“Ning Dazhuang’s family, are you ready?
I’ll take Little San to the gathering first!”
A familiar, somewhat urgent voice suddenly came from outside the courtyard—Village Chief Jack’s.
Like a stone thrown into a calm lake, it instantly shattered the shock and reverie brought by the strange prompt in Ning Chuan’s mind.
“Ah!
Coming, coming!
Village Chief, you go ahead, we’ll be right there!” Ning Dazhuang quickly responded toward the courtyard, his voice carrying the simple honesty of a farmer and a hint of respect for the village chief.
Turning back, he looked at Ning Chuan, who was still dazed, and Ning Xiaohe, who was blinking her big eyes, his tone growing more urgent.
“Hurry up and eat!
What are you dawdling for?
A respected Soul Master is personally conducting your Martial Soul Awakening—this is a huge matter!
It’d be disgraceful to keep the Soul Master waiting if we’re late!”
Ning Chuan snapped back to reality, realizing now was not the time to investigate the strange voice in his head.
The top priority was indeed the Martial Soul Awakening!
This was related to his future in this world!
Ning Chuan immediately lowered his head, stuffing the remaining half of the coarse grain bun into his mouth in a few quick bites.
He then picked up the warm tea beside him, gulping it down in several large swallows to barely force down the dry, choking bun.
Seeing her brother do this, Ning Xiaohe imitated him, holding her bowl with both small hands, her face flushed red as she struggled to drink the water, with a few crumbs of bun still clinging to the corner of her mouth.
“Alright, alright, let’s go!” Liu Lan swiftly tidied up the bowls and chopsticks, urging them on.
The family of four hurried out the door, making their way toward the wooden house at the village center, usually used for meetings and occasional events.
Ning Dazhuang walked with long strides at the front; Liu Lan held Ning Xiaohe’s hand, while Ning Chuan followed closely behind.
Rushing as fast as they could, they arrived at the wooden house in the village center just in time to see a young man dressed in white martial attire, with a somewhat indifferent expression, leading several village children who had also turned six into the wooden house.
On the young man’s chest was a badge engraved with swords—three swords crossed.
This was the emblem of a direct subordinate of the Spirit Hall.
Three swords indicated he was a Grand Spirit Master-level Battle Spirit Master.
Ning Chuan’s gaze quickly swept over the children, soon settling on a quiet, black-haired boy in patched clothes at the end of the line.
Tang San!
Though still young and with a childish face, the calmness in his eyes and his slightly different demeanor from the other children allowed Ning Chuan to recognize him at a glance.
This was the original Chosen One of this world, the one destined to become a god in the future.
“Quick, hurry over!” Ning Dazhuang urged in a hushed voice, afraid of disturbing the Soul Master.
Without waiting for further instructions from his parents, Ning Chuan took a deep breath, grabbed his sister Ning Xiaohe’s hand, and jogged forward, quietly joining the line behind Tang San.
Tang San seemed to notice someone behind him, glancing slightly to the side.
Seeing it was Ning Chuan and his sister, he gave a slight nod before turning his gaze back to the Soul Master standing at the front, his expression focused.
Ning Chuan withdrew his gaze, his emotions complex.
He knew what would happen next, yet he could neither change it nor participate.
He could only be an observer, an ordinary villager about to be judged as “with or without Spirit Power.”
“Children, this is Battle Spirit Master Su Yuntao from the Spirit Hall in Notting City.
He will guide you through the Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony!
You must cooperate well with the master.
Grandpa hopes that some of you can become Soul Masters!” Old Village Chief Jack stood at the door, speaking excitedly to the children, then respectfully bowed to Su Yuntao.
“Master, I’ll leave it to you.”
Su Yuntao nodded faintly, seemingly already accustomed to such rural awakening ceremonies, even carrying a hint of barely noticeable impatience: “I don’t have much time.
Let’s begin now.”
With that, Su Yuntao took the lead and entered the wooden hut.
Following his gesture, the children filed in one after another.
Ning Chuan held his younger sister’s small hand and followed them inside.
The interior of the wooden hut was somewhat dim, with stone slabs covering the floor and an open space left in the center.
Su Yuntao walked to the center of the open space.
As he opened the bag he carried and took out two items—six pitch-black round stones and a shining blue crystal ball—he explained in a routine manner: “My name is Su Yuntao, a twenty-sixth-level Grand Spirit Master, and I am your guide.
Now, I will awaken your Martial Souls one by one.
Remember, no matter what happens, do not be afraid.”
After speaking, he arranged the six black stones into a hexagonal Awakening Array on the ground, then motioned for the first child in the front row to step inside.
“Lone Wolf, Possession!”
With Su Yuntao’s low shout, a surge of intense Spirit Power fluctuations emerged.
His body began to swell, fur grew out, his eyes glowed green, and his hands transformed into sharp claws.
One white and one yellow Spirit Ring rose from Su Yuntao’s feet, circling around his body and floating up and down.
This sudden change frightened all the children except Tang San, causing them to scream and retreat.
A few even nearly burst into tears.
Ning Xiaohe was so scared that she tightly clung to Ning Chuan’s arm, her little face pale.
Although Ning Chuan had mentally prepared himself, witnessing the scene of this Beast Spirit Possession firsthand still made his heart race uncontrollably.
Was this the power of a Soul Master?
Su Yuntao shouted again: “Don’t be afraid.
This is my Martial Soul, the Lone Wolf.
If any of you can become a Soul Master in the future, you will also possess such abilities.”
He then motioned for the first child to extend his right hand.
Guided by Spirit Power, the children awakened their Martial Souls one by one.
Sickle, hoe, sickle, Blue Silver Grass…
Without exception, they were all farming tools or Waste Martial Souls.
As each child awakened, the initial light in their eyes would quickly dim, replaced by disappointment.
Su Yuntao’s expression grew increasingly indifferent, clearly accustomed to such outcomes.
Finally, it was Tang San’s turn.
Tang San calmly walked into the Awakening Array and stood still.
Ning Chuan held his breath.
He knew the main event was about to begin.
As before, Su Yuntao guided Spirit Power to infuse into the array.
In an instant, intense golden light erupted from the hexagon, far more dazzling than any of the previous children!
Ning Chuan could even sense the surrounding energy of heaven and earth faintly fluctuating.
“This…” For the first time, Su Yuntao’s indifferent face showed astonishment as he stared intently at Tang San at the center of the light.
The golden light gradually faded, revealing a small, tender blue Blue Silver Grass in Tang San’s right palm, gently swaying with the fluctuations of Spirit Power.
“Is it Blue Silver Grass?” The surprise in Su Yuntao’s eyes quickly faded, replaced by a hint of pity and confusion.
“Such intense light, yet it turned out to be Blue Silver Grass?
What a shame.
A standard Waste Martial Soul.
It seems Blue Silver Grass will always remain just that.”
Shaking his head, Su Yuntao seemed to feel the astonishing light had been wasted.
However, just as everyone thought it was over, Ning Chuan keenly noticed a flash of lightning within Tang San’s left hand, which hung down in a clenched fist.
Sensing the anomaly in himself, Tang San subtly withdrew his left hand, a faint trace of surprise and hesitation flickering across his face.
The Clear Sky Hammer!
Tang San had simultaneously awakened the Clear Sky Hammer!
But he chose to conceal it.
Ning Chuan understood—this was the secret of Twin Martial Souls.
“Alright, let’s test your Spirit Power,” Su Yuntao said, though he had already deemed it a Waste Martial Soul, the procedure still had to be followed.
He handed the blue crystal ball to Tang San.
Tang San placed his hand on it as instructed.
The next moment, something astonishing happened!
The blue crystal ball seemed to transform into a greedy black hole, voraciously devouring the Spirit Power Su Yuntao channeled into it.
Then, it erupted with an incredibly dazzling blue halo, illuminating the entire dim wooden hut!
The light was intense, pure, and brimming with vitality.
“Innate…
Innate Full Spirit Power?!” Su Yuntao exclaimed in disbelief, his eyes wide and his face filled with incredulity.
He looked at the crystal ball, then at the small Blue Silver Grass in Tang San’s right hand, his expression a mix of contradiction and absurdity.
“How is this possible?!
Blue Silver Grass…
how could it possibly have Innate Full Spirit Power?!”
Su Yuntao was utterly perplexed, ultimately attributing it to an inexplicable mutation.
With an extremely complex expression—pity, shock, and a trace of reluctance—he said to Tang San, “What a pity, truly a great pity.
It had to be Blue Silver Grass.
If it were any Beast Spirit, or even a Tool Spirit, your future would have been limitless.
But it had to be Blue Silver Grass…
Sigh.
Go stand over there for now.”
Tang San nodded silently and moved to the side, lowering his head to look at his hands, lost in thought.
Witnessing this scene, Ning Chuan felt a surge of emotions.
Familiar with the original story, he knew this was not the end but the beginning of a legend.
But where was his own beginning?