I Won't Go to the Spirit Ascension Platform

From the very beginning, Mang Tian had never intended to truly take Tang Wulin and Yun Mu as formal apprentices.

He knew perfectly well that, with the talent those two children possessed, they were bound to achieve great things in the future. How could his modest skills possibly hold them back?

If they missed the chance to study under even more capable masters because of him, that would truly be a sin.

And things later unfolded just as he had expected—his eldest apprentice, Yun Mu, became the apprentice of Divine Craftsman Zhen Hua, while his second apprentice, Tang Wulin, became the apprentice of Sage Craftsman Mu Chen. Both children had set foot on paths best suited to them.

After leaving the forging room, the two headed toward the academy.

At the entrance to the Blacksmith Association, Yun Mu caught sight of Mu Chen's daughter, Mu Xi, standing beside the doorframe.

But Tang Wulin's mind was entirely occupied with the feeling of his earlier forging. One moment, he was thinking about how to make his hammering steadier; the next, he was considering how to sense the metal's patterns more accurately. He did not notice Mu Xi at all.

When Mu Xi saw Yun Mu beside him, her face flushed slightly. In the end, she was too embarrassed to step forward and greet them, and could only watch as the two left the Blacksmith Association.

At the foot of the teaching building, Yun Mu patted Tang Wulin on the shoulder. "I'm heading back to the dorm first. If there's anything about forging you still don't understand, come find me tonight."

Tang Wulin had only just nodded when a crisp voice called from nearby, "Tang Wulin!"

The two turned and saw Ouyang Zixin. She wore a white tracksuit and had her long hair tied in a high ponytail. She stood there looking bright and lovely, but her eyes kept darting toward Yun Mu as she smiled at Tang Wulin. "So this is the Yun Mu idol you always talk about? You know each other?"

"He's my brother." Tang Wulin felt a little embarrassed under her gaze, and his face reddened slightly.

"Brothers? But the two of you don't look alike at all!" Ouyang Zixin covered her mouth and laughed, her gaze drifting toward Yun Mu again.

Seeing the way she looked at him, Tang Wulin suddenly felt a little stifled inside. He asked quietly, "Do... do you like my brother?"

"Huh? No, no!" Ouyang Zixin hurriedly waved her hands, her cheeks flushing as well. "I just really admire him, the same way I admire Teacher Wu!"

Afraid that Tang Wulin might misunderstand, she quickly changed the subject and pointed toward the distant field. "Look, it seems like some classmates are looking for you over there. Did you arrange to practice Soul Skills together? You should go on ahead. I need to get back to class too."

Only after watching the two finish talking and part ways did Yun Mu turn and return to his dormitory.

He had just sat cross-legged to begin cultivating when, before long, he faintly sensed a trace of killing intent—very weak, but unmistakably clear.

Frowning, he got up, pushed open the door, and looked outside.

Just in time, he saw Wang Jinxi and Tang Wulin walking over side by side. Wang Jinxi's gaze was somewhat evasive, and he did not look as relaxed as usual.

Yun Mu immediately understood. That killing intent had most likely come from Wang Jinxi.

But before Yun Mu could think further, Wang Jinxi seemed to realize something. His previously tense shoulders suddenly relaxed, and the gloom in his eyes disappeared.

He had probably suddenly remembered that, when Yun Mu had been targeted last time, Holy Spirit Douluo Yali had personally stepped forward to protect him.

With the little strength the Wang Family possessed, how could they dare challenge a Holy Spirit Douluo?

The moment that thought surfaced, he crushed it himself.

"Where are you two going?" Yun Mu asked with a smile, leaning against the doorframe.

Tang Wulin quickly answered, "Teacher Wu told Wang Jinxi and me to try cultivating together in the same room and see whether it has any effect."

"Oh? Then I'll go watch the excitement next door." Yun Mu straightened up, stepped away from the doorframe, followed the two, and entered Tang Wulin's dorm room with them.

The three sat cross-legged around the table. Tang Wulin and Wang Jinxi soon closed their eyes and entered cultivation, but Yun Mu did not begin cultivating right away. Instead, he calmed his mind and carefully sensed the flow and changes of the surrounding Soul Power.

They remained like that until the following morning, when the sky had only just begun to brighten. Tang Wulin and Wang Jinxi opened their eyes one after the other.

Yun Mu had not sensed any particularly obvious changes, but the moment Tang Wulin opened his eyes, he said excitedly, "Brother! I feel like my cultivation speed has increased quite a bit!"

Wang Jinxi nodded as well, surprise on his face. "I feel it too. Although a small portion of my Soul Power seems to drift toward Tang Wulin, overall, my cultivation is nearly ten percent faster than when I cultivate alone."

Yun Mu thought it over. In truth, he could vaguely sense that Tang Wulin was the key to accelerating Soul Power cultivation.

If it were Gu Yue instead, the effect might be even more obvious. After all, Gu Yue's Elemental Power and his Destruction Attribute might resonate with each other to some extent.

As they spoke, Wu Changkong pushed open the door and entered. His gaze swept over the three of them. "How did it feel? Did cultivating together have any effect?"

"Yes!" Tang Wulin hurriedly nodded. "My cultivation speed increased by around five percent!"

Wang Jinxi added, "Mine increased by almost ten percent. A small amount of Soul Power does flow toward Tang Wulin, but overall, it's still beneficial."

Yun Mu smiled and added, "I cultivated with Wulin for a while before, and I could feel an increase as well. It was smoother than cultivating alone."

After listening, Wu Changkong nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Then from now on, you'll cultivate together regularly and work with each other. Perhaps you'll discover even more possibilities."

The days passed one by one, and Tang Wulin and Ouyang Zixin began interacting more and more. Sometimes, Ouyang Zixin would ask him questions about Soul Master cultivation, though most of the time, she simply ran together with Tang Wulin.

Yun Mu watched it all, but he understood clearly—Tang Wulin's little crush on Ouyang Zixin was probably doomed to go nowhere.

After all, he knew Tang Wulin's future path, and he knew who was meant to walk beside him until the end.

Although he had already taken Na'er for himself, there was absolutely no possibility between Tang Wulin and this senior student.

But he had no intention of trying to persuade Tang Wulin. Some things could only be understood after experiencing them personally. Besides, Tang Wulin had his own thoughts; as his brother, Yun Mu had no need to make decisions for him.

In the blink of an eye, half a month passed.

That morning, as soon as everyone entered the classroom, Wu Changkong stood before the podium with a stack of cards in his hand and said bluntly, "There will be no class today. I'm taking you to the Spirit Pagoda."

The students below immediately became excited. The Spirit Pagoda!

Wu Changkong raised a hand, waiting for everyone to quiet down before continuing, "Starting today, one day every week will be set aside for you to cultivate in the Spirit Ascension Platform of the Spirit Pagoda. The academy specifically secured funding for this opportunity. You must cherish it. Once you enter, cultivate properly and do not waste your time."

The moment he finished speaking, Yun Mu suddenly raised his hand. "Teacher Wu, I won't be going to the Spirit Pagoda. I have no use for an opportunity at the Spirit Ascension Platform. Give my spot to another classmate instead. They might need it more."

Wu Changkong paused, likely not expecting Yun Mu to say that.

He glanced at Yun Mu. He knew this child had always had his own ideas, and given Yun Mu's strength, the Spirit Ascension Platform might indeed not bring him much improvement.

After considering it, he nodded. "All right, that's fine. I'll redistribute your spot to the other students."