The Golden Dragon King's Divine Soul

"Alright."

After tugging three or four times, Mang Tian finally released his grip in satisfaction when he saw Tang Wulin's little face flushed bright red and sweat dripping from his forehead down his chin.

He casually clapped his hands, knocking the grass clippings from his fingertips, then tugged at his blue tank top, whose collar had already been torn beyond recognition, exposing his sturdy collarbones and half his chest. He did not care in the slightest how disheveled he looked at the moment.

He raised his head and looked toward Tang Ziran and Lang Yue on the sofa, speaking in a rough voice.

"Brother Ziran, sister-in-law, if there's nothing else, I'll take Wulin to the workshop now.

I'll let him get familiar with the place first, then start by teaching him the basics of forging."

Tang Ziran and Lang Yue exchanged a glance. Neither of them objected.

Although that exchange just now had indeed been strange enough to make their scalps tingle, they had known Mang Tian for over a decade. They knew full well that while this burly man looked fierce, he had an exceptionally good heart and would never mistreat Tang Wulin.

"Alright, then Wulin is in your care."

Tang Ziran nodded and stood up as he spoke.

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."

Mang Tian waved a hand.

Lang Yue quickly went into the kitchen and came back out carrying a small canvas backpack.

She walked over to Tang Wulin, crouched down, helped him put the backpack over his shoulders, and carefully straightened his crooked collar.

"I packed a bottle of warm water and two red bean buns in your bag. If you get hungry, have something to tide yourself over."

She gently reminded him, reaching out to wipe the sweat from Tang Wulin's forehead.

"You have to behave yourself at Uncle Mang Tian's place. Don't be naughty, and don't touch those red-hot pieces of iron carelessly, understand?"

"I understand, Mom."

Tang Wulin obediently nodded.

"Big Brother!"

Na'er came running over as well. She stretched out her little hand and tightly grabbed the corner of Tang Wulin's clothes.

In her other hand, she clutched a little iron flower that Tang Ziran had forged for her from scrap iron yesterday. It had been polished until it gleamed and coated with a faint layer of silver.

She tilted up her little face, her large purple eyes sparkling as she looked at Tang Wulin, and said softly.

"Big Brother, I'll wait for you to come back."

"Don't worry, Na'er."

Tang Wulin reached out and rubbed her soft short silver hair, a bright smile appearing on his face.

"Once I earn my first money, I'll definitely buy you lots and lots of delicious things! Strawberry lollipops, cream buns, and that little rabbit doll you saw in the display window last time!"

"Mhm!"

Na'er nodded hard, a sweet smile rising at the corners of her lips.

After saying that, Tang Wulin turned around and followed Mang Tian out the door.

The evening sunlight was gentle rather than harsh, spilling across the bluestone road and casting long shadows.

Mang Tian strode ahead, his broad back like a small mountain.

Tang Wulin carried his tiny canvas backpack and jogged beside him. Every so often, he looked up at the tall man beside him, his heart filled with curiosity and anticipation.

In the Spirit Sea.

Jin Qiu leaned against the massive Starlight Tree, watching the two figures outside gradually move farther away. He cracked another sunflower seed, clicked his tongue twice, and wore a sly, lecherous grin.

"If I didn't know he was a blacksmith, I'd have thought he was a priest."

He slowly made his jab. The sunflower seed shell he spat out turned into a wisp of golden light and vanished into the air.

"What do you mean?"

Tang San frowned beside him, his face full of confusion.

His independent divine consciousness usually stayed in the Spirit Sea and watched Tang Wulin grow up. Though he understood some of this era's technology and vocabulary, he knew nothing at all about the internet memes from Jin Qiu's world.

"It was a meme that was popular online before I transmigrated."

Jin Qiu explained.

"A meme is basically a popular joke."

Tang San nodded, indicating that he understood.

He did know that this era had similar things, though they were completely different from those in Jin Qiu's world.

However, from their conversations, he believed that the technology of Jin Qiu's world before his transmigration was probably about on par with the current technology of Douluo Continent.

"Before I transmigrated, there was a particularly famous incident."

Jin Qiu continued. The smile on his face faded somewhat, and his tone became more casual.

"There was a pretty large church with more than a dozen priests. Together, they abused over a hundred little boys.

After it came to light, people online started using priests to mock people who got handsy with young boys.

Mang Tian looked pretty similar just now, didn't he?"

Hearing this, Tang San finally understood what Jin Qiu had meant.

The corner of his mouth twitched, and an indescribable expression appeared on his face. He clearly also felt that the exchange just now had been somewhat off.

However, his expression soon turned serious.

He fell silent for several seconds, looked at Jin Qiu, and suddenly asked.

"By the way, there's something I've been meaning to ask you. When you transmigrated here and took over the Golden Dragon King's body, didn't you encounter any resistance from his original divine soul?"

Caught off guard by Tang San's sudden question, the smile on Jin Qiu's face vanished instantly.

He froze for a moment, nearly dropping the sunflower seeds in his hand.

Subconsciously, he raised his head and looked at the eighteen golden seals quietly floating in the void, his gaze becoming somewhat distant.

He began recalling the scene when he had first transmigrated here.

There had been boundless darkness and chaos, followed by the Golden Dragon King's memories flooding into his mind.

At the time, the air around him had been filled with the dense scent of golden dragon blood, along with a bone-deep coldness and fury.

Yet from beginning to end, no consciousness had emerged to resist him, nor had any voice howled in his mind.

He had never thought carefully about it before. He had only assumed he had been lucky enough to arrive when the Golden Dragon King's divine soul was weak, allowing him to take advantage of the situation.

But now that Tang San had asked him, he suddenly realized that this was completely abnormal.

"No."

Jin Qiu shook his head, a trace of confusion in his tone that even he had not noticed.

"Not at all. When I first arrived, there wasn't any other consciousness here besides mine.

It was as though... the Golden Dragon King's original divine soul had never existed at all."

Upon hearing this answer, Tang San's brow furrowed even more deeply, his face full of profound confusion.

This was far too unreasonable.

He himself was also a transmigrator. When he had transmigrated to Douluo Continent, the original Tang San had merely been a newborn infant whose divine soul had not yet fully formed, so he had been able to seize the body easily. That was normal.

But the Golden Dragon King was different.

He was one of the two great incarnations split from the Dragon God, possessing a complete divine soul and a powerful will.

Although he had been sealed, there was no way he should have allowed an ordinary soul from another world to occupy his body so easily, without even the slightest resistance.

There had to be some hidden truth that Tang San did not know.

Jin Qiu also fell silent.

He leaned against the Starlight Tree, unconsciously rubbing his chin with his fingers as his thoughts churned wildly.

Where had the Golden Dragon King's original divine soul gone?

Why had he succeeded in taking over the body so easily?

Countless questions instantly flooded his mind. Every detail he had previously overlooked now surfaced clearly in his thoughts.

The more he thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed. It was as if an enormous secret beyond his imagination was hidden behind it all.

From the depths of his soul came an extremely faint stirring, as though something dormant wished to awaken, yet was firmly suppressed by something else.

He wanted to grasp that flicker of sensation, but he could grasp nothing, leaving behind only a blurred blankness.

"Where do you think the Golden Dragon King's original divine soul went?"

Jin Qiu raised his head, looked at Tang San, and asked in a grave tone.

"I don't know."

Tang San shook his head, his face equally solemn.

"When I placed the seals back then, I could clearly sense that his divine soul was still there. It was merely suppressed by the seals and had fallen into slumber.

This situation has completely exceeded my expectations."

"Then I'll report this matter to my main body later."

Tang San pondered for a moment before finally speaking.

"This independent divine consciousness of mine cannot transmit information across the distance between the Divine Realm and Douluo Continent. I can only wait until my main body's consciousness descends next time and projects itself onto me, then tell him about it.

I'll have him investigate it in the Divine Realm and see whether he can uncover any clues."

"Alright." Jin Qiu nodded, agreeing with Tang San's approach.