"Eight years old?"
Su Yuntao frowned. "Which one is it?"
Wang Shenmeng quickly stepped forward, imitating Old Jack's respectful salute. "Respected Spirit Master, it's me."
Su Yuntao's expression softened slightly. Though the child's clothes were shabby and his frame thin, his features were striking—handsome enough to stand out from the crowd. Su Yuntao had already noticed him the moment he entered.
"Eight years old… it's too late to awaken at that age. The chances are slim. It would only waste time and energy." His tone was indifferent.
Wang Shenmeng's heart tightened, his fists clenching unconsciously.
Old Jack pleaded, "Respected Spirit Master, please forgive me. This child is too pitiful. This is his last chance to change his fate. I beg you, let him try."
Wang Shenmeng also bowed deeply. "My lord, please be merciful. Just give me a chance!"
Su Yuntao hesitated, then said, "Forget it. Although it's a bit late, there's still a sliver of hope. If it were delayed another two years, there would be no chance at all."
Old Jack's face lit up with relief. "Then Master agrees?"
"Yes."
Su Yuntao nodded. "Awakening martial souls for the children of commoners is the duty of Spirit Hall. As long as there is even a chance, I cannot turn them away."
"Thank you, Spirit Master!"
Old Jack and Wang Shenmeng saluted again at the same time, their hearts filled with gratitude toward the deacon and the Spirit Hall behind him.
For ordinary people like them, Spirit Hall was the only light of hope. If one day Spirit Hall no longer offered free martial soul awakenings for commoners, it was hard to imagine what kind of despairing society would remain.
Old Jack said happily, "Children, this is the Spirit Master from Notting City. Next, he will guide you in unlocking your martial souls. You must cooperate with the master during the awakening. Grandpa hopes that among you, there will be those who can become soul masters."
Su Yuntao, however, spoke impatiently. "Alright, you said the same thing last year. Do you really think it's that easy to become a soul master? I've traveled through six villages, and not one child possessed innate soul power. Not a single martial soul was suitable."
A trace of sorrow flickered in Old Jack's eyes. He sighed softly. "Yes… only the descendants of the great sects have the best chance of becoming soul masters. For us common folk, it is far too difficult."
Shaking his head, he turned and walked out of the Spirit Hall.
Su Yuntao's gaze swept over the nine children standing before him. As a patrol deacon of Spirit Hall, it was his duty to help ordinary children awaken their martial souls. He had long since grown accustomed to disappointment.
"Children, stand in a row."
His attitude toward the children was much gentler now.
The nine stood obediently in front of Su Yuntao, with Wang Shenmeng positioned at the far left. Though he was the oldest, his thin frame was scarcely taller than that of a six-year-old.
Su Yuntao smiled faintly. "My name is Su Yuntao, a rank twenty-six Spirit Master. I will be your guide today. Now, I will awaken your martial souls one by one. Remember—no matter what happens, do not be afraid."
As he spoke, Su Yuntao opened the package on the table beside him and took out two items: six black, round stones and a gleaming blue crystal ball.
He arranged the six stones on the ground in a hexagonal pattern, then gestured for the first child on the right to step inside.
"Don't be afraid. Close your eyes and feel carefully."
As he spoke, Su Yuntao's eyes suddenly lit up. Under the horrified gazes of the children, he shouted: "Lone Wolf, possess!"
A faint azure light burst forth from the center of his brow, rising upward before sinking into the top of his head.
Su Yuntao's black hair instantly turned gray, lengthening rapidly. Coarse fur of the same color sprouted across his bare hands. At the same time, his body swelled, muscles bulging as his frame grew larger and more imposing.
Fortunately, the special uniform of Spirit Hall was woven with great elasticity, and it did not tear despite his transformation.
His eyes gleamed with a faint green light, and sharp claws extended from his fingers, each one glinting with a cold, metallic sheen.
Two spirit rings rose from beneath Su Yuntao's feet, circling upward from his soles to the crown of his head. One was white, the other yellow—an unusual sight for the children, who had never seen such a thing before.
The boy standing within the black stones screamed in terror at Su Yuntao's transformation. "Ah—!" He tried to run, but Su Yuntao's green, lupine eyes flashed, and he caught the child firmly.
"Don't move. Don't be afraid. This is my martial soul—Lone Wolf. If any of you become spirit masters in the future, you will also possess abilities like this."
With a flick of his hands, six faint green lights shot into the black stones on the ground. At once, a layer of golden brilliance spread outward, forming a pale golden barrier that enveloped the child.
Bathed in the golden light, the boy gradually calmed. After a moment, a martial soul manifested in his hands—a rusty scythe. Useless as a combat spirit, and when tested, it revealed no soul power. He could not become a spirit master.
The boy walked aside, shoulders slumped in disappointment.
The same scene repeated again and again. Five more children awakened their martial souls—hoes, sickles, and other farming tools. Not a single beast spirit appeared, and every one of them was judged by Su Yuntao to have no soul power.
The seventh child, a girl, awakened the crippled martial soul Blue Silver Grass, but she too had no soul power.
Finally, it was Tang San's turn. Without waiting for Su Yuntao's instruction, he calmly stepped forward and stood in the center of the six black stones.
As Su Yuntao infused soul power into the array, the pale golden light flared once more, enveloping Tang San's small figure.
Su Yuntao's eyes suddenly lit up. Within the golden barrier, there were far more light spots than with any of the children before. He could faintly sense that a powerful martial soul was about to emerge, and his excitement was palpable.
For deacons of Spirit Hall tasked with awakening the martial souls of commoners, discovering a child with extraordinary potential was a rare opportunity. If they could recruit such a child into Spirit Hall, it would bring them great merit and benefits for future promotion.
But soon, Su Yuntao's excitement dimmed.
Tang San subconsciously raised his right hand, and what appeared was blue.
This was the second time that same color had appeared in Holy Spirit Village today.
Blue Silver Grass. The same martial soul as the girl before—universally recognized as a useless, waste martial soul.
Su Yuntao sighed helplessly. "Another useless martial soul. It seems Holy Spirit Village is a waste of time this year. Alright, boy, step aside."
He turned to Wang Shenmeng with a weary tone, clearly not expecting much.
But Tang San quickly spoke up, "Uncle, you haven't tested my soul power yet."
Without turning his head, Su Yuntao replied flatly, "There's no need. I've never seen a useless martial soul like Blue Silver Grass possess soul power."
"Please, let me try, Uncle." Tang San's voice was firm.
At his insistence, Su Yuntao reluctantly tested him—and was utterly shocked.
Innate full soul power.
Yet even so, in Su Yuntao's eyes, it was wasted on the Blue Silver Grass. No matter how much soul power one had, a useless martial soul was still useless.
Standing to the side, Wang Shenmeng glanced calmly at Tang San's left hand, hidden within his sleeve. He knew what was concealed there: a hammer. If revealed, it would shake the entire Spirit Hall.
But he dared not speak of it. He dared not even look too long. If Tang Hao and his son discovered that he knew their secret, he would die without a burial place.
"Truly an old fox," Wang Shenmeng thought to himself. "At such a young age, he already knows how to hide. Will he bring it out one day?"
Wang Shenmeng secretly complained in his heart: "But I remember the fourth precept of the Xuantian Treasure Record—never pretend to be a pig to eat a tiger, otherwise you might really become a pig. What does Tang San mean by this? Flexible compliance?"
Wang Shenmeng secretly complained in his heart: "But I remember the fourth precept of the Xuantian Treasure Record—never pretend to be a pig to eat a tiger, otherwise you might really become a pig. What does Tang San mean by this? Flexible compliance?"
"Child, come here!"
Su Yuntao's voice pulled him back to reality.
Wang Shenmeng took a deep breath, suppressing his distracting thoughts. He stepped forward and stood in the center of the six black stones.
With the infusion of Su Yuntao's six streams of soul power, the pale golden light flared once again, enveloping Wang Shenmeng's small frame.
Warmth. That was his first sensation—an indescribable comfort, as though his entire being were wrapped in a gentle, golden world.
No wonder the children before him had calmed down once they were bathed in this light.
The warmth seeped into his body, flowing through his limbs and bones. Wang Shenmeng could clearly feel something within him stirring, as if a long-slumbering existence was being roused.
Then, under the pull of that golden energy, something inside him suddenly snapped.
In the next instant, all the warmth surged upward like a tide, rushing straight to the crown of his head.