Nightmare

Eastsea City, Rain Spirit Grilled Fish Shop, early morning.

The charcoal fire had yet to fully catch, and the shop still retained the quiet air left behind after closing the day before. Huo Yuhao was wiping down the counter when his soul-guided communicator rang. He glanced at the number, a flicker of understanding passing through his ice-blue eyes. The moment he answered, Tang Ziran's slightly nervous yet expectant voice came through the receiver.

"Mr. Huo, good morning. Sorry to bother you. It's like this—Wulin... he reached Rank Ten yesterday. We want to take him to the Spirit Pagoda branch in Eastsea City to have a look. I was wondering if it would be convenient for you..."

"Oh? Rank Ten already?" Genuine delight immediately colored Huo Yuhao's voice, the satisfaction of seeing a seed finally break through the earth. "Hahaha, that's wonderful! No problem, come on over. Contact me when you reach Eastsea City, and I'll take you somewhere familiar. Mm... see you tomorrow." He promptly settled on a time, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and only then hung up.

"Boss Huo, you're that happy? That's rare." A cool voice came from the corner. At some point, Wu Changkong had already taken his usual seat. As always, there was a glass of water before him as he waited for his special order of plain grilled fish with extra lemongrass. He was still dressed in simple black, his back straight as a spear, though his features seemed more composed than they had been three years ago.

As Huo Yuhao turned and skillfully began preparing the freshly delivered sea fish, he smiled. "Yes. I went to Aolai City a few years ago and met an interesting, sensible little fellow named Tang Wulin. I just got the call—he's Rank Ten now and coming to Eastsea City to buy a Soul Spirit. By my reckoning, he's just the right age to enter an intermediate academy this year. Teacher Wu, perhaps when fate brings it about, he'll end up in your class this year."

Wu Changkong lifted his glass and took a sip, his expression unchanged. He merely said calmly, "For you to bring him up so deliberately and care so much about him, he must indeed be rather special. Then I shall look forward to meeting him." He did not ask further, instead turning his gaze toward the street outside as it slowly awakened.

Just then, the kitchen curtain was lifted, and Demon Spirit poked her head out. She had already changed into the shop uniform, her long hair tied back neatly, making her look fresh and capable. She had clearly overheard the conversation, and her amber eyes sparkled. "Brother Yuhao, is that blue-haired little boy from Aolai City—the one who eats so much—coming?" She remembered the child with the astonishing appetite and bright eyes quite clearly.

"That's right, little Wulin." Huo Yuhao placed the skewered fish over the charcoal, and its fragrance began drifting through the air. "He's coming to buy a Soul Spirit. We need to look after them."

"That's great!" Demon Spirit clapped her hands happily. "What about his silver-haired little sister? Na'er—will she be coming too?" She was especially concerned about her master's family.

"They should come together." Huo Yuhao nodded, then instructed Demon Spirit, "Xiaoling, tidy up that guest room upstairs that's been empty all this time. Replace all the bedding with new ones. Their whole family is coming, and they'll need somewhere to stay. It'll be convenient for them to stay at the shop."

"Understood! Leave it to me!" Demon Spirit nodded vigorously, immediately beginning to plan what needed to be prepared, her face filled with the joy of being busy. To her, anyone Huo Yuhao cared for was a guest she needed to treat with utmost care.

Aolai City, Red Mountain Academy.

News always traveled quickly. During recess, the chubby Wan Yunchaо wriggled his round body through the crowd with great difficulty and reached Tang Wulin's desk. His face was filled with both envy and happiness for his friend. "Not bad, Wulin! You're fast! You're actually the first one in our class to reach Rank Ten! You've totally left Little Liu and his bunch behind!" Little Liu had previously possessed the highest soul power rank in the class and was one of Wan Yunchaо's secret rivals.

Tang Wulin scratched his head, smiling a little sheepishly, though he could not hide the gleam in his blue eyes. "You should keep it up too, Wan Yunchaо. Aren't you Rank Nine already? Push a little harder, and maybe we can both reach Rank Twenty-something together!"

"Hahaha, I'll take that blessing!" Wan Yunchaо heartily patted Tang Wulin on the shoulder, nearly knocking him off balance. "Eastsea City... I hear it's huge, ten times more prosperous than Aolai City! If there's anything fun or delicious, you have to tell me all about it when you get back!" He leaned closer, lowering his voice with the loyalty of a good friend. "If we get lucky and make it into the same intermediate academy, you'd better look out for me!"

"Of course!" Tang Wulin agreed without hesitation, forcefully patting Wan Yunchaо's sturdy back in return. The two smiled at each other, their friendship as simple and fervent as only a young boy's friendship could be.

When homeroom teacher Lin Ximeng heard Tang Wulin's reason for requesting leave in the office, a gratified smile appeared on her face. Over the past three years, she had paid considerable attention to this student. Tang Wulin had displayed extraordinary talent and focus in meditation. He could easily sense and draw in the energy particles in the air that resonated with him, and his soul power had consistently advanced faster than that of his peers. Lin Ximeng privately guessed that this likely stemmed from his naturally stronger spiritual power. Therefore, during this final school year, she had given Tang Wulin plenty of additional guidance, and he had never disappointed her. He gave equal weight to academics and martial soul cultivation, working steadily and diligently at both.

"Make sure you stay safe on the road. Follow your parents, and don't run around," Lin Ximeng gently reminded him, her eyes filled with encouragement. "I'll approve four days of leave for you. That should be enough time. Eastsea City is a major city on the eastern coast. The scale of its Spirit Pagoda branch, the variety of Soul Spirits, and its accompanying Spirit Ascension facilities are truly beyond comparison with a small city like ours. Choose carefully. Pick a Soul Spirit that truly suits your martial soul and can accompany you for a long way. That is extremely important."

"I understand. Thank you, Teacher Lin!" Tang Wulin respectfully bowed to his teacher, his heart filled with gratitude.

After school that afternoon, Tang Ziran and Lang Yue spotted their son from afar at the school gate. He was gathered around the quiet Na'er, gesticulating and chattering away like an excited little skylark.

"Na'er, what kind of Soul Spirit do you think I'll meet? A mighty beast type, or a strange plant type? I think beast types might be stronger—like Lightning Leopards or Ironclad Dragons. They're so impressive!" Tang Wulin was immersed in his wonderful fantasies, as though he could already see himself fighting side by side with a powerful Soul Spirit.

Na'er lifted her little face, her purple eyes smiling as she seriously listened to every hopeful word from her brother. From time to time, she nodded gently, her voice soft yet full of strength. "Mm, whatever Brother chooses will be good. As long as it has fate with Brother, it will definitely be the most suitable and the strongest." Her words always precisely soothed the occasional unease that surfaced in Tang Wulin's heart, giving him the firmest support.

Tang Ziran and Lang Yue exchanged a smile, their eyes full of warmth and contentment. Over the past three years, the family had relied on the couple's salaries, Tang Wulin's income from the forging workshop, Na'er's earnings from handicrafts, and the steady subsidy from the Spirit Pagoda. Somehow, they had managed to save more than three hundred thousand Federal Credits. It was no small sum in Aolai City, but knowing they were going to purchase a Soul Spirit in a major place like Eastsea City, the couple had prepared themselves to spare no expense.

Mang Tian Studio.

The familiar wave of blistering heat and ringing hammer strikes rushed over him. Tang Wulin walked in with practiced ease and happened to run into Brother Long, who was bare-chested and drenched in sweat as he emerged from inside.

"Brother Long." Tang Wulin greeted him with a smile. "What task did Teacher assign today? Is there a lot?"

Brother Long wiped the sweat from his face with a towel and laughed. "Quite a bit! Go in and see for yourself, kid. The list is on your workbench. Honestly, I'm almost jealous of you. You're still so young, but your workload is nearly catching up to mine! Congratulations on reaching Rank Ten!" He was sincerely happy for his junior brother. Forging was honest labor—more work meant more pay—and he had witnessed Tang Wulin's diligence and improvement firsthand.

Tang Wulin chuckled. "Thanks, Brother Long! But how could I compare to you? Teacher still won't let me independently forge large core components. He says I'm still lacking in skill."

"That's because Teacher thinks highly of you and wants your foundation to be as solid as an anvil!" Brother Long said seriously, giving Tang Wulin's shoulder a firm pat. "All right, stop dawdling and get to work. Otherwise, you won't finish today's assignment in these two hours."

There were not many people at Mang Tian Studio. Including Mang Tian himself, there were only three. Brother Long had originally been Mang Tian's sole disciple, but after Tang Wulin arrived, he became Brother Long's junior brother. Three years ago, when Tang Wulin came here for the second time, he officially changed the way he addressed Mang Tian from "Uncle Mang Tian" to "Teacher."

Tang Wulin had long grown used to everything here and had even fallen deeply in love with forging. Swinging a hammer every day, listening to metal roar and deform beneath it, was an incomparably satisfying release. Occasionally, he entered a wonderful state—as if he, the hammer in his hand, and the red-hot metal on the anvil had formed a resonance. His breathing, heartbeat, and hammering rhythm became one. Whenever that happened, the parts he forged were always exceptionally refined. Even Mang Tian, with his harsh and aloof temperament, would rarely nod and offer remarks such as "Passable" or "Starting to look decent."

Today's job was to complete the hundred-forging process on a batch of metal base plates for standard Level-One Energy-Gathering Core Arrays. Tang Wulin calmed his mind, lit the forge, drew out a red-hot copper ingot, and swung his hammer. At first, there was only the regular clang of metal. Gradually, his entire mind sank into the work, and the sounds of the outside world faded away. Only the rhythm of the metal and the subtle resonance between his soul power and spiritual power remained. Sweat slid down from his brow and dripped onto the blazing metal with a soft hiss, turning into white smoke. Two hours later, the final base plate had been quenched. Its surface was smooth, its texture even, and it gleamed with perfect metallic luster.

He had just breathed a sigh of relief and was about to put away his tools and turn in the work when he discovered that Mang Tian had silently appeared at the door of his forging room at some point, staring at the stack of finished pieces on the forging table.

Mang Tian walked forward, picked up a base plate, and carefully examined it against the light. Then he tapped it a few times with his knuckles and listened to the echo. After a moment, he gave an almost imperceptible nod and set the base plate back down. Then he took a thick, neatly stacked bundle of banknotes from his chest and handed it over.

"This month's wages. Good work." Mang Tian's voice remained stiff and devoid of warmth, but his hand was steady as he gave Tang Wulin the money. His gaze lingered for a moment on the boy's face, slightly darkened by soot yet shining with startling brightness.

"Thank you, Teacher!" Tang Wulin was overjoyed and hurriedly accepted it with both hands. The weighty feel of the money left him feeling grounded and excited. He carefully tucked it into an inner pocket, unable to resist clenching his fist. His little face flushed red with excitement. This was not merely an income—it was recognition of his three years as an apprentice.

Mang Tian looked at the pure light in his disciple's eyes and fell silent for a moment. Then he raised his large hand and pressed it, neither lightly nor heavily, against Tang Wulin's still somewhat narrow shoulder. "Go. Choose a suitable Soul Spirit." There were no further instructions, but that one press contained all the concern and expectation this stern, hard-hearted forgemaster could express.

Night, the Tang home.

Anticipation and excitement had prompted the Tang family to finish dinner, wash up, and rest early. Tang Wulin lay in bed staring at the ceiling, his mind still filled with illustrations of various soul beasts. He thought about what Eastsea City would look like, about Uncle Huo's grilled fish shop... and before he knew it, he drifted into sleep.

Then, the dream suddenly changed!

No longer was it filled with beautiful hopes, but with endless heat and destruction. He "saw" himself floating in a shattered Void. The earth below had melted into thick, blazing golden lava, while blood and fire flowed through the burning sky. Amid deafening roars, an enormous golden dragon large enough to blot out the heavens tore through the clouds and descended! Every scale on its body was like a burning sun, and its vertical pupils contained nothing but pure brutality and the desire to destroy. With every sweep of its dragon claws, mountains collapsed and cities became seas of fire. What sent Tang Wulin's soul fleeing in terror was that, between the dragon's pillar-like claws, he clearly saw Na'er's pale, broken figure!

"Na'er—!!" He screamed himself hoarse in the dream, yet no sound emerged.

The golden dragon seemed to sense that tiny gaze, and its destructive vertical pupils suddenly turned toward him! That gaze was like tangible flame, instantly pinning him in place as boundless terror gripped his heart. The dragon let out a soul-rending roar and charged toward him, who was as insignificant as an ant, bearing the might to burn the world to ash! He could not dodge. There was nowhere to run. The scorching breath of death was already burning his skin...

"No... don't!!" Extreme terror made Tang Wulin curl into a ball within the dream.

Just as the destructive dragon claw was about to touch him—

Boom!

Behind him was not the Void, but the phantom of a boundless azure ocean that abruptly surged forth! Calm yet vast seawater gently but resolutely wrapped around him, forming a crystal-clear barrier of water. At the same time, a pure chill erupted from the depths of his bloodline, confronting that destructive heat head-on! Countless dazzling hexagonal ice crystals condensed from nothingness in the Void, spreading and intertwining as though alive, forming an ice wall of absolute cold that stretched between heaven and earth and forcibly blocked the golden dragon!

Hiss—!!!

Supreme ice and destructive dragon flame collided, unleashing a silent annihilation of energy powerful enough to tear the dream apart. Golden fire continuously extinguished and froze before the chill of absolute zero, while the dragon's furious roar was sealed within the spreading cold tide. Behind the ice wall, within the curtain of water, Tang Wulin only felt a warm exhaustion wash over him as the oppressive force of the nightmare receded like the tide...

The bedroom in reality was utterly silent. Only the "Eternal Snowflake" pendant that had accompanied Tang Wulin for years and had never left his side flickered violently with deep azure light, like a candle flame making one last desperate leap. Then came a faint crack, so soft it was almost imperceptible. Fine fractures appeared across the pendant's surface, and the vast power of protection within it silently dissipated into the air as though it had completed its final mission. The other divine power that had quietly protected him all along, contained within the words "Tang Wulin" embroidered on his old scarf, also completely settled into stillness, as if it had never existed.

Outside Rain Spirit Grilled Fish Shop, Eastsea City.

Having seen off the last regular customer and prepared to close and lock up, Huo Yuhao suddenly froze.

It was as though an invisible ice spike had pierced his spiritual core without warning. The pain and emptiness of a familiar, closely linked protective contract being forcibly torn apart suddenly reached him. The sensation was subtle yet sharp, like the lingering note of a snapped string, echoing clearly through his spiritual senses.

His hand tightened slightly around the doorframe. In the depths of his ice-blue eyes flashed a heavy understanding, along with an even deeper concern. He looked up toward the northwest, toward Aolai City, his gaze seeming to pierce through the layers of night and distance.

"Oh?..." He softly uttered a syllable. There was no surprise in his voice, only the complicated sense of fate that said, It has finally come. Then it became an almost inaudible sigh. "Sigh..."

What was meant to come would come eventually. A breach had appeared in the barrier of protection, and the lurking dragon shadow was about to become clearer. In silence, he firmly hung a "Closed for Four Days" sign outside the shop door. The metal hook struck the wooden sign with a soft tap, unusually clear on the silent street. It seemed to place a temporary pause at the end of one stage, while also raising the heavy curtain on a new chapter filled with uncertainty and challenges.