"Xiaogang, you finally spoke to me."
Yu Yuanzhen stared deeply into Yu Xiaogang's eyes, his throat feeling tight and his lips dry from the sudden shock. At this moment, he could clearly feel his heart thumping wildly within his chest, a rhythmic pounding of pure joy.
"Father," Yu Xiaogang said softly.
He reached out and gently took his father's hand. When he compared it to his own small hand, Yu Yuanzhen's palm felt incredibly broad and rough. With his current size, the young boy could only grasp a single one of Yu Yuanzhen's thick fingers. Despite the physical difference, Yu Xiaogang felt very happy. He could finally touch his family in this life after years of being trapped inside his own mind.
He had heard Yu Yuanzhen's constant companionship over the past five years. Day after day, the man had sat by him and talked, and it was simply impossible not to be moved by such dedication. When he first underwent the process of Transmigration, Yu Xiaogang had felt completely lost regarding everything on the Douluo Continent. Back then, when he learned that he could not control his body because his spirit was too powerful for a child's frame, he actually felt a bit relieved. Because of that condition, he thought he would not have to interact with his new family or face the pressures of this world.
But as he grew day by day, Yu Yuanzhen never gave up on him and always cared for him. His feelings shifted from initial resistance to later acceptance. Eventually, he grew to want to break free from the uncontrollable state of his body. Yu Xiaogang gradually accepted Yu Yuanzhen as his true father and longed to reach out to him. Today, that simple wish was finally realized.
"Xiao Xiaogang, have you really regained your senses? Can you really see and hear me clearly now?" Yu Yuanzhen's voice carried an irrepressible excitement that made his words shake.
"Yes, Father. I am here," Yu Xiaogang replied with a firm nod, responding to the man's hope.
"Hahaha, wonderful! I knew it! I knew you could do it because you are my son!" Yu Yuanzhen rushed forward and lifted Yu Xiaogang high into the air. His face was overflowing with a hearty, booming smile that echoed through the room.
"Father, please put me down quickly!" Yu Xiaogang struggled as he spoke, his face turning a bit red. He was someone who had lived through two lives, after all. Even though he loved his father, he would rather skip this kind of childish interaction.
In the Black World at Shrek Academy, the older Yu Xiaogang stared at the screen. He watched the interaction between the now-lucid Dragon God Douluo Yu Xiaogang and Yu Yuanzhen on the heavenly curtain. He felt an inexplicable discomfort in his heart, a mix of bitterness and old resentment.
"Hmph, he only regained his senses at over five years old. He is having his Martial Soul Awakening at six just like everyone else. I will see what kind of junk he awakens. I bet he won't even be as good as me!" the older Yu Xiaogang let out a cold snort, speaking almost through gritted teeth.
Beside him, Flender was momentarily speechless upon hearing this. If he were not such good brothers with Yu Xiaogang, he would have wanted to mock him just like Zhao Wuji and the others were doing in secret. Flender thought to himself that the person on the screen eventually became a Titled Douluo. Even if his Awakening was worse, he clearly found a way to reach the top of the world.
Also standing aside without speaking was Yu Xiaogang's prized disciple, Tang San. He stared blankly at the father and son on the heavenly curtain. A sour flame of envy gradually rose in his heart as he watched the Sect Master embrace the boy. It was not that he wanted to be exactly like that with his own father, Tang Hao. He just thought about the lonely days he spent in Saint Spirit Village during those early years.
From the time he could remember, Tang San had taken on all the household chores by himself. Chopping wood, lighting the fire, cooking, and cleaning were all tasks he completed alone. His father, Tang Hao, drank alcohol all day and did not seem to care about anything. Looking at the screen, he saw the Dragon God Douluo version of Yu Xiaogang. That boy had a Titled Douluo father who took care of him and worried about him every single day. The boy did not have to do anything to receive that love.
They were both children. Tang San had always heard that sensible children are the ones family likes best. If that was true, then why was he so sensible while the gap between his life and others was so large? At this moment, even though Tang San considered himself a mature person with the soul of an adult, he could not help but feel a surge of jealousy. He felt deep resentment toward the Yu Xiaogang on the screen. Tang San, who had always been the model child, felt for the first time that the heavens were truly unfair to him.
The video on the heavenly curtain continued to play for all to see. The news of Yu Xiaogang regaining his senses shook the entire Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect. As the son of the sect master, even though Yu Xiaogang had been considered dim-witted before, many people had been paying attention to him.
"I didn't expect him to actually return to normal. It happened just in time for the Martial Soul Awakening ceremony next week," one disciple remarked.
"Hey, what kind of Spirit do you think our sect master's son will awaken? Do you think it will be a powerful dragon?" another asked.
"Who knows? But it's best not to get your hopes up. With the way he was acting before, what kind of good Spirit could he possibly awaken? It will probably be a mutation or something weak," a third disciple added.
The sect disciples were buzzing with discussion. Everyone was curious because it was almost time for the official ceremony. However, because of how Yu Xiaogang had been previously, most people held no real expectations for him. They assumed he would be a disappointment to his father's legacy.
Inside the Sect Master's residence, the atmosphere was much quieter. Yu Xiaogang looked at his father with a serious expression. "Father, what do you think would happen if I started to cultivate before the Martial Soul Awakening?"
Having regained his senses and now able to control his body, Yu Xiaogang wanted to be prepared. Although he was not very familiar with every detail of the plot, he knew that his body's natural talent was supposedly poor. He felt he had to do something before his Spirit had even awakened.
"Hmm? You want to start to cultivate before the Martial Soul Awakening? Why would you want to do that, Xiaogang?" Yu Yuanzhen looked at his son in confusion. It was common knowledge that cultivation usually started after the spirit appeared.
"Father, although I was in a daze before, I could hear the things you told me. I know that the Martial Soul Awakening determines a person's entire future. Given my situation and how long I was sick, I am worried," Yu Xiaogang explained.
He did not finish his sentence, but Yu Yuanzhen understood exactly what he meant. His son was afraid of awakening a poor Spirit and becoming the laughingstock of the Sect once again. He didn't want to be a burden.
"Xiaogang, don't worry about those things. With me here, it doesn't matter how poor the Spirit you awaken is. I am a Titled Douluo. I will see who dares to mock my son!" Yu Yuanzhen spoke with an overbearing air. As one of the strongest men in the world, he had the power to say such things.
However, hearing these words, Yu Xiaogang shook his head. "I'm not worried about them mocking me, Father. But I can't stand the thought of them mocking you because of me."
Yu Yuanzhen was stunned into silence. He looked at his small son, surprised by the boy's maturity. To become a Titled Douluo, Yu Yuanzhen had always been someone people looked up to. He was the leader of one of the Upper Three Sects. His life was almost perfect, but the gossip about his "idiot son" had been the only stain on his reputation.
Yu Xiaogang's expression was somewhat dejected as he continued. "My appearance and my condition have become a blemish on your life. I want to change that."
After his Transmigration, the care and protection provided by Yu Yuanzhen had made Yu Xiaogang truly love this man. The mockery that used to sound insignificant to him now felt like a sharp blade. If people mocked him, he wouldn't care much since he was an orphan in his past life and had seen it all.
But if they used his weakness to insult his father, he could not accept it. To wash away this blemish, he decided that he must make himself shine so brilliantly that no one would ever dare to call him a mistake again.