Just then, Tang Wulin's Communication Soul Tool rang.
After finishing his conversation and ending the call, Tang Wulin saw that Xie Xie had turned around at some point. He was propping his cheek up with one hand, still covered by Tang Wulin's blanket.
"Hey, Old Tang," Xie Xie said in a mournful voice.
"Do you know that the model you're holding is the latest Soul Tool released this year?"
"One of those costs tens of thousands," Xie Xie added with a chuckle.
As soon as he finished speaking, Yun Xiao and Zhou Changxi flashed over from the opposite bed and appeared right in front of Tang Wulin.
Zhou Changxi looked excited. "What? Tens of thousands of Federal Coins?!"
The symbol "¥" flashed in Yun Xiao's eyes. "Rich guy, rich guy! Let's be friends! Best friends!"
Tang Wulin waved his hands repeatedly. "The Association gave it to me as a perk. I didn't buy it. I couldn't afford it!"
"The Association? Which Association?" Zhou Changxi asked curiously.
"Exactly! What kind of Association gives out such amazing perks?" Yun Xiao chimed in, nodding repeatedly.
"It's the Blacksmith Association," Tang Wulin said, scratching his head with an embarrassed smile. "My Martial Soul wasn't naturally strong enough, so I started learning blacksmithing a long time ago. I told you I'm a Level Two blacksmith!"
"That impressive?!"
Watching the three of them, Xie Xie suddenly had an idea.
The Xie Family needed blacksmiths to make Mechas!
Sure, his family had its own blacksmithing team, but how could that compare to having a future Godsmith?
Xie Xie immediately put an arm around Tang Wulin, rubbing his hands together excitedly as he asked ingratiatingly, "Tang Wulin, we're good brothers, right?"
"Yeah," Tang Wulin replied instinctively.
But the instant the words left his mouth, he frowned. "Well... not exactly."
Xie Xie froze on the spot, as if he'd shattered to pieces.
The next second, Xie Xie whipped out a handkerchief, hid his face behind it, and burst into heartbroken sobs. "I knew it! You got together with Gu Yue and forgot about your childhood friend, your brother! My heart—it really hurts! Waaaah..."
Tang Wulin waved his hands frantically and hurried to explain. "That's not what I meant. I was trying to say..."
"You hesitated! You actually hesitated!"
Xie Xie only wailed louder.
At last, after nearly burning through every brain cell he had, Tang Wulin came up with the right thing to say. "I mean, we're more than brothers. We're partners who fight side by side!"
Xie Xie's crying stopped dead. He furtively lowered the handkerchief, cracked open one eye, and eyed Tang Wulin suspiciously. "Really?"
"Of course," Tang Wulin said, nodding with helpless amusement.
"Then promise me one thing," Xie Xie said, seizing his chance.
"No problem!" Tang Wulin replied at once.
Once he had Tang Wulin's word, Xie Xie instantly put away the handkerchief. The tear tracks on his face vanished as though they'd never been there, and he was back to his usual cheeky self.
"You should've said so sooner! Since we're such good partners, how about joining the Xie Family's blacksmithing team?"
Tang Wulin looked confused. "Blacksmithing... team?"
"Mm-hmm!"
Xie Xie gave Tang Wulin a rough explanation of how his family's blacksmithing team was organized, along with the various benefits and resources it offered.
"Tang Wulin, have you heard of Battle Armor?" Xie Xie asked mysteriously.
"I've heard of it," Tang Wulin said with a nod.
But that was all he knew; he had no idea about the details.
Xie Xie explained, "After years of development, Soul Tool Mechas went from being small to large, and now they've returned to being small again. Their individual combat power keeps growing!"
"Battle Armor is the kind of small Mecha that fits its user best!"
"Listen, almost every God-level Mecha Pilot makes their own Mecha and Battle Armor. That's how they get the most out of their strength!"
"And Battle Armor can be engraved with characters!"
"One-Word Battle Armor can have one character engraved on it, Two-Word Battle Armor can have two, and so on."
"Engraved characters?" Tang Wulin asked, puzzled. "Why would you engrave characters on it?"
Xie Xie smacked Tang Wulin on the head. "Are you stupid?"
"Ugh..."
Tang Wulin cradled his head, looking aggrieved.
"First, the characters show your Battle Armor's rank. Second..." As Xie Xie spoke, some of the playfulness slipped from his voice, replaced by a seriousness he didn't even seem to notice.
"Second, you can engrave the name of someone you love or someone most important to you. Beyond Martial Soul Fusion, it's another kind of promise: someone who can go to the battlefield with you and protect you for the rest of your life."
Having said that, Xie Xie returned to his usual carefree self.
He hooked an arm around Tang Wulin's shoulder and waggled his eyebrows. "When you become a Titled Douluo and forge Four-Word Battle Armor someday, who knows whose name you'll have engraved on it!"
Golden Dragon Moon Language, huh~
What about Silver Dragon Wulin?~
Tang Wulin nodded as if he understood. His gaze unconsciously lingered on Xie Xie for a moment, then quickly darted away.
Yun Xiao, who had been completely ignored, nudged Zhou Changxi, who had been ignored just as thoroughly.
"Hey, don't you think those two are kind of... gay?" Yun Xiao muttered, pointing at Tang Wulin and Xie Xie.
Zhou Changxi looked confused. "But earlier, in the cafeteria, didn't I see Tang Wulin and Gu Yue...?"
"Tang Wulin and Gu Yue?" Yun Xiao frowned. "Doesn't Gu Yue always mess around with Xie Xie?"
"Then Tang Wulin and Xie Xie aren't also..."
Zhou Chenxi's retort trailed off halfway.
The two exchanged a glance and both took a step back.
Yeah, this circle's relationships were a mess.
In the end, after Xie Xie's many rounds of persuasion (and coaxing), Tang Wulin agreed.
As Tang Wulin accepted the token representing the Xie Family's blacksmithing team, Xie Xie's grin nearly reached the heavens. He pounded his chest and promised on the spot:
"Good brother! You really are a good brother!"
"From today on, you're under my protection! Anyone who dares bully you will have to answer to me first—to my Light Dragon Blade!"
Yun Xiao muttered timidly, "Shouldn't you wait until after you've beaten Gu Yue before saying that?"
"Get lost!!"
The days flew by in a blur.
Xie Xie's days followed the same three-point routine: dorm, cafeteria, training.
He opened his eyes and got to work; he closed them and went to sleep.
When Wu Zhangkong called the three of them into his office and told them the first match of the Class Promotion Tournament would begin next week, Xie Xie realized that more than two months had already passed.
The changes in Xie Xie over those two-plus months were plain to see.
Not only had his Soul Power reached the peak of level nineteen, but his physical strength had also grown to three or four times what it had been when he first enrolled.
Xie Xie could now use Tang Wulin's hammers as weapons. He was so moved that he hugged them all day and wouldn't let go.
Then, the next day, Tang Wulin went and traded them in for a heavier pair.
Xie Xie: ...Damn!!
It was pretty funny, actually.
When Xie Xie gave it his all, he could sometimes even beat Tang Wulin and Gu Yue working together. But in a one-on-one fight, Gu Yue always beat him senseless.
Every time victory was within reach, Gu Yue would cheat, and every time, Xie Xie would fall for it.
Other people learned from their mistakes.
When it came to Gu Yue, he made the same mistake, then made it again, then made it again.
After two months of that, Xie Xie was left questioning his entire existence.
Before you continue