Aolai City

Time flowed on, and six years passed like a white steed flashing past a gap. The infant once wrapped in swaddling clothes had grown into a little boy of six.

Yet, perhaps through some trick of fate, Tang Wulin's features had not grown more heroic with age. Instead, they had become increasingly exquisite, even possessing a beauty that blurred the line between boy and girl. His silky black hair flowed like a waterfall, his skin was white as jade, and an unfading gentleness filled his features. His large eyes were clear to their depths, like pools of autumn water. Without a closer look, anyone would have mistaken him for some family's sheltered young lady, breathtakingly beautiful. More remarkable still, his temperament closely resembled his mother Xiao Wu's. As innocent as a blank sheet of paper, he faced everything in the world with kindness and curiosity, never raising his guard.

In the garden behind the Sea God Pavilion, Tang Wutong watched her younger brother chasing butterflies among the flowers. Her eyes brimmed with affection, though a barely perceptible trace of worry lingered within them. He was six. It was time to awaken his martial soul.

"Big sister! Big sister, look! A butterfly!" Tang Wulin caught a colorful swallowtail and carefully cupped it in his palms. He ran up to Tang Wutong as though presenting a treasure, his face glowing with a pure, radiant smile.

Tang Wutong crouched down and smoothed the hair the wind had tousled across his forehead. "Well done, Lin'er," she said gently. "Your sixth birthday is in a few days. I was wondering where I should take you to awaken your martial soul."

Tang Wulin only half understood, but he still nodded obediently. "Wherever you go, big sister, Lin'er will go too."

Just then, Jiang Nannan approached with a food basket. Seeing them, she could not help smiling. "Wutong, I have an idea. Why not take Lin'er to Aolai City?"

Tang Wutong looked puzzled. "Aolai City? Isn't that rather far from Sea God Lake?"

Jiang Nannan set down the basket and explained, "Aolai City may be far away, but there's a married couple there. Do you remember them? The couple I took you to meet before. They have no children of their own, and they love Lin'er from the bottom of their hearts. When you stayed there for those few months, they taught him to be polite and well-behaved. Besides, Lin'er is such an innocent child. He'll be safe there. And..." Jiang Nannan lowered her voice. "The Spirit Pagoda has very little influence there. Almost none, you might say. Awakening there would give us the most peace and quiet."

At those words, a thoughtful glint crossed Tang Wutong's eyes, and she slowly nodded. She had indeed heard that, although the couple were not soul masters, they were exceptionally good people and comfortably well-off. Lin'er was so innocent. What would she do if someone with sinister intentions exploited him? Aolai City was certainly a good choice.

"All right. We'll take your advice, Sister Nannan, and go to Aolai City." Tang Wutong made her decision.

Then, seemingly remembering something, she looked up at Jiang Nannan and voiced a question that had long puzzled her. "Sister Nannan, there's something I don't understand. Why has the relationship between the Spirit Pagoda and Shrek Academy become so... delicate? They even seem somewhat opposed to each other."

Jiang Nannan's hands paused as she wiped Tang Wulin's fingers. The smile slowly faded from her face, replaced by a complicated expression. She shook her head and gave a single answer. "Interests."

"Interests?" Tang Wutong murmured.

"Shrek Academy has always been neutral. It pursues the pinnacle of soul mastery and the passing down of its legacy, rather than competing with others for worldly resources and benefits. So there are no entanglements of interest for former students like us, either." Jiang Nannan sighed and continued, "But the Spirit Pagoda is different. It was founded jointly by humans and soul beasts. Over time, factions have sprung up within it like trees in a forest, their interests deeply entangled. They need resources, territory, and a voice in how things are run."

Tang Wutong nodded thoughtfully. At last, she understood. Competing interests lay behind it all. Shrek Academy's foundations were so formidable that it needed no other power to lean on, and it disdained fighting over those flyspeck profits. That was how it remained neutral and above the fray. The Spirit Pagoda, meanwhile, was trapped in a whirlpool of interests, unable to pull itself free.

"So that's how it is." Tang Wutong tightened her grip on her brother's hand, her gaze turning resolute. "In that case, we must be even more careful on this trip to Aolai City."

Although Tang Wulin did not quite understand what his sister and Aunt Nannan were discussing, he could sense his sister's tension. He instinctively nestled closer into her arms. His large eyes, so much like Xiao Wu's, were filled with trust in and dependence on his sister, their innocence untouched by even a speck of dust.

"Big sister, when are we leaving?" he asked softly.

"Soon." Tang Wutong stroked his head and said gently, "On your sixth birthday, I'll take you to Aolai City to see the uncle and aunt who love you."

Sunlight fell over the siblings, and Tang Wutong silently swore that, no matter what, she would protect her innocent, beautiful little brother and this hard-won peace. As for all those conflicts and interests, they could go to hell.

With their destination decided, the three set out immediately. Accompanied by Jiang Nannan, the siblings boarded the Soul Guidance Train bound for Aolai City.

The train had a streamlined body, its outer shell gleaming with a silvery metallic sheen as it rested quietly on the tracks at Shrek's wharf. To Tang Wulin, who had never traveled far from home, this enormous thing seemed even more wondrous than a soul beast.

"Big sister, what is this? It doesn't have legs. How does it walk?" Tang Wulin widened his lively eyes, so much like Xiao Wu's, and tilted his head back to look at the towering engine, his voice full of curiosity.

Amused by her brother, Tang Wutong took his plump little hand and patiently explained, "It's a train, Lin'er. It doesn't need legs. It runs on the power of soul tools."

"Soul tools?" Tang Wulin tilted his head, his exquisite profile resembling a porcelain doll's. "Are they like the shiny things Uncle Da Ming wears?"

"Yes, exactly like those." Tang Wutong nodded.

Jiang Nannan smiled as she picked up the luggage. "Come on. You'll understand once you get aboard and try it."

After they boarded, the carriage's spotless walls and soft lighting kept Tang Wulin busier than ever. One moment, he pressed himself against the window to watch the workers loading and unloading soul tools outside; the next, he was touching the seat's fine texture, marveling that this "big iron box" could be so bright and warm inside, without even a hint of jolting.

With a low rumble, the Soul Guidance Train started moving. The scenery outside began racing backward, turning into streams of shifting light and shadow.

Tang Wulin leaned against the window, watching the coastal scenery flash past. His little face flushed with excitement. "Wow! Big sister, look! The houses are running! The trees are running too! So fast!"

A warm current welled up in Tang Wutong's heart as she watched her brother, so unfamiliar with the world yet so innocent and carefree. She gathered Tang Wulin into her arms and pointed at the scenery racing past outside. "Lin'er, this world is vast, even bigger than you imagine," she said softly. "Human ingenuity truly knows no bounds. To think people could create such marvelous soul tools."

Tang Wutong gazed into the distance at the tracks linking heaven and earth, marveling inwardly. Back when she and her father were still in the Divine Realm, she had known that the Douluo Continent was developing, but she had never expected soul tool technology to advance so quickly. A journey that had once taken a flying soul beast several days now took this Soul Guidance Train only half a day. The Douluo Continent had long since ceased to resemble the place she remembered.

Sitting opposite them, Jiang Nannan watched the scenery flying past and sighed in wonder as well. "Yes, soul tool technology changes with every passing day now. This Soul Guidance Train was supposedly developed jointly by the Sun Moon Empire and the Heaven Dou Empire. It's more than twice as fast as before. Without this convenience, we'd still have to spend several days aboard a ship to get to Aolai City."

Tang Wulin could not understand what the adults were discussing. He simply found the feeling of racing along incredibly fun. He stretched out his little hand, trying to catch the wind sweeping past the window, and giggled.

The train traveled south, passing through bustling cities and along the azure coast. Watching her excited little brother in her arms, Tang Wutong temporarily cast her worries about the future to the back of her mind. No matter how the outside world changed, no matter what storms lay ahead, as long as Lin'er remained beside her, smiling, that was enough.

"Big sister, look!" Tang Wulin suddenly pointed out the window and cried, "The sea! Such a huge sea!"

Tang Wutong followed his pointing finger. A vast expanse of rippling blue sea appeared at the edge of their view, and far away on the horizon, a magnificent city nestled between the mountains and the sea flickered into sight.

"That's Aolai City, Lin'er," Tang Wutong said gently. "We're home."

Tang Wulin blinked his clear, wide eyes as he looked at the city that would soon become his new home, his heart full of anticipation. He did not know that somewhere in that city, a married couple was eagerly waiting for him. He knew only that wherever his sister was, there was home.

The three stepped off the Soul Guidance Train's platform, and Aolai City's damp sea breeze washed over their faces.

Tang Ziran and his wife, Lang Yue, who had been waiting on the platform for some time, immediately came forward to greet them. Tang Ziran wore a gray long robe washed pale with use, his frame slightly stooped. The moment he saw Tang Wutong, a trace of awe and nervousness flashed through his eyes, impossible to conceal. He hurried forward, stopping two paces from her, and bowed slightly. His tone was so respectful that it bordered on humble submission. "M-my ladies, you must be weary from your journey. As for the martial soul awakening, I have already made the arrangements with the Spirit Pagoda. You may proceed directly to Red Mountain Academy for the awakening ceremony today."

He weighed every word as he spoke, afraid of showing even the slightest disrespect. His cautious demeanor made it seem as though the people standing before him were powerful nobles who held his life in their hands.

Yet Lang Yue, standing behind him, was entirely different from her husband. Her gentle eyes did not linger for even a moment on the "important matters" Tang Ziran spoke of. Instead, they fixed directly on the little figure beside Tang Wutong.

When she saw Tang Wulin's face clearly, Lang Yue's heart gave a sudden tremor.

Six years had passed, yet rather than growing out of his delicate looks, the child had become even more exquisite. The contours of his eyes and brows, that lively charm—he was the very image of the legendary Xiao Wu from back then, only with a little more childishness that made him seem even softer and sweeter. Had he not been dressed in boys' clothes, anyone would have mistaken him for some family's lost little princess.

"Little Wulin!" Unable to restrain herself any longer, Lang Yue pushed aside her husband, who was still bent in a bow, and hurried up to Tang Wulin. She crouched down and gently pinched his rosy cheek, her voice overflowing with irrepressible affection. "Let Auntie have a look at you! You've grown so tall! Do you still remember me? Did you miss me?"

Startled by this sudden enthusiasm, Tang Wulin instinctively hid a little behind Tang Wutong and looked timidly up at his sister with his large, watery eyes.

Tang Wutong gently nudged his back. "Lin'er, this is Aunt Lang Yue, and that's Uncle Tang. They're very good people."

Only after receiving his sister's permission did Tang Wulin peek out. At the sight of Lang Yue's smiling face, kindness instantly filled his innocent heart. He gave her an adorable, utterly unguarded smile, revealing two pointed little canine teeth, and said in a soft, sweet voice, "I did."

That clear little "I did" struck Lang Yue straight in the heart. Her eyes reddened, and she nearly shed tears. Hurriedly, she pulled a piece of candy wrapped in waxed paper from her pocket and tucked it into Tang Wulin's hand. "Oh! Auntie missed you too! Come on, let's go home. I'll make you Osmanthus Cake!"

Tang Ziran straightened awkwardly beside them and gave Tang Wutong a rueful smile. "Forgive my wife's lack of manners, my lady. It's just that this child... he looks so much like that lady. She couldn't help herself."

Tang Wutong watched Tang Wulin, who was holding Lang Yue's hand and curiously examining the unfamiliar sights around him, and said softly, "It's all right."