Volume 36, Chapter 514.2: Leaving Seclusion
Huo Yuhao looked at Tang Wutong with both happiness and love brimming from his eyes.
Even though she was blushing, Tang Wutong could not take her eyes off Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao opened his arms and brought her into his embrace. As he hugged her soft and warm body tightly, he could sense the Haodong Power which was still pulsating through their bodies. He gently said, “Wutong, I am now certain that my Dong’er has returned.”
“Thank you.” Tang Wutong gently replied.
Huo Yuhao smiled, “I should be the one thanking you instead. Do you know your return has given me a new lease on life?”
Tang Wutong whispered, “And why do you think it would be different for me? Do you know how I felt earlier?”
“What did it feel like?” Huo Yuhao asked curiously.
Tang Wutong replied, “I felt complete. Finally complete.”
“Complete?” Huo Yuhao was confused.
Tang Wutong said, “Yes! Do you remember the day when I witnessed you take nine cuts for me? After the sight of you sustaining eighteen wounds awakened the memories in my head, I felt as if I was the product of many different souls. I had a lot of different memories in my head, and everything just felt super confusing. Even though Dong’er’s memories were the bulk of it, because she was only recently awakened, my memories and hers constantly came into conflict. Hence, I was in a lot of pain during that time. In fact, I didn’t even know who I was—Tang Wutong or Wang Dong’er.”
“But now it’s different. Everything has become so much clearer. It no longer matters whether I’m Tang Wutong or Wang Dong’er. You have made me experience and understand a lot of things. Dong’er’s memories are now completely integrated with mine, and I am now complete. I am both Tang Wutong and Wang Dong’er. But no matter what my name is, you will always be my love.”
As she spoke, she hugged Huo Yuhao tightly, and stuck her satisfied face into his embrace.
“That’s right! No matter what your name is, you will always be my love.” Huo Yuhao repeated Tang Wutong’s words.
Sometimes, not speaking could be a stronger expression of love than any words. This session had allowed them to rediscover the love they had for one another. Even though Wang Dong’er had changed her name, she was still the Dong’er who loved him.
“If the two of you plan to perform for all of us old folks, could you please hurry up? If not, can you scram back to your Tang Sect? In these seven days, both of you have absorbed a third of the energy from the Golden Tree. It probably won’t recover from that anytime soon.” Elder Xuan’s reprimanding voice echoed into their ears.
Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong jolted and moved away from one another with blushing faces. But at the same time, they were both taken aback by Elder Xuan’s words.
Seven days?! We’ve been training for seven days?! Huo Yuhao was not as shocked, as his journey into the God Realm made the entire thing seem a bit longer. But Tang Wutong felt that she had merely taken a nap in Huo Yuhao’s loving embrace.
“I’m so sorry, Elder Xuan! We’ll take our leave right away.” Huo Yuhao dragged Tang Wutong and fled from the Sea God’s Pavilion.
By the time they reached the outside of the Sea God’s Pavilion, they noticed how faint the colors of the Golden Tree had become just over the course of these few days.
Upon seeing this, both Tang Wutong and Huo Yuhao felt an immense sense of gratitude towards their elders.
The Golden Tree was the greatest asset and the most important foundation of Shrek Academy. Only its most outstanding disciples would be allowed to experience the origin energy of heaven and earth from the Golden Tree at an appropriate time. Afterwards, these disciples would then leave to carve out their own paths. Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong had experienced this previously, when Tang Wutong was still Wang Dong’er.
Afterwards, as Huo Yuhao gained a deeper understanding of the Academy, he started to understand how the Golden Tree by itself was a very peculiar organism. Many souls of Shrek Academy’s seniors had stayed within the Tree. Beyond that, it could absorb the origin energy of heaven and earth from its surroundings and consolidate it into its center. Thus, cultivation within the Sea God’s Pavilion was often extremely productive.
But this did not mean that the members of the Sea God’s Pavilion could absorb the energy from the Golden Tree whenever they wished. In fact, all of its members had been extremely prudent, and often only absorbed a tiny bit of the origin energy. Most of them would leave the pavilion if they felt that they were about to break their training bottleneck, in fear of consuming too much energy from the Golden Tree—unless they determined that they were in imminent danger.
Previously, when the beast wave came, the almighty Beast God Di Tian had led the soul beast army from the Great Star Dou Forest. If not for the power of the Golden Tree, which Elder Mu and Elder Xuan borrowed to trap Di Tian, Shrek Academy might have turned into ruins.
Hence, the Golden Tree could be said to be Shrek Academy’s last line of defence. It was thus important for it to possess sufficient origin energy of heaven and earth.
Because Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong were absorbed in their Conscientious State of Deep Meditation, they would naturally be oblivious to the copious amount of origin energy of heaven and earth they absorbed from the Golden Tree. However, Elder Xuan and the other elders did not stop them at all during the entire process. Hence, Huo Yuhao felt immensely grateful towards them. He knew that both Wutong and him had absorbed a large part of Shrek Academy’s resources!
Huo Yuhao held Tang Wutong’s hand as both of them kneeled down and bowed in the direction of the Golden Tree. They were both thanking the elders and the Golden Tree for the origin energy of heaven and earth.
In their short seven days of cultivation in the Conscientious State of Deep Meditation, their soul power had improved by an entire rank! This was a full rank increase after Rank 80!
“Wutong, do you want to follow me back to the Tang Sect? You can stay with me at the Tang Sect from now on.” Huo Yuhao whispered to Tang Wutong lovingly.
Tang Wutong smiled, “Sure. I’ll follow you wherever you go!” Her beautiful smile made Huo Yuhao feel like loving her as he squeezed her hand tightly.
Both of them flashed a smile at one another before they stood up and sprinted for the Tang Sect after leaving Sea God’s Island.
Elder Xuan stood before his room’s window and watched the couple leave as a smile formed on his face. He muttered to himself, “What a pair of talented individuals! Even the heavens would be jealous of their talents! Elder Mu, it seems like we have finally found you a successor. Regardless of what happens, we will help them grow quickly. Heroes are born in chaotic times! Let’s just hope they’ll have enough time to grow into the heroes we all deserve.”
In the Tang Sect.
“Welcome back, Dong’er!” Jiang Nannan gave Tang Wutong a huge embrace as tears welled up in her beautiful eyes.
News of Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong’s return had spread within the Tang Sect, and everyone was excited to welcome them back.
Since the Fated Blind Date, everyone in the Tang Sect had learned how Tang Wutong was Wang Dong’er. After knowing that Wang Dong’er—Huo Yuhao’s love—had returned, some rejoiced, while some were feeling a little disappointed. But even the disappointed ones felt happy for both of them.
Very soon, the higher-ups in the Tang Sect arrived.
Bei Bei, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, Xiao Xiao, Caitou, Xuan Ziwen, Gao Dalou, Ye Guyi, Nan Qiuqiu, Na Na, Ji Juechen and Jing Ziyan were all present. They were the pillars of Tang Sect, and nearly all of them had stayed behind. With their help, the Tang Sect seemed to be moving toward a bright future, as they helped to manufacture soul tools and continued to cultivate their own abilities.
Bei Bei did not come alone. There was another person in his embrace. And that person was none other than Tang Ya.
Tang Ya was still looking very pale, but one could tell that she was a lot more spirited from the look in her eyes. As she stared at Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong, she revealed a faint smile.
“Eldest senior brother and Teacher Xiao Ya.” Huo Yuhao hastily stepped forward and gave Tang Ya a concerned look.
Tang Ya smiled before giving him a cheeky reply. “Yuhao, you know how to grill fish, right?”
Those words were simple, but they surprised both Huo Yuhao and Bei Bei. Both of them stared at one another, and saw the excitement and hope in each other’s eyes.
“Teacher Xiao Ya, you have regained your memories?” Huo Yuhao asked Tang Ya excitedly.
Tang Ya looked at him, but her eyes still seemed a little clouded. She muttered, “Yuhao, the grilled fish was delicious.”
Huo Yuhao replied instantly, “Yes! Teacher Xiao Ya, I will make them for you right away! Is that okay?”
“Yes.” Tang Ya nodded.
Tears started to well up in Bei Bei’s eyes. While the poison in Tang Ya’s body had been gradually removed after being rescued a few weeks ago, her body remained weak, and she could only barely recognize him. But after seeing Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong’er today, she was actually able to point out the grilled fish she ate. This humongous improvement was more than enough to excite them and give them hope.
Hence, today’s lunch became grilled fish, and Huo Yuhao—the guy who was arguably the most important person in Tang Sect now—became their master chef for the day. He grilled fish for Teacher Xiao Ya, Wutong, and all his other companions.
As he watched his hands produce the sumptuous grilled fish, he found himself thinking about the God of Emotions uncontrollably. His culinary art must be at an impossible level…
Everyone had lunch together in a joyous atmosphere. Even Tang Ya ate two whole grilled fish by herself before falling asleep in Bei Bei’s embrace with a sweet smile.
However, after the sumptuous lunch, Huo Yuhao started to get busy with work. There were simply too many things for him to do.
The moment lunch was finished, Xuan Ziwen pulled Huo Yuhao into the Research Institute without any regard for his honeymoon. Huo Yuhao had disappeared for the past seven or eight days. If he had disappeared for any reason other than Tang Wutong, Xuan Ziwen would have reprimanded him. Even though he could understand why Huo Yuhao had to leave, Xuan Ziwen carried a face of displeasure at the delay that had occurred.
Resigned to his ill fate, Huo Yuhao could only follow Xuan Ziwen to the Research Institute. Huo Yuhao knew well that the Tang Sect was in no shortage of living space, and Tang Wutong would have no trouble finding a room. Hence, he could follow Xuan Ziwen to make soul tools without any worry for her. She had also reassured him that she could continue her cultivation in the Tang Sect, and that he could find her whenever he found time to do so.