Son! My Good Son!

Tang San silently put away the certificate Jiang Chen had handed him. He lowered his head to stare at the Blue Silver Grass in his palm, his little face drawn tight.

After all, being called a "useless Martial Soul" to his face was enough to sour anyone's mood.

Catching sight of his expression, Jiang Chen knew this was the perfect chance to provoke Tang San. With a curl of his lips, he raised a hand and patted him on the shoulder.

"Hey, Tang San, if it really doesn't work out, just give up."

"Look, your dad's a blacksmith. Go back to Holy Soul Village and inherit the family trade. It's steady and practical, and no one will call you a 'useless Martial Soul' behind your back. Wouldn't that be nice?"

"Pfft..."

A child nearby who had yet to leave failed to hold back a laugh, only to have their parent hurriedly cover their mouth and drag them away.

"Jiang Chen, what do you mean?" Tang San's face darkened further.

Seeing Tang San like this, Jiang Chen kept pouring oil on the fire. "You should know what I mean. Sometimes, people just have to accept their fate."

"Accept my fate?"

Tang San raised his head and swept his gaze over the crowd. "Just wait. I'll prove to the world that Blue Silver Grass is not a useless Martial Soul!"

With that, he turned and strode out of the building, leaving everyone only his resolute back.

Old Jack watched Tang San disappear into the distance, then looked at the smiling Jiang Chen and shook his head helplessly. "You just have to make Tang San mad before you're satisfied, don't you?"

Jiang Chen smiled. "Grandpa Jack, don't worry. If Tang San can't even handle this little setback, he might as well inherit his father's trade sooner rather than later."

Holy Soul Village.

Tang San returned to the blacksmith shop without saying a word. As soon as he pushed open the door, he saw Tang Hao reclining in a battered wooden chair, several empty wine jars lying at his feet.

Hearing the noise, Tang Hao opened his eyes. When he saw Tang San, he frowned. "Where did you go today? You're only back after all this time. Hurry up and make dinner. I'm hungry."

After saying that, he tipped back another mouthful of wine and leaned against the chair again.

"Father, awakening my Martial Soul delayed me a little. I'll go make dinner now."

Tang San picked up a small stool from the side and was about to head for the kitchen.

"Wait."

Tang Hao opened his eyes again from the wooden chair, his murky gaze fixed intently on Tang San. "What Martial Soul did you awaken?"

Tang San spread open his right hand, and pale blue Blue Silver Grass appeared. "Blue Silver Grass, but I have Innate Full Soul Power."

"Blue Silver Grass?"

Tang Hao's pupils contracted. He abruptly sat up straight, only to slump back into the chair as though all strength had left him. "Heh, Blue Silver Grass... Fine. Be an ordinary person."

"Then you won't spend all day dreaming about becoming a Soul Master, to the point that you can't even make dinner on time."

Hearing his father's words, Tang San clenched his fists, his voice low. "Father, do you also think Blue Silver Grass is a useless Martial Soul?"

Tang Hao looked at the stubborn Tang San before him but did not answer. He tipped back the last mouthful of wine, then flung the bottle out the door.

"After you finish cooking, remember to buy wine. If you don't have money, borrow some from Old Jack."

With that, he leaned back in the wooden chair and went back to sleep.

Tang San's clenched fists trembled slightly before slowly relaxing.

He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and looked Tang Hao directly in the eye.

"Father, actually, I have another Martial Soul."

[Tang Sect Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record General Outline, Rule One: Never let anyone you cannot completely trust know your true strength.]

But his father was not an outsider, so there was naturally no need to hide too much.

Tang San raised his left arm and suddenly clenched his left hand.

In an instant, an enormous pitch-black hammer appeared out of thin air.

A dim gleam lingered around its body, as if it contained the power to smash everything apart.

"Crash!"

The already wobbly wooden chair beneath Tang Hao fell apart at once. He dropped straight onto the floor, completely oblivious to the wine jars rolling away beside him.

He stared fixedly at the hammer in Tang San's left hand. His once murky, dispirited eyes now burst with an almost terrifying brilliance.

"This... this is..."

Tang Hao's voice trembled. He practically crawled to Tang San on hands and feet, grabbing the hand holding the hammer.

"Clear Sky Hammer! It really is the Clear Sky Hammer!"

"Twin Martial Souls! Innate Full Soul Power! Hahaha, hahahaha!"

"Son, my good son!"

Tang Hao spread his strong arms and pulled Tang San tightly into his embrace.

"Dad..."

Feeling his father's powerful embrace, Tang San froze.

Ever since he could remember, this was the first time his father had hugged him.

"Dad, you're squeezing too hard. I can't breathe."

"Oh, right, I got too excited."

Tang Hao came back to himself and released Tang San. His large hands landed heavily on his son's shoulders.

Suddenly, Tang Hao's gaze sharpened, and he asked in a deep voice, "Other than me, who else knows about this Martial Soul of yours?"

Tang San shook his head. "Only Dad knows that I awakened two Martial Souls."

"Good."

Tang Hao stood up with his hands behind his back, putting on an unfathomable air. "Tang San, let me ask you. Do you want to become a Soul Master?"

"Yes! I want to become a Soul Master capable of defeating Jiang Chen!" Tang San blurted out almost immediately.

"Jiang Chen?"

A handsome boy appeared in Tang Hao's mind. "What Martial Soul did that brat awaken?"

Tang San recalled, "A very beautiful lotus flower. He also has Innate Full Soul Power, just like me."

"A lotus flower?"

Tang Hao gave a derisive laugh and reached out to rub Tang San's hair. "Tang San, you're a genius who awakened Twin Martial Souls. From today onward, you and Jiang Chen belong to two different worlds."

"Remember this: the hammer you awakened is the number one weapon Martial Soul in the world, the Clear Sky Hammer."

"However, before you grow strong enough, you must not reveal the existence of the Clear Sky Hammer to anyone. Do you understand?"

His father said one moment that his Martial Soul was the number one weapon Martial Soul in the world, then the next that he could not show it to anyone. Tang San was left utterly confused and could only nod blankly.

"Father, I understand."

"Good. Starting today, you'll learn blacksmithing from me. I'll teach you how to bring out your own strength to the fullest."

"But before we officially begin, go make dinner first."

"..."

Watching Tang San's retreating back, a sharp glint lit Tang Hao's eyes. After numbing myself for so many years, it's time to wake up.

Elsewhere, Jiang Chen found an empty patch of ground and examined the Martial Soul he had just awakened.

With a thought, green light flowed across his right palm, and a palm-sized Glazed Green Lotus slowly bloomed.

Its nine Lotus Petals were translucent as jade. A Seven-Colored Glazed Lotus Seed hovered above the Lotus Heart, slowly rotating as though a single glance could draw one into a trance.

"It really is beautiful, but I have no idea what it can do."

During the awakening, Jiang Chen had only learned the name of his Martial Soul and knew nothing of its abilities.

Generally speaking, plant-type Martial Souls tended more toward support abilities.

"I'll try attaching it to myself first."

Jiang Chen calmed himself and directed half the Soul Power in his body into the Glazed Green Lotus.

As streams of Soul Power poured in, the Lotus Petals around the Glazed Green Lotus trembled slightly.

Then, the Seven-Colored Glazed Lotus Seed within the Lotus Heart lit up with a brilliant golden radiance, gradually dyeing the entire Green Lotus gold.

"What's going on? It can change color too?"