Wow, a Golden Legend

Street food stalls lined the roadside one after another, the aromas of grilled skewers, sugar cakes, and freshly squeezed fruit juice mingling in the evening breeze.

Tang Wuling had an excellent appetite and wanted a bite of everything they passed. Gu Yue merely sampled most things, her gaze more often than not drifting toward Chen An at her side.

The three of them wandered and stopped along the way, circling around without the slightest intention of returning to the academy early.

Before they knew it, the night sky had grown much darker, and the academy curfew was fast approaching. Only then did Gu Yue hurriedly turn around and head back toward Eastsea Academy.

They stepped through the academy gates just before the curfew closed them.

The evening breeze brushed past her. Tang Wuling let out a small yawn, her eyelids drooping slightly as profound exhaustion appeared on her face.

"I'm so full... Strange, why am I suddenly so sleepy today?"

She rubbed her eyes, looking somewhat tired.

"Then hurry back and get some rest. You still have training tomorrow," Chen An said.

The three parted ways at the fork by the dormitory buildings.

Only after watching Gu Yue disappear around the corner of the girls' dormitory did Chen An quietly breathe a sigh of relief. He secretly lamented that he had finally sent away Gu Yue, that ever-present "camera."

He turned and walked into the boys' dormitory.

The room was dimly lit. Wang Jinxi and Zhang Yangzi were both sitting upright on their beds, their eyes closed as they meditated intently.

The entire room was quiet, filled only with the faint sound of breathing.

Wei Xiaofeng alone had not gone to sleep. He leaned against the side of his bed and looked up when he saw Chen An push open the door and return.

"You're back."

Wei Xiaofeng lowered his voice, afraid of disturbing the other two companions who were meditating.

Chen An gently closed the door and nodded.

Wei Xiaofeng hesitated for a moment before slowly speaking, his voice extremely low.

"There's something I want to tell you.

"Wang Jinxi, Zhang Yangzi, and I grew up together.

"Among people our age in Eastsea City, our talent had always been considered outstanding. Before this, we had never encountered an opponent like you, someone who could completely suppress us."

At this point, a trace of embarrassment crossed his face.

"After our first fight, we really took a hard hit. We were pretty discouraged and even doubted ourselves for a while.

"But later, watching Xie Xie keep coming back to challenge you without fearing setbacks, we gradually figured it out too. We can't deny ourselves just because we met someone stronger."

After a pause, Wei Xiaofeng looked at Chen An with a measure of sincerity.

"Also, when we first enrolled, my attitude toward you was pretty rude. I want to apologize for that."

Chen An looked at the boy whose attitude had changed from what he remembered. He knew this was also a butterfly effect caused by himself.

"There's no need to dwell on the past. Just work hard."

"Okay." Wei Xiaofeng nodded heavily.

Chen An said nothing more. After washing up, he lay down on his bed, closed his eyes, and prepared to sleep.

His consciousness slowly sank into his sea of awareness.

Yet this time, the usual rustling of leaves in the forest had vanished completely.

An inexplicable warmth spread through his body. Chen An instinctively tried to summon his awareness and open his eyes. After exerting tremendous effort, he barely managed to pry his eyelids open a sliver.

What entered his sight was no longer the familiar dim forest, but an endless void.

He discovered that his body had become translucent, and he was slowly floating through the air beyond his control.

Only after gathering all his focus did he finally make out his surroundings clearly.

Within this vast void stood a resplendent Golden Temple. Broad stone steps stretched layer upon layer from the void toward the temple gates.

Chen An struggled to control his floating consciousness-body and slowly descended onto the ground within the void. His steps were unsteady, but filled with curiosity, he approached the temple one step at a time.

He stopped at the entrance and did not rashly step inside, instead quietly peering in.

Within the magnificent golden hall stood the still back of a young girl. It was Tang Wuling.

Above her head, an enormous golden five-clawed dragon was bound layer upon layer by countless black chains. The giant dragon lay dormant, suppressing its violent draconic might.

A hazy, ethereal golden figure also stood in the hall. Tang Wuling had no idea who it was, but Chen An recognized from its outline that it was the divine consciousness left behind by the Tang God-King.

Chen An understood at once.

He possessed Dragon Scale from the same origin as the Dragon God. Over the past three years, he had remained by Tang Wuling's side, continuously absorbing the Golden Dragon King Origin that leaked out to nourish himself.

Now that the seal within Tang Wuling had loosened, it had actually dragged his spiritual consciousness into this special mental space as well.

At present, he was merely an outsider's projection of consciousness, so Tang San's divine consciousness within the hall had not noticed him.

But Chen An still did not cross the threshold. He simply stood quietly outside the hall, listening intently to the conversation within.

Inside the hall, Tang Wuling looked at the hazy golden figure, her tone carrying a trace of confusion.

"You mean there's a dragon living inside my body?"

The golden figure's voice was deep and distant, slowly echoing through the hall.

"It is not merely a dragon. It is the Golden Dragon King. In a sense, it is your calamity."

Tang Wuling's face was filled with shock. "A calamity? Why?"

"You do not need to know the answer to that question at your current age.

"You need only remember that the power contained within the Golden Dragon King is far too immense. Your body cannot bear it.

"If that power erupts completely, you will die."

"Die?"

That simple word struck Tang Wuling's heart like a hammer.

She was still young and had never seriously considered death.

The images of Tang Ziran and his wife, as well as Chen An, instantly flashed through her mind.

"Will... will I die?" the girl asked, her voice trembling faintly.

The golden figure continued.

"Not for now. However, the Golden Dragon King's power is gradually influencing you.

"You must proceed step by step and gradually break the eighteen seals binding it. Only by accepting the Golden Dragon King's origin power in portions can you preserve yourself and live safely."

Outside the temple gates, the translucent Chen An stood silently, taking every word into his ears.

"Furthermore, if you are drawn by the aura of dragon bloodlines too many times, your seal will loosen more rapidly. Find the three spiritual items I mentioned as soon as possible. Otherwise, the consequences will be irreversible."

The night passed quietly.

The next morning, outside the Eastsea Academy cafeteria.

Tang Wuling was waiting there early, her head slightly lowered, her brows concealing a heavy worry that would not fade.

But when she looked up and saw Chen An approaching, she immediately forced a bright smile onto her face.

"Xiao An! Sorry, I trained a little longer just now, so I'm late."

Chen An could tell at a glance that the girl was only forcing herself to hide it.

The conversation in the temple last night weighed heavily on her heart. She intended to bury the Golden Dragon King's secret alone and had no plans to tell him.

Seeing through her slightly childish pretense, Chen An understood but did not expose her. His expression remained unchanged as he responded calmly.

"Mm."