Under Long Yuan's guidance, Tang Wulin's cultivation gradually got on track. He first went to the Blacksmith Association to obtain proof of his blacksmith rank. This time, he went straight through the Level Three assessment, which also spared him from Mu Xi's jealousy.
Of course, Long Yuan didn't keep anything from this devoted disciple. He had his avatar meet Tang Wulin in person.
[Wulin, ah, I've given this a lot of thought. Staying inside you forever just won't do. You're going to grow up eventually, so I took a gamble and used energy to remake a body. That way, I can guide you better, and protect you, too...]
In short, after Long Yuan gave him an earful about how everything he did was for Tang Wulin's own good, Tang Wulin—deeply influenced by the idea that "a teacher for a day is a father for life"—believed him completely. What's more, he immediately enjoyed the privileges of having his master serve as the Blacksmith Association's vice president: he not only got a twenty percent discount on raw materials at the Association, but also his very own advanced forging room.
Master really has gone to so much trouble for me. I'll have to repay him twice over one day, Tang Wulin thought to himself.
After that, Tang Wulin spent every day either forging, cultivating Soul Power, or training his Blood Qi.
Besides that, Long Yuan often went to watch Mu Chen forge. He even took some time to learn a little about making Soul Tools.
What could he do? He didn't need to cultivate himself, so he could only pass the time with these secondary professions.
And so, time passed little by little, and the start of the Eastsea Academy term drew near.
Long Yuan brought Tang Wulin to the entrance of Eastsea Academy.
As Eastsea City's top school, Eastsea Academy was divided into the Intermediate Division and the Advanced Division. Though the latter occupied only a third of the academy's grounds, it was the heart of the entire institution.
The Advanced Division was on the west side of campus. The two of them had come to the south gate of Eastsea Academy.
Outside the gate stood a long table. Several upperclassmen from Eastsea Academy sat behind it, responsible for registering new students.
From time to time, Soul Guidance buses also carried new students who had already registered at the Soul Guidance Train station into the academy.
"Hello. How may I help you?"
An upperclasswoman greeted them.
Long Yuan pointed to Tang Wulin beside him. "New student registration."
"Sure. The new student can fill out a registration form, then show me the recommendation letter from your junior academy."
Tang Wulin understood. He took the recommendation letter from Red Mountain Academy out of the Thousand Refinement Heavy Silver Ring, then bent over to fill in the form:
Tang Wulin, nine years old, graduate of Aolai City Red Mountain Junior Academy. Level fifteen plant-type Soul Master. Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass. Mental power: 70 (late Spirit Origin Realm).
That's right. After absorbing some Golden Dragon King essence and training hard over the past few days, Tang Wulin had advanced two more levels.
The upperclasswoman handling registration was astonished as she looked at the information Tang Wulin had filled in.
Could someone with a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul really cultivate this fast? He was already level fifteen? The highest-level new student she'd encountered lately was only level eighteen.
"All right, your new student registration is complete. You can use this to get around the academy."
The upperclasswoman stamped the recommendation letter, then handed it and a metal badge to Tang Wulin.
When she saw that the two people in front of her weren't leaving, she asked curiously, "Um, is there anything else?"
"Mm... I'd like to sign up too," Long Yuan said.
"All right. Please show me your recommendation letter."
Though her instincts told her the other person might be a little too old, she thought it over. Maybe kids these days just grew up fast?
"I'm signing up to be a teacher."
"Huh?" The pen in the upperclasswoman's hand clattered to the ground.
"So, sir, are you certain you want to teach at our academy?"
The person receiving Long Yuan was a man in his sixties. He was of average height and rather unremarkable in appearance. His hair was gray, and he wore glasses, giving him a scholarly air.
He was none other than Eastsea Academy's principal, Yu Zhen.
The principal of Eastsea Academy was considered a member of Eastsea City's upper crust, so Yu Zhen had no trouble finding out who Long Yuan was.
Vice Tower Master of the Eastsea City Spirit Pagoda and vice president of the Blacksmith Association...
And where had this little big shot come from?
Yu Zhen rubbed his brow, his mind racing. That was one of the difficulties of working in education—sooner or later, you'd run into every sort of important figure or their children, and you had to navigate between all kinds of powerful factions.
"Principal Yu, I'll be direct. I have a disciple named Tang Wulin, and he's a new student at Eastsea Academy. I have some time on my hands, so I came to keep an eye on him. I hope you don't mind?"
Yu Zhen sighed. "Tower Master Long, it's not that I don't welcome you. With your cultivation, you'd be more than qualified to teach students in the Advanced Division. It's just that I can't bear to see these dull students waste your precious time. With your talent, the Soul Master World will surely one day bow to you..."
They didn't call them old foxes for nothing. Yu Zhen's words were clearly a refusal, but he made it sound as if he only had Long Yuan's best interests at heart, leaving no room to argue.
Long Yuan nodded. "Thank you for the praise, Principal Yu, but I'm still not at ease. How about this: I'll just hold an honorary position here. I can also provide Eastsea Academy with five spots in the Rioting Spirit Ascension Platform to support your educational programs. What do you think?"
"Well..." Yu Zhen considered it. An honorary position wasn't out of the question, and spots in the Rioting Spirit Ascension Platform were valuable.
"Deal! Welcome aboard, Teacher Long!"
Once they'd struck a deal, Yu Zhen immediately put on a radiant smile and shook Long Yuan's hand.
As he left Yu Zhen's office, Long Yuan sighed. "Ah, my foolish little sister. I've paid such a price for you. I'll definitely make you repay me properly later."
"Achoo—"
Inside an elongated luxury Soul Guidance Car, Gu Yuena seemed to sense something and suddenly sneezed several times in a row.
"Are you all right, my lord?"
Yao Ling, who was driving from the driver's seat, asked with concern.
Gu Yuena smoothed her silver hair. "I'm fine. Maybe someone's thinking about me. Yao Ling, how are the things I asked you to prepare coming along?"
"My lord, according to the person I bribed, that device will be ready in two years."
"Mm. Try to hurry. The longer we wait, the more likely things are to change."
After giving a few more instructions, Gu Yuena leaned back in the comfortable seat, her amethyst eyes taking in the scenery as it swept past the window.
"We're almost there. Don't you have anything you want to say?"
"I have nothing to say. You and I are one and the same, aren't we? I only want to take one last look."
Gu Yuena smiled. All that time spent preparing herself for this had not been in vain.
The Soul Guidance Car stopped outside the gate. Gu Yuena stepped out, and her stunning face immediately drew the attention of a large crowd.
"Y-yes, hello..." the upperclasswoman stammered.
"Hi, upperclasswoman. I'm here to register."
"Y-yes..."
She went through the registration process in a daze. Only after Gu Yuena had left did the upperclasswoman remember to look at the form she'd filled out.
"Name: Gu Yuena... Martial Soul: Silver Dragon. Level sixteen Battle Soul Master..."