Chapter 135 - Closed Door Forging
If they were to actually have a purple thousand-year soul ring as their first ring, then when they reached the Spirit Sea realm, they would be able to have three thousand-year spirit souls. This meant that they would have the chance to become a Title Douluo.
Naturally, this was only a chance. An extremely small chance too, since a Title Douluo with only three thousand-year spirit souls — a total of nine purple rings — had never appeared before; they would be too weak!
Take Wu Zhangkong for example. He currently possessed six rings and had a ten-thousand-year spirit soul. Just how powerful was he?
“It seems like the academy really is planning for that?” Zhang Yangzi gulped. Although his ambitions had always been to become a powerful expert, his nature was actually that of a straightforward and kind person. It was due to these ambitions that he had acted so arrogantly when he’d first met Tang Wulin’s trio.
Xie Xie said, “That’s probably what they’re planning. If this really is true, then that’ll be great for us. We will definitely have to treasure every chance we get when we enter the spirit ascension platform.”
Tang Wulin said, “I’m not going to go out to play then. I plan on going to the Blacksmith’s Association to temper myself a bit.”
Gu Yue said, “I’m going to meditate.”
Wang Jinxi looked at Tang Wulin with grief-filled eyes, forcing Tang Wulin to laugh. “Jinxi, I’ll be back at night. Don’t worry.”
“Ahem! Jinxi, when did you become a jealous woman?” Zhang Yangzi poked fun at Wang Jinxi as he patted him on the shoulder.
Everyone knew that Tang Wulin and Wang Jinxi complemented one another when dual cultivating.
Wang Jinxi shot him a glare. “If you can help me cultivate an extra half a rank in three months, then I’ll also act like a jealous woman to you too. Wulin, can I go with you? Or maybe I’ll pick blacksmithing as my secondary occupation too? Do you think I have any talent for it?’
Tang Wulin said, “I still think it’s best if we all have secondary occupations different from one another so that in the future, we’ll be able to help each other out when we start making our own battle armor.”
Xie Xie said, “That makes sense. I’ve already decided on my secondary occupation anyway. I’ll be a mecha maker! A mecha maker doesn’t require too much technical knowledge, but instead focuses on practicing technique. I think it’s quite suitable for me. What about you guys?”
Zhang Yangzi said, “I’m still not sure yet.”
Gu Yue said, “I think I’ll study mecha mechanics.”
“Ah? You want to study mecha mechanics? But you’re a girl! I thought you would choose mecha designing,” said Xie Xie with shock.
Gu Yue coldly said, “Only brainless people would think like that.”
“You…”
“Alright, you two hurry up and go back to rest and eat.” Tang Wulin could only helplessly look at his two quarreling friends. He’d already gotten used to their bickering long ago.
☀
After getting to know the others these last few months, Tang Wulin discovered that Zhang Yangzi and Wang Jinxi had the best relationship, while Xie Xie and Gu Yue were like fire and water. Although Gu Yue seemed gentle on the outside, her real personality was rather haughty, and she kept a distance from the other three.
The funny thing was, everyone had a good relationship with Tang Wulin, so he acted as the team’s mediator.
Tang Wulin was grateful for having companions such as these. He had been born with a trash martial soul and his cultivation was the weakest among them, yet he was allowed to enter class zero and study together with these geniuses. He couldn’t slack off now that he had found himself in a good situation. Although his cultivation speed was still the slowest among them, he had improved greatly compared to his old self.
Tang Wulin’s attitude went through an amazing change ever since he’d come to Eastsea Academy. He no longer compared himself against these geniuses, and simply compared himself to himself. As long as his cultivation speed kept increasing, he would be satisfied.
The final exam was approaching, and it was also a team exam. As the captain and the one with the weakest cultivation, he carried within him an enormous amount of responsibility.
After eating dinner and doing some light exercises, he started meditating. During his meal, he had already decided on his plan for the next three days.
☀
Early morning of the next day.
Tang Wulin ran out of the academy grounds and headed straight for the Blacksmith’s Association. He bought a few things from there, then entered a forging workshop and began a three-day period of closed-door forging.
Hammering sounds rang out without pause from within the workshop. For the next three days, Tang Wulin would come here during the day to forge. At night he would return to the dorms, beaten and exhausted, to dual cultivate with Wang Jinxi via a strand of Bluesilver Grass.
“Tang Wulin, come over here for a moment.” After he finished forging for the day, he received a call from Mu Chen, summoning him.
“Yes teacher. I’ll head over now.”
When he arrived at the association, he directly walked toward Mu Chen’s office. By now, the association employees already recognized him as Mu Chen’s disciple, but they still didn’t know that this nine year-old kid was actually a third rank blacksmith.
Under Mu Chen’s special orders, all of the tasks that Tang Wulin accepted went through Cen Yue first to hide the fact that he was a third rank blacksmith.
A nine-years-old third rank blacksmith was simply too shocking. Mu Chen instructed Tang Wulin that before he reached the Spirit Forging level, he wasn’t allowed to cause a ruckus in the outside world. This was the reason why Tang Wulin never wore his blacksmith’s badge, as it would give away his rank.
“Teacher!” The moment Tang Wulin walked in, he saw Mu Chen perusing something.
“Ah, you’re here. Come and take a seat.” Mu Chen was a mild-mannered person outside of the times he taught Tang Wulin forging.
After Tang Wulin seated himself opposite Mu Chen, he was handed a metal card.
Tang Wulin took the metal card and inspected it. It had unusual complex and fine lines on it. Although Tang Wulin hadn’t reached a high enough level yet, he could tell that it likely held a profound soul circuit.
Flipping it over, he saw three familiar words inscribed into it: spirit ascension platform.
“Spirit ascension platform?” Tang Wulin asked in surprise.
Mu Chen nodded. “The spirit ascension platform is about to enter a period of rebellion, and that will be a great opportunity for you to gain experience. This is an invitation card that will let you enter it. But be careful; a rebellion spirit ascension platform is far more dangerous than normal, and you will be under even greater pressure. Of course, the opportunities are just as great. Go participate in it and temper yourself. Temper yourself well.”
Tang Wulin was well aware of how few slots a rebellion spirit ascension platform had, so when he saw how carefree his teacher was being, he couldn’t help but feel warm within his heart. Ever since he’d joined the Blacksmith’s Association, this was the very first time he had received aid from his teacher.
“Thank you teacher, but this is too precious. You should just give it to big sister Mu Xi instead.” As he spoke, Tang Wulin returned the card.
Mu Chen revealed a warm smile. “She already has one. You two should look after each other inside there.”
Tang Wulin, somewhat awkwardly, said, “The academy has already arranged for us to take part in a rebellion spirit ascension platform as our final exam, so I already have a slot.”
Mu Chen was surprised. “Your class zero is actually treated this well? It seems Eastsea Academy really does value you guys!” Although Mu Chen knew that Tang Wulin had joined a class of geniuses, he also understood that Tang Wulin’s cultivation was only just barely above average. With his young age taken into consideration, however, his cultivation speed certainly couldn’t be considered slow.
For a blacksmith, however, the martial soul wasn’t nearly as important. As long as a blacksmith had sufficient soul power, they would be fine. He hadn’t expected that this class of geniuses that Tang Wulin joined would actually be treated so well.
Despite this, Mu Chen didn’t accept the card back. He simply smiled and said, “You can just keep it then. I obtained two cards anyway. With an extra card, you can go in one more time. After all, a rebellion spirit ascension platform lasts for seven days. Entering it another time will still be a great experience for you.”
Entering another time? Tang Wulin’s heart stirred at the thought.
“Tomorrow marks the beginning of the rebellion period, So you should hurry back and prepare soon. I don’t have any other warnings to give you since you’re already far more level-headed than your peers, but if you happen to run into Mu Xi, I hope you two will take care of each other.”
“Yes teacher.”
The relationship between Tang Wulin and Mu Xi had never been particularly good because in Mu Xi’s heart, she still harbored some rejection toward Tang Wulin. Mu Xi would often say that Mu Chen treated Tang Wulin even better than her, rousing her competitive spirit.
While she went through the hard labor of forging, she was able to control, to some degree, the temperature with her martial soul, which was a skill she had inherited from Mu Chen. She was gifted in forging and had a firm foundation, and was now preparing for the Thousand Refinements. Mu Xi still needed some time, however, before she could reach the third rank.