Old Jack's Promise

"Sir, how did it go? Does our village have any children this year with the potential to become Soul Masters?"

No sooner had Su Yuntao stepped out of the Spirit Hall branch than Old Jack blocked his path.

"Ah, there is one—and he even has Innate Full Soul Power!" Su Yuntao replied.

"What? Innate Full Soul Power?" Old Jack's expression changed in shock.

"Yes. What a pity, what a pity. His martial soul is Blue Silver Grass. Do you understand now?"

"Blue Silver Grass... Innate Full Soul Power... Blue Silver Grass... Innate Full Soul Power... This truly is fate playing tricks. But sir, can Blue Silver Grass really not be cultivated?"

"It's not entirely impossible. But what do you think Blue Silver Grass could evolve into as the martial soul improves? A useless martial soul is still a useless martial soul. What a pity! All right, I'm leaving. I still need to visit the next village!"

Old Jack and Su Yuntao exchanged their customary words. With a disappointed look on his face, Su Yuntao sighed as he headed out of Holy Soul Village.

"Grandpa, what is a soul ring? How can one obtain a soul ring?"

"I don't know what a soul ring is either. To obtain one, it seems you need to hunt soul beasts. That's a very dangerous thing—something only Soul Masters can do."

"Soul rings, soul beasts!"

"Xiao San, you wouldn't happen to be the child Sir Su mentioned—the one who awakened Blue Silver Grass as a martial soul and has Innate Full Soul Power, would you?"

"Yes."

"Xiao San, I never expected your talent to be so outstanding. What a pity that you have such a father, unable to pass down a good martial soul to you."

Old Jack gently patted Tang San's shoulder, consoling him. A sharp glint flashed through his cloudy eyes. Old Jack had already made up his mind: no matter what, he would persuade Tang Hao to let Tang San attend the Junior Soul Master Academy in Notting City as a work-study student, representing the village.

It had been many years since the village had produced a Soul Master! In Old Jack's eyes, perhaps Tang San could become the village's second Soul Sage.

Nearby, Ning Qiu had already shut the doors of the Spirit Hall branch. He looked at Tang San. Only he knew that Tang San's martial soul was not an ordinary Blue Silver Grass—it was Blue Silver Grass that could undergo a second awakening and become the Blue Silver Emperor.

Furthermore, Tang San's father was a Titled Douluo, the youngest Titled Douluo in history, whose martial soul was the Clear Sky Hammer. And Tang San possessed a second martial soul as well—the Clear Sky Hammer.

As for the village's second Soul Sage!

Sorry, but Tang San would not become a Soul Sage in the future. He would become a god who inherited the divine positions of both the Sea God and the Asura God—the divine law enforcer of the God Realm. Not only Douluo Star, but many planets lay under his tyrannical rule!

"Grandpa Jack, I don't have soul power. Don't you think it's time to fulfill your promise?" Ning Qiu walked calmly up to Old Jack.

"My promise?" Old Jack asked, taken aback.

"Yes. You said that if I had no soul power and couldn't become a Soul Master, you would abdicate your position as village chief to me. Have you forgotten?" Ning Qiu reminded him.

"Hehe..." Old Jack smiled kindly and affectionately rubbed Ning Qiu's head. Smiling, he said, "Ning Qiu, you're still young. According to the rules of our Balak Kingdom, you must wait until you come of age before you can inherit the position of village chief!"

"Come of age?" Ning Qiu's heart jolted. "Doesn't that mean I have to wait more than ten years?"

"That's right. Don't worry. You've made an indelible contribution to Holy Soul Village. Once you come of age, Grandpa's position as chief of Holy Soul Village will be yours. No one can take it from you." Old Jack smiled.

"What? I still have to wait more than ten years?" Ning Qiu asked anxiously.

"Mhm." Old Jack nodded, then turned to Tang San and began the familiar conversation Ning Qiu had heard before.

The content of Tang San's conversation with Old Jack was nothing more than whether Tang San wanted to become a Soul Master, followed by Old Jack offering to accompany him home and persuade Tang San's father, Tang Hao.

Watching Tang San and Old Jack's retreating backs, Ning Qiu muttered anxiously to himself, "So does that mean I have to wait more than ten years before I can bind a village?"

Without binding a village, Ning Qiu could not use the system properly. Without using the system properly, Ning Qiu could not grow stronger. How could he not be anxious about that?

More than ten years?

Forget more than ten years—even one year was too long for Ning Qiu to wait.

"Ding-dong!"

"System reminder: Host, you have now become the first-in-line heir to the position of Holy Soul Village chief. Your status is equivalent to that of an empire's Crown Prince. You may choose to bind Holy Soul Village and use this system normally."

"Really?" Ning Qiu asked in delighted surprise.

"Yes."

"Then what are we waiting for? System, bind Holy Soul Village."

"Ding-dong!"

"System reminder: A plane and a planet may each bind only one village. Once a village has been bound, it cannot be unbound. Do you wish to continue binding Holy Soul Village?"

"Bind it!" Ning Qiu did not hesitate in the slightest.

Holy Soul Village occupied a highly strategic location, situated at the border between two nations. In military terms, it was territory that both sides would fight to control. Ning Qiu would have to be a fool not to bind Holy Soul Village!

"Ding-dong!"

"Congratulations. You have successfully bound Holy Soul Village."

"System, is that it?" Ning Qiu asked.

"Yes, Host. Binding a village will not grant any rewards. Subsequent rewards must be obtained by completing tasks. For tasks issued by the system, please proceed to the task panel! There are also hidden tasks awaiting the Host's discovery!"

"Task One: Use a Land Transformation Card to transform a plot of land. Reward: 10 Contribution Points. Reward: 300 soul power."

"Task Two: Use a House Transformation Card to transform a house. Reward: 100 Contribution Points. Reward: 500 soul power."

"Task Three: As the Host is currently only the first-in-line heir to the position of Holy Soul Village chief, recruit the first villager under your personal authority. The stronger the recruited villager's abilities and the more special their identity, the more generous the final reward."

"Task Four: Raise the Host's soul power to level ten, obtain the first soul ring, and become a true Soul Master. Reward: Unlock the livestock breeding function!"

"Even though I got such a strange system, judging by these tasks, becoming stronger doesn't seem all that difficult!" Ning Qiu curled his lips into a smug smile and headed toward a wooded mountain. There lay several mu of land left to him by his deceased parents.