Convincing Wu Changkong to Rally and Become a God to Save Long Bing

Tang Wulin did not answer. He merely gritted his teeth and ran forward with everything he had. His legs felt as heavy as if they had been filled with lead, and his soul power was nearly exhausted, but he did not dare stop.

He knew that if he could just run a little farther, a little farther still, the explosion would not reach the passengers on the train.

Watching him run so desperately, Red Skull suddenly laughed. "Hahaha! You little fool! You'd throw away your life for people who have nothing to do with you? Is it worth it?"

Tang Wulin finally spoke, his voice hoarse but firm. "You can't kill me!"

His words carried such profound confidence that Red Skull's laughter abruptly stopped.

"You..." Red Skull opened his mouth, but did not know what to say.

Tang Wulin ignored him and kept running with everything he had. His vision began to blur, and his legs began to weaken, but he still did not stop.

At last, he felt Red Skull's body swell to its limit on his shoulder. His skin cracked all over, and the dazzling red light nearly seared Tang Wulin's eyes blind.

He hurled Red Skull away, then turned and threw himself down in the opposite direction.

BOOM!!!

An earth-shaking explosion rang out, and a massive mushroom cloud rose over the wilderness.

The shock wave swept up shattered rocks and dust, spreading in every direction with the irresistible force of a storm tearing through rotten wood.

"That child must not die!"

For some reason, the moment Wu Changkong first saw that child, he had felt Teleportation. Now that the boy might die, he felt as though a piece of his heart was about to be torn away.

By the time Wu Changkong arrived, all he saw was a stretch of charred ruins, with the smell of smoke and blood hanging in the air.

He stood at the edge of the blast zone, staring at the area that had been razed flat. He seemed rooted to the spot, utterly motionless.

That child... was dead?

Tang Wulin's grinning face surfaced in his mind, along with those clear, bright eyes and his words: "Leave it to me."

A child he had known for less than an hour had died just like that to save a train full of strangers?

Wu Changkong suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest. Since Long Bing's death, he had thought his heart would never ache for anyone again. Yet now, he realized he had been wrong.

He slowly sank to his knees, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"No..."

Just then, however, a faint rustling suddenly came from the charred ruins.

Wu Changkong jerked his head up. Through the smoke and dust, a small figure slowly rose to his feet.

He was covered in dust and blood, his clothes torn to shreds, but his body was completely unharmed.

Beneath his feet, three purple soul rings slowly revolved, giving off a soft yet rich glow. A layer of golden light was gradually fading from his body, as though some protective skill had just ended.

Tang Wulin coughed twice, brushed the dust off himself, and looked up. He gave Wu Changkong a tired but radiant smile. "Phew... I nearly died."

Wu Changkong froze.

He stared blankly at the little boy standing amid the ruins, at the three purple soul rings beneath his feet, and at the golden light that had yet to fade completely from his body. For a moment, he could not speak.

"You... broke through?"

Tang Wulin nodded and grinned. "Yeah, level thirty. I broke through in that desperate situation and even gained insight into a new skill."

He raised his hand, and a layer of golden light shimmered over his palm. "Invincible Golden Body. It makes me immune to all damage for three seconds."

That was why Tang Wulin had dared to carry Red Skull away. He was no madman; he still valued his own life dearly.

But the Invincible Golden Body skill was simply too broken.

Other defensive skills offered things like a certain percentage increase in defense, but Invincible Golden Body put the emphasis squarely on "invincible."

Whatever you throw at me, I'm absolutely invincible for three seconds!

Even if Yun Ming, the Sea God Pavilion Master and the strongest man in the world, came here, I could withstand him head-on for three seconds!

"Invincible? There's a soul skill like that?"

Wu Changkong was rather astonished too. Even as a prodigy of Shrek Academy, he had never seen such a devious skill.

Before Wu Changkong could ask anything else, however, Tang Wulin staggered, his eyes rolled back, and he passed out. Wu Changkong reacted swiftly and caught him in his arms.

He knew the boy had collapsed from exhaustion.

Just then, the Federation's reinforcement mechas finally arrived: a Black-Grade Mecha leading a force of Purple-Grade Mechas and yellow-grade mechas.

They, too, were stunned to see an enormous crater before them and a handsome young man holding a child.

"The alert is over. Send a medical unit immediately!"

Shrek City, Federation Hospital!

"Delicious! This is delicious... and this is delicious too."

Inside the ward, Tang Wulin began another round of ravenous eating, with food piled up across almost every inch of the space before him.

Beside him, Wu Changkong's eye twitched. He truly could not understand what was going on with this child. Such serious injuries had healed in no time, and then the boy had started clamoring that he was hungry, hungry, hungry.

That had led to the scene before him.

Wu Changkong ran his fingers over the two boxes in his hands. For his and Tang Wulin's bravery in saving lives, the Federation had awarded them two medals.

Star Emblems!

These emblems carried tremendous prestige. They were the Federation's reward for outstanding contributions. Though the tangible rewards were few, the hidden benefits were immense. With this emblem, its holder could make requests at any Federation branch, provided those requests were not too excessive.

"Brother Wu, you should eat too."

Tang Wulin invited Wu Changkong to join him. After everything they had been through, the two had become thoroughly acquainted.

Wu Changkong had even admitted that his beloved had recently died.

"Wulin, just eat."

Wu Changkong spoke quietly, the melancholy between his brows refusing to fade. Ever since Long Bing's death, he had lived in a daze. Now, he only wanted to see his teacher and junior sister one last time before retiring into seclusion.

He was too ashamed to face them.

"Brother Wu, losing your beloved is terribly sad, but what's done is done, and it can't be undone... why not think about the other people who love you? Your beloved isn't the only person in your life."

"There are others who care about you too... how is giving up on yourself like this fair to the other people who love you?"

"Besides... Aunt Long Bing's death might not actually be irreversible."

Tang Wulin took the opportunity to comfort him directly. He truly did not want to see Wu Changkong abandon himself to despair and meet a tragic end.

"What do you mean, it might not be irreversible?"

Something stirred in Wu Changkong's heart. Tang Wulin's gaze grew serious as he answered.

"Become a god, of course. Isn't it said that becoming a deity gives you a chance to resurrect your friends and family? If you can become a god, perhaps you can bring Aunt Long Bing back to life."

"Become a god?!"

Wu Changkong's pupils contracted slightly. Why had he never thought of such a solution to his plight?

That's right. As long as I become a god, I can resurrect Long Bing.

I should grow stronger and become a god as soon as possible. Unparalleled confidence blazed in Wu Changkong's eyes, sweeping away his earlier dejection.

As the most gifted member of his generation at Shrek Academy, and someone even hailed as the next successor to the position of Pavilion Master, Wu Changkong truly had a chance to become a god.