Mu Tian faltered slightly before instantly being influenced by Tang Wulin's self-confidence. Prior to their match, he had thought that Tang Wulin was rather arrogant, but after facing him in battle and receiving guidance from him, Mu Tian had developed a sense of respect toward him.

Pride stemmed from power; pride without power was idiocy, whereas pride that was backed up by power was confidence!

"I've already made up my mind; after this competition, I'm going to return to the Northsea Legion and apply for leave, then go to Shrek Academy. I wonder if Shrek Academy will accept me."

Tang Wulin smiled, and said, "If you give it a shot, you'll have a chance, but if you don't, you'll have no chance."

Mu Tian's heart stirred slightly upon hearing this, and he said, "I understand. I'll stay to watch all of the matches, particularly yours. I wish you luck in securing the ultimate prize."

Tang Wulin chuckled, "I'll do my best."

Of course, he couldn't tell Mu Tian how to enter Shrek Academy and what Shrek Academy would give him as doing so would blow his cover. If Mu Tian still couldn't take this opportunity even after everything that Tang Wulin had told him, then it simply wasn't meant to be.

Shrek Academy required more talent, particularly in the form of teachers, for its rebuild. Mu Tian was from the Northsea Legion, and the Tang Sect had already investigated his background to ascertain that he was a trustworthy individual. If a seasoned military veteran like Mu Tian could join Shrek Academy, then the education of the outer court disciples would definitely benefit significantly. The experience that the military had in training soldiers had been honed and refined over many years. Even though it couldn't produce freakish talents like Shrek Academy could, the military's training methods were definitely still worth incorporating and learning from.

Shrek Academy was still a wealth of cultivation information, and there were still many powerful beings among its ranks, so there really was a very good chance that Mu Tian would be able to make further progress there.

"Let's talk, Wulin." Right at this moment, a captivating voice rang out in Tang Wulin's ears.

Tang Wulin reflexively stopped in his tracks. He couldn't sense anyone beside him with his spiritual power, so he was slightly stunned to hear this voice. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that his spiritual power had reached an extremely advanced level, and he was one step away from being able to achieve mental manifestation, which was a signature ability of Limit Douluos.

However, he was still completely unable to sense where she was, which meant that her spiritual power was definitely superior to his.

"Go on ahead; I have some things I need to take care of," Tang Wulin said.

Mu Tian gave an affirmative response, then extended a bow toward Tang Wulin before departing.

"Go back to where you're staying first." Her voice sounded within Tang Wulin's ears again.

Tang Wulin's brows furrowed slightly upon hearing this. For some reason, he felt like there was something off about the way she was speaking.

He quickly returned to his room in the blacksmith association, yet just as he was about to focus on sensing her presence, a silver door suddenly appeared before him amid a flash of silver light, and she emerged from within it.

She was still as beautiful as ever, and she was wearing a long dark blue dress that further accentuated her regal beauty.

"Gu Yue." A gentle look immediately appeared in Tang Wulin's eyes at the sight of her.

"Wulin, you should leave," Gu Yuena said in a quiet voice, and a hint of exhaustion flashed through her eyes as she spoke.

Tang Wulin raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. "What do you mean by that?"

Gu Yuena replied, "I don't want you to participate in this event; you should leave."

Tang Wulin's expression fell slightly. "You want me to leave so you can choose Qiangu Zhangting?"

Gu Yuena looked into his eyes with a complex expression, as if she were wordlessly communicating the question "do you trust me?".

Tang Wulin's answer was immediate and decisive. "I trust you, but I'm not going to leave."

Gu Yuena sighed, "As I'm sure you've already guessed, I've stayed in the Spirit Pagoda this entire time not because of how powerful it is as an organization, but instead because I have an ulterior motive. In a sense, the Spirit Pagoda is my enemy, and only by staying there can I better target them. This joust for a spouse event is a part of my plan, but you're currently destroying my plan. I don't want you to get swept up in this as it'll put you in a lot of danger. Qiangu Dongfeng is a madman at heart; I don't want you to be in any danger."

She paused here for a brief moment before continuing, "I won't let anyone else touch me aside from you."

Tang Wulin had been rather perplexed and even a little displeased by what Gu Yuena had told him, but that final heartfelt declaration instantly made his heart completely melt.

He reached out to embrace her familiar and enchanting body, and as he inhaled her unique fragrance, his heart was filled with satisfaction.

Gu Yuena returned his embrace in a very natural manner, and she was also blissfully content. The sense of safety that she derived from being in his arms made her unconsciously close her eyes, and she suddenly realized that she was becoming less and less able to resist him. In fact, she no longer even wanted to try and resist him.

"You never told me why the Spirit Pagoda is your enemy, and I don't see how that conflicts with our relationship. All of the leads we've gathered point to the Spirit Pagoda playing a role in the destruction of Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect headquarters, so why can't we face this common enemy together?"

"It's not the same," Gu Yue said in a quiet voice.

Tang Wulin insisted, "How is it not the same? I understand that it's easier to destroy something from the inside, but this is too dangerous for you; I don't want you to take such a risk. Can't you place more trust in me? I'm going to continue participating in this joust for a spouse event no matter what. I won't allow you to belong to anyone else, even if it's just for show."

"It's not the same," Gu Yue repeated, "Wulin, please leave or just forget about me."

Tang Wulin's expression changed slightly upon hearing this, and he grabbed onto Gu Yue's shoulders to put some distance between them, then looked into her eyes with a scorching gaze, "Say that again."

Gu Yuena's eyes were filled with complex emotions as she said, "Forget about me, Wulin, or you'll be in even more pain in the future than you are now. There's no way that we can be together. I can't tell you the reasons behind this, but if there were even the slightest possibility that things could work out between us, I wouldn't be saying this to you. Just forget about me; it's the best choice you'll ever make."

"What exactly are you hiding from me? Why can't you just tell me? I'll stand by your side no matter what! Can't we face everything together?"

"We can't!" Gu Yue suddenly yelled as she shrugged off Tang Wulin's hands, and a frosty look also appeared in her eyes.

"There's no way we can face my issues together unless you can betray the entire human race, the Tang Sect, Shrek Academy, your friends, even the entire world! Can you do that?"

Her voice suddenly became very cold and forceful, but upon closer inspection, one would discover that her hands were trembling slightly, clearly indicating that she wasn't as calm and detached as she looked.