Mysterious Voice

Haofan was in a state of utter turmoil, but he still tried his best to calm himself before preparing to ask Tang Chenfeng a few questions.

Seeing Haofan approach, Tang Chenfeng felt a little nervous. After all, the instrument in his hand was still smoking, and it did not look cheap.

Haofan seemed to see through his thoughts and reassured him, "Don't worry. You won't have to compensate me for the instrument. What matters now is asking you a few questions. Tell me, does the world look any different in your eyes now?"

Hearing Haofan's words, Tang Chenfeng let out a sigh of relief. He first looked around before answering, "It feels like the world has become much clearer. Whether it's the veins on the leaves or the Gathering Array on the walls inside the room, every detail is perfectly visible before my eyes. If I look carefully, there seem to be many tiny dots of light in different colors moving constantly through the air. Also, there are lots of yellow light spots surrounding you, Master, while there are many green ones around Ling'er, as if they're cheering for her."

Such keen observation. He can even see the elemental energy in the air? Haofan thought. He was now certain that Tang Chenfeng's Spiritual Power had reached the Spirit Abyss Realm. Otherwise, he would not have been able to see so clearly the elemental energy that Haofan and the others were skilled at using. The light spots Tang Chenfeng saw around Haofan were actually Earth Element, the element that Haofan's Earth Demon Bear martial soul was best at controlling. The green light spots around Ye Hongling were naturally Life Energy.

After pondering for a moment, Haofan said to Tang Chenfeng, "No problem. It seems that, like your younger sister, you're a once-in-a-generation genius—perhaps even more gifted than her. You might have two martial souls: one in your muscles and the other in your bones. Your body is incredibly strong, making you suited to the path of a pure strength-type Soul Master. Your Spiritual Power is also exceptionally high, so absorbing soul spirits will not be a problem. You're a fine prospect."

Tang Chenfeng was overwhelmed with excitement after hearing Haofan's words. He had never expected himself to be a genius even more talented than Ling'er.

After finishing his questions, Haofan brought Tang Chenfeng beneath the Awakening Platform and said, "Everyone has completed their awakening. We'll be closing the Awakening Room now, so hurry outside. The two children who awakened Soul Power should stay behind. Everyone else can go home." With that, he led everyone out through the doors of the Awakening Room. After leaving, he closed the doors using the same method as before and locked them with Soul Power.

The moment everyone emerged, Village Chief Ye, who had been waiting outside, came over. With barely concealed impatience, he asked, "Master, are there any children in the town this year who can become Soul Masters?"

Haofan answered with a smile, "Yes. There are two, and both are once-in-a-century geniuses. They also happen to be closely related to you, Village Chief."

The village chief froze slightly. He looked at the five children heading back the way they had come, then at the two who had remained behind, and immediately understood.

"There are still some things I can't confirm yet. Village Chief Ye, come over here. Let's have a proper talk." With that, Haofan and Village Chief Ye walked off to the side to speak.

The two children, one boy and one girl, were both curious as they watched the adults talking, but it was obvious that the adults did not want them to know what they were discussing.

Ye Hongling softly asked, "Brother Feng, what do you think Grandpa and Master are talking about? They look like they're getting more and more excited."

Tang Chenfeng replied, "I'm not sure either. They must be talking about us. Let's just wait patiently."

Meanwhile, the two adults became increasingly excited as they talked. The two children's Innate Full Soul Power, rare and powerful martial souls, exceptional Spiritual Power, and some of Haofan's own conjectures left Village Chief Ye more and more thrilled. After all, the village had not produced a Soul Master in many years. This time, there were not only two of them, but two geniuses as well!

"Village Chief Ye, these two children must be properly nurtured. Given their talent, their futures are boundless. They must be sent to a Soul Master Academy later on," Haofan said earnestly.

At that, a trace of bitterness appeared on the village chief's face. "Master, of course I know that. But this Small Town of ours only has one Special Enrollment Quota." Tianhun Town was called a town, but it was really more like a large village. That was why everyone always called him Village Chief Ye. Furthermore, it was located in a remote area near the wall at the border between the Sunset Great Forest and the Federation, so it naturally received little attention.

Haofan thought for a while before saying, "I'll report this matter to the higher-ups. There is still a year before the academy officially begins, and no matter what, I'll get these two children in. It would be far too great a waste otherwise. Oh, and Village Chief Ye, you're a Soul Master too, aren't you? Before word arrives, I hope you can teach these two children some cultivation methods and let them get a taste of a Soul Master's life. Perhaps one day, they'll soar into the sky." Village Chief Ye nodded after hearing this, and the two men walked toward the children.

When they reached them, Haofan said, "Village Chief Ye, I still have matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave. Bring these two children home later." He then departed.

As they watched Haofan's figure gradually recede into the distance, the grandfather, grandson, and granddaughter headed back the way they had come.

On the way, Ye Hongling was the first to ask, "Grandpa, what were you talking to Master about just now?"

Village Chief Ye said, "Of course, it was about you two. Starting tomorrow, I'll take both of you to experience the life of soul cultivation. Naturally, we'll use the methods I used back then. They'll be very tough."

The moment she heard the words "very tough," Ye Hongling's face immediately fell. Still, she could not say much. Soul Master cultivation was surely no ordinary matter.

"By the way, Grandpa Ye, are you a very powerful Soul Master?" The one who asked was naturally Tang Chenfeng.

Hearing his question, Village Chief Ye revealed a bitter smile. "This old man is just an unknown nobody, not some impressive figure. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here serving as the chief of a little village."

However, Tang Chenfeng looked puzzled. "Really? After my martial soul awakened, I could see many things, like those light spots called elemental energy. You have them too, Village Chief, and they feel many times stronger than Master's."

Surprise flashed across Village Chief Ye's face at those words, and he immediately said, "That's only because my martial soul is somewhat special. It has a few strange abilities, that's all." As soon as he said that, the glow around Village Chief Ye swiftly vanished from Tang Chenfeng's eyes.

So it's some kind of strange martial soul? The world truly is full of wonders.

"Oh, right, Little Feng. Once we get home this time, it's about time I returned something to you," Village Chief Ye suddenly said.

Tang Chenfeng looked confused. "Something? What is it?"

Village Chief Ye replied, "It may be related to your origins. It's a palm-sized square piece of Jade Stone. When your grandmother and I found you, it was placed on your body. Your name was carved on it. Later, after Grandma Ling and I accepted you as our god-grandson, we put it away and planned to return it once you had grown up. But it doesn't seem too early to give it back now. Also, I don't think that material is actually jade, though I can't say what it really is. I only know that it's extraordinary, not something an ordinary person could afford."

Tang Chenfeng was stunned after hearing that. He truly had no memory of it at all. Suddenly, the voice of that Light and Shadow from before rang out in his mind. "That was always yours. Go and take it back."

It had come again. Tang Chenfeng was deeply wary of both the voice and the Light and Shadow, but he fell into a dilemma between wanting to speak and not wanting to. He wanted to tell someone because the origins of the Light and Shadow were unclear, and it might affect him. Although the owner of that voice did not seem intent on harming him, his intuition told him that something bad might happen if he said anything. In the end, he decided to keep silent and find a way to deal with it later.

On the way back with Village Chief Ye, Ye Hongling was the most excited of the three. She skipped and hopped all the way, while Village Chief Ye occasionally turned back to look at the granddaughter who had brought him so many surprises, his face filled with a happy smile. As for Tang Chenfeng, he was extremely interested in the Jade Stone the village chief had mentioned. After all, it was related to his origins. Yet the Mysterious Person's voice still weighed heavily on his mind.

"Brother Feng, what are you thinking about? You look a little strange," Ye Hongling's voice pulled Tang Chenfeng out of his thoughts.

"Ah... no, it's nothing. I'm just thinking about the Jade Stone Grandpa Ye mentioned. It should be related to my parents, right? Speaking of them, I really want to know what kind of people they were, what they looked like, and why they left me in the Sunset Great Forest..." As he spoke, Tang Chenfeng's gaze grew lonely.

"Wait, Brother Feng. Don't say any more." Ye Hongling suddenly raised her voice, startling Tang Chenfeng into a daze.

"Ah... what is it?"

Ye Hongling said, "Brother Feng, today is the day our martial souls awakened. We succeeded, and we were recognized. So today should be a happy day. I don't want you to be unhappy. I believe your parents must have had some reason that forced them to leave you there. After all, there are no parents in this world who do not love their children. And you have me, Grandpa Ye, and Grandma Ling by your side. At least we're family, and that will never change, right? So I hope you won't be sad, Brother Feng. You'll definitely find them someday."

As she spoke, Ye Hongling walked over and stretched out her arm, making a gesture as if she wanted to high-five him. Tang Chenfeng made the same gesture to return the high-five. Then they discovered that they could not complete it while standing, because...

"Hey, Brother Feng, why do you seem taller again? I... um... can't even reach your hand when I jump. Come down a little."

Tang Chenfeng then realized that perhaps because of his Body Martial Soul, he had grown taller again, from one meter forty to one meter fifty. He had probably been too excited earlier to notice. Because of that, Ye Hongling, who was only a little over one meter tall, could not possibly reach his palm even if she jumped. Tang Chenfeng had no choice but to crouch down a little before they completed their high-five. Perhaps because she felt her height had been completely crushed once again, Ye Hongling was now puffing out her cheeks in anger. Yet she did not look fierce at all. Instead, she looked adorable. Looking at his cute little sister, all the melancholy in Tang Chenfeng's heart vanished like smoke, leaving behind only warmth and family affection.

Village Chief Ye's smile grew even brighter as he watched the two of them. These two children will definitely make a fine pair of partners in the future.