It was just that in recent years, more and more Soul Masters had awakened within Spirit Hall's territory. Thanks to the Innate Spirit Power Cultivation Device invented by Qian Xunqian, everyone had Innate Soul Power and could cultivate. If they kept subsidizing them, where would it end?
On top of that, industry and agriculture had rapidly developed within Spirit Hall's sphere of influence, and the status of non-Soul Master professions had risen just as quickly.
Now, some lower-ranked Soul Masters had even started joining farms or working in factories of their own accord. With more stable ways to earn a living, their days of risking their lives in the Soul Fighting Arena were gone for good.
Thus, under Spirit Hall's sweeping reforms, the lives of Soul Masters had changed significantly.
The subsidy program for Soul Masters had been cut back from covering everyone below Soul Ancestor to only those below Soul Grandmaster.
Moreover, the subsidy amount had been slashed. The old benefits—one Gold Soul Coin for a Soul Master, ten for a Soul Grandmaster, and a hundred for a Soul Elder—were gone for good. Now everyone received a flat three Gold Soul Coins per month.
The whole point was to force Soul Masters to make a living for themselves: reclaim wasteland and farm it, work in a factory, or compete in a Soul Fighting Arena. In short, they couldn't spend their days sleeping at home like Tang Hao.
What kind of life had I, the dignified Asura God King, led in the Divine Realm?
Every day, I'd had a banquet fit for an emperor, with delicacies and fine wine. Even the decorative dishes alone had numbered ten.
As the saying went, it was easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but hard to go the other way. After enduring Tang Hao's abuse for four years, God King Tang had finally become a Soul Master and was about to turn his life around. And what happened?
That evil Spirit Hall had actually embezzled the Soul Master subsidy owed to me, the pure and unsullied young master Tang San! You've sealed your own doom!
There was no helping it. Life went on, and better days still lay ahead!
Old Jack brought Tang San back to Tang Hao's home and told him that Tang San had awakened a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul with Innate Full Soul Power.
Tang Hao, who had never been interested in anything outside himself, suddenly trembled at those three words. A strange glint appeared in his eyes.
Old Jack didn't care how Tang Hao took the news. He bluntly said that he was giving Tang San the work-study student spot, and that the village would cover his travel expenses!
"Blue Silver Grass, Blue Silver Grass..." Tang Hao murmured twice, then suddenly raised his head. His eyes shone with a resolve Tang San had never seen before. In a deep voice, he said, "No."
"What did you say? I must've heard that wrong." Old Jack picked at his ear, staring at Tang Hao in astonishment.
"You should know how precious this opportunity is. Even though a Soul Saint once came from Holy Soul Village, we only get one spot a year. Other villages have to share a spot between two or three villages. Do you understand? This is a great opportunity. Maybe one day, Little San could become someone important."
Tang Hao gave Jack a cold look.
"What good is becoming someone important? All I know is, if he leaves, no one will cook for me. Blue Silver Grass—what do you think he can cultivate with a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul? It's nothing but a Trash Martial Soul."
Old Jack pointed at the Clear Sky Douluo's nose and cursed,
"Even if you're a good-for-nothing, Tang Hao, don't hold the child back! Don't make him spend his whole life as useless as you! You're a good-for-nothing, and that's all you'll ever be, but Little San is different. He's diligent, ambitious, and disciplined. Even if he doesn't become a Soul Master, he can learn a trade and still live well! I'll give you three months to think it over. If you change your mind, come find me!"
Tang Hao gave Old Jack a cold look, snorted, and slammed the door as he went back to the bedroom. The crash shook the whole house.
God King Tang patiently started making dinner. How had he never realized his old man was such a pain in the neck?
Hold it in! Hold it in! God King! Be patient! That old bastard would still be useful at the High-Level Soul Master Tournament!
Even if he wanted to kill him, he'd have to wait until after the old man rescued him at the High-Level Soul Master Tournament!
"Release your Martial Soul and let me see it!" Tang Hao's icy voice rang out.
Tang San released his Blue Silver Grass.
Staring blankly at the Blue Silver Grass in Tang San's hand, Tang Hao lost himself in thought. It took a long while for him to recover. The light in his eyes flickered as he murmured, "Blue Silver Grass. It really is Blue Silver Grass. Just like hers."
"Dad!"
"Don't bother me!" Tang Hao snapped, turning over to go to sleep.
"But I have another Martial Soul."
Tang Hao instantly rolled back over. He watched Tang San summon the Clear Sky Hammer in his left hand, overcome with excitement!
"Twin Martial Souls! You actually have Twin Martial Souls! My son! My son!"
Well, so much for thinking Tang Hao loved Ah Yin that much. Funny!
Blue Silver Grass: Don't bother me!
Clear Sky Hammer: My son! My son!
At last, Tang Hao let out a long breath. He looked at Tang San solemnly and said,
"Little San, do you want to become a Soul Master?"
Now we understood where Tang San had inherited his double standards from.
When he awakened Blue Silver Grass: What do you think he can cultivate with a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul? It's nothing but a Trash Martial Soul.
When he showed off the Clear Sky Hammer: Little San, do you want to become a Soul Master?
Tang San answered without hesitation. "I do!"
"Alas... You really are going to walk this path after all!" For the first time, Tang Hao looked at Tang San with affection.
"Good boy, Dad agrees to let you become a Soul Master! But you have to promise me a few things!"
"I promise!" God King Tang nodded without a moment's hesitation.
"From now on, you may only use the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul. Never reveal the hammer Martial Soul to anyone, unless your life is in danger!"
"And don't attach a single Soul Ring to the hammer!"
"Fine! I promise!"
Three months later, Tang San set off with Old Jack for Nuoding Junior Spirit Master Academy.
When they reached the academy entrance, Tang San and Old Jack were immediately stopped by the gate guard. Seeing their plain clothes, the guard looked at them with disdain.
Old Jack respectfully handed over the certificate issued by Spirit Hall, drawing a round of mockery from the guard:
"Blue Silver Grass? Did I read that right? Innate Full Soul Power with Blue Silver Grass? This certificate of yours isn't forged, is it?"
"You!" Old Jack was furious. Seeing that the guard was deliberately making trouble, he decided to take Tang San to the Spirit Branch Hall to find Su Yuntao. "Just you wait. I'll go get Su Yuntao, the deacon at the Spirit Branch Hall!"
The guard sneered. "Heh! A golden phoenix from a nest of weeds? Holy Soul Village, my foot! You should call it Beggars' Village!"
Old Jack stopped and turned around, ready to argue with the guard.
The guard was riled up too, and in the middle of their argument, he couldn't resist shoving Old Jack.
Tang San sprang into action. "Mysterious Jade Hand!"
With a beautiful universe-shifting move, he flung the guard away. The next second, he extended his right hand, ready to fire a Sleeve Arrow and end the guard's life once and for all.
Just as the situation reached a critical point, with a life hanging in the balance, that man arrived!
He was the man whom all of Douluo Continent, except Spirit Hall, unanimously called "Grandmaster"!
Time was a butcher's knife. Yu Xiaogang now sported a shiny crew cut and a short beard, looking every bit the middle-aged man.
With his hands clasped behind his back, he strolled over at a leisurely pace, carrying himself like an expert.
"Enough! Stop! Young man, let me see the certificate Spirit Hall gave you."
Tang San whipped around. It was a face he hadn't seen in a long time.
It was someone he hadn't seen again ever since he went to the Divine Realm.
It was... Yu Xiaogang!