Stars and Sea

After leaving the Sea God Pavilion, Tang Wulin did not head toward the Outer Court.

He turned several times along the plank paths woven through the branches of the Golden Ancient Tree, then made his way back to his room on Sea God Island with familiar ease.

As soon as he pushed open the door, the room was exactly as it had been when he left that morning. Several golden leaves blown in by the wind had fallen onto the windowsill, their edges slightly curled from the sunlight.

He casually closed the window a little, sat on the edge of the bed, took a deep breath, slowly exhaled, and closed his eyes.

The instant his consciousness sank into his sea of spirit, he felt as though he had plunged headfirst into a warm spring. His entire body was enveloped by that rich, gentle energy, and the taut string that had been wound tight throughout his time in the Sea God Pavilion finally relaxed.

The golden sea was as calm as a mirror, reflecting the outline of the majestic palace above. Flecks of light drifted slowly through the void.

Tang Wulin stopped on the stone steps before the palace and looked up, only to see Old Tang seated in the stone chair just inside the hall entrance. His back was straight, his hands resting on his knees, and his gaze lowered toward the ground before him. His brows were faintly furrowed, and a trace of subdued anger still lingered on his face.

Tang Wulin quickly walked over, crouched beside the stone chair, and looked up at Old Tang's slightly displeased face. His voice softened, carrying the obedient tone of someone coaxing an elder.

"Old Tang, today... you helped me cripple Qian Duoduo, but wasn't that a little impulsive?"

Old Tang raised his eyes slightly at those words.

He looked down at the youth crouching before him, remained silent for a moment, then lifted a hand. His broad palm settled gently atop Tang Wulin's head, warm and steady as it gave him a light, measured rub.

His palm rested against the youth's hair for a while before he withdrew it. Then he spoke in an even tone. "He spoke too unpleasantly. It made me unhappy, so I did it."

Tang Wulin smiled and did not press the matter further.

He sat down on the stone steps, bracing himself with both hands behind him as he looked up at the boundless void above the golden palace. His gaze wandered among the slowly drifting motes of light for a while.

Then he lowered his eyes and turned his attention to the Golden Dragon King bloodline within him.

Through layer upon layer of seals, he could sense that violent, scorching aura turning over in its slumber.

Fine golden patterns flowed across the surface of the seal. From time to time, a dark glimmer flashed between them, as if something inside were lightly knocking against the barrier.

He examined it closely for a while and only withdrew his attention after confirming that the seal remained as stable as ever.

Not far from that bloodline seal, in a corner at the edge of his sea of spirit, a hazy gray mass of divine consciousness was slowly and gently unfolding.

Electrolux's consciousness was awakening and recovering far faster than expected.

Tang Wulin tilted his head slightly and glanced at the gray light in the corner, quietly mulling it over.

Perhaps his physique as a child of nature, along with the Life Goddess's origin power, had nourished this Necromancer God.

The gray light swayed faintly, as though it had sensed his gaze. From within came a hoarse yet tranquil voice, like an ancient bell that had slept for far too long being lightly struck. "...Wulin."

Tang Wulin did not turn around. Still looking at the golden void, he answered, "Mm. You're awake."

The voice fell silent for a while, as though readjusting to the feeling of speaking, before sounding again in a calm, gentle tone. "There are four completely different origins coexisting within your body, yet they do not conflict with one another. I have lived for so long, yet I have never seen such a constitution."

Tang Wulin smiled but did not respond to that.

He raised a hand and brushed aside a wisp of airflow stirred up by thoughts like sea winds, then casually asked, "Then what do you think? How should I proceed from here on?"

Electrolux fell silent for several breaths.

The edges of that gray light contracted slightly, then slowly spread out again, as though he were choosing his words.

Then his voice sounded once more, carrying the calmness of one who had weathered countless years. "Wulin, what are your ambitions?"

Tang Wulin rubbed his chin.

He turned his head, and his gaze drifted briefly in Old Tang's direction.

Old Tang was still seated in the stone chair, his posture unchanged and his eyes fixed on some point in the void. He was not looking this way.

Tang Wulin still suspected that he might be able to contact Tang San of this era, so he had to avoid exposing information that should not be exposed.

Tang Wulin withdrew his gaze and looked up at the golden void again. "The stars and the sea, I suppose."

He also hoped his final ending would not be like Tang Wulin's—wanting nothing more than to become an ordinary person in the end.

The stars and the sea! Here I come!

Though I wonder how my dad is doing.

Electrolux did not ask further. The rhythm of the gray light's fluctuations merely slowed.

Old Tang did not speak either, but the fingers resting on his knees moved slightly before returning to stillness.

Tang Wulin did not remain in this sea of spirit for long.

He spoke with Old Tang for a few more moments about the seals and spirit medicines, confirmed the progress of the search for those five ten-thousand-year heavenly treasures, then withdrew from meditation and opened his eyes again.

The sky outside had already darkened. No lamps were lit in the room; only moonlight filtered through the gap in the window, laying a thin layer of silvery white across the floor.

He rolled his neck and stood up.

Although the day had been full of trouble, he was not sleepy. So he sat cross-legged on the bed again, closed his eyes, and began circulating his soul power.

Soul power flowed slowly through his meridians, completing cycle after cycle of circulation. It was gentle and enduring, like a quiet stream, carrying the life force within him and the lingering essence of the Golden Dragon King bloodline as they repeatedly washed over his bones and muscles.

At the same time, in the Outer Court of Shrek Academy.

In the brightly lit room bearing the sign "Academic Affairs Office" in the administrative building, the lights remained on deep into the night. Several long tables had been pushed together, their surfaces covered in documents and rosters, while several Academic Affairs Office teachers bent over their work, copying things down.

Yan Shaozhe sat at the head of the table. Before him lay a red-headed document that had already been stamped. He carefully read the final line, and after confirming there were no errors, handed the document to the person beside him.

"Send it out first thing tomorrow morning," he said.

The decision written in that document was clear.

Zhou Yi's punishment had been finalized: her martial soul would be abolished, her cultivation crippled, and she would be expelled from the academy, never to be hired again.

Furthermore, this notice would be sent simultaneously to every sect and power across the continent that had dealings with Shrek Academy, so that everyone would know Shrek Academy's stance on teachers violating the rules.

The news spread far faster than Yan Shaozhe had expected.