Just then, a commotion outside the room caught Tang Wulin's attention.
"Big Brother's already started fusing with the Soul Spirit. Dad, you'd better not go in!" Na'er stood pressed against Tang Wulin's door, spreading her arms to block Tang Ziran.
Tang Ziran's expression changed. "That's a defective Soul Spirit. Why would Wulin try to fuse with it?"
Na'er didn't answer Tang Ziran. She didn't know how to.
Just then, the door suddenly opened. Na'er, who had been leaning against it, lost her balance, but a pair of steady, strong hands caught her.
"Careful, Na'er." Tang Wulin's voice sounded from behind her.
"Wulin!" Tang Ziran rushed over and hugged Tang Wulin. "Wulin, are you all right?"
Tang Wulin smiled. "Dad, don't worry. I'm fine. I'm a One-Ring Soul Master now."
As he spoke, Tang Wulin opened his hand and released his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul. A yellow Soul Ring appeared beside him.
"This is... a Century Soul Ring!" Tang Ziran stared at Tang Wulin in disbelief. "Wasn't that Soul Spirit defective? How could it have a Century Soul Ring?"
"Well..." Tang Wulin touched his hair, at a loss. He really didn't know how to answer Tang Ziran's question. He couldn't exactly tell him that two old men had appeared in his room and helped him. He had to keep Yao Lao and Old Tang's secret.
"A Century Soul Ring. Not bad."
A middle-aged man's voice came from nearby.
"Mom, Teacher."
"Son, are you all right?" Lang Yue hurried over and wrapped Tang Wulin in her arms.
"Mom, I'm fine now. I'm a One-Ring Soul Master!" Tang Wulin said with a smile.
"Your mother told me you'd drawn a Soul Spirit, so she called me over to help you fuse with it. But this seems a little different from what she said. Didn't you draw a defective Soul Spirit?" asked Mang Tian, Tang Wulin's blacksmithing teacher.
"Well... I don't know either. It turned out like this after I finished fusing with it." Tang Wulin couldn't think of a good excuse, so he made one up.
Mang Tian fell silent for a while, then managed only two words: "All right."
Then he turned and headed out without looking back. "Since you're fine, I'll be going. Remember to come to work tomorrow!"
Tang Wulin nodded vigorously.
That night, Lang Yue cooked a feast of Tang Wulin and Na'er's favorite dishes to celebrate Tang Wulin becoming a One-Ring Soul Master.
Early the next morning, Lang Yue's anxious voice roused Tang Wulin from his meditation.
"Wulin, Wulin!"
"Mom, what's wrong?" Tang Wulin asked.
"Na'er... Na'er's gone!" Lang Yue held out a note to Tang Wulin.
"What!"
All that day, many people on the streets saw a boy of about ten calling out a little girl's name again and again. He clutched a note and a purple crystal pendant in his hand, but the little girl seemed to be nowhere around. No matter how loudly the boy called, no one answered.
That evening, Tang Wulin went back to his room without even eating. Sitting on his bed, he read the note Na'er had left over and over, tears streaming down his face.
Just then, Yao Lao appeared before Tang Wulin. He sighed softly and said, his words heavy with meaning, "Child, Na'er isn't an ordinary person. If you hope to see her again someday, you must pull yourself together. Otherwise, you won't even be qualified to catch up with her."
Tang Wulin wiped the tears from his face. "I know, Yao Lao. I'll become the most powerful Soul Master on the continent and protect everyone around me."
Yao Lao nodded gently, then returned to the ring.
In the days that followed, Tang Wulin pulled himself together. Not only did he complete the Thousand Refinement Mang Tian had demanded, he also received a recommendation letter from Red Mountain Academy, allowing him to continue his studies at an intermediate Soul Master Academy.
"Mom, Dad, are you really not coming with me to Eastsea City?"
Outside the Soul Guidance Train station, Tang Wulin looked at his parents, who had come to see him off, his eyes full of reluctance.
Tang Ziran patted Tang Wulin's head, his face full of apology. "Your mom and I have something important to take care of. We really can't go with you to Eastsea City. I'm sorry, Wulin."
"All right! It's okay. I'm a One-Ring Soul Master now, so I can take care of myself."
Lang Yue stepped forward and hugged Tang Wulin. "Our Little Wulin is the best. You're such a grown-up now. Make sure you take good care of yourself."
For some reason, Tang Wulin felt a weight in his chest. Was it because he was going so far away all by himself?
At the last moment before boarding, Tang Wulin looked back at his parents and shouted, "I'll become the best Soul Master on Douluo Continent!"
Eastsea City was one of the larger cities in the Douluo Federation. Close to the coast, it had beautiful scenery.
The moment Tang Wulin stepped off the train, the dazzling sights of the city left him overwhelmed.
He made his way through the crowded station, clutching his backpack.
"Goodness! This city really is prosperous! I have to say, your Douluo Continent is way ahead of Dou Qi Continent when it comes to technology!"
"Who are you? Yao Lao!" Tang Wulin couldn't help looking around, but he didn't see Yao Lao anywhere.
"Don't look for me. I haven't come out. I'm just using a little trick to speak directly into your mind." Yao Lao's voice sounded again.
"Yao Lao, you can do that too? You must have been an incredible person! Were you as powerful as the Titled Douluo?" Tang Wulin asked quietly.
Yao Lao laughed. "I told you, I'm a top-tier alchemist. If I hadn't been harmed by a villain, I wouldn't have ended up in this state. I've never fought a Titled Douluo from your world, but if I recovered my peak strength, I could definitely beat them!"
"You're exaggerating! We don't have alchemists here, but since it has something to do with medicine, they probably aren't good at fighting, right?" Tang Wulin clearly didn't believe Yao Lao could beat a Titled Douluo from Douluo Continent. "I've only ever seen Titled Douluo on TV, but they can do anything, whether it's flying through the sky or burrowing underground! They're the goal every Soul Master aspires to."
While Tang Wulin and Yao Lao chatted back and forth, Tang Wulin failed to notice that the crowd ahead had suddenly parted, leaving a wide path open.
"Move! You're in the way!"
A middle-aged man suddenly hurried toward Tang Wulin and shoved him aside. Tang Wulin fell to the ground.
"Ugh..." Tang Wulin rubbed his sore bottom and looked ahead.
A Soul Guidance car was parked there. Beside its door stood a brown-haired boy who looked to be about his age, preparing to get in.
Perhaps the boy had sensed Tang Wulin's gaze. He glanced back at Tang Wulin, but only for a moment, then climbed into the car.
"That kid really is arrogant. If I'd been young, I'd have dragged him out and given him a beating," Yao Lao said in Tang Wulin's mind.
Tang Wulin brushed the dust off himself and got to his feet. "Dad said not to get caught up in unnecessary trouble in big cities. Some things are best let go. If we hurt someone, we can't afford to pay for it."
"That boy really does have a good temperament! He's hardworking, patient, and determined. Perhaps I could take on another disciple." Yao Lao couldn't help praising Tang Wulin in his heart, and even began to consider taking him on as a student.
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