Eastsea City.
Central Commercial Street.
The Stewed Beef Pot Restaurant.
It had to be said, this was the very place where Xie Xie once told the story of his parents' romance in front of Tang Wulin and Gu Yue.
Even Gu Yue Na as she was today, upon returning to this familiar place, felt as though a lifetime had passed. The emotions were clearly written on her face.
She wasn't the only one feeling sentimental.
Even Di Tian hadn't expected that he'd one day find himself visiting this stewed beef pot restaurant.
"Tsk… feels like some kind of inescapable fate."
Gu Yue Na asked instinctively, "What did you say?"
"Nothing, let's go in."
It wasn't mealtime, so the restaurant wasn't particularly crowded.
Of course, Di Tian didn't suddenly throw a dramatic fit about "I don't eat beef" like some patriotic nationalist. After all, he still had to maintain his current persona.
To that end, he even specifically chatted a bit with the owner—Uncle Li, who happened to be Xie Xie's acquaintance.
As more guests arrived, the owner went out to greet them, but from time to time, his gaze would drift toward Gu Yue Na.
His mind recalled the past:
Back then, Xie Xie would bring his two friends—Gu Yue and Tang Wulin—to eat stewed beef here.
During their three years studying at Eastsea Academy, they were regulars.
He could tell, even back then, that Gu Yue clearly had feelings for that boy Tang Wulin.
But who could've imagined that times would change, and so would people?
Gu Yue had transformed as she matured—into Gu Yue Na—and even her affections had shifted.
Perhaps it was this stewed beef restaurant that stirred her memories.
Gu Yue Na's current emotions were somewhat unstable.
Looking at Di Tian, who was calmly and happily feasting, she couldn't help but ask:
"Didn't you eat enough at Tang Wulin's adoptive parents' house?"
"Any other place we haven't been to yet? Hurry up."
Di Tian replied, "See? Rushing again."
"Shrek City's already gone. Our last stop now is Eastsea Academy."
"Forgot to mention, this is also the place the new Shrek Seven Devils chose to rebuild Shrek Academy."
"After all, remodeling a familiar academy is far easier than constructing one from scratch."
"Besides, we still have to fulfill a promise for Tang Wulin."
"When you guys joined Class Zero, Eastsea Academy poured a lot of resources into you. Wu Zhangkong wanted to take you all to Shrek Academy's entrance exam, and the school agreed—on one condition: once you became battle armor masters, you'd return and give a lecture."
"Everything has a beginning and an end. Once you give that lecture, Eastsea Academy—or rather, the rebuilt Shrek Academy—will have served its purpose."
Di Tian spoke in a gentle tone, delivering a verdict of destruction for the newly rebuilt Shrek Academy.
Meanwhile, within a hidden pocket dimension—
Tang San was fully focused, standing guard for Tang Wulin. His spiritual power was primed, ready to connect with the Douluo God Realm—currently in a black hole of the universe—to complete the inheritance of the Shura God's divine position.
Tang Wulin sat cross-legged with eyes closed, undergoing the final trial of the inheritance. This was one part Tang San couldn't help him bypass—at most, he could lower the difficulty a little.
The inheritance realm of the Shura God floated above Tang Wulin's spiritual sea.
A hellish aura from the Shura Purgatory filled the air, spawning wave after wave of illusions attacking his mind.
Tang Wulin's consciousness seemed to reside in a real world.
In this world's timeline—
Di Tian wasn't much of a threat, and Tang Wulin became the great hero who saved the world.
Even though he betrayed his birthplace—the Sun Moon Federation—by selling weapons to the Star Luo Empire, he ultimately maintained peace on the continent.
Once the Star Luo Empire received Tang Sect's weapons, including so-called Level-10 fixed soul-guided shells and homing submunition cannons, they bombarded the Federation's navy fleet and drove them back.
Together with his companions, uniting the continent's major powers, they defeated the evil Soul Beast Demon Emperor, the Holy Spirit Cult, and even repelled the sudden invasion of the Abyss Plane—becoming the savior of the continent.
At that time, he stood at the continent's peak, known as a living god among mortals.
Just one glare could make the continent's fiercest beast, Di Tian, tremble in fear.
Just when Tang Wulin thought no one could stop him from being with Gu Yue Na, the two ended up on opposing sides due to their races and perished together in the Far North.
Countless years later, he awakened, but had lost all memories.
A girl named Le Qingling found him and took him in, helping him become a superstar singer named Tang Le.
After singing countless love songs, he somehow recovered his memories.
However, at the exact moment of remembering, a sudden twist hit the trial illusion of inheriting the Shura God position—it took a sharp, bizarre turn.
The storyline of that world continued.
Regaining his memory, Tang Wulin followed a mysterious feeling, crossing space and time.
He felt his beloved was waiting at the end of this road.
A millennium passed like a fleeting moment.
Flowing against the current of time, he returned to Eastsea Academy and met his old head of studies, Director Long.
"You brat, don't forget what Wu Zhangkong promised. Once you became a battle armor master, you were to return and lecture your juniors."
"Don't worry. Once I find Gu Yue Na, we'll come together."
"Gu Yue Na?" Director Long asked with a strange expression.
"I mean Gu Yue."
Right now, Tang Wulin was overjoyed and didn't notice Director Long's odd tone. He cheerfully said his goodbyes.
Rushing toward his destined goal, he passed two places deeply etched in memory: Uncle Li's stewed beef shop, and the forging workshop of his first forging mentor, Mang Tian.
At first, he happily chatted—after all, returning home in glory, who wouldn't be delighted?
But every time he mentioned Gu Yue Na, both Uncle Li and Mang Tian showed the same strange expression as Director Long.
Once is chance, twice is coincidence—but three times?
Disturbed, Tang Wulin in his fine robe rushed to the final destination of his soul.
At the end of his vision was his home—in Aolai City.
Lights glowed warmly in the house, but his adoptive parents had already been taken to the God Realm by his biological father, Tang San, to become divine officers.
The only person who still knew this place and lived here… was Na'er—now known as Gu Yue Na.
Among thousands of lights in ten thousand homes, there was always one left just for him.
In this moment, all Tang Wulin's anxiety vanished.
He straightened his robes and gently pushed open the door.
What entered his sight was the very woman who had filled his dreams.
Long silver hair cascaded down her back, reaching her ankles.
Her beautiful face had not changed—still breathtaking.
Even a simple white blouse looked utterly sexy on her.
Compared to his memories, she now had just a touch more of mature charm.
At this moment, Gu Yue Na also saw Tang Wulin slowly walking in.
She had been tidying clothes—but now, panic suddenly filled her.
Tang Wulin simply smiled and said, "Is there food? I'm hungry."
Noticing a bowl of noodles on the table, he sat down immediately.
Just as he was about to start eating, a voice came from the doorway:
"Mom."
(End of Chapter)