I've also recently started a new translation, please check it out and show your support! Douluo: Seven Kill Shock the World
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Time flew by, and before they knew it, the final exams were just around the corner.
In the forging room, the blazing furnace cast a fiery glow on Gu La's focused face. The sweat on his forehead evaporated quickly in the intense heat.
With a crisp metallic ring, Gu La exhaled deeply and slowly lowered his forging hammer. His soul power had finally broken through to level forty-eight.
"It's finally done." Gu La wiped away the sweat and glanced at Mu Yi, his Green Lotus avatar, who was organizing the metals nearby.
This academic year, they had devoted almost all their spare time to forging. From initial clumsiness to now mastering the craft, their coordination had become increasingly seamless.
The number of contribution points blinked on the terminal, glowing with a satisfying brilliance—a six-figure sum.
This was the result of countless sleepless nights. Gu La had meticulously converted these points into rare metals that were hard to obtain outside: Star Essence Gold, Deep Sea Sunken Silver, Golden Crystal Stone… Each acquisition brought him one step closer to his dream of building a mecha.
"All of Wu Siduo's Silver Alloy has been forged."
Mu Yi's voice came from the other end of the workbench as he adjusted the thermometer.
Gu La nodded. He had deliberately left the orders of several key customers for last. These metals required the highest standards and had to be flawless.
It was also a way to retain some of his forging prowess. After all, delivering the metals wouldn't allow others to manufacture battle armor, given their sub-professional levels.
At this moment, Gu La was forging a piece of "Divine Base Alloy" that shimmered with seven-colored light. The material was a gift from the Great Star Dou Forest.
Even a dead camel is bigger than a horse. The treasures stored in the Great Star Dou Forest's vaults, accumulated over ten thousand years, still left people awestruck. If not for the lack of certain metal types, he wouldn't have needed to work so hard to earn contribution points.
The forging hammer rose again as Gu La concentrated fully on striking the metal. Each blow landed precisely on the nodes, subtly altering the internal structure of the metal under the guidance of his soul power. Suddenly, footsteps from outside interrupted his rhythm.
"Big Brother Gu, I've brought two new customers for you!" Xu Xiaoyan peeked in, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Gu La turned his head, and a flash of silver caught his eye.
Na'er stood quietly there, bathed in sunlight that outlined her with a golden glow. Her gaze was complex, though the hostility in her eyes had lessened compared to when they first met.
Since reuniting with Tang Wulin, the siblings should have enjoyed their long-awaited reunion. But everything changed the day Gu Yue revealed Tang Wulin's identity as the "Son of the Sea God."
The accident during the Silver Dragon King's transformation, her encounter with the Son of the Sea God—these coincidences hid calculated schemes, like a thorn piercing Na'er's heart.
Even if Tang Wulin didn't know any of this, what if the mastermind behind it all intended for Tang Wulin to use genuine emotions to sway her?
Na'er wasn't stupid. Staying with Tang Wulin any longer made it impossible to remain carefree. She could only immerse herself in cultivation, numbing her mind to avoid overthinking.
Tang Wulin knew Na'er had something on her mind, but he was too busy juggling tasks to comfort her. Occasionally, he offered words of reassurance, but he never had the chance to sit down and talk with her.
Gu Yue's plan had succeeded. Once the seed of suspicion in Na'er's heart sprouted, it was only a matter of time before she severed her ties with Tang Wulin. At that point, Gu Yue could naturally absorb Na'er and return to her complete form.
Standing beside Na'er was a youth clad in black, his deep-set eyes like an abyss. Through telepathy, he complained endlessly to Gu La about how the Sea God Pavilion treated him like a training tool, pushing him to his limits.
This was Bai Yuan, one of Gu La's avatars, who had entered Zero Class as a transfer student alongside Na'er. Without summoning his martial soul, no one recognized him.
The three already knew each other, but they rarely interacted in class, leading to Xu Xiaoyan's misunderstanding of bringing them to the forging room.
The Sea God Pavilion had held a meeting to discuss his training plan after investigating his mastery of Abyssal Power and Devouring Intent. They ultimately devised a plan similar to Gu La's own.
However, it included additional resources unique to Shrek Academy, such as Demon Island in the Extreme North.
"Welcome."
Gu La set down his forging hammer and looked toward the door. Sunlight streamed in through the open doorway, casting a golden edge on Na'er's pure white dress.
She stood there like a delicate porcelain doll. Her usually lively purple eyes were now clouded, and her signature playful smile was gone, replaced by a fragile sadness that tugged at the heartstrings.
"I'd like to speak with you privately," she said softly, yet with an unyielding firmness.
Xu Xiaoyan, who was organizing metal parts at the workbench, looked up in surprise. Sunlight danced through Na'er's silver hair, enveloping her in a soft halo.
Xu Xiaoyan unconsciously held her breath—she had never seen Na'er like this. Her fragile beauty made one want to reach out and catch her, as if she might vanish like morning dew at any moment.
"Eh? You two know each other?" The part in Xu Xiaoyan's hand clattered onto the table. She stared wide-eyed, looking back and forth between them. "But I've never seen you two talk!"
Gu La nodded lightly, his metal gloves glinting coldly in the sunlight. His gaze softened slightly as he turned to Xu Xiaoyan. "Xiaoyan, you can stay here. I'll be back in a bit."
"Oh…" Xu Xiaoyan nodded blankly, watching as the two walked out of the forging room one after the other.
As the door closed, she suddenly noticed how much thinner Na'er's silhouette appeared, as if a heavy burden weighed on her slender shoulders.
Outside, the midday sun blazed fiercely. Gu La followed Na'er across the training grounds, their shadows interweaving beneath the trees.
The distant laughter of other students only heightened the weight of the silence between them. Finally, they stopped at a secluded bench by the lake.
When Na'er turned, the wind from the lake lifted the hem of her skirt. Her amethyst-like eyes locked onto Gu La. "Gu Yue told me everything."
Her words were like a stone dropped into a tranquil lake, sending invisible ripples through the air.
Gu La leaned against a willow tree, dappled light playing across his face.
"So?"
"First, thank you for telling us about my… brother's identity."
Na'er's fingers absently twisted the edge of her dress, her knuckles turning white. Though the truth cut deep like a knife, she had to admit that without Gu La revealing it, she might have remained trapped in a carefully woven lie forever.
She took a deep breath, the lake-scented breeze filling her lungs. "You're like us. I wanted to ask you…"
Her voice suddenly grew softer, as if afraid to disturb something. "How do you view soul beasts and humans?"
A willow leaf drifted down, landing on the bench between them. Na'er didn't brush it away as she continued, "After your reincarnation, do you see yourself as human or as a soul beast?"
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