First Meeting Tang Wulin

"Mm."

Gu Yue nodded.

She naturally assumed she would be the one guiding Su Ming.

Watching the relationship between the two grow closer, Zhang Tianyang smiled. "Young people should interact more with others their own age."

Zhang Tianyang said to Gu Yue, "I've already activated all the Spirit Soul Research Institute permissions you need. I'll personally take you over there in a bit so you can familiarize yourself with the place. There are only seven Soul Spirit Research Institutes in the entire Spirit Pagoda, and only Skysea City has one in the Skysea Alliance. If you're truly interested in Soul Spirit research, you can come study here."

Gu Yue shook her head.

"Eastsea Academy is quite good."

"Alright, I won't force you. In that case, you can only come during holidays. Fortunately, transportation is very convenient in this era. Eastsea City is quite close to Skysea City, and a round trip on the Soul Train takes less than two hours."

"Thank you, Tower Master Zhang," Gu Yue said.

"Let's go. I'll take you there," Zhang Tianyang said.

Su Ming had no interest in Soul Spirit research.

He simply hadn't expected Gu Yue to activate those permissions the moment she joined the Spirit Pagoda.

It could only be said that her purpose in joining the Spirit Pagoda was very clear.

"Teacher, you said Gu Yue is from Eastsea City?"

Before Zhang Tianyang could leave, he heard Su Ming and turned back to glance at him. "Yes."

"Then let me know when Gu Yue leaves. I'll go with her. Teacher Zhen Hua asked me to deliver something to the Eastsea City Blacksmith Association."

"I'll personally take the two of you there," Zhang Tianyang said.

Su Ming did not wait around idly. He returned to his Cultivation Room and, since he had enough time, carried out a round of Thousand Forgings.

His luck was quite good. He completed Thousand Forgings First Grade.

Forging depended on luck, but it also relied on skill.

Once one's forging skill met the standard, even the chances of Soul Forging could be improved.

The same was naturally true for Thousand Forgings First Grade. Su Ming had only broken through to Thousand Forgings First Grade three months ago. He had learned many techniques from Zhen Hua and absorbed them all at once, but had yet to fully digest them. His chance of producing Thousand Forgings First Grade was only around forty percent.

The spiritual glow before him gradually receded. Su Ming tested the piece of metal, then tossed it into his Storage Bracelet in disappointment, intending to sell it later.

"It's not a time-related trait again."

Su Ming sank into thought.

"Time-related traits are far too rare. Aside from the first piece of Sinking Silver I successfully forged to Thousand Forgings, which possessed the Delayed Activation trait, I haven't succeeded a second time in all these years."

Dou Yi's Su Ming had also used Blood Sacrifice to complete that era's first Thousand Forgings, yet it had not produced a time-related trait.

"It doesn't have much to do with Blood Sacrifice. The main issue lies elsewhere."

"Luck is one factor, and technique is another. There must be something wrong with the state I'm in."

Su Ming reflected for a while.

By the time he finished, Zhang Tianyang had also finished showing Gu Yue around the Spirit Soul Research Academy and told Su Ming to head to the rooftop.

An hour later.

Eastsea City Blacksmith Association.

Su Ming and Zhang Tianyang jumped out of the mecha. Zhang Tianyang waved a hand and stored the mecha away in a storage Soul Tool.

Gu Yue had already been dropped off at Eastsea Academy midway.

"Let's go."

Su Ming entered the Blacksmith Association before him.

"Hello, how may I help you?"

"I'm looking for President Mu Chen," Su Ming said.

The receptionist was slightly startled.

She did not doubt Su Ming, since he and the senior behind him had just jumped out of a Red-grade Mecha.

Very quickly, the receptionist connected a call to the president's office.

"Hello?"

A deep voice came from the other end of the line.

"President, someone is here to see you."

"I understand. Bring them up."

"This way, please."

The receptionist led the two to the elevator and up to the top floor, then brought them to the door of the president's office.

She knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Mu Chen's voice came from inside the room.

Su Ming looked through the doorway and saw his Martial Uncle Mu Chen. Beside him stood a man and a woman. The man was about Su Ming's age and rather... pretty-looking, while the girl was much older.

"What brings Tower Master Zhang to the Eastsea City Blacksmith Association?"

Mu Chen knew Zhang Tianyang. He had just spotted that Red Mecha through the window.

When Tang Wulin had seen the Red-grade Mecha just now, he had practically pressed himself against the window and drooled with envy. Mu Chen had looked at him in disappointment and told him that Zhang Tianyang was too flamboyant, flying around everywhere in a Red-grade Mecha. Sooner or later, someone would shoot him down.

"I'm not here to see you. My disciple is," Zhang Tianyang said.

Only then did Mu Chen turn his attention to Su Ming and examine him carefully. He was slightly surprised. "This is the disciple you took in? With these Soul Power Fluctuations, don't tell me he's already a Soul Grandmaster?"

Tang Wulin and Mu Xi, standing nearby, were both shocked.

A Soul Grandmaster?

"He's the same age as me, yet he's already over level twenty!" Tang Wulin suddenly felt enormous pressure.

Mu Chen swept his gaze over Su Ming and noticed the signs of frequent forging on him. A guess formed in his heart, and he immediately remained perfectly composed. "What have you come to see me for?"

"My forging teacher asked me to come here and deliver something to Martial Uncle."

A forging teacher?

He already had a teacher?

Then why was he looking for me?

These thoughts flashed through Mu Chen's mind.

Wait, he called me Martial Uncle?

Who was my Martial Brother?

Zhen Hua?

"You're Zhen Hua's disciple?"

"Yes."

"What did he ask you to bring me?" Mu Chen instinctively sensed that something was off.

Given Zhen Hua's personality, for him to specifically send his disciple to deliver something... could it be...

Perhaps because he himself had vaguely entertained the same thought, an uneasy premonition arose in his heart.

"This junior doesn't know. It's all inside this Storage Bracelet."

Su Ming removed the large bracelet from his right wrist and handed it to Mu Chen.

Mu Chen took the bracelet, injected Soul Power into it, and sensed what was inside. The corner of his mouth twitched.

Inside was a batch of Thousand Forgings metal. The amount was not large, unlike aid from Headquarters to a branch.

The auras of this batch of Thousand Forgings metal were all similar, as though they had come from the same person's hands. There were fifty pieces in total, every one of them at the Thousand Forgings First Grade level!

"Very good. Martial Uncle is quite satisfied with this gift." Mu Chen forced a smile and said to Su Ming, "You can come to Eastsea City more often when you have the time."

"I will," Su Ming said.

"What's your name?"

"Su Ming."

"Mm. How old are you?"

"Nine."

Mu Chen fell silent for a moment.

"Wulin, you two are the same age."

Tang Wulin had no idea what was inside the bracelet and merely answered, "Yes, Teacher. I'm nine too."

"You can interact more in the future. Only competition gives people motivation," Mu Chen said.

Tang Wulin was completely baffled.

"Since you're Martial Brother's disciple, then as your Martial Uncle, it shouldn't be a problem if I want to see your forging skills, right?"

"Of course not."

"Come on, Wulin. You come too. Learn more from your Martial Brother Su Ming."

Tang Wulin followed along blankly.