his entire body—it was the legendary Golden Dragon Yueyu!

The battle armor's main body was an imperial, streamlined gold, as though countless miniature dragon scales had been precisely pieced together. Fine, ancient runes were engraved upon every scale, with golden energy faintly flowing through them like blood. The shoulder armor took the shape of roaring dragon heads, their eyes set with crystals like gems from a molten sun, radiating an aura that looked down upon the world. The breastplate was heavy and magnificent. At the center, where the heartguard lay, was a dark-gold vortex scale that seemed to slowly rotate and devour light—the core manifestation of the Golden Dragon King's power. The armguards and greaves had sharp, powerful lines that combined strength and speed, with blade-like golden protrusions at the joints. Behind him, a pair of enormous metallic dragon wings spread wide, their span exceeding five meters. Their framework was a profound dark gold, while the membranes were golden curtains of pure energy, rainbow halos flowing along their edges. With the slightest flap, they stirred the surrounding currents into a low dragon's roar.

The entire suit of battle armor was not merely a symbol of defense and strength, but a treasure worthy of being called a work of art—luxurious, majestic, and powerful, like the armor of a living deity, radiating a Dragon Emperor's pressure that compelled all things to submit.

Almost at the same time, a cool and noble silver radiance blossomed around Gu Yuena!

Its light was not as blazing as the gold, but it was deeper and more boundless, as if it had gathered the essence of the cosmic starry sky. Covering her graceful figure was the suit of Silver Dragon Wulin that Tang Wulin had painstakingly forged for her with his own hands ten thousand years ago!

The battle armor was silver-white like moonlight. Its material was neither metal nor jade, warm to the touch yet indestructible. Its lines were softer and more fluid, like a gown tailored just for her, perfectly outlining her captivating curves. The shoulder armor took the form of elegant silver dragons spreading their wings, their wings lightly folded and carrying an air of mystery and nobility. The breastplate's design was especially unique. At the position of her heart was embedded a magnificent gemstone core about the size of a pigeon's egg, constantly shifting through nine colors! The gem pulsed slowly as though alive, surrounded by the aura of nine primordial elements. Flowing elemental runes were inscribed upon her armguards and greaves, brightening and dimming with her breath. The silver-white metallic dragon wings unfolding behind her were longer and more agile in form, their membranes seeming to hold countless twinkling stars that scattered specks of silver brilliance, beautiful enough to take one's breath away.

Perfectly blending coolness, nobility, mystery, and powerful elemental control, it was like the brightest moon in the night sky—serene, yet containing the mighty power to reshape heaven and earth. The battle armor lent Gu Yuena's peerless face an added air of dignity and aloof pride.

After ten thousand years had passed, these two suits of battle armor, bound to their lives and having shared both life-and-death trials and glory with them, were no longer merely weapons and equipment. They had become inseparable parts of their bodies and souls, developing a unique spirit of their own.

The instant the battle armor settled upon them, Tang Wulin and Gu Yuena could both clearly sense the affection and closeness rising from its depths, like children seeing their parents, along with the joyous elation of finally stretching after a long sleep. Golden Dragon Yueyu conveyed a blazing, domineering will to protect, while Silver Dragon Wulin flowed with cool yet gentle attachment, like whispers between lovers.

Even more astonishingly, when Golden Dragon Yueyu and Silver Dragon Wulin appeared at the same time, their auras did not repel each other. Instead, they complemented one another as seamlessly as water and milk. The golden Dragon Emperor's pressure intertwined and resonated with the silver elemental tide, forming a unique domain around them. Within it, space was stable and the elements orderly, as though it were a small world of its own. This perfectly unified power was as vast as a sea of stars and as deep as the universe. On present-day Douluo Star, calling them "divine artifacts" would not be an exaggeration!

Yet even such magnificent and powerful battle armor seemed, in terms of the energy they emitted, to be faintly inferior to the ring on Gu Yuena's right middle finger. The entire ring was a profound, restrained dark blue, its material unknown. It bore no splendid adornments, only faint, inscrutable patterns that seemed naturally formed. It rested there quietly, yet seemed to be the anchor of the entire space and even the surrounding light, containing an eternal and singular aura beyond comprehension, one that stood above the battle armor.

"Let's go, Gu Yue." Tang Wulin held out his hand. Against Golden Dragon Yueyu's faceplate, his black eyes seemed even brighter.

Gu Yuena smiled sweetly and placed her slender hand, bearing the dark-blue ring, into his palm. "All right."

The enormous metallic dragon wings behind them snapped downward at the same time!

Boom—!

It was not a sonic boom, but a strange roar of energy. The two became streaks of gold and silver light, soaring from the ground in an instant and rushing into the clouds, tearing two long trails through them.

They did not pursue the utmost speed. Instead, they maintained a comparatively relaxed cruising pace that still far exceeded that of ordinary Titled Douluo, flying side by side beneath the azure sky.

Sunlight fell upon Golden Dragon Yueyu, reflecting a glorious radiance too dazzling to look at directly. Upon Silver Dragon Wulin, it refracted dreamlike moonlight and starlight. One figure was blazing and domineering like the scorching sun; the other was cool and noble like the bright moon. Yet they traveled together in such harmony, as though they had been born to do so.

Their flying movements were coordinated to the extreme. The rhythm of their wingbeats, the rise and fall of their bodies, even every subtle turn required no verbal communication. They were perfectly synchronized, wholly united. From afar, they did not seem like two separate individuals, but a single complete and sacred existence roaming between heaven and earth.

The sight was like the Twin-wing Bird, an exceptionally rare soul beast in the Star Dou Great Forest and a symbol of love.

This soul beast was born in pairs and never left its mate's side. One male and one female became each other's wings and each other's haven of the heart. When they flew, their wings pressed tightly together, as though they shared a single pair of wings. Their movements were graceful and synchronized, like one body. When faced with powerful enemies, they could unleash strength far beyond the sum of their individual power, their hearts linked and their coordination flawless. Yet the most moving thing about Twin-wing Birds was their bond until death—if one of them tragically fell, the other would never survive alone. Its heart would shatter in an instant, and it would follow its mate into death.

At this moment, Tang Wulin and Gu Yuena were like the most magnificent and powerful Twin-wing Birds in the world.

He was her golden dragon, the sun in her life, driving away ten thousand years of loneliness and coldness, giving her the most fervent love and protection.

She was his silver dragon, the moonlight within his soul, soothing the pain and confusion of his past, bringing him the gentlest harbor and home.

They were each other's wings, carrying one another across the barriers of time and space toward their shared future. They were each other's armor, shielding one another from the storms beyond and guarding the softest, purest place in their hearts. More than that, they were each other's other half, their souls resonating and their power blending together, neither able to exist without the other.

As they flew, Tang Wulin tilted his head slightly. Through his faceplate, he could see Gu Yuena's silver hair fluttering gently in the wind and her violet eyes focused ahead. Infinite contentment and peace welled up within him, and he could not resist sending her a smiling thought through the marvelous connection between their battle armor. This feels so good. It's like... we were always meant to fly this way.

Gu Yuena felt his feelings and turned to him, her violet eyes curving as she replied with her own thought, carrying a rare touch of playfulness. Yes. It's much better than the method proposed by a certain someone who only knows how to rush ahead with his head down.

She was referring to Tang Wulin's earlier suggestion that they could arrive in a day if they flew at full speed.

Tang Wulin could not help but laugh. Even Golden Dragon Yueyu's glow seemed to soften. He adjusted his flight angle slightly and moved closer to Gu Yuena. His golden dragon wings and her silver dragon wings nearly touched, the flowing energy weaving fine rainbow sparks at their wingtips and scattering them across the sky.

And so they flew, like an immortal couple roaming the heavenly realm in legend, passing over mountains and rivers, crossing cities and wildernesses. Beneath the witness of blue skies and white clouds, they flew wing to wing toward the center of Douluo Continent, toward Shrek City, which carried countless memories for them both.

The journey itself had already become the most magnificent and moving blueprint of their love.