Martial Soul Awakening

At dawn, the sky had just begun to lighten.

Su Zhen had already gotten up. The night before, he had been so excited about the Martial Soul Awakening that was coming today he couldn't fall asleep for ages. His mind had been full of questions: what kind of Martial Soul would he awaken, how much Innate Soul Power would he have, and what would he do if he had none? He hadn't slept for long before getting up.

When Li Xiulian pushed open the door, she happened to see Su Zhen standing on the floor.

"My little young master is up awfully early today. What's the matter? Are you worried about your Martial Soul Awakening?"

"Yeah, Mom. I'm really, really excited to find out what my Martial Soul will be."

Su Zhen's words brimmed with anticipation.

"What's there to be excited about? Your Martial Soul will be either a dog or a deer. What else could it be? Are you going to sprout wings and turn into a bird?"

"Oh, Mom, but what if? I mean, what if my Martial Soul is something especially powerful and awe-inspiring... well, a dog?"

There was a reason Su Zhen said this. The night before, he had dreamed of a huge, huge dog. It looked a little strange, with long fur and scales, and it even glowed. He had never seen an animal like it, so he could only classify it as a kind of dog. After all, a deer's neck was longer than a dog's. He didn't know what it was, but some voice in his heart seemed to tell him that this was his Martial Soul.

"All right, all right. My little Zhen is sure to awaken a powerful, amazing Martial Soul and become the greatest Soul Master. When that day comes, our whole family will be counting on you."

"Okay, go wash your face and eat. In a little while, your dad will take you to the Spirit Hall Branch in the village center. The village chief said all the children should gather there."

After breakfast, Su Zhen impatiently grabbed Su Changkong's arm, urging him to take him to the Spirit Hall Branch.

"Don't rush, Zhen. The village chief said the Soul Master in charge of Martial Soul Awakening at the Suotuo City Martial Soul Branch probably wouldn't arrive until noon. Go find your brother and play for a while. I'll come get you when it's time."

"Okay, then."

Su Zhen went to his brother's room. As soon as he pushed the door open, he saw his brother sitting cross-legged on the bed, eyes closed.

"Brother, what are you doing?"

Hearing his younger brother call out, Su Ming opened his eyes and got off the bed.

"Your brother's cultivating. It's the meditation method they taught us at the academy. Once you awaken your Martial Soul and become a Soul Scholar, I'll teach it to you."

"Okay, brother."

"Zhen, here. I bought this Blue Silver Candy in Suotuo City. It's very sweet. Try some."

"Mhm, brother, it really is sweet. You should have some too."

Su Zhen popped the Blue Silver Candy into his mouth. A fresh fragrance instantly filled his mouth, followed by a peculiar sweetness. It tasted a little like Blue Silver Grass dipped in honey, but without the earthy taste of Blue Silver Grass or the cloying sweetness of honey. Su Zhen loved it.

"Brother, you have some too."

Su Zhen popped a piece into Su Ming's mouth as well. The two brothers took turns feeding each other, one piece at a time. Of course, Su Zhen ate more, while Su Ming spent most of the time telling him amusing stories about the academy.

Time slipped by in the warmth of the moment. As noon approached, Su Changkong took Su Zhen out and headed for the Martial Soul Branch in the center of the village.

By the time they arrived, the village chief was already there with three children.

"Village Chief Miles!"

"Grandpa Village Chief!"

Su Changkong and his son greeted Village Chief Miles one after the other.

"Oh! It's Changkong and little Zhen!"

Village Chief Miles noticed them too.

"Changkong, the Soul Master won't be here for a while yet. You can head back to your work. Once the awakening is over, I'll bring little Zhen home."

"Sorry to trouble you, Village Chief. I'll head back to work."

Su Changkong replied, then turned and left.

Before long, the other children arrived too. Including Su Zhen and the three who had been there already, seven children from Hound Village would undergo Martial Soul Awakening this time. Village Chief Miles gathered them together, intending to give them a little talk before the Soul Master arrived.

"Children, does anyone know why our village is called Hound Village?"

"I do! It's because more people here awaken dog-type Martial Souls than any other kind."

Su Zhen proudly raised his right hand to answer. His brother had told him that before.

"Little Zhen is right. Hound Village has ninety-seven households and three hundred and five people. Two hundred and fifty-three of them awakened dog-type Martial Souls. That's where our village got its name."

"Even though many people in our village awaken dog-type Martial Souls, only three people have had Innate Soul Power since the village was founded. The highest was your brother Xiao Ming, little Zhen. He awakened with 1.5 levels of Innate Soul Power six years ago."

As the village chief spoke, he looked at Su Zhen. Su Zhen lifted his head proudly, as if the village chief were talking about him.

"Children, I hope one of you awakens with Innate Soul Power this time and brings honor to our village."

"Okay!"

The children answered in unison.

"Not bad, you've got some spirit. Looks like everyone's here, so let's begin."

A deep voice came from nearby. A rather burly figure followed close behind. He stood about six feet tall and wore a black, close-fitting outfit that strained against his muscular build. He had a short black buzz cut and sharply defined features, and his whole body radiated strength. Right in the center of his chest was a fist-sized character meaning "soul." On his left chest, he wore a badge with four crossed long swords on it, its metallic surface glinting in the sunlight. A coarse cloth pouch swung at his waist as he walked. Su Zhen stared at those sturdy arms, guessing that one punch from the man could send him flying straight to the next life.

The figure walked right past Village Chief Miles and the children without letting his eyes linger on anyone for even a second. He pushed open the door to the Martial Soul Branch and went inside.

"Children, the Soul Master is here. Go in and awaken your Martial Souls. Grandpa will wait outside."

The children looked at one another. In the end, with Su Zhen leading the way, they entered the Martial Soul Branch.

The so-called Martial Soul Branch was really just a slightly larger stone house. There was nothing inside, but since the villagers cleaned it every day, the hall was reasonably tidy. The Soul Master stood inside with his back to them.

The Soul Master seemed to know the children had all come in. He told the last one to close the door, then turned to face them.

"I'll be awakening your Martial Souls today. Stand in a line, don't move around, and come forward one at a time."

As he spoke, he pulled six black, round stones from the cloth pouch at his waist and arranged them on the ground in a hexagram.

His tone was extremely impatient, as if this Martial Soul Awakening assignment were a huge waste of his time.

The children looked at one another, none of them daring to step forward for fear of upsetting the Soul Master.

The hall fell silent. The Soul Master stared at the children, irritation rising on his face. He was just about to lose his temper when a childish voice spoke up.

"I'll go first, Lord Soul Master."

Su Zhen stepped forward. As the oldest among the children, he had to set a good example.

"Mm. Stand in the middle."

The Soul Master pointed to the six stones on the ground.

"Black bear, possess me!"

The Soul Master gave a low shout. Wisps of black light spilled from his body, and his figure abruptly swelled. His height shot from six feet to nearly seven. Thick black fur sprouted across his body, and sharp claws sprang from his fingers. His already burly frame grew exceptionally massive, nearly bursting the black outfit he wore. Three rings of light appeared beneath his feet: one white and two yellow.

The children were thrown into a panic. They had never seen rings of light appear around a person before, but the Soul Master's terrifying presence kept them from running about.

The Soul Master rapidly struck out with both palms, sending six streams of black light into the stones on the ground. Countless faint golden specks drifted out of the stones, and the moment they appeared, they surged madly into Su Zhen's body.