The sky was bright, a clear ray of sunshine shone down, and the clear sky made one feel refreshed. The clear weather seemed to be a good omen for Bu Xiu.
Today was the day of Martial Soul Awakening!
Bu Xiu took a deep breath, got out of bed with a nervous and uneasy feeling, and after washing up, walked directly to the Spirit Hall not far from the Schoolhouse.
It was called the Spirit Hall, but it was actually just a small wooden house about the same size as the thatched cottage where Bu Xiu's family lived.
The Spirit Hall was the most important place in a village. Every year, a Spirit Master from Nuoding City's Spirit Hall would come here to awaken the Spirits of the village's age-appropriate children.
The Schoolhouse was right next to the Spirit Hall, showing that even though Saint Spirit Village was a small village, it placed great importance on education.
After all, the probability of a Spirit Master being born was extremely small, and even lower in a small village like Saint Spirit Village. Most of the remaining people were still ordinary folks. Being able to read more books and recognize more characters, whether it was to become a steward for a wealthy family in Nuoding City or a grassroots employee in a large organization like the Spirit Hall or the City Lord's Mansion, was a good choice.
In this world, literacy was a privilege reserved for nobles and wealthy children. For an ordinary village to have a Schoolhouse and a private tutor was an extremely luxurious thing. Therefore, the villagers of Saint Spirit Village held their only private tutor in extremely high regard.
This year, there were a total of nine age-appropriate children for Martial Soul Awakening, with Bu Xiu and Tang San prominently among them.
Bu Xiu arrived very early, but before he did, several parents were already waiting outside the Spirit Hall, their faces filled with nervousness and apprehension.
Martial Soul Awakening was the most direct opportunity for them to change their fate. If a family could produce a Spirit Master, even the lowest-ranked Spirit Master, it almost meant they wouldn't have to worry about their livelihood in the future.
The status of Spirit Masters in this world was extremely high.
"A Xiu, you're here too! Come on in, the Spirit Master from the Spirit Hall has already arrived!" A simple and honest middle-aged man greeted Bu Xiu warmly upon seeing him.
"Uncle Fugui!" Bu Xiu smiled and greeted him, then walked into the wooden house of the Spirit Hall.
After Bu Xiu left, the parents started discussing again.
"A Xiu is Mr. Bu's son. Mr. Bu is the most educated person in our village. A Xiu might really be able to become a Spirit Master!" Wang Fugui said.
"Yes, A Xiu is exactly like Mr. Bu. My third son told me that A Xiu always comes first in every assessment and has already learned 50% of Mr. Bu's skills!" another man added.
"What 50%? My boy said A Xiu has already learned all of Mr. Bu's skills..." another person retorted.
But they all seemed to acknowledge Bu Xiu's extraordinary potential and his chance of becoming a Spirit Master.
Suddenly, a woman said faintly, "I actually hope A Xiu doesn't become a Spirit Master. That way, when Mr. Bu passes away, he can inherit his father's profession and continue to be our Schoolhouse teacher. If A Xiu and Mr. Bu could always stay at the Schoolhouse, we..."
At these words, everyone fell silent.
Wang Fugui shouted, "Woman, what nonsense are you spouting? Mr. Bu and A Xiu have been kind to us. If A Xiu can become a Spirit Master, we should be happy for him, not curse him here! What if Mr. Bu hears about it and leaves in a fit of anger? Do you want your child to be like you for their whole life? It's not just our village that desires Mr. Bu's presence. No one, absolutely no one, is allowed to say such things again!"
"Yes, yes, Brother Fugui is right..." The others quickly agreed, their voices lowering.
The villagers were all simple, honest farmers who had never left this place in their lives. Bu Xiu knew exactly what most of the villagers, and even Old Jack, the village chief, were thinking, but he wouldn't say much.
People are selfish, and the more barren a place, the more they yearn for knowledge.
For Bu Xiu, if he couldn't become a Spirit Master and had to stay in Saint Spirit Village, the identity of a teacher was not bad. At least in this village, he would be respected, have enough to eat and drink, marry a beautiful wife, and his life would have no major regrets.
However, if one could come into contact with the extraordinary, who would be willing to remain an ordinary person?
Stepping into the wooden house of the Spirit Hall, Bu Xiu also felt a bit nervous.
This step might determine his future destiny.
Whether he would stay in Saint Spirit Village his whole life, unknown and ordinary, or embark on the grand path of a Spirit Master, it all hinged on this moment today.
Inside the wooden house, almost all the children had arrived, waiting obediently, their expressions filled with tension.
Standing in front of the children was a handsome young man with a refined demeanor and sharp, star-like eyes. The youth wore a white uniform with a black cloak behind him, and a fist-sized 'Spirit' character on his chest.
This was the standard attire for direct personnel of the Spirit Hall. Both the youth's temperament and the fabric of his clothes were vastly different from these children of poor farmers, representing a gap in strength, identity, and status.
However, this person's gaze was very calm, showing no arrogance or haughtiness, nor any condescending expression.
Su Yuntao.
Bu Xiu remembered this character from the original work. In the Spirit Master's world, Su Yuntao was an insignificant figure, but to this ordinary small village, Su Yuntao was already a great figure who could determine their fate.
Su Yuntao had an emblem carved with three long swords on his left chest, signifying his rank as a third-stage Spirit Grandmaster.
Spirit Master cultivation had ten major ranks, from lowest to highest: Spirit Scholar, Spirit Master, Spirit Grandmaster, Spirit King, Spirit Emperor, Spirit Saint, Spirit Douluo, and Titled Douluo.
Each major rank had ten minor levels, making a total of one hundred levels, but one hundred levels was already the level of a god, and there had never been a legend of a god-level existence on the Douluo Continent.
"Senior!" Bu Xiu said politely.
Su Yuntao nodded, saying gently, "Don't be nervous. Wait a moment on the side. We'll start when everyone is here. Don't make any noise!"
"Yes!" Bu Xiu unhurriedly walked into the crowd and waited quietly.
Su Yuntao nodded slightly at this. This child's attire and demeanor were extraordinary, quite different from most of the farmer's children he had seen.
A short while later, Old Jack also walked in with a thin child and bowed to Su Yuntao: "Hello, esteemed Battle Spirit Master, I'm troubling you again this time!"
Tang San.
Bu Xiu glanced indifferently at the thin child, then quickly withdrew his gaze.
Although Tang San looked malnourished, his skin was fair, and his eyes were bright and spirited, completely different from most children. However, at this moment, Tang San's eyes were also filled with curiosity.
"Alright, you said the same thing last year. How can becoming a Spirit Master be that simple? I've already visited six villages, and not a single one had spirit power, nor a suitable Spirit," Su Yuntao said with some impatience.
"Indeed, how can becoming a Spirit Master be that simple? Only the descendants of great families are more likely to become Spirit Masters. For us ordinary people, it's truly too difficult!" Old Jack showed a bitter smile, shook his head, and walked out of the Spirit Hall.
"Children, stand in a line!" Towards these children, Su Yuntao clearly had more patience, speaking gently to them.
The nine people immediately stood in a line. Bu Xiu stood on the far right, dressed in clean Qing Shan, and was a little taller than his peers.
A total of nine people. This year, the number of age-appropriate children in Saint Spirit Village was quite a lot. Hopefully, there would really be one who could possess spirit power!
Su Yuntao sighed inwardly, quickly adjusted his emotions, and smiled, "My name is Su Yuntao, a twenty-sixth-rank Spirit Grandmaster. I am your guide. Now I will awaken your Spirits one by one. No matter what happens, there's no need to be afraid!"
Su Yuntao took out six black stones and a shining blue crystal ball from his satchel. He arranged the six stones on the ground in a hexagon and gestured for Bu Xiu to stand on them.
Bu Xiu took a deep breath and stood in the center of the six stones.
"Don't be nervous, close your eyes and feel carefully!" Su Yuntao said with a smile, and Bu Xiu obediently closed his eyes.
He nervously awaited his impending fate.
A breeze appeared within the wooden house, and he seemed to hear hurried footsteps nearby. Bu Xiu knew that Su Yuntao had likely released his Spirit.
Su Yuntao, with his Spirit attached, looked at the child in front of him, whose eyes were closed and whose demeanor was calm. He thought more highly of Bu Xiu, explaining, "Don't be afraid, this is my Spirit ability. When you all become Spirit Masters like me in the future, you will also possess similar abilities!"
Saying this, streams of spirit power were infused into the black stones.
Bu Xiu, with his eyes closed, only felt a warm aura envelop his body, an indescribable comfort. And within this warm current, something in his body seemed to shatter, and countless streams of air rushed towards his right hand.
"Open your right hand!" Su Yuntao's voice came.
Bu Xiu opened his eyes.
What appeared before him was a faint yellow. The yellow receded, and a Yellow Talisman Paper floated quietly in his palm. There was nothing on the talisman paper.
Seeing the appearance of the Yellow Talisman Paper, a hint of disappointment flashed in Su Yuntao's eyes, and he said, "Tool Spirit, Yellow Talisman Paper. No potential for development. What a pity!"
A seemingly ordinary Yellow Talisman Paper, what was its use? Could one fight with Yellow Talisman Paper?
If it were a book, that would be better, as some books had more or less mysterious uses, and Su Yuntao had even heard of people cultivating into Spirit Masters with books, and they were extremely powerful. But it was just a palm-sized yellow paper strip, with nothing on it; it was nothing more than a waste Spirit.
Su Yuntao shook his head in disappointment, but still held a glimmer of hope, as this child had absorbed many golden light points. He asked, "Can you feel any special abilities from your Yellow Talisman Paper?"
Bu Xiu thought for a moment. The Yellow Talisman Paper directly transformed into a streak of light and flew out, then directly stuck to Su Yuntao's body.