Martial Soul Awakening

Morning was beautiful.

Proud and spirited roosters announced the dawn with rousing cries, their songs rising one after another. The village slowly opened its sleepy eyes and awoke in comfort.

Sunlight became a palm, reaching through the clouds to caress a little boy lying on a boulder with his legs crossed and a blade of blue silver grass between his lips.

"Good morning, Brother Su Chen!"

A six-year-old child in plain clothes stopped to greet the boy on the rock. His bronze skin gave him a decidedly sturdy, capable look.

Lying on the boulder, Su Chen cast an indifferent glance at the little boy with faintly purple eyes. As someone who had transmigrated, Su Chen knew the boy before him was the protagonist who, like himself, had come from another world-Tang San.

"Brother Su Chen, why do you always ignore me? Is there some misunderstanding between us?" Tang San asked in confusion.

"Get lost. Go somewhere else and stop disturbing my rest," Su Chen said calmly and coldly.

"Oh."

Tang San rubbed the back of his head and pursed his lips, then headed toward the distant blacksmith's shop with a hurt, puzzled look.

It was not that Su Chen had a screw loose. Rather, of everyone in Holy Soul Village, Tang San alone rubbed him the wrong way.

Six years. Six whole years!

A full six years had passed since he had transmigrated into this world. Now, Su Chen was a six-year-old child, just like Tang San. Over those six years, he had tried all sorts of methods, yet he had never awakened any extraordinary cheat ability.

Su Chen was different from Tang San. In his previous life, he had not been a disciple of some martial arts sect. He had no extraordinary cultivation techniques. If he absolutely had to name an ability, though, Su Chen did have one: staying home!

That was right-staying home!

In his previous life, Su Chen's forte had been being a shut-in. He could stay home for an entire month without once going out!

"This world is so boring!"

Su Chen gazed up at the sky, his lips pursed in discontent.

Six years. A full six years had passed since he had transmigrated into the Douluo Plane. Here, he could not even scroll through Douyin. Without a phone, he had no idea whether Dungeon Fighter Mobile had been released, who had won the Honor of Kings Season 19 championship, or whether the Mars Migration Plan had succeeded.

Glancing sideways at the departing Tang San, Su Chen wondered what the writers of those fanfics he had read had been thinking. Did they really believe cozying up to Tang San would get him to teach them the Tang Sect Secret Arts?

"Su Chen, out sunbathing this early again?"

A hoarse voice sounded beside Su Chen.

Su Chen lay on the boulder with his hands behind his head and turned to look. A stooped old man with a full beard and a walking stick was smiling warmly at him in greeting.

"Mm. Good morning, Grandpa Jack." Su Chen greeted Old Jack warmly. The old man before him was Old Jack, the village chief of Holy Soul Village.

"Mm. Good boy, have you had breakfast?" Old Jack asked kindly.

"I have!" Su Chen replied.

"Come along, then. Let's go to Spirit Hall. Master Su Yuntao is coming to Holy Soul Village today to awaken the village children's martial souls free of charge. We should get there early. We mustn't keep him waiting." Old Jack wore his usual kindly smile.

"Mm."

Su Chen spat out the blade of blue silver grass and jumped down from the rock.

Such a good child. Why must his life be so bitter? Old Jack stroked Su Chen's hair, his gaze filled with pity as he sighed inwardly.

Su Chen's mother had died giving birth to him. His father had been a bounty hunter who specialized in hunting soul beasts for nobles. Their family had once been the wealthiest in the village. But during a mission, Su Chen's father had ended up in a soul beast's belly, leaving not even bones behind.

With the property his father had left him, along with the memories of his previous life, Su Chen had no worries about food or clothing.

"Young chief, are you going with the village chief to awaken your martial soul?"

"Young chief, don't be nervous. Even if you can't become a soul master, we'll make sure to find you a wife!"

"Young chief, your father was a soul grandmaster. Have confidence! You'll definitely become a soul master too! Even if you don't, you'll still be the future chief of Holy Soul Village!"

Following Old Jack, Su Chen strolled down the grassy village paths. Every villager they encountered greeted him with a smile as sweet as honey.

Su Chen had not spent all six years doing nothing. Drawing on his memories of his previous life, he had offered suggestions that brought unprecedented growth to Holy Soul Village's livestock farming and crop cultivation. Greenhouse technology, in particular, had allowed the village to grow crops out of season. By now, thanks to Su Chen's suggestions, the village's income per person had increased more than tenfold.

Moreover, Su Chen had persuaded all the villagers of Holy Soul Village to establish a chamber of commerce. They called it standing together through thick and thin, but in business terms, it was really market suppression and monopolization. As a result, none of the villagers treated Su Chen as an ordinary child. Whether to his face or behind his back, they called him "young chief," meaning the next chief of Holy Soul Village. Had Su Chen not been too young to meet the Heaven Dou Empire's minimum age for holding office, the elderly Old Jack would already have stepped down to make way for him.

"Children!"

Standing in the village square, Old Jack looked at the handprint on the broken stone pillar lying in the pool and began his annual refrain. "This is the handprint left by our village's soul saint. This handprint... is the symbol of our village's glory!"

Whoosh!

Just then, a whistling sound rang out.

A white figure made several graceful leaps across the rooftops. Upon reaching the tallest building, he soared into the sky. Then he slowly descended, like a god coming down to earth, and landed firmly on the ground.

The children of Holy Soul Village feasted their eyes on this dazzling display, gazing admiringly at the man in white brocade before them.

Only Old Jack, Tang San, and Su Chen remained calm.

Unlike the other children, Su Chen focused on the badge on the man's chest. It bore two silver ripples, indicating that he was a soul grandmaster in the twenties.

"I don't have much time. Everyone, follow me inside!" Su Yuntao said haughtily. He was not an arrogant man by nature, but he had to establish an imposing image in these children's minds and plant the belief that becoming a soul master meant standing above others. Su Yuntao felt that it truly was no easy task.

Soul power surged as Su Yuntao formed seals with both hands, and the doors of Holy Soul Village's Spirit Hall slowly opened.

Following Su Yuntao, all the children entered the hall, which was normally closed. Having never left Holy Soul Village, they found even this modestly sized hall extraordinarily novel and looked this way and that. Only Su Chen and Tang San were exceptions.

"Children, stand in a line!"

Standing at the front of the hall, Su Yuntao declared in a clear voice, "My name is Su Yuntao, a Level 26 Soul Grandmaster, and I will be your guide. Next, I will awaken your martial souls. Whatever you see or hear in a moment, don't be afraid. All right, you first!"

Su Yuntao pointed at a child. Once the chosen child had walked up to him, Su Yuntao waved his hand. Infused with soul power, six black stones radiated golden light, which swirled around the child.

Then Su Yuntao clenched both fists, and two soul rings appeared around him. From top to bottom, their colors were white and yellow.

Surging purple soul power roiled, forming the image of an upright wolf behind Su Yuntao.

"Ah!"

"What...!"

"What...!"

At the sight of Su Yuntao's martial soul, every child's expression changed, including Tang San's.

"Don't be afraid, everyone. This is my martial soul, Lone Wolf."

Su Yuntao explained in detail, "If any of you become soul masters, you'll have abilities like this too. All right, let the martial soul awakening begin!"

Off to one side, Tang San marveled inwardly at what he had witnessed. A person could actually possess a wolf's abilities.

"A sickle, a tool martial soul. Unfortunately, you have no soul power! You can't become a soul master!"

"A hoe, a tool martial soul. No soul power either. You can't become a soul master!"

"Blue silver grass, a typical trash martial soul. There's no need to test your soul power!"

"Next!"

"Next!"

"Next!"

Before long, it was Tang San's turn.

Su Yuntao shook his head slightly. Looking at the blue silver grass in Tang San's right palm, he said calmly, "Blue silver grass again. A trash martial soul. Next!"

Tang San's expression did not change at Su Yuntao's words. Out of the corner of his eye, he looked toward his left hand.

"Is a hammer a trash martial soul too?"

Just as Su Yuntao was about to have Tang San step aside, Su Chen suddenly spoke.

"A hammer?"

Su Yuntao was reasonably approachable and explained patiently, "A hammer certainly isn't a trash martial soul. If you have soul power, you can become a tool soul master with one!"

Su Yuntao knew that the continent's power attack system tool martial soul was a hammer called the Clear Sky Hammer! He simply did not understand why Su Chen had suddenly asked such a question!