Rusty Spear Martial Soul

Douluo Continent, south of Vast Sea City, Blue Fish Village

"Clang, clang clang..."

A handsome six-year-old boy, only about four feet tall yet more than twice as sturdy as children his age, rhythmically hammered a large machete on an anvil with a twenty-to-thirty-pound iron hammer.

"This order was finally finished ahead of schedule!"

The boy was named Ji Wuming. He had transmigrated from Blue Star after becoming too obsessed with the peerless swords from wuxia novels while hand-forging a Dragon Spring Treasure Sword, ultimately sacrificing himself to the blade and arriving in this world.

Like most transmigrators, he had started out with both parents dead. The only difference was that the Ji Family Blacksmith Shop was the sole blacksmith workshop among several nearby villages.

Whenever the villagers' farming tools broke, they came to the blacksmith shop for repairs. With the forging experience from his previous life, Ji Wuming had begun supporting himself through smithing after his parents died at sea while fishing when he was five.

At first, the villagers pitied Ji Wuming and repeatedly brought business to the blacksmith shop. They had assumed the ironware he made would be poor, only to find that the finished products were far superior to anything before. The Ji Family Blacksmith Shop's reputation spread farther and farther, though its forging speed was a little slow.

"Little Ji, hurry and clean up, then come with Grandfather to the Martial Soul Awakening Hall. The Lord Soul Master from Spirit Hall will arrive soon, so don't miss the awakening time!"

Leaning on his cane, the Old Village Chief looked at Ji Wuming, who stood bare-chested and held a large machete, then helplessly shook his head. Making a living through blacksmithing at five years old had truly been hard on the child.

"Alright, Village Chief. I'll clean up and be right there!" Ji Wuming replied with a smile.

He was greatly looking forward to the Martial Soul awakening. Although both his parents had possessed the worthless Fish Fork Martial Soul, he was still a transmigrator.

As the saying went, the poor relied on mutation, the rich relied on having children, and transmigrators relied on the blessing of the otherworldly Heavenly Dao's absurdly lucky fortune. If he could not awaken a powerful Mutated Martial Soul, then it would surely be a Body Martial Soul.

Soon, Ji Wuming changed into his new clothes and arrived outside the village's Martial Soul Awakening Hall with the Village Chief.

A young man in a Spirit Hall uniform approached, holding an exquisite wooden box. The Village Chief hurriedly stepped forward and said,

"Lord Soul Master, all the children eligible for awakening this year are here."

After sweeping his gaze across all the children present, the Spirit Hall Soul Master silently nodded. He then pushed open the Awakening Hall's doors and walked inside.

The hall's interior was plain and unadorned, nearly no different from an ordinary house. The thirteen children present were extremely excited, filled with anticipation for the Martial Souls they were about to awaken.

"My name is Jiang Ping, a level 25 Soul Grandmaster and your guide for this Martial Soul awakening. No matter what you see later, don't be afraid."

As Jiang Ping arranged the Awakening Array, he patiently explained the basic knowledge of Martial Souls to the children.

"Martial Soul, possess me!"

A black Seahorse phantom appeared behind him, and his aura became somewhat frightening. Then, one white and one yellow Soul Ring, clearly distinct from each other, appeared beneath his feet.

Some of the more timid children present were still frightened into tears.

"This is my Martial Soul, Seahorse. If any of you can awaken a Martial Soul and possess Soul Power, you may join our Spirit Hall."

After speaking, Jiang Ping injected a thread of Soul Power into the Awakening Array and looked at the first child in line.

"Child, you go first!"

The crying child slowly walked into the Martial Soul Awakening Array, and a Seahorse phantom appeared behind him.

Seahorse. The same Martial Soul as mine? It looks promising, Jiang Ping thought.

Seeing the child's grief turn to joy, Jiang Ping said, "Child, your Martial Soul is Seahorse. Try communicating with your Martial Soul and put it away. Then we'll test your Soul Power. If you have Soul Power, you can become a Soul Master!"

"Mm!"

The child followed his instructions and placed his right hand on the blue Crystal Ball. After waiting for quite some time, no light appeared. Jiang Ping shook his head in disappointment.

"Child, you have no Soul Power and cannot become a Soul Master."

"Next!"

Jiang Ping continued conducting the Martial Soul awakening ceremony for the children.

"Fish Fork, no Soul Power."

"Fishing Net, no Soul Power."

"Blue Silver Grass, no Soul Power."

Soon, half an hour passed, and all thirteen children had completed their Martial Soul awakenings. Most possessed worthless ocean-type Martial Souls with no Soul Power. Naturally, there were also the continent's standard worthless Martial Soul, Blue Silver Grass.

Seeing this, Jiang Ping had already given up hope on this village. He looked at Ji Wuming, who stood a head taller than ordinary children.

Forget it. There's only one left. Without any surprises, he'll be another ordinary person who can't become a Soul Master. I only hope a Soul Master appears in the next village.

After all, as long as he awakened even one Soul Master, an awakening master like him who could not even reach Soul Elder would receive three Gold Soul Coins if the awakened child joined Spirit Hall, even if that child had only level-one Innate Soul Power. That was equivalent to one or two years of income for an ordinary household, and the reward was provided directly by Spirit Hall.

"Child, come over here!" Jiang Ping said, beckoning to Ji Wuming.

Upon hearing this, Ji Wuming immediately stepped forward and entered the array. In an instant, golden light burst from the formation, and a warm, gentle aura flowed through his body, making him feel extremely comfortable.

Very quickly, Ji Wuming sensed something profound and immensely powerful struggling to burst out from within him, impossible to suppress.

"Is this a sign of Martial Soul awakening? What a pity there's only one Martial Soul."

The moment Ji Wuming finished muttering, a long spear forged from some unknown metal appeared in his right palm.

"This... I thought that commotion meant some powerful Martial Soul, but it's just this—"

Ji Wuming lowered his head to look at the Martial Soul in his hand, utterly disappointed. The Martial Soul I awakened is actually a rusty broken spear. The shaft is covered in holes that pierce through it, while the sharpened spearhead is not only chipped in several places, but almost entirely covered in rust. Heaven really isn't giving me any face!

Wait, the spearhead has rust. That makes it a weapon perfect for injuring people—the classic Tetanus Blade.

"Cough!" Jiang Ping stared at the broken spear in Ji Wuming's hand with great curiosity. This was one of the few Mutated Martial Souls he had encountered in his five years on the job.

Though the broken spear looked extremely fragile, as if it might snap at the slightest touch, those with Mutated Martial Souls had a very high chance of becoming Soul Masters.

"Child, come test your Soul Power!"

Ji Wuming was not discouraged by this. Although his Martial Soul was a broken spear, the rust on it had a special effect. Even if he had no Soul Power and could not become a Soul Master, he could still kill most soul beasts below fifty years of cultivation.

He immediately withdrew his Martial Soul into his body and placed his right hand on the Crystal Ball. The blue glow began to brighten, slowly stopping only after it filled one-third of the Crystal Ball.

"He really has Innate Soul Power—and level-three Soul Power at that."

Jiang Ping was exceptionally happy at that moment. Although the Soul Power Level was not high, he had at least awakened a child with Soul Power.

"What? Only level three!"

Although Ji Wuming had prepared for the worst, seeing that he had awakened only level-three Soul Power still nearly broke his spirit.