Douluo Continent III Haotian Wulin

The courtyard was quiet for a moment.

The night wind swept across the wall, gradually dissipating the lingering echo of the hammer blow. Mang Tian didn't speak immediately, but instead looked down at the iron ingot on the ground, its brows furrowed, as if he were weighing something in his mind.

Tang Wulin stood still, still holding the Sinking Star Hammer in his hand, his palms were getting hot, and his heart was pounding.

He could tell that his teacher's test just now wasn't simply to see his first soul skill.

It's more like they're confirming something.

"Retract the soul skill," Mang Tian finally spoke.

"Yes." Tang Wulin immediately responded, his soul power receded, and the faint dark gold patterns on the hammer also disappeared, the white soul ring slowly disappearing into his body.

The oppressive feeling in the courtyard immediately lessened.

Mang Tian reached out his hand to him.

Give me the hammer.

Tang Wulin handed over the Sinking Star Hammer.

This time, Mang Tian didn't activate his soul skill again. He simply gripped the hammer handle, his wrist slightly heavy, and his gaze deepened. He casually tossed the hammer a couple of times, then held it horizontally for a moment before turning his gaze back to Tang Wulin's face.

"Was your Martial Soul like this the day you awakened?" he asked.

"Yes." Tang Wulin nodded. "It's always been like this. It's just... it feels a little heavier than before."

"Not just a little," Mang Tian said calmly.

As he spoke, he raised his hand and returned the hammer.

"Before the fusion of souls, it was merely heavy. After the fusion, it began to 'fall'."

Tang Wulin was taken aback.

fall.

The moment he uttered that word, his heart skipped a beat.

Because the teacher was absolutely right.

The initial feeling he got from the Sinking Star Hammer was indeed just that it was unusually heavy. But starting last night, especially after the first soul skill was formed, that feeling quietly changed. It was no longer just that it had weight in his hand, but rather that the hammer shadow itself was constantly pulling downwards, as if something deeper and heavier than iron was pressing down inside.

Mang Tian's gaze remained calm as he continued:

"When an ordinary weapon spirit absorbs its first spirit, it usually gains an additional spirit skill and incidentally becomes slightly stronger. But your hammer is different."

"It's as if this spirit knocked a bone into it."

Upon hearing this, not only Tang Wulin but even Tang Ziran was stunned for a moment.

"Brother Mang, what do you mean...?" Tang Ziran asked subconsciously.

Mang Tian remained silent for a while before slowly uttering four words.

"Beneficial mutation".

The courtyard fell silent again.

Lang Yue, whose eyes were still red, forgot to wipe her tears when she heard those words and just stared blankly at Mang Tian.

She had certainly heard of mutated martial souls.

But when these words, which only appear in legends, stories, or other people's children, suddenly fell on her own son, she couldn't believe it for a moment.

"Teacher," Tang Wulin was also somewhat taken aback, "I mean... my martial soul has mutated?"

"It didn't just start mutating now." Mang Tian glanced at him. "Your hammer, from the very beginning, was unlike any ordinary hammer-type martial soul. Now, we can only say that the First Soul Spirit has pushed it a step further."

He paused slightly as he spoke.

"Your little ant didn't bring you anything fancy, but it did bring out a bit of the true nature of this hammer."

"Heavy. Stable. Pressure. Drop."

"These things were originally meant to be its, but they were hidden deep inside before. Now, the First Soul has broken through the outermost layer."

Tang Wulin looked down at the Sinking Star Hammer in his palm.

Jet black, short, and still unremarkable.

But for some reason, after the teacher's words, when he looked at it again, he felt as if he was truly getting to know it for the first time.

It is not without its sharpness.

It simply conceals its sharpness within its "sinking".

"Is...is this a good thing?" Tang Wulin asked, his voice slightly strained.

Mang Tian looked at him and finally nodded faintly.

"Of course it's a good thing."

"Spirit rings are important, and spirit spirits are important too. But the most important thing is whether your own spirit spirit has a path to follow."

"Now it seems that your path not only exists, but it's even wider than I originally thought."

At this point, his gaze fell on the Sinking Star Hammer in Tang Wulin's hand, and he lowered his voice.

"Don't use it as an ordinary weapon spirit in the future."

"It's not suited for fancy tricks, for circling around, or for taking those fancy, drifting paths. It's best suited for hitting straight down."

"Whether it's forging or fighting, it's all the same principle."

"When the hammer falls, it has to let the other side know what real weight is."

These words, spoken softly, sounded like a series of steady hammer blows to Tang Wulin, instantly shattering any lingering insecurity in his heart.

He's been a little worried ever since last night.

Even though he already has a spirit ring and a spirit skill, he still can't help but wonder—after all, his first spirit is only a white ten-year spirit, so is it ultimately lacking?

But Mang Tian's words seemed to have uprooted that deeply hidden wavering.

It's not bad.

The paths are different.

Thinking of this, the light in Tang Wulin's eyes finally began to brighten little by little.

"Teacher, will I be able to become even stronger in the future?"

Mang Tian looked at him, unusually refraining from immediately pouring cold water on his enthusiasm.

"Of course I can," he said. "Otherwise, do you think I got my Fourth Ring Road for nothing?"

After those words were spoken, the tense atmosphere in the courtyard finally eased a little.

Lang Yue smiled first, her eyes still wet with tears, but her smile was incredibly gentle. Tang Ziran let out a long breath, only then did she truly feel relieved.

Tang Wulin burst out laughing.

He was never one to linger in the shadows. As long as there was a road ahead and a glimmer of hope, he would always find his way back, little by little.

Just then, Mang Tian suddenly added casually:

"If you don't go to the studio today without a reason, you'll have a day's wages deducted."

Tang Wulin was taken aback at first, then his eyes widened.

"teacher!"

Mang Tian snorted coldly.

"No one's wrong, so who else should be punished if not you?"

That's what he said, but everyone could tell that there wasn't much real blame in his "deduct wages" comment.

Tang Wulin tried to hold back, but in the end he couldn't resist. He took two steps forward and hugged Mang Tian's waist.

"Teacher, you are so kind."

Mang Tian froze for a moment, his face instantly turning dark.

"Let go."

"I don't."

"If you don't loosen your grip, I'll deduct it for tomorrow too."

Tang Wulin immediately let go, his movements so quick it was as if he had never hugged her before.

This scene made everyone in the courtyard laugh, even Na'er's usually somewhat dazed eyes crinkled into a smile.

……

After Mang Tian left, the atmosphere in the Tang family finally calmed down from the panic of the day.

The food was reheated.

Tang Wulin sat at the table, intently eating his rice, savoring each bite as if trying to make up for all the energy he had lost during the night and day. Lang Yue glanced at him every now and then, and seeing his complexion growing increasingly rosy, the lingering fear in her heart gradually dissipated.

"I'm sorry, Dad, Mom." Halfway through the meal, Tang Wulin suddenly stopped eating and said softly.

Lang Yue was taken aback.

"Why are you apologizing for nothing?"

Tang Wulin lowered his head and whispered:

"I'm sorry I worried you last night."

Tang Ziran didn't say anything, but simply reached out and gently pressed his head.

"If you feel unwell at night again, call someone immediately," he said. "Don't try to tough it out on your own."

"Yes." Tang Wulin nodded immediately.

Na'er sat beside him, listening quietly, her fingertips subtly touching the hem of her clothes, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she didn't speak.

That night, everyone in the family went to bed early.

Lang Yue and Tang Ziran were truly exhausted; their hearts had been in their throats all day, and only now could they finally relax. Na'er was also quieter than usual, lying down shortly after returning to her room, though her breathing was light, she didn't seem to be truly asleep.

Only Tang Wulin tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

Everything that happened during the day went through my mind over and over again.

Soul rings, soul skills, Mang Tian's judgment, the teacher's words "benign mutation"... each one still seems to carry lingering warmth, crowding in my heart, making it impossible for me to calm down.

Finally, he simply got out of bed quietly, put on a coat, and slipped out the door.

The night outside is very quiet.

The moon hung high in the sky, its light falling on the ground like a thin layer of frost. Tang Wulin followed the familiar path and slowly walked into the small garden.

That very night, he truly stabilized his level ten soul power here. It was also here that he first saw that small group of ants quietly carrying things under the moonlight.

Returning now, the garden is still the same garden, the grass still carrying the coolness of the night, the occasional chirping of insects from the cracks in the stones—everything is unchanged. But Tang Wulin knows that he is no longer the same person he was that night.

He walked to the edge of the lawn and sat down cross-legged.

With a slight thought, the Sinking Star Hammer appeared.

Immediately afterwards, a small, dark golden shadow slowly crawled along the edge of the hammer and into his palm.

It was indeed a small ant.

It's still so small, so inconspicuous. But when it lies in your palm, it still possesses a composure that is completely disproportionate to its size.

Tang Wulin looked down at it for a long time, then suddenly chuckled softly.

"I haven't had a proper conversation with you during the day."

The little ant naturally didn't reply, but merely moved its antennae as if listening.

Tang Wulin extended another finger and gently touched its shell.

"Thank you."

"You chose me."

When he said those words, he felt a slight warmth in his heart.

Since stepping out of the Spirit Pagoda, he had always felt like he was dreaming. Only now, with the small, quiet spirit in his palm, did he truly feel that none of this was a dream.

The little ant crawled slowly along his fingertip for two steps, then stopped and remained lying still.

Tang Wulin looked at it and suddenly remembered that in the Spirit Pagoda during the day, the gray-robed spirit master had said that it had a trace of the Thousand-Jin Ant bloodline within it. Thinking of its dark golden carapace and its aura that was so heavy that it didn't seem like a small insect, a thought suddenly struck him.

"Let me give you a name," he said softly.

"I can't keep calling you Little Ant."

After saying that, he thought about it for a moment.

The moonlight fell, shining directly on the back of the little ant. The fine, dark golden sheen, illuminated by the moonlight, resembled extremely fine golden threads, floating quietly.

"You have gold on you, and you're so heavy," Tang Wulin murmured, then suddenly smiled, "Then I'll call you Jin Jun, okay?"

Little Jun Ant certainly wouldn't object.

It simply raised its tiny antennae slightly, as if in response.

Tang Wulin was immediately delighted.

"You think it's good too?"

He couldn't help but smile, and his voice became lighter.

"Then it's settled. From now on, you'll be called Jin Jun."

The moonlight was clear, the grass was cool, and the night breeze gently brushed against his palm. Tang Wulin looked down at the tiny spirit and felt the emotions that had been churning in his chest since yesterday finally subside.

From elation to shock, to seeing hope again.

That day and night felt like he had retraced the steps of the past three years.

Fortunately, in the end, I still had a hammer in my hand and light in my heart.

He sat quietly for a while before sending Jin Jun back into the hammer's shadow. The sinking star hammer dissipated silently, and the night closed in again, gradually enveloping the small garden.

Tang Wulin looked up at the moon in the sky and suddenly felt that he could finally get a good night's sleep.