Half a Month of Tenderness, a Painful Parting

Time in the Star Dou Great Forest was gentle, like a dream one never wished to wake from.

Since their embrace and kiss by Life Lake, since their fated reunion, half a month had passed in the blink of an eye.

For those half a month, they had been far from the continent's conflicts, far from the smoke and flames of war. There were no battles between Title Douluo, no lofty scrutiny from the God Realm, no burden of reviving the Tang Sect, and no entanglement with the fates of the heavens.

Tang Wulin had completely cast off all his exhaustion and tension.

During the day, he walked through the forest with Gu Yue Na, watching ancient trees tower overhead and spiritual streams murmur by. They watched countless spirit butterflies dance through the sky and listened to the wind rustle through the sea of trees. She quietly stayed at his side, listening as he spoke of the future, of the mortal world, and of his loneliness and obsession after crossing ten thousand years. He silently gazed at her exquisite features, tightly holding her slightly cool hand, making up for the longing that had spanned countless ages.

Late at night, moonlight spilled over Life Lake as the two sat side by side. Their dragon auras intertwined, their origins warming one another. The Golden Dragon King's domineering yet warm power gently enveloped the Silver Dragon King's cool, sacred origin. They comforted each other and made each other whole.

These had been the most peaceful, gentlest, and most reassuring half a month Tang Wulin had known since crossing through time.

There was no pressure, no destiny, no conflict.

There was only him and her, together morning and evening, with the years passing in peace.

Huo Yuhao and Wang Qiu'er remained silently with them throughout, consciously keeping away from this tender world that belonged only to the two of them.

Huo Yuhao had long since strictly kept his distance. Every day, he meditated and cultivated, settling his state of mind, never again making the slightest improper move. Wang Qiu'er remained cool and taciturn, cultivating in silence and sealing all her feelings deep within her heart. As they watched the dragon and human spending each day together beside the lake, all that remained in their hearts was understanding and quiet sighs.

They could both see it—

Tang Wulin simply did not want to leave.

This sea of forest was his home, and Gu Yue Na was his sole obsession.

As long as he remained in Star Dou, he possessed the most perfect tenderness in the world.

But the mortal world had never allowed such perfect happiness to exist as one pleased.

In the blink of an eye, fifteen days had passed.

The sky brightened fully. The morning mist dispersed, and spiritual energy drifted lazily through the Star Dou forest.

Huo Yuhao packed his belongings and stopped cultivating. Turning toward Tang Wulin, who still lingered by the lake and quietly kept Gu Yue Na company, he finally spoke.

"Wulin, it's time to go."

Those words gently shattered the dream of half a month's tenderness.

Tang Wulin's body stiffened slightly. His fingers instinctively tightened around Gu Yue Na's hand at his side, and intense reluctance and stubbornness flooded his eyes.

"I'm not leaving."

He did not turn around, his voice low and resolute.

"You can return to Shrek and the Tang Sect first. I'm staying in Star Dou."

It was a simple sentence, yet it carried an unshakable determination.

He truly did not want to leave.

He had had enough of the days of slaughter in the mortal world, of bearing grave injuries and walking step by step through thorns. Compared to the war-torn, scheming continent outside, where one had to bear burdens and push forward, this Star Dou with Gu Yue Na was his true home.

Gu Yue Na tilted her head slightly and quietly looked at him with her violet eyes. Gentle warmth rippled in her gaze, yet she spoke softly, her voice gentle but clear.

"Wulin, you have your own path to walk."

Tang Wulin's heart tightened, and he became even more reluctant to part from her. He gripped her hand more tightly. "I don't want to walk any path. I only want to stay with you."

Huo Yuhao slowly approached from the side. His expression was serious, his attitude firm, without the slightest room for compromise.

"No."

"You can't stay here."

"The battle at Rising Sun City has only just ended. The Sun Moon Empire and the Holy Spirit Cult hate the Tang Sect and hate Shrek. The continent is in turmoil. The Tang Sect has much to rebuild—its revival, the rise of its younger generation, the continent's stability. Everyone is carrying a burden. You alone cannot withdraw from the world."

"You are the Tang Sect's most vital pillar, the only member of the younger generation who has forged Three-Word Battle Armor and can directly contend with a Title Douluo! If you hide away in Star Dou, what will happen to the Tang Sect? Who will protect the situation all of us fought so hard to create?"

Huo Yuhao did not speak harshly, but every word was reality, every word weighed heavily on the heart.

Tang Wulin fell silent.

The burning tenderness in his heart was instantly torn to pieces by cold reality.

That was right.

He could indulge in tenderness. He could cling to love. He could disregard everything and remain in Star Dou with Gu Yue Na.

But the Tang Sect could not wait.

It was the sect he had personally chosen to revive, the mission he bore, the promise he had made to Bei Bei, to every Tang Sect disciple, and to the regrets of his past life.

He had witnessed the Tang Sect's fate of destruction. He had seen its ruined walls and overwhelming desolation. That was why he had done everything in his power to forge Battle Armor, cultivate and grow stronger, rush to the battlefield, and fight bloodily—only to reverse fate and restore the Tang Sect's glory.

This responsibility weighed more than a thousand pounds.

He could not escape it, nor could he run from it.

Gu Yue Na gently raised her hand. Her cool fingertips brushed over his cheek, and her eyes were soft as water, embracing all his unwillingness and reluctance.

"I'm here. I won't leave."

"Once you finish your great undertaking in the mortal world, whenever you wish to come, Star Dou will always be open to you. I will always wait for you here."

That single word—always—soothed all his agitation, yet made the parting even more bitter.

Tang Wulin's Adam's apple bobbed as the utmost dilemma surged within him.

On one side was the love of his life, an obsession spanning ten thousand years, the only place where his heart could rest.

On the other was responsibility to his sect, the fate of his past life, and the burden of promises made in this one.

Nothing in the world was more tormenting than this—

The one you loved was separated by the mortal world, while responsibility bound your body.

Seeing his expression soften, Huo Yuhao hesitated no longer. He stepped forward, directly grabbed Tang Wulin's arm, and spoke firmly.

"Come on, Wulin. Stop being stubborn."

"I know you can't bear to leave. I understand. But we are all people who cannot live as we please."

"Dong'er is still sleeping, waiting to awaken, yet I still dare not retreat from the world to idle away my days. You bear the Tang Sect's future. You have even less reason to lose yourself in this gentle haven."

His grip was not strong, but his attitude was forceful. He was determined to pull Tang Wulin, who had immersed himself in tenderness, away from Star Dou.

Tang Wulin looked at Gu Yue Na, who stood before him smiling gently. His eyes were filled with reluctance, pain, and attachment. His fingers clenched tightly, unwilling to let go for a long time.

He truly, truly did not want to leave.

But in the end, reason overcame personal feelings.

He was Tang Wulin—not merely a youth who craved tenderness, but a pillar of the Tang Sect and an anchor amid chaotic times.

After a long while, he drew a deep breath, suppressed all the bitterness churning in his heart, and slowly released the hand he had held so tightly.

"Fine."

"I'll go back with you."

That single word seemed to drain all the strength from his body.

A faint glimmer flickered in Gu Yue Na's eyes. She nodded gently, without trying to stop him—there was only unconditional understanding and waiting.

Tang Wulin gave her exquisite face one last deep look, carving all the tenderness of those half a month spent together into his heart, firmly remembering the appearance of the beauty by the lake.

"Wait for me."

"Once the Tang Sect is secure and the chaos of this age is settled, I will definitely return to be with you. I'll never leave again."

Gu Yue Na answered softly, her voice light as the wind, her feelings heavy as mountains.

"I'll wait for you."

Her words faded.

Tang Wulin did not look back again. Letting Huo Yuhao pull him by the arm, he walked step by step away from this gentle sanctuary.

Wang Qiu'er silently turned around and followed behind them.

The three figures gradually moved away from Life Lake, passing through layer upon layer of forest as they headed toward the mortal continent beyond the Star Dou Great Forest.

Behind them, the breeze brushed over the lake, and butterfly shadows fluttered gracefully.

The silver-blue-haired girl stood quietly by the lake, watching him depart. Deep within her violet eyes lay a wait and deep love that had spanned the dragon clan's countless ages.

Before him lay endless worldly affairs and burdens as heavy as a thousand pounds.

Behind him was the love of his life and boundless tenderness.

The youth looked back with every step, silently swearing in his heart—

This parting was only for the sake of a long life together in the future.

The journey home stretched long, with mountains and rivers far away.

After leaving the gentle sanctuary of the Star Dou Great Forest, the clamor and weight of the mortal world settled upon his shoulders once more.

Tang Wulin was silent throughout the journey. An unshakable sorrow lingered between his brows, while Gu Yue Na's figure by Life Lake and her tender promise to wait echoed in his mind again and again. His beloved waited alone deep within the sea of trees, while he had to return to the turbulent world and shoulder burdens of immense weight. This dilemma left a faint bitterness in his heart.

Huo Yuhao and Wang Qiu'er maintained the proper distance between fellow disciples, traveling in silence as each settled their own thoughts.

After several days of travel, the three finally entered the familiar Shrek City.

The towering, solemn gates of the academy stood before them. Spiritual energy surged through the air, and the academy was dignified and grand. The long-missed scent of everyday life and the atmosphere of the school washed over them. The noisy crowds, passing students, and floating soul-tool streetlamps all proclaimed the living bustle of this sanctuary in the mortal world.

They passed through the outer court and inner court before entering the domain under Sea God Pavilion's jurisdiction.

The moment they stepped into the front courtyard of Sea God Pavilion, a peerlessly beautiful figure in white suddenly entered everyone's sight.

The girl stood quietly beneath a begonia tree, dressed in a simple white gown. Her figure was immaculate, her skin luminous as snow. Her violet-gold eyes were clear and ethereal, filled with a naive galaxy untouched by worldly dust. Her long lashes trembled lightly, her features coldly peerless, while faint violet-gold butterfly light swirled around her. She was sacred and noble, carrying the distant detachment of a deity.

She had just returned to Shrek from the Haotian Sect's secret realm.

Her divine soul had fully returned to its rightful place, and her godhood had completely taken shape. All memories belonging to the mortal Wang Dong'er had been sealed away.

At this moment, she was a brand-new, blank, pure, unfamiliar—Tang Wutong.

Summoned by an elder of Sea God Pavilion, she had come to Shrek for the first time to report in. She stood innocently in the courtyard, knowing nothing of this world, of everyone here, or of all that had happened before.

She knew nothing of love, nothing of waiting, nothing of staying together, nothing of the sleep and obsession that had spanned years.

She only knew that her name was Tang Wutong, that her divine soul had been reborn, and that the road ahead was blank.

But this single glance struck Huo Yuhao like thunder, as if heaven and earth had collapsed!

The familiar brows and eyes, the familiar contours, the familiar figure—even the curve of her drifting hair—were exactly the same as Wang Dong'er, whom he had thought of day and night as she slept without waking!

It was her!

It really was her!

Huo Yuhao's entire body shook violently. The blood throughout his body instantly boiled, and all his composure, self-reflection, restraint, and sense of propriety crumbled away in that moment, vanishing completely!

Years of waiting, day and night of torment, the pain of the Valley of Questioning Emotions, the hope he had placed in the Haotian Sect, and the suffering of endless longing all erupted at that instant!

"Dong'er!!"

The name nearly burst from his lips. His voice was hoarse and trembling, his eyes instantly reddening as scorching tears of regained loss filled them.

He could no longer care about reserve, propriety, or the etiquette between fellow disciples. His figure flashed, his immense spiritual power driving his speed as he rushed before the girl almost instantaneously.

Before Tang Wutong could react, Huo Yuhao reached out and pulled her into his arms. He tightly wrapped his arms around the slender waist he had yearned for day and night, burying his face in her neck as overwhelming longing poured out.

"You're finally awake... You're finally back! I missed you so much, I really missed you..."

The longing, guilt, pain, and concern he had suppressed for years were completely released at this moment.

The state of mind he had restrained all along finally broke. He only wanted to hold her tightly, to confirm her warmth, to confirm that she had truly returned.

But Tang Wutong, suddenly embraced, froze completely.

Her violet-gold eyes widened at once, her face filled with confusion, shock, and displeasure!

Her memories were entirely blank, and her divine soul was newly born and pure. She did not recognize this strange man before her, who had lost control of his emotions and suddenly rushed forward to embrace her!

The abrupt physical contact, unfamiliar embrace, burning emotions, and inexplicable murmurs of deep affection instantly stirred intense resistance and anger in the Butterfly God, who was naturally noble, distant, and cool-hearted!

"What are you doing?!"

A crisp, charming girl's voice, carrying traces of cold anger, suddenly rang out!

Tang Wutong gave Huo Yuhao no chance to react. The complete God-level Soul Power within her instantly erupted!

Violet-gold butterfly light suddenly surged into the sky!

A dazzling projection of Radiant Dragon God Butterfly wings abruptly spread behind her—sacred, domineering, and sharp!

Bang—!!

Vast, overwhelming soul power exploded in an instant, and a violent torrent of energy directly sent the unprepared Huo Yuhao flying!

Huo Yuhao had been filled with joy and completely defenseless. He did not resist at all.

Like a kite with its string cut, he was blasted away by the eruption of God-level Soul Power and slammed heavily onto the bluestone ground several meters away!

"Pfft!"

A sweet taste rose in his throat, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood. Every bone in his body ached and tingled, and he was completely stunned.

The entire courtyard fell deathly silent.

Tang Wulin and Wang Qiu'er, standing nearby, were dumbfounded. Their pupils shrank, their faces filled with shock.

One moment ago, it had been a deeply emotional reunion after a long separation, enough to move anyone to tears.

The next moment, it had turned into an unfamiliar girl violently beating up a lovestruck Huo Yuhao!

Tang Wutong stood beneath the flowers, her butterfly wings retracting. Her lovely face was slightly cold, and her eyes were full of vigilance and a touch of adorably indignant anger. She coldly stared at the disheveled Huo Yuhao as he rose from the ground, her voice cool and filled with innocent confusion.

"Who are you, sir? We have never met. Why did you molest me in public?!"

Her gaze was completely unfamiliar.

There was no love, no tenderness, no attachment.

There was only utter unfamiliarity, vigilance, and distance.

Huo Yuhao slowly pushed himself up from the ground. His chest throbbed with pain, blood stained the corner of his lips, yet the pain in his body was not even one ten-thousandth of the pain in his heart.

He stared blankly at the girl before him, whose features remained unchanged but whose eyes were entirely unfamiliar. His entire body stiffened as though he had fallen into an icy abyss.

"Dong'er... You... you don't recognize me anymore?"

His voice trembled with bewilderment and terror he could not believe.

How could that be?

It was clearly her!

She was clearly his Dong'er!

The same face, the same person!

Yet there was no longer even a trace of familiar tenderness in those eyes.

Tang Wutong's willow-leaf brows furrowed slightly, her tone indifferent. "Remember this: my name is Tang Wutong, not the Dong'er you speak of. I have never seen you before. How could we possibly know one another?"

It was a simple sentence, yet every word was a blade, cutting the heart inch by inch.

Huo Yuhao stood frozen in place, his body turning cold as all the joy in his heart shattered completely.

He had regained what he had lost, yet the person he once knew no longer recognized him.

He had waited for her body to return, only to lose all their past, all their love, and all the vows of Sea God's Fate.

Tang Wulin instantly understood everything.

The God Realm had restored her divine soul and sealed away her mortal memories.

She had Wang Dong'er's body, yet her soul was already that of Tang Wutong, the Butterfly God.

Wang Qiu'er stood quietly, her golden eyes slightly lowered as she watched the dramatic yet unbearably heartbreaking scene before her, sighing softly in her heart.

Fate had been rewritten. Some returned whole, while others would henceforth meet as strangers.

Wind stirred in Shrek's front courtyard, and crabapple blossoms fell.

A reunion awaited by countless people had ultimately become an absurd, bone-deeply sorrowful first meeting.

The young man was covered in disarray, his eyes filled with shattered confusion.

The young woman was cool and innocent, unable to recognize the joys and sorrows of an old acquaintance.

From this moment onward, a new fate quietly began.