Su Yuntao gripped Tang San in one hand and Lin Hu in the other.
Lin Jing and the other children who had taken part in the Martial Soul Awakening followed behind as they left the Spirit Awakening Hall together.
The wooden doors of the awakening hall had barely swung open when a ray of sunlight streamed inside and fell across Lin Jing's face.
Lin Jing didn't shy away. He took a deep breath, savoring the sunlight and fresh air of this other world.
The air on the Douluo Continent isn't sweet. It's no different from the air in my previous life.
Lin Jing offered his verdict in his heart.
The moment the wooden doors opened, Old Jack hurried over to greet them.
"Master Su Yuntao... This..."
Old Jack had meant to ask whether anyone had awakened Innate Soul Power,
but he was stunned to see Su Yuntao holding two people in his hands.
"Lin Hu, have you gotten into trouble again!"
As soon as he recognized the two, Old Jack ignored Tang San and scolded Lin Hu.
Lin Hu and Tang San had fought more times than he could count, and Lin Hu had started it every time.
Old Jack was used to it by now, but for Lin Hu to dare fight in front of Master Su Yuntao was simply outrageous!
Lin Hu hunched his shoulders and didn't dare meet Old Jack's eyes.
"It's normal for children to be mischievous."
Su Yuntao set the two boys down and gestured for Old Jack not to get angry.
"Master Su Yuntao, did anyone... awaken Soul Power?"
Old Jack tapped his cane and asked Su Yuntao.
His voice held a touch of nervousness and hope.
"Your village is in luck this year. Two children can become Soul Masters."
Su Yuntao took three sheets of paper from his cloth bag, jotted down a couple of things, then handed them to Old Jack.
"Two?!"
Old Jack stared in shock, wondering if his age had made him hear wrong.
"Two. These are their Awakening Certificates, along with a Work-Study Student Quota for your village."
"Yes, yes, yes."
Old Jack took the papers with trembling hands, his joy impossible to put into words.
After all these years, their Holy Soul Village had finally produced children with Innate Soul Power!
Two with Innate Full Soul Power, no less!
After handing the awakening list to Old Jack, Su Yuntao hurried off to the next village.
After Su Yuntao left, Old Jack only had to glance over the children to see which two had awakened Innate Soul Power.
Neither Lin Jing nor Tang San was an ordinary child, and neither showed any excitement on his face.
But when Old Jack compared them with the other children, he could see that everyone else looked gloomy.
Only those two remained completely unruffled.
As expected, it's Little Jing and Little San.
That was what Old Jack thought. In his memories, Lin Jing and Tang San had both been unusually steady and sensible since childhood, though the two didn't get along very well.
Ever since Tang San was old enough to move around, he had always looked after his drunken father.
As for Lin Jing...
A trace of pity appeared in Old Jack's cloudy eyes.
He had been orphaned as a child, left with nothing but a dilapidated shack, and survived only because the villagers helped him.
Yet he never cried or complained. From time to time, he even helped the villagers with their chores.
Old Jack lowered his eyes to the awakening certificate and confirmed that it bore the names Lin Jing and Tang San.
After a moment's thought, he said slowly,
"This Work-Study Student Quota... should go to Little Jing."
"Little San, I'll walk you home first. Tomorrow I'll ask around in the neighboring village. I should be able to borrow a Work-Study Student Quota for you."
Old Jack had made the decision after careful consideration. To him, Lin Jing and Tang San were equally dear.
But given Tang San's irresponsible, drunken father, Old Jack decided that Lin Jing was the better choice for this quota.
"Thank you, Grandpa Jack."
Lin Jing didn't refuse. He nodded gratefully.
"Thank you, Grandpa Jack."
Tang San thanked him too.
Although the quota had gone to Lin Jing, he wasn't upset with Old Jack. Besides, Old Jack had said he would try to borrow one for him from the neighboring village.
"Children, head home. It's almost mealtime."
Old Jack waved his cane, then led Tang San toward the village's only blacksmith shop.
"System-chan, do I have a home?"
Lin Jing turned with the other children and asked in his heart as he walked.
[Beep!]
[The host has a home. Go straight ahead and turn right at the first intersection. The second house is yours.]
Lin Jing nodded and followed the directions the system had given him.
After turning a corner, Lin Jing saw a...
Thatched hut that stuck out like a sore thumb among the wooden houses around it.
Lin Jing's mouth twitched. This place was far too shabby.
"Why didn't you give me a roulette and let me draw between a mansion and a thatched hut?"
Lin Jing grumbled as he walked into his home in this other world.
[The system lacks sufficient permissions to open the roulette.]
Lin Jing ignored the system's feigned innocence. After finding a clean spot to sit, he called out to it in his mind:
"System-chan, give me a rundown of your functions."
[Beep! This system is called...]
"Wait, wait. I already know your name. Just tell me what you can do."
[Every time the host advances ten levels, he gets one draw from the Special Opportunity Roulette. In addition, experiencing a special plot event from the original story grants one draw from the Limited Prize Pool.]
[The prizes in the Limited Prize Pool depend on the current plot.]
"That's it?"
Lin Jing wasn't very satisfied. If that was all, then his system was a little too limited.
[Of course there's more. Don't be impatient, host.]
[This system has a function that automatically scans the current plot and assigns random missions.]
[The host can refuse, of course. Completing a mission earns a reward, while failing to complete one brings no punishment.]
[After completing a mission, the host receives Task Points in addition to the reward, which can be used for draws.]
[Every ten Task Points grant one draw from the Mall Roulette.]
[Buy ten draws at once for just ninety-five Task Points—that's a five-percent discount~]
After listening, Lin Jing nodded mildly.
He was reasonably satisfied with the missions. Completing them earned rewards, and failing to complete them came with no punishment.
"One beginner's gift pack draw, one draw to make up for what you owe me, and one more for getting my First Soul Ring."
Lin Jing counted them up. "That makes three draws from the Special Opportunity Roulette, right?"
[That's right, host. You can draw whenever you like after obtaining your First Soul Ring.]
"My First Soul Ring..."
Lin Jing fell into thought. "That's going to be tricky."
He had neither a powerful ally to help him nor any Gold Soul Coins to pay someone for help.
Getting his First Soul Ring was as hard as scaling the heavens.
On top of that, he had already been inside the Spirit Awakening Hall when he transmigrated. He hadn't even had the chance to train his body from childhood.
He would probably have to follow Yu Xiaogang's theory and absorb a 423-year-old Soul Beast for his First Soul Ring.
Whale Rubber could make up for the difference, but that brought him right back to the same problem: he had no money...
Even in the Douluo I era, Whale Rubber was an aphrodisiac used by nobles and the wealthy. It cost Gold Soul Coins just to get started, so ordinary people couldn't afford it.
Lin Jing was even worse off. He had just transmigrated, and he was dirt poor—his pockets were cleaner than his face.
Truly, a penny could stump a hero!
Before you continue