"Click!"
The door to Dormitory 205 swung open. It was already close to midnight, and the others had gone to bed. Tang Wulin walked in and sat down on his bed, exhaustion written all over his face.
For the past few hours, Yao Lao had taught Tang Wulin a great deal about alchemy. Tang Wulin could understand most of what he'd learned, but there was one thing Yao Lao wanted him to do: find a Heavenly Flame. Such a flame could greatly improve an alchemist's skill.
What exactly was a Heavenly Flame? Tang Wulin had no idea.
Yao Lao explained that it was a flame similar to his Bone Spirit Cold Flame, and that each Heavenly Flame had its own unique effects.
Tang Wulin had seen Yao Lao's Bone Spirit Cold Flame. He had even briefly used it when breaking through the first Golden Dragon King seal. It was a peculiar flame, frigid on the outside and blazing hot within. He had never heard of anything like it on Douluo Continent.
"Phew..."
Tang Wulin let out a long breath and lay down on his bed. He didn't continue cultivating that night, but gradually drifted off to sleep. It was a deep, deep sleep, like the calm before a storm.
The following morning.
"Smack!"
A palm slapped hard against Tang Wulin's butt.
"Ow!"
Tang Wulin yelped and jumped up, but when he saw Xie Xie standing beside his bed, he flopped back down.
"Xie Xie, what are you doing?"
"I never thought you'd sleep in, too! What were you doing last night? You came back so late." Xie Xie stood with his arms folded.
"Yeah, class monitor. I've never seen you this tired before!" Yun Xiao said as he packed up nearby.
Tang Wulin rubbed his eyes, checked the time on his Soul Guidance Communicator, and stretched. You'd understand how exhausting it is if you had to listen to hours of alchemy theory.
"Come on, it's time for class. Today's our first lesson as Class One! And you should be getting your Class Promotion Tournament rewards." Zhou Changxi said.
"You guys go ahead. I'll catch up." Tang Wulin got dressed, picked up his toiletries, and headed for the bathroom.
"All right, we'll go on ahead."
"Mm." Tang Wulin waved in reply.
Inside the bathroom, Tang Wulin had just finished brushing his teeth when something seemed to occur to him. A worried look crossed his face.
He had been thinking about something lately: how he could get stronger as quickly as possible.
He had come up with an answer: the Golden Dragon King seal.
Old Tang had said that, barring any surprises, the second Golden Dragon King seal would come before Tang Wulin turned fourteen. By then, Tang Wulin would need to be at least Rank 20 to absorb it.
But once he had gathered the four spirit medicines required for the second seal, another question had immediately come to mind: could he reach Rank 20 within the next two years and absorb the Golden Dragon King seal on his own?
Tang Wulin hadn't asked Old Tang about it yet, but he felt it should be possible. In a sense, he had absorbed the first Golden Dragon King seal on his own. If not for several factors triggering it, the first seal wouldn't have loosened until a year later.
Tang Wulin needed to become stronger. He still had to find Na'er, and he needed enough strength to save his parents.
The Golden Dragon King's power was his shortcut!
The mist on the mirror gradually cleared, and Tang Wulin's eyes grew resolute. He had made up his mind.
Tang Wulin was the last to enter the classroom that day.
Teacher Wu had been sitting at the lectern before class, eyes half-lowered as he sat lost in thought.
"Teacher Wu!"
Tang Wulin greeted him softly.
Wu Zhangkong opened his eyes and gave a slight nod.
"Ring, ring, ring!"
The shrill class bell rang, and only then did Wu Zhangkong slowly rise to his feet.
"I'm sure many of you already know what today's lesson is," Wu Zhangkong said gravely. "Most of you have been to the Spirit Pagoda twice, so today should be your third visit."
At that moment, three exquisitely crafted white cards appeared in Wu Zhangkong's hand.
"Is that the Spirit Ascension Platform Pass?" A glint flashed in Tang Wulin's eyes as he looked at the cards.
Wu Zhangkong turned his wrist slightly and tossed the three white cards with perfect accuracy to Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue.
The card's cold, metallic texture met Tang Wulin's palm.
"This card is actually made of Hundred Refinement metal."
Tang Wulin's eyes lit up with surprise at the discovery. Hundred Refinement was only the basic threshold for a blacksmith, but it still cost a great deal. The Spirit Pagoda's willingness to use Hundred Refinement metal showed just how wealthy it was.
"Everyone downstairs. We're heading to the Eastsea City Spirit Pagoda."
After giving that order, Wu Zhangkong walked out of the classroom. The others followed in small groups.
Today, six classes from East Sea Spirit Master Academy were going to the Eastsea City Spirit Pagoda. Not many would actually get to enter the Spirit Ascension Platform, but the others could observe and learn from the sidelines, gaining a little experience for when they entered it in the future.
They rode the same kind of bus Tang Wulin had taken when he first arrived.
Long Hengxu, the head of academic affairs, rode with Class One. He sat at the front, chatting with Wu Zhangkong, though Wu Zhangkong didn't seem to pay him much attention.
Just then, Xie Xie sat down beside Tang Wulin and Gu Yue with a grin. "Did you know you can hunt Soul Rings in the Spirit Ascension Platform, too?"
"Acquire Soul Rings?" The phrase was unfamiliar to Tang Wulin. Soul Beasts were practically extinct these days, and the only way to get a Soul Ring was to choose an Artificial Soul Spirit. There was no way anyone could hunt down Soul Rings.
Gu Yue looked even more shocked than Tang Wulin. She stared at Xie Xie. "What do you mean?"
Xie Xie explained, "In a sense, the Spirit Ascension Platform is a replica of the Star Dou Great Forest. The Soul Beasts inside aren't real, but they do have a trace of self-awareness. So if you can get one to willingly become your Soul Spirit, you can bring it out with you."
"If that's true, wouldn't the Spirit Pagoda lose a fortune?" Tang Wulin asked.
"You're overthinking it. Since the Spirit Ascension Platform was established, hardly anyone has ever managed to bring a Soul Spirit out. Soul Beasts are naturally hostile toward Soul Masters. You can imagine how difficult it is to get one to willingly become our Soul Spirit." Xie Xie propped his hands behind his head and leaned back in his seat.
"I see." Tang Wulin said thoughtfully.
"Of course, I'm just saying. I'll settle for improving the age of my Soul Ring. If I get lucky, my First Soul Ring will reach the thousand-year level, and I'll be thrilled." Xie Xie said with a grin.
For the rest of the trip, Xie Xie kept telling Tang Wulin and Gu Yue all about the Spirit Ascension Platform. You'd think he went there all the time.
The bus finally came to a slow stop about an hour and a half later.
The sunlight was blinding. When Tang Wulin stepped off the bus, a tower hundreds of meters tall filled his view. It rose from the base to the upper levels, built entirely of deep-black metal and exuding a heavy, imposing presence.
The Spirit Pagoda Tang Wulin had visited in Aolai City to awaken his martial soul and draw a Soul Spirit was nothing like the one before him! Even the Blacksmith Association paled in comparison.
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