Staring at them as they left, Tang Wulin wracked his brains, but still he could not figure out what the surprises were supposed to be.
‘Could it be that there’s someone I know on Star Luo Continent? Impossible! It’s the Star Luo Continent for crying out loud.’
His mind baffled, Tang Wulin did not return to the academy. He was about to leave for the Star Luo Continent, and he had to pay the Tang Sect a visit.
He was now a white warrior of the Tang Sect’s Battle Soul Hall. He had to inform them if he was going to be away from the sect for such a long period.
Ever since he joined Battle Soul Hall, he had received a lot of cultivation resources, but the Tang Sect had never given him any missions. When he sold forged metals to the sect, he even got bonus contribution points. It could be said that he received a lot of benefits but had never given anything in return. The least he could do was inform the sect that he would be away for a year.
Travelling to the Tang Sect was like driving a light carriage on a familiar road. Tang Wulin found Battle Soul Hall’s Hall Master Guo Xiaoxu almost immediately.
“Yes, we’re already aware that you’re going to the Star Luo Continent. Observe more and speak less while you’re there. Look after yourself, and return to us safely,” Guo Xiaoxu said with a faint smile.
“Remember to bring your white warrior’s badge.” As he said this, Guo Xiaoxu took out a letter and passed it to Tang Wulin. “If you’re far away from the Douluo Continent, you won’t be able to reach us via soul communication. Bring this letter to the Tang Sect’s branch in the Star Luo Continent and give it to the person in charge there. If you need anything, just request their assistance.”
“Huh?” Tang Wulin was slightly stunned. “Hall Master, you’re saying that we have people from the Tang Sect on the Star Luo Continent?”
Guo Xiaoxu smiled. “What do you think? Not only on the Star Luo Continent, we even have our people on the Heaven Dou Continent. It isn’t just us. The Spirit Pagoda’s network is wider than ours. Some organizations can’t be stopped by the continents. Of course, Shrek Academy is an exception. The academy is unwilling to expand itself.”
He looked at Tang Wulin with deep eyes. “You’re still young. It’ll do you good to see what’s out there and broaden your horizons. You’re steadier compared to your peers, and you must remember to stay calm no matter what comes at you. Don’t forget that there’s a special button behind your Battle Soul Hall badge. When you’re in trouble, just press that button. If there are any sect members in your vicinity, they will immediately come to your rescue.”
“Alright.” If Guo Xiaoxu had not reminded him, Tang Wulin would have forgotten about the special function of his white warrior badge.
After exiting the Tang Sect, Tang Wulin looked up at the sky. The weather today had just a hint of gloom.
“Let’s hope that I’ll get something out of this trip to the Star Luo Continent.” Tang Wulin heaved a sigh.
According to his plans, he should have broken through to rank 40, obtained his second spirit soul and fourth soul ring, and become a rank 6 blacksmith before he left for the Star Luo Continent.
However, he had only achieved the goal of becoming a rank 6 blacksmith, and even that was through the backdoor. He was slightly depressed.
Thinking about battle armor, Ye Xinglan was just three pieces short of a complete set, while everyone else had only one piece of armor each. Tang Wulin did not have any issues with this. Once Ye Xinglan became a one-word battle armor master, her forging skill and speed would increase tremendously, and it would then be a piece of cake for her companions to become one-word battle armor masters. He had already prepared the spirit alloy for everyone. They could even continue crafting battle armor while in the Star Luo Continent.
He took out his soul communication tool and dialed Gu Yue’s number.
“What’s the matter?” Gu Yue’s voice came from the speaker.
“Gu Yue, can you get your hands on some entry tickets to the spirit ascension platform? The intermediate spirit platform, I mean,” Tang Wulin asked.
Gu Yue replied, “I think so. What do you plan on doing?”
Tang Wulin said, “I’ve been training hard these days, but I don’t see any improvement. I want to go and let off some steam. It’s not likely that I’ll reach rank 40 before we leave, after all. I’d be better off flexing my limbs.”
“Where are you now?” Gu Yue asked.
“I’m at the Tang Sect’s headquarters.”
Gu Yue said, “Wait for me then. I’ll join you, and we’ll go there together.”
Tang Wulin smiled. “Sounds like a plan.”
Shortly after, a soul taxi stopped in front of Tang Wulin. Gu Yue waved at him. He went over and got in the car.
The soul taxi headed steadily toward Spirit Pagoda.
“Are you coming with me to the spirit ascension platform?” Tang Wulin asked with curiosity.
Gu Yue nodded.
“That’s great!”
Tang Wulin grinned and casually held her hand, but Gu Yue pulled it back as if she had just been shocked by electricity.
“What’s wrong?” Tang Wulin was astonished. They always had a little physical contact when they were together, and Gu Yue had never acted this way before. Only at that point did he only realize that Gu Yue was not her usual self. Her eyes looked colder.
“It is improper for a man and a woman to touch each other’s hands. Please have some self-respect,” Gu Yue said drily.
Tang Wulin was at a loss. “Then why didn’t you say that when you held my hand of your own accord?”
Gu Yue’s expression grew awkward. She turned her head towards the window and ignored him.
Tang Wulin scratched his head. So the saying that a woman’s heart was like a needle at the bottom of the ocean was true! What on the continent was going on here?
He kept silent as well. The soul taxi left Shrek City and drove on for quite some time before it arrived at the Spirit Pagoda’s headquarters.
Along the way, Gu Yue and Tang Wulin kept silent. Tang Wulin did not want to initiate a conversation only to be snubbed.
Gu Yue paid the fare and got out of the taxi. She walked towards the Spirit Pagoda headquarters, with Tang Wulin hastily following behind her.
With her badge, Gu Yue brought him into the headquarters.
After being in Shrek City for so long, Tang Wulin had always been cultivating in the academy and had never came to the spirit ascension platform here. This was just a random idea he had had that day. When he was still in Eastsea City, their actual combat abilities were the fruits of training on a spirit ascension platform.
The spirit ascension platform of the Spirit Pagoda headquarters was at the rear of the complex. The duo switched elevators twice before they arrived at their destination.
Gu Yue brought Tang Wulin through two security gates and they arrived at a metallic room. A familiar screen and airtight capsule greeted them.
“The intermediate spirit ascension platform, please,” Gu Yue said to the staff in the room.
“Alright.” The staff did not ask anything, but he shot Tang Wulin a curious look.
Tang Wulin asked Gu Yue in a soft voice, “How much does the intermediate spirit ascension platform here cost?”
Gu Yue threw him a sideways glance and kept her mouth shut. She went into one of the airtight capsules.
Tang Wulin frowned slightly. What was her problem? He did not recall crossing her today! If he had known this was going to happen, he would not have come to the spirit ascension platform. If they were uncomfortable with each other, they would almost certainly not be able to synchronize later. It would be a difficult guess as to how long they could keep at it.
Since he was there anyway, he would grab the chance to let loose.
He went into the capsule and it shut itself tight. Various scanning instruments came to life.
Tang Wulin closed his eyes. His current body was much stronger compared to when he first came from Eastsea City. Dizziness soon hit him as the energy waves reached his body. After a long minute, Tang Wulin felt his body go light and he could breathe in fresh air.
He was in.
He opened his eyes and immediately saw Gu Yue not far from him. They were surrounded by a dense forest.
There seemed to be no difference from when they entered the spirit ascension platform in Eastsea City.
Tang Wulin took a few steps forward and stood beside Gu Yue. At the same time, his watchful eyes observed their surroundings. Although it had been a long time since he had gone to a spirit ascension platform, his alertness had not diminished one bit.
They could have been facing great danger at any moment there. They would have to be careful with every step they took.
Gu Yue stood behind him. Her silent eyes were on the tall and straight teenage boy in front of her, seemingly lost.
Tang Wulin had gotten a little taller after six months. His shoulders had broadened and he had become even more handsome. He was growing into a fine young man.
Tang Wulin, now approaching fifteen years old, was already one hundred and eighty centimeters tall. Other than some boyishness in his face, he looked almost like an adult.
As the monitor of first grade class one, he was powerful and dashing. His admirers from the first and second grades were not in short supply. Tang Wulin was the only one oblivious to all this. He busied himself with cultivating and forging, spending little time interacting with other people.
Gu Yue even thought that the way Wu Siduo looked at Tang Wulin was slightly strange.
‘Do I really not know how it feels to like someone?’
“What are you spacing out for? What’s with you today?” When Tang Wulin turned around, he saw with shock that Gu Yue had not been following him. She was still standing at her original spot. He could not help but feel slightly flustered.
He could overlook her peculiar emotions just now, but this was the intermediate spirit ascension platform and they could be in grave peril at any time. The soul beasts would not show mercy just because they were unprepared.
Gu Yue said nothing and walked silently to his side.
“Are you alright?” Tang Wulin asked again, this time without blame in his tone, only tender care. He even attempted to touch her forehead.
“I’m alright.” Gu Yue pushed his hand away softly.
Tang Wulin looked at her with puzzled eyes. He then turned around and continued walking.