Shrek Academy's morning classes were nearing their end. Warm sunlight filtered through the window lattice of the work-study classroom, falling over the open Soul Master theory textbook and softening the densely packed words. Tang Wulin had his head lowered as he worked through energy formulas for soul skill fusion. His pen scratched softly across the paper, while a faint blue glow from Blue Silver Grass flickered at his fingertips—an unconscious leak of Soul Power during cultivation.
With a soft creak, the classroom door was gently pushed open, breaking the quiet inside.
All the students turned toward the doorway at once, followed by a wave of hushed gasps. The girl standing there wore a silver-white inner court combat uniform, with a strand of silver hair playfully hanging beside her cheek and gleaming softly in the sunlight. Her skin was as white as snow, her brows like distant mountains, but what drew the most attention were her clear amethyst eyes. They held an excited smile as they swept across the classroom before settling on the corner by the window.
"It's the Dragon Spear Goddess!" a student whispered in shock, his tone full of reverence and curiosity. "Why would she come to a work-study classroom like ours?"
"I heard she's the Sea God Pavilion Master's personal disciple! Her martial soul is the Silver Dragon Spear, and she's ridiculously strong!"
Amid the murmurs, Na'er stepped lightly into the room. The faint Dragon Might around her instantly quieted the crowd, yet her bright smile made it feel entirely unoppressive. She walked straight toward Tang Wulin's seat, her silver-white skirt swaying gently with every step like a silver butterfly about to take flight.
Tang Wulin had already put down his pen. He looked up at her with a gentle smile. "Na'er, why are you here?"
"Big brother," Na'er said as she stopped in front of his desk. Bending forward with both hands tucked behind her back, she looked at him with sparkling blue eyes, her voice as crisp as wind chimes. "Morning classes are over, so I came to take you out to play."
Her voice was not loud, yet every person in the classroom heard it clearly. Shock appeared on their faces—none of them had expected the aloof Dragon Spear Goddess to call a work-study student "big brother" in such an intimate tone, much less come personally to invite him out.
Tang Wulin smiled helplessly and closed his textbook. "But I still need to prepare for my blacksmithing class this afternoon. I have to go to the Blacksmiths Association and get familiar with the new furnace."
"Oh, come on, blacksmithing isn't more important than having fun!" Na'er pouted slightly, looking adorably petulant, completely different from the heroic air she displayed on the training grounds. "I found an amazing place in the bamboo grove on the western shore of Sea God Lake. There are lots of beautiful wildflowers there, and little soul beasts that glow. It's so much fun!"
As she spoke, she reached out with a slender finger and gently tugged at Tang Wulin's sleeve, her tone carrying a trace of dependence she did not seem to notice. "Big brother, come with me. Just one hour, it won't delay your preparations. Back in Nuoding City, didn't you always take me to play on the hills outside the city?"
The mention of their days in Nuoding City warmed Tang Wulin's heart. Back then, he had taken Na'er chasing butterflies and picking wild fruit, with sunlight falling over them both and filling their days with carefree joy. Now that they had reunited, she was still the little sister who clung to him and acted cute, only now she had shed her former timidness and gained a little more liveliness and radiance.
Seeing the hopeful light in Na'er's eyes, he could not bring himself to refuse. He nodded. "All right. We'll go for one hour."
"Wonderful!" Na'er immediately beamed, as though her violet eyes were filled with starlight. She released his sleeve, only to grab his wrist instead, her hold gentle but brimming with irresistible excitement. "Let's go! If we're late, the sun will be too hot!"
Na'er pulled Tang Wulin to his feet. He grabbed the coat hanging over the back of his chair and gave his dumbfounded classmates a helpless smile before she dragged him out of the classroom.
The moment the two of them disappeared through the door, the classroom erupted.
"Oh my god! The Dragon Spear Goddess is actually that close with Tang Wulin!"
"What exactly is their relationship? She even calls him big brother!"
"Tang Wulin is incredible! Not only did he win the sparring match against the second-years, he even knows such a powerful senior sister..."
Meanwhile, the subjects of their discussion walked side by side along the stone paths of Shrek Academy. Sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves of the ancient trees on both sides, scattering dappled shadows across the ground and stretching their silhouettes long behind them.
"Big brother, do you know?" Na'er skipped along like a happy bird. "When I went to the bamboo grove yesterday, I saw a little squirrel that was completely snow-white! Its tail was huge, and when it ran, it looked like a little snowball. It was so cute! I wanted to catch it and show it to you, but it was too fast. I couldn't catch up at all."
She chattered on about her discoveries, her blue eyes shining with curiosity and love for the world. She did not seem like a Soul Emperor-level powerhouse at all, but rather an ordinary girl immersed in simple happiness. This was Na'er's truest self—free of the fate of the Silver Dragon King's incarnation and the halo of strength, she was merely a little girl who longed for family and cherished warmth.
Tang Wulin listened quietly, a gentle smile always on his lips, occasionally nodding in response. He could feel Na'er's dependence on him, and he treasured the bond they had regained. Having lived another life, he understood even more deeply how precious that connection was. He only wanted her to keep this pure happiness forever, untouched by fate.
"Oh, right, big brother." Na'er suddenly stopped and turned to him, her violet eyes serious. "When we get to the bamboo grove, how about I teach you a spear technique? Not a soul skill of the Silver Dragon Spear—it's a basic spear technique I figured out myself. It will help with how you use your Soul Power too."
Tang Wulin's heart stirred, and he smiled. "Sure. But you can't make fun of me if I learn slowly."
"I would never!" Na'er shook her head, took his hand again, and continued onward. "Big brother is so amazing. You'll definitely learn it right away."
Beside a woodland path on the western shore of Sea God Lake, Gu Yue stood silently beneath the dense shade of a camphor tree. Her dark hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, making her beautiful face appear all the colder. She had come to the woods to cultivate Elemental Control, but the moment she rounded the bend, she saw two figures in the distance.
Na'er held Tang Wulin by the wrist as they walked side by side, black hair and silver hair reflecting one another beneath the mottled sunlight. Na'er stood on tiptoe as she chattered away, her silver-white skirt lifting gently as she skipped like a carefree silver butterfly. Tang Wulin wore a smile in profile, his gaze resting tenderly on her as he nodded from time to time. That indulgence and affection were like fine needles, gently piercing Gu Yue's heart.
"Big brother, look at those flowers!" Na'er suddenly stopped and pointed to a cluster of purple hyacinths by the road, her blue eyes dazzlingly bright. Tang Wulin followed her finger, then bent down to pick one. Carefully brushing the dew from its petals, he handed it to her. Na'er accepted it happily, tucked it into her hair, and turned to him with her eyes curved into crescents. "Does it look good?"
"It does." Tang Wulin's voice was gentle, his smile obvious.
The sight made Gu Yue unconsciously clench her fists. The elemental power gathering at her fingertips stirred silently, and the air around her seemed to turn colder. Fine frost formed over the grass beneath her feet from the sudden chill—an unconscious response of her ice element when her emotions slipped out of control.
She knew too well what that smile meant. During their days at Eastsea Academy, Tang Wulin had smiled at her just like that. When she was exhausted from cultivation, he would hand her warm water. When she struggled with soul skills, he would patiently explain them to her. But ever since Na'er had appeared, the tenderness that had seemed to belong solely to her had been divided in half. This girl who called herself his "little sister" carried Dragon Might from the same source as Gu Yue's, and she also had something Gu Yue lacked: a childhood spent with Tang Wulin. That bond left her inexplicably uneasy.
Gu Yue's lips tightened into a cold line, complex emotions churning in her eyes. There was concern for Tang Wulin, jealousy over their intimacy, and a trace of panic she herself was unwilling to admit. She knew her feelings for Tang Wulin had long surpassed those of mere companions. That intense possessiveness was both an innate obsession in the Silver Dragon King's bloodline and her true heart hidden beneath her cold exterior. If it had been anyone else, she would have walked over without hesitation and used her elemental power to separate them. But when it came to Na'er, she hesitated.
She recognized Na'er's aura—it belonged to the secondary personality she had split off, carrying the human warmth Gu Yue yearned for but dared not touch. Na'er's purity and dependence were like a mirror, reflecting the heart Gu Yue had bound beneath her mission. She hated that separation, yet she could not bring herself to harm this "other self." More importantly, Tang Wulin's eyes held nothing but a brother's protectiveness toward Na'er. That purity made Gu Yue unwilling to destroy it.
"Big brother, hurry up! If we're late, we won't see that little white squirrel!" Na'er took Tang Wulin's hand again and urged him onward. Their figures gradually disappeared into the distance, while their laughter drifted back on the wind and rang especially clearly in Gu Yue's ears.
Gu Yue stood where she was, watching their retreating backs. The ice element gathered at her fingertips slowly dispersed, but deep crescent marks remained in her palm. Her expression was still cold, yet a trace of barely noticeable loss and bitterness flashed through her violet eyes. She could show fierce hostility toward any other girl who approached Tang Wulin, but she could not bring herself to stop Na'er.
It was not only because of the bloodline bond they shared, but also because she had seen the long-missing ease on Tang Wulin's face. Since entering Shrek, he had carried far too many expectations—cultivation, blacksmithing, competitions. He had never had a moment of leisure. Yet beside Na'er, he smiled so carefree, like a true teenager rather than the inheritor of the Golden Dragon King being pushed onward by fate.
"Tang Wulin..." she murmured his name, so softly that the wind nearly scattered it. A trace of grievance slipped into her voice before she even noticed it. "Where exactly do I stand in your heart?"
The wind passed through the trees, rustling the leaves as if answering her question and soothing her emotions at the same time. Gu Yue took a deep breath, suppressed the jealousy and unwillingness surging within her, and turned to walk in the opposite direction. She had not stopped them, not because she was yielding, but because she chose to hide those feelings in her heart. She believed Tang Wulin would eventually understand her feelings, and that the bond between them would never lose to a childhood connection.
Yet the lingering coldness in her eyes and the chill remaining on her fingertips ultimately exposed how unsettled she truly was. This silent jealousy involved no quarrel and no confrontation, but it carved a deep mark into Gu Yue's heart and planted an inevitable seed for the emotional entanglement among the three of them.
At Shrek Academy's training grounds that evening, elemental energy flowed quietly through the air. Tang Wulin had just finished blacksmithing practice, sweat still covering his body, when he saw Gu Yue standing alone at the edge of the grounds. She controlled threads of water element at her fingertips, weaving them into delicate ripples in the air.
He walked over and picked up a towel lying nearby to wipe his face. "Gu Yue, you're training too?"
At his voice, Gu Yue withdrew the water element and turned toward him. Her gaze swept over his sweat-dampened hair before settling on his wrist—where a faint trace of Silver Dragon aura still remained from Na'er holding his hand that day. Jealousy flashed through her eyes, but she deliberately lifted her chin, her tone casual. "Unlike certain people, I don't have that much free time to spend all day sightseeing with my 'little sister.'"
She put particular emphasis on the words "little sister," carrying a faint, barely perceptible mockery.
Tang Wulin froze for a moment, then realized she was referring to his trip to the bamboo grove with Na'er. He smiled helplessly. "Na'er finally came to ask me, and she hasn't been at Shrek for long. As her big brother, it's only right that I help her get familiar with the place."
"Big brother?" Gu Yue raised an eyebrow, a cold gleam flashing through her dark eyes. "Tang Wulin, have you forgotten that she's the Sea God Pavilion Master's personal disciple and a Soul Emperor-level powerhouse? Does she need a work-study student who just enrolled to 'take care' of her?"
Her words were barbed, yet they did not truly wound him. They merely struck precisely at the flaw in his explanation. "Besides," she continued, lightly brushing her fingers across the railing around the training grounds and leaving a faint streak of frost behind, "your childhood in Nuoding City clearly gave the two of you a deep bond. I'm curious—which matters more to you, this 'little sister' of yours, or companions like us who have fought beside you through life and death?"
The question came without warning, yet struck directly at the heart of the matter. Tang Wulin had not expected Gu Yue to ask something like that, and for a moment, he did not know how to answer. Looking at her cold profile, he could sense the displeasure in her voice but could not understand where it came from. To him, Na'er was a little sister he needed to protect, while Gu Yue was a comrade who fought at his side. There was no comparison to make between them.
"Gu Yue, why would you ask that?" He frowned. "Na'er is different from you all. She..."
"Different?" Gu Yue interrupted, turning to stare straight into his eyes. Complex emotions churned in the depths of her dark pupils. "Is she different because she knew you before we did? Or because she can cling to you without restraint while we can only watch you indulge her in every possible way?"
Her voice was not loud, but it was filled with such intense emotion that Tang Wulin instinctively took half a step back. He had never seen Gu Yue express her displeasure so directly. In the past, she had always been aloof and restrained. Even when she had emotions, she would only vent them silently through her elemental power. Never had she been like this, every word filled with probing and accusation.
"I didn't..." Tang Wulin wanted to explain, but he did not know where to begin. He had indeed been especially indulgent toward Na'er, driven by guilt and the responsibility to protect her. But in Gu Yue's eyes, that indulgence seemed to have become something else.
Seeing him at a loss for words, the jealousy in Gu Yue's heart eased slightly, though her expression remained unchanged. She turned away from him and looked toward the distant Sea God Lake, her voice growing colder. "Tang Wulin, you'd better think this through. Shrek isn't Nuoding City. Everyone here has their own mission and path. You are the inheritor of the Golden Dragon King, carrying countless secrets. You shouldn't let childish emotions hold you back—not even 'sibling affection.'"
She deliberately stressed the words "sibling affection," as if reminding him and convincing herself at the same time. She knew she should not interfere with his relationships, but the possessiveness hidden in her heart made her unable to stop probing, unable to stop seeking confirmation of her place in his heart.
Tang Wulin fell silent. Gu Yue's words were like an alarm bell, waking him from the joy of their reunion. He had indeed overlooked the fact that Na'er was no longer the little girl who needed his protection, and he himself was no longer that ignorant young boy. They both carried their own destinies. This "sibling affection" might have been destined to be anything but simple from the beginning.
"I understand," he said softly, his tone grave. "Thank you for reminding me, Gu Yue."
Gu Yue did not turn back. The water element at her fingertips merely rippled lightly, as if responding to him. She knew her indirect probing had not earned her the answer she wanted, but she did not dare ask further. She feared hearing an answer that would disappoint her, and she feared disrupting the delicate balance between herself and Tang Wulin.
Night deepened, and lights came on across the training grounds, stretching their shadows long across the ground. Tang Wulin stood where he was, looking at Gu Yue's cold back. For the first time, doubts rose in his heart about this "sibling affection." Meanwhile, where no one could see, Gu Yue let out a soft sigh. The chill in her eyes faded, leaving only an indescribable bitterness.
This silent test had no winner, yet it made the emotional entanglement between them even more complicated. Gu Yue knew that as long as Na'er remained, there would always be an invisible barrier between herself and Tang Wulin. All she could do was hide her feelings in her heart and use indirect hints to confirm his feelings for her, bit by bit.
As night grew darker, the training ground lights outlined two silent figures. Tang Wulin looked at Gu Yue's still-cold back, guilt surging through his heart like a tide. Having lived another life, the person he least wanted to fail again was the girl before him, who hid her sincerity beneath an icy shell.
Scenes from his previous life flooded uncontrollably into his mind. In the final battle, she had carried the Silver Dragon King's mission and her deep love for him as they froze together within an iceberg in his arms. Only at the very end had he understood that the probing beneath her aloofness and the barbs in her words had all been care she could not hide. He had always thought she was strong enough not to need protection. He had always been busy pursuing power and carrying responsibility, never understanding the loss in her eyes, never responding to her veiled affection. Even when she had needed his trust most, misunderstandings had driven a wedge between them.
"Gu Yue," Tang Wulin said, his voice carrying a faint, nearly imperceptible hoarseness as it broke the silence. "I'm sorry."
Gu Yue's body stiffened abruptly. The water element at her fingertips instantly fell into disorder, and several drops splashed onto the ground. She did not turn around. Her voice remained cold, but it trembled faintly. "What are you talking about? I don't need your apology."
"No, you do." Tang Wulin stepped forward, his gaze burning as he stared at her back, his voice utterly serious. "In my previous life, I owed you far too much."
"My previous life?" Gu Yue finally turned around, her dark eyes filled with confusion and wariness. "Tang Wulin, what nonsense are you talking about?" She did not understand why he had suddenly said something so inexplicable, yet seeing the genuine guilt and pain in his eyes made her heart ache uncontrollably.
Tang Wulin did not explain the secret of living another life—this was a fate he bore alone, and he did not want her to be shackled by destiny again. He merely looked into her eyes and slowly spoke the apology that had accumulated over an entire lifetime. "I always thought you were strong and independent, that you didn't need anyone's protection. So I was busy cultivating, busy blacksmithing, busy dealing with every challenge, and I neglected your feelings. I thought we were the best of companions, but I never considered that you could be vulnerable too, that you might hope someone would see through your cold disguise and understand the words hidden in your heart."
His voice was full of deep self-reproach. "I remember how pale you looked after exhausting your elemental power to help me improve my Soul Power. I remember you stepping forward without hesitation to defend me when others doubted me. I remember that every reminder that sounded mocking was actually meant to keep me from taking unnecessary detours. But what about me? I was always too slow to realize it. I even let Na'er's closeness make you uneasy and make you feel like you were unnecessary."
"Gu Yue." His gaze was gentle yet firm, carrying the regret of one lifetime and the resolve of this one. "I'm sorry for making you wait so long and suffer so much. In my previous life, I failed to properly answer your feelings, and I failed to protect you. That will always be my greatest regret. In this life, I won't make the same mistake again."
Gu Yue stared at him blankly, complex emotions churning in her dark eyes. Shock, confusion, disbelief, and a trace of panic and bitterness at having her thoughts exposed. She had never expected Tang Wulin to say such things to her. His gaze was too sincere, and the guilt and regret he carried did not seem false. Yet his mentions of a "previous life" and "regret" left her utterly bewildered.
Her lips moved as though she wanted to say something, but her throat seemed blocked, and no sound came out. The usually aloof Gu Yue was at a loss for what to do. A faint blush unconsciously rose to her cheeks, completely at odds with her usual cold beauty.
Seeing her flustered expression, Tang Wulin's heart softened. He knew she could not understand everything yet, but he would prove his resolve through his actions. He said quietly, "I know you may think I'm talking nonsense, but please believe me. In this life, I'll protect you properly. I'll keep your feelings in mind, and I won't let you bear everything alone again. You aren't unnecessary. In my heart, you're different from Na'er. You are the most important person to me."
The words "the most important person" were like a stone dropped into Gu Yue's heart, sending ripples across its surface. Her heartbeat sped up sharply, and the blush on her face deepened. She instinctively avoided his gaze and looked toward the training grounds beside them, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz. "Who... who needs your protection?"
Though she was still stubbornly denying it, the coldness in her voice had already faded, replaced by a faint, nearly imperceptible shyness and emotion. The elemental power at her fingertips softened as well, no longer carrying the sharp edge it had before.
Tang Wulin watched her and finally felt the stone in his heart fall away. He knew Gu Yue had heard his words. In this life, he had finally taken the first step toward making up for his regrets.
The night was gentle, and the training ground lights fell across them, drawing their shadows close together. Gu Yue still did not openly respond to his feelings, but her tense posture and flushed cheeks had already revealed the turmoil in her heart. As for Tang Wulin, looking at the girl to whom he had owed an entire lifetime, his eyes were filled with cherishing and resolve.
The regrets of his previous life would finally be made up for in this one. His story with her would continue at Shrek Academy as a brand-new chapter, one without regrets, a chapter where they protected each other.
Before you continue