Reunion at Shrek Academy, Dragon Spear Goddess Na'er

The morning light of Shrek City always carried the fresh scent of grass and trees. The wind blowing from the direction of Holy Soul Village swept across Sea God Lake, stirring the weeping willows along its banks. Carrying the trophy from his recent victory, Tang Wulin passed through Shrek Academy's white jade archway, engraved with the names of powerful figures from every generation, when the sight in the center of the plaza caught his attention.

A group of inner court disciples stood around the edge of the training grounds, murmuring in amazement. He instinctively squeezed through the crowd and saw a silver figure darting across the field like a startled swan. A silver-white spear traced elegant arcs through the morning light, and when its tip skimmed the ground, it stirred a faint Purple Gold glow—the aura of Ultimate Ice fused with Dragon Power.

The girl wielding the spear wore Shrek's silver-white inner court uniform, her white hair spilling over her shoulders. Most striking of all was that rare head of silver hair, gleaming softly beneath the sunlight like threads spun from the finest moonlit silver, fluttering gently with her movements. When she spun and withdrew her spear, turning her profile toward the crowd, Tang Wulin's breath caught abruptly.

It was an exceptionally lovely face, her skin whiter than snow, her brows like distant mountains touched with dark ink. And those eyes—clear purple crystal pupils, long lashes trembling lightly like butterfly wings—were unmistakably the little girl from his memories, the one who had always followed behind him and timidly called him "Big Brother."

"That's Senior Na'er from the inner court! They say she's the personal disciple of Pavilion Master Yun Ming of Sea God Pavilion. Her martial soul is the Silver Dragon Spear, and despite her young age, she's already a Soul Emperor-level powerhouse. She's known as the greatest genius of the century!" A nearby freshman whispered, his tone brimming with reverence.

Na'er seemed to sense his gaze. Her hand holding the spear paused slightly, and her purple eyes looked through the crowd toward him. The instant their eyes met, Tang Wulin clearly saw a flicker of astonishment in her gaze, followed by a complicated warmth, like a stone cast upon an ice-sealed lake, sending ripples spreading outward.

She strode toward him on long legs. Her silver-white uniform outlined a slender yet upright figure, and her steps were as light as if she were walking on clouds. The faint Dragon Might surrounding her made the disciples nearby fall silent without thinking. When she reached him, she stopped, the silver spear resting diagonally at her side, and a smile both familiar and unfamiliar curled at her lips.

"Big Brother?" Her voice was still crisp, but it carried a touch more cool clarity than he remembered, like spring water dripping onto stone in a mountain stream. "It's been a long time."

Tang Wulin's throat tightened, and for a moment, he did not know what to say. The Na'er before him was no longer the little beggar girl who needed his protection. The heroism and calmness between her brows, the powerful aura she kept restrained around her, all spoke of how much she had changed over the years. Yet the warmth in those purple eyes was exactly as it had been in his memories, unchanged in the slightest.

"Na'er... is it really you?" He unconsciously clenched his fists, and a pale blue glimmer from Blue Silver Grass flashed across his palm before vanishing. "How are you here? Where have you been all these years?"

Back then, Na'er had left without saying goodbye, leaving behind only a note written in childish handwriting. He had worried about her for a long time. He had imagined their reunion countless times, but he had never expected to meet again like this, at Shrek Academy.

Na'er's fingertips gently stroked the shaft of the Silver Dragon Spear. The dragon patterns on its body seemed to sense their owner's emotions and gave off a faint silver glow. "I've been cultivating at Shrek all this time," she said, looking at him with a smile in her purple eyes. "I knew you would definitely come here, so I've been waiting for you."

Her gaze swept past the forging hammer on his shoulder before falling on the Eastsea Academy badge on his chest. "It seems Big Brother hasn't been slacking off these past few years either. That little Soul Scholar with third-grade soul power can now step through Shrek's gates."

Tang Wulin scratched his head awkwardly, his cheeks flushing slightly. "I'm still far from good enough. You're the amazing one—you've already become a senior in the inner court." Looking at the Silver Dragon Spear in her hand, he vaguely sensed a familiar pull of bloodline. "Your martial soul... is a dragon spear?"

"Yes, the Silver Dragon Spear." Na'er nodded softly and flicked her wrist. The Silver Dragon Spear turned into a streak of silver light and entered her body. "From now on, if anyone bullies you at Shrek, just tell them my name."

Those words were just like what she had said when Auntie Lang Yue first took her in—timidly, yet with utmost sincerity. Warmth rose in Tang Wulin's heart, and his eyes grew slightly hot. "All right."

Sunlight passed through the space between them, stretching their shadows long. The surrounding disciples had long since been dumbfounded. None of them had expected the aloof "Dragon Spear Goddess" to be so gentle with a first-year student.

That night, Tang Wulin sat alone beside Sea Cucumber Lake, watching the countless stars reflected upon its surface, but his thoughts drifted uncontrollably back to many years ago.

Having lived another life, he had seen too many storms and endured too many partings, even wielding the power of the Dragon God Core. Yet whenever the night grew quiet, or during pauses between breakthroughs in his strength, the image of that silver-haired, purple-eyed little girl always surfaced from the depths of his memories.

It had been one afternoon after school, when he was heading home and discovered her curled up in a corner at a street corner. The girl wore thin, worn clothes and was surrounded by a gang of hooligans. Her silver hair gave off a faint gleam in the dim light, and she watched him warily like a lost little beast. He remembered taking out the wheat cake Auntie Lang Yue had just baked and handing it to her. She hesitated for a long time before carefully accepting it, nibbling at it bit by bit. Her amethyst-like eyes stared unblinkingly at him, filled with timid dependence.

"My name is Tang Wulin. What's yours?" That was what he had asked her then.

The girl bit into the wheat cake, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz. "Na'er."

That was the beginning of their bond. Auntie Lang Yue pitied her for having nowhere to go, so she took her in. From then on, he had a little sister. Those days were the warmest days of his childhood. Na'er always followed behind him, calling "Big Brother" in her soft voice. Whether he went to cultivate his soul power or study forging, she would quietly wait nearby like a little tail.

He remembered the first time he successfully forged a first-grade iron material. Na'er had been even happier than he was, hugging his arm and jumping up and down, her purple eyes full of admiration. "Big Brother is amazing!" He remembered how, when he was depressed over the slow growth of his soul power, she would tug at the hem of his clothes with her tiny hand and softly comfort him. "Don't be sad, Big Brother. Na'er believes you'll definitely become the strongest Soul Master." He remembered how every night, he would tell her stories of soul beasts he had heard, and she would curl up beside him, listening with wide eyes until she fell deeply asleep, a sweet smile still lingering on her lips.

Back then, Na'er had been as pure as a blank sheet of paper. She depended on him and trusted him. He had secretly sworn to protect this little sister who had suddenly entered his life forever, so she would never have to suffer cold and hunger again, never have to face wind and rain alone again.

But fate rarely went as people wished. When he was ten years old, Na'er suddenly left without saying goodbye. That day, when he came home from school, he did not see the small figure that usually sat by the door waiting for him. There was only a note left on the desk. The handwriting on it was childish, yet resolute. "Big Brother, I'm leaving. Take good care of yourself and become stronger and stronger. When you become a true powerhouse, we'll meet again."

He searched like a madman, turning the entire city upside down, but he never found that silver-haired, purple-eyed little girl again. It was the first time he had experienced the pain of loss. In that empty room, it felt as though her presence still lingered, and he could almost hear her soft voice calling "Big Brother" beside his ear. But when he turned around, there was only cold air.

Later, he entered Shrek Academy and reunited with her by Sea God Lake. By then, she was no longer the little girl who needed his protection. She had become the personal disciple of the Pavilion Master of Sea God Pavilion. With the Silver Dragon Spear as her martial soul, she was hailed as the "Dragon Spear Goddess," the greatest genius of the century. There was more heroism and composure between her brows, and a powerful aura lingered around her, but when those purple eyes looked at him, they still held that familiar warmth.

"Big Brother, it's been a long time." Her voice was crisp, but it carried a touch more coolness.

At that moment, the longing and concern he had accumulated over so many years nearly burst from his chest. He wanted to ask where she had gone, whether she had been well, and why she had left without saying goodbye. But when the words reached his lips, they became only a choked, "Na'er... is it really you?"

Having lived another life, he had long known Na'er's identity, the fate she bore, and the helplessness hidden behind that farewell without goodbye. The Silver Dragon King's incarnation was destined to stand at the opposite end of fate from him. Their meeting and separation had been written with the bonds of destiny from the very beginning.

Yet he still missed the days he had spent with her then. He missed that beautiful silver-haired little girl, and those days when she called him "Big Brother" and followed behind him. Those times had been pure and warm, without the shackles of fate or conflicts over power—only the simplest dependence and protection.

The breeze from the lake brushed past him, carrying the fragrance of grass and trees, pulling Tang Wulin's thoughts back to reality. He raised a hand and touched the Blue Silver Grass pendant on his chest. Na'er had woven it for him herself back then. Though it had long faded, he had treasured it for his entire life.

Having lived another life, he had been given the chance to change fate. This time, he would not only protect those around him and become a true powerhouse—he would also protect that warmth hidden deep within time. He knew the road ahead was still full of thorns, and the torrent of destiny still surged fiercely, but he would not allow regrets to repeat themselves.

"Na'er," he murmured softly as he looked at the stars filling the sky, his voice firm. "In this life, Big Brother won't let you bear everything alone again. I'll spend my whole life fulfilling our promise."

Beneath the stars, the waters of Sea God Lake rippled gently, as though answering his vow. Those vanished days and deeply buried longings became the strength that drove him forward, supporting him as he walked resolutely through his new life toward protection and reunion.