Three months passed, neither quickly nor slowly.
Tang Wulin's days followed a strict routine.
Before dawn, he went up to the rooftop to practice the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record, Purple Demon Eye, Mysterious Jade Hand, Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon, and Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track. After running through them all, he went home for breakfast.
During the day, he attended classes at Red Mountain Academy. After school in the afternoon, he headed straight to Mang Tian's shop to forge three Thousand Refinement First Grade pieces, occasionally forging a few Hundred Refinement pieces for extra practice.
In the evening, he went home for dinner, spent some time talking with Na'er, then went to bed to meditate and entered the forge to practice the Clear Sky Nine Absolutes with Tang Hao.
At school, he consistently earned perfect marks in both theory and practical combat.
That was talent.
Over those three months, his Soul Power had risen to level twenty-three.
Nine years old, level twenty-three.
Teachers at the academy had already begun discussing it privately.
Tang Wulin might well be the most outstanding Soul Master Aolai City had seen in decades.
Orders at Mang Tian's shop were packed to the brim. Originally, Aolai City hadn't had that many orders for Thousand Refinement First Grade pieces.
But Mang Tian had connections and could get orders from outside the city. Besides, Tang Wulin worked fast and delivered high quality. Who wouldn't like that?
That evening, Tang Wulin had just come out of Mang Tian's shop when his communicator rang.
He glanced at the caller ID and hurried to answer.
"President, you're calling me at this hour. Could it be that you've found the four spiritual items?"
Mu Chen's voice came through the receiver.
"That's right."
"The Thousand-Year Dragon Scale Fruit, Thousand-Year Earth Dragon Tendon, Thousand-Year Sea Dragon Marrow, and Thousand-Year Azure Tendon Vine. I had someone check their quality. They're all top-grade."
"Come to Eastsea City when you have time."
Tang Wulin's hand involuntarily tightened around the communicator.
Now that all four thousand-year spiritual items had been gathered, he could start breaking the Golden Dragon King's second seal!
"All right, I'll come over tomorrow."
"Good. Come straight to me when you arrive."
Standing beneath a streetlamp, Tang Wulin swallowed. He hadn't expected it to happen so quickly.
He'd thought it would take half a year, because Tang Hao had said he would need about half a year before he could take the next step in forging.
Yet all four had been gathered in three months.
Mu Chen had worked far faster than he'd expected.
Tang Wulin had been about to go home, but he turned around and went back to Mang Tian's workshop.
Mang Tian was startled to see Tang Wulin return.
Mang Tian listened as he explained why he had come back.
"You're going to Eastsea City again?"
"President Mu found all the thousand-year spiritual items and told me to come get them."
Tang Wulin didn't hide it from him.
Mang Tian stood and brushed the dust off his hands. "All four of them?"
"All four."
Mang Tian stared at him for two seconds, then grunted.
"All right, go on."
"Be careful, and don't push yourself too hard."
"Last time, your parents nearly went mad with worry when they didn't hear from you for three days. Be more careful this time."
"Okay, I will."
School was easy enough to handle, too.
Tang Wulin called his homeroom teacher to ask for leave, saying he had some personal business to attend to in Eastsea City.
His homeroom teacher approved it without a second word and reminded him to stay safe on the way.
Red Mountain Academy had always been lenient with its genius students. The academy had long since singled him out as a promising prospect to nurture, and it turned a blind eye to things like requests for leave.
The hardest part was home.
Tang Ziran and Lang Yue wouldn't be easy to get past.
Last time, when he hadn't called for three days, Lang Yue had nearly taken a ride to Eastsea City to find him.
Now that he was going again, Lang Yue's first reaction was to frown.
"Why are you going again? Didn't you promise last time that you'd stop running off so much?"
Tang Wulin had come prepared. "Mom, President Mu asked me to come."
"He said I have a talent for forging, and he happens to have time lately, so he wants to give me some personal instruction."
Lang Yue froze for a moment.
Tang Ziran looked up.
"President Mu? The President Mu from the Eastsea City Blacksmith Association?"
"Yeah, the Eight-Star Saint Craftsman."
"He said I have good talent and he's willing to teach me."
Tang Ziran and Lang Yue exchanged a glance.
Personal instruction from an Eight-Star Saint Craftsman was an opportunity rarely found anywhere on the Douluo Continent.
Lang Yue still looked worried, but this concerned her child's future, after all.
"Then... all right, you can go."
"But this time, you must remember to call home. Don't leave your father and me worrying so much."
"I know, Mom. I promise."
Tang Ziran walked over and patted him on the shoulder. "Study hard," he said quietly. "Don't let the president's kindness go to waste."
"Okay."
Tang Wulin went back to his room to pack, while Na'er trailed at his heels, her little silver-white head peering this way and that.
"Big brother, are you leaving again?"
"Yeah, I'll be back in a few days."
"Will you bring me something tasty again this time?"
Tang Wulin crouched down and rubbed her head. "I will. I'll bring you the tastiest pastries in Eastsea City."
Na'er held out her little finger. "Pinky promise."
Tang Wulin linked pinkies with her, then stood up and sorted through the things in his storage ring.
Early the next morning, Tang Wulin boarded the Soul Guidance Train to Eastsea City once again.
The train was quiet this time, and nothing happened.
When he got off at the station, he made his way out with familiar ease and headed straight for the Blacksmith Association.
In the first-floor lobby, Yun Xiaoling was sorting files at the front desk. When she saw him come in, she smiled and waved. "Little brother, back again? The president is waiting for you on the top floor."
"Thank you, Sister Yun."
Tang Wulin entered the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor.
The elevator rose smoothly. Leaning against the wall of the car, he couldn't help feeling a sense of anticipation.
The elevator stopped on the top floor, and the doors opened.
Tang Wulin strode down the corridor and knocked on the familiar door.
"Come in."
Mu Chen sat behind his desk, with four wooden boxes of varying sizes arranged in a row before him.
When he saw Tang Wulin enter, he leaned back in his chair, a faint smile on his lips.
"President Mu."
Tang Wulin greeted him, his gaze already fixed on the four boxes.
"You're certainly eager."
Mu Chen chuckled and reached out to push the four boxes forward.
"They're all here."
"The Thousand-Year Dragon Scale Fruit, Thousand-Year Earth Dragon Tendon, Thousand-Year Sea Dragon Marrow, and Thousand-Year Azure Tendon Vine."
Tang Wulin's heart burned as he looked at the lids, and he took a deep breath.
"President, I also need to borrow your quiet room."
"Of course. Use it as you like."
"There's one more thing I'm sorry to trouble you with, President."
Tang Wulin remembered something, and his tone turned a little embarrassed.
"I might need two or three days in there this time, and I won't be able to call home. Could I ask you to call my family every other day and tell them I'm fine and perfectly safe, so they won't worry?"
Mu Chen glanced at him and nodded without asking further. "All right. Give me the number."
Tang Wulin recited his home communicator number.
Mu Chen saved it in his communicator and repeated it to confirm it was correct. Only then did he wave a hand. "Go on. Leave things at home to me."
"Thank you, President."
Tang Wulin carried the four wooden boxes into the quiet room and closed the door.
First, he took out his communicator and called home.
Lang Yue answered. He first told her he had arrived safely, then said he might not be able to get in touch for the next two or three days because he would be undergoing a period of closed-door forging training with President Mu. It wouldn't be convenient to make or receive calls, so he asked his family not to worry.
"Out of contact for another two or three days?" Lang Yue's voice noticeably tightened.
"Mom, President Mu is here this time, and I'm right inside the Blacksmith Association."
"President Mu also promised to call you every other day to let you know I'm safe. Don't worry."
Lang Yue was silent on the other end of the line for several seconds before finally sighing. "All right. Take care of yourself, and don't push yourself too hard."
"I know, Mom."