Twin Martial Souls

Half an hour later, at the Spirit Hall in Phoenixsong Village.

A young woman in her early twenties strode inside on long, slender legs, dressed in the standard uniform of Spirit Hall personnel: a fitted white outfit and a black cloak.

"Everyone's here, so let's begin," Gu Xuewei said warmly as she looked at the seven children in the hall.

"Black Cat, possess me!"

With that quiet utterance, her martial soul possessed her, and Gu Xuewei's appearance changed dramatically. Her figure grew longer and more slender, her waist narrowed, and most strikingly, her ears became a pair of black cat ears.

She lined the children up, arranged six black stones, and infused them with soul power. After completing the series of procedures...

"Bibi Nan. Martial soul: scythe. No soul power. Cannot become a soul master."

"Bibi Qian. Martial soul: green leaf grass. No soul power. Cannot become a soul master."

"Chen Da. Martial soul: hoe. No soul power. Cannot become a soul master."

"Next." Things had gone much as Gu Xuewei had expected. Before long, the first six children in line had all awakened their martial souls.

"What's your name?" Gu Xuewei looked at the little girl at the end of the line, who was as delicate as a porcelain doll, and could not help feeling fond of her. It couldn't be helped-the child was simply too adorable.

"Lord Soul Master, my name is Bibi Dong," Bibi Dong told Gu Xuewei with a sweet smile.

"Good girl. Stand in the middle of those six black stones."

Bibi Dong nodded and stood among the six black stones. At once, layers of hazy golden radiance streamed out of them, forming a pale golden dome of light around her.

Golden motes floated out of the black stones and sank into Bibi Dong's body, which trembled slightly.

"Hold out your right hand!" Gu Xuewei said.

Bibi Dong instinctively extended her right hand. All the motes surged out, and a spider instantly appeared in her palm. At the sight, Gu Xuewei's eyes widened, excitement spilling across her face.

"A death spider emperor?"

Gu Xuewei's voice quivered with excitement. The death spider emperor was a top-tier martial soul. In all the awakenings she had helped conduct, not a single martial soul had ever exceeded the high tier.

But what happened next shocked Gu Xuewei even more. Dazzling light blossomed above Bibi Dong's other little hand.

When the light faded, the martial soul in Bibi Dong's hand had changed. It was also a spider martial soul, but it was entirely different from the death spider emperor.

"Is this... a soul-eating demon spider?"

"She... she actually has... twin martial souls?"

Gu Xuewei no longer knew how to put her feelings into words. To think that a child with the legendary twin martial souls had been living so close to Spirit City! She had struck gold!

A promotion and a raise, becoming CEO, landing a tall, rich, handsome man, and reaching the pinnacle of life! Gu Xuewei was practically drooling.

Bibi Dong stared blankly at the excited Gu Xuewei, at a loss.

She had no idea what had happened or why Gu Xuewei was trembling with excitement. Anyone who didn't know better might have thought she was having another epileptic fit!

Gu Xuewei took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. She still had to test the child's soul power. Only once both the martial soul and soul power level were known could a soul master's true worth be determined.

"Child, place your hand on this crystal ball."

Bibi Dong nodded and placed her soft, fair little hand on it. The instant her palm touched the Blue Crystal Ball, it lit up.

Dazzling blue light spread from a single point in an instant. In the blink of an eye, the crystal ball sparkled like a brilliant gemstone, spilling a faint blue halo of indescribable beauty.

"Innate full soul power!"

"Twin martial souls and innate full soul power. This is simply unbelievable."

"With a genius like this, I, Gu Xuewei, am sure to earn great merit this time!"

Gu Xuewei made no attempt to hide her excitement, but she did not immediately invite Bibi Dong to join the Spirit Hall.

Both the death spider emperor and the soul-eating demon spider were evil martial souls. After numerous reforms, the Spirit Hall no longer killed people with evil martial souls on sight, but it still observed their everyday temperament closely.

By now, Bibi Dong had naturally noticed that the test results had made Gu Xuewei treat her very differently from the others. Mustering her courage, she asked, "Big Sister, what is innate full soul power?"

Gu Xuewei explained, "There are two essential requirements for becoming a soul master. The first is a martial soul, and the second is innate soul power! As long as soul power appears during your awakening, even the tiniest bit, you can cultivate through meditation. And the higher your innate soul power, the faster you'll cultivate afterward!"

"So, child, you can become a soul master. But there's something I need to confirm with your village chief first."

Gu Xuewei was already burning with impatience. What she wanted to know most now was what this child named Bibi Dong was usually like.

She pushed the door open and walked straight outside.

Outside, the chief of Phoenixsong Village approached her nervously and asked, "Grandmaster, how did it go? Are there any children in our village who can become soul masters this year?"

"There is," Gu Xuewei replied, "but I have a question for you."

The village chief froze. What could the Lord Soul Master possibly need to ask me?

"Please ask, Lord Soul Master!" the village chief said tentatively.

"That child in your village named Bibi Dong-what is she usually like?" Gu Xuewei asked. "Is she obedient and well-behaved? Or does she have a vicious temperament?"

The village chief grew even more confused, but still answered truthfully. "Bibi Dong? That child is very sensible and obedient. She's been helping her grandparents with their work since she was three."

After a pause, the village chief remembered something and continued, "Come to think of it, she isn't actually from our village. When she was still a baby, someone left her at the door of an elderly couple here. They adopted her."

Gu Xuewei breathed a sigh of relief, joy welling up inside her. Although Bibi Dong had evil martial souls, her temperament was quite gentle. It looked like her promotion and fortune were as good as secured!

With that thought, Gu Xuewei said, "That's good. This child can become a soul master, and her talent is exceptional!"

In an exceedingly cheerful mood, Gu Xuewei turned and returned to the village's Spirit Hall. She crouched down and asked Bibi Dong in the gentlest voice she had ever used in her life, "Child, would you like to join the Spirit Hall?"

"I... I don't know..." Bibi Dong murmured, somewhat at a loss.

The village chief, who had entered with Gu Xuewei, wore an expression that said, Am I imagining things? The Lord Soul Master invited Bibi Dong to join the Spirit Hall, and this child actually said she didn't know.

Afraid of angering the Lord Soul Master, the village chief hurriedly told Bibi Dong, "Dong'er, don't worry. Go become a soul master. Our village needs you."

(Updates are usually at 8:10 p.m. Just posting this on a whim; I doubt anyone will see it anyway.)