A Wish upon a Candle's Breath
By the time Yao Xuan's feet touched the familiar path leading home, the profound physical exhaustion from the Thousand Refining had already begun to lift. The Ancestral Dragon's bloodline, a wellspring of vitality coursing through his veins, worked its silent magic. The leaden feeling in his muscles faded, the soreness and numbness in his arms receding like a tide. The shallow cut on his arm from the blood sacrifice was now nothing more than a faint, pink line, rapidly smoothing away into unblemished skin.
This regenerative power, however, was primarily for the body. The deep mental fatigue, the cost of that hour-long spiritual communion with the metal, was a heavier burden. A dull drowsiness clung to his thoughts, a compelling urge to simply collapse onto his bed and surrender to sleep. Yet, fortified by the mental strength of the Spiritual Connection realm and having avoided outright overexertion, he remained clear-headed, if weary—a far cry from the outright collapse Tang Wulin had once experienced.
After a long, restorative night's sleep and a session of meditation to settle his soul power, Yao Xuan felt truly refreshed. That evening, the three of them—a family forged by fate—gathered around the dining table. The soul-guided lamps were extinguished, plunging the room into a soft, intimate darkness broken only by the flickering glow of candles perched atop a cream-frosted cake. Together, their voices rose in a warm, harmonious rendition of "Happy Birthday."
As the song ended, Yao Xuan looked at the dancing flames, their light reflected in Na'er's bright, expectant eyes. In that moment, the weight of his knowledge and his resolve crystallized into a silent, fervent vow.
'Na'er, with me here, I will never let you bear this pain alone. I will never let you fall into chaos and suffering. I will never let you walk that path of self-destruction again!'
'I will always be your shield. I will thwart the conspiracies of the so-called gods, establish a new order where humans and soul beasts can find balance, give you the grandest wedding this world has ever seen, and then live with you, free from all burdens, happily and peacefully, forever!'
He took a deep, steadying breath, filling his lungs with the sweet, buttery scent of the cake, and blew.
Whoosh!
The candles died as one, their tiny flames extinguished into wispy trails of smoke. In the sudden darkness, Lin Ximeng chuckled softly and moved to relight the soul lamps, bathing the room in a warm, steady glow once more.
"Happy birthday, Brother Yao Xuan!" Na'er's voice was like a silver bell, cutting through the quiet. She leaned forward, her large amethyst eyes alight with curiosity. "By the way, Na'er wants to know... what did Brother Yao Xuan wish for?"
"A wish?" Yao Xuan reached out and gently ruffled her silken hair, his smile tender yet touched with a gravity that belied his age. "That's a secret. They say if you tell your wish, it might not come true!" He saw a flicker of disappointment in her eyes and quickly added, his tone softening further, "However, I can tell you that it's a very, very beautiful wish. It's just... it might be a little difficult to make it come true. But I firmly believe it will come true in the future."
His words were not empty. The path he envisioned was one that would pit him against a meticulously laid, ten-thousand-year-old scheme orchestrated by a God King. It would require strength beyond that of demigods, perhaps even true deities. The road was fraught with peril that could shatter worlds. But gazing at Na'er's innocent face, feeling the primal power of the Ancestral Dragon sleeping within him, and with the Super God System as his guide, fear was a foreign concept. Contentment with mediocrity was never an option for Yao Xuan. The future of Douluo Continent would be reshaped by his will.
"Oh, okay, I understand, Brother Yao Xuan." Na'er nodded, her initial disappointment replaced by a look of pure, unwavering faith. "Although I don't know what Brother Yao Xuan's wish is, Brother Yao Xuan's wish is my wish. I will definitely help Brother Yao Xuan make your wish come true, and I believe that Brother Yao Xuan's wish can definitely come true!"
"Then I thank you in advance, Na'er." His heart ached with a protective fondness. The thought of this pure, lovely girl enduring the pain and torment he knew was her destiny was unbearable. He was determined to rewrite it all.
"Alright, you two, enough solemnity for one night! Come, let's eat this cake," Lin Ximeng interjected warmly, expertly slicing two generous portions and handing one to each child.
"Thank you, Mom!" Yao Xuan accepted his slice cheerfully.
But Na'er's reaction was different. Her gaze seemed to turn inward, a faint haze of confusion clouding her amethyst eyes for a moment before she slowly, almost absently, reached out and took the plate.
'Could it be? Is Na'er's memory starting to awaken?' Yao Xuan's smile didn't falter, but his mind raced. The original timeline gave her three years. The constant, subtle influence of his Ancestral Dragon aura, so akin to her own draconic origin, might very well have accelerated the process. A mix of helplessness and profound heartache washed over him. How he wished she could remain like this forever, sheltered and unaware under his protection. But that was a naive dream. All he could do now was strengthen his resolve and his power, to be ready to protect Gu Yuena when the storm of her past finally broke.
After the cake was finished and the table cleared, Na'er looked up at him, her eyes now holding a strange, distant light.
"Brother Yao Xuan... after dinner, can you come for a walk with me? At the beach?"
Her voice was soft, but the request felt heavy with unspoken meaning.
'It seems her memories are truly stirring,' Yao Xuan thought, his heart clenching. He turned to Lin Ximeng. "Mom, is it okay if Na'er and I go for a walk by the shore?"
"Of course, it's fine," Lin Ximeng replied with a gentle smile. "You're a big boy now, and a Soul Master. I trust you can look after both of yourself and Na'er. Just don't be out too late!"
"Okay, Mom. We won't." Taking Na'er's small, cool hand in his, he led her out of the house and toward the rhythmic whisper of the sea.
Aolai City, despite its name, was modest in size, more akin to a large town. It lacked imposing city walls, and in just twenty minutes, the tidy streets gave way to the open expanse of the coast. The vast, dark ocean stretched before them under a twilight sky, its endless, murmuring waves a testament to the world's immense, untamed scale—and the equally immense challenges that lay ahead for the boy and the girl standing at its edge.