Time flew like a white colt flashing past a crack in the wall. To Long Yuan, the day Tang Wulin became his student and began learning blacksmithing seemed like only yesterday. But for Tang Wulin, the events of the past year had been nothing short of momentous.
According to Mang Tian, Tang Wulin had made astonishing progress over the past year. He could now forge a large component on his own. Of course, they rarely received orders for large components. After all, when labor costs got too high, most people preferred machine casting.
That didn't stop Tang Wulin from learning blacksmithing. Mang Tian had already said that once he became a true Soul Master, he would begin teaching him Thousand Refinement.
Long Yuan hadn't been idle, either. Whenever no one was around, he'd spent the time growing closer to Na'er.
To be precise, though, Na'er was usually the one telling him things that sounded childish.
Long Yuan didn't mind. Having something to talk about was always nice; at least they didn't have to sit there staring blankly at each other.
Na'er treated him very differently from how she treated Tang Ziran and the others. Whenever he raised a hand, she'd place her little head against it like a kitten.
The little girl seemed to enjoy being close to him.
Oh no. I've become catnip!
Of course, consumed by guilt, Long Yuan had also collected a little of the spiritual power that seeped out from Na'er's seal. He couldn't think of any use for it yet, but it was no trouble to gather, so he might as well keep it.
In his spare moments while Tang Wulin cultivated, Long Yuan would tell him stories about "things that happened in his old world." After all, the boy was still young—the perfect age for shaping his worldview.
"Teacher! I did it! I broke through to level ten!"
Tang Wulin sprang up from the bed, where he'd been sitting cross-legged.
It was the weekend, so he hadn't gone to school.
[Not bad.]
Long Yuan wasn't surprised in the slightest. He'd already sensed the surge as Tang Wulin's Soul Power broke through.
He'd reached level ten in two years, a full year faster than in the original story. And he hadn't fallen behind in learning blacksmithing, either; he'd made the same one-year leap there, too.
At that moment, the door was flung open, and Tang Ziran rushed in.
He'd been watching television with Na'er in the living room when the commotion from Tang Wulin's breakthrough startled him.
"Wulin, what happened?"
"Dad, I broke through to level ten!" Tang Wulin eagerly shared his joy.
Na'er peeked out from behind Tang Ziran and smiled sweetly. "Congratulations, big brother."
"Hehe." Tang Wulin put his hands on his hips. "When I get back from seeing my teacher, I'll buy you some cotton candy."
"Yay! Thank you, big brother!" At the prospect of a treat, Na'er beamed even brighter.
Lang Yue came in from the kitchen just in time to hear them. Overjoyed, she pulled Tang Wulin into a hug. "Our Wulin is the best!"
Tang Wulin hugged his mother back, warmth spreading through his heart.
Watching this harmonious scene, Long Yuan felt deeply moved.
After dinner, Tang Wulin headed to Mang Tian's workshop. Even though he'd broken through, he couldn't neglect his daily work.
But when he arrived, he didn't get started right away. Instead, he went to find Mang Tian.
"Teacher, I broke through to level ten today!"
Mang Tian set down the blueprint in his hands. "You broke through already? Come here, let me see."
As he spoke, he grabbed Tang Wulin by the wrist.
As a level-forty Soul Ancestor, he could easily check Tang Wulin's cultivation himself. There was no need to make the boy take a special trip to a testing center.
A few breaths later, Mang Tian burst out laughing. "Excellent, excellent! You're every bit the disciple I had my eye on. You're even cultivating this quickly!"
He couldn't quite understand how Tang Wulin, with only three points of Innate Soul Power and Blue Silver Grass as his martial soul, could cultivate so fast. But he'd just tested him and found his prized disciple's foundation to be exceptionally solid. Clearly, he hadn't used any method that forced growth at the expense of a sound foundation, so Mang Tian didn't press him.
Everyone had their own secrets, after all, and Mang Tian wasn't the sort to pry into everything.
"Now that you've broken through to level ten, it's time to buy a Soul Spirit. How much money have you saved?"
How much did a Soul Spirit from the Spirit Pagoda cost again? He couldn't quite remember.
Mang Tian furrowed his brow as he tried to recall.
"Just over twenty-five thousand Federal Coins," Tang Wulin answered after thinking it over.
"Twenty-five thousand..."
Mang Tian fell silent. He couldn't remember the exact prices of the Spirit Pagoda's Soul Spirits, but he knew they cost more than twenty-five thousand.
"You don't have enough."
Tang Wulin hurriedly asked, "Could you lend me five thousand Federal Coins? Just five thousand. I asked around before, and thirty thousand should be enough."
"Thirty thousand?" Mang Tian opened his desk drawer with a doubtful look. But instead of Federal Coins, he took out a Soul Guidance Communicator.
He placed a Soul Guidance Communication call. After several rings, a middle-aged man's voice came through. "Hello, Brother Mang Tian. What can I do for you?"
"Pagoda Master Li, I wanted to ask on someone's behalf: how much do Soul Spirits cost at the Spirit Pagoda?"
Mang Tian had called the Pagoda Master of the Spirit Pagoda in Aolai City. As a master craftsman-level blacksmith, he was naturally entitled to deal with the other man as an equal.
Even though the other man was nearly twenty years older than him.
"Soul Spirits? In a small place like Aolai City, the Spirit Pagoda offers only three ways to buy one: a ten-year white Soul Spirit, a hundred-year yellow Soul Spirit, or a random draw. They cost seventy thousand, one million, and thirty thousand, respectively."
"Hmm..."
Mang Tian nodded. He didn't end the call right away, but turned to Tang Wulin. "Well? You heard him, didn't you?"
"Teacher, I only need a random Soul Spirit."
"Wait, there's something I need to make sure you both understand."
Pagoda Master Li's voice came through the Soul Guidance Communicator, sounding somewhat urgent. He'd clearly heard what Tang Wulin said. "A random draw might give you a hundred-year Soul Spirit, but you might also get a defective one. Defective Soul Spirits can still be fused, but they may have hidden flaws."
Pagoda Master Li paused, then asked tentatively, "Brother Mang Tian, have you taken on a new disciple? How about I make an exception and give him a yellow Soul Spirit?"
Pagoda Master Li's reasoning was simple. If Mang Tian had taken an interest in the boy, then he was likely to achieve great things. A mere yellow Soul Spirit was within his authority to give. Investing early in a talented young blacksmith would be a sure bet.
Mang Tian's eyes sharpened. He clearly understood the other man's intentions. "That's very kind of you, Pagoda Master Li. But I think we should let the boy decide for himself."
With that, Mang Tian ended the Soul Guidance Communication.
"What a sly old fox. He never misses a chance to stick his oar in."
Still, he explained the situation carefully to Tang Wulin. "It's up to you. If you accept the gift, you'll be labeled as someone backed by the Spirit Pagoda from then on. But you'll have no shortage of resources for cultivation, which is much better than working so hard to earn the money yourself."
"This..."
Mang Tian could see that Tang Wulin was hesitating, so he didn't press him. Instead, he changed the subject. "Go finish today's work first."
"All right, Teacher." Tang Wulin nodded and left, his mind a tangle of thoughts.