On the day before his birthday, Ne Zha, who was fed up with being cooped up at home, decided to sneak out again. He was determined to have some real fun on his own. As he roamed the outskirts of Chentangguan, he noticed a strange figure in the distance. It was a young boy, dressed in white, with a calm and elegant demeanor.

  Ne Zha's curiosity was immediately piqued. "Hey, you! Who are you?" he shouted, flying towards the boy.

  The boy, who was Ao Bing, turned around slowly. He looked at Ne Zha with a hint of caution in his eyes. "I'm just passing by. Who are you?" he replied politely.

  Ne Zha landed in front of Ao Bing, sizing him up. "I'm Ne Zha! The one and only in Chentangguan. You don't look like you're from around here," he said, his eyes full of suspicion.

  Before Ao Bing could answer, a group of sea monsters suddenly emerged from the nearby sea. These monsters were on a rampage, attacking everything in their path. The villagers nearby started to scream and run for their lives.

  Ne Zha's eyes lit up. "Finally, some real action! You stay here, I'll handle this," he said to Ao Bing, and then rushed towards the sea monsters.

  Ao Bing, seeing the danger, couldn't just stand by. He decided to join Ne Zha in the fight. He summoned his ice - magic powers and launched a series of ice - based attacks at the monsters.

  Ne Zha was surprised to see Ao Bing's skills. "Not bad! You can actually fight," he exclaimed, while using his fire - magic to fend off the monsters.

  The two of them fought side by side, their powers complementing each other perfectly. With their combined efforts, they managed to drive the sea monsters back into the sea.

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  After the battle, Ne Zha walked up to Ao Bing, a big smile on his face. "You're pretty cool! What's your name again?" he asked.

  Ao Bing smiled faintly. "I'm Ao Bing. It was nice working with you," he said.

  Ne Zha patted Ao Bing on the shoulder. "Well, Ao Bing, you're the first one who's not afraid of me. Wanna be friends?" he asked hopefully.

  Ao Bing was a bit taken aback by Ne Zha's directness, but he nodded. "Sure. Why not?" he replied.

  The two boys then sat down on the beach, chatting and laughing. Ne Zha told Ao Bing about his life in Chentangguan, how he was always misunderstood and rejected by the townspeople. Ao Bing listened quietly, feeling a sense of empathy for Ne Zha.

  In return, Ao Bing shared some of his own stories, although he was careful not to reveal his true identity as a dragon from the Dragon Clan and the reincarnation of the Spiritual Pearl. He didn't want to complicate their new - found friendship.

  As the sun began to set, painting the sky with hues of orange and pink, Ne Zha realized it was getting late. "Oh no! I have to go back home before my parents find out I'm missing. See you tomorrow at my birthday party, okay?" he said, getting up in a hurry.

  Ao Bing nodded. "Sure. I'll be there," he said with a smile.

  Ne Zha then flew back towards Chentangguan, feeling happier than he had in a long time. For the first time, he had made a friend who didn't see him as a monster. And Ao Bing, too, was looking forward to the birthday party, excited to spend more time with his new friend. Little did they know that their friendship would soon face a great test, and their true identities would be revealed in the most unexpected way.