A Blade of Grass, a Sparrow

"Another child with Innate Full Soul Power!"

Inside the Spirit Hall, Su Yuntao was numb with shock. He knew he'd never forget what had happened to him today.

"Child, what a pity. If your Martial Soul were a bird of prey—even the weakest, a kestrel—your future would be bright."

"But your Martial Soul is just an ordinary little bird."

Deep regret flashed in Su Yuntao's eyes. Then he reconsidered. After all, it was a little bird with Innate Full Soul Power, so it had at least a little offensive power. And as a flying creature, it had an advantage no other Martial Soul could match—the ability to fly.

He'd heard of a family on Douluo Continent renowned for its exceptional flight speed. At the thought, Su Yuntao's interest stirred again.

"Child, would you be willing to join the Spirit Hall and receive specialized Soul Master training?"

"Well... I'd like to go back and ask my elders first!" Tang Yin tossed out an excuse, sounding rather distracted.

"That's fair. Here's your Martial Soul certificate. It bears my signature and the Spirit Hall seal. If you decide you want to join the Spirit Hall, take it to the Spirit Hall in Nuoding City."

Su Yuntao didn't mind. In his view, children from commoner families like Tang Yin were unlikely to refuse an invitation from the Spirit Hall.

With that, Su Yuntao led the children out of the Spirit Hall.

Following the others, Tang Yin mulled over what he knew about his two Martial Souls.

After arriving in this world, he'd already considered what Martial Soul he might awaken and how he'd develop in the future.

Whether it was Blue Silver Grass or the Clear Sky Hammer, or even the same Twin Martial Souls as Tang Sanmei—Blue Silver Grass and the Clear Sky Hammer—Tang Yin had planned several possible paths.

But reality had taken a different turn. He'd been lucky enough to awaken Twin Martial Souls, but they were the Sharp-Tailed Swift and a Body Martial Soul that no one had much faith in yet.

All his preparations over the years had gone to waste.

That's right. Like Tang San in the original story, he had Twin Martial Souls.

After his initial confusion over his bird-type Martial Soul, Tang Yin had come to a decision. He'd thought of the Speed Clan from the original story.

The Sharp-Tailed Swift—that was the name of his bird-type Martial Soul.

Everything he knew about the Sharp-Tailed Swift came from Bai Chenxiang in the original story.

She'd tagged along with the protagonist's group for a while, barely making an impression. She'd been little more than a prop to pair Ma Hongjun with someone.

Come to think of it, Tang Hao's family really did have the bloodline of the Bai family from the Speed Clan. It wasn't strange that Tang Yin had inherited the Sharp-Tailed Swift through a reversion to an ancestral trait.

As for his other Martial Soul, the Spirit Hall generally considered Body Martial Souls to be Trash Martial Souls.

Divine Machine Refinement—that was the information his Martial Soul had conveyed to him.

But there had been a pleasant surprise, too. Tang Yin discovered that his Body Martial Soul was his entire body.

Using himself as a furnace, he could project weapons made entirely of Soul Power through the Soul Power pathways in his body.

Of course, Divine Machine Refinement had its limits. He had to understand the materials and technical principles behind any weapon he wanted to project.

That brought him to another surprise Divine Machine Refinement, his Body Martial Soul, had given him:

Whenever he activated his Body Martial Soul and looked at any weapon, the Soul Power pathways throughout his body would automatically analyze its structure and store the information in his brain.

In other words, as long as he had enough Soul Power, he could project any weapon he'd seen.

By then, they had reached the open space outside the Spirit Hall.

"Master, how did things go this year?" Old Jack hurried over, his face tense.

At Old Jack's question, Su Yuntao's expression turned a little odd, but he still smiled as he answered, "Your Holy Soul Village has struck it lucky this year. Two children with Innate Full Soul Power were born here."

"Heavens! Innate Full Soul Power! Tell me, which two?" Old Jack's eyes flew wide open. Happiness seemed to wrap around him, and his voice turned urgent.

"Those two, there. They seem to be brother and sister." Su Yuntao didn't take offense. He pointed behind him toward Tang Yin and his sister.

"The boy awakened a bird that looks something like a swallow. He has some potential."

"Good! Good! Good!" Old Jack rubbed his hands together and nodded.

Su Yuntao nodded and looked at Tang Sanmei, his face turning regretful again. "As for this little girl, what a pity. She has Innate Full Soul Power, but her Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass, a Trash Martial Soul. Do you understand what that means?"

"Innate Full Soul Power with Blue Silver Grass?" Old Jack's flushed face stiffened.

He'd led countless children through their Martial Soul awakenings over the years, so he knew exactly what kind of Martial Soul Blue Silver Grass was.

Low Innate Soul Power would have been one thing, but Innate Full Soul Power...

"Master, is there really no way to cultivate with a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul?" Old Jack asked, frustration plain on his face.

Su Yuntao understood how Old Jack felt. He felt the same way himself. "It's not completely impossible to cultivate. But a Trash Martial Soul is still a Trash Martial Soul. Even if you become a Soul Master, are you going to use Blue Silver Grass to choke a Beast Martial Soul that eats plants to death?"

After joking, Su Yuntao patted Old Jack on the shoulder, shook his head, and left.

Old Jack stood there in a daze for a good while before coming back to himself. The other children had already left with their parents. Only Tang Yin and his sister remained.

"Little Yin, Third Sister, let's head back too. I'll need to discuss your situation with your father." Old Jack had stopped dwelling on Tang Sanmei's Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul. On the way back, he was already thinking about what to do for the siblings.

Unlike in the original story, where only Tang San could become a Soul Master, both siblings were now qualified. But their village had only one work-study slot.

The fees at Spirit Hall Academy were beyond what lowly commoners like them could afford, especially a family like Tang Hao's.

The three of them arrived at the blacksmith's shop with different thoughts on their minds. The house was silent. Tang Hao was probably fast asleep again.

The thought made Old Jack angry. As the village's only blacksmith, Tang Hao ought to have been able to save a fair bit of money.

But he spent every coin he earned on booze. His two children had often gone hungry, and things had only gotten a little better once Tang Yin and Tang Sanmei had grown older. Even now, Tang Hao certainly couldn't afford to send either of them to school.

"Tang Hao! Tang Hao!" Old Jack's voice boomed louder than usual, irritation getting the better of him.

"Old Jack, what are you hollering about?" Tang Hao walked out with a blank expression. His eyes swept over Tang Yin and his sister before settling on Old Jack.

"You've got some nerve asking! Other parents accompany their children to awaken their Martial Souls, but you couldn't care less!" Old Jack pointed at Tang Hao and gave him an earful. Finally, exhausted, he grabbed a stool and sat down, still panting heavily. He was clearly furious.

Tang Hao was used to this. He tuned Old Jack out and looked at the siblings again.

"Tell me about your Martial Souls."

"B-Blue Silver Grass," Tang Sanmei said, shrinking back a little. She usually looked down on her father, but having awakened Blue Silver Grass, the Trash Martial Soul they all scorned, still made her afraid to face him.

"Blue Silver Grass?" Tang Hao's languid body jolted. A flash of sorrow crossed his eyes, but he quickly recovered and turned to Tang Yin.

When Tang Hao looked his way, Tang Yin clasped his hands behind his head, utterly calm. "Sharp-Tailed Swift!"

"So it's the Sharp-Tailed Swift!" Tang Hao furrowed his brow, then remembered that his mother had come from the Speed Clan. A wistful look crossed his face.

"Don't let their Martial Souls fool you. They both have Innate Full Soul Power. They only need to absorb one Soul Ring to become Soul Masters and rise above the common lot," Old Jack hurriedly added, rising to his feet.

Old Jack's words brought Tang Hao back to himself, and his mood sank even lower.

"A blade of grass, a sparrow, and they dare dream of rising above the common lot. So what if they have Innate Full Soul Power? Even if they become Soul Masters, they'll still be worthless Soul Masters!"