The Cracked Clear Sky Hammer

Su Yuntao came back to his senses, asked Lin Chen the name of his Martial Soul, then taught him how to withdraw it before handing him the Soul Power testing crystal.

"Child, come test your Innate Soul Power."

Lin Chen nodded and reached out, placing his right hand on the crystal ball.

"Hum!"

The instant his hand touched the crystal ball, dazzling purple light suddenly blazed to life.

The light was intense, but not harsh.

"This... th-this... this is actually Innate Full Soul Power!"

Su Yuntao stared in shock and cried out.

He had never imagined that one day he would awaken a genius like this.

If he could recruit Lin Chen into Spirit Hall, a promotion and a raise would be right around the corner.

"Child, what's your name?"

Su Yuntao suppressed his joy and looked at Lin Chen, asking gently.

"My name is Lin Chen," Lin Chen replied.

Su Yuntao hurriedly pressed him: "Lin Chen, would you be willing to join Spirit Hall? With your talent, if you're willing to join, you'll certainly receive special training."

"Even a Titled Douluo would absolutely be willing to take you as a disciple."

"You might not yet know what a Titled Douluo means. A Titled Douluo is one of the most powerful beings on the continent. There are only a handful across the entire continent."

Afraid that Lin Chen might refuse, Su Yuntao laid out all the greatest temptations he could think of in one breath.

Tang San and the others were all stunned.

A Titled Douluo—the most powerful kind of being, with only a handful across the entire continent.

Was Lin Chen's talent really that heaven-defying?

Feelings of envy and jealousy sprang up in the children's hearts.

Even Tang San felt a trace of jealousy.

But it vanished from his heart in an instant.

He, Tang San, was no less than anyone else.

As a genius of the Tang Sect and a reincarnated person, he would never be inferior to Lin Chen.

"Master Su Yuntao, I need to think it over."

Lin Chen didn't have any particular dislike for Spirit Hall, but there was no denying that hardly any of the people there were normal.

Besides, Tang Hao was still in the village.

If Tang Hao found out that a genius like him had joined Spirit Hall...

Then after he and Su Yuntao left the village, they'd probably get hammered to death.

"Uh..."

Su Yuntao's mouth twitched. Clearly, he hadn't expected Lin Chen to refuse.

After all, for ordinary people, Spirit Hall was absolutely the best choice.

There was no other.

"Well, it is an important decision, so you should indeed think it over carefully."

Though he was very reluctant, Su Yuntao didn't dare push too hard. If he made Lin Chen resent him, then he'd truly have no chance.

Lin Chen bowed slightly. "Thank you for understanding, Master Su Yuntao."

"Go wait over there for now."

Lin Chen chose to stand behind Su Yuntao on his right, where he could observe what happened next.

"Next."

Su Yuntao soon composed himself and guided the next child into the Awakening Array.

As expected, none of the others awakened Innate Soul Power.

Dejection and disappointment spread through the hall.

Tang San, standing at the very back, was infected by the atmosphere and began to feel nervous too.

"Martial Soul: sickle. No Soul Power. Next."

At last, it was Tang San's turn. He took a deep breath and stepped into the Awakening Array.

"Will it burst out?"

Lin Chen perked up too, staring fixedly at the space between Tang San's brows.

Golden light rose from the Awakening Stone.

Tang San instinctively reached out with his right hand while desperately suppressing his left.

At that very moment,

Wisp after wisp of black energy abruptly burst from the dark space between his brows, all surging toward his left hand.

Lin Chen's eyes widened.

Good grief, it really did burst out.

"Crack, crack..."

Sharp cracking sounds rang out in Tang San's mind, making his expression change.

A Martial Soul was closely connected to its owner.

Tang San could clearly feel that his other Martial Soul had shattered.

"Damn it! How could this happen?"

"Was my Martial Soul shattered because I was suppressing it?"

"I only wanted to hide my strength!"

"Damn Su Yuntao! Why didn't he warn me about something this important?"

Tang San burned with rage and immediately placed all the blame on Su Yuntao.

In his view,

This had all happened because Su Yuntao hadn't given him proper warning.

If Su Yuntao had explained beforehand, how could he have tried to hide his strength?

"Pfft!"

Perhaps from the backlash of his Martial Soul, perhaps from sheer fury, Tang San suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

Su Yuntao: "???"

He had awakened Martial Souls for so many children, but he had never encountered anything like this.

"Child, are you all right?"

Su Yuntao took a step forward, intending to help the ashen-faced Tang San.

But Tang San flung his hand away.

Tang San wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked at Su Yuntao again, his gaze somewhat cold.

Su Yuntao: "???"

Was there something wrong with this child? How could he not tell good from bad?

Lin Chen struggled to keep the corners of his mouth from twitching.

He had seen it clearly: Tang San's Clear Sky Hammer had cracked.

That was why Tang San had vomited blood.

He just didn't know whether the crack was only on the surface or whether its origin had been damaged.

If it was the former, it was no big deal. Releasing it again would restore it.

But if it was the latter, then his Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul was probably ruined.

He wondered how Tang Hao would react when he saw the cracked Clear Sky Hammer.

"Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass. Trash Martial Soul."

Su Yuntao glanced at Tang San's Blue Silver Grass and immediately began packing up.

Tang San hurriedly said, "Wait, you haven't tested my Soul Power yet."

"There's no need. I've never seen Blue Silver Grass awaken with Innate Soul Power."

Su Yuntao replied without turning around.

"Uncle, let me try."

Tang San unconsciously clenched his fists and, fighting his revulsion, called him "Uncle."

Su Yuntao turned to look at him.

"All right."

In the end, he wasn't petty enough to hold a grudge against a child.

He handed over the crystal ball, and Tang San reached out with his right hand.

"Hum!"

Dazzling light blazed to life once more, leaving Su Yuntao staring in shock.

"Are you kidding me?"

"Even a Trash Martial Soul like Blue Silver Grass can awaken with Innate Full Soul Power?"

Su Yuntao couldn't make sense of it.

Seeing that dazzling light, the corners of Tang San's mouth lifted involuntarily.

He, Tang San, was no less than anyone else.

Blue Silver Grass might be a Trash Martial Soul, but he still had a Second...

At that thought, Tang San's heart suddenly sank.

He did have a Second Martial Soul, but it seemed he had ruined it himself.

"Su Yuntao, you've already earned yourself a death sentence."

Su Yuntao didn't quite understand, but since Tang San at least had Innate Full Soul Power, he still gave him a symbolic invitation.

Tang San refused without hesitation.

In a foul mood, Su Yuntao led Lin Chen and the others out of Spirit Hall.

"Master, how did it go?"

Old Jack, who had been waiting outside the hall, immediately hurried over.

"This year, your village produced two promising Spirit Masters, and both have Innate Full Soul Power. One of them just has a lower-quality Martial Soul," Su Yuntao said.

"What? Two people with Innate Full Soul Power?"

Old Jack stared in shock, clearly stunned by what he'd heard.