Only a day after the group cultivation class, news of Shrek Academy's Youth Tournament spread throughout the entire Inner Academy.
This was Shrek's highest-level freshman competition. The top three teams would not only receive immense cultivation resources, but also directly earn the status of core Inner Academy disciples. They might even have the chance to be personally accepted as disciples by a Seagod Pavilion elder. For the Seven Monsters, this was the best stage to make their names known.
The moment the news was announced, the Young Seven Monsters immediately gathered in a corner of the training grounds. As always, Adult Tang Wulin stayed by their side, his presence impossible to ignore, never straying far.
"The Youth Tournament... it sounds amazing." Xu Lizhi hugged a bag of freshly made buns, his eyes sparkling. "Do we get lots of delicious food if we place well?"
Xie Xie slapped his chest, full of high spirits. "More than that! If we take first place, all of Shrek will have to recognize the name of the Shrek Seven Monsters!"
Ye Xinglan lightly flicked the blade with her fingertip, and the Stargod Sword let out a faint hum. "Perfect. We can use this to hone our combat skills."
Yuanen Yehui nodded. "Our team coordination can improve even further."
Yue Zhengyu and Xu Xiaoyan exchanged glances, each seeing fighting spirit in the other's eyes.
Young Tang Wulin looked toward the silent Adult Tang Wulin beside him, his gaze carrying a request for guidance. "Senior, we're about to take part in the Youth Tournament. Could you... give us some pointers?"
He asked with some unease.
Would such a peerless expert, someone even Seagod Pavilion respected and feared, truly be willing to waste his time patiently guiding a group of greenhorns like them?
Yet the moment his words fell, Adult Tang Wulin nodded directly, his tone gentle yet resolute.
"Alright. From now on, I will personally guide your cultivation."
The entire area fell silent at once.
Xie Xie nearly jumped into the air. "Really, Senior?! You'll teach us yourself?"
"Yes." Adult Tang Wulin's gaze swept over the seven of them. His golden eyes carried the calm and clarity of one who had weathered countless years. "Your coordination is already sufficiently seamless, but your weaknesses are still obvious."
He looked at Tang Wulin. "Your Golden Dragon Power is overwhelmingly domineering, but your control is crude. You only know how to attack head-on, not how to restrain and release it."
Then he looked at Gu Yue. "Your elemental talent is unparalleled, but you are too restrained. You do not dare to fully unleash the Silver Dragon Origin."
He looked at Xie Xie and Ye Xinglan. "Your speed and offensive power are sufficient, but your ability to survive is lacking."
He looked at Yuanen Yehui and Yue Zhengyu. "Your defense is more than adequate, but you lack killing moves."
He looked at Xu Xiaoyan and Xu Lizhi. "Your control and support link up too slowly. At critical moments, you'll fail when it matters."
Every sentence struck precisely at the seven's weaknesses.
Those were flaws that could only be seen through at a glance after experiencing countless life-and-death battles.
Gu Yue stood to one side, her star-silver eyes narrowing slightly.
Silver Dragon Origin...
He had exposed her deepest secret in a single sentence.
No one in this world besides Tang Wulin knew that she bore the Silver Dragon bloodline, yet this mysterious expert before her had revealed it with a single remark.
Doubts surged within her, and her gaze toward Adult Tang Wulin gained a trace of scrutiny and wariness.
Who exactly was this man?
Why did he know everything about her and Tang Wulin so well?
Adult Tang Wulin paid no attention to her gaze. He walked straight up to Tang Wulin, raising a hand and gently pressing it onto his shoulder.
A Dragon Emperor Power, gentle to the extreme yet heavy enough to reach the depths of the soul, slowly flowed into the youth's body.
"Feel it," he said softly. "The Gold Dragon is not a beast. It is an emperor. You need neither suppress it nor indulge it. You must coexist with it."
Young Tang Wulin closed his eyes. He felt a force even warmer and richer than that in the secret realm flowing through his limbs and bones. Under the guidance of that power, the originally restless and untamable Golden Dragon King's Power became as docile as a lamb. His meridians and martial soul were slowly being tempered and broadened.
In mere moments, the golden light around him flared, his aura stabilizing once more. He even faintly showed signs of breaking through to Soul Elder.
"How incredible..." Tang Wulin opened his eyes, his face filled with shock.
Adult Tang Wulin withdrew his hand and looked toward Gu Yue, softening his tone further.
"You do not need to be afraid. Your power and his were originally one. Release your restraints, and the elements will obey your command."
Gu Yue's heart jolted.
One...
Those two words were far too intimate, yet far too precise.
She looked at the face before her, identical to Tang Wulin's, and her heart inexplicably began to race. A sense of familiarity spanning time itself surged madly into her heart.
She was almost certain—
This man definitely shared an inseverable connection with her and Tang Wulin.
For the entire afternoon that followed, Adult Tang Wulin personally guided them without leaving their side for even a step.
He taught Tang Wulin how to use Dragon Emperor Will to control Golden Dragon Power;
he taught Gu Yue to link her elements instantly and unleash an elemental storm in a single move;
he taught Xie Xie the Afterimage Clone Technique, and Ye Xinglan Sword-Shadow Instant Kill;
he taught Yuanen Yehui how to switch between offense and defense, and Yue Zhengyu Light Binding;
he taught Xu Xiaoyan Starlight Domain Lock, and Xu Lizhi instant-cast group enhancement.
Every technique was a supreme skill tempered on the battlefield—simple, direct, lethal, and practical.
The Seven Monsters' strength soared at a rate visible to the naked eye.
By the time the sun set, all seven were panting heavily, yet their eyes shone brightly and their auras had been completely transformed.
"Senior... you're truly incredible." Young Tang Wulin sighed sincerely. "With your guidance, we'll definitely achieve good results in the Youth Tournament."
Adult Tang Wulin looked at the seven before him, drenched in sweat but bright-eyed, and the corners of his lips lifted into a faint smile.
It was a tenderness rarely seen from the Dragon Emperor Douluo.
"You were already strong," he said softly. "I merely helped you avoid taking a few years of detours."
Gu Yue had remained silent at the side the entire time, but she suddenly spoke, her voice cool and serious.
"Senior, who exactly are you?"
The moment she spoke, the entire area fell silent.
Xie Xie, Xu Lizhi, and the others all pricked up their ears. This was also the question all of them had wanted to ask.
Adult Tang Wulin looked at Gu Yue, his golden eyes meeting her star-silver ones.
He did not answer. He merely said softly,
"When you are strong enough, and when the tournament is over, I will tell you part of the truth."
"For now... just trust me."
Gu Yue looked into his eyes. There was no deception in them, only tenderness, protection, and a weathered sorrow she could not understand.
After a moment of silence, she nodded gently.
"I trust you."
The setting sun cast the eight figures into long shadows.
The youths' burning passion, the protection of the future, and the bonds of bloodline quietly intertwined in that moment.
And no one noticed that beneath the confusion in Gu Yue's gaze toward Adult Tang Wulin, there had quietly appeared a trace of something even she herself had yet to realize—
A flutter of the heart, and dependence.
With the Youth Tournament approaching, the Shrek Seven Monsters now had the Dragon Emperor watching over them.
This time, there would be no more mist upon the road ahead.
Before you continue