10,000 Years of Growth

"Damn it. I thought I could beat you here boss." Xie Xie said grumpily, a pout on his face as he phased into existence beside them. He knew he couldn't beat Gu Yuena here but he thought his teleporting would be faster than Wulin running.

He had his doubts since he knew better than most what kind of monster he was racing against but he had hope. After all, Wulin was running while he was teleporting, he had to have at least had a chance.

"I guess you're dumber than I thought then." Gu Yuena replied cruelly as she swung her hand back and forth, her other half's hand forcefully following along. Gu Yuena and Xie Xie had a… complicated relationship.

It was formed on the basis of arrogance and pride. Gu Yuena always picked at his flaws and Xie Xie obviously defended himself even with his lingering fear and respect for her. To some, it was akin to cats and dogs but to Wulin it was closer to a sibling relationship.

Siblings… technically Wulin and Gu Yuena were siblings. Or rather, they were one person. It was complicated and Wulin never really bothered to give any thought to their exact relationship, a part of him was actually quite worried about the answer.

It was all so strange to him that he of all people would be worried over something so small in the grand scheme of things. However, that just went to show how much the girl holding his hand had done to him and how much she mattered to him.

'Would you recognize me… teacher?' Wulin asked himself, oddly curious about the answer of his former teacher. He had taught him so much, he was as much of a teacher as he was a father, but would even that man recognize him? It was hard to believe.

Emotional changes aside, his very being had changed. He was no longer the boy Luslec, he was merely Tang Wulin the Golden Dragon King and the strongest being alive in the current universe. Temporarily of course.

"What did you say?! Hey boss, are you going to let her do that?!" Xie Xie shouted, instantly hiding behind the protection of the goliath known as Wulin. He couldn't compete with Gu Yuena himself, it was like an ant fighting against a dragon, but he had the strongest shield!

His options were limited since most of the time Wulin would pick her side but even if he had been changing recently Wulin was ultimately an objective person! He wouldn't let this blatant disrespect happen when it wasn't conducive to a strong team bond!

"My teacher always said that people grow closer by fighting." Wulin replied dismissively, content in merely watching their arguments while waiting for Mu Xi's arrival. He did notice his other half's somewhat suspicious glance but he paid it no real mind.

"You heard him. He won't save you this time." Gu Yuena declared arrogantly, removing her eyes from her other half after only an instant yet her spiritual power was locked onto his figure. He referenced this 'teacher' fairly often but never once had she met or even heard of him. It was as though he never even existed.

"Damn it! I don't need his protection anyway!" Xie Xie declared confidently as emerald scales emerged over his skin but it was obvious for the two before him that he was gathering the space element to escape. Of course, Gu Yuena crushed all chance of that succeeding by locking the surrounding space.

"Really? Are you saying you can beat me? You, a mere hatchling?" Gu Yuena taunted arrogantly, her elegant tone filled with disdain as she looked down upon him. As she said, he was a mere hatchling that awakened only recently. How could he compare to her?

Normally, Gu Yuena wouldn't elevate the issue this much however there was something that ensured the conflict wouldn't actually amount to anything. A certain individual who would end the conflict immediately.

"I'm the last one after all?" Mu Xi declared as she stepped past the boundary, her words instantly stopping the conflict, Xie Xie let out a 'discreet' sigh of relief. It wasn't that she herself had the power, it was that there wouldn't be any time for it.

"We're entering." Wulin declared simply as soon as they had all gathered. Mu Xi wouldn't get to rest like they had but that could be considered her punishment for coming in last. Luckily, with her rank and the ease that fire spreads, she'd be fine.

All conversation ended at Wulin's words as they all prepared themselves for the incoming battle with the spirit beasts. They were going to an area where each and every Spirit Pagoda worker did not want them to go so there was a high chance their time was limited.

"Think there are any ten thousand year old ones in there?" Xie Xie asked casually, his anger from mere moments before erased like the wind. While he didn't doubt their ability to kill some of the thousand year spirit beasts, ten thousand year ones were a different beast entirely.

Ten thousand year old spirit beasts had since the era of the Spirit Ice Douluo to train and grow stronger. At this point they should have something akin to intelligence and their abilities will be extremely powerful. At the very least, a group of nine year olds shouldn't be capable of defeating them.

Xie Xie didn't think they couldn't do it per se but he did find it hard to believe full heartedly. He himself wouldn't be able to even dream of it right now even. There were two reasons he felt like it would be possible.

"There are at least six." Wulin replied uncaringly to his words. Ten thousand year spirit beasts were quite the jump even when compared to the guardian the Spirit Pagoda had chosen but Wulin was confident he could defeat one by himself let alone with help.

"Six? That's more than I expected." Xie Xie declared with a whistle as they entered the forest uncaringly. It was filled to the brim with thousand year spirit beasts that glared at them in nothing more than mindless anger.

"That's because you're an idiot who hasn't trained his spiritual sense." Gu Yuena interrupted, unable to hold back her sharp tongue any longer. It was probably because of his nature and martial spirit that she found it so easy to ceasely bully him.

"Quiet." Wulin declared simply, unraveling his hand from his other half in preparation for battle. 

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