A groan was the first sound to grace the room Wulin had been given in the morning, the rays of light cruelly striking the boy in his crimson eyes almost impossibly irritating. It was early in the morning, a bit earlier than his morning training, so he should have been able to sleep in a bit more but there was something more interesting than sleep at the moment.
[You're finally awake. I was beginning to worry that you'd entered another awakening meditation and I'd be stuck all alone for a few months.] Though the voice of Tang San was clearly full of amusement, a hint of worry was present as well. It may be exaggerated but Tang San's worries were very much real.
"Sorry pops, you'll have to deal with me for at least another decade." Stretching his body with a smile Wulin was very much aware of how his body had changed internally and it wasn't nearly as bad as he had thought.
The process of merging wasn't actually quite a merge in the truest sense but rather the sharing of memories. Wulin was still the very same Red Wulin he was when he first met his other half but he had taken in Gold Wulin's memories to become him as well.
Some may not see that as a true method of combination between two souls but Wulin was the dragon god's destructive half, he inherited quite a bit of knowledge on the soul. Or rather, Gold Wulin did. He had to work on that himself with the bits and pieces he and his father could gather.
The 'soul' wasn't a thing, not really anyway. It was a vessel just as the body was the vessel for the soul. The soul carried the memories, the things that made a person themselves. It was the unique experiences and perspectives built upon those experiences that made a person unique.
That was why Wulin was sure he was neither Red Wulin nor Gold Wulin. He was just himself, Tang Wulin. If he had to say, he was still mostly Red Wulin but that was because he had designed it that way.
Red Wulin was the basis while Gold Wulin was added information and that made a world of difference. In the end, he was still the same Red Wulin as always with the exception of a few new thoughts running around in his head.
[Take a look in the mirror.] Leaving those words hanging in the air Tang San didn't offer up any additional information and instead just chuckled quietly inside the mindscape. Humming thoughtfully Wulin could make a few guesses on what had happened but there was no better way to confirm than to see it with his own two eyes.
Standing in front of the mirror, the change was immediately obvious. Everything below the neck remained the same but his head was just a touch different. Instead of the crimson hair he had just gotten used to, golden locks of hair sat atop Wulin's head.
His hair was gold like Gold Wulin yet he retained his crimson eyes. In a way, it perfectly encapsulated the change that he had undergone. Though his body changed his eyes, the window to the soul remained the same. He had changed but he was the same person.
"Not bad…" Nodding his head in acceptance, Wulin wasn't all too worried about the change since his friends wouldn't make a fuss and the rest didn't really matter. Bloodline evolutions changing the body weren't exactly rare after all.
[My daughter in law is going to have to fight hard to keep you.] Laughing softly at the mental image of the Silver Dragon King desperately fighting to keep her mate Tang San was both serious and not. Wulin would never betray her but with his new looks and power, there was no denying he'd be a desirable husband.
It was difficult to claim he had gotten any more handsome since it was hard to improve once you were at the pinnacle but he had certainly gotten more attractive. Before today, Wulin was every bit as unapproachable as he was handsome. There was always an aura of danger around the boy that kept even the bravest woman away. But now? That barrier was gone.
That sense of danger was still present but it was subdued, always present but imperceivable like a ghost. In its place, a more tyrannical aura reigned supreme. Unending power and domination radiated off him and though Tang San personally didn't get it, many women liked that sense of haughtiness. Was it their desire to 'fix' their partner? Tang San never got it.
"Looks like both of us will have to fight for it now." Chuckling wryly, Wulin was excited to see Gu Yuena have to scare off the lustful gaze of others just as he was doing for her. A shared vexation may be good for them. If not, it'll at least be good for his amusement.
In the end, however, such matters would only come later. Rather than living his life wishing for Gu Yuena to return to his side, he had things he had to do if he wanted to deserve his spot at her side. Returning to his training would be best but he had something he had to do first.
His merging with Gold Wulin had a few benefits and shockingly that didn't include a physical boost. He already had access to Gold Wulin's blood so there was no change there and the gold hair was more of a spiritual realization than anything else.
Instead, there were two main boons. First and most obvious, Wulin now had access to some of the Dragon God's memories. It was far from as much as his partner retained but even the little bits and pieces he knew would be invaluable. He had planned on using her explanation alone but now that he knew how it worked better he could probably start that method sooner.
The second was the most immediately beneficial, however. Spreading his spiritual senses outward Wulin could feel the flow of something others couldn't even see all around him, a certain something that was both an undeniable construct of reality and also something that molded itself based on each person's perception.
Color faded from the world as he stopped the flow of time in the area of his spiritual sight, color swiftly vanishing as a world of grayness surrounded him. Speeding up the flow of time the exact opposite happened, the world outside slowing down while he and his surroundings moved even faster.
[A spiritual domain…] Wonder filled the Sea God's voice as he watched the world go still. Not even he could have expected this! At the young age of twelve, his son had done something most hyper douluo couldn't and surpassed the Silver Dragon King in her own field!
Though limited in scale, Wulin could freely manipulate the flow of time itself.
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Hey there, hope you liked the chapter.
Damn, time manipulation at the age of twelve? That's absurd even for me. For a while there I wasn't sure what kind of final boss could deal with the monsters of this generation but in hindsight the answer was in plain sight all this time. Literally too. I wonder, can you guess who the final boss will be and what my chosen twist is? If anybody figures it out, I'll update five chapters right then and there. I'm that confident you won't figure it out but who knows? Prove me wrong.
If you want more chapters, head to patre*on.com/TrapOverlord for up to 25 extra chapters. It isn't required but it'd be much appreciated.