Protagonists Come and Go, but Su Yuntao Remains [Please collect]

Zhang Yang and Tang San had a pretty good relationship, something Zhang Yang had deliberately cultivated. After all, to put it bluntly, the Child of Destiny lived right at the village entrance. Wouldn't you try to get on his good side too?

It would be a shame not to.

"Xiao San, going out to play?" Standing before the dilapidated Blacksmith Shop, Zhang Yang knocked on the door and called out loudly.

Creak.

The door was knocked open by Zhang Yang, and the clanging of metalwork inside suddenly grew much louder.

Peering through the crack in the door, Zhang Yang saw Tang San's slender figure. He wore only a thin shirt, a blacksmith's apron tied around his waist, and gripped a Forging Hammer with both hands as he hammered away at the glowing-red iron ingot before him.

"Huh? Xiao San, you've really started learning blacksmithing?" Zhang Yang curiously looked Tang San over as he carried on his father's trade.

"Is there anything wrong with carrying on my father's trade?" Tang San did not stop moving. Every swing of his hammer was filled with power.

"Nothing wrong with that. I'll be carrying on my father's trade too someday." Zhang Yang spread his hands, looking helpless. "But have you ever seen a blacksmith who could be blown over by a gust of wind?"

Walking over to Tang San, Zhang Yang patted his shoulder. "You're too skinny."

"I don't think so." Tang San brought his hammer down on the iron ingot again, scattering sparks in every direction and startling Zhang Yang beside him.

"Wow, you were born strong." Zhang Yang said in surprise. "How come I never noticed before?"

"We're friends. There was no need for me to use that much strength on you." Tang San swung his hammer down on the iron ingot once more.

Zhang Yang nodded. "Thank goodness. Good thing we're friends. By the way, Xiao San, the Awakening Ceremony is in a few days. What do you think your Martial Soul will be?"

"Martial Soul? Is there some theory behind that?" Tang San's hammering paused for a moment.

"Of course. No Martial Soul appears out of thin air. Generally speaking, they're inherited from one's parents." Zhang Yang folded his arms. "For example, my father's Martial Soul is a Wine Barrel, so there's a high chance mine will be a Wine Barrel too. Of course, it could also be a hoe, like my mother's."

"Oh." Tang San nodded.

This knowledge was not particularly secret; it was all in books, so Zhang Yang had no qualms about telling him. Tang San simply had no access to such knowledge, allowing Zhang Yang to show off a little in front of him.

"So, Xiao San, you can ask Uncle Tang Hao what his Martial Soul is." Zhang Yang raised his brows.

"Mm." Tang San committed Zhang Yang's words to memory.

"Still, Martial Souls can mutate. To give an example, think of donkeys, horses, and mules. Xiao San, do you understand it that way?"

"Mules tolerate coarse feed better than horses, endure labor better, fall ill less easily, adapt more readily, have greater pulling strength and stamina, and live longer than both horses and donkeys." Tang San nodded. "Then doesn't that mean mutated Martial Souls are a good thing?"

"How could that be?" Zhang Yang sighed. "Mutations have directions too. Advantageous mutations are certainly powerful, but those are one-in-a-hundred exceptions. Mutating toward disadvantages is the fate of most mutated Martial Souls."

"I see." Tang San nodded.

Zhang Yang knew a great deal, and he could explain it in such simple, understandable terms. That was precisely why Tang San had been willing to befriend him.

"Still, generally speaking, Weapon Martial Souls and Beast Martial Souls have an extremely low chance of mutating. Even something as mysterious as Martial Soul mutation probably can't forcibly mash a Sickle and Hammer together with an animal and make them mutate."

Tang San listened to Zhang Yang's explanations, but his hands never stopped. He placed the iron ingot into the furnace and pulled the bellows with force.

The two chatted beside the blazing furnace for only a short while when a tall man suddenly appeared behind them.

"Didn't you cook?" Tang Hao's voice was listless, and his tone was unfriendly.

"Father, the food has been sitting over the stove for quite a while. I'll serve it for you right away." Tang San hurriedly set down the bellows and ran off to prepare lunch.

Before long, the Tang father and son's lunch was set on the table.

A pot of rice, a plate of wild vegetables, and a plate of pickled vegetables. That was all.

"Xiao San, even if you were born strong, you can't eat this every day. It's bad for your future development." Zhang Yang frowned.

"I think it's fine. And even if I ate this every day, I'd still have the strength to swing a hammer." Tang San's expression did not change.

"Keep pretending you're tough." Zhang Yang curled his lip, then looked at the cold-faced Tang Hao. "Uncle Tang, what is your Martial Soul?"

"Children shouldn't pry into things that don't concern them. Aren't you going home to eat?" Tang Hao avoided the question and instead told Zhang Yang to leave.

"My father and mother need to open the shop at noon, so my family always eats lunch early." Zhang Yang smiled, ignoring Tang Hao's dismissal as he continued, "Uncle Tang, I'll be attending the Awakening Ceremony in a few days. Xiao San will be attending too, right?"

"Mm." Tang Hao nodded.

"Then Uncle Tang, what do you think Xiao San's Martial Soul will be? Can he inherit your Martial Soul?"

"..." Tang Hao coldly stared at this shameless brat in front of him, then glanced at Tang San beside him, whose ears were perked up. After thinking for a moment, he finally said, "A hammer."

"Oh, so it's a hammer." Zhang Yang nodded with an enlightened expression. "No wonder Uncle Tang is such an excellent blacksmith."

As he spoke, Zhang Yang excitedly patted Tang San beside him. "Xiao San, this is great. Once you inherit Uncle's Martial Soul, blacksmithing will become much easier for you."

Tang San nodded. He knew this much: compared to real objects, Martial Souls were far more useful. Even ordinary people with no Soul Power found it much more convenient to use their own Martial Souls than physical objects.

But... Tang San glanced at his father and silently pondered, If it's a hammer, why have I never seen Father use it?

Thus, day after day passed. Tang San's days were fulfilling as he learned blacksmithing. Zhang Yang, on the other hand, had recently been listless. He had visibly lost weight and was even eating less.

Seeing this, Zhang Yang's parents were at a loss. They thought he had fallen ill and even invited a doctor to examine him.

But in truth, it all stemmed from the anxiety in Zhang Yang's heart.

The Martial Soul world was simply too cruel.

Setting aside the fact that becoming a Soul Master meant a lifetime accompanied by slaughter, even the requirements for becoming one were unacceptable to Zhang Yang.

He was not a Child of Destiny like Tang San. His parents were both ordinary people with Weapon Martial Souls and no Innate Soul Power, leaving them with no potential for cultivation. As their child, Zhang Yang was very likely to be eliminated right from the starting line.

Compared to the college entrance examination system of his previous life, these rules of a world where one could be eliminated outright without even having the chance to work hard were far too cruel.

If he truly had no way to cultivate, then his future was easy to imagine.

As he continued thinking about it, the day of the Awakening Ceremony arrived.

That day, Zhang Yang put on brand-new clothes, ate an exceptionally delicious meal, and was escorted by his equally well-dressed parents to the village's Spirit Hall.

Zhang Yang did not even need to think to know why the two of them had dressed so carefully.

Wasn't it because they believed he would definitely awaken Soul Power? They had dressed presentably in preparation for receiving the envious looks and flattery of their fellow villagers.

Saint Soul Village's Spirit Hall was merely a somewhat larger wooden house. Inside, a stranger stood waiting.

This man had been brought by Village Chief Old Jack. Judging by the chief's attitude toward the young man, he must have been sent by Spirit Hall to awaken their Martial Souls.

Not long after, Village Chief Old Jack, who had just left, hurried back with Tang San.

"Xiao San, you're finally here." Zhang Yang greeted Tang San.

"Respected Battle Soul Master, we'll have to trouble you this time." Village Chief Old Jack was exceedingly respectful toward the young man.

Village Chief Old Jack left the Spirit Hall and closed its doors. Under Su Yuntao's arrangements, the nine children, Zhang Yang included, prepared to begin their Soul Power awakening.

"Children, line up."

Zhang Yang and Tang San stood at the far left of the line.

The young man smiled. "My name is Su Yuntao, a level twenty-six Soul Grandmaster, and I will be your guide. I will now awaken your Martial Souls one by one. Remember, no matter what happens, don't be afraid."

As he spoke, Su Yuntao opened his bundle on a nearby table and took out two things: six pitch-black round stones and a gleaming blue Crystal Ball.

Su Yuntao arranged the six black stones into a hexagon on the floor, 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. Amid the children's terrified gazes, he let out a low shout. "Lone Wolf, possess!"

Gray fur rapidly grew all over Su Yuntao's body. His eyes turned a deep green, his muscles swelled at once, and one white and one yellow Soul Ring rose beneath his feet.

All the children were terrified, while Zhang Yang, beneath his fear, felt even greater astonishment.

Lone Wolf? Was this Master Su Yuntao's world-renowned Martial Soul—the Single Dog?

To turn a person into something like this... the Martial Souls of this world truly were strange existences.

As Su Yuntao awakened the other children's Martial Souls, Tang San quietly discussed matters with Zhang Yang.

"Zhang Yang, you've been under too much pressure lately. You look even more haggard today than yesterday." Tang San's eyesight was excellent, and he immediately saw through Zhang Yang's weary appearance.

"You don't understand, Xiao San. If I can't awaken Soul Power, what will my future be like?" Zhang Yang patted Xiao San on the shoulder. "This world is simply too cruel for Commoners like me."

"I'm a Commoner too." Tang San frowned. He sensed that Zhang Yang's attitude toward him had changed, as though a gulf had appeared between them.

"But Uncle Tang's Martial Soul is a hammer. It has offensive power." Zhang Yang shook his head dejectedly. "My father's Martial Soul is just a Wine Barrel. What use is a Wine Barrel? How much Soul Power could it possibly produce?"

As they spoke, the Martial Souls of the seven children ahead had all been awakened. Sickles, hoes, Blue Silver Grass—every kind had appeared. Yet not a single one possessed even half a level of Soul Power.

They had already been eliminated.

Next.

Tang San was just about to step forward when Zhang Yang grabbed him.

"Xiao San, I'll go first."

With that, Zhang Yang bravely took a large step forward.

He stood in the center of the awakening formation before Su Yuntao.

Su Yuntao was already somewhat tired, but he still intended to complete the awakening process for all nine children.

As six streams of Soul Power flowed from Su Yuntao, a faint golden light lit up.

Zhang Yang felt as though he had entered a warm world. The warm energy slowly seeped into his body, bringing an indescribable sense of comfort.

Then, drawn by that warm energy, an intangible shackle shattered. All the warmth rapidly gathered behind Zhang Yang.

Then, under everyone's gaze, a three-meter-tall man silently appeared behind Zhang Yang, the little one-meter-tall Little Bean. The man wore a yellow-and-white striped suit and a white Navy Justice Cloak draped over his shoulders.

The man had an especially striking aura. Simply standing there, he exuded the air of someone clocking in for work, slacking off on the job, and eagerly heading home when the day was over.

Zhang Yang also wanted to see what his Martial Soul looked like, so he turned around—and froze.

B-Borsalino?

His Martial Soul was actually Borsalino?

Could it be that he really was the protagonist?