Heaven Dou Empire, Fasinuo Province
Nuoding City, Saint Soul Village
The village lay south of Nuoding City in Fasinuo Province. It was a small village with just over three hundred households.
Though it was only a small village, it dared to call itself Saint Soul Village because, more than a hundred years ago, a Soul Master from the village had reached the rank of Soul Sage. When he returned, he left behind a handprint.
This was the annual Martial Soul Awakening day. Eight children had already gathered at the Spirit Hall in the center of the village, along with the village chief, Old Jack. They waited, gazing toward the village entrance for the Spirit Hall's deacon to arrive and awaken their Martial Souls. The protagonist was among them, naturally.
One of the eight children had healthy, wheat-colored skin and was visibly bigger than the others. His name was Su Ming.
Old Jack glanced around and saw that someone was still missing. He was about to go look for him himself when he spotted Su Ming.
"Su Ming, go find Tang San."
"I told him a few days ago that today was Martial Soul Awakening day. Go see why he still hasn't come. Did he forget?"
"All right, Grandpa Jack."
Old Jack scanned the group and noticed someone was still missing.
"All right, Grandpa Jack."
Su Ming replied, then turned and ran toward Tang San's home at the west end of the village.
After running a short distance, he slowed down and walked with his head lowered, as if deep in thought.
He wasn't really thinking.
He was checking.
A month ago, after Su Ming had awakened the memories of his previous life, he'd been thrilled at first. Once he'd calmed down, he tried calling for the system.
The system didn't appear. Instead, he discovered a furnace in his mind. He could sense it, but couldn't take it out, and had no idea how to use it.
In his previous life,
he'd been an utterly ordinary loser who'd been sent packing by a truck that ran a red light as he crossed the street.
When he opened his eyes again, he'd become a child on Douluo Continent, just a few years away from awakening his Martial Soul. His parents had both died when he was two, and he'd grown up eating at the neighbors' tables.
He had no idea whether he'd be able to use his Golden Finger after awakening his Martial Soul.
"Ah."
"Su Ming!"
A voice interrupted his thoughts.
He looked up and realized that he'd been walking and thinking all the way to Tang San's front gate.
A black-haired boy stood in the courtyard, holding something in his hand and looking up at him.
"Tang San, Grandpa Jack sent me to get you." Su Ming waved at him. "It's Martial Soul Awakening day. Did you forget?"
Tang San paused, then nodded. "I didn't forget. I'm coming."
"Then hurry up. Master Su Yuntao might already be here. If we don't get there soon, he'll finish the awakenings, and we'll have to go to the Spirit Hall in Nuoding City instead."
Without waiting for Tang San to answer, Su Ming jogged toward the Spirit Hall in the center of the village. Tang San quickly caught up with him.
The two of them hurried to the Spirit Hall in the village center. A young man in the Spirit Hall's uniform robes was already standing there. A badge pinned to his chest marked him as a Soul Grandmaster.
Seeing Su Ming and Tang San arrive last,
the young man glanced over the nine children before him and asked Old Jack, "That everyone?"
"Everyone's here, everyone's here."
"Since everyone's here, follow me." The young man walked to the Spirit Hall entrance and opened the door. "Come on in."
The children entered the Spirit Hall. The young man walked to the place where Martial Souls were awakened, turned around, and addressed the nine children:
"Come on, children. Line up."
Since Su Ming and Tang San had arrived late, they were eighth and ninth in line.
Once they were in place, the young man took out six black stones and a blue crystal ball, then set up the awakening ritual.
The young man spoke softly. "My name is Su Yuntao. I'm a Spirit Hall deacon, a level twenty-six Soul Grandmaster, and your guide. Now, I'll awaken your Martial Souls one by one."
"You, come over and stand in the middle of the six stones. Remember, don't be afraid, no matter what happens."
"Lone Wolf, possess me!"
As Su Yuntao summoned his Martial Soul, a wolf's head appeared behind him, and his whole body transformed into a wolfman. The sight frightened the children, but Su Ming wasn't particularly surprised. If anything, he was a little excited.
As Su Yuntao guided the child's Soul Power, he said, "Raise your right hand."
The child in the awakening ritual raised his right hand instinctively. Pinpoints of light gathered in his palm, and a scythe appeared out of thin air.
"A Scythe Martial Soul. It barely counts as a tool-type Martial Soul, but at least it has some attack power. Now, let's test your Soul Power." With that, he held out the blue crystal ball.
"Use your mind to control your Martial Soul and withdraw it. Then put your hand on this ball."
Once the Martial Soul had been withdrawn, the boy placed one hand on the ball. A moment later, Su Yuntao said with some disappointment, "No Soul Power. You can't become a Soul Master. Go stand over there."
"Come on, next."
The next six children in a row had no Soul Power. Their Martial Souls were all ordinary farm tools or Blue Silver Grass—not a single Beast Martial Soul among them.
"Come on, next." After continuously using his Soul Power, Su Yuntao was visibly tired.
Su Ming eagerly stepped forward. As Su Yuntao poured Soul Power into the formation, golden light gathered around Su Ming's right hand. He also felt a warm current gathering in his body and flowing toward his right hand.
A cloud emerged from Su Ming's right hand. As his Martial Soul awakened, the furnace in his mind finally stirred. A piece of information entered his mind.
When Su Yuntao saw the cloud that had appeared in Su Ming's right hand, he excitedly held out the crystal ball.
"Come on, child. Put away your Martial Soul, then place your hand on the ball and see how much Innate Soul Power you have."
Su Ming came back to himself, withdrew his Martial Soul, and placed his hand on the Soul Power testing ball. A little Soul Power flowed into it, and the ball lit up to about half its brightness.
Looking at the testing ball, Su Yuntao excitedly told Su Ming, "You're the first child I've encountered with Soul Power in all the villages I've visited this year. Your Innate Soul Power is level six. Would you like to join the Spirit Hall?"
Su Ming looked at the excitement on Su Yuntao's face and thought about the information he'd just received from his Golden Finger before answering:
"Master Su Yuntao, there's still one more person who hasn't awakened his Martial Soul. Please help him awaken first."
The excitement on Su Yuntao's face froze for a moment. Then it turned into an understanding smile.
"That's fine. You can go to Nuoding City to study first and broaden your horizons before you decide. If you want to join the Spirit Hall later, come find me at the Spirit Hall in Nuoding City."
Then he turned to the last person, Tang San, who awakened a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul just as in the original story.
Seeing that it was Blue Silver Grass, Su Yuntao knew there was no hope. He was ready to pack up and head back, but Tang San wasn't satisfied and decided to give it a try.
"Master, could I try? What if I have Soul Power?"
"In all the time I've been working, I've never seen anyone with Soul Power awaken from a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul." Though he said that, he still handed the crystal ball to Tang San.
As soon as Tang San took it, the crystal ball blazed with light.
"Would you look at that—Innate Full Soul Power. That's strange. Still, at least you can become a Soul Master. Unfortunately, that can't change the fact that it's a Trash Martial Soul."
"All right, now that the awakenings are over, you can all go."
"Su Ming, Tang San, these are your Awakening Certificates. Keep them safe."
With that, he took out a pen and a document and quickly wrote them out. After stamping them with his seal, he handed one to each of the two boys.
Before you continue