Chapter 76: One Year Later

Ouyang Zixin instinctively lowered her head. In front of her chest, a sharp object that had pierced through flesh and clothing came into view.

The sharp tip was shaped like a spear, formed from intertwining strands of Blue Silver Grass.

She could clearly feel her life force draining rapidly. Enduring the pain, she lifted her head, looking at the "Tang Wulin" before her in utter disbelief.

"Why... why?"

Yet, the only response she received was a baffling statement.

"You dare compare yourself to my Xiao Wu?"

The "Tang Wulin" in her vision remained cold and indifferent, his deep blue eyes devoid of emotion.

He said nothing more.

With the bloodline of the Blue Silver Emperor, Tang San's mastery of the Blue Silver Grass martial soul had long surpassed mere proficiency. He had developed its abilities to their fullest potential.

Known as one of the most tenacious plants in nature, the Blue Silver Grass was deeply connected to life energy. This granted it a range of life-related abilities.

Under his meticulous control, Blue Silver Grass erupted madly from the ground, twisting and writhing like a chaotic storm.

One by one, strands of Blue Silver Grass took root in Ouyang Zixin's body, greedily absorbing her life force. Like clusters of blood-red roses, they bloomed in a macabre display.

As the Blue Silver Grass pulsed and expanded, the bulges on the ground gradually flattened.

With time, the natural process of decomposition accelerated. Soon, not a single trace remained.

Aided by his divine sense, Tang San ensured that the disappearance of Ouyang Zixin was seamless—no one would ever be able to trace it back to him.

However, he failed to notice that his actions had been witnessed in their entirety.

Not far away, a pair of golden dragon-like eyes gleamed with deep contemplation, taking in the absurdity of fate.

"The first love and white moonlight of his son... killed by his own father. What an irony."

"Tang San truly lives up to his reputation as the later ruler of the Divine Realm, the one who ousted the old God-King and took control of the vast God Realm. Ruthless indeed."

"I wonder what will happen when Tang Wulin learns the truth in the future?"

"Well… this trip has certainly proven to be quite valuable."

Such a powerful secret was best kept for a crucial moment.

Setting aside these thoughts for now, the golden gaze turned toward Gu Yue.

Currently living as an ordinary soul master student, she sat cross-legged on her bed, feigning meditation while actually recovering her cultivation and healing the old wounds that had accumulated over time.

In the shadows of the room, a towering figure stood motionless, like an iron statue.

But in Di Tian's eyes, this was not just a man—it was a massive bear covered in dark golden fur, lying in the corner, feigning sleep while remaining highly alert.

Based on his deductions, this close-quarters protection would likely last until she enrolled at Shrek Academy.

Gu Yue herself had no concerns about being detected by others, but a fierce beast was different. Even with her concealment, prolonged exposure could still lead to discovery by someone like Yun Ming.

When that happened, Xiong Jun, the beast acting as her bodyguard, would have to maintain a significant physical distance.

And once that happened, the timeline would stretch once again.

Seasons changed—spring turned to autumn, summer faded into winter.

Another year passed.

With Tang San's ruthless and decisive intervention, the timeline had successfully been restored to its intended course.

Ouyang Zixin had vanished without a trace, officially classified as a missing person.

When Tang Wulin regained consciousness, he was devastated by her farewell letter, much like he had been when Na'er left.

However, with Tang San's spiritual imprint influencing him, his recovery from grief was significantly faster than before.

Additionally, Gu Yue remained by his side, intentionally drawing closer to him.

With external and internal forces working in unison, his emotional state was successfully redirected back to its intended path.

Under the guidance of his teacher, Wu Zhangkong, he set off toward his predetermined destination—Shrek Academy.

Meanwhile, on Di Tian's side…

Over the past year, Zhen Hua and Mu Ye had remained exceptionally restrained. Their inner ambitions had dulled, and with no external interference, they focused entirely on their craft.

As a result, three more sets of four-word battle armor and god-level mechas were completed.

They belonged to:

Titan Snow Demon King, Titan

Ice Jade Scorpion, Ice Empress

Deep Sea Demon Whale, Lan Fozi

Titan clenched his fists.

With the highly flexible material of the battle armor and mecha covering his body in an instant, he felt as though he could now rival Snow Empress at her peak.

As soul beasts who lived under the law of survival of the fittest, their sense of power was exceptionally keen.

Upon experiencing a surge in strength, they instinctively sought a benchmark to measure their abilities—preparing for future battles.

Some reacted cautiously, while others were more dramatic.

Cautious like Ice Empress:Wearing her emerald-green battle armor, engraved with crimson magic patterns, and seamlessly merging with her god-level mecha, she felt that even Ice Emperor, her former clan leader with nearly 400,000 years of cultivation, was no longer an insurmountable force.

Dramatic like Lan Fozi:The enhancements of the four-word battle armor and god-level mecha left her feeling nearly invincible. Without hesitation, she decided to test her newfound strength—by ambushing her own mother.

Her thought process?"If I can successfully sneak attack my mom, sneaking away from home in the future will be a piece of cake!"

Unfortunately, life seldom goes as planned.

Predictably, Lan Fozi was swiftly overpowered and subdued by her mother.

While they engaged in their lively antics, Di Tian remained composed as Zi Ji affectionately relayed updates on Gu Yue's every move.

"When our master enters Shrek Academy, it'll be difficult for us to follow her in."

"Our primary information source will be our contacts within the Spirit Pagoda."

"But since we're only inquiring about young students, there shouldn't be any planted false reports."

"Because that kid, Tang Wulin, had a sudden breakthrough before the entrance exam, our master and the others missed the Shrek Academy's freshman assessment."

"His teacher, Wu Zhangkong, knelt before his old mentor, Zhuo Shi, for a long time before securing a supplementary exam opportunity."

"What followed was just the usual Shrek Academy evaluation process—nothing out of the ordinary."

"However, something amusing did happen."

"Among the examiners was an elder from the Sea God's Pavilion who wanted to take our master as a disciple."

"She acted all high and mighty, but our master pranked her and outright refused."

"The old woman was so enraged that she forced them to take the supplementary exam."

"During the exam, Tang Wulin, as per his bet with Na'er, broke through to the Soul Elder level, achieved spirit refining, and became a five-star master craftsman."

"From a human perspective, his forging talent suggests he might become the next Divine Craftsman."

(End of Chapter)