A World for Two

Inside a treehouse on the Golden Ancient Tree.

Gu Yue opened her eyes and looked at Tang Wulin, who lay sleeping beside her with one arm wrapped around her. Her fingertips traced the outline of his brows and eyes in the air.

A hand suddenly caught hers. Tang Wulin did not open his eyes, but he held her tighter, burying his face in the hollow of her neck and nuzzling against her.

The nuzzling made Gu Yue a little ticklish, and she gently pushed him away.

Tang Wulin frowned, half-opening his eyes to look at her in displeasure.

Gu Yue could only tuck herself back into his embrace and softly ask, "Aren't you getting up?"

Having just woken up, Tang Wulin answered hoarsely, "No."

His deep voice made Gu Yue's ears redden. She buried herself in his arms, feeling his warmth, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes as well.

Tang Wulin held her, breathing in the faint fragrance drifting from her body. "Should we go out for a walk?"

"Okay."

Tang Wulin played with the ends of her hair. Gu Yue opened her eyes and hooked a finger around his long hair as well. "Your hair's gotten so long."

"I can just cut it."

"Keep it," Gu Yue said. "Just trim the style a little."

Tang Wulin smiled. "You want to cut it for me?"

Gu Yue blinked. "You said it."

Naturally, Tang Wulin would agree to anything she said. "Whatever you want."

Hearing that, Gu Yue no longer wanted to lie around. She pulled him onto the small balcony, brought over a chair, and had him sit down.

Tang Wulin leaned back in the chair and watched her inspect him.

Gu Yue raised her hand, and several streaks of silver light flashed. Tang Wulin only felt a chilly breeze sweep past him before several locks of his hair fell to the ground.

Tang Wulin laughed. "I thought you were going to murder your husband."

Gu Yue waved her hand. "Don't talk yet."

Tang Wulin obediently shut up.

Gu Yue examined his long hair. Silver light flashed again as she snipped and trimmed. After fussing with it for quite some time, she finally finished cutting Tang Wulin's hair.

Gu Yue stopped with satisfaction and drew a circle in the air. A silver disk appeared, reflecting Tang Wulin's face like a mirror.

Tang Wulin honestly could not tell what the difference was, but as long as Gu Yue was happy, so was he.

He praised her without restraint.

Gu Yue waved away the silver disk in the air and shot him a reproachful glance. "Stop sweet-talking."

Tang Wulin stood and took her hand.

The Blue Silver Emperor emerged and swept the hair into a pile.

Gu Yue tacitly conjured flames and precisely burned away the hair on the ground.

The Blue Silver Emperor swayed before Gu Yue, its vine tip nodding at her. It then shrank and turned into a bracelet around her wrist.

Gu Yue already had the bracelet Tang Wulin had given her before. Once this Blue Silver Emperor coiled around her hand, the original Blue Silver Emperor bracelet shattered, turning into fluorescent motes that were absorbed by the new Blue Silver Emperor.

Gu Yue looked surprised. "What is this?"

Tang Wulin explained, "A little trick I came up with when I had nothing to do in Dragon Valley. I only discovered now that once the Blue Silver Emperor created by my martial soul solidifies, it can actually possess vitality. I've nurtured this one for a while, and it's already gained some spirituality."

"And it has a little function too." Tang Wulin lifted Gu Yue's hand and poured soul power into the Blue Silver Emperor. Gu Yue immediately sensed a connection forming between herself and Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin lowered her hand and chuckled. "You can contact me directly through it. You won't need to go through the Golden Ancient Tree anymore."

Gu Yue touched it. The Blue Silver Emperor wriggled happily, but after Tang Wulin glared at it, it obediently lay still against her hand.

Gu Yue poked his chest. "You're jealous of something you gave me?"

Tang Wulin replied righteously, "Can't I be?"

Gu Yue smiled. "You can. Now hurry and change. If we don't leave soon, it'll be noon."

Tang Wulin grinned. "Want to come with me?"

"...You pervert!"

"Are you changing or not?"

"...Changing!"

Two utterly eye-catching figures walked hand in hand down the street.

The girl was tall and had a flawless figure. Dressed in a crisp white tracksuit, her silver hair was tied into a ponytail. As she walked, she smiled and chatted with the handsome boy beside her, brimming with youthful energy.

The boy was also dressed in a tracksuit, his long hair casually tied behind him. He listened attentively as the girl spoke, his eyes filled entirely with her, responding from time to time.

Most passersby could not help focusing their gazes on them. Even after walking past them, they could not resist turning back for another look.

"I should've covered your face," Gu Yue said.

"I think both of us should cover our faces," Tang Wulin replied.

Gu Yue said, "Forget it. We're just taking a walk. No need to act like thieves."

Tang Wulin said, "Then how about we check out the outskirts?"

"Let's go."

Because of the Golden Ancient Tree, Shrek City was rich in life energy, and the primeval forests on its outskirts had been relatively well preserved.

Furthermore, Shrek and the Tang Sect had continuously used reforestation to mislead others and enhance the secrecy of their activities near Shrek City, making the forests even more lush.

Once they reached the outskirts, Tang Wulin asked curiously, "How did you fool Qiangu Dongfeng and the others?"

Gu Yue replied calmly, "The Spirit Pagoda has already begun work on the Myriad Beast Platform. We just need to keep finding ways to make trouble for them during its construction. Qiangu Dongfeng is desperate to push the Spirit Pagoda into becoming the foremost organization. He cannot possibly let go of such a perfect opportunity as the Myriad Beast Platform. He has invested most of his energy and funds into it, so naturally, his ability to monitor Shrek and the Tang Sect's movements will decline. But because I am still one of the Shrek Seven Monsters, Qiangu Dongfeng has not allowed me access to the Spirit Pagoda's core authority. It is difficult for me to grasp the movements of the evil soul masters. Although the plan has progressed very smoothly so far, we still cannot let down our guard."

A cold glint flashed in Tang Wulin's eyes. "If they gather all the wronged souls, things will become troublesome."

Gu Yue nodded. "The Demon Empress is currently hiding in the core region of the Far North. But with our current strength, it isn't suitable for us to confront her head-on."

Tang Wulin said, "Although she has not yet become a god, she is only one step away. The Far North is a power vacuum. If the Tang Sect conducts large-scale operations there, it will likely touch some people's sensitive nerves. The risk is too great. From what I know, the Tang Sect has only been setting up jump points along the outer edges of the Far North so far. It cannot continue any farther inward."

Gu Yue's expression chilled as well. "This situation needs to end."

Tang Wulin said, "The Tang Sect should already be making progress."

The two passed through a forest path. When they reached a certain spot, Tang Wulin keenly sensed an unusual spatial fluctuation.

He looked at Gu Yue, and she nodded at him.

"Should we go in and take a look?" Tang Wulin asked for her opinion.

Gu Yue said, "I've never been inside. Do you have a permit?"

Tang Wulin said, "...No."

Gu Yue shot him a helpless glance, and Tang Wulin coughed lightly.

She took his hand. "Forget it. Let's not worry about that. Let's go in and take a look."

Silver light flashed. The spatial interference device was no more than decoration to her, and the two easily passed through the barrier.

The moment they appeared, several soul guidance beams shot straight at them. Neither changed expression as they allowed the beams to strike their bodies.

Yet the powerful beams merely caused golden and silver halos to ripple over their bodies.

"Who goes there!"

A pink figure abruptly appeared in the air. The dangerous aura caused Gu Yue's own aura to surge instantly. Just as she was about to act, Tang Wulin grabbed her.

He raised a hand to indicate that he meant no harm. "Me, Tang Wulin."

The woman in the pink mecha clearly did not remember who he was. She raised her hand to fire, and Tang Wulin hurriedly explained, "I attended a project discussion meeting with you three years ago!"

The cannon in the pink mecha stopped charging. The mask retracted, revealing a face Tang Wulin and Gu Yue both knew very well.

"Oh, it's you." She landed on the ground and simply put away her mecha as well.

Gu Yue narrowed her eyes, her gaze moving between the two of them.

Tang Wulin felt a chill run down his back. "Uh... I'm just here to take a look."

Ling Zichen crossed her arms. "What are you here to look at? Would you even understand it?"

A vein throbbed on Tang Wulin's forehead.

Gu Yue frowned.

Ling Zichen's gaze fell on her. "Who are you?"

Tang Wulin said, "My girlfriend."

Ling Zichen rolled her eyes. "Who asked you?"

Tang Wulin was left speechless.

A trace of amusement flashed through Gu Yue's eyes. "A collaborator of your Tang Sect."

Ling Zichen snorted. "You, Tang Wulin, right? Make an appointment next time you come. Otherwise, I'll blow you up no matter who you are."

Tang Wulin said, "..."

Tang Wulin took a deep breath. "Since we're already here, it shouldn't affect anything if you show us around, right?"

Ling Zichen said impatiently, "Fine, fine. You two, follow me."

Tang Wulin and Gu Yue had not come to the construction site simply because they were bored. Their spiritual power swept across the place in every direction, and both of them could not help nodding.

Ling Zichen said, "Satisfied, leaders?"

Tang Wulin was a little embarrassed. "Sorry. We were presumptuous this time."

Ling Zichen said, "Enough with the fussing. Tell me, what are your thoughts?"

Having followed Zang Xin for so long, she naturally understood the importance of the situation. Although the man before her did not hold a high-ranking post in the Tang Sect, both the Amorous and Heartless Douluos had to carefully consider his words. Naturally, she had to give him sufficient attention as well.

Gu Yue spoke first. "What level of energy can you use to cover all of Shrek?"

Ling Zichen said, "The same level as a Rank 10 fixed soul guidance artillery shell. Shrek City is too large, and you also demanded that it be kept as concealed as possible. That limits the scale of the soul guidance formation, so most of the central power must still be borne by the Sea God Pavilion and the Golden Ancient Tree. Otherwise, it won't be able to withstand it."

Tang Wulin frowned. "How exactly did the Spirit Pagoda obtain a Rank 12 fixed soul guidance artillery shell from the Federation's armory?"

Gu Yue said, "The Spirit Pagoda has deep ties with the military. Several of the major military families have interests entangled with the Spirit Pagoda. The Spirit Pagoda can easily send people in and out of the Federation military under the pretext of engineering pilot projects. The Spirit Pagoda does not lack talent, and the Holy Spirit Cult also has many people with unusual abilities. I cannot track their movements, and it will be difficult to stop them from stealing fixed soul guidance artillery shells."

Ling Zichen sneered. "I said long ago that we should just steal them ourselves and avoid all this trouble. The Tang Sect's intelligence network indicates that a godslayer-class fixed soul guidance artillery shell may already have been stolen."

Tang Wulin directly ignored her treasonous remark. "How much longer until it's complete?"

"Only debugging remains," she replied.

Tang Wulin nodded. "I noticed that most of the core metals in your formation are spirit-forged living alloys?"

Ling Zichen nodded. "It would naturally be best if we could use soul-forged living alloys for all of it, but there are only a few Saint Craftsmen in the entire Federation. If we placed a large order for soul-forged living alloys, it would draw too much attention."

Tang Wulin said helplessly, "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Ling Zichen looked baffled. "You didn't ask."

Tang Wulin raised a hand and tossed out a huge pile of soul-forged living alloys.

"You didn't report that you needed soul-forged metals, did you?" Tang Wulin looked at the stunned Ling Zichen.

Ling Zichen stared blankly, then suddenly screamed, "Why didn't you tell me earlier?!"

"You didn't ask either!"

Ling Zichen said, "Why do you have so many soul-forged metals? Didn't they say even Saint Craftsmen have a high failure rate with soul forging?"

Tang Wulin said, "Natural talent."

Ling Zichen's eyes lit up. "Give me all your stock. I'll replace the core right now!"

Tang Wulin directly tossed her a soul guidance storage device. "Tell me if it isn't enough. Will there still be enough time?"

Ling Zichen took it and said confidently, "If I say there's enough time, there's enough time."

Tang Wulin naturally did not doubt this mad scientist's professional expertise in research.

Once she had the soul-forged metals, she immediately tossed the two of them to the back of her mind.

Tang Wulin and Gu Yue exchanged smiles. She took his hand, silver light flashed, and the two left the construction site.

After the two had been gone for quite some time, Ling Zichen finally finished calculating the optimal soul guidance plan amid the busy construction site and belatedly asked, "Eh? Where did they go?"

"Director Ling! Soul guidance core number one has been replaced."

Ling Zichen immediately forgot about the two again and threw herself back into her work. "Pick up the pace. It must be completed this week!"

On a hill in the outskirts of Shrek, Tang Wulin and Gu Yue leaned against each other, listening to the rustling of wind passing through the grass and treetops as they gazed up at the stars filling the sky.

"I'm leaving," Gu Yue said softly.

Tang Wulin remained silent, lowering his lashes.

Gu Yue said gently, "With the Soul-Nurturing Pearl, Na'er's consciousness can continue to exist. The day everything ends will be the day she reunites with us."

Tang Wulin sighed softly. "In the end, we still failed her."

Gu Yue pressed her lips together. "Yes... But as the co-ruler of soul beasts, this is a responsibility we must bear."

Tang Wulin said in a low voice, "I really don't want you to leave..."

Gu Yue's eyes were gentle. "If you want to find me, you can do so anytime."

Tang Wulin wrapped an arm around her waist, turned, and embraced her. "That's different."

Gu Yue patted his back. "All right."

Silver radiance gradually began to shine from her body. No matter how reluctant Tang Wulin was, he could only let her go.

A figure appeared beside them, silver-haired and purple-eyed.

"You came," Gu Yue said as she looked at her.

Na'er said, "I had to say goodbye."

Tang Wulin looked at her, his eyes full of guilt and sorrow.

Na'er smiled faintly. "Brother, you look better when you smile."

Tang Wulin forced a smile.

"It's not like we'll never see each other again." Na'er pouted in dissatisfaction.

Tang Wulin said, "I'll wait for you to come back."

Na'er and Gu Yue joined hands. The silver light around their bodies merged, and a luminous pearl appeared before them—the treasure Tang Wulin had found over the past three years, the Soul-Nurturing Pearl.

Na'er's body gradually faded. Strands of silver thread connected to the Soul-Nurturing Pearl, which grew brighter and brighter. The originally milky-white pearl transformed into a translucent pale silver.

Na'er, whose hand Gu Yue had been holding, disappeared. In her place appeared a silver-white spear. As its spear light flickered, the surrounding elements moved in rhythm with it. Gu Yue's aura continuously rose, silver scales appearing on her body. She raised a hand, and a smooth, perfectly shaped silver scale floated toward Tang Wulin. It landed at his neck and became a necklace hanging there.

She looked at him. "I'm leaving, Wulin."

Tang Wulin stepped forward and kissed her.

Then he released her.

The next instant, silver light erupted. It was as though the stars in the sky had been robbed of their radiance by the moon, instantly losing their brilliance.

When the light faded, only Tang Wulin remained on the hill.

He gazed wistfully into the distance, stroking the silver-scale pendant at his neck.