Silver-white hair fell to his shoulders. He had exquisite, handsome features and fair skin. Unlike the other children, he wasn't boisterous or rough; simply standing there, he carried an air of elegance.
Even in his rough, plain clothes, he stood out among the children, unmistakably different.
He clearly wasn't a local. He didn't fit in with this little village at all.
But Su Yuntao wasn't observant enough to notice any of that. He merely remarked that the child was handsome, then began awakening Kai's Martial Soul.
As the ritual began, countless specks of light appeared and surged into Kai's body. Kai opened his small hand, and a blade materialized in his palm. Its broad, black blade had an incredibly sharp edge that glimmered with a blue light. Black and gold intertwined along the hilt. It was clearly a weapon made for killing.
Unfortunately, Su Yuntao's knowledge was limited. He only knew that this blade looked more powerful than the sickle Martial Soul. He had no idea what else it might be.
Kai looked at the familiar blade in his palm, feeling as though something had finally become whole.
He recalled his Martial Soul and tested his Soul Power. Just as expected, he had Innate Full Soul Power.
But Su Yuntao could barely contain himself. Excited, his eyes shining, he looked at Kai and rubbed his hands together. "Child, would you like to join Spirit Hall?"
Su Yuntao hadn't invited Tang San because of his Trash Martial Soul, Blue Silver Grass. As far as Su Yuntao knew, Blue Silver Grass was a Trash Martial Soul with no value as a candidate for cultivation. So even though Tang San had Innate Full Soul Power, he hadn't cared.
But Kai was different. His Martial Soul was clearly a weapon-type Martial Soul meant for combat, and he had Innate Full Soul Power. Wasn't this exactly what Su Yuntao understood a genius to be?
At first, Su Yuntao had hurriedly planned to head to the next village. Now, when it was time to leave, he felt reluctant.
Innate Full Soul Power!
Why wouldn't the boy join Spirit Hall?
He was disappointed when Kai turned him down, but he also felt it was to be expected. In truth, most children would refuse to join Spirit Hall.
They had family and friends, and Spirit Hall Academy was in Spirit City, far away. No parents would be willing to send such a young child off alone to study so far from home. Besides, Kai was in a special situation. He had an elderly, sick grandfather who needed looking after. How could he possibly go to Spirit Hall Academy?
With a sigh, Su Yuntao left, however reluctant he was.
After seeing Su Yuntao off, village chief Old Jack turned his gaze to the two children who had awakened Soul Power. He felt both happy and worried.
He was happy that a child in the village had finally awakened Soul Power. Being able to cultivate and become a Soul Master was wonderful news. But he was worried because two children had awakened Soul Power, while the village only had one Work-Study Student spot. Worse, both children came from struggling families and needed it.
Old Jack hesitated. He didn't know which child to give the spot to. Both were sensible and capable, but in the end, he turned his gaze to Kai.
People naturally felt closer to some than others. Kai's grandfather had been Old Jack's close friend since childhood, and his old friend really had been in poor health these past few years. Without the Work-Study Student spot, Kai wouldn't be able to afford school. And Old Jack truly felt for the boy. At such a young age, he had to look after himself and his sick grandfather, and he even risked going into the mountains to hunt and earn money for the family.
Tang San was just as well-behaved and sensible, and just as pitiable. But his family had come from elsewhere, and there was a divide between them and the villagers. His father had a trade, yet spent his days drinking and wasting his life away. Tang San's family was poor, but at least Tang Hao provided for them. Old Jack could see the situation clearly: in some ways, Tang San's family wasn't poor at all. He had a strong, young father with a blacksmith's trade, and a young but sensible and capable child who could do chores, look after his family, and had awakened Soul Power. If they truly wanted to make a good life for themselves, they could do better than most families in the village.
Tang San's family's troubles were largely of their own making. Old Jack felt sorry for Tang San, but not for the whole family. If Tang San's father was willing to work properly, there would be no problem paying for Tang San's schooling.
If Kai weren't around, Old Jack wouldn't have minded giving the Work-Study Student spot to Tang San. But that wasn't the case.
The Work-Study Student Spot
In the end, Old Jack only told Tang San about the Soul Master Academy in town. He didn't mention the Work-Study Student spot.
If Tang Hao could turn over a new leaf and work hard to support Tang San's schooling, that would be the best outcome for everyone. If Tang Hao refused to change, then he could only blame himself for the trouble he'd caused!
After Tang San left, Old Jack looked at Kai kindly. "Kai, the village has one Work-Study Student spot, and I've decided to give it to you. The village will cover your travel expenses. You can study at Nuoding City Junior Soul Master Academy, but you'll have to pay for your meals and lodging yourself."
"Once you obtain a Soul Ring and become a Soul Master, you won't have to struggle like this anymore."
As he spoke, Old Jack's gaze grew even warmer.
Kai's Martial Soul was a blade, while Tang San's was only Blue Silver Grass. Kai was more likely to become a Soul Master, and that was one of the reasons Old Jack had given him the Work-Study Student spot.
In truth, Work-Study Student spots were precious. Holy Soul Village had one each year because it had once produced a Soul Saint. Other villages had to share one spot among several villages.
Holy Soul Village would have another Work-Study Student spot next year. If Tang Hao really didn't send Tang San to school, Old Jack had decided to give that spot to him.
The boy's delicate brows furrowed as if he were hesitating. "But my grandfather is sick at home by himself. I don't feel right leaving him."
Old Jack nodded. What a filial boy. His old friend had truly struck gold when he adopted him. "Don't worry about that. I'll look after your grandfather. If anything happens, I'll let you know."
Besides, Old Jack remembered his conversation with his old friend, and his expression softened. His friend had been holding on these past two years because he couldn't bear to leave Kai behind. Now that Kai had successfully awakened Soul Power, he should be able to rest easy.
On the other side, Tang San had already told Tang Hao about his Twin Martial Souls, as well as Kai's Martial Soul and Innate Full Soul Power.
Tang Hao looked at the Clear Sky Hammer and Blue Silver Grass in Tang San's hands, visibly excited. He treated Tang San much better, but as they talked, his brow furrowed.
"You're saying that among the children who awakened their Martial Souls with you, one had Innate Full Soul Power, just like you?"
Tang San nodded. "That's right. Kai's Martial Soul is a blade. It feels no weaker than my Clear Sky Hammer."
Tang Hao's brow furrowed even more. He'd never heard of any powerful clan or sect whose Martial Soul was a blade. But with Innate Full Soul Power, the boy's talent was undoubtedly exceptional. Innate Soul Power represented aptitude, and Tang Hao, having come from the Clear Sky Sect, knew that especially well.
His own child had Twin Martial Souls and Innate Full Soul Power. Now he'd also encountered another child with Innate Full Soul Power. Tang Hao's dead heart stirred back to life. With these two children, he had a chance to avenge Ah Yin.
One thought after another filled Tang Hao's mind. His gaze grew hotter and hotter before he finally calmed down. Even then, he still looked at Tang San with unusual excitement.
Tang San felt that something was wrong, but seeing that his father was no longer cold toward him, he didn't dwell on it.
"By the way, did the village chief say anything to you?" Tang Hao remembered that Tang San needed to attend Nuoding City Junior Soul Master Academy. That long-winded old man, Old Jack, should have had a Work-Study Student spot, but he hadn't come over, so Tang Hao unexpectedly took the initiative to ask.
"Grandpa Village Chief said Nuoding City Junior Soul Master Academy starts in three months, and tuition is ten Gold Soul Coins per semester. Dad, can I study there?" Tang San asked nervously. Tang Hao had shown him just how poor their household was. Tang San had never even seen a Gold Soul Coin.
Tang Hao's expression darkened. He hadn't expected the village chief not to mention the Work-Study Student spot. Tang Hao wasn't actually short of money. He came from the Clear Sky Sect and had plenty of Soul Tools and Gold Soul Coins. But he needed to give Tang San a clean background. How could the child of a drunken blacksmith afford tuition?
After all, the story of how he'd had relations with a Soul Beast and fathered a half-human, half-beast child had spread across the entire continent. If Tang San's identity came to light, things would go very badly for him, let alone giving him the chance to grow strong enough to avenge Ah Yin.
The village chief had actually considered asking another village to exchange a Work-Study Student spot, but after thinking it over, he gave up on the idea. Work-Study Students were exempt from tuition and could also receive a stipend for part-time work. The pay was one Silver Soul Coin a day. Nuoding City Junior Soul Master Academy usually took six years to complete, and the tuition and stipends over those six years came to about three hundred Gold Soul Coins. If the village had no children who had awakened Soul Power, it would sell the Work-Study Student spot to a child from the city who had awakened Soul Power but came from a poor family, making a little profit. There was no way it would just give the spot away for free.
Old Jack watched his grandson being playful at home and stopped thinking about those unpleasant matters. Cheerfully, he went to have dinner.
Spirit City
Qian Xunji looked at the blade Martial Soul that had appeared on the System Panel: Demonic Blade!
The story had already begun. Tang San had awakened his Martial Soul, too.
It was time for Qian Xunji to reap the rewards. He kept checking the Martial Souls that were syncing over.
The sheer variety of top-tier Martial Souls dazzled him.
But before Qian Xunji could enjoy himself for long, the door to Pope Palace swung open. A tall figure walked in, with a serene, gentle bearing that put people at ease. But when Qian Xunji saw him, he had a bad feeling. The newcomer was Qian Daoliu, Qian Xunji's father!
"You unfilial son!"
The Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul was far too distinctive. This time, two children had awakened the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul, so naturally people had started to speculate.
Though orders had been given not to let the secret out, the elders still talked among themselves.
And some rumors only grew more outrageous the longer they spread.
At first, people said the children might be His Holiness the Pope's illegitimate children. Then the story changed: they were the Great Enshrined's illegitimate children.
And the reasoning behind it seemed convincing. Given the children's ages, His Holiness the Pope had still been unconscious when their mother got pregnant.
So the theory that the children belonged to the Great Enshrined had gained the upper hand.
Qian Daoliu had lived an upright life, only to be saddled with his unfilial son's scandal in his old age. His usually refined, elegant face darkened.
"Tell me, where did those two children come from?" Qian Daoliu had seen with his own eyes when Qian Xunji woke up.
Even if he'd hurried off to father a child the instant he woke, he couldn't have done it so quickly. The timing didn't add up.
But there was no faking a Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul. Only members of the Qian Clan could awaken one, let alone with Innate Soul Power of level twenty.
That was a top-tier talent even among those with Angel Martial Souls.
After learning the results of the Martial Soul Awakening, Qian Daoliu had already investigated all the collateral members of the clan countless times, but he still hadn't found where those two children had come from.
The Qian Clan wasn't like the Yu Clan of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, whose members were so promiscuous. Their partners were all publicly acknowledged, making them easy to track. Bloodlines rarely went missing.
"I told you already, it's related to the divine trial. I can't talk about it." The unfilial son, Qian Xunji, held his head high, entirely unruffled.
"You only need to tell me whether those two children have Qian Clan blood." When it came to matters concerning the Angel God, Qian Daoliu had principles. He wouldn't give up seeking the truth just because of the divine trial.
"Qian Renxue does," Qian Xunji replied matter-of-factly.
In other words, the child named Xiang Yu wasn't a member of the Qian Clan. Then how had he gotten a Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul?
Qian Daoliu instantly understood what Qian Xunji meant.
Then which branch of the Qian Clan did Qian Renxue belong to? What generation was she from, and how should they arrange things?
"You can let her call you Grandpa." Seeing his father still puzzling over Qian Renxue's identity, Qian Xunji kindly offered a suggestion, in case the man accidentally got the generations mixed up.
"Grandpa?" Qian Daoliu narrowed his eyes at his indifferent, unfilial son, his expression turning dangerous.
"Then does that mean she should call you Father?"
Qian Xunji nodded wisely. "In terms of seniority, I am indeed her father."
"So Xiao Xue is your daughter and my granddaughter, and you've kept it from me all these years?" Qian Daoliu's face turned green.
The Qian Clan's little princess had been adopted as an orphan. His unfilial son's antics nearly made Qian Daoliu explode with anger.
"That's not it. Qian Renxue isn't my daughter. She just has my bloodline." Qian Xunji rejected the claim. He was still an innocent virgin. How could he let himself be saddled with fatherhood?
The system had caused this. Why should he take the blame?
Qian Renxue's bloodline did come from Qian Xunji and Bibi Dong, but Qian Xunji really was still a virgin. He'd never had anything to do with Bibi Dong, that love-obsessed woman even a corpse would find unbearable.
Qian Renxue was like a child conceived through surrogacy with the help of technology. Though she had biological parents, in practice she had "no father or mother."
But Qian Daoliu couldn't possibly understand Qian Xunji's muddled explanation. He was so angry he laughed.
What did he mean, she had my bloodline but wasn't my daughter?
Did that even make sense?
"Enough! Is this how I raised you? You did something and still refuse to take responsibility!"
As his old father's anger boiled over, the Seven-Wolf whip came out.
Father and son resumed their loving family routine.
Before you continue