4: C4 Displaying the Martial Soul,
The sound not only echoed through the hall but also reached the eagerly waiting parents outside.
“Whoosh—”
The crowd outside instantly burst into louder exclamations, buzzing with discussion.
“Level five!
It’s actually level five!”
“Incredible!
Our village hasn’t produced a child with such high innate soul power in centuries!”
“Whose child is it?
Old Wang’s second boy?
Wang Wu’s son?”
Inside the hall, Village Chief Old Martin’s face broke into a wide smile.
He stepped forward and gently patted Wang Teng’s shoulder, who was still somewhat dazed.
“Good boy!
Well done!
Quick, go on out and give your father the good news!
Let the other children awaken now too.”
Half-supported and half-guided by Old Martin, Wang Teng was led out of the Spirit Hall.
His mind felt stuffed with cotton, yet also like countless fireworks were exploding, buzzing and echoing with the words “innate soul power level five” repeating over and over.
Outside the Spirit Hall, the bright sunlight made Wang Teng squint involuntarily.
The surrounding chatter only added to the noise in his ears.
“It’s Xiao Teng!
Wang Teng!
Innate soul power level five!”
“The Wang family’s ancestral graves must be smoking!
The eldest son is already a soul master, and now the second son is too—level five at that!”
“Wang Wu must be so proud right now!”
Voices of envy, amazement, and congratulations surrounded Wang Teng.
He took several deep breaths of fresh air, gradually emerging from that immense shock and daze.
The next moment, an uncontrollable surge of joy rushed to his head!
Pushing through the crowd, not even bothering to exchange more than a few words with the familiar uncles and aunties, he broke into a sprint toward home.
The wind howled past his ears, and the bluestone road flew beneath his feet.
Bang!
He threw open the courtyard gate, leaning against the doorframe as he gasped for breath, his chest heaving.
“Dad—!”
He shouted with all his might.
“What’s wrong?
Is the awakening over?”
His father Wang Wu’s voice came from the cowshed behind the house, accompanied by rustling sounds, as if he were adding fodder.
Wang Teng walked slowly to the middle of the yard, straightened up, and broke into a huge smile.
Then, in a voice even louder and clearer than before, he shouted, “Your son…
I…
innate soul power…
level five!”
As Wang Teng’s words fell, the yard fell silent for a moment.
Then.
“Ha!
Hahahaha!”
A burst of unrestrained laughter, full of surprise and pride, erupted from behind the house and instantly filled the small courtyard.
That was Wang Wu’s laugh.
“Hahahaha—”
Almost simultaneously, Wang Teng couldn’t help himself either, and joined in the laughter.
The father and son’s laughter intertwined, ringing especially loud and joyful in the ordinary morning of Tiger King Village.
After laughing for a while, Wang Wu happily came around from behind the house into the yard.
The sunlight in the yard was just right.
Father and son stood there, and Wang Wu, full of anticipation, couldn’t help asking, “Innate soul power level five—you’re even higher than your big brother was back then!”
“Tell me, what is your martial soul?”
“Is it inherited from my bow and arrow martial soul, or your brother’s and mother’s battle tiger martial soul?”
Upon hearing this, Wang Teng hesitated slightly, then extended his right hand.
With a thought, his martial soul quietly emerged.
“Dad, my martial soul seems to have mutated…
it’s called Blast Spinning Top.”
There, hovering above Wang Teng’s palm, was a silver-white metal spinning top, its surface gleaming with a faint luster.
“An object-type martial soul?
This…
did it mutate from my bow and arrow martial soul?”
“It does look a bit like it came from an arrowhead—just changed from triangular to conical.”
Wang Wu leaned in, carefully examining the child’s-play looking martial soul in his son’s hand, scratching his head in confusion.
“I suppose so, since both a spinning top and a bow and arrow can attack from a distance.”
Wang Teng’s tone carried a hint of helplessness.
“The appearance of the martial soul doesn’t matter—what counts is how it performs in actual combat!”
“Come on, show me.
Let’s see what it can do!”
Wang Wu’s eyes burned with curiosity as he stared at Wang Teng’s Blast Spinning Top martial soul.
“Alright!”
Wang Teng nodded in agreement.
Then, he channeled his soul power to display his martial soul.
The silver-white spinning top suddenly began to rotate.
At first, the rotation was somewhat slow, but it quickly grew faster and faster.
“Hum—”
The edge of the spinning top rapidly rubbed against the air, creating threads of whistling sound.
“Blast Spinning Top, go!”
Wang Teng lightly shouted, flicking his wrist.
The spinning top followed the momentum and flew from his hand, arcing low and landing steadily on the dirt floor of the yard.
The spinning top did not stop rotating.
Instead, under Wang Teng’s control, it began to circle and race around.
Father and son watched as the spinning top moved noticeably faster than a running person, quickly tracing a clear circular mark on the ground around them.
“Aim for that sharpening stone by the kitchen door!”
Wang Wu pointed at the whetstone not far away, his voice urging him on.
Wang Teng changed his hand gesture, and the spinning top turned accordingly, charging straight toward the whetstone.
However, just as it was about to collide.
With a soft “puff,” the spinning top vanished into a wisp of smoke.
“What happened?”
Wang Wu quickly turned and asked.
“It seems…
the spinning top can’t be too far from me.”
Wang Teng raised his right hand, watching the martial soul re-form and spin in his palm, looking thoughtful.
“Beyond a certain distance, it automatically returns.”
Wang Teng explained to his father.
“Then let’s try it closer!”
Wang Wu said, pulling his son forward a few steps and stopping about three meters from the whetstone.
“Blast Spinning Top, attack!”
Wang Teng released his martial soul again.
As his soul power surged, the spinning top shot out like a silver light and struck the whetstone solidly.
“Bang!”
With a sharp crack, the basin-sized whetstone shattered into pieces, sending fragments flying.
Almost simultaneously, Wang Teng felt a significant drain on his soul power and let out a slight breath.
“Controlling the martial soul’s movement and attacks consumes my soul power continuously…”
Wang Teng summarized as he retracted the spinning top martial soul.
“Not bad at all!”
Wang Wu crouched down, picked up a piece of broken stone, his face beaming.
“Your martial soul’s power is much stronger than my bow and arrow martial soul!”
“But its attack range is a bit short.”
Wang Wu praised while shaking his head with a sigh.
“Dad, don’t worry.
I feel that the distance my spinning top can reach should increase as my soul power grows.”
Wang Teng wiped the sweat from his brow, speaking with certainty.
“That’s good, that’s good!”
Wang Wu laughed, the wrinkles around his eyes deepening.
“Wang Teng, Wang Wu, are you home?”
Just as the father and son were getting excited, a familiar voice came from the courtyard gate.
They turned to look and saw Village Chief Old Martin standing there with a smile.
“Grandpa Martin, what brings you here?”
Wang Teng hurried over.
“Xiao Teng, I came to tell you something.”
Old Martin walked into the yard, his tone gentle.
“A few years ago, when your brother Wang Sheng tested positive for innate soul power and went to school in Notting City, he used up our village’s only work-study student slot.”
“At the moment, the village hasn’t received approval for a new work-study slot yet.
So if you want to go to Notting City’s Soul Master Academy this year, I’m afraid you’ll have to think of other ways…”
Old Martin explained to Wang Teng and his father.
“Grandpa Martin.”
Wang Teng frowned upon hearing this and asked urgently, “The tuition for a junior soul master academy is really beyond our family’s means…”
“Do you think there’s any other way?”
“Son, don’t worry.”
Old Martin patted Wang Teng’s shoulder, his smile reassuring.
“If there were no way, I wouldn’t have made this special trip!”
“Although our village’s work-study slot is gone, neighboring villages definitely have vacancies.”
“This afternoon, you’ll come with me.
We’ll go around to the nearby villages and see if we can negotiate for a slot.”
“Really?
Thank you so much, Grandpa Martin!”
Wang Teng’s eyes lit up, and he let out a sigh of relief, eagerly pulling the old man along.
“Dad’s making a good lunch today—you have to stay and try some!”
Before Old Martin could decline, Wang Teng and his father flanked him and guided him into the yard.
Old Martin chuckled and stopped being polite, following Wang Teng to sit under the old pomegranate tree for some shade.
The tree’s shade spread out, a gentle breeze blew, and the old man and young boy chatted casually in a relaxed atmosphere.
Meanwhile, Wang Wu was busy working.
To celebrate his son’s martial soul awakening, he had already prepared the ingredients.
Now, Wang Wu slaughtered chickens and cleaned fish with deft movements.
The stove fire burned brightly, and soon, enticing aromas filled the small yard.
At noon, a table of sumptuous dishes was laid out on the stone table under the pomegranate tree.
The three sat around it.
Wang Wu poured homemade rice wine for Old Martin, while Wang Teng raised his cup of water to toast both his grandfather and father.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled spots on the food and on their smiling faces.
After lunch, the sun hung high, its rays scorching.
Old Martin did not rush to set off with Wang Teng to negotiate for a work-study slot at neighboring villages.
Instead, he stayed in the Wang family’s small yard to rest for a while, planning to leave once the sun had mellowed.
In the yard, the old pomegranate tree’s branches and leaves were thick, casting a generous patch of shade.
The three sat beneath it, slowly sipping hot tea, quite comfortable.
Father Wang Wu and Old Martin chatted about recent village gossip.
Wang Teng, meanwhile, lay back on the bamboo chair, eyes closed, as if asleep.
In truth, his attention was entirely focused on the translucent “golden finger panel” that had appeared in his mind.
Name: Wang Teng
Age: 6
Martial Soul: Blast Spinning Top
Soul Power: Level 5
Range: 10 meters
Soul Skill: None
Talent: None
Talent Points: 0
(Each breakthrough to a major realm grants one Talent Point; upon use, a Talent Point will generate a suitable talent based on current conditions)
The panel clearly displayed Wang Teng’s current status.
Beyond that, what concerned Wang Teng most was the final line’s explanation about Talent Points.
“This means that to get the first Talent Point, I’ll have to cultivate to level ten…”
“But is it enough to reach level ten, or must I break through level ten and enter the next realm?”
Wang Teng unconsciously rubbed his chin with his small hand, lost in thought.
The two scenarios seemed similar, but were actually worlds apart.
If it were the former, he could use a Talent Point to enhance his physique before obtaining his first soul ring.
Even if his family couldn’t afford whale glue, he might have a chance to absorb a higher-level soul ring.
But if it were the latter, he would have to absorb a soul ring first before getting a Talent Point.
In that case, though the cheat was still there, his early development would inevitably be slightly slower.
“A bit troublesome…
if only I’d been given a Deep Blue System instead.”
“Talent Points…”
“I’ll need to carefully plan the key milestones ahead…”
The deeper Wang Teng thought, the more immersed he became, almost completely consumed by calculations about the future.
“Xiao Teng, it’s about time.
Let’s get going.”
Suddenly, he felt someone gently shaking his shoulder and quickly opened his eyes.
Old Martin had already stood up, one hand resting on his shoulder.
“Let’s go.
We’ll check out the neighboring Holy Soul Village first.”
“I wonder if their village produced any children with innate soul power this year.”
“Though most likely they didn’t.”
“I’ll have a good laugh at that old rascal Jack when I see him.”
Old Martin muttered to himself as he walked toward the gate.
Wang Teng quickly scrambled up from the bamboo chair and hurried after him.
“Dad, we’re leaving!”
He called back over his shoulder.
“Got it.
Be careful on the road and come back early.”
Wang Wu replied, beginning to clear the remaining dishes from the table.
The old man and the young boy walked unhurriedly out of Tiger King Village, following the rural dirt path toward Holy Soul Village.
Though it was around two in the afternoon, a large patch of clouds had drifted in from somewhere, perfectly blocking the blazing sun overhead.
Thus, as the two walked with a gentle breeze at their backs, they didn’t feel particularly hot.
“Oh, by the way, Grandpa Martin, was I the only one in our village who awakened innate soul power this year?”
Wang Teng suddenly remembered and asked.
On the day of the martial soul awakening, he had been the first to go through the ceremony and had left early afterward, so he hadn’t seen what happened after.
“Yes, just you.”
“But don’t think that’s too few.
In the decades before you, your brother was the only one from our village who awakened soul power.”
“Having you this year is already quite good.”
Old Martin’s tone carried a note of emotion.
“Oh.”
Wang Teng responded and walked silently behind him.
He remembered that in the original story, although Holy Soul Village was a village that had produced a Soul Saint, only Tang San had awakened soul power that year.
And Tiger King Village was even smaller than Holy Soul Village.
Producing a child with innate soul power level five this year was indeed the most outstanding performance in the surrounding area.
The two chatted as they walked.
After about half an hour, the outline of Holy Soul Village came into view.
Though Holy Soul Village had produced a Soul Saint in its early years and was larger than Tiger King Village, it didn’t appear more prosperous overall.
To be precise, Tiger King Village was actually the wealthiest among the villages in the area.
After all, the name wasn’t just for show.
Most villagers in Tiger King Village awakened martial souls related to tigers, so the men were generally robust.
Leveraging these strong laborers, Tiger King Village had steadily expanded into the surrounding forests over the years.
Every household in the village had plenty of fertile land, so naturally, life was more comfortable.