The Spirit Hall Deacon nodded, turned around, and stood outside the Spirit Hall. He pinched his fingers together, and Soul Power flowed from his fingertips into the wooden door.
A Soul Power formation appeared on the door. Before long, it opened. Though the outside looked shabby, the interior was still lavishly decorated.
The deacon said, "You boys, come in. The adults will wait outside."
At that, the children followed the deacon inside, with Jiang Huai and Tang San at the front.
Suddenly, two pairs of hands appeared behind them and shoved them aside. Two children looked at them arrogantly.
They pushed Tang San because he was a freak. Whenever they asked him to come out and play, he said he had to cultivate.
They pushed Jiang Huai because their families already had little food, yet their parents still had to bring Jiang Huai food every day.
Behind their backs, they called Jiang Huai a damned orphan and Tang San a damned freak.
After being shoved like that, neither boy bothered to take his place at the front again. Jiang Huai and Tang San went to the very end, with Tang San tenth and Jiang Huai eleventh.
The Spirit Hall Deacon took six stones from the Soul Tool at his waist. He placed them one by one at the points of a Hexagram Formation on the ground.
The man channeled Soul Power with both hands and said, "Hello, everyone. I'm Su Yuntao, a level-twenty Soul Grandmaster of Spirit Hall, and I'll be your guide."
As soon as he finished speaking, Soul Power surged around Su Yuntao. A wolf slowly appeared behind him and let out a roar at the children.
Some of the children cried, and others ran away. Only Jiang Huai and Tang San showed no fear.
The Martial Soul awakenings began soon after. The first child awakened a hoe, and the second awakened a sickle.
Before long, it was Tang San's turn. Su Yuntao circled his hands and said to him, "Hold out your right hand."
Tang San did as he was told. A sprig of Blue Silver Grass soon appeared in his palm.
Su Yuntao sighed. "Another useless Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul. Honestly, can't we get one that's good for something?"
Though Su Yuntao had only seen the Blue Silver Grass and had called it a Trash Martial Soul, Jiang Huai's gaze remained fixed on Tang San's left hand.
A hammer wreathed in lightning appeared there. Its presence was not particularly imposing; it simply spun in Tang San's palm.
Su Yuntao taught Tang San to withdraw his Martial Souls using his mind. Tang San followed Su Yuntao's instructions and put both Martial Souls away.
Su Yuntao had no intention of testing Tang San's Soul Power. Everyone knew that a Martial Soul like Blue Silver Grass could not produce Soul Power.
Su Yuntao simply turned to Jiang Huai and said, "You, come up."
Jiang Huai walked over and stood in the Hexagram Formation. There was something about him that gave Su Yuntao an unusual feeling.
Jiang Huai wore a jade pendant engraved with the character "Jiang" around his neck, tucked beneath his clothes.
In truth, Jiang Huai's identity was far from simple. A man in black had left him on the outskirts of Holy Soul Village, and Village Chief Old Jack had brought him back and raised him with food from the villagers.
Before long, Jiang Huai slowly began to float in the air. Tang San stood where he was, his eyes glowing with purple light as he watched Jiang Huai.
Jiang Huai closed his eyes and began to sense his Martial Soul. Su Yuntao tried to turn his hands, but found that he could not move them.
Su Yuntao stared in shock at the Soul Power around Jiang Huai. It was incredibly dense, as though it were embracing him.
Su Yuntao thought to himself, This child can resonate with Soul Power. Could it be...?
"Hold out your right hand."
Through his Purple Demon Eye, Tang San saw the golden Soul Power and a woman embracing Jiang Huai. He stared at the woman in surprise.
Jiang Huai held out his right hand, palm open. Something strange appeared in it.
It was two slices of bread wrapped around a round patty. Yellow, cream-like cheese, lettuce, onions, and other ingredients covered the patty.
This was the first time Su Yuntao had ever seen a Martial Soul like it. He instructed Jiang Huai to put his Martial Soul away.
Tang San had seen it—he really had. A second Martial Soul had appeared in Jiang Huai's left hand, just like his own. It was entirely purplish black and covered in ancient runes. Tang San was a transmigrator and a member of the Bashu Tang Sect.
So Tang San tried reading one of the runes on the blade. At once, a terrifying pressure filled his Sea of Consciousness. He saw a man in a purple robe, holding a staff, his eyes glowing purple.
Su Yuntao hadn't noticed Jiang Huai's second Martial Soul. He took out a Soul Power Testing Crystal and said, "Child, put your hand on this crystal ball."
Jiang Huai obediently placed his hand on the crystal ball. A dazzling blue light appeared inside it.
Su Yuntao shielded his eyes with Soul Power and exclaimed in shock, "Innate Full Soul Power!"
Jiang Huai felt as though the ball had sucked his hand in. He couldn't pull it free.
Su Yuntao reached out and tapped the crystal ball with a finger. Jiang Huai's hand came loose.
Soon, Su Yuntao wrote up a Soul Master certificate. He looked at Jiang Huai in confusion and asked, "Child, what's your Martial Soul called?"
Jiang Huai turned around and said, "Hamburger."
Su Yuntao nodded and handed Jiang Huai the Soul Master certificate. He patted him on the head and said, "This is your Soul Master certificate. You can take it to Nuoding Academy to register."
Jiang Huai nodded. "Got it, Uncle Su Yuntao."
Tang San stood to one side and glanced at his left hand. He wondered if he, like Jiang Huai, had two Martial Souls. If so, could he also have Innate Full Soul Power?
Once he'd made up his mind, Tang San bowed to Su Yuntao. "Lord Soul Master, I'd like to have my Soul Power Level tested too."
Su Yuntao paused while packing up and turned to look at Tang San. "Child, Blue Silver Grass Martial Souls can't have Soul Power. Even if yours does, it won't be above level four."
Tang San said respectfully, "Lord Soul Master, I'd like to find out whether I have Soul Power or not."
Jiang Huai, standing beside Tang San, saw that Su Yuntao was about to refuse again. So he said to him, "Master Su, let him try. What if his Soul Power surprises you?"
Su Yuntao was taken aback. He could refuse, but any Soul Master with Innate Full Soul Power was already destined to become a Titled Douluo.
So he took a Soul Power Testing Crystal from his Soul Tool. Tang San placed his hand on the crystal ball, just as Jiang Huai had.
The crystal ball once again shone with dazzling blue light. Su Yuntao was stunned. Two people with Innate Full Soul Power had appeared in one village.
But Su Yuntao still sighed. "One of you has an unknown Martial Soul, and the other has Blue Silver Grass. Even though you both have Innate Full Soul Power, it'll be difficult to improve your cultivation if no one is willing to help you hunt Soul Rings."
Tang San asked, "Can't you break through to a higher Soul Power level without a Soul Ring?"
"No," Su Yuntao said.
Tang San continued, "You have two Soul Rings, which means you're a Soul Grandmaster. Can Soul Rings show a Soul Master's level?"
Su Yuntao nodded. "Yes and no. Soul Rings can prove that someone is a Soul Master, but even a one-level difference in Soul Power makes all the difference."
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