Preparation

After testing it according to the recorded method, An Ping confirmed there were no problems. He stared at the silver gemstone and began considering what form to make it into.

After quite a while, Gu Yuena saw An Ping staring thoughtfully at the silver gemstone and asked, "What? Did it fail?"

An Ping shook his head. "Not that. I'm thinking about what shape to make it."

Gu Yuena said, "You scared me. So you were just agonizing over that? I thought it had failed. If you ask me, make it a necklace."

"A necklace? That works." An Ping nodded.

Now that he had decided what to make, it was simple. He took out some Mithril, made a band to secure the gemstone according to its shape, then fashioned a slender chain and threaded it through. That completed it.

Seeing An Ping use Mithril again, Gu Yuena asked, "Why does it feel like you especially like Mithril?"

An Ping nodded. "Of course. Aside from being a little expensive, Mithril is lightweight, highly malleable, and has excellent energy conductivity."

Gu Yuena said, "All right, it's finished. Let's go eat."

Having made the Alchemy Tool he needed, An Ping could finally relax a little. Over the next two days, whenever Gu Yuena asked him out to have fun, he went along with her.

Over those two days, they visited all sorts of malls and shopping streets, various entertainment venues, and finally the seaside.

For two whole days, they completely set cultivation aside, relaxing as they wandered freely through Eastsea City, going wherever they felt like going. By the time they returned to the academy, it was already the evening of the last day of vacation, and they each went back to their rooms to rest.

Not long after, An Ping heard a knock on his door. He thought Gu Yuena had something else to discuss, but when he opened it, he found Tang Wulin outside.

"Come to my room. I have something to tell everyone." With that, Tang Wulin headed toward the next door.

Before long, they had all gathered in Tang Wulin's room. Zhang Yangzi teased, "Captain, why did you call us all here?"

Tang Wulin did not mind Zhang Yangzi's teasing tone. He took a pile of metal objects from his storage ring and handed one to each of them. "I made some things. Hurry and try them on. If anything doesn't fit right, I'll adjust it."

Looking at the items in their hands, everyone unfolded them amid a series of clattering sounds. They turned out to be vests, made up of fingernail-sized pieces of metal like overlapping scales. Although they were metal, they were remarkably light.

Zhang Yangzi shook the metal vest in his hand, producing a clattering noise. "What material is this made of? It's so light."

Tang Wulin said, "It's a Rare Metal called Cloud Titanium. I used the Thousand Forging Method to forge, purify, and shape it. It's light, but its hardness and toughness are both excellent."

He paused and glanced at An Ping and Gu Yuena. "Although its effects are a little worse than Mithril's, it's much cheaper. I've observed that when we enter the Spirit Ascension Platform, the equipment will scan us and imprint everything we possess into the platform. Wearing these will give everyone an extra measure of protection."

Wang Jinxi said somewhat woodenly, "Does this count as cheating?"

Zhang Yangzi said irritably, "How is this cheating? We're just making reasonable use of our resources to improve our chances of surviving in the Riot Period Spirit Ascension Platform."

As he spoke, he had already taken off his outer jacket and put on the metal vest Tang Wulin had given him. He moved around a little. "It doesn't fit perfectly, but it's so light that it doesn't affect my movements at all. Jinxi, try punching me."

Unexpectedly given such a request, Wang Jinxi gave an "Oh" and punched Zhang Yangzi directly in the chest. With a bang, Zhang Yangzi staggered back two steps.

It looked like a heavy punch, yet Zhang Yangzi did not feel any pain. The test confirmed that its effect was indeed quite good.

Watching the two of them fool around, Tang Wulin urged, "Hurry up and try yours too. There's still time, so I can fix anything that doesn't fit properly."

After everyone had tried them on, Gu Yuena took the metal vest from An Ping's hands and returned both theirs to Tang Wulin. "We won't need them. Although they don't affect movement, they do create some interference with sensing the external elements. Besides, we both have life-saving skills, so they wouldn't be very useful."

"Is that so?" A trace of imperceptible disappointment flashed through Tang Wulin's eyes.

As he took the metal vests Gu Yuena handed over, he suddenly noticed the exquisite Mithril bracelet on her wrist. He looked at An Ping. "An Ping, do you have any Mithril left? Mithril has the best energy conductivity among metals, so it would be suitable for armor."

An Ping shook his head slightly. "There's only a little left. Forget about making armor."

Thinking this might be his chance to work with a metal like Mithril, Tang Wulin said eagerly, "Don't you have a box? There should be enough to make two vests. Isn't it a bit wasteful to use Mithril for a box?"

An Ping said, "No. That box is important."

Tang Wulin's tone became somewhat disappointed. "You really won't consider it? This Riot Period Spirit Ascension Platform opportunity is hard to come by. Wouldn't an extra layer of protection be better? Using Mithril for a box really is wasteful."

Gu Yuena said irritably, "How do you know it's wasteful? He can make whatever he wants with it."

Xie Xie stepped in to smooth things over, patting Tang Wulin on the shoulder. "Forget it. To them, one more piece of equipment would only be icing on the cake anyway."

Wang Jinxi also changed the subject with a joke. "I always knew you were a Forger, but I didn't expect you could already Thousand Forge. Do you think I have the aptitude to become a Forger?"

Tang Wulin had been interrupted and understood that they did not want him to sour their relationship. He said, "As for second professions, I think we should try to choose different ones. Then, once we can make Battle Armor in the future, we can complement one another."

Xie Xie nodded. "That makes sense. I've basically decided already. I'm choosing Mecha Manufacturer as my second profession. It requires the least technical skill. As long as you have practiced techniques, it's enough. It suits me best. What about you?"

Zhang Yangzi said, "I haven't decided yet."

"In that case, I'll choose Mecha Repair." Wang Jinxi said.

Seeing everyone look at him, An Ping said calmly, "Mecha Design."

Gu Yuena said, "I haven't decided either. Maybe Mecha Design as well, or perhaps something else."

"All right, that's it. We still have to go to the Spirit Pagoda tomorrow, so get some rest early tonight and recharge. Let's work hard together tomorrow." Tang Wulin extended his right hand as he spoke. Xie Xie was the first to respond, placing his hand over Tang Wulin's, followed by Wang Jinxi, Zhang Yangzi, An Ping, and Gu Yuena.

Together, they shouted, "Let's do this!"

Afterward, they left Tang Wulin's room one after another and returned to their own rooms to rest.