Three Years Later

Eastsea City, Rain Spirit Grilled Fish Shop.

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

"Hahaha! Brother Huo, you're finally back!" Captain Guang Biao, broad and powerfully built, clapped 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's gotten stronger. As soon as 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 apprentice boys of yours heard you were coming back soon and kept dropping by to ask about you. They've got plenty of enthusiasm!" 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've missed too many lessons these days, so we need to make up for them quickly." Huo Yuhao tied on his familiar dark apron and smoothly began checking the seasoning jars and charcoal fire. "After closing tomorrow evening, I'll cook personally. We'll have a proper gathering to thank Captain Guang and the neighbors for taking care of the place."

"Sounds great! I've been craving your specialty 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 though it had grown wings. Old customers followed the flavors they remembered and flocked in. Soon, the shop was full. Familiar clamor mingled with fragrant aromas, and everything seemed to have returned to how it had been before Huo Yuhao left, only warmer for that brief separation.

Aolai City

Tang Wulin's life was orderly and fulfilling. Every day after school, his first stop without fail was the city branch of the Spirit Pagoda. The subsidy policy Huo Yuhao had told him about had become a crucial pillar of his savings plan. He collected his daily thirty Federal Credits, kept an eye on the limited-time tasks posted on the noticeboard—perhaps helping transport newly arrived supplies, perhaps joining the weekend deep-cleaning of the main hall. He was hardworking and dependable, and the branch stewards all liked this blue-haired, blue-eyed boy with his bright smile and willingness to endure hardship. The regular Sunday cleaning work familiarized him with every corner of the Spirit Pagoda, while his earnings steadily increased as he became more skilled and responsible.

His second stop was Master Mang Tian's workshop, where the ringing clang of hammers always echoed. Over three years as an apprentice, sweat had soaked countless pieces of practice metal, and the calluses on his palms had worn away and grown back time and again. At first, even swinging a ten-jin hammer had been difficult for him, but now he could skillfully perform Hundred Refinement Purification. His natural affinity for forging grew stronger by the day, and his calm, focused expression sometimes made Mang Tian feel as though he were seeing a reflection of his younger self.

Na'er, meanwhile, quietly blossomed in her own light. At first, the items she made by hand were merely simple cloth dolls or woven accessories. Yet because of their uniquely fresh designs, indescribable delicacy and ingenuity, and serene beauty far beyond her age, they gradually became known among her classmates and within the surrounding community. What began as things for personal use or gifts eventually drew people who proactively asked about prices and sought to buy them. Now, demand was beginning to exceed supply. She did not deliberately pursue quantity and still kept to her original pace, pouring patience into every finished piece. When her violet eyes lowered, it seemed as though an entire tranquil river of stars lay hidden beneath her long lashes. She gave all of that income to Lang Yue to help with household expenses.

The fierce 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, and whether competing from afar or occasionally joining forces, they could always set off a trend. Bear Lord's Dark-Gold Heavy Peak alloy was nearly impossible to obtain. Myriad Demon King's Forest Life Chronicle products became synonymous with high-quality living. Crimson King's Three-Headed Spirit Scent firmly occupied a place in the high-end perfume market. Everyone was busy, running along their own tracks like tributaries merging into the great current of human civilization and surging onward.

Peaceful days repeated like ocean waves until one evening, when a cry of wild joy shattered the calm—

"This is amazing! Dad! Mom! Na'er! I'm level ten! I finally reached level ten!"

Tang Wulin shot out of his bedroom like a tiny cannonball, his cheeks flushed red with excitement and his blue eyes shining with irrepressible delight. He leaped directly into the air in the cramped living room, nearly hitting the low-hanging lampshade.

Over three years, the little boy who had still been full of childishness 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 graduation from Red Mountain Academy.

For a soul master, level ten was an extremely important threshold. Elementary academy studies were about to end, and upon entering intermediate academy, soul master students would be separated out to attend specialized soul master academies. However, a small city like Aolai City was not qualified to establish an intermediate soul master academy. Soul master academies in nearby medium-sized cities generally required students to possess their first Soul Spirit as the most basic condition for admission.

"Brother Wulin is amazing!" Na'er immediately set down the silver 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 from the bottom of her heart. Three years had passed, and her features had opened up somewhat, shedding more of their childish roundness. Her cool, exquisite beauty had become increasingly striking. Sitting quietly there, she looked like a carefully painted picture.

"Good boy! You've made your father proud!" Tang Ziran put down the soul guidance circuit blueprint in his hands, strode over in a few steps, and lifted his cheering son high into the air. He spun him half a circle, his face full of undisguised pride and joy. Though life was poor, his son's maturity and talent had always been the couple's greatest comfort.

Even more hurried activity immediately came from the kitchen. Lang Yue's delighted voice mixed with the soft clatter of pots and bowls. "Level ten? That's wonderful! Mom's making extra dishes tonight! I've been saving the biggest Ice Sea Fish for you!" She hurriedly wiped her hands and opened the refrigerator, carefully taking out the ingredients she had treasured for so long. The corners of her eyes were slightly damp. Every step of her children's growth carried all the love and hopes of this family.

Over these three years, the children truly had grown up. Na'er's outstanding appearance occasionally drew subtle jealous looks from girls her age. Tang Wulin, meanwhile, had inexplicably received some veiled hostility from older boys because he had such a beautiful younger sister. Yet real 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 troublesome older students. Tang Wulin saw it from a short distance away and rushed over without a second thought. The others were all children who had awakened martial souls, and there were many of them. Tang Wulin's two fists could not beat so many hands. He could only shield Na'er tightly behind him, using his body to block most of the punches and kicks. Amid the pushing and pulling, the gold-trimmed snowflake badge Huo Yuhao had given him came loose from his collar and fell to the ground.

"Hahaha, you even wear a badge? Pretty fancy, huh, kid?" The biggest boy, clearly their leader, sneered as he bent down to pick up the badge. Just as he was about to mock him further, his gaze swept over the tiny yet unmistakably clear engraving at the bottom—"Dark-Gold Heavy Peak."

His laughter stopped abruptly, as though someone had seized him by the throat, and his expression changed several times in an instant. In this era where soul guidance technology and forging reigned supreme, the special alloys and derivative custom products made by the Dark-Gold Heavy Peak workshop had long surpassed the realm of ordinary luxury goods. They symbolized supreme craftsmanship, immense wealth, and something deeper... connections or power. That was not something the children of small families in a border city like theirs could casually touch, much less risk provoking trouble over.

"...S-sorry!" The boy hurriedly rubbed the badge twice against his clothes, then respectfully handed it back to Tang Wulin, who was somewhat dusty and disheveled from being beaten but still firmly shielding his sister. He then waved at his lackeys, and the group fled like startled rabbits.

The next day, the parents of those children actually brought their children to the Tang family's home in person and solemnly apologized to Tang Ziran, Lang Yue, and Tang Wulin. Their attitude was unexpectedly sincere. Tang Wulin had still been holding in a grudge, intending to fight back openly once he became stronger, but he could only let it go after seeing this. After careful thought, Tang Ziran became increasingly convinced that the mysterious Mr. Huo was unfathomable. That little gift he had left behind had unknowingly protected 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 was pointing at the date as he made plans. "Dad, can we go to the Spirit Pagoda tomorrow to buy a Soul Spirit? I've already asked around!"

He counted on his fingers as though reciting treasured facts. "The Aolai City Spirit Pagoda branch only offers three kinds of Soul Spirits. Ten-Year White Soul Spirits have seventy-three options and cost seventy thousand Federal Credits. Century Yellow Soul Spirits have eleven options, but they cost one million Federal Credits. There's also a Random-Draw Soul Spirit for thirty thousand Federal Credits, but no one knows what they'll get."

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

A year earlier, 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, along with opportunities to access better methods of 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 contact Huo Yuhao using the information he had left behind. Huo Yuhao's reply was concise and firm: "Leave the Soul Spirit matter to me. It won't be a problem."

"Dad, then let's tell Uncle Huo quickly!" 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 stroked his son's head.

"This is great!" Tang Wulin cheered, then turned and scooped up Na'er, who had been quietly smiling 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, then wrapped her arms around his neck. Her silver hair fluttered as a completely genuine, cloudless smile blossomed 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, go wash your hands and get ready to eat! 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 shone with happiness, and her voice was full of gentle energy.

Under the warm lights, the little living room was filled with the aroma of food, laughter, and deep 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 longed-for future. Far away in Eastsea City, the fragrance of grilled fish was rich in the air, as if answering in silent echo.