"Meeting adjourned!!"
One by one, the elders of the Sea God Pavilion rose and left the hall, each carrying a heavy heart. What had begun as a discussion about Shrek Academy's future had shifted into something far more ominous: speculation about what unpredictable events might soon shake the entire Douluo Plane.
Outside, Yun Ming remained alone.
He sat cross-legged, suspended in midair over Sea God Lake, his immense soul power keeping him afloat above the calm blue waters.
His gaze was distant, unfocused.
'If one day, someone came to you… and told you that everything you'd believed in, everything you'd put your faith in for years, was wrong — the very opposite of what you thought — what would you do?'
The question gnawed at him, hollowing out his chest.
Suddenly, gentle footsteps sounded behind him.
Ya Li appeared quietly, her eyes filled with worry. Years of closeness had attuned her to Yun Ming's moods, and right now, she could sense his turmoil loud and clear.
Beside her, Na'er stood quietly, holding tightly onto Ya Li's hand, her eyes wide and watchful.
"My great hero," Ya Li whispered softly, stepping closer. "When did you become so lost? The man I knew… you were never like this. Don't trouble yourself so much. Be bold. Do what you know is right. In your youth, you were fearless, wild, untamed — why fear anything now?"
She reached out, gently cupping Yun Ming's cheek.
She smiled. And as she smiled, tears slipped quietly down her face.
Yun Ming froze.
And then, slowly, realization bloomed in his heart.
She was right.
He was Yun Ming — the Sky-Piercing Douluo!
Why should he wrestle with endless doubts?
Why should he let himself be tied up in confusion?
He should act boldly, decisively. He should walk his own path, face forward, unafraid. Why torment himself over questions that had no answers? Why let his heart waver?
Turning, he wrapped Ya Li in a fierce hug.
Na'er, standing off to the side, scratched her head awkwardly. For some reason, a strange feeling twisted in her chest — she couldn't explain it, couldn't name it, but it stirred uneasily inside her.
Yun Ming had lived his whole life without bowing to anyone.
No matter what crisis appeared, no matter how great the danger — he had always had the power to face it head-on.
And no matter who it was — man or god — if they dared threaten his wife, his family, his friends…
They'd have to step over his dead body first.
In this moment, it felt like time stood still.
The warmth of that embrace, the clarity in his heart, washed away all the chaos and noise of the outside world.
For a long while, they simply stayed like that.
Eventually, they pulled apart, eyes shining.
Ya Li gazed at Yun Ming, her expression filled with deep affection.
But Na'er, standing off to the side, suddenly scrunched up her nose.
"Teacher, Mistress… you two…" she mumbled, sounding faintly annoyed.
Ha!
Yun Ming laughed aloud.
"I almost forgot about my precious disciple."
It was a perfect, peaceful moment.
And yet, somehow, it still felt like someone was missing…
…
Ah—!
Gu You yawned loudly, stretching his arms overhead.
His stomach let out a low, complaining rumble.
'Grk…'
He rubbed his belly sheepishly. His mouth smacked sleepily as he glanced around.
The room was softly lit, filled with lush greenery — flowers, plants, small trees lined the corners. There was no flashy luxury here, no cold splendor, just a gentle, welcoming warmth.
He stepped outside into a long hallway.
"Awake?"
A voice floated up from behind him. Gu You turned with a grin.
"Yeah! I'm up."
"You brat," Zhen Hua's voice grumbled fondly. "You slept for three whole days. I thought something had gone wrong with your body! I even specially arranged for a healing-type Title Douluo to help — I was about to start preparing three-word battle armor-grade materials to get you treated."
"Haha, thanks, Master," Gu You said warmly, his heart softening.
"At least you know how to be polite." Zhen Hua snorted, but the corner of his mouth twitched upward in satisfaction. "Come on, follow me. Hungry, aren't you? Good, I've got some things to talk to you about."
…
A group of maids in elegant uniforms carefully arranged a full banquet, bowing respectfully to Zhen Hua and Gu You before quietly leaving the room.
Gu You rubbed his eyes.
Was he seeing things?
Millennium Earth Dragon Tendons?!
Millennium Ice-Snow Spirit Flower Dishes?!
Good heavens.
Gu You couldn't help but marvel silently.
This one meal alone must have cost at least five million. At this nutritional level, just eating enough might even help enhance his physical constitution and soul power.
Without another word, he grabbed a massive slab of dragon tendon and tore into it enthusiastically, ignoring the fact that his martial soul was also dragon-type.
… Though, to be fair, it was so tough even he struggled to chew it.
"Slow down! Slow down! No one's going to steal it from you!"
Zhen Hua watched Gu You's voracious eating and burst out laughing.
…
Meanwhile, back at the Sea God Pavilion:
"Where's that boy, Gu You?" Ya Li asked Yun Ming curiously. Some of the Pavilion elders had been asking to meet the "model youth" they'd heard about on the news. Frankly, Ya Li herself felt a little embarrassed — the reports had been a bit overblown. But thanks to Yun Ming's casual remarks earlier, the whole Pavilion now knew the truth.
Fortunately, the odds of the news leaking outside were slim. Everyone here understood the stakes. And if anything did leak, well, it wouldn't be hard to track down the source.
Last time Gu You had made a big splash by showing up in the Outer Court, it had taken a ton of effort to suppress the fallout.
Na'er tilted her head curiously, glancing up.
"He?" Yun Ming smiled faintly, stroking Ya Li's hair. "He loves his freedom. He's gone off to Eastsea to spread his wings. Let him explore for a while."
At the mention of Eastsea, Na'er's body trembled faintly. Her eyes flickered with a subtle glimmer of emotion.
"Hmph! That brat," Ya Li pouted playfully, crossing her arms. "Doesn't he even care about his godmother?"
"Everyone has their own path," Yun Ming murmured, gazing up at the sky. His eyes sparkled, as if reflecting countless distant stars. "Every child deserves to live a full, rich life. We can't hold them back. The world is vast — vast enough to reflect his brilliance, vast enough to one day temper his pride. As parents, isn't it our role simply to bear witness to his wild, youthful journey… and watch him grow?"
"…That's true," Ya Li murmured softly. "He really does remind me of you when you were young…"
…
Gu You patted his now-full belly, sighing contentedly.
Satisfied!
Zhen Hua chuckled as he watched the boy devour every single rare, expensive dish. Honestly, he was delighted — a big appetite meant the body was still growing. If that wasn't enough, well, he could always feed him more.
"Master," Gu You asked suddenly, "do I still need to formally perform a disciple's ceremony for you?"
"Ai, no, no!" Zhen Hua waved him off. "What old-fashioned thinking is that? It's a new era — the information age! Just register it on your official Federation record, and it's done. But tell me: what's your plan now? Do you want to stay here with me and directly study soul forging and fusion forging, or take some time to ground yourself before advancing?"
Gu You thought carefully.
"I'm planning to head to Eastsea City. The academy there is pretty good. I don't plan to immediately dive into higher-level forging. Right now, the only materials I can spirit forge properly are ice crystal and life ore — I'm still unfamiliar with the others. Once I've mastered those steadily, then I'll start learning the more advanced techniques."
Zhen Hua nodded approvingly.
"Mm, Eastsea's a good choice. It's a first-tier city, plenty of resources, and I've got some connections there too. You're right not to rush forging — you need a solid foundation. But honestly, with your status, why not just stay at Shrek and study?"
Gu You gave a small grin.
"Shrek's too competitive. I want to experience the journey myself — to go from a primary academy all the way up to an ultimate academy, step by step."
Zhen Hua was momentarily speechless.
If outsiders overheard this, they'd probably want to beat the kid on the spot. After all, getting into Shrek Academy was insanely difficult — and this boy was turning it down?
"Alright," Zhen Hua chuckled at last. "Everything's arranged. When you get to Eastsea, the local Forging Association will help settle you in. Your enrollment at Eastsea Academy is already set. Oh, and here—"
He handed over a thick notebook and a gleaming device.
"This is a collection of my personal forging insights, including some Heavenly Forging techniques. Study it well. Don't waste your talent. And here's the latest-model soul communicator — consider it a gift."
Gu You's eyes gleamed as he accepted the sleek device — basically the latest version of a "smartphone."
He raised his head, eyes sparkling with determination.
Eastsea — here I come!!
(End of Chapter)
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