A Different Life

"It was all right, I guess. It's just that the teacher was a little... strange."

After thinking it over, Tang Wulin still politely settled on the word "strange."

"For some reason, she's extremely strict about our combat training. It's like she wants us to defeat someone... She probably wants us to pass the Class Promotion Tournament and become Class One, right?"

Xie Xie recalled what he had seen during class assignments and fell silent.

She probably didn't want to defeat Class One. She wanted to defeat Class 5, didn't she? Just unrequited love—what kind of grudge was this? How had it turned into this?

He did not tell Tang Wulin any of that. Instead, Xie Xie asked,

"Is the training hard?"

"It's not hard. Actually, the combat training has given me opportunities. After all, I'm pretty strong, and now I've become one of the preliminary candidates for the Class Promotion Tournament."

Tang Wulin quickly finished a bowl of white rice and asked for another. "Enough about me. How are things with you?"

"Class One gets great treatment, with all kinds of benefits. The teacher is very friendly too. He taught us a new Meditation Technique, and I'm almost a Two Rings Soul Grandmaster now."

"Really? That's amazing." Tang Wulin looked genuinely astonished.

"Amazing?"

Xie Xie's face darkened. "Do you remember those two people we ran into the day before class assignments?"

"Of course I remember." Tang Wulin nodded.

He had run into Huo Yuhao several times at the Academy afterward, and they had exchanged names. Naturally, he remembered.

"They're the real freaks!" Xie Xie began pouring out his grievances. "One is Level Twenty-seven, and the other is Level Thirty-three. When they fight, their presence is comparable to that of Four Rings Soul Ancestors! I thought I was the greatest genius around, but then I ran into them."

Tang Wulin's eyes widened as he stared at Xie Xie in shock. Seeing that Xie Xie did not seem to be lying, an idea arose in his heart.

Maybe I should tell the teacher later that our class shouldn't compete with Class One...

"Help! Robbery!"

A cry rang out over Snack Street.

Tang Wulin snapped back to attention and looked toward the sound. A Middle-aged Man came running out of an alley, his face pale. Two burly men with ugly expressions chased after him, blades in hand.

"You dare scream? I'll make you regret it today!"

Apparently angered by their failure to corner him, the two burly men continued pursuing the Middle-aged Man without any concern that they were in public.

Some passersby compared their own builds to those of the two men, then looked at the knives in their hands. None dared step forward to help.

Tang Wulin frowned and was about to get up to help, but Xie Xie grabbed him and pressed him back down.

"It's fine."

Xie Xie glanced at the two thugs' clothes and sneered.

"They're not locals from East Sea. No wonder they dare cause trouble here."

Tang Wulin was stunned. What did that mean?

The owners of the surrounding shops remained fairly calm as they watched, merely stepping back carefully to avoid getting caught up in it.

"What are you doing?!"

Before long, a powerful voice rang out, making the two little thugs stop. They turned around and saw a muscular man in uniform walking over, a fierce smile on his face.

Security Team?

Their expressions changed. They wanted to run, but the exposed skin of the Security Team man had already turned iron-gray. Patches of raised iron-gray scales emerged around his neck, and several Soul Rings rose around him. Before Tang Wulin could see clearly, the man stamped his foot and charged in front of them.

With two loud bangs, the two thugs were knocked to the ground before they could react. Two pairs of handcuffs were promptly fastened around their wrists.

"You didn't even bother finding out who protects this street before coming here to rob people?"

The man snorted, casually tossed the two thugs to his companions behind him, clapped his hands, withdrew his Martial Soul, and walked toward Tang Wulin's table.

"Boss, three bowls of Braised Beef in Pot and ten bowls of rice. I've eaten all around Eastsea City, and nobody's Braised Beef in Pot is as satisfying as yours."

"Coming right up, Captain Guang Long." Uncle Li was clearly familiar with him. "Not too busy lately?"

"Security around here has been pretty good. My body's practically rusting away from sitting in the office."

After finding a seat, Guang Long smiled. "Who would have thought that I'd run into two idiots while coming out for a meal with my colleagues?"

"They probably didn't know the Security Team station was nearby. They must be newcomers." Uncle Li replied with a smile.

Only then, as he saw Guang Long sitting a few meters away, did Tang Wulin fully process the battle from earlier. He cautiously studied Guang Long.

For some reason, when the other man released his Martial Soul just now, Tang Wulin had felt an inexplicable tremor in his heart, leaving him momentarily dazed... What had that been?

Come to think of it, he had not expected to see a Four Rings Soul Ancestor fight just by coming out for a meal. His teacher was a Soul King Strong Expert, but he had never seen her fight...

"If he hadn't been worried that those two would hurt the residents here, he wouldn't have used his Martial Soul at all."

Seeing Tang Wulin's cautious movements, Xie Xie found it rather amusing. "So don't let Captain Guang Long's tough appearance fool you. He's actually quite kind."

"Xie Xie, you know him?" Tang Wulin withdrew his gaze and asked.

"Whoever comes to this street often doesn't know him?"

Xie Xie said, "He's practically a well-known legend."

Guang Long, captain of the Security Team, had come from an ordinary family. His parents had both died, and he only had one Gege. However, the two brothers had good Martial Souls, both Sub-dragon Martial Souls. At six years old, they awakened their Martial Souls at the Spirit Pagoda. After obtaining Soul Spirits, they gradually began to stand out...

Listening to Xie Xie's account, Tang Wulin somehow felt as though he was seeing another version of himself. He felt inexplicably happy and wolfed down seven bowls of rice in a row, drawing Guang Long's attention.

Good heavens, he seems to eat even more than I do.

Guang Long smiled with interest and was about to look away when he noticed the Bracelet Tang Wulin always wore when going out, as instructed by his parents.

"..."

Guang Long pursed his lips, and a trace of envy flashed through his eyes. If he had possessed that back then, perhaps he could have gone even further...

But after thinking for a while, he smiled in relief.

If not for the Spirit Pagoda's support, only one of him and his Gege could have obtained a Soul Spirit. The other would have been unable to cultivate and would have spent his life burdened by envy and resentment. What kind of life would that have been?

Guang Long could not imagine it, but he still felt that such a life would not have been satisfying... He was already living quite brilliantly. Why should he envy anyone else?

When Tang Wulin ordered another serving of Braised Beef in Pot, Guang Long carried his own bowl over, sat beside him, and handed the food to him.

"You were just talking about me, weren't you? Then how about letting me hear your story?"

"Work hard from now on. Don't waste your talent for forging."

After listening to some of Tang Wulin's abridged experiences, Guang Long left behind the money, patted Tang Wulin on the shoulder, and got up to leave.

Tang Wulin watched Guang Long walk away, his face filled with confusion. "Xie Xie, why was Captain Guang Long interested in me?"

"You still don't know?" Xie Xie wore an expression that was hard to tell whether it was admiration or the look one gave a fool. "That Soul Tool on your hand represents a form of recognition from the Spirit Pagoda. Guang Long's Gege has one too. I saw it on this street before, so I recognized your Bracelet at a glance when I saw it."

Tang Wulin was curious. "Gege?"

Xie Xie rarely wore such a solemn expression.

"His Gege is the captain of the East Sea Mecha Brigade—Long Biao, a Seven-Ring Soul Saint! His status is comparable to that of the East Sea Administrator..."

Seven Rings?!

Those were the only words left in Tang Wulin's mind. He could no longer hear anything else, and his expression gradually turned blank.

That was a realm he did not even dare dream of, yet if Xie Xie was right, could he possibly achieve something similar?

"Little Wulin, you're a forging genius. Would you like to join us?"

The words of the Spirit Pagoda receptionist echoed in Tang Wulin's ears, stirring a powerful longing within him.

Could he... do it too?