MTLNOVEL Chapter 36: Am I that easy to read?
"Wow, is this the Spirit Pagoda?"
Tang Wulin gazed at the building before him, his heart filled with awe.
From a distance, he could see the majestic tower, standing hundreds of floors high and reaching over four hundred meters into the sky.
Even in the high-rise cityscape of Eastsea City, it was a striking landmark.
Whether viewed from afar or up close, the tower exuded an awe-inspiring presence, making it a unique feature of Eastsea City's skyline.
Yesterday, he had visited the Blacksmith Association, which was also quite large, but it paled in comparison to the grandeur of this building.
The difference between the two was significant. (Mu Chen: ...)
At that moment, Tang Wulin gained a deeper understanding of what it meant to be part of a major force.
He collected his thoughts, stepped into the Spirit Pagoda, and began to look around curiously.
"Little brother, is there something you need?" The sweet-voiced girl behind the counter on the first floor smiled as she saw Tang Wulin enter.
"Um, my name is Tang Wulin, and I'm here to receive a subsidy," Tang Wulin replied, a little shyly, as he took out the storage bracelet and placed it on the counter.
"Excuse me, how much can I get every month?"
Although Tang Wulin hadn't clashed with Xie Mi over the bracelet, there had been some gains and losses.
Xie Mi hadn't fought with him, and no one had helped him pay for public property.
Tang Wulin didn't want to owe anything for too long, so he decided to come and collect his subsidy.
While he was at it, he also wanted to see how impressive the tower was.
The girl glanced at the bracelet but didn't reach out to touch it.
Tang Wulin had looked nervous when he took it out, as if he feared it might be taken away.
It must be a treasure, she thought, smiling as she said, "Please place the bracelet in the recess on the counter."
Tang Wulin followed her instructions and noticed a groove on the counter. He carefully placed the bracelet into it.
As soon as the bracelet fit snugly into the groove, a soul tool screen instantly appeared in front of the girl's eyes.
On the screen was Tang Wulin's basic information, recorded by the Glorybound City Spirit Pagoda just a week ago.
The girl scanned the information, silently calculating in her mind.
Tang Wulin couldn't see the screen due to the angle and his height, but he marveled at the advanced technology of the soul tool screen that had popped up so suddenly.
"Little brother Tang Wulin, do you have any special skills? Like a subclass?" the girl asked with a smile after reviewing his information.
"If you have a subclass, you can receive additional subsidies."
"A subclass?" Tang Wulin was momentarily puzzled, but then his eyes lit up. "Does forging count?"
"Of course," the girl nodded.
"I just became a second-level blacksmith yesterday!" Tang Wulin exclaimed happily.
"!!!"
The girl's eyes widened in astonishment.
Wow, a golden legend!
A nine-year-old, second-level blacksmith, this had already surpassed the previous record of the Blacksmith Association!
The girl's eyes sparkled with excitement.
After Tang Wulin showed her his second-level forging badge, she quickly transferred 30,000 federal coins to him, leaving Tang Wulin momentarily dizzy.
A month's subsidy was almost half the price of a ten-year soul ring!
And all he had to do was register at the Spirit Pagoda, no extra effort required. It was even easier than earning money through forging...
Thinking this, Tang Wulin asked nervously, "Isn't this too much?"
"Not at all, little brother Wulin. If you join the Spirit Pagoda, the subsidy will be even higher," the girl replied with a chuckle.
She then enthusiastically explained the many benefits of joining the Spirit Pagoda to Tang Wulin before sending him off, still in a daze.
After Tang Wulin left, the girl returned to her counter and immediately got back to work.
She glanced at the soul tool screen still displaying Tang Wulin's information and began typing a report.
Tang Wulin, aged nine, has advanced to become a second-level forging master.
He currently holds a friendly attitude toward the Spirit Pagoda and greatly values the soul tool bracelet provided by the Pagoda.
It is recommended to continue investing in him and consider recruiting him into the forging department for further training...
As she typed, the girl paused to ensure her report was objective and free of personal bias before submitting the information.
Over the years, the Spirit Pagoda had developed a well-established system for attracting civilian talents.
They had their own set of strategies and routines to bring geniuses into their fold.
The Spirit Pagoda was full of such tactics!
...
Meanwhile, Joyful Douluo, idly browsing the internal network of the Spirit Pagoda, raised an eyebrow when he came across the newly uploaded information about Tang Wulin.
"Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, a second-level forging master with only third-level innate soul power?"
Anyone familiar with the history of the Spirit Pagoda knew better than to underestimate someone based solely on their martial soul or innate soul power. Joyful Douluo was no exception.
After all, among the founding members of the Spirit Pagoda, there had been a powerhouse with only third-level innate soul power who eventually rose to become a Super Douluo.
Over the past 10,000 years, there had been similar cases of individuals defying the odds and becoming pillars of the Spirit Pagoda.
To discriminate against someone because of their martial soul would be disrespectful to these ancestors.
Moreover, Joyful Douluo had some understanding of the art of forging.
A nine-year-old capable of completing a thousand refinements was undoubtedly extraordinary. This child was anything but ordinary...
"Ah, why overthink it now? If he's willing to join the Spirit Pagoda, even if his cultivation lags behind his forging talent, we can always apply for a Blue Silver Grass Soul to enhance his potential,"
Thinking of some ongoing research projects at the headquarters, he signed off on Tang Wulin's information and instructed his subordinates to keep a close eye on the boy.
Ten thousand years ago, the first generation of Pagoda Master discovered a 190,000-year-old Blue Silver Emperor in the Sun and Moon Empire.
Unable to survive its tribulation, it transformed into a Soul, which has since become one of the foundational treasures of the Spirit Pagoda.
With the advent of artificial soul technology, some researchers whimsically proposed the idea of the Blue Silver Grass Soul.
With the assistance of the Blue Silver Emperor, they had already achieved significant results.
A Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul owner from the Advanced Department of Eastsea Academy, who had a trace of Blue Silver King bloodline, was sent to the headquarters by Hua Yichen after signing an agreement.
This student underwent the experimental procedure and successfully integrated the research results.
According to the researchers, once the soul evolved to 10,000 years, the student's martial soul would transform into a true Blue Silver King martial soul due to the feedback from the contract!
Tang Wulin might not be as fortunate, but it was still possible to enhance the origin of his martial soul.
Of course, this was contingent on his willingness to join the Spirit Pagoda.
...
"Wulin seems to be doing well," Tang Ziran remarked with a sigh, watching Huo Yuhao and his companion leave.
"The difference between a ten-year soul and a hundred-year soul is truly vast."
They had just joined the Mecha Master Association and had encountered Huo Yuhao and his companion, who were wearing Eastsea Academy uniforms.
A brief conversation had revealed news about Wulin.
Lang Yue smiled. "Yes, according to his Teacher Mang Tian, Wulin's Blue Silver Grass is exceptionally resilient, likely due to that hundred-year soul, though it's actually because of some special bloodline. It's good that he's now in the second class because of this."
"As long as he works hard, things will get better in the future," Tang Ziran added with a smile, turning to his workbench.
"I've already found a place. Let's earn enough to buy our home in the East Sea first, and then we'll tell Wulin."
Lang Yue nodded gently. "Hmm!"
On the other side, Gu Yuena retracted her gaze, her beautiful eyes filled with confusion as she looked at Huo Yuhao.
She didn't voice the questions in her heart, realizing she had grown accustomed to seeking information about the gods from him.
It was a habit she knew she needed to break.
"They are indeed ordinary people," Huo Yuhao said, surprising Gu Yuena by addressing her unspoken doubts.
"Don't overthink it."
"..."
Gu Yuena pursed her lips. Am I that easy to read?
Huo Yuhao continued, his eyes fixed on the soul tool screen in his hand, a crystalline device resembling a smartphone but distinctly different.
As he scanned the highlighted information about Tang Wulin on the internal network, his eyes narrowed thoughtfully.