Martial Soul Awakening

(This chapter is a massive copy-paste, a 5000-character chapter, with about 2000 characters being copied.)

Time flew by like a white steed, and before anyone knew it, it was the day of Martial Soul awakening.

Zhao Xuan woke up early, but it wasn't entirely by choice. Old Jack, the village chief, had a voice that was just too loud.

Zhao Xuan rubbed his eyes and followed Old Jack. The old man was full of vigor, his clothes clean and neat, and his hair meticulously combed.

He was wearing a new outfit, bought specifically for this festive occasion. He chattered on, "You all need to work hard and strive to produce a Soul Master this year. Back in the day..."

Zhao Xuan wearily interrupted, "Back in the day, our Sacred Soul Village had a Soul Sage of the eighth rank a hundred years ago. That was extremely rare in all of Nuoding City, even the entire Fasnuo Province."

"Grandpa Jack, I've practically memorized it," Zhao Xuan groaned weakly. He had heard these words so many times he was sick of them. But alas, the Soul Sage he'd never met was Old Jack's idol, and no one could speak ill of him.

Old Jack looked at Zhao Xuan, staring until Zhao Xuan's scalp tingled, then said slowly, "It's good that you remember. This is the glory of our Sacred Soul Village."

"Yes. Yes!" Zhao Xuan replied helplessly.

"Speaking of which, why did you have to bring me along when you called for Little San?"

"Because I don't want to see Tang Hao! Just go in and call for Little San then. That child is truly pitiful, so smart and sensible, yet he has such a father!" A look of undisguised disgust and disappointment flashed in Old Jack's eyes when he mentioned Tang Hao, only softening when he spoke of Tang San.

Zhao Xuan's steps faltered, his face full of worry. "I don't want to see Uncle Tang Hao either."

Because he was playmates with Tang San, Zhao Xuan had visited Tang San's home and met Tang Hao.

Tang San's home was a bit run-down, but passable. It was just that his father was terrible, his face full of decadence, reeking of alcohol, living like a beggar. If Tang San didn't take care of him, he might have starved to death long ago!

"Heh heh, if you don't go, then I won't go either," Old Jack chuckled, like an old fox.

Zhao Xuan rolled his eyes at Jack and walked ahead wearily.

"Little San, Little San!" Standing outside Tang San's house, Zhao Xuan hesitated for a long time and ultimately couldn't bring himself to step inside. So, he just called out from the doorway.

"Coming, coming." Tang San hurried out of the house and, beside the two, made a "shushing" gesture.

"Dad is sleeping, don't wake him."

Old Jack couldn't help but roll his eyes. He pulled the two of them towards the center of the village, turning back and saying fiercely, "It's better if he sleeps forever!"

Tang San frowned slightly at this, opened his mouth as if to retort, but then thought better of it and closed his mouth. Arguing with the stubborn Old Jack was undoubtedly the wrong choice.

Inside, Tang Hao, who was sound asleep, suddenly opened his eyes. A sharp glint flashed within them. A trace of longing appeared on his decadent face, and he murmured painfully, "Ah Yin, I wonder what Martial Soul Little San will awaken... Clear Sky Hammer... or... Blue Silver Grass..."

On the other side, led by Grandpa Jack, the group quickly converged towards the village center.

Grandpa Jack, who usually walked no faster than a turtle, was now striding with vigor, his face beaming with joy.

He kept muttering, "May the Soul Sage bless us, may the Soul Sage bless us. We must have a Soul Master this year."

Zhao Xuan felt like Sun Wukong hearing the Tight-Fillet Spell; his head was about to explode. He couldn't help but mutter, "What's the use of a dead Soul Sage? He's not a god?"

"What did you say? Little Xuan?" Old Jack turned his head, asking curiously. The old man's hearing wasn't great due to his age.

Zhao Xuan jumped in fright and quickly laughed, "Nothing, nothing..."

Tang San was speechless beside him...

In the center of the village stood a relatively large wooden house, which had a resounding name: "Martial Soul Hall."

Inside, a rather handsome young man and several children were already waiting.

The young man looked to be in his early twenties, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and a very handsome appearance. He wore a white tight-fitting outfit with a black cloak on his back. In the center of his chest was a fist-sized character for "Soul," the standard attire for direct personnel of the Martial Soul Hall.

Old Jack walked over with a beaming smile and respectfully said to the young man, "Great Soul Master, everyone has arrived."

... A massive copy-paste is coming ...

... I don't want to copy, but it's not coherent ...

A faint pride showed in the young man's brows. He gave a slight, indifferent bow, acknowledging the greeting. "I don't have much time, let's begin now."

Old Jack said, "Alright. Children, this is a Battle Soul Master from Nuoding City. He will now guide you in awakening your Martial Souls. You must cooperate fully with the Master for the Martial Soul awakening. Grandpa hopes that one of you will be able to become a Soul Master."

The young man said impatiently, "Alright, you said the same thing last year. Is becoming a Soul Master really that easy? I've already visited six villages, and not a single person had Soul Power. Nor did they have suitable Martial Souls."

A hint of sadness flickered in Old Jack's eyes. He sighed, "Yes! Only the inheritors of the major sects can easily become Soul Masters. It's too difficult for ordinary people like us." He shook his head and walked out of the Martial Soul Hall.

The young man's gaze fell upon the nine children before him. As an inspector of the Martial Soul Hall, helping ordinary people awaken their Martial Souls was his duty, and he was quite used to it.

"Children, stand in a line." His attitude towards these children was much gentler.

The nine children lined up in front of the young man. Tang San and Zhao Xuan stood on the far left; they had arrived the latest and could only stand there.

The young man smiled and said, "My name is Su Yuntao, a Level 26 Great Soul Master, and I will be your guide. Now, I will awaken your Martial Souls one by one. Remember, don't be afraid, no matter what happens."

As he spoke, Su Yuntao opened his bag on a nearby table and took out two items: six black, round stones and a shining blue crystal ball.

Su Yuntao arranged the six black stones on the ground in a hexagonal pattern and then gestured for the first child on the right to stand within it.

"Don't be scared. Close your eyes and feel carefully." As he spoke, Su Yuntao's eyes suddenly lit up. To the children's horrified gazes, he let out a low cry, "Lone Wolf, possess!"

A faint green light first emanated from the center of his brow, traveling upwards along his forehead and into his hair.

Su Yuntao's hair was originally black, but after the green light was infused, it instantly turned gray and rapidly grew longer. Fur of the same color appeared on his exposed hands, and at the same time, his body seemed to have expanded significantly compared to before. His entire body was filled with muscle.

The Martial Soul Hall's specialized uniform was quite elastic, and it didn't tear despite his growing size. Su Yuntao's eyes had turned a deep green, and the sharp claws extending from his fingers glinted with a faint cold light. Two rings of light appeared beneath his feet, circling from his feet up to his head. One was white, the other yellow. It was exceptionally strange.

The boy he had called into the black stone cried out in alarm as he watched Su Yuntao's body transform, "Ah—" and tried to run in fear.

The eerie green glow in Su Yuntao's eyes was terrifying. He grabbed the child, saying, "Don't move. I told you not to be afraid. This is my Martial Soul, Lone Wolf. If any of you can become a Soul Master in the future, you'll be able to use similar abilities."

Tang San and Zhao Xuan's eyes widened. Is this a Martial Soul?

Su Yuntao rapidly clapped his hands, injecting six faint green lights into the six black stones on the ground. Instantly, a layer of shimmering golden light was released from the stones, forming a pale golden barrier that enveloped the child.

For some reason, the child who had been crying and making a fuss immediately calmed down once enveloped by the pale golden light, standing there somewhat dazed.

Golden light dots floated out from the black stones on the ground and entered the boy's body.

The boy's body began to tremble slightly, wanting to cry out but unable to make a sound.

"Extend your right hand," Su Yuntao commanded with authority, his emerald green eyes fixed on the boy.

The boy subconsciously extended his right hand, and all the light dots surged out, instantly forming a sickle in his palm.

The sickle didn't appear to be a mere illusion of light; it seemed to be real.

Su Yuntao frowned, "It's a Weapon Soul. Can a sickle be used as a weapon? It's probably passable."

The golden light gradually receded. The boy looked at the small sickle in his hand with surprise, unsure what to do.

Su Yuntao said, "Your Martial Soul is a sickle, a Weapon Soul. Come, let me test if you have Soul Power. If you have Soul Power, even a Weapon Soul can be cultivated into a Battle Soul Master. After all, a sickle has some offensive capability."

"M-Master, what should I do?" the boy asked timidly.

Su Yuntao replied calmly, "Recall your Martial Soul with your mind. When you want to use it again in the future, summon it with your mind."

The boy took a long time to finally recall the sickle into his hand. Su Yuntao then handed the blue crystal ball he was holding to the boy, gesturing for him to place his right hand on it.

The boy's tender little hand and Su Yuntao's wolf-like claw were placed on opposite sides of the crystal ball, creating a stark contrast.

After a moment, Su Yuntao said with some disappointment, "No Soul Power. You cannot become a Soul Master. Go to the side for now."

The same scene repeated itself. Seven more children awakened their Martial Souls, all of which were farm tools like hoes and sickles. Not a single beast-type Martial Soul appeared. As for Soul Power, Su Yuntao judged them all as 'none.'

Finally, it was Tang San and Zhao Xuan's turn. Tang San stood in front of Zhao Xuan and slowly walked into the center of the six stones, his expression showing rare nervousness.

After awakening the Martial Souls for so many children, Su Yuntao's expression was a little weary, and he felt helpless.

As expected, it's too difficult for a Soul Master to emerge from these villages.

Although everyone in this world had a Martial Soul, not many were truly useful. The parents of children who could become Soul Masters were often Soul Masters themselves, as Martial Souls were largely hereditary.

Seeing Tang San step into the awakening formation, Su Yuntao activated the awakening stones again.

Zhao Xuan watched curiously from the side, wondering what Martial Soul Little San would awaken.

Amidst a hazy golden light, countless golden dots floated out from the black stones and surged into Tang San's body.

Zhao Xuan narrowed his eyes. Little San is absorbing so much more golden light than the other children. The entire room is brightly lit, filled with a peaceful golden glow.

Even Su Yuntao's eyes widened, his right hand instinctively clenching. This kind of display should indicate a powerful Martial Soul.

He seemed excited, but anyone would be after working hard for a long time and finally seeing results.

The golden light gradually dimmed. Zhao Xuan and Su Yuntao stared intently at Tang San's small hand.

The golden light retracted into Tang San's palm, and a tender green sprout emerged from his palm, growing rapidly. In just a moment, a vibrant green little grass swayed in his hand.

"Blue Silver Grass?!" Zhao Xuan and Su Yuntao exclaimed in unison, both recognizing the common grass found everywhere on the Douluo Continent.

Su Yuntao was disappointed. The display suggested a powerful Martial Soul, so why is it this? Disbelieving, he stared hard at Tang San's palm, but the result was still disappointing.

Zhao Xuan, however, looked at Tang San with some concern, muttering to himself, I hope Little San doesn't do anything rash.

This Blue Silver Grass was a standard trash Martial Soul. Three of the previous children had awakened it.

But then he looked at Tang San and saw no trace of sadness on his face. Zhao Xuan realized he had worried for nothing. After glancing curiously at his own Martial Soul, Tang San said to Su Yuntao, "Master, can I test for Soul Power now?"

"Forget it. I've never seen anyone with Blue Silver Grass have Soul Power," Su Yuntao sighed, feeling exhausted after the emotional rollercoaster.

"Let me try! Master!"

"Let him try! Master!"

Two voices rang out consecutively. Su Yuntao was taken aback, seeing the determined look in both children's eyes. Could this be the look of two children?

Su Yuntao was stunned. After a long pause, he slowly said, "Alright!"

Zhao Xuan stared at the crystal ball. A certain consciousness told him that things were not that simple! Even though Little San had a trash Martial Soul, the standard for becoming a Soul Master was whether he possessed Soul Power.

Even Su Yuntao felt a flicker of interest. What if he actually has Soul Power? Blue Silver Grass with Soul Power?

He shook his head inwardly. Such a naive thought. Nevertheless, he also turned his gaze to the crystal ball.

Tang San placed his hand on the crystal ball. Almost simultaneously, a faint golden light began to appear within the crystal ball, quickly growing.

Zhao Xuan and Su Yuntao trembled. Su Yuntao exclaimed, "How is this possible?"

Zhao Xuan's eyes showed a different light, and a smile appeared on his lips. "I knew Little San wasn't simple. Blue Silver Grass, a trash Martial Soul, with Soul Power? Haha!"

Before Tang San's eyes, the golden light in the crystal ball increased, gradually filling the entire sphere, shining like a small sun.

Su Yuntao stood dumbfounded, unsure whether to cry or laugh. "Innate Full Soul Power? Blue Silver Grass?!"

Tang San naturally noticed that his test results were different from the other children's, and asked in confusion, "Uncle, what is Innate Full Soul Power?"

Su Yuntao stared at him blankly and instinctively explained, "When everyone awakens their Martial Soul, besides the form of the Martial Soul determining its power, the amount of Soul Power is also crucial. Most people have no Soul Power when their Martial Soul awakens, just like these children before. They are destined to never become Soul Masters in their lives. As long as there is Soul Power, even if it's just a trace, it can be cultivated through meditation. And at the time of Martial Soul awakening, the amount of Soul Power is extremely important, determining the starting point of a Soul Master's cultivation. The higher the Innate Soul Power, the faster the cultivation speed will be in the future. At the same time, because of the high starting point, they will naturally be ahead of others. So-called Innate Full Soul Power is the highest Soul Power that can be achieved innately during Martial Soul awakening."

"Haha! Little San, you're a genius!" Zhao Xuan beamed with joy and patted Tang San hard on the shoulder.

Tang San stumbled and almost fell, his face suddenly turning pale. The Mysterious Heaven Skill he was running was almost scattered.

Zhao Xuan was startled and quickly helped Tang San up. "Little San, what's wrong?"

Tang San couldn't help but roll his eyes. What's wrong with me? Don't you have any idea? How many people could take a slap like that from you?

However, being gentle by nature, he couldn't say such a thing. He forced a smile and said, "It's nothing."

Seeing that Tang San was fine, Zhao Xuan breathed a sigh of relief and said casually to the crestfallen Su Yuntao, "Uncle, it's my turn!"

Su Yuntao, lost in thought, took a while to recover. He had already made up his mind that he definitely wouldn't come to do Martial Soul awakenings next year. Someone else should handle this. Only those with strong hearts could endure such emotional rollercoasters.

"Go on, go on," Su Yuntao waved his hand, urging Zhao Xuan to quickly step onto the awakening formation.

Unexpectedly, when it truly came down to it, Zhao Xuan hesitated. He looked hesitant and, after thinking for a moment, gritted his teeth and walked up.

Seeing Zhao Xuan stand firm, Su Yuntao continued to channel his Soul Power into the awakening formation. The golden light within the formation suddenly intensified, seemingly even more so than with Tang San.

Su Yuntao's heart tightened. No way! It's happening again?! His heart was in his throat. This looked like another powerful Martial Soul, but with Tang San's precedent, he couldn't be happy.

Standing within the awakening formation, Zhao Xuan felt as if he were enveloped by warm sunshine. Something deep within his body was pushing outwards; it was a very peculiar sensation.

He instinctively looked at his right hand, and a square object suddenly appeared.

Zhao Xuan's eyes widened, and he blinked hard. How could it be this thing...