Tang Wulin immediately adjusted the circulation of his Soul Power to follow the Mysterious Heaven Skill's route.
Compared to the meditation method Lin Xue had taught him during the day, the Mysterious Heaven Skill's route was more than ten times as complicated.
The paths through his meridians, the pauses at his acupoints, the rhythm of his breathing, the guidance of his thoughts-every detail mattered.
But the results were visible to the naked eye. His Soul Power suddenly began circulating faster, and a warm sensation rose from his dantian, surging through his body along an entirely new route. It grew a little stronger each time it passed an acupoint.
Tang Wulin immersed himself in the wondrous sensation and slipped back into Deep Meditation without realizing it.
When he opened his eyes again, he saw the familiar ceiling of his home.
It was already completely dark outside.
"Mysterious Heaven Skill..."
He murmured the words and sat up.
The Soul Power in his dantian was much more robust than before. Though he couldn't raise his rank without a Soul Ring, the total amount of Soul Power he had stored had increased by a substantial amount.
Tang Wulin clenched his fists, unable to keep the corners of his mouth from lifting.
"Twin Martial Souls, Mysterious Heaven Skill, Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer..."
"It's only been a few days, and I've already built up so much."
Lang Yue's voice came from outside the door. "Wulin, come out and eat!"
"Coming!"
Tang Wulin jumped out of bed and pushed the door open.
The dining room was bathed in warm light. Lang Yue was setting out bowls and chopsticks, while Tang Ziran was already seated at the table, looking over a set of mecha repair blueprints.
Tang Wulin glanced around, and his gaze fell on the extra little figure beside the dining table.
Na'er sat beside Lang Yue, her silver-white hair freshly combed. She watched him quietly with her purple eyes.
"The consul's office checked. No one has been reported missing recently."
In the end, Na'er stayed with the family. Their home was very small,
so Tang Wulin and Tang Ziran set up another bed in his room, and the two children slept in the same room.
Na'er seemed very tired after dinner and soon fell asleep.
Tang Wulin lay on his little bed, closed his eyes, and sank his consciousness into his dantian.
He knew the Mysterious Heaven Skill's circulation route by heart now, and his Soul Power flowed slowly through his meridians,
one cycle, two cycles, three.
Soon, a hazy gray light appeared before him, and the familiar outline of the forge emerged in his consciousness.
Tang Hao was already waiting for him.
He sat on the anvil beside the furnace, holding the same wine gourd as always. When he saw Tang Wulin appear at the forge entrance, he lifted his chin.
"You're here."
Tang Wulin hurried over. "Uncle, what are we practicing today?"
Tang Hao tucked the wine gourd into his belt and pointed at a pile of black metal chunks beside the furnace.
"Today, keep forging this piece of metal with the hammer technique I taught you."
He bent down, picked up a palm-sized iron ingot, and tossed it onto the anvil.
The ingot had a rough surface and a dull color. One look was enough to tell it was unrefined raw ore.
"Once you can deliver eighty-one hammer blows in succession, you'll have reached an acceptable level with this forging technique."
Tang Wulin drew a sharp breath.
The core of the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer was borrowing force.
With every blow, the rebound traveled through the wrist, arm, and shoulder, then through the waist and hips to become the force behind the next blow.
Blow followed blow, their forces building layer upon layer. As the sequence went on, each strike became heavier, faster, and fiercer than the last.
"Each blow is stronger than the last. How powerful would the eighty-first blow be?!"
Tang Wulin's eyes widened.
"Wouldn't it smash the iron to pieces?"
Tang Hao gave a derisive chuckle.
"The strength of metal is boundless." He patted the black iron ingot on the anvil. "The stronger the metal, the greater the force you use."
"Some metals need that much force to be forged properly."
Tang Wulin nodded, half understanding.
Tang Hao glanced at him and continued, "Take your time practicing. There's a lot of depth to the art of forging."
Tang Wulin gritted his teeth and said, "All right."
He walked up to the anvil and gripped the Clear Sky Hammer with both hands.
He took a deep breath, drove the motion through his waist and hips, and brought down the first blow.
"Clang!"
When Tang Wulin opened his eyes, it was still dark outside.
There was only the faintest trace of gray-white on the horizon. Dawn was still some time away.
Tang Wulin lay in bed and turned his head to glance at the folding bed beside him. Na'er was still asleep, her eyelashes long. She looked like a quiet little kitten.
Although forging in the dream didn't leave any actual physical injuries, the mental exhaustion was real.
Tang Wulin's head felt heavy, but at the same time, he had a strange sense of clarity.
He quietly got out of bed, put on his coat, and opened the door.
He climbed the stairs to the rooftop terrace and pushed open the rust-spotted iron door. A cool morning breeze swept against his face.
On the eastern horizon, a pale, fish-belly white was beginning to show.
Tang Wulin sat cross-legged at the edge of the terrace, facing east, his hands forming a seal on his knees.
The Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record's account of the Purple Demon Eye surfaced in his mind. He focused his thoughts on his eyes, drawing his Soul Power toward them along specific meridians.
When the first ray of sunlight pierced the horizon, Tang Wulin's eyes snapped open.
In that instant, the purple Qi sweeping in from the east condensed into a point in his eyes. His pupils contracted slightly, and his entire field of vision suddenly became incomparably clear.
Purple Demon Eye: first step achieved.
Tang Wulin maintained it for only a few seconds before stopping. The purple Qi at sunrise lasted for just that brief moment.
In the original story, Tang San had also developed it through gradual practice. There was no rushing it.
Next came Mysterious Jade Hand.
His hands moved through the morning breeze as he poured Soul Power into all ten fingers. A very faint layer of jade color gradually appeared over his fingertips.
Tang Wulin tried thrusting his hand at a piece of scrap sheet metal beside him. His fingers pierced straight through, as easily as stabbing tofu.
Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon. A suction force arose from his palm, drawing several fallen leaves off the ground. They spun once in the air before gently settling back down.
Tang Wulin had so much fun that he practiced it back and forth several times before stopping.
Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track. A movement and footwork technique. He darted and shifted through the cramped space on the roof; the more abundant his Soul Power, the lighter and nimbler his steps became.
Tang Wulin practiced until he was slightly sweaty. Then he stopped, stood at the edge of the roof, and let out a long breath.
The east was fully bright now, and golden sunlight blanketed the rooftops of Aolai City.
"That should do it."
When he went back downstairs, Lang Yue was just coming out of the kitchen carrying porridge. She paused in surprise when she saw him open the door and come in.
"Where did you go so early in the morning?"
Tang Ziran was awake too, sitting on the edge of the bed putting on his shoes. He looked up.
Tang Wulin patted the dust off himself and said with a smile, "I went to exercise. The teacher said in class that a Soul Master has to be in good physical shape."
"I want to get stronger, really strong, so I can protect my little sister and you and Dad, and give you all a good life."
The bowl in Lang Yue's hands shook, and the hot porridge nearly spilled.
Her eyes reddened. She turned her head away and muttered, "Honestly, child, what are you saying?"
Tang Ziran burst out laughing, walked over, and ruffled Tang Wulin's hair. "That's my boy! You've got ambition! You're better than your dad!"
At some point, Na'er had woken up. She peeked halfway around the door, her silver-white hair falling over her shoulders, her purple eyes sparkling and her lips curved in a smile.
"Big brother, time to eat."
"Coming." Tang Wulin smiled at her, then looked back at Lang Yue. "Mom, about the Spirit Pagoda today..."
"I know you're eager to get a Soul Spirit." Lang Yue set the porridge on the table and shot him a look, though there was still a smile at the corners of her eyes. "Your dad gets off work early today. We'll all go together this evening."
Tang Wulin's heart leaped.
A Soul Spirit-he had been waiting several days for one.