Farewell Gift, the Starry Sea is the Answer

Night fell.

Thin wisps of smoke drifted from the Spirit Pagoda in the city center.

"Brother Long, I'm leaving tomorrow morning to report to Eastsea Academy."

Tang Wulin swallowed a large mouthful of food before blurting out, "Thank you for taking care of me all these days."

Long Zijin paused, his wine glass filled with purple nectar swaying in his hand.

"I heard from your aunt and uncle that they can only give you one thousand Federal Coins a month for expenses. That can't be enough for your food."

"Don't worry, your meal allowance will arrive on time every month. It's enough."

As he spoke, he set down the glass. A faint shimmer of soul power flickered on his hand, and a stack of creased banknotes was pushed across the table.

Looking at the folds and marks, Tang Wulin recognized it instantly...

"This is the thirty thousand Federal Coins you spent on your Soul Spirit. Keep it for yourself."

Long Zijin's tone was indifferent.

But Tang Wulin's eyes turned red, his breathing hitching with a nasal whine.

He considered himself the tough man his father described, yet in less than half a month, he had already cried more in front of this peer than he had throughout his entire childhood.

Long Zijin asked a question he already knew the answer to: "What's wrong? Did the broth from the Mandarin Duck Pot get to you?"

"Brother Long, I will definitely study hard and practice my forging so I can make lots and lots of high-level parts for you!" Tang Wulin said, his eyes shining with tears and unwavering determination.

When Mang Tian had mentioned Long Zijin's near-altruistic behavior, he had given Tang Wulin the most logical explanation: this young master surnamed Long was actually eyeing his talent for forging.

Wealthy young masters like him, raised in small cities, would eventually return to inherit their family businesses, and a set of Battle Armor or even a mecha would be their greatest competitive edge.

That was why he was willing to spend so much money to cultivate Tang Wulin, a little forging genius, in hopes that he would be an asset in the future.

As the thirty thousand Federal Coins trembled in his hand—the vessel for three years of memories now returned—Tang Wulin felt a complex mix of sour, sweet, bitter, and salty emotions.

Faced with this promise of repayment, Long Zijin had wanted to say: Forget it.

After all, he lacked neither design blueprints, nor forging techniques, nor rare materials; he had absolutely no use for the boy's gratitude.

But to avoid bruising the boy's self-esteem, Long Zijin simply said, "We'll talk about that when the time comes."

Tang Wulin stopped speaking. He had always been a man of action, not one for polite pleasantries, so he buried his head in his food, hoping that each swallow would help him grow up just a little bit faster.

The delicious food on the table was soon devoured by the head-down child.

At that moment, Long Zijin finished the last drop of his Purple Spinal Fluid.

He slowly set down the glass and looked at Tang Wulin, who was still eating like a whirlwind—or rather, he looked at the area beneath the boy's collar.

Reflected in his golden, spring-like pupils was a single silver-white scale.

It was the reverse scale of the Silver Dragon King, fashioned into a pendant and hidden beneath Tang Wulin's thin shirt.

When Tang Wulin finished his final bite and let out a happy, full burp, Long Zijin stood up abruptly and added, "Follow me. I have a parting gift for you."

Tang Wulin wanted to refuse, as he had already received too much in terms of daily necessities and didn't want to owe any more favors.

But Long Zijin had already stepped into the shadows of the corridor, leaving him no choice but to follow quickly.

Following the swaying Amethyst Flowing Cloud, the two walked deeper and deeper until, in the pitch-black depths ahead, a light was flicked on with a "snap."

Long Zijin stood before the illuminated forging table, picked up an object resting at its center, and tossed it toward the doorway. "Here, catch."

It was another pendant, its outer layer made of purple crystal, enclosing a red-and-white flower petal inside, looking much like a purple amber encasing a fresh bloom.

Tang Wulin caught it instinctively.

It felt warm in his hand, as if it had just been forged.

"Wear it. At a critical moment... it might just save your life." Long Zijin kept his eyes fixed on the forging table, not looking over.

Tang Wulin didn't hesitate; he lowered his head and hung it around his neck.

The amber pendant immediately hit the Silver Dragon Reverse Scale with a soft "clack."

As the Amethyst Flower Pendant pressed against his heart, a strange and wonderful warmth, as if connected by blood, flowed from his heart along his meridians throughout his entire body.

"So... so comfortable..." Tang Wulin couldn't help but whisper.

He developed an illusion: that he, who had shielded his younger sister Na'er from the storms for three years, had finally seen the return of an older sibling.

And this returning "big brother" had also raised a large umbrella to shelter him.

It couldn't help but give him the feeling of being pampered...

On the night before his long journey.

Tang Wulin tossed and turned, unable to sleep, so he simply crept out into the courtyard.

Lowering his head, he saw the Deep Silver Bracelet from his teacher, Mang Tian.

In the gentle night breeze and the sweet scent of grass, Tang Wulin felt a sense of comfort; the two pendants on his chest felt warm and cool respectively.

For a moment, he felt a heavy weight on his back.

Tang Wulin knew that it was the invisible weight of expectations he carried: his father, his mother, Na'er, his teacher...

And Brother Long.

A pair of dark eyes lifted to gaze at the starry sky. Tang Wulin let the Sea of Blue Silver pull him into his dreams.

To him, the starry sea remained his goal to strive for!

And now, Tang Wulin had figured out Long Zijin's question: "Will you persist on the path of a Soul Master?"

The answer was...

Two rows of alloy wheels rumbled on the steel rails.

"The express Soul Guide train from Proud Arrival City to Eastsea City will be arriving shortly. Passengers with tickets, please proceed to the gate in an orderly fashion."

The broadcast voice echoed throughout the entire station.

Tang Wulin slung his backpack over his shoulders.

He looked at the gate where boarding was beginning, then turned to the two behind him and said, "Di Bo, Brother Long, I'm heading off to Eastsea City!"

"When the academy has a break, I'll definitely come back to see you!"

Di Guangming, rarely showing a smile, added, "Go on. Live well over there. You're in a crucial stage of growth right now. If you can't keep up with your studies, just eat more."

Tang Wulin's face twitched. He thought to himself, Who says things like that?

At this moment, Long Zijin leaned slightly to give him a hug, and whispered in Tang Wulin's ear, "I have to leave too. If we both have time, maybe I'll be the one coming back to see you."

Hearing this, Tang Wulin suddenly remembered that Brother Long wasn't much older than him and seemed to be a student as well.

Was he, like Na'er, being picked up by his family?

A wave of sadness washed over Tang Wulin.

Holding onto this feeling of cherishing every meeting, he hugged Long Zijin tightly and whispered back in his ear, "Brother Long, don't worry."

"I will definitely become a great Soul Master!"

"Dad said: All rivers flow into the sea; we'll meet again someday."

With that, the Purple-Gold Twins separated once more, flying out of the chaotic energy, vowing to forge new paths for themselves.