Douluo Dalu: Beginning with Signing in with Yan Lingji

"Why are you thanking me? A woman as beautiful as you will always have people willing to do even more for you," Zhao Ming said with a smile.

"Would you like to take a walk with me? Staying in the same place for too long can make anyone feel stifled." Zhao Ming gently held Gu Yue Na's delicate hand.

Gu Yue Na's hand was soft. If her waist was this soft too, it would be an incredible feeling to hold her close.

"Mm. It's been a long time since I last went out for a walk." Gu Yue Na nodded gently, her voice soft.

"Alright, let's walk by the Lake of Life. It's beautiful there," Zhao Ming suggested, pulling Gu Yue Na close, his arm around her slender waist.

Of course, Zhao Ming was merely holding her in a simple gesture; he had no ulterior motives. Even if he wanted to, he would need Gu Yue Na's permission first.

Surprisingly, Gu Yue Na did not resist. She quietly allowed Zhao Ming to hold her.

The two of them emerged from the depths of the lake, strolling along its shore.

For a long while, they walked in silence.

Gu Yue Na's beautiful eyes glanced at Zhao Ming, and a hint of shyness appeared.

How long was he planning to hold her? From the beginning until now, he hadn't let go.

And his hand… it was growing bolder.

"Haven't you had enough of holding me?" Gu Yue Na's eyes looked at Zhao Ming, filled with a hint of embarrassment.

Today, she didn't know why, but she had foolishly allowed Zhao Ming to hold her hand. And now, he was holding her like this.

It was the first time someone had held her like this. In the past, no one—neither men nor women—had ever touched her sacred body.

However, deep inside, she didn't feel any dislike for Zhao Ming's behavior.

"Not enough. No matter how much I hold you, it's never enough," Zhao Ming replied with a smile. Gu Yue Na was so beautiful, and he had wanted to hold her for so long that, now that he finally could, how could he possibly have had enough?

Reluctantly, he released his hold on Gu Yue Na's slender waist. Although he was reluctant, he knew they weren't that close yet.

At the lakeside, surrounded by birdsong and the fragrance of flowers, the blue surface of the Lake of Life shimmered beautifully under the sunlight. Gu Yue Na stood in a white dress, admiring the view, her long, silvery hair cascading down like a river. Her unique scent filled the air, refreshing and intoxicating.

Zhao Ming held her hand, and the two of them stood quietly, gazing into the distance.

The Lake of Life was serene; they could only hear the wind, the gentle flow of the water, and the beating of their own hearts.

"Nana, what do you think our relationship is now?" Zhao Ming asked with a smile, feeling the warmth of the girl beside him. By now, Gu Yue Na was allowing him to hold her; surely, they weren't just friends anymore.

However, Zhao Ming hadn't heard the system's notification yet, indicating that Gu Yue Na hadn't fully accepted him.

"What do you think?" Gu Yue Na looked up, her beautiful eyes meeting Zhao Ming's. Even she couldn't quite define their relationship.

"If you ask me, I'd say we're lovers now," Zhao Ming said, his tone completely unrestrained.

Lovers?

Gu Yue Na was momentarily stunned, not expecting Zhao Ming to be so direct.

Her beautiful eyes darted away, avoiding his gaze.

"Senior, I know how you feel about me. I understand your intentions."

"But in my current situation, how can I even think about matters of love? The gods of the Divine Realm are still searching for me, always watching. Until I reclaim the Golden Dragon King's power and become the Dragon God, I can't entertain such thoughts. With your power, what can't you achieve in the future?" Gu Yue Na sighed softly, her voice gentle.

"This world—what is there that compares to you? What could possibly be more worth pursuing than you? What I want now is for you to be happy. If anyone dares to make you unhappy, I will destroy them. As for the Divine Realm, all the burdens you carry, let me bear them for you. Just give me ten years. In ten years, no one in this world will dare to harm you—not even the gods." Zhao Ming spoke, tightening his arms around Gu Yue Na, refusing to let her pull away.

Hearing Zhao Ming's words, Gu Yue Na's heart trembled, her eyes turning misty.

She was not the Dragon God; she was merely half of the Dragon God's power. She existed because the Dragon God was sealed by the gods. Though she escaped to the Star Dou Forest, she still had to hide from the Divine Realm's pursuit, dispersing her divine power to slowly heal herself.

In the Star Dou Forest, Di Tian and the others revered her, but did they truly understand her pain? Only Zhao Ming understood and cared for her.

At first, she thought Zhao Ming was interested in her beauty and wanted her body.

But she was wrong.

Zhao Ming had no such thoughts; he hadn't shown a hint of lust.

All these days, he had countless opportunities to take advantage of her, yet he hadn't. Even now, all they had done was hold hands and embrace. Zhao Ming showed her the utmost respect.

Everything Zhao Ming did wasn't to possess her body; it was to make her happy—nothing more.

Now, he was even willing to oppose the entire Divine Realm for her, taking on the world's most powerful forces for her sake.

Facing such a force, even for a powerful ancient entity like Zhao Ming, it would be challenging. After his rebirth, he was no longer as strong as before. He could have chosen to recover his strength slowly, but instead, he chose this perilous path.

All for her.

But what had she done for him?

At first, she only wanted to use his strength, intending for them to storm the Divine Realm together so she could reclaim the Golden Dragon King's power. Though she did have the intention of reviving the soul beasts, there was also a selfish motive mixed in.

She had been so selfish.

But he had been so selfless, thinking of her without reservation.

"Senior, how could I be worthy of your efforts?" Gu Yue Na shook her head gently, her voice soft. Tears glistened in her beautiful eyes.

"Because, in my heart, you are my woman. Even if you aren't now, you will be one day." Zhao Ming wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes.

Looking at the woman in his arms, Zhao Ming gave her a gentle smile.

In this world, Gu Yue Na was destined to be his.

In this world, Gu Yue Na had not suffered at the hands of the Tang family; she was pure, untainted, and perfect.

He loved this pure and innocent Gu Yue Na because she belonged solely to him.

"Ding, congratulations to the host for completing the mission."

"Mission reward: Five-million-year Ancient Undying Bird Torso Bone has been issued. Would you like to fuse it?"

"Fuse it, my foot! Can't you see I'm on a date with my darling Nana? Seriously." Zhao Ming chuckled. Hearing the system notification, he knew that Gu Yue Na had let go of her reservations and had developed feelings for him.

[•———•——•———•]

𝙥𝗮𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣(.)𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧

✨ • 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝙂𝙚𝙩 𝟲𝟬+ 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚.