Senior Zixin

A week passed in the blink of an eye. Beneath a cloudless sky and a blazing sun, Eastsea Academy's sports field rang with voices. Crowds of students sweated through their rigorous training, and Tang Wulin was among them.

A breeze brushed the boy's cheeks, gently stirring his neatly parted, tousled fringe and making his handsome face all the more striking. His outstanding looks drew repeated glances from many of the female students on the field, who gathered together to whisper.

Ever since awakening his Golden King Bloodline and breaking its first seal, Tang Wulin could clearly feel his body growing stronger at an astonishing rate. Before, the force of his punch had barely approached a thousand jin. Now, it had increased nearly threefold.

With his stronger physique came a soaring appetite. He still remembered the meal his mother had personally cooked at the Blacksmith Association a few days earlier. He had eaten nine large bowls in one sitting, yet his stomach had only been a third full.

The nickname "East Sea Big Eater" had initially circulated only among the younger students. After his dazzling performance in the Class Promotion Tournament made him famous overnight, that name spread to the upper years. He had become a household name throughout Eastsea Academy.

Watching the girls whispering together nearby, Tang Wulin shook his head helplessly. He had to admit that being the center of attention felt rather nice. In his previous life, his appearance had been above average at best-just handsome enough, but nowhere near the celebrities adored by countless fans. Now, however, he attracted looks wherever he went, truly experiencing what it felt like to be the moon surrounded by a host of stars.

He ran hard along the track, both to hone his body and to serve the punishment Wu Changkong had imposed. In the Class Promotion Tournament, first-year Class Five had defeated Class One and made its name in a single battle. But Tang Wulin's excessive arrogance during the match had enraged Wu Changkong, who sentenced him to a hundred laps a day for seven consecutive days. Until he finished, he was not allowed to return and rest.

Tang Wulin had been dumbfounded on the spot, but he could only obediently accept his punishment.

Now it was the seventh day, and he was sprinting through his ninety-ninth lap.

A hundred meters flashed past as the countdown swept through his mind: Ten, nine, eight... three, two, one!

At last, he had finished. Seven days of punishment training had finally come to an end.

All his strength drained away at once. Unable to hold himself up any longer, Tang Wulin fell straight backward onto the grass, panting heavily as he quietly gazed at the clear blue sky.

Tang Wulin lay languidly on the soft grass, looking up at the boundless, clear blue sky. The evening breeze carried the fresh fragrance of plants over him, and the exhaustion from days of intense running slowly began to fade.

Amid that peaceful, pleasant stillness, a series of soft, delicate footsteps approached from a distance, reaching his ears clearly.

Tang Wulin turned his head slightly and looked toward the sound.

In the sunlight, a girl holding a bottle of mineral water approached him with light steps. She was exceptionally beautiful, her features as exquisite as a painting. A delicate nose and softly curved lips framed her lovely face, while her clear, almond-shaped eyes gleamed with innocent brightness. Warm golden sunlight spilled over her, coating her slender figure in a soft, radiant halo. She looked like a spirit who had stepped out of the forest, gentle yet dazzling.

Even though Tang Wulin was accustomed to the outstanding looks of his companions, he could not help pausing for a moment. A thought instinctively surfaced in his mind: So pretty.

But that flash of admiration passed in an instant. He soon withdrew his gaze and looked back up at the vast sky, his thoughts settling into calm.

He did not know this girl.

As far as he was concerned, such a pretty, gentle girl must have been bringing that bottle of mineral water to someone else. Most likely, it was a classmate she knew, or perhaps even a boy she liked. She had simply come to give him water after his workout.

Tang Wulin knew his own place. He never flattered himself by imagining affection where there was none, so he regarded this as nothing more than a chance passing encounter.

What happened next, however, completely exceeded his expectations.

The girl did not head toward any of the other students on the field. Her steps remained straight and steady as she approached him where he lay on the grass.

A slender shadow slowly fell over Tang Wulin, shielding him from the glaring sunlight.

Puzzled, Tang Wulin looked up again and met the girl's clear eyes. She bent slightly and gently extended her slender, fair right hand, her manner both warm and gracious.

The unexpected gesture left Tang Wulin utterly bewildered. His mind briefly stalled, and he instinctively raised his right hand, resting it lightly in her palm.

Her hand was soft and warm, carrying a faint, comforting heat. With a little effort, she steadily pulled the sore, exhausted Tang Wulin up from the grass.

As the girl gently pulled him to his feet, Tang Wulin remained completely dazed.

He distinctly remembered never having met this senior before. Yet her movements were so natural that it seemed as though she had known him for years.

The next instant, a slender, gentle hand settled lightly on his head and slowly stroked his soft, fluffy azure hair.

The warmth traveled from his hair into his heart, its unexpected tenderness catching him off guard.

Tang Wulin froze on the spot. His pupils contracted slightly, and his mind went completely blank.

No, wait... what was this supposed to be?

Countless question marks sprang up in his mind. He was so bewildered that he felt lost in a thick fog, unable to make sense of it no matter how hard he tried.

In the sunlight, the girl's eyes curved with a faint smile on her lips. Looking gently at the stiff boy, she spoke in a sweet, pleasant voice. "Little junior, be careful when you run. Don't push yourself too hard."

The gentle touch on his head slowly faded.

Tang Wulin stared blankly for several seconds before finally recovering. His eyes were full of confusion as he cautiously asked, "S-Senior... do we know each other?"

He rapidly searched through all his memories, from his enrollment to the Class Promotion Tournament, from his classmates to the older students he had seen around the academy. He went over everything carefully, but could not find even the slightest trace of this beautiful girl.

A stranger. A complete stranger.

Yet her expression was natural and familiar, gentle and composed, without the slightest awkwardness of a first meeting.

The girl smiled faintly at his question, flecks of sunlight shining in her eyes. Her tone was light and gentle. "It's all right if we don't know each other yet. We will soon. Oh, and junior, this water is for you."

Tang Wulin's head was still swimming, and he had not grasped anything strange about the situation. He instinctively reached out and accepted the slightly cool bottle of mineral water. After running a hundred laps day after day, his mouth was parched and his throat painfully dry. Almost on instinct, he unscrewed the cap, tipped his head back, and gulped it down.

The sound of water glugging rang beside the quiet lawn. The sweet spring water slid down his dry throat, instantly dispelling the heat throughout his body. Only after drinking half the bottle, when the heat receded and his mind cleared somewhat, did Tang Wulin belatedly freeze.

He looked up at the girl before him, hesitant and surprised. "This water... was specifically for me?"

Seeing him finally drink the water she had offered, the girl quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Her slender shoulders relaxed slightly, and the tension in her expression disappeared. Clearly, she had been secretly nervous all along.

After composing herself, she blinked her large, watery eyes and asked curiously, "Of course. Little junior, what's your name?"

"My name is Tang Wulin. I'm a first-year student," Tang Wulin answered honestly.

Understanding immediately flashed in the girl's eyes. She lightly looked the boy up and down, her voice carrying both surprise and recognition. "A first-year student? So you're that..."

Halfway through, she seemed to realize something and abruptly stopped. Hastily changing her words, she smiled with slight embarrassment. "Oh, no! You're the Tang Wulin who led first-year Class Five to defeat the formidable first-year Class One and overcome a top control-type Soul Master, right?"

Though she deliberately cut herself off and tried to cover it up, that unfinished sentence spoke for itself.

Dark lines instantly seemed to appear across Tang Wulin's forehead. Without even thinking, he knew she had been about to mention the nickname that had spread throughout Eastsea Academy, leaving him unsure whether to laugh or cry-the East Sea Big Eater.

He had earned a glorious record in the Class Promotion Tournament, yet no one remembered his dazzling performance in the arena first. Instead, his astonishing appetite had become the label most deeply engraved in everyone's minds. It truly left him helpless.

Seeing Tang Wulin's darkened brow and helpless expression, Ouyang Zixin could not resist smiling and teasing him gently, her voice light and warm. "Oh, don't take it to heart, junior. I was only mentioning it in passing."

After that bit of teasing, she changed the subject. Curiosity flickered in her eyes as she asked softly, seemingly casually, "By the way, junior, what's your martial soul?"

Tang Wulin did not hide anything from his senior and answered honestly, "My martial soul is Blue Silver Grass."

As soon as he finished speaking, he lightly turned his right hand over, and soul power quietly stirred. A slender, verdant stalk of Blue Silver Grass slowly appeared in his palm, surrounded by a clear, translucent pale-blue glow. Its tender leaves gently unfurled and swayed in the breeze. Most remarkably, countless fine, dazzling golden threads wound through its roots, stem, and leaf veins. Tiny yet striking, they lent this seemingly ordinary trash martial soul an indescribable air of distinction.

Ouyang Zixin stared intently at the Blue Silver Grass in his palm, her eyes narrowing slightly as she murmured, "Blue Silver Grass? Is it really just Blue Silver Grass?"

Her tone carried a barely perceptible hint of scrutiny and doubt, and her gentle voice only left Tang Wulin more confused.

He blinked and asked in bewilderment, "Yes, senior, it's Blue Silver Grass. Is there something you're unsure about?"

Amid his confusion, Tang Wulin remembered that he still did not know who she was and quickly added, "By the way, senior, I still don't know your name."

He was full of questions now. At first, he had assumed this beautiful senior had approached him because he had recently gained a little fame at the academy and was reasonably good-looking. Yet from beginning to end, she had paid little attention to his appearance. Instead, she kept earnestly asking about his martial soul and related matters. Everything she did seemed strange.

Hearing his question, Ouyang Zixin tapped her forehead in realization and smiled with playful apology. "Oh, I'm sorry, junior. How rude of me-I actually forgot to introduce myself."

Her eyes curved, sunlight falling on her lovely profile as she spoke with gentle grace. "My name is Ouyang Zixin."

At the name Ouyang Zixin, Tang Wulin's heart jolted, and a flash of realization crossed his mind.

Wasn't she his innocent first love in the original story? But this meeting was nothing like the scene described in the book. Why had she sought him out herself?

Seeing Tang Wulin remain distracted for so long, Ouyang Zixin extended her fair hand and gently waved it before his clear, sapphire-like eyes.

"Hey, junior, what's wrong?"

Tang Wulin quickly came back to himself and managed a smile. "Nothing, senior. I was just thinking about something. By the way, why did you come looking for me?"

Ouyang Zixin considered for a moment before speaking earnestly. "Junior, is your martial soul really only Blue Silver Grass? Could there be some other power hidden within it? I keep feeling an inexplicable bond between us. Whenever I'm near you, I sense this warmth and reassurance. It's exactly like the resonance our teacher described in class when discussing martial soul fusion skills."

Tang Wulin froze on the spot, completely lost.

His senior's sudden words left him at a loss. Ouyang Zixin had barely appeared in the original story. If he had not remembered that she was his first love as a boy in the original timeline, he would almost have forgotten her entirely.

"Senior, then what's your martial soul?"

Ouyang Zixin raised her right hand. Pale-blue soul power flowed slowly, and a small blade of blue grass dotted with sparkling water droplets emerged. It was unmistakably Blue Silver Grass as well.

"My martial soul is also Blue Silver Grass," she said softly. "I was exercising on the track when I suddenly felt drawn by an aura. Before I knew it, I'd walked over to you."

"Your martial soul is also Blue Silver Grass?" Tang Wulin was deeply shaken.

His martial soul was not ordinary Blue Silver Grass at all. It was a Blue Silver Emperor that had yet to awaken fully, and at this stage, it was at least a Blue Silver King. Two martial souls sharing the same origin had drawn each other in. No wonder there had been resonance.

"Junior, why are you spacing out again?"

"I'm really sorry. There's just something I can't figure out." Tang Wulin steadied himself and asked in confusion, "If our martial souls were drawn to each other, why couldn't I sense anything at all?"

Ouyang Zixin looked up at Tang Wulin and asked softly, "You really couldn't feel anything?"

Tang Wulin nodded earnestly. "Nothing at all."

Ouyang Zixin lightly furrowed her brows, then sighed in acceptance. "All right. Perhaps I only imagined it. But I have to admit, there's something inexplicably attractive about you."

Tang Wulin took the opportunity to ask, "Senior, may I ask what your innate soul power level was?"

"My innate soul power was level five," Ouyang Zixin answered. "I'm in my fifth year now."

Fifth year. Tang Wulin understood. No wonder Ouyang Zixin had become close friends with Senior Mu Xi in the original story.

Ouyang Zixin asked curiously in return, "Junior, what was your innate soul power?"

Tang Wulin smoothed things over with a calm smile. "My innate soul power was level four."

"Level four?"

"That's right." Tang Wulin immediately added, "A beneficial mutation occurred during my martial soul awakening, improving its quality. That might be why it attracted you, senior."

"So your martial soul mutated."

"Yes." Tang Wulin explained tactfully, "That pull from our origins just now was probably mutual attraction between plant martial souls sharing the same roots and source. I wasn't drawn in, most likely because my Blue Silver Grass is slightly higher in quality."

Naturally, he could not openly say that his martial soul was a Blue Silver Emperor. Even without fully awakening, its rank far surpassed ordinary Blue Silver Grass.

Ouyang Zixin understood and was just about to continue their conversation.

A clear voice suddenly called out, "Zixin, what are you doing here?"

They both turned to look. Mu Xi approached slowly in her academy uniform. When she saw Tang Wulin, she paused in surprise. "Oh, Wulin, you're here too?"

Ouyang Zixin smiled. "You two know each other?"

Mu Xi looked surprised, then understood. "Zixin, I mentioned him to you before. My father recently accepted a disciple with exceptional forging talent, even better than mine. This is him."

After speaking, she looked curiously at the two standing side by side. "How did you two end up together?"

Under Mu Xi's curious scrutiny, a faint blush quietly rose on Ouyang Zixin's cheeks, and she felt a little embarrassed.

She could hardly say outright that she had been inexplicably drawn over and had even taken the initiative to bring water to a younger boy.

Beside her, Tang Wulin remained calm and spoke up to spare them both any awkwardness, briefly explaining what had happened. "Senior Mu Xi, here's what happened. While Senior Zixin was exercising, she sensed a pull between our martial souls because they share the same origin, so she came over to talk to me."

In a few concise sentences, he clearly explained the mutual resonance between their martial souls.

Mu Xi immediately understood and nodded. Then her gaze settled on Tang Wulin with a hint of scrutiny. "I see. Wulin, did you just say your martial soul had undergone a mutation?"

Tang Wulin's heart gave a small jolt. This was bad.

His casual explanation just now had accidentally let something slip.

He coughed twice and stopped trying to conceal it, nodding frankly. "That's right, senior. My martial soul isn't ordinary Blue Silver Grass. Strictly speaking, it's a Blue Silver King."

"A Blue Silver King?!"

Mu Xi's and Ouyang Zixin's eyes jolted in unison, both their faces filled with shock.

"The king of the Blue Silver clan... no wonder!" Mu Xi suddenly saw everything clearly. "No wonder you performed so brilliantly in the first-year Class Promotion Tournament. Even quite a few older students were privately amazed by your strength and resilience. So your martial soul underwent such a rare beneficial mutation when it awakened!"

Tang Wulin nodded slightly. "Yes, that's right."

Then he looked earnestly at the two seniors before him, his voice carrying a sincere request. "Senior Mu Xi, Senior Zixin, please keep this a secret for me. Sorry for the trouble, but I don't want the others at the academy to know my martial soul's true form just yet."

Both beautiful girls paused slightly, their eyes full of confusion.

At Eastsea Academy, talent was always valued above everything else. Possessing a supreme martial soul was an enormous advantage, enough to earn focused training from the academy and the attention of everyone around him. Why would Tang Wulin deliberately hide it instead?

Mu Xi could not help asking softly, "Wulin, you clearly possess such exceptional talent. Why hide it?"

Tang Wulin's gaze was calm as he spoke softly, answering the doubts in their hearts. "Seniors, you've both heard the legend of Sea God Tang San, haven't you?"

Mu Xi and Ouyang Zixin both nodded, reverence in their eyes. Sea God Tang San was an unparalleled legend throughout the ages on the Douluo Continent. Every Soul Master knew his name and his story.

"It was recorded long ago in ancient texts," Tang Wulin explained slowly, his tone particularly solemn. "Sea God Tang San's original martial soul was also Blue Silver Grass, seemingly a trash martial soul. But through the power of his bloodline, it transformed repeatedly and ultimately evolved into the supreme Blue Silver Emperor. His origin came from his mother-a hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor Soul Beast who had taken human form. From the moment he was born, the purest Blue Silver Emperor origin was engraved in his bloodline."

At this point, he lowered his gaze slightly, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness and something unusual. "But I'm completely different from him. My innate soul power was only level four. By any normal reasoning, with talent that low, my martial soul should never have been able to undergo a qualitative transformation. Yet my martial soul was already a fully formed Blue Silver King."

"Throughout the past ten thousand years, no second Soul Master born with a Blue Silver Emperor has appeared anywhere on the Douluo Continent."

"If word of my Blue Silver King martial soul gets out, the consequences will be unthinkable." Tang Wulin looked up at them and explained earnestly, "Sea God Tang San's fame spans the ages, and the evolution of the Blue Silver clan's bloodline is recognized across the continent as one of its greatest mysteries. Countless martial soul scholars and eminent researchers spend their entire lives studying the secrets of the Blue Silver bloodline. If they learn that Eastsea Academy has a Soul Master born with a Blue Silver King, possibly enhanced by an even higher-order bloodline, they'll come swarming."

"They'll obsessively study my martial soul origin and bloodline characteristics. They'll investigate the limits of the Blue Silver King, whether I can evolve again in the future and reach the realm of the Blue Silver Emperor, and the true upper limit of a naturally mutated Blue Silver martial soul."

"When that happens, I'll never know another peaceful day."

After hearing him out, Mu Xi and Ouyang Zixin suddenly understood. Every doubt in their hearts disappeared completely.

Neither of them was foolish. On the contrary, as top students at the academy, their knowledge far exceeded that of ordinary students.

They immediately understood that beneath this seemingly dazzling mutated talent lay countless hidden troubles and upheavals. In today's Douluo Continent, such unique distinction was not simply an honor. Instead, it could become a shackle binding him, inviting endless prying eyes and conflict.

Having understood all the advantages and disadvantages, they looked at Tang Wulin with greater understanding-and even more genuine admiration.