"Children, I'm your guide, Su Yuntao, a twenty-sixth-rank Soul Grandmaster. I'll be awakening your Martial Souls today."
After a brief introduction,
Su Yuntao took out six black stones and arranged them on the ground in the shape of a hexagram.
He also held a blue crystal ball.
"Good. Now, everyone, take your turn in order. No matter what you see, don't panic."
Su Yuntao's manner toward the children before him was much gentler.
There were nine children in all.
As the first child stepped into the center of the hexagram, Su Yuntao suddenly barked,
"Lone Wolf, Possession!"
Ye Qiu, Tang San, and all the other children stared in amazement, even horror.
The muscles on Su Yuntao's body visibly bulged. His eyes turned a vivid green, and many wolf-like features appeared on him.
"Don't be afraid. Close your eyes and focus on what you feel."
Su Yuntao gently reassured the child in the hexagram, guiding him through the awakening of his Martial Soul.
A hint of curiosity flickered in Ye Qiu's eyes.
The hexagram formed by the black stones began to glow with golden light, and specks of light entered the boy's body.
"Hold out your right hand."
Su Yuntao fixed his emerald eyes on the boy and gave the command with authority.
The boy instinctively held out his right hand.
In an instant, all the specks of light that had entered his body surged back out.
A sickle appeared in his palm.
"All right, let's test your Soul Power!"
Su Yuntao handed him the blue crystal ball, without a trace of disappointment in his eyes.
As if he'd done this countless times, he announced,
"Your Martial Soul has no Soul Power, child. Next!"
After the child left, dazed and disappointed,
the Martial Soul Awakening ceremony continued in an orderly fashion.
"Pickled Cucumber Martial Soul, no Soul Power. Next!"
"Rhododendron Flower Martial Soul, no Soul Power. Next!"
"..."
"Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, no Soul Power. Next!"
Before long, all seven children ahead of them had completed their Martial Soul Awakenings.
Just as expected,
none of them had innate Soul Power, so they couldn't become revered Soul Masters.
Next up was Tang San.
The words coming out of Su Yuntao's mouth sounded almost mechanical.
"Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, no Soul Power. Wait!"
"Hss—! Innate Full Soul Power. How is that possible?!"
Su Yuntao sucked in a sharp breath.
He stared at the blue crystal ball in his hand, his eyes filled with shock.
"It's actually Innate Full Soul Power!"
Tang San looked at the ordinary little blade of grass in his palm, his expression full of curiosity.
"What a pity! What a pity it's a Trash Martial Soul!"
After his initial shock, Su Yuntao couldn't help sighing.
"A Trash Martial Soul?"
Tang San looked bewildered.
He didn't yet know much about Martial Souls.
But the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record had taught him never to reveal everything about himself too easily.
So
Tang San held his left hand tightly clenched.
There was a hammer in it!
"What a pity. Next, please."
Su Yuntao composed himself, waved Tang San away, and turned his attention to Ye Qiu, the last child.
Ye Qiu followed the others' example and stepped into the hexagram.
As Su Yuntao's Soul Power flowed into the formation,
Ye Qiu saw golden light enter his body. Then he felt the blood inside him begin to boil.
It was as if something were about to burst out of him.
Wisps of black energy coiled around Ye Qiu from head to toe.
Seeing this, Su Yuntao's eyes lit up. He instructed him softly,
"Little one, quickly, hold out your right hand."
Ye Qiu did as he was told and raised his right hand.
At once, golden light surged out, black light blazed, and the two gathered together.
Tang San had been about to leave, but he stopped at the commotion Ye Qiu was making.
As Ye Qiu's Martial Soul appeared,
hope lit up in Su Yuntao's eyes—then he gaped in astonishment.
"Why is it a little, little tadpole?!"
Hearing that, Ye Qiu took a closer look.
His expression darkened.
Damn it, was this a frog reverting to its ancestors? Had his own jinx really come true?
There, on the pad of Ye Qiu's middle finger,
lay a comma-shaped tadpole. It was mostly pitch-black, with a pair of white markings like eyes that covered half its body.
"Still a Trash Martial Soul."
Su Yuntao shook his head, his interest gone.
Even if it was a tadpole, it was far too small!
Low vitality, unhealthy!
He'd thought this child would have something impressive. Instead, he'd come up with some pathetic little thing.
Ye Qiu sighed, but he wasn't too disappointed.
His Martial Soul might not amount to much, but he could feel Soul Power inside him.
That was enough for him to take his shot!
Ye Qiu didn't know exactly how many ranks he had, but he didn't expect much.
Seeing that everything was settled, Tang San didn't linger.
Though Su Yuntao was sorely disappointed, he hadn't forgotten his duty.
"Come on, let's test your innate Soul Power!"
"Okay."
Ye Qiu calmly placed his small hand over the crystal ball.
In the blink of an eye,
brilliant light filled the crystal ball beneath his hand.
"Innate Full Soul Power!!"
Su Yuntao cried out, eyes wide. Then anguish washed over him.
What had he done to deserve this?!
He'd just awakened two Trash Martial Souls with Innate Full Soul Power!
Tang San had been about to leave, but at the sound of that, he stopped and stared at Ye Qiu in surprise.
Unlike Su Yuntao, who was overcome with anguish,
Ye Qiu was ecstatic. His black-pearl eyes shone brightly.
His Martial Soul was definitely no ordinary thing!
Ye Qiu was certain!
Innate Full Soul Power was proof enough to silence all doubts!
"Ah, what a pity."
Su Yuntao shook his head helplessly.
He had no choice but to pick up his pen and paper and record Ye Qiu's Martial Soul and innate Soul Power accurately.
Ye Qiu said nothing.
Now wasn't the time to prove his Martial Soul's worth.
His word carried little weight at the moment.
Perhaps when he went to Notting City to register as a Soul Master, someone would discover his potential and recruit him.
Then he'd be the one with the choice.
A little while later,
Su Yuntao, nearly in tears, led Ye Qiu and Tang San outside the Wooden Hut.
Old Jack hurried over to meet them.
"Grandmaster, how did it go? Is there a child in our village who can become a Soul Master?"
The arrogance on Su Yuntao's face had eased somewhat, but now he seemed all the more troubled.
Even speaking seemed difficult for him.
"Old Jack, congratulations!"
"Your village produced two promising youngsters this year! See for yourself."
Before he could finish,
Su Yuntao shoved two Martial Soul certificates into Old Jack's arms.
Then he hurried off.
"All right, I have a lot to do, so I won't keep you company."
However,
Su Yuntao hadn't even gotten far
when Old Jack's wail struck him like two more blows.
"Oh, heavens—!"
"Innate Full Soul Power! What? Two Trash Martial Souls?!"
Old Jack felt as if he were dreaming.
The words Innate Full Soul Power and Trash Martial Soul had his head spinning.
As he watched Old Jack sway unsteadily,
Su Yuntao actually felt a little better. He hurried away.
"It's as if heaven itself is jealous."
Old Jack was heartbroken. These were two children with Innate Full Soul Power!
Ye Qiu covered his ears with his hands.
"Grandpa Jack, don't hurt yourself shouting like that."
"Ah..."
Old Jack let out a helpless sigh.
After collecting himself, he crouched down and gently patted Ye Qiu and Tang San on the heads.
He comforted them, "You two little ones, don't be discouraged. At least you can become Soul Masters, can't you? In a little while, Grandpa will send you to a Soul Master Academy."
Ye Qiu smiled and nodded, then generously offered Old Jack a handful of candy.
"Thank you, Grandpa Jack. Would you like some candy?"
Old Jack chuckled.
"All right. I won't eat for free. How about I treat you to a meal? You too, Xiaosan."
Tang San was puzzled, but gently shook his head.
"Grandpa Jack, I'll pass. Father's waiting for me to go home and make dinner. And as for school, I have to ask my father first."
"Tsk, that drunken good-for-nothing of yours is such a pain."
Old Jack frowned and scolded him.
Tang San's eyes flickered, but he didn't argue.
"In that case, Grandpa will walk you home."
"..."
Before you continue