If You Could Stay by My Side Forever, How Wonderful That Would Be

Upon arriving in the Star Luo capital, the Shrek group checked into a hotel.

Tang Wulin had just stepped out of the bathroom when someone knocked on the door. Thinking it was Xie Xie, he casually pulled the door open with only half a bathrobe wrapped around himself. To his surprise, Gu Yue stood outside, frozen stiff.

Bang! Tang Wulin slammed the door shut in an instant, momentarily flustered.

After forcing himself to calm down and getting dressed, he opened the door again. Gu Yue stood there with her face covered. Hearing the door open, her gaze darted away uneasily.

Tang Wulin coughed lightly to hide his embarrassment. "Why are you here?"

Gu Yue said, "...I wanted to ask if you wanted to go for a walk."

Tang Wulin said, "Then let's go."

Gu Yue froze for a moment. "I thought you were going to rest."

Tang Wulin's mouth twitched. "I really don't have a habit of sleeping naked."

The embarrassment faded from Gu Yue's face, and she even had the leisure to tease him. "Nice body."

Tang Wulin curled his lips. "As long as you like it."

Gu Yue glared at him. "Do you think I'm that shallow?"

Tang Wulin merely smiled without replying.

Gu Yue snorted softly. "Let's go."

Tang Wulin followed her out of the hotel.

Although Star Luo Avenue was not as bustling as the commercial streets of major Federation cities like Heaven Dou and Bright Capital, it carried a stronger sense of antiquity. Its architectural style matched that of the imperial palace at the heart of the capital.

Tang Wulin spotted a rare-metal specialty store. Just as he was about to enter, he saw several burly men escorting a girl in a light yellow dress out of it. His brows rose slightly as he passed by them.

Once inside, Tang Wulin swept his gaze across the metals displayed on the entire floor.

A staff member came forward. "Hello. Would you like me to introduce anything for you?"

Tang Wulin said, "No need. Everything on this floor is ordinary stuff. Do you have any other metals?"

The staff member immediately realized he had encountered an expert. "Please come with me. This way."

Tang Wulin and Gu Yue followed him into another room, where their view opened up considerably.

Metals of every kind were arranged in dazzling rows on specially designed shelves to preserve their purity.

The staff member said, "Because your authorization level is insufficient, we can only take them out for you to inspect one at a time. Please forgive us."

Tang Wulin said, "It's fine."

The staff member placed a pale golden piece of metal before him.

Tang Wulin did not even need a testing hammer. One sweep of his spiritual power over its internal grain structure was enough for him to understand its properties.

"Its attribute is stacking. It's a battle armor metal that suits you very well. Interested?" Tang Wulin looked at Gu Yue.

The staff member froze. This young man had identified the attribute of the rare metal at a glance, but he instinctively assumed Tang Wulin simply recognized the metal.

Gu Yue's next words shattered that assumption. "You probably haven't seen this metal before. You've never kept any in your forging room."

Tang Wulin had a personal forging room at Shrek, a privilege granted to him as a Saint Craftsman. The metals he commonly used for forging, as well as the lower-quality alloys he forged, were usually left in cabinets in that room.

Tang Wulin said, "One look was enough."

Gu Yue would never question his judgment in forging. "I'll listen to you. You decide."

Tang Wulin smiled faintly. "How much are you selling this metal for?"

The staff member became even more respectful. "If you are a forging grandmaster or above, we can offer a discount."

Tang Wulin took out his Seven-Star Saint Craftsman Badge from his storage device and placed it on the table.

The staff member's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief.

As someone in the metal trade, he was naturally familiar with the fluctuations of soul-forged metal. Whether Tang Wulin's badge was real or not, the fluctuations of soul-forged metal could not lie.

He said solemnly, "Please wait a moment."

He quickly walked to the far end of the room and pushed open a door. Before long, a middle-aged man emerged with him.

The middle-aged man looked at Tang Wulin with utmost respect. Even though Tang Wulin appeared very young, he did not dare show the slightest contempt. "May I ask what metal you require?"

Tang Wulin said, "This Gold Crystal. Give me a hundred pieces. I'll trade sentient alloys with you."

In the end, Tang Wulin bought not only Gold Crystal, but also other metals that were relatively rare on the Douluo Continent.

Altogether, he spent only two pieces of spirit-forged sentient alloy with an eighty percent fusion rate.

After exchanging one piece of Gold Crystal for Star Luo Coin, Tang Wulin took Gu Yue down the avenue and began buying everything in sight.

Once again, after stuffing his storage device full, Tang Wulin asked softly, "I heard you don't want to participate in either the individual or team events?"

Gu Yue froze, and the smile on her face gradually faded. "Mm."

Tang Wulin asked, "Why?"

Gu Yue said, "I don't want to."

Tang Wulin guessed that she did not want to enter the individual event because of that soul bone, but what about the team event? Why did she not want to join that either?

Tang Wulin sighed softly. "You don't want to become one of the Shrek Seven Monsters."

Gu Yue said, "I'm from the Spirit Pagoda."

Tang Wulin said, "I understand. I respect your decision."

Gu Yue's expression was complicated. "I thought you would try to persuade me."

Tang Wulin said, "I want you by my side, but I don't want to force you. There are things I can't tell you, and there are many things you haven't told me either, but I've always trusted you."

Gu Yue said coldly, "What exactly gives you the right to trust me?"

Tang Wulin gazed steadily into her eyes and said in a low voice, "Because you're Gu Yue."

"Maybe I'm not who you think I am." She refused to yield in the slightest.

Tang Wulin said, "Then you should trust me at least once."

Gu Yue turned her face away and stubbornly said nothing.

Tang Wulin sighed inwardly, but a smile appeared on his face. "Let's not talk about this anymore. Will you accompany me in the doubles event?"

Gu Yue took a deep breath. "...All right."

She turned and walked ahead. Tang Wulin stood behind her and said softly, "If you could stay by my side forever, how wonderful that would be."

Gu Yue's body stiffened, but she neither stopped nor turned around, continuing onward.

Tang Wulin lowered his head and silently followed behind her.

Seeing that it was getting late, Tang Wulin and Gu Yue returned to the hotel.

The moment they returned, Gu Yue silently went back to her room alone and did not come out again.

During dinner, Xie Xie poked Tang Wulin. "What's going on?"

Tang Wulin looked up. "What?"

Xie Xie pursed his lips toward someone. "That one."

Tang Wulin was speechless. "Are you sick?"

Xie Xie glared at him. "Gu Yue!"

Tang Wulin said, "So you can speak properly after all."

Xie Xie snorted. "It's called being mysterious."

Yuanen coldly cut in, "It's called being crazy."

Xu Xiaoyan giggled. "Exactly."

Ye Xinglan looked at Tang Wulin. "Gu Yue's mood seems to have been rather low ever since she learned we would be competing."

Tang Wulin wiped his mouth clean. "It's complicated. Don't think too much about it. Eat. I'm going to the forging room."

Xie Xie said, "Bro, can't you take a break?"

Ye Xinglan had also finished eating. She stood up and said, "Perfect. Do you have any spirit-forged Star Silver on hand? I'll help you test the battle armor."

Tang Wulin said, "Then let's go together."

Xie Xie clicked his tongue as he watched the workaholic pair.

He turned to Yuanen. "How about we rent a sparring room too?"

The hotel arranged by the Star Luo Imperial Family for Douluo competitors was the most luxurious hotel in all of Star Luo. It was a royal enterprise with exceptionally complete facilities, capable of meeting every need, from soul masters to ordinary people seeking entertainment.

Yuanen refused without hesitation. "No. I need to cultivate."

Xie Xie said seriously, "Then I'll cultivate too."

Tang Wulin chuckled and shook his head before heading toward the forging room with Ye Xinglan.

"Why is it still not working?!" Ye Xinglan stared at the Star Silver that had been ruined once more, her face pale and filled with confusion.

If she had previously believed it might be due to her own lack of ability, this attempt had completely ruled out that possibility.

Tang Wulin recalled the familiar sensation and aggrieved emotion that had arisen when the repulsive force appeared just now, and an idea came to him.

He said, "No need to keep trying. I think I've figured out what's going on."

Ye Xinglan asked, "What is it?"

Tang Wulin shook his head. "I still need to verify it. If I'm right, I'll tell you."

Ye Xinglan nodded. "All right."

Tang Wulin sighed. "I'll compensate you for the metal later."

Ye Xinglan rolled her eyes. "You believed that even though I was joking?"

Tang Wulin met her gaze and smiled.