Selling Hooks

"Alright, do you know why we specifically called you in here?"

After Tang Wulin's emotions had calmed somewhat, Tang San put away his smile and grew more serious.

He stood with his hands behind his back. His water-blue robe fluttered gently in the breeze stirred up by spiritual power, and his aura settled into something steady, completely lacking the helpless look he had worn while flicking foreheads earlier.

Tang Wulin hurriedly straightened up and shook his head, his eyes still carrying a trace of lingering confusion.

Jin Qiu had shouted for him to come in, and he had been confused from beginning to end.

"I don't know."

"We called you here today to teach you how to break through the first seal."

Tang San raised his chin slightly and looked toward the eighteen golden seals standing silently in the depths of the Spirit Sea.

Ancient runes slowly flowed across the pillars of light, giving off a heavy, sacred aura. They were like eighteen sky-supporting shields, suppressing the terrifying power at the very depths.

"Break through the seal?"

Tang Wulin froze for a moment, following his gaze with a face full of confusion.

He had always known there were seals inside his body, and that they contained the Golden Dragon King's power, but he had never imagined that he would need to actively break through them.

"It's very simple."

Jin Qiu took over, leaning against the nearby Starlight Tree trunk. His tone was casual, yet carried a hint of gravity.

"Breaking through the seals means absorbing my power from each seal in stages.

"The outside world isn't as peaceful as you think. There will be plenty of dangers waiting for you in the future. Without enough power to protect yourself, you simply won't be able to withstand them."

He paused, his tone growing heavier.

"Remember this well. You absolutely do not have much time left."

Tang Wulin nodded as though he understood. Though he did not quite understand what "future dangers" specifically referred to, seeing the solemn expressions on their faces told him this was no small matter.

He clenched his fists, raised his head, and asked seriously, "Then how do I break through?"

"You need to prepare three things."

Tang San spoke slowly, every word falling clearly into Tang Wulin's ears.

"A Hundred-Year Ice Crystal Fruit, a Hundred-Year Crimson Flame Fruit, and Blood of a Hundred-Year Dragon Soul Beast. Once you gather all three, I'll teach you the specific method for breaking through."

Tang Wulin's expression instantly fell. The corner of his mouth twitched, and he looked as though he were saying, Are you deliberately making things difficult for me?

"Soul beasts themselves are already extremely rare, and dragon soul beasts are things that only exist in legends. Where am I, a nine-year-old kid, supposed to gather them?"

Forget a Hundred-Year Dragon Soul Beast—he had barely even seen ordinary soul beasts a few times in his entire life.

Dragon beasts had probably gone extinct who knew how many years ago. Where was he supposed to find their blood?

"We don't know where to find them either."

Jin Qiu spread his hands, looking as though that were only natural.

"There are plenty of ways. You can steal it, rob it, or sell hooks. As long as you can gather it, that's fine. We've pointed out the road for you. How you walk it depends on your own ability."

"Sell what?"

Tang Wulin blinked, even more confused.

Other than forging, he did not know how to do anything else. He could not exactly sell himself, could he?

"Sell hooks."

Jin Qiu casually answered, the words rolling off his tongue with ease.

"What does selling hooks mean?"

Tang Wulin was completely dumbfounded. He tilted his head, his face full of bewilderment.

He had never heard that expression before. Could hooks be sold too? Was he supposed to sell the iron hooks used in forging?

"Selling hooks means... um... um..."

Jin Qiu suddenly got stuck halfway through his explanation. Looking at Tang Wulin's clear, curious eyes, he found himself unable to explain it for a moment. His gaze instinctively drifted aside as he cleared his throat.

"Don't corrupt my son."

Tang San frowned, his gaze instantly turning cold. His fingertips moved slightly, and a thread of pale-blue spiritual power shot out at once, directly sealing Jin Qiu's ability to speak.

Jin Qiu opened his mouth and discovered that he could not make a sound. He immediately glared in anger, his eyes widening.

He gestured wildly at Tang San, making muffled sounds of protest. Flailing his arms about like an enraged golden cat with its fur standing on end, he looked like he was swearing up a storm.

Watching this, Tang Wulin more or less understood. His biological father clearly did not want him to know what "selling hooks" meant.

Wisely, he did not press the matter. He merely nodded obediently and let it go.

Less than two seconds later, golden light flashed around Jin Qiu as he forcibly broke through Tang San's spiritual power seal.

He curled his lip and did not continue the topic. Instead, he waved at Tang Wulin.

"Alright, there's nothing else. You can leave now."

As soon as he finished speaking, before Tang Wulin could react, Jin Qiu casually grabbed the Ten-Year Lone Bamboo floating nearby.

With a flick of his wrist, the emerald bamboo rod tore through the air and smacked solidly into Tang Wulin's back.

"Ah—!"

Tang Wulin only felt a force push against his back. Like a tiny cannonball, he instantly flew away and vanished into the boundless starlight.

"Honestly, this thing feels even better to use than the Golden Dragon Spear."

Jin Qiu weighed the Ten-Year Lone Bamboo in his hand, then casually spun it.

The bamboo body gave off a faint hum, brimming with resilience.

He nodded in satisfaction and casually tossed it away. The Lone Bamboo slowly drifted back to its original place, quietly floating in midair.

The Spirit Sea became quiet again. Starlight flowed slowly, and the runes on the sealing pillars continued to circulate at an unhurried pace.

Tang San turned around and looked at Jin Qiu, his brow slightly furrowed as he asked the question he had kept hidden in his heart.

"So, what do you plan to do about the Silver Dragon King?"

The reason he had remained in this divine consciousness, aside from watching over Tang Wulin, was most importantly to monitor the Golden Dragon King's power within his body and guard against the Silver Dragon King outside.

This was a hidden danger left behind by the Dragon God's split all those years ago. There could not be the slightest carelessness.

Yet Jin Qiu did not directly answer his question. Instead, he raised his brows, his tone carrying a hint of mischief.

"The Silver Dragon King is different from me. I can say for certain that she's female."

"What does that mean?"

Tang San froze for a moment, not understanding why he had suddenly brought that up.

The Silver Dragon King had always been female. That had been decided when the Dragon God split apart, so what was there to specifically mention?

"It means exactly what it says."

Jin Qiu crossed his arms and smiled with ill intent.

"What do you think about making her your daughter-in-law? After all, in terms of relationships, the Silver Dragon King could be considered my younger sister. Keeping it in the family—wouldn't that be great?"

Tang San fell silent for two seconds. Not only did he not object, he stroked his chin and began seriously considering it.

He himself had married a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft-Bone Rabbit, while his father, Tang Hao, had married a Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor. In a sense, his family did have a tradition of marrying soul beasts.

As long as his child liked her, he truly did not care what race she belonged to.

"Are you sure?"

"Na'er is the Silver Dragon King."

Jin Qiu casually tossed out that sentence.

"Huh?"

For the first time, obvious shock appeared on Tang San's face. Even his pupils contracted slightly.

He had observed her for three whole years. That little girl named Na'er, whether in her words and actions, emotional responses, soul power fluctuations, or mental state, had been completely and utterly an ordinary human little girl.

She could cry and laugh, act spoiled and throw tantrums. Other than her martial soul not having awakened, there was not the slightest abnormality about her.

He had even once believed that she was merely an ordinary orphan Tang Ziran and his wife had taken in.

He never could have imagined that the soft little girl who hugged a rabbit plushie every day and called Tang Wulin "big brother" was actually the Silver Dragon King who ruled over all beasts.

"It's very simple." Jin Qiu leaned against the tree trunk, his tone calm.

"She sealed away both her power and memories, splitting off a childhood personality. That's why she was like that.

"She suddenly left today because the seal was lifted, and her original memories returned."

"Her ultimate goal is to seize the Golden Dragon King bloodline within me and complete the Dragon God's fusion.

"So, she will definitely find every possible way to return to Wulin's side, approach him, and earn his trust."

Jin Qiu smiled, his tone carrying the confidence of someone who had everything under control.

"Since she already intends to approach him on her own, we might as well go with the flow.

"This is a great chance to build goodwill. Once they become family in the future, any grudges can be discussed.

"It's better than fighting to the death and wrecking the entire Douluo Continent."

After hearing him out, Tang San lowered his head in thought.

His fingertips lightly tapped against his palm, light shifting in his eyes as he rapidly weighed the pros and cons.

Only after quite some time did he slowly raise his head and nod.

"Fine. We'll do as you say."