Setting Out for the Spirit Pagoda, a Teacher Has His Back!

Time was like sand slipping through one's fingers—silent, yet weighty.

The following week passed for the Tang brothers amid sweat and the clanging of metal.

At dawn, purple qi arrived from the east.

The wild Blue Silver Grass field north of Aolai City had practically become the brothers' private backyard.

Under the domineering plunder of Tang Linyuan's Dragon Swallowing Breathing Technique, the surrounding heaven and earth energy grew so dense that it nearly condensed into mist.

Nourished over the past few days, Tang Wulin's Blue Silver Grass had grown thicker leaves. Its originally pale blue hue now faintly carried a resilient deep blue, as though it were brewing some kind of transformation.

The daytime was filled with dull yet fulfilling academy life.

Tang Linyuan remained the first-year "king" who sat by the window, spoke little, yet controlled the entire class.

Under his protection, not only did no one dare bully Tang Wulin, but his unwillingness to admit defeat in training also earned him several sincere friends.

Evenings belonged to the forging symphony of Mang Tian Workshop.

Tang Linyuan's displayed talent frightened Mang Tian.

In just three days, he had grasped the essence of force transmission and could hammer a piece of pig iron into a perfect Hundred Refinement prototype within ten minutes.

Tang Wulin's technique was slightly inferior, but his seemingly inexhaustible brute strength turned him into the workshop's tireless little motor. Every hammer blow was heavier and steadier than the last.

Of course, what relaxed Tang Linyuan most was the nighttime.

Under the dim yellow light, the family of five sat around the table.

"Brother, I want that rib!" Tang Wulin stared eagerly at the dish.

"Here." Tang Linyuan picked up the largest piece, but instead of giving it to Wulin, he placed it in Na'er's bowl. "She's a girl and still growing. She gets priority."

Na'er lowered her head, her silver hair concealing half her face, but tiny flecks of amusement shimmered in her purple eyes.

She gently took a bite of the rib, then, while Tang Linyuan was not paying attention, quietly pushed the peeled shrimp from her own bowl in front of him.

It was an unspoken understanding.

Like a silent vine, the silver-haired girl was gradually becoming part of this warm family.

That day, the sky was an almost transparent blue.

A black soul-guided sedan had long been parked outside Red Mountain Academy.

Homeroom teacher Lin Ximeng wore a neat formal outfit, though her expression carried more tension than usual.

Today was the day Tang Linyuan would go to the Spirit Pagoda to draw a Soul Spirit.

For a Soul Master, the first Soul Spirit often determined their future path of development.

Although it was an academy-funded "random draw," this gamble, which depended entirely on luck, was enough to make one's heart race.

"Linyuan, are you ready?" Lin Ximeng took a deep breath as she looked at the approaching boy.

Tang Linyuan wore a simple white shirt today, looking clean and sharp.

There was not the slightest ripple in his dark eyes.

"Anytime," he answered calmly.

"Then get in... Wait, who is that?" Just as Lin Ximeng was about to open the car door, she suddenly saw a burly middle-aged man striding over, radiating an aura that warned strangers to stay away.

"Mang Tian?" Tang Linyuan was also somewhat surprised. "Teacher, why are you here?"

Mang Tian walked up to the car, blocking the way like an iron tower.

He glanced at Lin Ximeng, ignoring the teacher's surprise as he looked directly at Tang Linyuan.

"I'm worried."

Mang Tian's voice was as stiff as ever, like cold iron.

"I looked at the probability chart for the academy-funded random draw. There's a seventy percent chance of drawing a ten-year white Soul Spirit, and only a thirty percent chance of getting a hundred-year one. And even then, it's most likely some useless trash Soul Spirit."

He paused and patted his bulging pocket.

"I brought money."

"If the academy draws trash, don't fuse with it. I'll pay for you to buy a hundred-year Soul Spirit suitable for a spear-type Martial Soul directly from the Spirit Pagoda. I can still afford anything under one million Federation Credits."

Lin Ximeng covered her mouth in shock.

One million! For an ordinary blacksmith from Aolai City, that was absolutely a staggering sum, perhaps even the savings of half a lifetime. Yet for an apprentice he had only taken in for a week, Mang Tian was willing to go this far?

Tang Linyuan looked at the hard-faced man before him, and the string in his heart called "emotion" was fiercely plucked.

In his previous life, he had been a lone wolf who believed that only the gun in his hand was reliable.

But in this life, aside from his family, he had gained another person willing to back him up.

"Teacher."

Tang Linyuan did not refuse out of empty politeness. Instead, he gave a solemn bow.

"I appreciate your kindness. But keep this money for now. If it truly comes to that, I won't stand on ceremony with you."

"Hmph, good that you know. Get in!" Mang Tian pulled open the car door and dropped into the seat, taking up more than half the back row.

"I'm coming too, to keep an eye on things. Those people at the Spirit Pagoda love judging people by their clothes."

When the towering structure came into view, the atmosphere inside the car grew noticeably heavier.

The Spirit Pagoda.

Even though it was only a branch tower, it still possessed breathtaking grandeur.

The massive tower spiraled upward, its entire body forged from an unknown silver metal that reflected a cold yet sacred radiance beneath the sun.

Every level of the tower was engraved with intricate soul-guided formations. The faint energy fluctuations they emitted made even the surrounding air feel thick.

This was the organization founded ten thousand years ago by the Spirit Ice Douluo, Huo Yuhao. It had now become a true behemoth of Douluo Continent, controlling the lifeline of Soul Masters' advancement.

"We're here."

After parking the car, Lin Ximeng looked at the towering structure with a trace of reverence in her voice.

"Linyuan, your Martial Soul awakening ceremony was held at the branch hall, but you have to come here to obtain a Soul Spirit. Remember, once we're inside, speak less and observe more."

Mang Tian snorted and walked ahead with his arms folded. "What's there to fear? No matter how high this tower is built, it was made by people. As long as you have money and strength, this place is just a giant supermarket."

His words were crude, but they effectively dispelled the tension Lin Ximeng had brought.

Tang Linyuan walked at the back.

He raised his head to gaze at the tower's tip, which seemed to pierce the heavens. His eyes narrowed slightly, and a faint dark-golden glow flowed deep within his pupils.

The Tyrant Profound Divine Spear within his body seemed to sense something and let out a yearning hum.

"A Soul Spirit..."

Tang Linyuan murmured inwardly.

Whether through random luck or Teacher Mang Tian's support, today, the doors of the Spirit Pagoda would certainly open a path for him toward becoming strong.

"Let's go."

The boy stepped forward with firm strides, as though he were heading to a grand gathering that spanned ten thousand years.

The doors slowly opened, and a cool breeze carrying the mingled scents of antiquity and technology rushed toward them.