Registering as a Soul Master, Sweet Candied Hawthorn

On the way back, he should pick up a stick of candied hawthorn for Xiao Wu.

As he passed a candied hawthorn stall, Yu Yan thought about what he needed to do after leaving Spirit Hall.

When he arrived at Spirit Hall again, he asked the guard standing watch at the entrance where he could undergo Soul Master rank certification.

Yu Yan once again came to the far-right side of Spirit Hall's first floor. Yes, the place for Martial Soul awakening and Martial Soul rank certification was the same room.

It was used for Martial Soul awakenings during the annual awakening season, then continued to be used for Martial Soul certification after that period passed. One room served multiple purposes.

Pushing open the door, Yu Yan saw an elderly man with grayish-white hair wearing a Spirit Hall uniform. He sat in a chair behind a desk, reading.

"Sir, I'm here for Martial Soul rank certification."

Walking up to the desk, Yu Yan proactively explained why he was there.

"Take out your Martial Soul Awakening Certificate, display your Martial Soul and Soul Ring, then stand before the Soul Power testing crystal ball to test your Soul Power."

The old man set down his book and explained what was required for Martial Soul rank certification.

Yu Yan took out his Martial Soul Awakening Certificate from the backpack on his back and handed it to the old man. Raising his hand, he summoned the Ice and Fire Twin Fish. A bright yellow Soul Ring rose around him, moving up and down with his body at its center.

"Hm?"

"Twin Martial Souls?"

Seeing the two fish circling Yu Yan, the old man instinctively assumed they were Twin Martial Souls.

Already accustomed to this misunderstanding, Yu Yan skillfully explained the unique nature of his Martial Soul, emphasizing that the Ice and Fire Twin Fish were not Twin Martial Souls.

Upon learning that they were not Twin Martial Souls, the old man muttered that it really was a peculiar Martial Soul, then urged Yu Yan to test his Soul Power at the crystal.

Yu Yan walked over to the Soul Power testing crystal ball and found that its color was somewhat more beautiful than the crystal ball used during Martial Soul awakening.

When he placed his hand on the crystal ball, the Soul Power within his body was drawn into it, and the crystal ball lit up.

"Soul Power rank 12. It seems the age of the first Soul Ring you absorbed wasn't low."

After muttering to himself, the old man recorded the information. He then took out a badge specially forged by Spirit Hall from the desk. The two crossed thorns on the front represented Yu Yan's Soul Master rank, while Yu Yan's name was engraved on the back.

"From this moment onward, you are a glorious Soul Master. Welcome to the ranks of Soul Masters. In the future, you may collect a monthly subsidy from Spirit Hall using this badge. A Soul Master's subsidy is one Gold Soul Coin."

"Also, I would like to ask whether you are willing to join Spirit Hall."

When the old man said this, his tone did not fluctuate in the slightest. He looked at Yu Yan calmly, waiting for him to give a negative answer, as though it were merely routine procedure.

The old man's attitude was perfectly normal. This was Balaque City, the capital of the Balak Kingdom, and Yu Yan was still a student at Balak Junior Soul Master Academy. A genius like him had probably already been recruited elsewhere. How could Spirit Hall possibly get a chance?

"Sorry, I have no intention of joining any major power for now."

Without even thinking, Yu Yan rejected the invitation on the spot. He truly had no intention of joining another faction.

A young man's future was filled with limitless possibilities, and Yu Yan did not want to determine his future so early.

"Mm, I understand."

"At the beginning of every month, you may come to Spirit Hall to collect your Gold Soul Coin. The third room in the corridor on the left side of the main hall is where you can collect this month's Gold Soul Coin."

After saying that, the old man turned his attention back to the book on the desk, no longer interested in speaking with Yu Yan.

Seeing that the other party was clearly signaling him to leave, Yu Yan quietly departed from the room.

The matter of collecting Gold Soul Coins at Spirit Hall was the result of a compromise among the three major powers: the Heaven Dou Empire, the Star Luo Empire, and Spirit Hall. The Heaven Dou Empire and Star Luo Empire provided the Gold Soul Coins, while Spirit Hall distributed them on their behalf.

Its purpose was to win over commoner Soul Masters for future recruitment.

To give an appropriate example.

Becoming a Soul Master was equivalent to successfully getting into graduate school.

The Gold Soul Coins received were equivalent to a graduate stipend issued by the state.

Noble Soul Masters generally did not come to Spirit Hall to collect Gold Soul Coins.

For one thing, they looked down on such a trivial amount. It was only one Gold Soul Coin, which was nothing to nobles.

For another, if other young nobles found out that someone from a noble family had gone to Spirit Hall to collect Gold Soul Coins meant to guarantee basic living expenses, it would be deeply embarrassing.

Holding the wrapped candied hawthorn, Yu Yan walked through the campus of Balak Junior Soul Master Academy toward the library.

After failing to find Xiao Wu in the dormitory, Yu Yan stood by the window and pondered for a while before deciding to check the library.

At his usual spot in the library, Yu Yan saw Xiao Wu sitting there and reading. The book she was reading was Soul King's Travelogue.

Before Yu Yan had left, Xiao Wu had not even finished half of that book.

Now, only the last few pages remained.

It seemed Xiao Wu had been coming to the library to read whenever she had free time lately. She was truly diligent!

After approaching her, Yu Yan patted Xiao Wu on the shoulder. Under her gaze, he sat down across from her and held the candied hawthorn out before her.

"I saw it on the way back. It smelled delicious, and I remembered you said last time that you liked candied hawthorn, so I bought it for you. Want some?"

"Yes, of course I do."

Xiao Wu accepted the candied hawthorn Yu Yan offered with a smile in her eyes and immediately began devouring it.

"How is it? Does it taste good?"

After Xiao Wu finished eating one whole candied hawthorn, Yu Yan asked whether it tasted good.

Looking at the candied hawthorn Yu Yan had brought back, then at his expectant expression as he waited for her answer, Xiao Wu inexplicably recalled words written by that Soul King in the travelogue.

'In the Far North, I saw a Far North Snow Lotus of unparalleled beauty, a rare sight in this world that blooms once every hundred years. It was truly too beautiful; I found it difficult to describe the feeling in words.'

'At that moment, I thought how wonderful it would be if my beloved could also see such a beautiful flower.'

'Yes, I missed her again and again and again. I wanted to share with her all that I had seen, heard, and felt. I thought it was time to go home.'

'Sealing the snow lotus within a block of ice, I returned home as quickly as possible and shared this Far North Snow Lotus, beautiful beyond anything of this world, with my beloved.'

'When she saw the snow lotus, she too was stunned by its beauty. Her eyes curved into crescents, the corners of her lips lifted, and her pupils stared fixedly at the snow lotus. I could see every expression on her face as she looked at it. She gently raised her hand to touch the snow lotus. She...'

"I could describe it so clearly because this time, I never looked at the flower."

'Afterward, I asked my beloved whether the snow lotus was beautiful and whether she liked the gift I had brought back.'

'She said that while the snow lotus was indeed lovely, she preferred these gifts I brought back, gifts that represented longing. She liked every gift that could represent longing.'

Thinking of this, Xiao Wu, who also missed Yu Yan somewhat, felt the candied hawthorn in her mouth become even sweeter.

"Mmm, it's very sweet. Very delicious."

That was what Xiao Wu said.