"Little brother, today the Spirit Hall soul master is coming to preside over the martial soul awakening! You must do your best!"
Tang San, who had deliberately rushed back from Notting Academy, patted his younger brother Tang Yi on the shoulder and spoke with earnest gravity.
"If your martial soul turns out to be promising, I will recommend you to my teacher—Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang! Then the two of us can cultivate together and become powerful soul masters!"
Tang San added.
Tang Yi's expression remained cool and detached; he merely gave a faint nod: "We'll see when the time comes."
Tang Yi was originally a person from 21st-century Blue Star. Due to an accident, he transmigrated into the Douluo Continent world and became Tang San's biological younger brother, one year his junior.
According to the original storyline, Tang San—with his twin martial souls and innate full soul power—had already taken that foolish Yu Xiaogang as his teacher at Notting Academy and was currently a fifteenth-ranked soul master.
Tang Yi had long seen through the hypocrisy behind Tang San's feigned concern.
Over these years, their "beast of a father" Tang Hao—who sired children but refused to raise them—spent every day dead drunk, ordering the two brothers to forge iron, start fires, and cook meals.
Whenever Tang Hao commanded them to prepare food or cook porridge, Tang San, playing the role of elder brother, would always "rely on his seniority" and pass the work to Tang Yi while he himself did nothing, simply enjoying the fruits of others' labor.
Once Tang Yi finished preparing the meal, Tang San would eagerly rush to deliver the rice or porridge to Tang Hao, attempting to curry favor.
Of course, that useless Tang Hao—usually bleary-eyed from drink—would simply slap him away, completely ignoring Tang San's "filial piety" and "concern."
In Tang Hao's view, it was only natural for sons to serve their father, and equally natural for a father to beat his sons.
It was only last year, after learning that Tang San had awakened twin martial souls with innate full soul power and possessed extraordinary soul master talent, that Tang Hao's attitude toward him underwent a dramatic reversal—suddenly embracing him and kissing his forehead.
Having lived two lifetimes, Tang Yi saw through Tang San's duplicity at a glance. He understood clearly that Tang San's true intention was to wait for his own martial soul awakening, hope he could quickly become a soul master, and then collect the soul coin subsidy from the Spirit Hall.
That way, the elder brother Tang San could openly appropriate his younger brother Tang Yi's subsidy funds.
Soon, the twenty-sixth-ranked strong attack system great soul master Su Yuntao from the Spirit Hall strode forward.
"Little ones of Holy Soul Village, I am now here to preside over your martial soul awakening ceremony!"
As he spoke, Su Yuntao swiftly arranged six pitch-black round stones on the ground to form a hexagon, then placed a gleaming blue crystal ball in the center.
"Step into the center of the formation."
Su Yuntao pointed to the first single-eyelid boy.
As he poured soul power into the array, six faint golden beams rose from the stones, forming a light barrier that enveloped the child.
The boy cried out in surprise and extended his right hand; a chicken egg appeared in his palm.
"Tool martial soul, chicken egg. Test your soul power."
Su Yuntao handed over the crystal ball.
After the boy touched it, the crystal remained completely unresponsive.
"No soul power. You cannot become a soul master. Next!"
Several children in succession awakened farming tools or poultry-related martial souls, all without any soul power.
Soon it was the last child's turn—Tang Yi!
Tang San deliberately introduced him to Su Yuntao: "Lord Su Yuntao, this is my younger brother—Tang Yi!"
A glint flashed in Su Yuntao's eyes. He still remembered Tang San vividly from last year: innate full soul power paired with a waste martial soul—Blue Silver Grass!
This year it was Tang San's brother. Could there perhaps be something special again?
Over the past year, Su Yuntao had also heard about Tang San's progress: he had become Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang's disciple at Notting Academy and was already a fifteenth-ranked soul master!
Such rapid advancement was truly remarkable.
Afterward, Su Yuntao had even been reprimanded by the bishop of the Notting City Spirit Hall branch for failing to recruit Tang San in time.
He thought to himself: "As long as this Tang Yi shows even slightly outstanding performance—even if it's a waste martial soul—I must recommend him to join the Spirit Hall! I absolutely cannot let another one end up as a student at Notting Academy like Tang San!"
"Come, child! Step into the center of the formation! Feel it with your heart! Awaken!"
Su Yuntao guided him.
Inside the array, Tang Yi sensed a strange warm current flowing through his limbs and bones.
Soon, a Blue Silver Grass martial soul appeared in the palm of his hand.
Su Yuntao was immediately startled: "What the—! Another Blue Silver Grass martial soul! Does Holy Soul Village have some special connection with Blue Silver Grass?!"
"Come quickly, child—test your soul power!"
This time Su Yuntao eagerly handed over the crystal ball without needing to be prompted as he had with Tang San the previous year; he now held great expectations for Tang Yi.
Tang Yi remained calm. Having thoroughly read the original novel, he naturally knew: Tang Hao was the Clear Sky Douluo, with the martial soul Clear Sky Hammer! His own mother was the hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Empress!
His martial soul would therefore be either the Clear Sky Hammer, Blue Silver Grass, or—very possibly—twin martial souls like Tang San's.
Tang San's gaze also flickered with a complicated light: "Little brother, go ahead and test your soul power."
Tang Yi placed both hands on the soul power testing crystal. No dazzling radiance erupted.
The light was extremely faint—vastly different from the brilliant display Tang San had produced during his awakening!
Having presided over countless awakening ceremonies, Su Yuntao was highly experienced and immediately declared: "Martial soul Blue Silver Grass, innate soul power rank one!"
After a pause, he shook his head and added: "A waste martial soul—Blue Silver Grass! And the lowest possible innate soul power! Your future achievements will be extremely limited. Reaching rank ten soul master may very well be the ceiling of your entire life!"
Tang Yi's gaze dimmed. He had not expected his martial soul to be a single Blue Silver Grass with such pitifully weak innate soul power.
Still, since he had thoroughly studied Douluo Continent, he might yet be able to defy fate through his knowledge and experience!
Among those present, only Village Chief Jack was overjoyed: "Haha! Tang Yi, you have a martial soul and soul power! Our Holy Soul Village has produced another soul master! This year, the working-student quota at the academy will go to you!"
With that, Village Chief Jack patted Tang Yi's shoulder comfortingly: "Little Yi, don't lose heart! Innate soul power of rank one is still rank one, and you do have a martial soul—you can cultivate! Even becoming a rank ten soul master would bring honor to the village!"
"Come, let's go home with Grandpa. I'll make you some braised pork!"
At that very moment, a strange voice suddenly sounded in Tang Yi's mind:
"Congratulations, host—you have successfully awakened your martial soul!"
"Interdimensional Jade Pendant—officially activated!"
Tang Yi's expression flickered with surprise. Discreetly, he glanced at the cyan-green jade pendant hanging around his neck.
This pendant had accompanied him from Blue Star during his transmigration and had always been worn around his neck. He never imagined it would turn out to be his golden finger!
"The Interdimensional Jade Pendant possesses the ability to traverse space-time and can connect to Blue Star!"
The prompt in his mind continued.
A tempest of shock surged through Tang Yi's heart.
Connecting to Blue Star? To the great Xia Nation of his homeland?