Aolai City.
A frail little girl with silver hair was crouching alone by the side of the road.
The sunlight fell on her hair, making it shine naturally.
Although the girl's face was covered in dust, a closer look revealed that she was a beauty in the making.
As if sensing something, the girl raised her head. Her large, amethyst-colored eyes were especially lovely.
At Red Mountain Academy, Tang Wulin had awakened his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul and possessed innate Soul Power at rank three.
Although people called it a Trash Martial Soul, he found meditation exceptionally easy.
Maybe my Martial Soul isn't so bad after all!
Tang Wulin secretly encouraged himself.
Strange, why am I hungry again?
Tang Wulin rubbed his stomach and thought in annoyance.
Perhaps it was fate, or perhaps someone was deliberately guiding him with their spiritual power.
Tang Wulin encountered the girl, and his large eyes naturally met her amethyst-colored ones.
A few street thugs had already surrounded the girl. The heavy smell of cigarettes washed over her. "Little girl, come with us. We've got something good to show you."
The girl said nothing, only shaking her head.
The men exchanged glances, unable to hide the greed in their eyes.
The leader even picked the girl up outright, intending to force her to go with him.
Just then, Tang Wulin charged over and knocked the man off balance.
"Kid, you're asking for it!"
The man pulled out a small knife, ready to fight back.
But Tang Wulin released his Martial Soul, and the man immediately backed down.
Soul Masters were all officially registered. As an ordinary person, he was no match for a Lord Soul Master.
"She's my little sister!"
Tang Wulin said firmly.
The street thugs decided they'd had enough bad luck, spat on the ground, and slunk away.
"What's your name? Do you have any family? How about being my little sister?"
The little girl raised her head. She saw a pair of big eyes, and something in her blood suddenly stirred.
"My name is Na'er."
The girl let the boy take her hand and lead her home.
The days passed one by one.
"Wulin, remember this: your father will always support you on your path to becoming a Soul Master."
"But you know our family's financial situation, and now we have another mouth to feed with Na'er. I hope you'll learn blacksmithing to help support the family."
"A real man has to rely on himself."
Tang Wulin nodded to show that he would.
Xie An remained hidden in space, quietly watching Tang Wulin go to learn blacksmithing.
He watched Tang Wulin study blacksmithing during the day and go out to meditate at night.
There was no denying that Tang Ziran and Lang Yue made a very good couple.
They had taught Tang Wulin perseverance and a sense of responsibility from a young age.
Even when he faced difficulties, he had the confidence to overcome them and never gave up easily.
Tang Wulin's parents had certainly played a great part in his achievements.
It was just that the later teachings at Shrek Academy, along with Tang San's actions, had made Tang Wulin's character somewhat bizarre.
Xie An kept turning things over in his mind. Before long, a plan began to take shape.
That night.
Tang Wulin tiptoed out of his room and made his way to the grass in the park.
He had discovered that his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul was especially compatible with plants, particularly other Blue Silver Grass.
His Soul Power increased rapidly in an environment filled with plants and Blue Silver Grass.
Damp mist covered Tang Wulin's body.
An hour later, Tang Wulin stretched his arms and legs, feeling refreshed from head to toe.
"Training in a simulated environment? Not bad talent."
A voice rang out, and Tang Wulin immediately grew wary.
A man appeared beside him, smiling at him with narrowed eyes.
Tang Wulin had no idea when he had arrived.
"Kid, what's your name? You've got pretty good talent."
Remembering his father's lessons, Tang Wulin answered in a quiet voice without the slightest trace of fear. "This junior is Tang Wulin. Greetings, senior. Do you know about this method of cultivation?"
Tang Wulin didn't mean anything by it. He simply felt that since the man could identify his cultivation method, he must be an expert.
"When Soul Masters cultivate in an environment similar or compatible with their Martial Souls, they can greatly improve the speed and quality of their cultivation."
Xie An answered Tang Wulin's question.
After all, Tang Wulin lived in a small city, and his horizons were limited.
There was no need to look far. In Eastsea City, where Xie An lived, this was one of the basic lessons for Soul Masters.
Watching Tang Wulin's movements, Xie An couldn't help thinking.
A gentle force of Soul Power held Tang Wulin up, keeping him from bowing all the way down.
"I'm neither your parent nor your teacher, so there's no need to bow to me."
"I've simply taken a liking to your talent."
As he spoke, Xie An pulled a somewhat worn booklet from his robes. It was the Mysterious Heaven Skill the system had given him.
"This is a meditation technique. It's not top-tier, but it's still much better than the mediocre stuff sold on the street."
"Take a look."
Tang Wulin took the booklet and flipped through it. He found the technique truly ingenious.
The cultivation paths recorded in it were far better than what his schoolteachers had taught him.
By the time he finished reading, Tang Wulin could barely contain his excitement.
Still, he handed the booklet back to Xie An. "Senior, this is too valuable. I can't accept it."
Xie An was genuinely surprised. In his memory, Tang Wulin had developed an extremely greedy streak because of Tang Ziran and Lang Yue's teachings.
He hadn't expected Tang Wulin to resist this temptation.
"It's all right. Although this technique is valuable, it'll be widely available before long."
"Giving it to you now could even be considered taking credit for someone else's work."
Tang Wulin was about to say something else when an incredibly powerful force of Soul Power mixed with spiritual power enveloped him.
A golden Sea God Trident appeared on his forehead.
But it seemed to sense that this spiritual power meant no harm, and the Sea God Trident eventually disappeared.
Xie An took it all in, but he merely watched and said nothing.
Soul Power held Tang Wulin's body in a cultivation posture, while spiritual power guided his Soul Power along the Mysterious Heaven Skill's routes.
Tang Wulin felt an incredibly comfortable sensation spread throughout his body. His Soul Power seemed to have gained a touch of endless vitality.
After one full cycle, Xie An withdrew his spiritual guidance. Tang Wulin had already grown extremely familiar with the Mysterious Heaven Skill's path, and his Soul Power began circulating on its own.
He had entered a state of Deep Meditation.
His cultivation talent was indeed excellent.
Watching Tang Wulin settle into cultivation, Xie An couldn't help but praise him inwardly.
He should move on to the next step.
Leaving behind a wisp of spiritual consciousness, Xie An vanished.
At dawn, Tang Wulin woke from his cultivation and discovered that his Soul Power had risen from rank three to rank four.
He was eager to tell the senior, but the man had already disappeared.
"Senior, where are you?" Tang Wulin said dejectedly.
A wisp of spiritual consciousness suddenly appeared in his mind, and the gloom vanished from his face.
"Blacksmith Manual, written by Xie An? Eastsea Academy? Senior, I'll definitely go there and find you."
[ Ding! The host has become an extremely important person to Tang Wulin. ]
[ Mission reward: Materials required for the first seal of the Golden Dragon King. ]
Xie An was on the phone with Blood One, preparing to head to Eastsea Academy to look for Wu Zhangkong, when he froze for a moment. But he soon came to terms with it.
The system's timeline was off. Hadn't he already accepted that?
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