Martial Soul: Weed

"Come to my place early tomorrow. I'll teach you how to forge," Tang Hao said.

"Yes, Teacher!" Chen Huang replied.

Tang Hao nodded and added, "I'm going to take a bath. If you want to go out and play, go ahead, but don't wander too far. Be careful."

Tang Shan had taken after her mother since childhood and loved cleanliness. Tang Hao did not want his own daughter to disdain him, so after every bout of work, he would thoroughly wash himself, becoming a completely different person from that drunkard Tang Hao.

From that day onward, Chen Huang studied ironworking—also known as forging—with Tang Hao every day. Because he was frail and weak, he used a small Forging Hammer prepared by Tang Hao.

He could not be called a once-in-a-generation genius with a photographic memory, but when it came to the hammer techniques alone, he mastered them within a few days.

Chen Huang knew that this hammer technique possessed astonishing power in battle as well, so he practiced with exceptional care every day. He swung the hammer until he could no longer lift his arms.

But hadn't everyone gone through that? Tang Hao passed on all the medicinal salves and massage techniques to Chen Huang. They were things he himself had learned and used as a child.

Chen Huang could feel his strength growing day by day. However, neither of them was particularly welcome in Tang Shan's eyes, because the noise doubled, and so did the smell.

Whenever Chen Huang had free time and was not too tired, he would go to the fields to help out. He had some strength now and felt that he could be of use. In truth, he really wanted to look over the fields and use the knowledge he had learned in his previous life to help his family.

But his family spoiled him and refused to let him do anything. Only after Chen Huang repeatedly begged them did they agree to give him a tiny plot of land to "play" with. They had remembered Tang Hao's words about his powerful Mental Power. Their child was no ordinary person, and they hoped he could become a Soul Master.

That would be wonderful. He would not need to farm to earn money or toil himself to death every day like they did.

Chen Huang did not know what his parents thought, but even if he did, he would not find it strange. Every parent hoped their child would become a Dragon. Were not parents in his previous life also hoping their children would get into good universities and find good jobs?

He was unfamiliar with many of Douluo Continent's crops, but some were grains and staples he had often eaten in his previous life. He planted the ones he recognized, then selected a few he did not. After asking his parents about them, he planted them according to their instructions.

Chen Huang could find no fault with their farming methods. If there was anything to say, it was that they were poor—so poor they did not even own an ox. Fetching water also required going a long way, wasting both time and effort.

Because Soul Beasts were so numerous in this world, there was very little domestic livestock, and fertilizer was never used. Thus, Chen Huang had made some Plant Ash early on and buried it in his little plot of land. All that remained was to wait and see the harvest.

If the yield turned out well, Chen Huang was confident he could persuade his parents to change the way they farmed. It would definitely improve their lives and increase both yield and efficiency.

He remembered that everyone on Douluo Continent underwent their Martial Soul awakening at the age of six. After forging iron for more than half a year, Chen Huang finally awaited the Soul Grandmaster from Spirit Hall who had come to awaken their Martial Souls.

This Soul Grandmaster was called Su Yuntao, a Level Twenty-Six Beast Martial Soul Battle Soul Master. His Martial Soul was Lone Wolf.

Su Yuntao was not a particularly powerful Soul Master. There were countless Soul Masters in Spirit Hall stronger than him, and he had to swallow his anger before those people and before his girlfriend. But when he came to such remote, impoverished backwaters, he finally got to act tough, carrying a faint air of arrogance.

Chen Huang remembered him. With so many people in Douluo Continent, being remembered was already quite rare. Though he was a little arrogant, he was not a bad person. Chen Huang remembered that Su Yuntao had concealed Tang San's Innate Full Soul Power and Twin Martial Souls. The young man was quite sensible. If he had dared reveal them, he probably would have died at Tang Hao's hands long ago.

Old Jack was the village chief of Sacred Soul Village, an utterly ordinary old man. He had also been a Soul Master in his early years, but sadly, his talent had been limited and his achievements modest. From his conversation with Su Yuntao, it was not hard to see that he was even more anxious and nervous than the children undergoing the awakening ceremony.

"All right, children. Come stand in a line. I don't have much time, so we'll begin now," Su Yuntao said as he looked at the eight children before him. Chen Huang and Tang Shan were among them.

"Remember, no matter what happens in a moment, don't be afraid," Su Yuntao said with a smile.

"Ha!"

"Lone Wolf Possession!"

In an instant, Su Yuntao transformed from a somewhat handsome young man into a muscular man covered in gray fur. Well, a werewolf. One white and one yellow Spirit Ring appeared beneath his feet. Several children instinctively backed away.

Su Yuntao waved, signaling for one of the children to stand within the hexagon formed from six black stones.

"Close your eyes and feel with your heart," Su Yuntao said.

The child closed his eyes and clenched his fists. Before long, sweat had broken out across his forehead. Anyone who did not know better might have thought he was taking a dump.

Chen Huang did not know any of these people. For one thing, they were childish; for another, Tang Shan and he lived closer to the Back Mountain, while they lived near the village entrance.

"Xiao Huang, do you think I'll awaken a Martial Soul like that too? It's so ugly," Tang Shan whispered into Chen Huang's ear. She was deeply repulsed by such a Martial Soul.

"Don't worry. You won't," Chen Huang said with a smile. Tang San awakening Blue Silver Grass and the Clear Sky Hammer was definitely not due to himself, but because his parents' genes were too good. So, barring any surprises, Tang Shan's Martial Souls would also be Blue Silver Grass and the Clear Sky Hammer, followed by Innate Full Soul Power.

"I'm the one who's worried," he added. "I'm afraid I won't even be able to become a Soul Master."

"How could that be?" Tang Shan said. In her heart, Xiao Huang was smarter and more capable than she was. He even knew how to help their parents. Everyone who saw him said he was sensible, so how could he possibly fail to become a Soul Master?

"You don't know. My parents and grandparents—none of them could become Soul Masters. So there's a high chance that I won't be able to become one either. It's hereditary. I'm only hoping for Level One Innate Soul Power. As long as I can become a Soul Master, that's enough," Chen Huang said.

Though he said that, if his Innate Soul Power truly was only Level One, he still would not be able to accept it.

Innate Soul Power generally depended on one's Martial Soul first, then on one's body and Mental Power. Chen Huang had strong innate Mental Power but a weak body, and he would most likely awaken a Weed Martial Soul. Level One would already be quite decent.

Su Yuntao tested the first six children in succession. Not a single one possessed even Level One Soul Power, and their Martial Souls were mostly hoes, sickles, and Blue Silver Grass. He was greatly disappointed.

Su Yuntao had hoped to uncover one or two children with decent talent. That counted toward his performance evaluation and affected his promotion and salary.

"Which one of you will go first?" Su Yuntao asked as he looked at the two of them.

Chen Huang glanced at Tang Shan, then said, "I'll go first." As he spoke, he stepped into the hexagon. If Tang Shan went first, he figured he would be scared to death. It was like how good performances were saved for the finale at some shows. If the earlier act was too good, it could create a huge psychological gap for the acts that followed.

"Relax," Su Yuntao said. Clearly, he had noticed Chen Huang's nervousness.

A golden glow rose from the six stones on the ground and entered Chen Huang's body.

He opened his right hand, and a lush green weed slowly appeared in his palm.

"So it really is Weed," Chen Huang muttered as he looked at the plant in his hand.

"Ah..." Su Yuntao sighed. It seemed there was no hope for this year's bonus. "Let's check your Soul Power," he added.

Chen Huang placed one hand on the Crystal Ball. A faint blue light bloomed from it, and a trace of delight finally appeared on Su Yuntao's face. "Level One Innate Soul Power. At least one has finally appeared." But in the next instant, his expression fell again. What use was a Weed Martial Soul?

Chen Huang's heart had been pounding wildly, but the moment he heard Level One, he instantly let out a breath of relief.

Then he stepped aside and gave Tang Shan his place.

A genius and a mediocrity truly were different. Even the special effects of their Martial Soul awakenings were different.

The light on Tang Shan alone was enough to surpass everyone else here combined.

In her right hand was a verdant Blue Silver Grass, while in her left was an ancient, imposing hammer.

Tang Shan did not understand the significance of this and wanted to extend her left hand as well.