Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Stars, Eyes Full of Hearts

Today was an important day for him and Tang Wulin.

Both of them had reached the threshold of level ten soul power. At last, they had the chance to embark on the true path of a Soul Master—going to the Spirit Pagoda to select and fuse with their first Soul Spirits.

After a simple breakfast, Tang Ziran got everything ready and led the siblings out of the house.

Before long, the three of them spotted the Spirit Pagoda standing in the heart of the city from afar.

Its pristine white body was imposing and solemn, its layered eaves radiating an air of dignity and grandeur.

Though it had only three floors and was nowhere near the scale of those in major cities, it was still the sacred hall in the hearts of all low-level Soul Masters in Aolai City, as the Federation's core site for controlling Soul Spirit resources.

For ordinary families, Soul Spirits were a luxury—and the only hope of changing their fate.

Tang Wulin walked beside him. Three years had passed, and she had gradually grown taller and more slender. Her features were clear and bright, though a trace of nervous anticipation lingered in her heart.

Her Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul had been labeled a worthless Martial Soul since childhood, and her soul power progress had always been unremarkable. More than anyone, she longed for a suitable Soul Spirit to prove herself.

The three remained silent along the way and entered the Spirit Pagoda without incident.

The interior was spacious and bright, with a gentle aura of soul power surrounding them. Rows of transparent cultivation pods containing Soul Spirits stood neatly arranged, faint spiritual light flowing within them in a quiet, sacred atmosphere.

The Spirit Pagoda staff member responsible for reception routinely tested their soul power and spiritual power. After confirming that both had met the level ten standard, he opened the basic Soul Spirit selection pool for them.

The thirty thousand they had earned from forging could only be used for random draws. Most of the options were extremely low-year Ten-Year Soul Spirits, while Century Soul Spirits were few and far between, with odds so low they could be ignored. This was the norm for ordinary children in Aolai City.

But random draws were precisely Chen An's domain.

"Wulin, you go first," Tang Ziran said gently.

Tang Wulin nodded lightly, took a deep breath, and stepped up to the machine to press the draw button.

The machine whirred, dropping a Soul Spirit sphere. Once it was opened, the result was exactly as Chen An had expected.

A trace of undisguised disappointment flashed through Tang Wulin's eyes, and her fingers curled slightly.

A Ten-Year Soul Spirit—and a defective one at that. She had no other choice.

"It's already quite good," Tang Ziran comforted her softly, his tone full of tenderness.

Chen An raised his eyes and secretly watched Tang Ziran.

He actually had the means to give Tang Wulin a better Soul Spirit.

However, Tang Ziran and his wife were living in hiding to avoid disaster. They did not dare use large sums of money or enter high-level circles, afraid that revealing their identities would bring about fatal consequences.

Even if they truly had savings from their earlier years, they would never expose their wealth over something like buying Soul Spirits for their children. This was also one of the important reasons their family appeared especially impoverished.

Next, it was Chen An's turn.

Chen An stepped forward at an unhurried pace, his expression calm and unruffled. Then his eyes suddenly turned toward the Roulette.

—[Obtain a Century Soul Spirit?]

Yes (80%)

No (20%)

He still had one draw remaining.

No, there was no need.

Chen An's eyes flashed.

[Second Soul Skill: Extrasight]

The ability he had just drawn would come in handy now.

Chen An's gaze pierced through the machine, allowing him to see the colors of the randomly selected Soul Spirits inside with perfect clarity.

With the boost from level three Luck, as long as this machine produced a Century Soul Spirit, there was no need to waste a draw.

If it produced a Ten-Year Soul Spirit, he would press the button without hesitation and make it yield a Century Soul Spirit.

Any Century Soul Spirit would do. That was the only way to explain the Century Soul Ring he would gain after awakening his Martial Soul.

The machine activated, and a Soul Spirit sphere dropped out.

Once opened, it suddenly lit up with a lustrous yellow glow far beyond the norm. The light was clear and rich, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

The Spirit Master froze slightly, surprise in his voice. "A Century Soul Spirit, with extremely high compatibility! Rare—truly rare!"

As soon as those words fell, Tang Ziran's face lit up with delight, and he repeatedly marveled at their incredible luck.

Even Tang Wulin, whose spirits had been low, immediately lifted her head. The disappointment in her eyes was replaced by amazement, and she promptly smiled at Chen An as she sincerely congratulated him.

"Xiao An, that's wonderful! It's actually a Century Soul Spirit! Your luck is amazing!"

Compared with her Ten-Year Bluesilver Grass Soul Spirit, a Century Soul Spirit was worlds apart.

Yet she felt not the slightest envy, only pure happiness for him.

But once that joy faded, bitterness and unwillingness quietly surged within her. She clenched her small fist and silently encouraged herself.

It's okay. I'm only getting a slower start, that's all.

On the way out of the Spirit Pagoda, people's joys and sorrows were never truly shared.

Chen An deliberately walked half a step ahead.

He could clearly sense the feeling coming from behind him.

It was a mixture of immense disappointment, self-doubt, and perhaps a trace of indescribable bitterness.

Tang Wulin had been mocked at the academy from the very beginning. Whether Chen An had come or not made no difference.

Their view of a worthless Martial Soul would not change, and the practical use of this Martial Soul was indeed just that.

If not for the Golden Dragon King's bloodline, she would have spent her entire life living beneath the shadow of Bluesilver Grass.

Most of the time, such a psychological gap was enough to crush an adult, let alone a nine-year-old child.

—Bluesilver Grass is the most worthless Martial Soul.

—How could that kind of Martial Soul ever grow strong?

—A defective Ten-Year grass snake suits a worthless Martial Soul perfectly.

Chen An could practically hear such words echoing over and over in Tang Wulin's mind.

He imagined Tang Wulin returning home with her head lowered, biting her lip and forcing herself not to cry.

Chen An wanted to offer some comforting words, such as...

There were no useless Martial Souls, only...

He had assumed Tang Wulin would force a smile, remain silent all the way home, then lock herself in her room to vent.

Yet—

"Xiao An."

Suddenly, a calm voice shattered the silence. Chen An turned his head in surprise.

Tang Wulin was not looking down, nor was she crying. She held her chest high as she faced the sun and walked beside Chen An, with only the faintest traces of her earlier disappointment remaining on her face.

To be honest, Chen An still had not gotten used to Tang Wulin being a girl. Sunlight fell over the young girl's tender face, but her gaze had become even firmer.

"I know you've always cared about my feelings, Xiao An."

Tang Wulin's voice was soft, but every word was clear. But what did she mean by that?

"Ever since we started school, I've never seen you seriously cultivate. But you're serious when you read, and serious when you do other things—except cultivation."

Chen An immediately understood.

So that was it. She thought he had been looking after her feelings. Clearly, his Martial Soul was decent, yet his soul power had advanced abnormally slowly.

After all, his current identity was that of her younger brother. If he surpassed his older sister by far, it would deal a severe blow to her self-esteem.

"Don't worry. Your sister isn't as fragile as you think."

Tang Wulin placed a hand on Chen An's shoulder. Even after suffering such a setback, she still smiled.

She was completely different from the dejected Tang Wulin he had imagined.

Seeing Chen An's undisguised surprise and dazed expression, Tang Wulin's lips instead curved upward.

"What's wrong? You look like you just saw my Martial Soul Mutation. So what if it's defective? It's not the end of the world. Cheer up—you drew a Century Soul Spirit!"

Tang Wulin switched to hooking her elbow around Chen An's neck, pulling his whole body closer.

"Don't worry about me. It's only a Ten-Year Soul Ring. I have my strengths too. Teacher Qiu Tian said I'm very strong and have great endurance. I'll work hard and catch up to you!"

The girl's voice was crisp and stubborn, filled with an unyielding spirit.

"Easy, Sister Wulin! I can't breathe!"