Nine-Toothed Rake

Standing on the cold, empty, yet safe metal platform, Ning Chuan's spirit body looked around.

Inside the platform, there was nothing at all. Other than the intricate patterns beneath his feet that emitted a faint silver glow, there was nothing else.

Beyond the platform lay the boundless Junk Ocean, radiating both danger and opportunity.

The discarded objects—some glimmering faintly, some wreathed in black mist, others grotesquely shaped—were only a dozen or so meters away at their closest, seemingly within reach.

Yet those mere dozen meters were like an insurmountable chasm.

He tried taking a step forward. The instant his toe touched the invisible boundary at the platform's edge, an intense sense of dread struck him!

It felt as though taking one more step would send him plunging into a bottomless abyss, where the chaotic and dangerous aura outside would swallow him whole.

He immediately abandoned the thought.

Safety first. Safety first!

Ning Chuan kept reminding himself inwardly.

He had finally defied fate and gained the foundation to embark upon the path of a Soul Master. He absolutely could not stumble at the very first step because of a moment of recklessness.

The warning about damage to his spirit body still echoed in his ears. He did not dare gamble with his future.

But without tools, was he supposed to just stand there and watch?

"Station?" Ning Chuan tried calling out in his mind. "Can I bring tools in here? For example... a longer hook, a rake, or something like that?"

"Authorization confirmed. The Station Master may bring tools made by himself, made by approved craftsmen, or fully owned by himself into the Station. Tools must comply with the Station's basic rules and may not contain higher-dimensional energy or active consciousness exceeding the current authorization level. Tools may be stored in the personal platform's tool area."

The cold prompt gave him an affirmative answer.

Hearing that, Ning Chuan immediately relaxed. As long as he could bring tools, things would be much easier!

"Exit the Station." He gave the command at once.

The scene before him warped and blurred again. The vast Chaos Star Vortex and the boundless Junk Continent rapidly receded and vanished.

The next second, his consciousness returned.

Ning Chuan suddenly opened his eyes and found that he was still leaning against the door. Outside the window, the sky had already begun to brighten. Golden morning sunlight streamed through the holes in the window paper, casting warm patches of light across the floor.

A whole night had passed?

It had felt like only a short while at the junk station, yet dawn had already arrived in the real world.

He carefully sensed his body. Level twenty Soul Power flowed quietly within him, brimming with strength.

His mind was not tired from his first projection. On the contrary, having opened his Spiritual Sea, he felt refreshed and clear-headed.

"Xiaochuan, get up and have breakfast!" Liu Lan called from outside. Her voice was somewhat lighter than yesterday's, as though she had temporarily put aside yesterday's unhappiness.

"Coming, Mom!" Ning Chuan answered, pushing open the door and walking out.

The table still held a simple meal of coarse grain cakes and thin porridge.

Ning Dazhuang was already seated at the table. When he saw Ning Chuan emerge, his gaze lingered on him for a moment. He seemed to feel that his son looked somewhat different today, though he could not say exactly how. He simply seemed more spirited, and his eyes seemed brighter.

He opened his mouth, but in the end merely said, "Eat up. Afterward, come with me to the back mountain and chop some firewood."

Liu Lan also examined Ning Chuan, a faint relieved smile appearing on her face. "Mm, your complexion is much better than yesterday. That's more like it. Life still has to move forward."

They had both naturally noticed Ning Chuan's change. It was an improvement in his vitality from the inside out, born from the evolution of his Martial Soul's essence and the nourishment of Soul Power.

But they were merely ordinary villagers. They could not understand the higher-level power of Soul Power, and could only attribute it to the child coming to terms with things and regaining his spirits.

Warmth filled Ning Chuan's heart. He nodded, sat down, and began eating quickly.

He ate fast, his mind occupied with making a tool.

After hastily finishing his meal, Ning Chuan set down his bowl and chopsticks and looked toward his father, Ning Dazhuang, who was sorting through his carpentry tools.

"Dad," Ning Chuan said, "do we have... um, something with hooks on it? A longer rake, maybe?"

Ning Dazhuang paused and looked at his son in confusion. "What do you want that thing for? It's a tool for working the fields. Our family doesn't own any land."

The Ning Family were carpenters, not farmers.

"I... I thought I'd go take a look at the little stream behind the mountain. Maybe I can scoop up some fish or shrimp." Ning Chuan had already prepared an excuse. There truly was a small stream behind Holy Soul Village.

Liu Lan's eyes brightened slightly when she heard that. "Catching some fish or shrimp would be good. It'd add a little meat to our meals. Xiaochuan knows how to think of ways now. That's a good thing."

Ning Dazhuang frowned, seemingly feeling that it was a waste of time. But seeing the expectant look in his son's eyes and recalling the blow the child had suffered yesterday, he said nothing more.

He set down the plane in his hand, got up, and began searching through the corner piled with lumber and wood scraps.

After a while, Ning Dazhuang dragged out a long wooden pole. Nailed to its front was an iron rake head with nine slightly curved iron teeth, several of whose tips bore rust and signs of wear.

"Here, this one." Ning Dazhuang handed the rake to Ning Chuan. "It used to be for the old village chief's family to gather wheat straw. Later, a few teeth broke, so they threw it here. I fixed it up a little. It'll do for now. It's a little over three meters long. Is that enough?"

Ning Chuan took the rake.

The wooden pole was rough and prickled his hands. The rake head was heavy, and the iron teeth did not look especially sharp.

A little over three meters was shorter than he had hoped. He had originally thought that if he could get a tool five or six meters long, or even longer, then while standing on the platform, he would be able to reach much farther and be safer as well.

But for now, having one was better than having none.

"It's enough. Thanks, Dad!" Ning Chuan weighed the rake in his hands and nodded.

"Be careful with it. Don't drop it into the river. This iron thing is heavy," Ning Dazhuang reminded him before turning back to his carpentry work.

Liu Lan smiled and tucked a small cloth bundle into Ning Chuan's hands. "Come back early, and be careful."

Ning Chuan agreed, shouldering the somewhat cumbersome Nine-Toothed Rake and striding quickly out of the house.