Chapter 194: Sleeping to Rank 17

If he could not obtain a suit of battle armor for himself, then he would just have to settle with becoming a mecha pilot.

There was a reason battle armor masters were recognized as the strongest—the path to becoming one was difficult and few ever succeeded.

The chances of failing were simply astronomical. In order to craft a battle armor successfully, one needed to accomplish multiple steps: refine rare metals, forge them, create a design, craft it, and then maintain the final product. The troubles of obtaining and owning battle armor were tenfold to that of mechas.

To obtain a suitable mecha, one only needed to hire a capable mecha designer and craftsman. But regarding battle armor, this process was much more convoluted; one needed to be personally involved in the creation of one's battle armor. This was to determine the most suitable path such that the armor becomes an extension of one's body.

Such a feat was not something just anyone could accomplish. It was a taxing road. Hardly any battle armor masters could create a complete set of battle armor even after ten whole years of painstaking work. Even if they did somehow finish a set by then, they might find that their growth during the years of forging rendered their final product obsolete. Once again, one would have to start anew. The act of creating battle armor truly was a form of torment.

If too much time was spent on developing the battle armor, then one's cultivation may fall behind. When that happens, they would become even weaker than a mecha pilot. However, mechas were also tremendously powerful and their gigantic bulk gave them many options.

For these reasons, Xu Xiaoyu decided on specializing in mecha control. He would walk down the path of becoming a mecha pilot when he entered an advanced academy.

I might not have much hope of becoming a battle armor master, but I wonder if she can pull it off? She already has two rings at ten years old and will definitely hit three rings by the time she turns fifteen. I can't even compare to her in terms of potential!

He did not feel any jealousy toward Gu Yue. In fact, he was confused by his own turbulent sentiments.

Tang Wulin leaned against the window, resting with his eyes shut as he attempted to calm his muddled heart. Mu Xi's words still lingered within his mind. He had witnessed her strength before when she wielded only two rings, but now, she already possessed three. Yet with her strength, she only aimed for the top eight position.

They're so strong, but what about class zero? I'm the sole one-ringed contender among our main force. Although our teamwork is great and I'm confident in my strength, there is still a significant difference in cultivation between our teams. That's a gap we can't bridge quickly enough.

The ones who rank the best will receive a reward.

Like Tang Wulin, Gu Yue was also resting quietly with her eyes closed.

A tense atmosphere permeated the bus as some occupants sent hushed whispers to one another. Other more courageous students chatted loudly. Like this, the bus slowly shrank into the distance, leaving the square behind and gradually speeding out of Eastsea City.

Those in the bus showed glimmers of optimism as soon as they left the city bounds, entering the highway and accelerating onward.

The soul highway utilized a combination of maglev and soul technology, allowing the bus to safely maintain high speeds up to half of soul train's. For shorter distances, the bus was more suitable than the train.

As Tang Wulin's eyes slowly opened, he took the time to observe the breathtaking landscape flitting by.

On the east was the ocean. Since the highway was built right on the shore, the azure sea stretched out infinitely beside him, unburdening his heart and relaxing his spirit.

Tang Wulin could not help but recall the times he visited the beach with Na'er to enjoy the scenery together. Back then, he had pulled her by the hand to gaze at the sea, watch the sunrise, and collect seashells. If luck smiled down on them, they would also catch some large crabs to bake and eat.

"Na'er!" Tang Wulin softly called out.

"Hm? Wulin, you..." Gu Yue turned to him in surprise.

Turning toward her voice, he was met with her astonished expression. He gave a half-hearted smile and shook his head. "I'm fine. Just thinking about my little sister. I don't know how she's doing right now or whether she's happy. I bet if she knew I've become a soul master, she would be really happy for me."

Gu Yue nodded, a slight smile tugging at her lips. "Of course she would. Would you like some water?" She brought out a bottle from her backpack.

"Huh? Okay. Thank you." Tang Wulin twisted open the bottle's cap and took a few gulps of water. The water was pure and tepid, relieving both his throat and heart.

After Gu Yue retrieved the bottle from him she took a few drinks herself, paying no mind that he had just drunk from it.

Tang Wulin stared at her, flabbergasted. The light shining through the window met with her cheek, giving the illusion of sparkling purity. She's actually so pretty...

Gu Yue tilted her head and beamed an oblivious smile at him. "What's with you?"

Tang Wulin pulled the curtains quickly over the window, shrouding the entire space with shade. "It's too bright right now. That's bad for your eyes."

Gu Yue placed the bottle back into his hands then leaned her head against his shoulder. "I'm sleepy. Let me lean on you, okay?"

Tang Wulin did not know what to do. You're already leaning on me. How am I supposed to reject you?

It seemed she really was sleepy for her breathing soon steadied as a relaxed smile appeared on her lips. It was as if to her, leaning on him was particularly comforting.

After sucking it up as Gu Yue's personal pillow, Tang Wulin started to feel the lull of slumber. Even though he had already shut the curtains, the warmth and coziness did not dissipate!

Unwittingly, he closed his eyes. Immediately, his fatigue from constantly cultivating washed away.

Totaling about four hours in travel time, the trek from Eastsea City to Skysea City was a prolonged one.

Tang Wulin slept through the whole trip and would have likely continued sleeping once they arrived had Xie Xie not called for him.

"You two sure are enjoying sleeping, huh! You've slept the whole trip!" Xie Xie slyly shot his gaze from Tang Wulin to the waking Gu Yue.

Gu Yue stood up to stretch her body before turning back to pinch Tang Wulin's shoulder. "Is it numb?"

Tang Wulin shook his head. "It's fine."

That was a really nice nap. I don't think I've ever slept that well in my whole life. Circulating some soul power within his body, he noticed that it seemed to have sped up while flowing more smoothly than ever.

This change signified a breakthrough; he had finally broken through to rank 17!

A strange expression stretched across his face. He had been struggling to break through the bottleneck to rank 17 these past few days but never had he expected to wake up in success.

While his foundation was mediocre, he had progressed from rank 11 to rank 17 in the past year. Such speed was simply astonishing.

As if only natural, Gu Yue chose to lead them to exit while Tang Wulin and Xie Xie trailed behind her. For no apparent reason, warmth filled his heart as he took in her figure.

Partner? Little sister? He did not know why, but Gu Yue's kindness reminded him of Na'er.

Skysea City and Eastsea City were similar in that they both were situated on the coast, boasting a beautiful landscape and the continent's largest harbors and docks. The Federation's navy was stationed right outside of Skysea City. The silhouette of a gigantic cruiser anchored out at sea entered the eyes of some.

Because of the great military forces stationed there, Skysea City was considered the top ranked city on the east coast. The area was of utmost strategic importance comparable to major cities inland.

Ordinary people would enter military service once they turned eighteen, and for those within Skysea Alliance's domain, Skysea City's navy was the first pick.

Tang Wulin still had many years before he turned eighteen. As a soul master, he had some level of influence over his military service. This, of course, did not take into account his status as a fourth rank blacksmith. Fourth rank blacksmiths were considered members of the elite, enjoying a lofty position.

For now, Tang Wulin could not see much of a difference between Skysea City and Eastsea City. As they approached the city's core, skyscrapers piercing the clouds came into view, passed by the magnificent harbor. Several types of advanced equipment and facilities lined the harbor, all of which Tang Wulin struggled to name. The harbor smelled of trade.