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Na'er's sudden question didn't disrupt Xu Yuan's train of thought.
In fact, Xu Yuan had long been mentally prepared for this moment.
The information he had revealed was actually quite substantial.
To Tang Wulin and others, Xu Yuan hadn't disclosed much. He simply came across as someone with extraordinary intelligence-gathering abilities, possessing a unique knack for collecting and analyzing information. Even if there were one or two instances where he seemed to know too much, it wouldn't raise prolonged suspicion.
For instance, during the trip to Dragon Valley, both Tang Wulin and Gu Yue were at most surprised but didn't think that Xu Yuan knew all their secrets or grew suspicious of him.
At most, they believed that Xu Yuan had thoroughly prepared beforehand, which allowed him to handle things appropriately.
Na'er was different.
To be honest, Xu Yuan had entered the inner court at the age of seven. Although he hadn't formally become Yun Ming's disciple in the following three years, he was still the brightest star in the inner court.
Back then, completing six inner court trials in just three years had shocked the entire inner court.
And Na'er was another standout female prodigy of this generation.
There had been no shortage of disputes between them, to the point that by the time Xu Yuan officially became Yun Ming's disciple, their interactions were already friendly—a foundation built during those first three years.
Of course, if Xu Yuan hadn't consistently suppressed Na'er, perhaps she wouldn't have persistently challenged him but instead maintained a colder demeanor?
But there was no "what if."
The fact was that the two had been close from a young age.
Even though Xu Yuan knew everything, when faced with a living, breathing Na'er who was completely different from the original narrative, he naturally treated her sincerely.
He treated her like a younger sister, taking good care of her. Aside from occasionally pushing her to work harder, Xu Yuan had done his best in every other aspect.
Back to the topic at hand.
Tang Wulin and Gu Yue might feel surprise, but they wouldn't worry that Xu Yuan knew all their secrets.
Na'er, however, was different.
Over the years, Xu Yuan had shared many principles with her.
If one out of a hundred stories aligned with reality, it could be a coincidence.
But out of ten principles, seven or eight matched Na'er's situation, and the remaining two or three would eventually click into place as Na'er reflected on them later.
Even a fool would sense something was off.
Xu Yuan didn't answer. Instead, he reached out and gently patted Na'er's head.
"Senior Brother..." Na'er didn't push Xu Yuan's hand away. After a while, she slowly spoke.
"You... you don't want to see me disappear, do you?"
"Of course not. My Na'er is one of a kind. If anything were added or taken away, you wouldn't be you anymore," Xu Yuan said earnestly. "Do you understand? Whether another soul or consciousness is added, you would no longer be yourself."
"On the contrary, different consciousnesses mean different individuals. If they are also physically distinct, then they are two separate people."
"The so-called connection of consciousness is merely a special state."
Xu Yuan didn't hold back, nor did he care whether Na'er would question the source of his knowledge.
In truth, Na'er was curious but didn't ask.
"I know. Senior Brother once told me about conjoined twins who are physically connected at birth and some twins with special conditions who can sense each other's emotions. What I have is just a deeper form of telepathy," Na'er recited lightly, paraphrasing what Xu Yuan had previously explained to her.
It wasn't so much a recitation as it was her current personal understanding.
Xu Yuan looked at Na'er, detecting no trace of insincerity in her eyes.
She genuinely believed it.
Xu Yuan smiled and ruffled her neatly combed silver hair, messing it up.
"Ahh!! Bad Senior Brother!" Na'er quickly swatted his hand away, baring her teeth and looking ready to pounce on him.
Xu Yuan swiftly withdrew his hand, leaping back and releasing the spiritual barrier. He coughed twice to signal that someone was approaching.
Na'er belatedly turned around and noticed Tang Wulin watching them with an odd expression.
Her face flushed slightly, and she quickly regained her usual aloof demeanor.
"Big Brother Xu." Tang Wulin awkwardly scratched his head.
"Wulin, did you need something?" Xu Yuan asked, puzzled.
"Mmm..."
Tang Wulin was dragging his words, and Xu Yuan could tell how difficult it was for him to speak.
"It's just..."
"Big Brother Xu, the technique you used to absorb the energy of those Abyss creatures on Sea God Island earlier—was that the Devouring Heaven and Earth Technique?" Tang Wulin finally mustered the courage to blurt out his question.
Xu Yuan's eyes flickered.
From Tang Wulin's question, Xu Yuan immediately understood his intentions.
Still harboring ulterior motives, huh?
To be honest, Xu Yuan had previously struck a deal with Tang Wulin regarding this during the Eastern Sea Grand Competition.
However, Xu Yuan hadn't taught Tang Wulin the Devouring Heaven and Earth Technique. Instead, he chose to trade another method—the Fusion Secret Technique.
Compared to the Devouring Heaven and Earth Technique, the Fusion Secret Technique didn't provide Tang Wulin with significant improvements—at least not from Xu Yuan's perspective, informed by his knowledge of the original storyline.
In reality, the Fusion Secret Technique made Tang Wulin stronger in the early stages, didn't hinder him in the later stages, and even smoothed out his mid-stage progression.
For Xu Yuan, this was entirely acceptable.
On the other hand, teaching Tang Wulin the Devouring Heaven and Earth Technique would have been foolish.
Why had Tang Wulin been able to recognize that Xu Yuan was using a secret technique to enhance his digestion? Wasn't it because of the divine awareness of Tang San, the God King within him?
Xu Yuan had always been fully aware of this.
Since even Tang San valued it, the cost was clearly beyond what Tang Wulin could afford.
Not only back then but even now, after multiple refinements, the updated version of the Devouring Heaven and Earth Technique remained unaffordable for Tang Wulin.
Thus, Xu Yuan decisively shook his head.
"Wulin, this secret technique is now deeply intertwined with my core cultivation method. It's impossible to teach it to anyone." Xu Yuan's tone was firm, emphasizing the word "anyone" clearly, even with Na'er standing beside them.
The Devouring Heaven and Earth Technique had become Xu Yuan's fundamental cultivation method, almost perfectly fused with his Jue and complementing its capabilities.
Fortunately, the initial version he had taught Xu Lizhi bore no resemblance to the current iteration.
Indeed, it was completely unrelated.
Even though Xu Yuan's refinement of this secret art had never taken a wrong turn, adhering strictly to the correspondence between the five elements and the internal organs, the true transformation of the technique came from his later research on the Green Light of the Plague Messenger and the Blood Demon of the Huang family's Three Ghosts.
Tang Wulin's gaze dimmed slightly.
He had somewhat expected this outcome.
During the events in Dragon Valley, both sides had schemed to claim the benefits of the Dragon God's soul, creating an underlying rift between them.
Moreover, their relationship had always had its barriers. Among the eight members of Shrek's Seven Monsters, Tang Wulin was the most isolated. He often trained with Xu Xiaoyan and Xie Xie, and even spent more time discussing battle armor with Gu Yue than interacting with the others.
"Big Brother Xu, is there really no room for negotiation?" Tang Wulin gritted his teeth, still unwilling to give up.
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