Douluo Dragon King: I, Huo Linfei, the Mecha Illusionary Lin God

His voice wasn't loud, but every word struck like a hammer blow against a rock:

"You dare to make her suffer even the slightest grievance, dare to make her shed a single tear, dare to make her unhappy."

Huo Linfei's wrist-mounted power lock glowed red, and his first spirit ring appeared beneath his feet. The yellow, century-old spirit ring slowly rotated in the sea breeze.

"I'll show you what regret really means."

Di Tian narrowed his eyes.

This human boy... is interesting.

Despite having only a second-ring cultivation level and being as weak as an ant, the aura he exuded when he spoke seemed capable of shaking heaven and earth.

"Arrogant," Di Tian uttered two words.

Huo Linfei smiled.

That smile was bright and sunny, but it also carried an undeniable confidence.

"Arrogant?" he said. "You probably haven't heard my catchphrase."

He took a deep breath, his voice suddenly rising in pitch, carrying far on the sea breeze:

"The enemy is before me—"

The supernatural lock erupted with a blinding red light, and flames rose from the fire-scaled creature. It wasn't a soul skill, just pure momentum.

"It's not about running away—"

The flames coalesced into the phantom of a Qilin, which roared to the sky behind him.

"It was a complete and utter defeat!!!"

When the last three words were roared out, the entire coastline trembled. It wasn't a physical tremor, but a tremor of spirit and soul.

Di Tian's pupils contracted slightly.

This human boy... is no ordinary person.

It wasn't about sheer strength—he could extinguish flames of that caliber with a single breath. It was about the soul, an unbreakable will forged through countless battles and across time.

Na'er looked at Huo Linfei, her purple eyes glistening with tears.

She suddenly jumped off the rocks, rushed to Huo Linfei, and hugged him tightly.

"Big brother..."

Huo Linfei paused for a moment, then gently patted her back: "Silly girl, why are you crying? It's not like we'll never see each other again."

"I'll miss you," Na'er said in a muffled voice.

"I'll miss you too," Huo Linfei said. "Write to me once you're settled. Or... I'll come find you when we've become stronger."

Na'er released him and nodded vigorously: "Mmm!"

She took a few steps back and returned to Di Tian's side. She glanced at Huo Linfei one last time, then turned and followed Di Tian towards the sea.

There, a small boat appeared on the sea at some unknown time.

Huo Linfei stood there, watching Na'er board the boat and the small boat sail into the distance until it disappeared into the twilight.

The sea breeze carried a salty, damp scent.

Huo Linfei stood there for a long time before turning around and walking back.

He didn't tell Tang Wulin the truth. He didn't say how strong the middle-aged man beside Na'er was, so strong that he couldn't even stop one of his fingers. He didn't say that Na'er's identity might not be simple, so simple that the Beast God Di Tian needed to come and pick her up personally.

There are some things that he alone needs to know.

It was already dark when they got home. Tang Wulin sat in the courtyard, his eyes red. Seeing Huo Linfei return, he quickly stood up: "Big brother, did you catch him?"

"We caught up with them," Huo Linfei said. "They really are her family, and they seem to treat her very well."

"That's good..." Tang Wulin breathed a sigh of relief, but his expression was still disappointed.

Huo Linfei walked over and put his arm around his shoulder: "Second brother, don't be sad. Na'er just went home, she didn't disappear. When we become stronger, when we become famous, where won't we find her?"

Tang Wulin looked up: "Really?"

"When have I ever lied to you?" Huo Linfei grinned. "Besides, we're heading to Donghai City soon. It's bigger there, with more opportunities. Once we make a name for ourselves in Donghai City, Na'er will definitely hear about us, and she might come looking for us then."

Tang Wulin's eyes lit up: "That's right! We need to become stronger, strong enough that everyone knows our names!"

"That's more like it." Huo Linfei patted his back. "Come on, let's go eat. Godmother must have prepared a big meal today to celebrate our graduation, and also... to see Na'er off."

Inside, Lang Yue had indeed prepared a table full of dishes. Tang Ziran opened a bottle of wine and poured herself a glass.

Three men—two of whom were still boys—sat at the table and raised their glasses.

"To graduate," Tang Ziran said.

"For a new life," Huo Linfei said.

"For..." Tang Wulin paused, "...for seeing you again."

The cups clinked together.

Outside the window, the moon has risen.

On the other side of the sea, the small boat had already sailed far away. Na'er stood at the bow, gazing in the direction of Aolai City for a long time.

Di Tian stood behind her: "My lord, you seem to care a lot about that human boy."

Na'er didn't turn around: "He's my older brother."

"But he is human."

"And what about humans?" Na'er turned around, her purple eyes gleaming like jewels in the moonlight. "Di Tian, ​​you said we want to revive the Soul Beasts, to make them the masters of the continent once more. But if we don't even understand human emotions, if we don't even understand what family is, then what's the difference between us and those beasts who only know how to kill?"

Di Tian fell silent.

"I'll go to Shrek Academy," Na'er said. "I'll merge with Gu Yue to complete our plan. But before that..."

She looked into the distance, at the coastline that was no longer visible.

"Let me be Na'er a little longer. An ordinary human girl who is loved and pampered, and has two silly older brothers."

The sea breeze blew by, scattering her whispers.

The moonlight spilled onto the sea, shattering into millions of silvery fragments.

Like some things, once broken, they can never be put back together.

……

The Soul-Guided Train roared away from Aolai City Station, the scenery outside the window gradually changing from the familiar small town to open fields. Tang Ziran and Lang Yue stood on the platform waving, their figures growing smaller and smaller until they finally disappeared from sight.

Tang Wulin leaned against the car window, his eyes still a little red.

"Reluctant to part with it?" Huo Linfei sat opposite him, crossing his legs.

"Yes." Tang Wulin nodded honestly, "I've never left Aolai City since I was a child."

"You have to grow up eventually." Huo Linfei patted his shoulder. "Besides, Donghai City isn't far away. If you miss home, you can come back on the weekend. As long as we make money, we can buy Soul Guide Train tickets anytime."

These words made Tang Wulin feel a little better. He sat up straight and looked at the scenery rushing past the window: "Big brother, what do you think Donghai Academy will be like?"

"It's definitely bigger than Red Mountain Academy." Huo Linfei said without hesitation.

"I heard that the campus alone is half the size of Aolai City, and it even has a dedicated mimicry training area, a mecha training ground, and a battle armor testing ground..."

"A mecha training ground?" Tang Wulin's eyes lit up.

"Hmm." Huo Linfei nodded. "Donghai Academy has a mecha department. Although it can't compare to top academies like Shrek Academy, it's still pretty good."

As they were talking, the train entered a hilly area. In the distance, a city gradually came into view—skyscrapers stood tall, soul-guided lights flickered, and aircraft streaked across the sky.

We've arrived at Donghai City.