"I made it into the final eight, but today's match was a little perilous; I didn't think that my opponent would be able to teleport his fire attribute soul skill directly into my mecha. Thankfully, doing so must have been very taxing to him, and I was able to defeat him with my Golden Dragon Spear before my mecha was destroyed."

"I'm glad you won, but do take care, Father. You have to come visit me after the competition, and you have to stay for at least a few extra days when that time comes."

"Alright, I'll be sure to do so; you make sure to be a good girl as well. Did you eat anything good today?"

A surge of warmth flowed through Tang Wulin's heart at the sound of Gu Yuena's voice, and he ended the call after chatting with her for a while longer.

After that, he departed from the Blood God Battalion as it was time for his afternoon coffee again.

After he arrived at the cafe, he was surprised to discover that someone had already taken his usual seat; it was none other than that Senior Colonel Qian whom he'd met once before.

Tang Wulin strode over and sat down across from him before ordering a black coffee for himself.

Qian was looking rather dejected, and he was cupping his hands tightly around his coffee cup with a pair of furrowed brows.

Tang Wulin's heart stirred slightly as he asked, "Are you looking for me?"

Qian looked up at him, and asked, "You're Number 66, right?"

"Yes." Tang Wulin nodded in response. They were both in the same legion, so he had nothing to hide.

Qian nodded, and continued, "I was unable to make it to the final 16 of the mecha battles, so you're better than me in that discipline. However, if we encounter one another in the next round of Soul Master battles, I want to see your true power. You haven't used any of your signature abilities during your mecha battles; are you trying to hide your identity?"

Tang Wulin's heart stirred slightly. "I only use the most suitable abilities in battle."

Qian finished the rest of his coffee in a single mouthful before nodding at Tang Wulin, then stood up and departed from the cafe.

What a strange guy! He seemed to be very competitive and keen on facing Tang Wulin.

That brief interlude from Qian didn't affect Tang Wulin's good mood at all.

His coffee was soon brought to him, and as he inhaled its rich fragrance, he couldn't help pick up the cup and take a boiling hot sip.

Right at this moment, a gentle voice sounded from beside him. "Congratulations."

Tang Wulin turned to discover that Long Yuxue was standing beside him. It seemed that she had already returned to normal.

She was a soldier, after all, so her mental fortitude was far stronger than that of the average person.

"Thank you. Take a seat; do you want something to drink? I'll treat you," Tang Wulin offered with a smile.

Long Yuxue sat down across from Tang Wulin before ordering a cup of her favorite hazelnut coffee. She then turned to Tang Wulin, and asked, "Do you have a picture of her?"

"A picture?" Tang Wulin faltered upon hearing this. In his memory, he hadn't taken many photos with her, but in that instant, he suddenly recalled that back at his home, which he hadn't visited for a long time, there were still pictures of his parents and Na'er!

He had never thought about those pictures ever since he left home, and all of a sudden, he was struck by a sense of homesickness. His father and mother had been missing for so many years; if he didn't look at their pictures, he would be close to forgetting what they even looked like.

To Long Yuxue's surprise, tears suddenly began to well up in Tang Wulin's eyes. 

"Are you alright? Did something happen between the two of you?" she asked in a concerned voice.

Tang Wulin took a deep breath to calm himself down before shaking his head in response. "No, it's just that I was suddenly reminded of my family when you mentioned pictures."

Long Yuxue prompted, "I've never heard you talk about your family before."

A wry smile appeared on Tang Wulin's face. "My parents disappeared when I was still a very young child. I don't know where they went, but all I can deduce is that they seem to have been abducted. I'm working so hard in my cultivation to become more powerful so I can find them someday."

Long Yuxue exclaimed, "That's horrible! Do you have any leads?"

Tang Wulin shook his head in response. "Not at the moment, but I'll definitely find them."

Long Yuxue continued, "Do you have any pictures of her?"

Tang Wulin shook his head with a wry smile again. "You've really stumped me there. Only after you asked this did I realize that I don't even have a picture of the two of us together. I really owe her far too much. When I see her again, I'll take a picture with her to show you."

A faint smile appeared on Long Yuxue's face. "I just want to see what kind of person I've lost to."

Tang Wulin's heart stirred upon hearing this. Had she still not completely given up on him? "How about I draw her for you?"

"Sure!"

Tang Wulin asked for a pen and a sheet of paper from a waiter before slowly beginning to draw. He certainly wasn't a master artist, but don't forget that as a powerful Soul Master, he had learned to engrave circuits before. Furthermore, he had exceptional bodily control and spiritual power, so it wasn't beyond him to draw a figure that dwelled in the deepest part of his mind.

Long Yuxue sat across from him as he carefully drew out her rival in love, and a hint of bitterness suddenly welled up in her heart. She had truly been in a lot of pain these past few days. This was the first time that she'd ever fallen in love, yet his heart already belonged to someone else.

Her mother had told her that if she loved someone, then she had to fight for them, and that it was much better to at least make an effort rather than mope around all day, even if she were destined to fail. Hence, after some careful consideration, she finally mustered up the courage to appear before Tang Wulin again.

He was only drawing a simple portrait, so it didn't take long before his drawing was complete.

However, even Tang Wulin himself suddenly faltered at the sight of the drawing he had just made because the portrait on the page wasn't that of the current Gu Yuena. Instead, it was a woman who wasn't particularly beautiful, but had a pair of remarkably bright eyes and a special disposition that set her apart from everyone else.

This was the young woman who had remained by his side for many years and only ever completely opened herself up to him.

It was Gu Yue!

Tang Wulin was a little stumped. Even now, he still didn't know why Gu Yue had taken on Na'er's appearance, while Na'er seemed to have completely disappeared.

He could only speculate that there was some kind of connection between them, but he wouldn't be able to get any answers before Gu Yuena recovered her memories.

In the end, the one he loved was still Gu Yue!

Long Yuxue had already scooted over to his side, and her brows involuntarily furrowed at the sight of the rather plain set of facial features on the portrait.

This wasn't because Gu Yue wasn't as beautiful as her, but instead, her reaction stemmed from the gentle and passionate look in Tang Wulin's eyes as he appraised the portrait.

An overwhelming sense of disappointment welled up in Long Yuxue's heart, and there was a bitter taste in her mouth that was rendering her unable to speak. Deep in her heart, she knew that she didn't even have the slightest chance with him. The woman on the portrait was far too deeply embedded in his heart, and it was clear that no one would be able to take her place.

Tang Wulin continued to stare at the portrait of Gu Yue, and he didn't even notice when Long Yuxue had left. It seemed that he would never be able to see Gu Yue's familiar features again. At the same time, the images of Gu Yuena and Gu Yue gradually began to overlap in his mind, and his eyes seemed to have become slightly glazed over. Even he didn't know who it was that he loved, but his heart was filled to the brim with his love.

His coffee had already cooled; this was the first time that he'd wasted the coffee that he enjoyed so much. He carefully folded the portrait before tucking it into his inner pocket, and only then did he stand up to leave.

He was beginning to miss her again...

The first elimination round of the finals of the Star Battle Net Inter-federation Competition had just been concluded, and the top eight had emerged. This made the atmosphere in the competition more intense than ever, and it was undoubtedly the case that Tang Wulin was a hot favorite in the competition, but he definitely wasn't the only one.

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