Remembering the Blood Feud of His Parents, Setting Out for the Spirit Pagoda

Shrek Academy's catastrophe had finally come to a complete end.

All three Level-12 Fixed Soul Guidance Shells capable of shaking the continent had been dismantled. Every evil Soul Master from the Holy Spirit Cult who had infiltrated the academy's depths had been eradicated. The shadow of death that had once blanketed the ancient academy faded away completely with the rising sun. The Eternal Tree's green life force grew ever warmer and richer, while the academy's protective formation slowly withdrew its edge and returned to nurturing vitality that flowed through every inch of land.

The peace of surviving such a disaster was especially precious.

The students returned to their classrooms and training grounds, while the instructors resumed their lessons and duties. The atmosphere that had once been tense to the extreme was gradually replaced by laughter and vigorous energy. Everyone was grateful—grateful that Shrek had not fallen, that their home remained, and that those beside them were safe and sound.

Yet this peace, available to everyone, could not truly soothe the scar buried deep in Tang Wulin's heart for two lifetimes.

The night was as black as ink, soaking the entire Sea God Pavilion.

Moonlight filtered through the window lattice, gently spilling into the room and falling upon the two people asleep in each other's arms. Gu Yue rested in Tang Wulin's embrace, her long silver-gray hair scattered across the pillow. Her usually cold and proud features had softened unbelievably in sleep. Her breathing was light and steady, and she looked entirely vulnerable after letting down every defense.

She was the only light in his destiny spanning tens of thousands of years, his companion through life and death across two lifetimes, the lover he would protect at any cost.

Now, Shrek had been preserved. She was by his side, Na'er was by his side, and all the Shrek Seven Monsters were safe.

It seemed that everything was finally complete.

But Tang Wulin could not sleep at all.

His eyes remained open as he stared at the vague outline of the ceiling in the darkness. His golden pupils glimmered faintly in the moonlight, but beneath that brightness surged pain, regret, and anguish so deeply suppressed that they could not be dissolved.

He did not dare close his eyes.

Because the moment he did, that memory—the one he never wished to recall for all eternity, yet which had been carved into his bones—would flood into his mind like a burst dam and drown him completely.

It was a scene from his previous life.

It had been the most despairing, helpless, and heart-wrenching moment of his life.

It was the scene of his parents, Tang Ziran and Lang Yue, dying miserably before his eyes.

He would never forget that day.

The sky had been gray, and the Spirit Pagoda's towering structure had been cold and majestic. Like a lurking beast, it had opened its bloody maw and swallowed all warmth and hope. After enduring countless hardships and breaking through layer after layer of obstacles, he had finally found his parents, who had been imprisoned, tortured, and exploited.

He saw his father, Tang Ziran. The once gentle and refined man had been tortured until he was thin and pale. The light had vanished from his once-bright eyes, yet when he saw Tang Wulin, he still used the last trace of his strength to shake his head and shout with all his might, "Don't come over... Wulin, run..."

He saw his mother, Lang Yue. The woman who had once been gentle and loving, who had raised him in the palm of her hand, leaned weakly against the wall. Her hair was disheveled, and dried blood stained the corner of her lips. Her eyes were filled with heartache, worry, and despair as she looked at him. She wanted to reach out and touch the son from whom she had been separated for so many years, but she did not even have the strength to lift an arm.

The Spirit Pagoda had used them as pawns, as leverage to threaten him, and as tools to research his bloodline.

They had suffered endless torment and been covered in wounds, yet they had never betrayed him or uttered a single word that could harm him.

And he, despite standing at the pinnacle of the continent, despite becoming a powerhouse revered by countless people, despite possessing strength capable of shaking heaven and earth, had still failed to protect the people closest and dearest to him.

The Spirit Pagoda's conspiracy had been like an impenetrable net, trapping him tightly within it.

Threats, temptations, traps, encirclement, and slaughter...

Everything had been meant to control him, seize the secrets within him, and fulfill their ambition of dominating the continent.

In the instant his attention wavered, in the moment he was restrained.

Cold Soul Guidance beams mercilessly pierced his parents' chests.

Red blood splashed across the icy ground, stabbing painfully into his eyes.

His father's gaze had suddenly dimmed. The last look he gave Tang Wulin still carried reluctance and concern.

His mother's lips trembled lightly. She failed to say a single word, yet with the last of her strength, she gave him a gentle smile, as if telling him not to grieve and to live well.

Until their deaths, they had protected him.

Until their deaths, they had never blamed him for arriving too late.

Until their deaths, they had thought only of him.

And he could only watch helplessly.

Watch as those closest to him stopped breathing before his eyes, watch as their bodies slowly turned cold, watch as that piercing red dyed his entire world.

At that moment, heaven and earth collapsed, and his soul shattered.

His heart-rending cries clogged his throat, unable to produce even a sound.

Overwhelming hatred and helplessness became the sharpest blades, carving into his heart again and again.

He hated the Spirit Pagoda's cruelty, hated his own weakness, hated fate's injustice, and hated himself even more—

Why had he not come sooner!

Why had he not become strong enough to tear apart every obstacle!

Why could he not even protect his own parents!

That memory became a wound deep within his soul that would never heal.

Every time he remembered it, it was like having his heart carved out.

Every recollection dragged him into endless regret and self-reproach.

In his previous life, he had failed to save his parents and allowed them to die beneath the Spirit Pagoda's schemes. He had not even managed to say a proper farewell.

It was the greatest regret, deepest pain, and heaviest shackle of his two lifetimes.

"Mm..."

A soft murmur came from beside him, interrupting Tang Wulin's turbulent thoughts.

Gu Yue had been disturbed by the emotions he had suppressed to the limit and slowly opened her eyes. Her silver-gray eyes still held the haziness of sleep in the darkness, but the instant she saw the pain and trembling surging in Tang Wulin's eyes, all traces of drowsiness vanished, replaced by overwhelming heartache and concern.

She raised her hand, her fingertips gently brushing his cheek. Her touch was cool and soft, and her voice carried the huskiness of having just awakened, yet it was so gentle it seemed able to melt into water.

"Wulin, what's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"

Tang Wulin slowly turned his head and looked at the girl before him.

Under the moonlight, her eyes were clear and worried, brimming with care and heartache for him.

She was his only salvation across two lifetimes.

He drew a deep breath, trying to suppress the emotions surging within him, but his voice still trembled uncontrollably. Low and hoarse, it carried the pain he had suppressed for two lifetimes.

"I didn't have a dream... I just remembered my previous life. I remembered my parents..."

Gu Yue's fingertips suddenly froze.

Her heart clenched tightly in an instant.

She understood the pain in his heart all too well.

She knew his obsession across two lifetimes, knew the regrets of his past life, and understood even more clearly how devastating the loss of his parents had been to him.

She said nothing. She only moved closer to him, wrapped her arms around him tightly, and gave him her warmth and strength without reservation.

Tang Wulin closed his eyes. The pain of two lifetimes could no longer be suppressed at this moment and came pouring out in full.

He buried his face in her hair, his voice trembling and broken.

"Gu Yue, I hate it so much... I hate that I was too weak in my previous life. I hate that I arrived one step too late. I hate that I watched them die before my eyes and could do nothing..."

"They were the people closest to me in this world. They raised me with everything they had and protected me with everything they had, yet I could not even let them enjoy their later years in peace. I could not even keep them alive and safe..."

"I protected Shrek. I protected my companions. But I failed to protect you and my parents..."

Every word carried heart-rending pain.

Every sentence concealed the regret of two lifetimes.

Gu Yue's heart felt as though it had been viciously pierced. She held him tightly, gently patting his back again and again. Her voice was soft yet firm as she soothed his shattered emotions over and over.

"It's all over, Wulin. It's all over..."

"This life is different. You are no longer the powerless person you were in your previous life. You have become the Dragon Emperor Douluo. You have the strength to protect everything..."

"The regrets of your previous life can all be made up for in this one. What you lost in your previous life can all be reclaimed in this one. What you failed to protect in your previous life can all be held tightly in this one..."

Tang Wulin slowly opened his eyes. The pain in his golden pupils gradually faded, replaced by resolve and determination so cold they reached the extreme.

His adult body tensed slightly as the Golden Dragon King's blood essence slowly surged through him, carrying the pressure of someone about to crush every obstacle in his path.

He raised a hand and gently clasped Gu Yue's hand, their fingers interlocking. His grip was steady and powerful.

There was no longer the slightest confusion or pain in his eyes. Only unyielding determination remained.

"You're right. It's all over."

"The regrets of my previous life must be remedied by my own hands in this one."

"Shrek's crisis has been resolved. I have no more worries holding me back. Now, the one thing I must do is go to the Spirit Pagoda and bring my parents home."

He looked out the window, his gaze piercing the night as it fixed upon the distant direction of the Spirit Pagoda's cold, towering structure. A chilling glint flashed through his golden eyes.

Spirit Pagoda, what you owed me and what you owed my parents in my previous life, I will collect it all, piece by piece, in this one.

Gu Yue showed no hesitation and offered no objection. There was only absolute support and fiercely possessive protection.

Her silver-gray eyes glimmered in the darkness. Six elements flowed silently around her, carrying the overwhelming pressure and resolve of the Silver Dragon King.

She looked at Tang Wulin, her voice cold and resolute, every word ringing like steel.

"I'm going with you."

"If you want to save your parents, I will accompany you through mountains of blades and seas of fire."

"If the Spirit Pagoda dares stop you, hurt you, or lay another hand on your family—"

"Then I will personally level the entire Spirit Pagoda."

Those simple words contained the firmest protection and the most domineering love.

If you wished to move forward, she would clear the way for you. If you wished for revenge, she would cut down every enemy for you. If you wished to save your loved ones, she would accompany you in overturning the world.

Tang Wulin's heart was instantly filled with warmth and strength.

The loneliness and helplessness of his previous life would never return in this one.

He would no longer fight alone.

She was by his side.

He tightly returned her grip, the warmth in his palm burning and resolute.

"Good, we'll go together."

"This time, I will never let anyone hurt my parents again."

"This time, I will bring them home—safe, healthy, and never separated again."

The night deepened, while the moonlight remained gentle.

Within the Sea God Pavilion, two hearts leaned tightly against one another, two forces blending together, and one obsession remained as steadfast as ever.

The blood and hatred of the previous life, the protection and guardianship of this one.

Every regret would be fulfilled in this life.

Every pain would be redeemed in this life.

The next morning, the first ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds and spread across Shrek Academy.

Tang Wulin and Gu Yue rose together, the pain of the previous night gone, leaving only calmness and determination.

Both wore adult forms, their figures upright and their auras harmonized. Their eyes were filled with determination to press onward without hesitation.

They first sought out Na'er and told her that they would soon be heading to the Spirit Pagoda.

Though Na'er was reluctant to see them go, she was very understanding. She tightly held Tang Wulin's hand, her eyes full of seriousness. "Big Brother, you have to bring Father and Mother back. Na'er will wait for you at home. You must both return safely."

Afterward, they met with the rest of the Shrek Seven Monsters.

When Xie Xie, Xu Xiaoyan, Ye Xinglan, Xu Lizhi, and Yuanen Yehui learned that their captain intended to head to the Spirit Pagoda to rescue his parents, they all volunteered to accompany him and fight by his side.

Tang Wulin felt warmth in his heart, but he shook his head, his tone steady. "Shrek has just endured a catastrophe. Someone needs to stay behind and guard it. Remain at the academy, protect our home, and protect Na'er. Gu Yue and I will be enough to rescue my parents."

Though the Seven Monsters were unwilling, they understood the reasoning. They could only remind them again and again to be careful and return safely.

Once everything had been arranged, they had nothing left to worry about.

Tang Wulin and Gu Yue stood side by side at the entrance to Shrek Academy.

Behind them lay their unharmed home, their family and companions waiting for their return. Before them lay an unknown journey, the Spirit Pagoda with its hidden traps, and the obsession and redemption of two lifetimes.

Sunlight fell upon them, casting their figures in a tall and resolute glow.

Tang Wulin raised his hand and gently took Gu Yue's. They exchanged a look. No words were needed; their hearts had long understood each other.

"Let's go."

"To the Spirit Pagoda, to bring Father and Mother home."

"Alright."

The two figures turned into streaks of light, pierced the sky, and sped toward the Spirit Pagoda.

A journey concerning family, redemption, and the regrets of two lifetimes had officially begun.

The Dragon Emperor Douluo Tang Wulin and the Silver Dragon King Gu Yue advanced side by side, unstoppable wherever they went.

In this life, his parents would surely return safely, every regret would be completely fulfilled, and the Spirit Pagoda's conspiracy would be utterly crushed.