Martial Soul Awakening!

The day of Martial Soul Awakening had finally arrived. Tang San made breakfast for his father early that morning, then followed Old Jack to a large clearing where the other children had gathered.

The children wore bright clothes and looked nothing like they lived in a remote mountain village. Even Tang San had changed into a blue fighting outfit, looking full of spirit!

This was all thanks to Yang Que. Ever since the villagers had started using his special methods to tend their crops, each harvest had yielded more than the last, and their lives had steadily improved...

Old Jack looked around and nodded. Seeing the villagers' lives improve made him happy. Then he noticed something was wrong. "Where's that boy Yang Que?" The children looked at one another, their little faces full of confusion.

"Huh! Que usually gets up so early. Why is he late today?" Tang San had barely finished speaking when—

"I'm here!" a voice called from a tree. They looked up to see someone in a pure white swordsman's robe, one hand behind his head and the other holding a fan, a stem of Blue Silver Grass between his teeth! His black hair fluttered in the wind as he gazed skyward at a forty-five-degree angle...

"Wow! He's so handsome!" The village girls stared at him dreamily, while the boys gaped.

He was like jade upon a country road, a young gentleman without equal beneath the heavens! Perhaps his only flaw was the lingering boyishness in his face.

Looking at the awestruck boys and girls below, Yang Que could not keep the corners of his mouth from rising. He had even spent five gold coins in the system shop on a fan just to make this entrance. The effect was excellent!

Yang Que leaped lightly from the branch and landed steadily on the ground. He smoothed his hair and said, "I've been waiting for you."

Tang San and Old Jack's faces darkened.

"All right, now that everyone's here, let's go!"

With that, Old Jack led the children toward the center of the village. They came to a huge boulder with a palm print in its center. Old Jack immediately perked up. Pointing at it with deep emotion, he said, "Children, look! That palm print was left by the Soul Saint who came from our Holy Soul Village! It's our village's pride!"

Yang Que pursed his lips and thought helplessly, Why can't I escape the original story? Does coming here mean I have to listen to Old Jack brag every time?

A fierce wind suddenly rose. "Hahaha! Old Jack, are you fooling the children again? A Soul Saint from a tiny village like this? Now that would be something!" The voice arrived before its owner did!

Tang San's eyes narrowed as he looked toward the voice. Purple Demon Eye!

Seeing the faint purple glow in Tang San's eyes and hearing the voice, Yang Que guessed, Looks like that guy Su Yuntao is here!

No sooner had the voice faded than a man in Spirit Hall's distinctive pale-blue uniform walked over, his expression calm...

Old Jack's face flushed when he saw the newcomer, but he did not argue. He bowed respectfully. "Lord Su Yuntao!"

"Enough! Are these the children awakening this time? Let's skip the talk and get started. I don't have much time!" Su Yuntao waved a hand.

He stepped up to the children. "I'm the attendant conducting your Martial Soul Awakening. My name is Su Yuntao, a level twenty-six Soul Grandmaster!" Then he led them toward Spirit Hall.

Yang Que, Tang San, and the others followed Su Yuntao into an unusually lavish room.

Yang Que could not resist stepping forward to touch the decorations. "Wow, these are beautiful! If I took them back to Earth, they'd fetch a fortune. Such exquisite work!" He ran his hands over the ornaments, reluctant to let go.

"Everyone, line up," Su Yuntao said. "We're starting the Martial Soul Awakening!" The children obediently formed a row before him and straightened their backs... Yang Que and Tang San took the last two places!

Only then did Su Yuntao draw six black stones from his sleeve and toss them gently into the air...

The six stones glowed pale yellow and began spinning rapidly in a circle... After a moment's thought, Su Yuntao gave them another reassuring reminder. "Children, don't be afraid of anything you see. We'll start on the left and go in order!" Hearing he was first, the boy on the far left hurried forward in excitement. "Yes!"

"Lone Wolf! Possess me!" Su Yuntao barked. Two Soul Rings, one white and one yellow, rose from beneath his feet. A huge wolf appeared behind him, its dense fur concealing its lower body. Its eyes widened, blood-red fangs bared, and a bloodthirsty aura rolled from it as it looked down at the child ahead...

The boy directly in front of Su Yuntao went weak at the knees and stumbled back several steps. "Aaah! Wh-what is that?" Terror was written across his face!

"S-so that's a Martial Soul? It's incredible!" The children were startled at first, but when nothing happened to them, they began whispering. "Heavens, am I about to get a Martial Soul that powerful?"

Su Yuntao nodded slightly at their reactions. At least none had fainted! "Children, this is my Martial Soul: Lone Wolf, an attack-type Beast Martial Soul! Some of you may awaken one like mine. Of course, you might also get a Trash Martial Soul. It depends on your talent and luck!"

Yang Que looked at the Martial Soul Su Yuntao had displayed and pursed his lips. His Martial Soul is so weak, and that Soul Ring combination is awful. White? Yellow? Sigh, he really is cut out to be a plot device!

Seeing the nearest boy's pale face, Su Yuntao reassured him. "Don't be afraid, child. This is my Martial Soul, Lone Wolf. It won't hurt you."

The boy nodded and stepped back inside the six rapidly spinning stones... He slowly closed his eyes, and a sickle gradually appeared in his hand. Su Yuntao sighed. "A sickle? I suppose it has some offensive power. Now let's see whether you have Soul Power."

He handed over a crystal ball and instructed, "Place your right hand on this crystal ball..."

The boy slowly put his right hand on the ball as instructed, but it did not glow at all... Su Yuntao shook his head. "No Soul Power. I'm sorry, but you can't become a Soul Master... Step back for now."

The boy stared blankly at his palm. His eyes gradually reddened, and he withdrew in sorrow...

"Next, Zhu Lili!" Su Yuntao called.

A pretty girl stepped forward and closed her eyes. A little flower gradually appeared... Then she placed her right hand on the crystal ball... Once again, there was no light.

"I'm sorry. You can't become a Soul Master."

"Next, Li Niu..."

"Martial Soul: hoe. No Soul Power."

"Next, Zhang Ping..." "Martial Soul: stone? Interesting... But no Soul Power..."

Sigh. Su Yuntao sighed. It seemed no one from Holy Soul Village would become a Soul Master this year, either.

"Next, Tang San!"

Tang San nodded solemnly and walked into the center of the Six-Pointed Stones, concentrating on what he felt...

A bright light suddenly burst forth. The next moment, a flourishing stalk of Blue Silver Grass appeared before Tang San and Su Yuntao...

Tang San: "..."

Su Yuntao: "..."

Tang San's eyes widened. He cursed Yang Que over and over in his heart. Que, you really were born with a crow's mouth! Disappointment crushed him.

Wait! Tang San felt a sudden jolt. Something seemed ready to emerge from his left hand! But he forced it back down. Concealing the movement, he felt its shape and found it was a hammer! His heart shook. Two Martial Souls? What's going on?

He did not tell Su Yuntao. He had no idea whether having two Martial Souls was good or bad, and if they treated him as an oddity and took him away, he would be in trouble...

But Tang San's actions did not escape Yang Que. So nothing's changed from the original story. Twin Martial Souls! Blue Silver Grass and the Clear Sky Hammer, all right...

Su Yuntao blinked, disappointment plain on his face. "Another Trash Martial Soul, even worse than the others. You can leave! There's no need to test your Soul Power. You have no chance of becoming a Soul Master!" Everyone knew Blue Silver Grass was a Trash Martial Soul with no Soul Power...

Tang San bit his lip and tried again. "Grandmaster Su Yuntao, please let me try. It won't take long!"

Su Yuntao hesitated. "Well..."

Behind them, Yang Que coughed a few times. "Ahem. Grandmaster Su Yuntao, let Tang San take the test. There are only two of us left anyway!"

Su Yuntao thought it over. True. It won't waste much time. I might as well let the boy give up hope. "All right, you can take the test. Here."

Hearing Yang Que speak up for him, Tang San looked over gratefully. Yang Que shrugged and said nothing...

Tang San eagerly took the Soul Power crystal ball in his hands. Suddenly, white light blazed from it, so dazzling that everyone present was blinded...

Su Yuntao stared in disbelief. "Innate Full Soul Power? How is that possible?"

Tang San looked at him in confusion. "Innate Full Soul Power?"

Seeing Tang San's confusion, Su Yuntao explained, "Innate Full Soul Power means the highest possible Soul Power someone can possess at the moment of Martial Soul Awakening! What a pity!"

Tang San was even more confused. "Grandmaster Su Yuntao, if I have Innate Full Soul Power, why is it a pity?"

Su Yuntao looked at Tang San with regret. "Because your Martial Soul is a Trash Martial Soul! All right, next!"

At last, it was Yang Que's turn...