Three Years Later

Eastsea City, Rain Spirit Grilled Fish Shop.

The familiar sign gleamed warmly beneath the afternoon sun. The doors stood open, carrying out the mouthwatering aroma of grilled fish along with the lively clamor of voices.

"Hahaha! Brother Huo, you finally came back!" Captain Guang Biao, broad and powerfully built, slapped Huo Yuhao hard on the shoulder, making him grimace. "Was the trip smooth? I really thought you'd stay over there for the full two months!"

Huo Yuhao smiled and rubbed his shoulder. "Captain Guang, your grip has gotten stronger. The moment things were settled over there, I rushed straight back. Thanks for looking after the shop." He looked around the spotless interior, his tone sincere.

"Ah, it was nothing! Those apprentices of yours heard you were coming back soon and kept stopping by to ask. They're full of energy!" Guang Biao laughed heartily. "Now that you're back in charge, the culinary landmark of our street is shining again!"

"Have them all come back tomorrow. They need to make up for the lessons they missed these past days." Huo Yuhao tied on his familiar dark apron and smoothly began checking the seasoning jars and charcoal fire. "After closing tomorrow night, I'll cook personally. Let's have a proper gathering, as thanks to Captain Guang and the neighbors for looking after things while I was gone."

"Now that's what I'm talking about! I've been craving your signature cooking!" Guang Biao's eyes lit up as he cheerfully helped straighten the price list hanging beneath the sign.

Before long, news that Yuling Grilled Fish had reopened spread as if on wings. Old customers came flocking back, following the taste they remembered. The shop quickly filled with people, familiar noise and fragrance intertwining. Everything seemed to have returned to how it was before Huo Yuhao left, yet the brief separation had added an extra touch of warmth.

Aolai City

Tang Wulin's life was orderly and fulfilling. Every day after school, his first stop without fail was the local branch of the Spirit Pagoda. The subsidy policy Huo Yuhao had told him about had become an important pillar of his savings plan. He collected his daily thirty Federal Credits allowance and kept an eye on the limited-time tasks posted on the notice board—perhaps helping move newly delivered supplies, or taking part in a thorough cleaning of the hall on weekends. He was hardworking and dependable, and the branch attendants all liked the blue-haired, blue-eyed boy with his bright smile and willingness to endure hardship. His regular Sunday cleaning work familiarized him with every corner inside the Spirit Pagoda, while his pay steadily increased as he became more skilled and responsible.

His second stop was Master Mang Tian's workshop, where the resounding clang of hammers never ceased. Over three years as an apprentice, his sweat had soaked countless practice pieces of metal, and the calluses on his palms had worn away and grown back again. At first, even swinging a ten-pound hammer had been difficult for him. Now, he could proficiently perform Hundred Refinement Purification. His innate affinity for forging grew stronger by the day, and his calm, focused expression occasionally made Mang Tian feel as though he were seeing his younger self.

Na'er, meanwhile, quietly blossomed with her own radiance. At first, the things she made by hand were only simple cloth dolls or woven ornaments. Yet because of their uniquely fresh designs, indescribable dexterity and delicacy, and serene beauty far beyond her years, they gradually gained a reputation among her classmates and within the local community. What began as personal use and gifts eventually led to people approaching her to ask prices and make purchases. Now, demand was beginning to exceed supply. She did not deliberately pursue quantity and still maintained her own pace, pouring patience into every finished piece. Whenever her purple eyes lowered, it seemed as though an entire tranquil galaxy lay hidden beneath her long lashes. She gave all of that income to Lang Yue to help support the household.

The powerful beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest had also fully adapted to the rhythm of human society. Bi Ji and Zi Ji became increasingly renowned in their respective design fields. Whether competing from afar or occasionally joining forces, they always stirred up a trend. Bear Lord's Dark-Gold Heavy Peak alloy ingots were nearly impossible to obtain. Myriad Demon King's Forest Life Chronicle products had become synonymous with high-quality living. Scarlet King's Three-Headed Spirit Scent firmly held a place in the high-end perfume market. Everyone was busy, racing along in their own lanes like tributaries joining the great flood of human civilization and surging forward.

Peaceful days repeated like waves, until one evening, when an ecstatic cheer shattered the calm—

"That's amazing! Dad! Mom! Na'er! I'm level ten! I finally reached level ten!"

Tang Wulin shot out of his bedroom like a little cannonball, his cheeks flushed red with excitement and his blue eyes shining with uncontrollable joy. He leaped straight up in the not-so-spacious living room, nearly crashing into the low-hanging lampshade.

Three years had passed, and the boy who had once still been childish had shot up in height. He was now nearly half a head taller than Na'er, his shoulders beginning to take on the outline of adolescence. Only two months remained before he graduated from Red Mountain Academy.

For a Soul Master, level ten was an extremely important threshold. Their primary academy studies were nearing their end. After advancing to intermediate academy, Soul Master students would be separated out and enter specialized Soul Master Academies. But a small city like Aolai City was not qualified to establish an intermediate Soul Master Academy. The Soul Master Academies in nearby medium-sized cities generally required applicants to possess their first Soul Spirit as the most basic admission condition.

"Brother Wulin is amazing!" Na'er immediately set down the silver little fish pendant she had been sewing, which had already begun to take shape. Her violet eyes curved into crescents as she clapped and cheered for him wholeheartedly. Three years had also allowed her features to mature, shedding more of their childish roundness. Her cool, exquisite beauty had become increasingly striking. Sitting there quietly, she looked like a carefully painted portrait.

"Good boy! You've really made your father proud!" Tang Ziran put down the Soul Guidance circuit blueprint in his hands, crossed the room in a few strides, and lifted his cheering son into the air. He spun him halfway around, his face filled with undisguised pride and joy. Though their life was poor, their son's good sense and talent had always been the couple's greatest comfort.

The kitchen immediately grew busier, and Lang Yue's delighted voice came with the light clatter of pots and bowls. "Level ten? That's wonderful! Mom will make extra dishes tonight! I've been saving the biggest Ice Sea fish for you!" She hurriedly wiped her hands and carefully took the long-preserved ingredient from the refrigerator, her eyes slightly moist. Every step of her child's growth carried all the love and hopes of this family.

Over these three years, the children had indeed grown up. Na'er's outstanding appearance occasionally drew subtle jealous looks from girls their age. And because Tang Wulin had such a beautiful younger sister, he had also inexplicably received some faint hostility from older boys. But genuine trouble had almost never occurred.

The reason dated back to shortly after the start of their first year. One day after school, Na'er was surrounded by several unruly older students on the road home. Tang Wulin saw it from not far away and rushed over without a second thought. The others were all children who had awakened their martial souls, and there were more of them. Tang Wulin's two fists could not beat four hands, so he could only shield Na'er tightly behind him and use his body to block most of the blows. Amid the pushing and grappling, the golden, snowflake-shaped badge with silver edging that Huo Yuhao had given him came loose from his collar and fell to the ground.

"Hahaha, you're even wearing a badge? You're quite particular, kid." The largest boy, who seemed to be their leader, sneered as he bent down to pick it up. Just as he was about to continue mocking him, his eyes swept over the tiny yet incomparably clear engraving at the bottom—"Dark-Gold Heavy Peak."

His laughter stopped abruptly, as though someone had grabbed him by the throat, and his face changed several times in an instant. In this era where Soul Guidance technology and forging reigned supreme, the special alloys and customized derivative products produced by the Dark-Gold Heavy Peak workshop had long surpassed the category of ordinary luxury goods. They represented top-tier craftsmanship, immense wealth, and something even deeper... connections or power. That was not something the children of small families in a border town like theirs could casually touch. It might even bring trouble.

"...S-sorry!" The boy clumsily wiped the badge twice on his clothes before respectfully returning it to Tang Wulin, who was somewhat disheveled from the beating but still firmly protected his sister. Then he waved to his lackeys, and the group ran away as quickly as frightened rabbits.

The next day, the parents of those children actually came to their home in person, bringing their children with them and solemnly apologizing to Tang Ziran, Lang Yue, and Tang Wulin. Their attitude was unexpectedly sincere. Tang Wulin had still been holding in his anger, intending to properly fight back once he became stronger, but he could only let it go after seeing that. Afterward, Tang Ziran considered the matter carefully and became even more convinced that the mysterious Mr. Huo was unfathomable. That small gift he had left behind had unknowingly shielded the children from so much potential trouble, deepening Tang Ziran's gratitude and respect.

In the living room, the excited Tang Wulin had already run to the calendar hanging on the wall and pointed at the date as he made plans. "Dad, can we go to the Spirit Pagoda tomorrow and buy a Soul Spirit? I've asked around and figured everything out!"

He counted on his fingers as though reciting family treasures. "Our Aolai City Spirit Pagoda branch only offers three kinds of Soul Spirits: Ten-Year White Soul Spirits, with seventy-three kinds to choose from, for seventy thousand Federal Credits; Century Yellow Soul Spirits, with eleven choices, but they cost one million Federal Credits; and Random-Draw Soul Spirits for thirty thousand Federal Credits, though nobody knows what you'll get."

Tang Ziran looked at his son's shining eyes, suppressing the excitement in his heart as he spoke gently. "Wulin, don't rush. It's a little late today. Buying a Soul Spirit is an important matter, so we need to prepare properly. Besides..." He paused and looked toward his wife. Lang Yue nodded as well.

A year ago, in order to prepare for the future, Tang Ziran had gone alone to the Spirit Pagoda to ask in detail about Soul Spirits. The Spirit Master who received him had been polite, but also frank. "Sir, Aolai City is small, and its Soul Spirit reserves and facilities such as the Ascension Platform are limited. We only have these three basic options. If your family can afford it, I suggest taking your child to branches in some medium-sized cities. There will be far more choices there, and you may have opportunities to access better methods for upgrading Soul Spirits."

Tang Ziran had taken those words to heart. He thought of Huo Yuhao, Uncle Huo, who had shown their family so much kindness. Later, he found an opportunity to use the contact information Huo Yuhao had left behind and ask him about it. Huo Yuhao's reply was brief and forceful: "Leave the Soul Spirit matter to me. It won't be a problem."

"Dad, then let's hurry and tell Uncle Huo!" Tang Wulin urged impatiently.

"Alright. First thing tomorrow morning, Dad will send Uncle Huo a message. As for you, go ask for leave from school first." Tang Ziran patted his son's head.

"That's great!" Tang Wulin cheered, then turned and scooped up the quietly smiling Na'er beside him. He easily spun around the living room three times with her in his arms. "Hehe, once I have a Soul Spirit and become stronger, I'll be able to protect Na'er even better! Let's see who still dares bully my sister!"

Na'er let out a soft cry as he spun her around, then wrapped her arms around his neck. Her silver hair fluttered as an incomparably genuine, cloudless smile bloomed across her face. "Mm! Brother Wulin is the best! You'll definitely find an especially, especially good Soul Spirit!"

"Alright, alright, you two little rascals, hurry and wash your hands. Dinner's almost ready! Today is a big day for our family!" Lang Yue emerged from the kitchen carrying a fragrant, generously prepared braised Ice Sea fish. Her face glowed with happiness, and her voice brimmed with warm vitality.

Under the warm lights, the small living room was filled with the aroma of food, laughter, and eager anticipation. For the Tang family, an important turning point had arrived. A new road was slowly unfolding in Tang Wulin's excited blue eyes, leading toward an unknown yet promising future. And far away in Eastsea City, the aroma of grilled fish was rich in the air, as though answering in silent echo.