"Then his martial soul isn't a trash martial soul!"
A playful smile curled Su Chen's lips. Pointing at Tang San's left hand, he said, "Look, he still has a hammer martial soul in his left hand!"
What?
A hammer martial soul?
Looking skeptical, Su Yuntao reached out and grabbed Tang San's left hand. He froze completely, three weighty words tumbling from his mouth: "Clear... Sky... Hammer!"
Su Yuntao stared for a long while, unable to conceal his excitement. "Child, you actually awakened the Clear Sky Hammer!" he exclaimed. "And you even have twin martial souls!"
"Uncle, does that mean I can become a soul master?" Tang San's eyes brimmed with curiosity.
"Of course. If someone with the Clear Sky Hammer couldn't become a soul master, then no tool martial soul on the entire continent would qualify its wielder to become one." Su Yuntao restrained his excitement. He knew his trip to Holy Soul Village had not been wasted. Holding up the crystal ball, he instructed, "Child, let's test your soul power."
"Okay."
Tang San did as instructed, withdrawing his martial souls and placing his palm against the crystal ball. As expected, the crystal ball burst into dazzling light.
"Child, you actually have innate full soul power!" The excitement in Su Yuntao's heart flared up once more.
"Uncle, what is innate full soul power?" Tang San asked again, puzzled.
"The strength of your soul power when you awaken your martial soul is related to your martial soul. The amount of soul power you possess is also crucial. Most people have no soul power when they awaken their martial souls, just like those children before you. They're destined never to become soul masters. When you awaken your martial soul, even the tiniest trace of soul power allows you to become an honored soul master through meditation. Innate full soul power means your soul power reaches rank ten at awakening. Your soul power at awakening determines your starting point as a soul master. The higher your innate soul power, the faster your cultivation progresses afterward!" Perhaps because Tang San possessed both the Clear Sky Hammer and innate full soul power, Su Yuntao explained everything patiently.
Off to the side, however, Su Chen shook his head slightly.
Su Yuntao had gotten several things wrong. Innate full soul power was not limited to rank ten; that person in Spirit Hall had started directly at rank twenty. Moreover, Tang San's innate full soul power had very little to do with his two martial souls. The reason Tang San had innate full soul power was that he was a damn cheat, cultivating one of the Tang Sect Secret Arts-the Mysterious Heaven Skill.
With a cultivation method and training from childhood, anyone could actually become a soul master. Ten thousand years later, people with innate full soul power would be everywhere on the Douluo Continent. Some academies would not even accept students without it!
Innate full soul power was nothing rare at all. And Su Yuntao had gotten one more thing wrong. Tang San's Blue Silver Grass was not ordinary Blue Silver Grass; it was Blue Silver Grass that could evolve into the Blue Silver Emperor.
"Young fellow, what's your name?" Su Yuntao's attitude changed completely as he asked in a friendly tone.
"My name is Tang San!" Tang San replied.
Tang San? His surname is Tang?
Just as I thought! Su Yuntao said inwardly.
"Tang San, would you like to join Spirit Hall?" Su Yuntao reached out and rested a hand affectionately on Tang San's shoulder.
"Uncle Su Yuntao, didn't I come here to awaken my martial soul?" Tang San replied with a smile.
"No, that's different. Coming to Spirit Hall to awaken your martial soul doesn't necessarily mean joining Spirit Hall. Joining means becoming a soul master who serves Spirit Hall exclusively. Your future cultivation would take place at a school established specifically by Spirit Hall. Once you graduate, you'll be assigned a job directly. Even after retirement, you'll receive a generous pension." Su Yuntao laid out the tempting benefits in detail.
"So that means I'd have to leave the village?" Tang San asked thoughtfully.
"Yes. But don't worry. You'll have three months off each year between summer and winter vacation. Family members can visit the school to see their children at any time!" Su Yuntao continued.
"Well... I need to go home and discuss it with Dad!" Tang San said solemnly. Although he wanted very much to grow stronger and see the outside world, he still could not stop worrying about his father, Tang Hao.
"Yes, you're a good child. You certainly should discuss it with your father!" Su Yuntao nodded in approval.
Off to the side, a playful smile curled Su Chen's lips.
Given the grudge between Tang Hao and Spirit Hall, he would never allow Tang San to join them. Moreover, once Spirit Hall's higher-ups learned that Tang San possessed the Clear Sky Hammer, they would never let Tang San or Tang Hao off.
In other words, Tang Hao and Tang San could no longer remain in Holy Soul Village.
Since they could no longer stay and their identities had been exposed, Su Chen eagerly wondered what unexpected turns Tang San's path would take next.
"Thank you, Brother Su Chen."
Oblivious, Tang San stepped back from the front and thanked Su Chen like a fool.
"Mm."
Su Chen nodded, wanting to laugh but holding it in. His expression as he suppressed his laughter was downright comical. Selling out the calculating Tang San gave him an inexplicable thrill.
"All right, it's my turn now, isn't it?"
Su Chen stepped forward and stopped in front of Su Yuntao.
"There's no need for you. I've already visited six villages, and not a single child in any of them could become a soul master." Su Yuntao waved his hand and put away the six black stones. He was eager to go home with Tang San and persuade his father. Su Yuntao had already made up his mind: no matter what, he would get Tang San to join Spirit Hall.
As a soul master who helped others awaken their martial souls, the more talent he discovered, the greater his eventual rewards would be. If he could recruit a child as exceptionally gifted as Tang San into Spirit Hall, Su Yuntao would receive a substantial reward. He might even earn a promotion!
"It's your duty to awaken every child's martial soul. You can't deny me the service I'm entitled to. Uncle, helping me awaken my martial soul won't take long! Maybe I'll awaken a powerful martial soul!" Neither servile nor overbearing, Su Chen calmly argued his case.
Su Yuntao looked down at Su Chen, feeling that there was something unusual about him. As for awakening a powerful martial soul, he was only a child, after all; there was no need to take that seriously. Awakening a martial soul really would not take much time.
"All right, then. I'll help you awaken your martial soul." Su Yuntao waved his hand, and the six black stones flew out to surround Su Chen.
I'm about to awaken my martial soul, Su Chen thought. What if it's a hoe, a sickle, or a manure ladle...
At that thought, Su Chen sighed softly and dispelled his unease. Even if he awakened a trash martial soul, so what? As the saying went, there were no trash martial souls, only trash soul masters. At worst, he could still build a business empire using knowledge far ahead of this plane.
Surrounded by the six stones, Su Chen was slowly drawn upward, just as Tang San had been, until both his feet left the ground.
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