A Youthful Carp Boy Would Never Dream of the Silver Dragon King, My Lord

The two siblings left Eastsea Academy side by side and followed the route Mang Tian had given them toward the Blacksmith Association in Eastsea City.

Compared with the tiny workshop in Aolai City, the Blacksmith Association in the main city was far grander. The entire building was solemn and imposing, and those coming and going were all blacksmithing professionals with steady auras. The air carried a faint scent of metal and furnace fire.

The siblings stepped into the hall. Though the receptionist immediately saw how young they were, she still approached them politely to inquire.

Upon hearing that they were Mang Tian's apprentices from Aolai City, the receptionist's expression changed slightly. She immediately notified Cen Yue, the association's blacksmith.

The Level One Blacksmith test was not difficult. All they needed to do was steadily complete Hundredfold Forging purification to pass.

When selecting materials for the test, the siblings seemed to share the same thought and both chose Sunken Silver as their forging material.

This was the material they had used during their final training in Aolai City. They were already thoroughly familiar with it, and it had been the medium that accompanied them through their Thousandfold Forging transformation.

On the testing platform, the furnace fire blazed as hammers rose and fell.

Tang Wulin remained as steady as ever. Relying on her powerful physique and astonishing endurance, she swung her hammer with orderly precision, gradually removing impurities and compressing the metal's texture. She remained calm and stable throughout.

Chen An's hammer speed and force appeared unremarkable as ever, yet every strike landed with pinpoint accuracy. Relying on his bloodline's ultimate resonance with metal, he silently completed the purification.

The quality of their finished products far exceeded Level One standards. They were clean and pure, dense in texture, and without the slightest excess impurity.

Cen Yue watched with repeated nods of approval. On the spot, he declared that both had passed the Level One Blacksmith examination and formally granted them their Level One Blacksmith certifications.

As for Mang Tian, he very much wanted to know where that man had caught these two magical treasures.

By the time the entire process was complete and they walked out of the Blacksmith Association, the sky had already turned completely dark, night shrouding all of Eastsea City.

Streetlights lit up one after another, while the bustling night market overflowed with voices and the lively scent of everyday life.

The city, prosperous and orderly during the day, became several shades more vibrant and gentle at night.

"Wulin, let's go look around the night market."

Tang Wulin turned to look at her younger brother, a relaxed smile in her eyes.

"Okay."

The siblings walked into the night market side by side, weaving among the stalls as they strolled leisurely. They picked out some inexpensive snacks to fill their stomachs, relaxed and at ease.

When they reached the middle of the market, an interesting shooting-game stall caught Chen An's attention.

The stall's rules were simple. As long as one's shooting score met the requirement, one could claim an exquisite doll for free.

For ordinary children, earning a high score was not easy. It depended on sharp eyesight, steady hands, and luck.

But for Chen An, who possessed a Level Three Luck talent, luck had never been a problem.

He casually took the toy gun, relaxed and unhurried, and fired at will. Every aim and pull of the trigger was perfectly timed. His score climbed all the way up, and he reached the target with ease.

Seeing the high score on the screen, the stall owner wore a helpless expression and could only hand over the reward as promised.

Chen An chose a soft white bunny doll, then turned and held it out before Tang Wulin.

"Wulin, this is for you."

Tang Wulin froze slightly. Taking the soft doll, her fingertips brushed its delicate fabric, and warmth instantly welled up in her heart.

Beneath the night lights, an exceptionally sweet and gentle smile quietly rose at the corners of her lips. It was faint and delicate, so tender it could soften one's heart—a softness Chen An did not notice at that moment.

"Thank you, Xiao An."

The two wandered about casually for a little longer. Only when the night had deepened and the evening breeze had turned cool did they gather themselves and return to Eastsea Academy together.

When they returned to the dormitory, their other three roommates had yet to come back, and the room was quiet.

Chen An lay down on the narrow bed, staring flat on his back at the ceiling as his thoughts slowly emptied.

He could not help silently reflecting on his past and present lives.

His previous life had been dull, oppressive, and unlucky. He had been constrained at every turn, without the slightest freedom, trapped day after day in a monotonous, tedious existence without even a glimmer of light in sight.

But after coming to this world, he possessed dragon blood, an innate Luck talent, and the Fate Wheel. Opportunities awaited him at every step, and transformation lay everywhere.

He had family by his side, a road ahead of him, and limitless possibilities.

The two lives could truly be called worlds apart.

As his thoughts gradually settled, exhaustion swept through his body, and Chen An unknowingly closed his eyes.

On the other side, Tang Wulin drifted into sleep holding hopes for the future and the bunny doll her younger brother had given her.

A hazy void was filled with white mist.

The entire world was shrouded in a thin fog. His vision was blurred; there was nothing in sight, only deathly silence.

Chen An walked slowly and aimlessly through the void. He did not know how long he had been walking. Time had lost all meaning.

Until a crisp sound of water falling rang out.

Ding-dong—

A droplet fell onto the lake's surface, spreading delicate ripples. The clear sound of water tore through the silence.

The surrounding mist abruptly dispersed somewhat, and the scene before him suddenly shifted.

He discovered, to his shock, that he was already standing within the familiar Star Dou Great Forest.

Mist still wound through the forest, yet it no longer blocked the path ahead. A clear trail quietly stretched beneath his feet.

Chen An followed the path forward. The lush greenery faded from view, and the boundless, crystal-clear Life Lake appeared before his eyes.

Unlike in his memories, Life Lake was now full to the brim, clear and bright like a vast flawless mirror quietly reflecting the light of the sky.

Pale moonlight poured down, blanketing the entire lake. Above its center, a figure in white stood quietly.

Her white dress trailed upon the ground, her figure slender. Her bare toes lightly touched the lake surface, and with every step, gentle ripples spread outward.

Chen An recognized that lonely yet gentle silhouette at a single glance.

It was Na'er.

Curiously, Chen An raised a hand to part the grass before him. Supporting himself against a thick ancient tree, he slowly stepped out of the forest and walked toward the figure on the lake.

Is this a dream?

But at that moment, the light and shadows before him abruptly changed.

The familiar Roulette suddenly appeared, spinning madly through the air at extreme speed.

Its previously fixed sections were completely rewritten, multiplying and expanding wildly from zero.

Countless sections densely covered its surface. There was no extra text, only orderly names and numbers.

Chen An 1, Chen An 2, Chen An 3... all the way to Chen An 99. Yet the Roulette continued spinning at high speed, while the numbers kept rising without end.

The densely packed labels of himself made his heart tremble, filling him with inexplicable unease.

What is this?

Filled with confusion and incomprehension, Chen An was about to call out to the figure at the center of the lake.

But overwhelming exhaustion suddenly swept through his body. His eyelids became unbearably heavy, and his consciousness rapidly sank.

Darkness devoured his vision.

"Hah—"

Chen An abruptly opened his eyes.

The plain dormitory ceiling filled his vision, and the low voices of his returning roommates reached his ears.

Brilliant morning sunlight spilled through the window. It was already the next morning.

He subconsciously raised a hand to his eye.

His fingertips touched something moist and warm.

"Was it... a nightmare?"