Saving Enough, Anomaly

Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin had been excited the entire way home.

Three years—three whole years. They had forged diligently every day just to save enough money to buy Soul Spirits.

Although they had calculated last month that this month's pay should be enough, when they actually received it, they were still overwhelmed with excitement.

Thirty thousand Federation Coins each—sixty thousand Federation Coins between them!

To members of the Wealthy Class, that money might have meant nothing, but to an ordinary family like Tang Wuyang and Tang Wulin's, it was a massive sum.

After working so hard for so long, they could finally become Soul Masters.

"Dad, Mom, we saved enough! Wuyang and I saved enough to buy Soul Spirits!" Tang Wulin shouted excitedly as he dragged Tang Wuyang through the front door.

Na'er was sitting in the living room, still holding a half-eaten sugar-coated haw. "Wulin Ge, Older brother, you saved enough money to buy Soul Spirits?"

"Mm, we did. We finally have thirty thousand Federation Coins." Tang Wuyang nodded firmly.

The two of them rushed straight into their shared room and took their respective Iron Boxes from a drawer in the wardrobe.

Clutching the boxes like treasures, they returned to the living room. They sat on opposite sides of the room, opened the Iron Boxes in their hands, poured out all the money inside, and added the bills they had been carrying.

"One hundred, two hundred, three hundred... twenty-nine thousand one hundred, twenty-nine thousand two hundred... twenty-nine thousand nine hundred, thirty thousand, thirty thousand one hundred, thirty thousand two hundred, thirty thousand three hundred... thirty thousand six hundred, thirty thousand seven hundred, thirty thousand eight hundred."

"Ge, there's an extra eight hundred!"

Tang Wuyang looked happily at Tang Wulin, who nodded back at him.

Tang Wuyang counted out four hundred from the extra money and handed it to Na'er. "Na'er, this is for you to buy something tasty."

Lang Yue had already returned from work and came out of the kitchen when she heard the Children. Tang Ziran happened to be coming through the door after work as well.

Listening to the two Children cheering and seeing the two stacks of banknotes in the living room, the husband and wife both had tears in their eyes.

These two Children had truly had it hard. Children their age were still happily playing, while they had already begun earning money themselves.

Lang Yue walked over to her husband and punched his shoulder hard. She turned her head away, unwilling to let the Children see her cry.

Tang Ziran patted his wife's shoulder, then walked over to his two sons with a smile. He put an arm around each of their shoulders and gave them a proud thumbs-up. "I knew you could do it. Sons, you're amazing."

"Dad, once I break through to Level Ten like Ge, I can go buy a Soul Spirit with him, right?" Tang Wuyang was equally excited.

"That's right. Dad will go with you then."

"No, the whole family will go. Linlin, Yangyang, you're about to become Soul Masters. Dad is proud of you."

Encouraged, Tang Wuyang went straight to bed after Finished Eating dinner, sat cross-legged, and began Meditating.

Perhaps he was too excited, because he could not settle into Meditation for a long time.

When he opened his eyes, he found no one beside him.

Tang Wuyang was not surprised. Instead, he quietly got out of bed.

He went to the lower bunk and tucked Na'er's blanket around her. She was always restless in her sleep, and by morning, the blanket would inevitably have slipped off her.

Lang Yue had told the two of them before that once they turned ten next year, they could no longer share a room with Na'er.

When the time came, this room would be given to Na'er, while they would sleep in the living room.

Tang Wulin had agreed readily, but Tang Wuyang was full of questions.

Looking at Na'er's delicate sleeping face, Tang Wuyang felt uncomfortable at the thought of sleeping separately from her.

He carefully opened the door and tiptoed out.

He wanted to find his Older brother and calm himself down while he was at it.

Perhaps because his Martial Soul was Blue Silver Grass, Tang Wulin always Meditated at night in the Small Park not far from home. He said the results were better there.

Gently closing the room door without making a sound, Tang Wuyang quietly left the house and headed straight for the Small Park where Tang Wulin was.

Tang Wuyang did not know that not long after he left, bright moonlight spilled through the window into the room and fell upon Na'er.

Under the moonlight, a faint halo appeared around Na'er's body. Then blue, yellow, green, red, purple, gold, and silver—seven colors—flashed in turn.

Na'er's body trembled slightly. After the seven halos flickered for a moment, they sank into her Eyebrow Center. Only after some time did she calm down.

The moonlight remained bright. After the halo around Na'er vanished, her petite body seemed to have grown just a tiny bit larger.

The trembling stopped, and Na'er's breathing became even again. However, her eyebrows were tightly furrowed, as though she were having a bad dream.

Entering the park, Tang Wuyang saw Tang Wulin sitting on the grass, already deep in Meditation. He did not go over and disturb him.

As the gentle night breeze brushed past him, Tang Wuyang's restless heart suddenly calmed.

As if possessed, he sat down on the grass not far from Tang Wulin and gradually entered Meditation.

As the Qilin Phantom appeared behind Tang Wuyang, countless Light Spots gathered from every direction and silently entered his body.

A closer look would reveal that the Light Spots came in seven colors: red, blue, yellow, cyan, gold, black, and silver. Each represented a different element, with the blue and cyan Light Spots clearly outnumbering the others.

Tang Wuyang felt as though he had arrived in a seven-colored ocean, with countless Elemental Molecules like tiny sprites surrounding him.

The Light Spots gradually gathered into several seven-colored ribbons, gently wrapping around Tang Wuyang's body. The Warm Current formed by Soul Power in his Dantian also spread through him.

In Tang Wuyang's perception, everything seemed to turn seven-colored. Every cell in his body was immersed in an ocean of elements.

What Tang Wuyang did not see was that faint Golden Patterns were emerging on his forehead.

Just as before, the patterns spread downward in a web-like shape, extending from his head to his feet before slowly retracting.

Sitting there, Tang Wuyang resembled a source of light as seven colors and Light Gold flashed alternately.

Tang Wulin, not far away, seemed to be drawn by something. The Palms resting on his knees opened on their own, and Blue Silver Grass and the Holy Dragon Spear appeared.

At the same time, Blue Silver Grass constantly sprouted from the grass around him.

As the Blue Silver Grass swayed in the wind, pale blue Light Spots floated out of it. Mixed with the silver-gray Light Spots in the air, they streamed into Tang Wulin's body.

Dawn.

"Linlin, Yangyang, Linlin, Yangyang..."

Lang Yue's anxious calls were Echoing through the silent streets.

The two figures sitting cross-legged in the Small Park trembled at the same time and woke from Meditation in unspoken agreement.

Dew had soaked their clothes, but Tang Wuyang felt an indescribable clarity throughout his body. Tang Wulin, not far away, had also gained a deeper understanding of his Martial Soul.

Hearing Lang Yue call out, Tang Wuyang quickly shouted back, "Mom, we're here!"

Tang Wulin had already Stood Up and come over to Tang Wuyang.

Tang Wuyang took Tang Wulin's outstretched hand, used it to pull himself up, and brushed the grass clippings from his pants.

The Brothers ran out together, calling for their mother as they went.

"Why did you two run out here? You scared me to death." Lang Yue finally breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her two sons were safe.

"Mom, we were wrong. Ge and I were Meditating in the Small Park."

"Right, Mom, I think I broke through to Level Ten."

Tang Wuyang still could not be certain, but the changes in his body and his feelings told him that his Soul Power had likely broken through.

"And me too. I feel like my connection with Blue Silver Grass has become closer." Tang Wulin spoke of his gains with an equally delighted expression.

Lang Yue looked at her two sons, who had already grown to her shoulder height, and could not help but stare blankly.

Though both of them were still damp, they looked at her with bright, spirited eyes.

"To Mom, your safety is what matters most. Come on, let's go home. Mom will make you breakfast."

Lang Yue kissed each of her sons on the forehead, took one by the hand, and led them home.

"You broke through?"

When Tang Ziran learned that his younger son might have reached Level Ten as well, he was naturally happy for him.

"Since you think you broke through, go to the academy for a Test today."

"If you really reached Level Ten, you'll go buy a Soul Spirit with Linlin tomorrow."

"Mm!" Tang Wuyang nodded happily.

"Na'er, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?" Amid his excitement, Tang Wuyang suddenly noticed that Na'er seemed a little off today.

Normally, once breakfast was ready, she would already be digging in. But today, she merely sat there blankly without touching her chopsticks.

"Ah? I'm Okay, Older brother. Congratulations!" Na'er seemed to snap back to her senses and gave Tang Wuyang a sweet smile before finally starting breakfast.

Tang Wuyang could clearly sense that Na'er was feeling down. Thinking she was upset because she had no Martial Soul, he did not ask further.

The facts proved that Tang Wuyang's feeling had been right.

When he arrived at the academy, told Lin Ximeng that he might have broken through, and underwent a Soul Power Test under her guidance.

The instrument showed that he had indeed reached Level Ten.

In a Soul Master's cultivation, every whole multiple of ten required obtaining a Soul Ring to make a breakthrough. Only after absorbing a Soul Ring could one continue increasing Soul Power.

Soul Rings could be obtained by hunting Soul Beasts, but Soul Beasts were scarce now. Therefore, more people chose Soul Spirits manufactured by the Spirit Pagoda.

Tang Wuyang became the eighth person in the class to reach Level Ten. Now, he only needed to obtain a Soul Ring and cross the Level Ten threshold to truly set foot on the path of a Soul Master.

As for why he was eighth, naturally, it was because the seventh person to reach Level Ten had been Tang Wulin, who had done so one step before him.

"Tang Wuyang, you need to have your family take you to the Spirit Pagoda to buy a Soul Spirit as soon as possible. Once you fuse with a Soul Spirit, you'll be a true Soul Master."

"Official Soul Masters receive a monthly subsidy of one thousand Federation Coins."

"Also, urge your Older brother. He reached Level Ten several days ago, so he needs to buy a Soul Spirit as soon as possible too."

"Once you advance, the subsidies you receive from the Federation will be enough to cover your Tuition Fee at the Intermediate Academy." Lin Ximeng advised earnestly.

Tang Wuyang nodded with a smile. "Teacher Lin, Ge and I have already saved enough money to buy Soul Spirits. We're going tomorrow."

Lin Ximeng smiled and nodded. "Good. Teacher will request leave for you Brothers tomorrow. I wish you both the Soul Spirits you want."

"Thank you, Teacher."

Once they became Soul Masters, they would receive subsidies. Moreover, the Intermediate Academy was compulsory education, and the monthly Soul Master subsidy would be enough for their ordinary daily expenses.

With the subsidies, once they left Aolai City for the Intermediate Academy, Dad and Mom would not need to support them anymore. He had heard that cultivating to an Advanced Stage would earn even more subsidies!

Thinking of the bright future ahead, Tang Wuyang looked forward to it immensely.

Though he was extremely excited, after school Tang Wuyang still took Na'er home before heading with Tang Wulin to Mang Tian's Workshop. They did not return home until they had completed the day's Forging Task.

Tang Ziran received the academy's notice right away. He had also taken leave for the next day and was prepared to take the two Children to buy Soul Spirits.

Lang Yue had originally wanted to go too, but work was too busy, and she could not get leave.

When the Brothers returned home, they prepared to help in the kitchen as usual.

However, when Tang Wuyang saw Na'er sitting on the sofa, he changed direction. He had Tang Wulin go ahead while he walked into the living room.

"Na'er, why have you been spacing out all day?"

Tang Wuyang sat beside Na'er and looked at her in confusion. "Is it because of the Martial Soul? It's Okay. Even if you don't have a Martial Soul, Older brother will always protect you." As he spoke, he raised a hand and rubbed her Little Head.

Na'er looked up at Tang Wuyang. Strange glimmers shone in her clear Purple Eyes. "Older brother, after dinner, can you take a walk by the sea with me?"

Tang Wuyang turned to Tang Ziran with a questioning look.

"Go ahead. Be careful and come back early." Tang Ziran nodded in agreement.

Although Aolai City was marked as a city on the map, it was really just a somewhat larger town.

The Tang Family's home in the Civilian District was very close to the sea. They could see the beach after walking only a few minutes from their front door.

The beach here was not especially beautiful. It had no fine sand, only more gravel and broken shells.

It was said that humanity's excessive hunting of Soul Beasts in the sea had provoked nature's wrath.

The two Children sat close together on the beach facing the sea. Na'er rested her head on Tang Wuyang's shoulder, looked out at the ocean, then raised her head toward the stars. "Older brother, there are so many stars tonight!"

Tang Wuyang smiled. "Yeah! Maybe they've come to celebrate Ge and me becoming Soul Masters soon."

"Na'er, why have you been so unhappy all day? Are you sad because you can't become a Soul Master?"

Na'er denied it. "No."

She fell silent for a moment, then pulled Tang Wuyang to his feet and looked into his eyes. "Older brother, if I leave one day, will you miss me?"

Tang Wuyang froze. "Huh? Why would you leave? Did you remember something?"

Na'er pouted adorably. "I'm just saying, what if!"

Tang Wuyang hugged Na'er and whispered in her ear, "I would. Of course I would. Na'er is my Younger sister, after all."

"Hmm? Na'er, did you grow a little taller?" He reached out and measured her height with his hand.

A layer of Water Mist rose in Na'er's eyes. She hugged Tang Wuyang tightly and said, "I would miss you very, very much too." Her Little Head rubbed against Tang Wuyang's shoulder.

Tang Wuyang hugged Na'er back. "If we stay together every day, then we won't miss each other. Once Ge and I Pass the Exam for the Intermediate Academy, we'll talk to Dad and Mom. When you graduate, you can come to the same city too, and then we can go to school together again."

Na'er silently held Tang Wuyang as different emotions continuously flickered in her eyes.