Martial Soul Awakening

(A massive wave of copying is coming this chapter—a five-thousand-word mega chapter, with an estimated two thousand copied.)

Time flew by, and before he knew it, the day of the martial soul awakening had arrived.

Zhao Xuan got up early, though it was hardly by choice. Old Jack's booming voice was simply too loud.

Rubbing his eyes, Zhao Xuan followed beside Old Jack. The old man was full of vigor, his clothes clean and neat, his hair combed without a single strand out of place.

He wore a newly bought outfit specially purchased for this festive day. He went on and on, saying, "You all need to do your best. We have to produce a soul master this year. Back then..."

Zhao Xuan gloomily picked up where he left off. "Back then, Sacred Soul Village produced a Soul Sage with the eighth-ranked title a hundred years ago. That was extremely rare in all of Nuoding City, even all of Fasnuo Province."

"Grandpa Jack, I can recite it by heart already." Zhao Xuan groaned weakly. He had heard those words so often his ears were nearly callused, but there was nothing he could do. That Soul Sage he had never met was Old Jack's idol, and no one could speak ill of him.

Old Jack looked at Zhao Xuan. Only after staring until Zhao Xuan's scalp tingled did he slowly say, "It's good that you remember. This is the glory of Sacred Soul Village."

"Yes, yes!" Zhao Xuan agreed helplessly.

"By the way, why do you insist on bringing me along to get Xiao San?"

"Because I don't want to see Tang Hao! You can go in and call Xiao San when we get there. That child is so pitiful—so smart and sensible, yet he ended up with a father like that!" When Tang Hao was mentioned, unconcealed disgust and frustration flashed through Old Jack's eyes. Only when he mentioned Tang San did his expression ease.

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

Since Tang San was his playmate, Zhao Xuan had visited Tang San's home and met Tang Hao before.

Tang San's house was rather rundown, but still passable. His father, however, was awful—utterly despondent, reeking of alcohol, living like a beggar. If Tang San had not taken care of him, he might have starved to death long ago!

"Hehe, if you won't go, then I won't either." Old Jack chuckled, looking just like an old fox.

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

"Xiao San, Xiao San!" Standing outside Tang San's home, Zhao Xuan hesitated for a long time but ultimately could not bring himself to step inside. He could only call out from outside.

"Coming, coming." Tang San hurried out of the house at a jog. When he reached them, he did not forget to make a shushing gesture.

"Dad is sleeping. Don't wake him."

Old Jack could not help rolling his eyes. He pulled the two boys toward the center of the village in irritation, then turned back and said fiercely, "It'd be better if he slept himself to death!"

Tang San's brow furrowed slightly. He opened his mouth, about to argue, but after thinking it over, he closed it again. Trying to reason with stubborn Old Jack would undoubtedly be a mistake.

Inside the house, Tang Hao, who had been sleeping soundly, suddenly opened his eyes. A sharp gleam flashed through them, and longing suddenly appeared on his despondent face. He murmured painfully, "Ah Yin, I wonder what martial soul Xiao San will awaken... the Clear Sky Hammer, or... Blue Silver Grass..."

Meanwhile, led by Grandpa Jack, the group quickly headed toward the center of the village.

Grandpa Jack, who normally walked barely faster than a turtle, strode as if flying, joy written all over his face.

He kept muttering, "Soul Sage, bless us. Soul Sage, bless us. We have to produce a soul master this year."

Zhao Xuan felt as if Sun Wukong were chanting the Headband Spell in his ears. His head was about to explode, and he could not help muttering, "What use is a dead Soul Sage? He's not a god."

"What did you say, Little Xuan?" Old Jack turned around and asked curiously. The old man was getting on in years, and his hearing was not very good.

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

Tang San was speechless beside him...

At the center of the village stood a fairly large wooden house with an impressive name: "Spirit Hall."

At this moment, a rather handsome young man and several children were already waiting inside.

The young man looked to be in his twenties. He had sword-like brows and bright eyes, and his features were exceedingly handsome. He wore fitted white clothes and a black cape, with a fist-sized soul character at the center of his chest. This was the standard attire of Spirit Hall personnel.

Old Jack walked over with a smile plastered across his face and respectfully said to the young man, "Soul Grandmaster, everyone is here."

...A massive wave of copying is coming...

...I don't want to copy, but it won't flow without it. So annoying...

A faint pride showed between the young man's brows. He gave a slight, indifferent bow in return. "My time is limited. Let's begin."

Old Jack said, "All right. Children, this is a Battle Soul Master from Nuoding City. Next, he will guide you in awakening your martial souls. You must cooperate with the master during your martial soul awakening. Grandpa hopes that one of you will be able to become a soul master."

The young man said somewhat impatiently, "All right, you said the same thing last year. Is becoming a soul master really that easy? I've already visited six villages, and not one child had Soul Power. There weren't even any suitable martial souls."

A trace of gloom appeared in Old Jack's eyes. He sighed and said, "That's right! Only the inheritors of major sects can become soul masters more easily. For ordinary people like us, it's simply too difficult." Shaking his head, he left Spirit Hall.

The young man's gaze fell on the nine children before him. As a Spirit Hall inspection deacon, helping ordinary people awaken their martial souls was part of his job. He had long since grown used to it.

"Children, line up." His attitude toward the children was much gentler.

The nine children stood in a row before the young man. Tang San and Zhao Xuan stood at the far left. They had arrived last and could only stand there.

The young man smiled. "My name is Su Yuntao. I am a level twenty-six Soul Grandmaster and your guide. Now, I will awaken your martial souls one by one. Remember, no matter what happens, do not be afraid."

As he spoke, Su Yuntao opened his bag on the table beside him and took out two things: six pitch-black round stones and a shining blue crystal ball.

Su Yuntao arranged the six black stones into a hexagon on the ground, then gestured for the first child on the right to stand inside it.

"Don't be afraid. Close your eyes and feel carefully." As he spoke, Su Yuntao's eyes suddenly lit up. Before the children's horrified gazes, he shouted, "Lone Wolf, possess me!"

A faint green light first emerged from the center of his brow. It traveled upward along his forehead and into his hair.

Su Yuntao's hair had originally been black, but after the green light entered it, it instantly turned gray and rapidly grew longer. Fur of the same color appeared on his exposed hands, while his body seemed to swell considerably. His entire body was filled with muscular power.

Spirit Hall's special uniform was highly elastic and did not burst from his enlarged body. Su Yuntao's eyes had turned a dark green, while the claws extending from his ten fingers glimmered with a faint cold light. Two rings of light rose from beneath his feet, circling continuously from his feet to the top of his head. One was white, while the other was yellow. The sight was especially strange.

The child Su Yuntao had called into the black stones was a boy. Seeing the changes in Su Yuntao's body, he immediately cried out, "Ah—" and tried to run away in fright.

The green glow in Su Yuntao's eyes was indeed frightening. He grabbed the child at once. "Don't move. I told you not to be afraid. This is my martial soul, the Lone Wolf. If any of you become soul masters in the future, you will be able to use the same kind of power."

Tang San and Zhao Xuan stared wide-eyed. So this was a martial soul?

Su Yuntao quickly struck out with both hands. Six faint green beams entered the six black stones on the ground. Immediately, a hazy golden glow emerged from the stones, forming a pale golden barrier that enveloped the child.

For some reason, the crying child became calm the moment the pale golden light enveloped him. He stood there in a daze.

Golden specks drifted from the black stones on the ground and entered the boy's body.

The boy's body began trembling slightly. He wanted to cry out, but no sound came out.

"Extend your right hand." Su Yuntao's dark green eyes stared at the boy as he issued the command sternly.

The boy subconsciously extended his right hand. Immediately, all the light specks surged outward, and in an instant, a sickle appeared in his palm.

The sickle did not seem to be some illusory projection. It was a real object.

Su Yuntao frowned. "A Weapon Soul. Can a sickle count as a weapon? Barely, I suppose."

The golden light gradually faded. The boy looked at the small sickle in his hand in surprise, at a complete loss.

Su Yuntao said, "Your martial soul is a sickle, a Weapon Soul. Come, let me see whether you have Soul Power. If you do, then even a Weapon Soul can be cultivated as a Battle Soul Master. After all, a sickle has some offensive power."

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

Su Yuntao replied calmly, "Use your thoughts to withdraw your martial soul. When you want to use it again in the future, use your thoughts to summon it."

The boy tried for a long time before finally withdrawing the sickle in his hand. Su Yuntao handed the blue crystal ball to him and gestured for him to place his right hand on it.

The boy's small, tender hand rested on one side of the crystal ball, while Su Yuntao's wolf claw rested on the other. The contrast between them was extremely obvious.

After a moment, Su Yuntao said in disappointment, "No Soul Power. You cannot become a soul master. Go stand to the side."

The same scene continued. Seven more children awakened their martial souls one after another. Their martial souls were all farm tools such as hoes and sickles. Not a single Beast Soul appeared, and as for Soul Power, Su Yuntao judged them all to have "none."

At last, it was Tang San and Zhao Xuan's turn. Tang San stood in front of Zhao Xuan, so he slowly walked into the center of the six stones, a rare trace of nervousness appearing on his face.

After awakening the martial souls of so many children, Su Yuntao looked somewhat tired, and he felt even more helpless inside.

As expected, producing a soul master in these villages is simply too difficult.

Although everyone in this world possessed a martial soul, there were not many martial souls worth using. The parents of children who could become soul masters were also mostly soul masters, after all. Martial souls had much to do with inheritance.

Seeing Tang San enter the awakening formation, Su Yuntao once again activated the awakening stones.

Zhao Xuan watched curiously from the side, wondering what martial soul Xiao San would awaken.

Within the hazy golden glow, countless golden specks floated out of the black stones and surged into Tang San's body.

Zhao Xuan narrowed his eyes. Xiao San was absorbing far more golden light than the previous children. The entire room was brightly illuminated, filled with peaceful golden radiance.

Even Su Yuntao widened his eyes and subconsciously clenched his right hand. Such a display should mean a powerful martial soul.

He seemed excited. After working for so long, anyone would feel that way upon finally seeing results.

The golden light gradually dimmed. Zhao Xuan and Su Yuntao both widened their eyes, staring at Tang San's small hand.

The golden light drew into Tang San's palm. A sharp green sprout emerged from his palm and grew rapidly. In only a short moment, a lush little blade of grass swayed in his hand.

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

Su Yuntao was disappointed. The spectacle had clearly looked like the awakening of a powerful martial soul. How could it be this?! Still unwilling to accept it, he stared hard at Tang San's palm again, but the result only disappointed him further.

Zhao Xuan, meanwhile, looked at Tang San worriedly and muttered inwardly, Xiao San, don't do anything stupid.

Blue Silver Grass was a standard useless martial soul. Three of the children before him had awakened it.

But when he looked back at Tang San, he saw no sadness whatsoever. Zhao Xuan had worried for nothing. After curiously examining his own martial soul for a few moments, Tang San said to Su Yuntao, "Master, can I test my Soul Power now?"

"Forget it. I've never seen Blue Silver Grass with Soul Power." Su Yuntao sighed. After such a dramatic rise and fall, he felt exhausted.

"Let me try, Master!"

"Let him try, Master!"

The two voices rang out one after the other. Su Yuntao froze. Determination shone in both children's eyes. Could children truly possess such looks?

Su Yuntao was stunned. After a long while, he slowly said, "All right."

Zhao Xuan stared at the crystal ball. In the depths of his mind, an instinct told him that things were not so simple. Although Xiao San had a useless martial soul, whether one could become a soul master depended on whether one possessed Soul Power.

Even Su Yuntao became somewhat interested. What if he really did have Soul Power? Blue Silver Grass with Soul Power?

Secretly, he shook his head. That thought was far too naive, but regardless, he turned his gaze to the crystal ball.

Tang San placed his hand on the crystal ball. Almost at the same instant, faint golden light began rapidly appearing within it.

Zhao Xuan and Su Yuntao both shuddered. Su Yuntao cried out, "How is that possible?"

A strange light flashed in Zhao Xuan's eyes, and a smile appeared at the corner of his lips. "I knew Xiao San wasn't ordinary. A useless Blue Silver Grass martial soul actually has Soul Power? Haha!"

The golden light inside the crystal ball before Tang San grew denser and denser, gradually filling the entire sphere until it looked exactly like a small sun.

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

Tang San naturally noticed that his test result differed from the other children's. He asked in confusion, "Uncle, what is Innate Full Soul Power?"

Su Yuntao stared at him blankly and explained subconsciously, "When everyone awakens their martial soul, besides the form of the martial soul determining whether it is powerful, the amount of Soul Power is also critically important. Most people have no Soul Power when their martial souls awaken, just like the children before you. They are destined to never become soul masters. But as long as Soul Power appears, even if it is only a trace, they can cultivate through meditation. The amount of Soul Power at the time of martial soul awakening is extremely important, as it determines the starting point of a soul master's cultivation. The higher one's innate Soul Power, the faster one can cultivate later on. At the same time, starting from a higher point naturally puts one ahead of others. Innate Full Soul Power means the highest amount of innate Soul Power one can possess when awakening a martial soul."

"Haha! Xiao San, you're a genius!" Zhao Xuan beamed and slapped Tang San hard on the shoulder.

Tang San staggered, nearly falling. His face suddenly turned pale, and the Mysterious Heaven Skill he had been circulating almost scattered.

Zhao Xuan was startled and quickly supported Tang San. "Xiao San, what's wrong?"

Tang San could not help rolling his eyes. What's wrong? Don't you have any idea? How many people could endure a slap like that from you?

But with his gentle temperament, he ultimately would not say such words aloud. He forced a smile. "I'm fine."

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

It took Su Yuntao quite a while to recover from his daze. He had already made up his mind that he absolutely would not come to perform martial soul awakenings next year. Someone else could do it! A person without a strong heart simply could not endure such ups and downs.

"Go on, go on." Su Yuntao waved his hand, telling Zhao Xuan to hurry and enter the awakening formation.

Unexpectedly, when the moment truly arrived, Zhao Xuan hesitated instead. He looked uncertain, but after thinking for a moment, he gritted his teeth and walked in.

Seeing Zhao Xuan take his position, Su Yuntao continued using Soul Power to activate the awakening formation. The golden light within it suddenly surged, seeming even stronger than Tang San's.

Su Yuntao's heart tightened. No way, again?! His heart rose into his throat. This looked like another powerful martial soul, but Tang San's example left a knot in his heart. He could not bring himself to feel happy.

Standing within the awakening formation, Zhao Xuan felt as though he were surrounded by warm sunlight. Something deep within his body seemed to be struggling to force its way out. It was a very strange feeling.

He subconsciously looked toward his right hand, where a square object suddenly appeared.

Zhao Xuan's eyes widened. He blinked hard. How could it be this thing...