A World for Two

Inside a treehouse on the Golden Ancient Tree.

Gu Yue opened her eyes and looked at Tang Wulin, who was sleeping beside her with one arm wrapped around her. Her fingertips traced the contours of his brows and eyes without quite touching them.

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

Gu Yue felt a little ticklish from his nuzzling and gently pushed him away.

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

Gu Yue had no choice but to tuck herself back into his embrace and softly ask, "Aren't you getting up?"

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

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

Tang Wulin held her and inhaled 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 curled her fingers around his long hair as well. "Your hair has gotten so long."

"I can just cut it."

"Keep it," Gu Yue said. "Just trim it 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, fetched 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 strands of hair fell to the ground.

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

Gu Yue waved a hand. "Stop talking for now."

Tang Wulin obediently shut his mouth.

Gu Yue examined his long hair. Another flash of silver light passed by, and after a long while of trimming and cutting, she finally finished cutting Tang Wulin's hair.

Gu Yue stopped with satisfaction and drew a circle in the air. A silver disc 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, he was happy too.

He praised her without holding back.

Gu Yue waved away the silver disc in the air and shot him an exasperated look. "Enough sweet talk."

Tang Wulin stood and took her hand.

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

Gu Yue tacitly ignited a flame, precisely burning away the hair on the ground.

The Blue Silver Emperor swayed in front of Gu Yue, its vine tip nodding at her before it shrank into a bracelet around her wrist.

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

Gu Yue looked a little surprised. "What is this?"

Tang Wulin explained, "It was a little trick I came up with when I had nothing to do in Dragon Valley. I only discovered now that the Blue Silver Emperor created by my Martial Soul can possess vitality after materializing. I've raised this one for a while. It already has some spiritual intelligence."

"And it has one more little function." Tang Wulin lifted Gu Yue's hand and injected Soul Power into the Blue Silver Emperor. Gu Yue immediately sensed a connection forming between herself and Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin released her hand and chuckled. "You can contact me directly through it now. You won't have to rely on the Golden Ancient Tree anymore."

Gu Yue stroked 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. "Even something you gave me can make you jealous?"

Tang Wulin replied righteously, "Can't it?"

Gu Yue smiled. "It can—go change already. If we don't leave now, it'll be noon."

Tang Wulin gave a lewd chuckle. "Want to come with me?"

"...You pervert!"

"Are you changing or not?"

"...I am!"

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

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

The boy wore sportswear as well, his long hair casually tied behind him. He listened attentively as the girl spoke, his eyes filled with nothing but her, responding from time to time.

Most passersby could not help focusing their gazes on them. Even after passing by them, they would turn around for another look.

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

"I think we both should've covered 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 go check out the outskirts?"

"Let's go."

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

Furthermore, Shrek and the Tang Sect had continuously planted trees and forests to confuse onlookers and increase the secrecy of their activities around Shrek City, making the forests even more lush.

When 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 the Myriad Beast Platform project. We just need to keep causing them trouble during its construction. Qiangu Dongfeng is practically obsessed with pushing the Spirit Pagoda into becoming the number one organization. He would never let go of such an excellent opportunity as the Myriad Beast Platform. Once he puts most of his energy and funding into it, his ability to monitor Shrek and the Tang Sect will naturally decline. But because I am still one of the Shrek Seven Monsters, Qiangu Dongfeng still hasn't 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 proceeded very smoothly so far, we still cannot let down our guard."

A cold glint flashed in Tang Wulin's eyes. "If they gather all those 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 is not suitable for us to confront her head-on."

Tang Wulin said, "She may not have become a god yet, but she is only one step away. The Far North is a power vacuum. If the Tang Sect makes large-scale moves there, it will likely touch certain people's sensitive nerves. The risk is too great. As far as I know, the Tang Sect has only been setting up teleportation points along the outskirts of the Far North. It cannot advance any farther inward."

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

Tang Wulin said, "The Tang Sect should already be pushing things forward."

The two passed through a forest trail. As they went by a certain spot, Tang Wulin keenly sensed an abnormal 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 gave him a helpless glance, and Tang Wulin coughed lightly.

She took his hand. "Forget it. Let's not worry about that and go 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-guided beams shot straight toward them. Neither changed expression as they allowed the beams to strike their bodies.

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

"Who goes there!"

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

He raised one hand to show that he meant no harm. "I'm Tang Wulin."

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

The cannon in the pink battle armor stopped charging. The visor 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 battle armor as well.

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

Tang Wulin felt a chill run down his back. "Uh... I just came to have a look."

Ling Zichen crossed her arms. "What are you looking 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 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 naturally not come to the construction site merely to play around. Their spiritual power swept through the place in every direction, and both of them involuntarily nodded.

Ling Zichen said, "Satisfied, leaders?"

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

Ling Zichen said, "Enough with the fussing. Tell me, what do you think?"

Having followed Zang Xin, she naturally understood the importance of things. Although the man before her did not hold a high position in the Tang Sect, both the Amorous and Heartless Douluos had to seriously consider his words. Naturally, she needed to give him sufficient attention as well.

Gu Yue spoke first. "At what energy level can you cover all of Shrek?"

Ling Zichen said, "The same level as a Rank 10 Fixed Soul-Guided Artillery Shell. Shrek City is too large, and you required it to remain as concealed as possible, so the scale of the Soul-Guided Array is limited. Most of the central power still has to be borne by the Sea God Pavilion and the Golden Ancient Tree. Otherwise, it won't be able to hold."

Tang Wulin frowned. "How exactly did the Spirit Pagoda manage to remove Rank 12 Fixed Soul-Guided Artillery Shells from the Federation armory?"

Gu Yue said, "The Spirit Pagoda cooperates deeply with the Military Department. Several of the major Military Department families have interests tied to the Spirit Pagoda. The Spirit Pagoda can fully send people in and out of the Federation's Military Department 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. It will be very difficult to stop them from stealing Fixed Soul-Guided Artillery Shells."

Ling Zichen sneered. "I told you long ago that we should just steal them ourselves and avoid all this nonsense. The Tang Sect's intelligence network indicates that a Godslayer-class Fixed Soul-Guided Artillery Shell has most likely already been stolen."

Tang Wulin directly ignored her outrageous remark. "How much longer until completion?"

"Only debugging remains," she replied.

Tang Wulin nodded. "I see that most of the array's core metals are Spirit Refined Spirit Alloy?"

Ling Zichen nodded. "It would naturally be best if they were all Soul-Forged, but there are only a few Saint Craftsmen in the entire Federation. If we ordered a large amount of Soul-Forged Spirit Alloy, it would attract too much attention."

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

Ling Zichen looked bewildered. "You never asked."

Tang Wulin raised a hand and tossed out a massive pile of Soul-Forged Spirit Alloy.

"You didn't report that you needed Soul-Forged Metal, did you?" Tang Wulin looked at the stunned Ling Zichen.

Ling Zichen stared blankly before suddenly shrieking, "Why didn't you say so earlier?!"

"You never asked either!"

Ling Zichen said, "Why do you have so much Soul-Forged Metal? Didn't they say even Saint Craftsmen have a high failure rate when 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-guided 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.

After getting the Soul-Forged Metal, she immediately threw 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 they had been gone for quite a while, Ling Zichen, who had finally calculated the optimal soul-guided plan amid the bustling construction site, belatedly realized something. "Huh? Where did they go?"

"Director Ling! Soul-guided Core Number One has already been replaced."

Ling Zichen immediately forgot about the two again and threw herself back into work. "Speed it up! 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 grass and treetops in the wind as they gazed up at the stars filling the sky.

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

Tang Wulin remained silent and lowered 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. "We still failed her in the end."

Gu Yue pressed her lips together. "Yes... but as the ruler of the 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 brows and eyes were gentle. "If you want to find me, you can do so anytime."

Tang Wulin wrapped an arm around her waist, turned, and held her tightly. "It's not the same."

Gu Yue patted his back. "All right."

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

A figure appeared beside them, with silver hair and purple eyes.

"You're here," Gu Yue said as she looked at her.

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

Tang Wulin looked at her, his eyes filled with 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 said with a dissatisfied pout.

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

Na'er and Gu Yue held hands. The silver light around them merged, and a 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 increasingly bright. The originally milky-white pearl transformed into a translucent pale silver.

The Na'er whose hand Gu Yue held vanished, replaced by a silver-white spear. As its spear light flickered, the surrounding elements moved in rhythm with it. Gu Yue's aura rose continuously, silver scales appearing on her body. She raised a hand, and a smooth, regularly shaped silver scale drifted toward Tang Wulin, landing at his neck and transforming into a necklace.

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

Tang Wulin stepped forward and kissed her.

Then he released her.

The next instant, silver light burst forth. The stars in the sky seemed to have their brilliance stolen by the moon, instantly losing their glow.

When the radiance faded, Tang Wulin was the only one left on the hill.

He gazed wistfully into the distance, stroking the Silver Scale pendant around his neck.