"Martial soul: hoe. No soul power. Cannot become a soul master."
"Martial soul: Blue Silver Grass. No soul power. Cannot become a soul master."
"Martial soul: scythe. No soul power. Cannot become a soul master."
"Martial soul: rolling pin. Level-one soul power. Can become a soul master!"
Soon, it was the seventh child's turn, the last one before Xiao Yan. She was the girl who had called Xiao Yan her big brother.
Golden specks of light gathered. This time, at last, something other than a farming tool appeared. A small blade of green grass emerged in the girl's palm, swaying gently.
"Green Leaf Grass, one of the more common plants. It has tenacious vitality, and its stems and leaves have some disinfecting properties. To some extent, it can be used by a healing soul master. That depends on whether you have soul power."
As Qian Chongling spoke, he followed the procedure and held the blue crystal ball out to the girl. To his surprise, she actually had soul power, and at level two, no less.
Green Leaf Grass and Blue Silver Grass could be considered the most common trash martial souls. The only explanation was that this girl had eaten some "heavenly treasures" rarely available to commoners.
These were opportunities available only to children in small villages. Children born in remote areas raided birds' nests and caught small insects from an early age. There were plenty of things they dared to swallow even without knowing what they were.
Perhaps this girl had eaten some unknown fruit or medicinal herb that had slightly improved her talent.
Finally, it was Xiao Yan's turn. After watching for so long, he knew to stand in the center of the six black stones without Qian Chongling telling him. As Qian Chongling poured in his soul power, golden light shone once more.
Xiao Yan's own martial soul successfully formed in his right hand. It was a short wooden staff, with something resembling a headband encircling each end.
Looking at the martial soul in Xiao Yan's hand, Qian Chongling instinctively thought of a certain legendary monk with a hairy face and a thunder god's jutting mouth. The weapon wielded by that monk, who was also a monkey-the Sea-Calming Needle used by Yu the Great to tame the floods in Blue Star's legends, also known as the Ruyi Golden-Hooped Staff-seemed rather similar to this.
But the Sea-Calming Needle was made of a divine material that was neither gold nor iron, while this tool martial soul was clearly a wooden staff. Could it be a drastically weakened version of the Golden-Hooped Staff?
Curious, Qian Chongling could not help asking, "Little Yan, what's your martial soul?"
Xiao Yan sensed his martial soul for a moment, then said, "The Eyebrow-Level Staff! It mutated from a rolling pin."
Qian Chongling's thoughtful expression vanished. Just as he had suspected, if he wanted the Sea-Calming Needle, he could only find it in his dreams!
Xiao Huo's and Feng Yuhan's martial souls were a rolling pin and Blue Silver Grass, respectively. Xiao Yan's martial soul would most likely have been one of those two as well, except that the rolling pin had mutated, and in a beneficial direction, becoming the Eyebrow-Level Staff!
Of course, if it really had been the Sea-Calming Needle, the mutation would probably have failed. Xiao Yan's foundation was too poor. After all, a certain theoretical grandmaster who constantly declared that there were no trash martial souls, only trash soul masters, was a living example.
The Piglet Sanpao possessed by the yet-unborn Yu Dashi was the result of a failed mutation from Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon to Golden Sacred Dragon. As the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's first heir, he would surely have enjoyed good food and drink from childhood. Yet even Yu Dashi's mutation into a Golden Sacred Dragon had failed, let alone Xiao Yan, whose foundation was even poorer.
If he truly wanted to mutate a Sea-Calming Needle into existence, he could only do it in his dreams.
Holding back his laughter, Qian Chongling said mildly, "I thought it was the legendary, immensely powerful trash martial soul, the Ruyi Golden-Hooped Staff."
After a pause, he continued, "It's a good mutation. At least it's better than a rolling pin."
Xiao Yan and Lin Xun'er were amused. They laughed and said, "There you go again, Grandpa. How could a trash martial soul be immensely powerful, and how could something immensely powerful be a trash martial soul?"
Qian Chongling said meaningfully, "A martial soul that starts out weighing a hundred and eight thousand jin, then becomes ten times heavier every time your soul power rises ten levels-with one swing, any enemy would be flattened into a meat patty. Isn't that a powerful martial soul?
"But that martial soul is also far too heavy. Almost no one can use it, which makes it an immensely powerful trash martial soul."
Xiao Yan and Lin Xun'er: Like we'd believe your nonsense! You rotten old man, you're wicked to the core!
"All right, Little Yan, let's test your soul power." Holding the crystal ball, Qian Chongling walked up to Xiao Yan.
Qian Chongling stood before Xiao Yan with the crystal ball in his hands, smiling. The instant Xiao Yan placed his hand on it, clear light blossomed from the ball, bathing his little face in a luminous white glow in the blink of an eye.
"All right, your innate soul power is level four..."
With his routine task complete, Qian Chongling pushed open the doors of the Martial Soul Awakening Hall. Seeing Old Jie Shi, who had been waiting outside all along, he called, "Jie Shi."
Old Jie Shi approached Qian Chongling nervously. "Lord Soul Master, are there any children in our village who can become soul masters this year?"
Qian Chongling said, "Three of this year's children have soul power: level one, level two, and level four, respectively. Their martial souls are just a little lacking."
"F-four? Could it be Xiao..."
At this, Jie Shi was overjoyed. Their martial souls might be poor because of their surroundings, but level-four soul power!
Whatever else happened, becoming a soul master was surely a certainty, wasn't it? At the thought that Holy Soul Village could produce three soul masters today, Old Jie Shi grinned so broadly he could not close his mouth.
After all, even someone with only half a level of soul power could generally become a soul master. Their ceiling would simply be a little low, just like a certain level-twenty-nine old scumbag who would be born in the future.
"Yes. All right, I'll be going now. I'll head to Nuoding City to report first."
Qian Chongling merely smiled again. For a commoner, becoming a soul master really could change the course of their entire life, so he had no intention of spoiling Jie Shi's joy.
Old Jie Shi hurried over to see Qian Chongling off, offering the usual polite flattery: "Thank you for your hard work, Lord Soul Master," "Take care on the road," and "Please take this little gift with you."
After seeing Qian Chongling off, Old Jie Shi returned to the Martial Soul Awakening Hall and looked at Xiao Yan, Lin Xun'er, and Zhao Fenmian.
"Good, good, good."
Old Jie Shi gazed at the three children, his kindly face full of delighted surprise. He had watched all three of them grow up.
"There are still three months until enrollment at Notting Junior Academy in Nuoding City. Our village only has one work-study place, but that doesn't matter. Grandpa can borrow two places from neighboring King Soul Village and Emperor Soul Village."
As Old Jie Shi looked at the three children, the smile never left his face. Besides, Xiao Yan's father, Xiao Huo, had some savings, so they might not even need all three places.
"Xun'er, Fenmian, you two go home first. I'll go to Xiao Huo's house and let him know."
"All right, Grandpa Village Chief." The three nodded obediently.
With that, Old Jie Shi led Xiao Yan outside and headed toward Xiao Huo's home.
Before you continue