Capítulo 3: Chapter 3: Martial Soul Awakening
Under Grandpa Jack's guidance, the three of them entered the village from its entrance and made their way toward the Wuhun Branch Hall located in the center of the village.
Despite its grand name, the Wuhun Branch Hall of Holy Soul Village was simply a slightly larger wooden house. After all, Holy Soul Village was just a small, humble place. The villagers barely made enough to feed themselves, so they couldn't afford to build the hall into anything too extravagant, even though the presence of such a hall held significant meaning for them.
When they arrived in front of the Wuhun Branch Hall, Lin Ye noticed that most of the children eligible for the Martial Soul Awakening ceremony were already gathered there, playing and laughing. Grandpa Jack had reminded everyone about the ceremony earlier that week, so it was no surprise most of them had come early.
However, as soon as they spotted Grandpa Jack approaching, the children quickly stopped their games and lined up on the grass in front of the hall.
"Grandpa, I don't see Tang San here yet," Lin Ye remarked in a low voice, scanning the line and noticing that Tang San, whom he had met earlier that morning, was absent.
"Little San is a good boy. I told him about today, so unless something unexpected happened, he won't be late. It's definitely that useless drunk, Tang Hao, waking up late again!" Grandpa Jack slammed his cane into the ground in frustration.
Lin Ye knew about Tang Hao—Tang San's father and the village's only blacksmith. But unlike most fathers in the village, Tang Hao was incredibly irresponsible. Not only did he spend his days drinking heavily, but he also rarely worked. Whatever money he earned went straight to buying more alcohol, and since he didn't farm, there were often days when Tang San went without food or had nothing but watery porridge.
If it weren't for the help from their neighbors, Tang San might have starved long ago.
Lin Ye held nothing but disdain for Tang Hao. In his eyes, Tang Hao had thoroughly disgraced the title of father.
"Grandpa, should I go and fetch Tang San?" Lin Ye offered quietly.
"You stay here. I'll go. Tang Hao might be a lazy fool, but he's got a nasty temper. Better if I handle it," Grandpa Jack shook his head.
"Honored Battle Soul Master," Grandpa Jack turned respectfully toward the young Soul Master who had accompanied them. "There's still one child missing for the Martial Soul Awakening. May I go and bring him here?"
"Go ahead, but be quick about it," the young Soul Master replied. He had overheard Lin Ye and Grandpa Jack's earlier conversation and saw no reason to refuse.
"I'll be back soon. If you need anything, my grandson Lin Ye can help you," Grandpa Jack said one more time before turning to leave.
Once Grandpa Jack had gone, the young Soul Master walked with Lin Ye toward the front of the Wuhun Branch Hall. Lin Ye joined the line of children, while the Soul Master stood near the door, hands behind his back, occasionally glancing at the gathered kids.
About ten minutes later, Grandpa Jack returned with Tang San in tow.
"Honored Battle Soul Master, I apologize for the delay," Grandpa Jack said, slightly out of breath as he bowed to the young man again.
"No harm done," the Soul Master replied calmly.
"Now that everyone's here, let's begin. Follow me inside," he said, turning to push open the door to the Wuhun Branch Hall.
Before entering, Lin Ye glanced at Tang San, frowning slightly. "Didn't my grandpa remind you earlier this week? Why are you late?"
"Sorry, my dad got drunk last night, so I woke up late today," Tang San scratched his head, a bit embarrassed.
Lin Ye could only shake his head helplessly. With a father like Tang Hao, Tang San was truly unlucky. Not only did Tang Hao do nothing except blacksmithing, but he left all the household chores to Tang San. It was said that Tang San even did all the cooking—despite being too short to reach the stove!
Inside the Wuhun Branch Hall, the young Soul Master had already reached the front, placing his pack on a table. He took out a deep blue crystal ball and six black stones, arranging them in a hexagram pattern on the ground.
"Alright, everyone line up from left to right according to your height," the Soul Master said, clapping his hands once.
At his words, the nine children quickly rearranged themselves by height. Lin Ye, being the tallest, stood on the far right, while Tang San, the second tallest, stood to his left.
Satisfied with their promptness, the Soul Master smiled, nodding in approval. "Very good! Let me introduce myself. My name is Su Yuntao, a Level 26 Grand Soul Master, and my martial soul is the Lone Wolf. I will now guide you through the Martial Soul Awakening process. Remember, no matter what you see, do not be afraid. Understood?"
"Understood!" the children answered in unison, though none of them truly took his words to heart. It was just the Martial Soul Awakening—what could be so frightening about it?
However, Lin Ye felt a sense of gravity at Su Yuntao's words. He had spent time walking with the Soul Master earlier, and though Su Yuntao had been very serious around Grandpa Jack, he had been much kinder in front of the children. But Lin Ye knew this was only because they were kids. The Soul Master wouldn't have said something without reason.
Was something truly scary going to happen during the awakening?
As Lin Ye pondered this, Su Yuntao suddenly called out in a low voice, "Lone Wolf!"
At once, a terrifying aura erupted from Su Yuntao's body. A deep purple wolf shadow materialized behind him with a low growl before it merged into his figure.
Su Yuntao's body immediately began to change. His muscles swelled visibly, and his frame grew taller. Thick black and purple fur sprouted from his hands, and sharp claws extended from his fingertips. His eyes, once human, now glowed with a predatory green light, like those of a wolf.
"Roar!" Su Yuntao let out a fierce, guttural howl. The force of the sound, combined with an eerie pressure, swept through the hall like a wave.
The children, except for Lin Ye and Tang San, collapsed in terror. Some screamed, while others cried as they scrambled to retreat from the monstrous figure in front of them.
"A monster! Don't eat me!"
"Mom! I want my mom!"
"Stay back! Don't come near me!"
The combination of Su Yuntao's wolfish appearance and the overwhelming pressure had startled even Lin Ye. But his strong mental fortitude allowed him to maintain control. Although the hairs on his body stood on end, his internal Nine Yang True Qi began circulating rapidly, automatically dispersing the oppressive energy around him.
As he regained his composure, Lin Ye noticed something surprising—Tang San hadn't fallen either. Though his body was tense, he remained standing.
Could it be sheer willpower? Or something else? Lin Ye wondered. The strange energy Su Yuntao released should have been too much for anyone without special training to handle. I have the Nine Yang Divine Art protecting me, but how did Tang San manage it?
On the other side, Su Yuntao had also noticed the two boys still standing amidst the chaos.
"These two children..." he murmured, astonished.
His earlier howl had not been just for show. The roar, enhanced by soul power, could shake even grown men, let alone six-year-olds. Typically, any child who remained standing after such an ordeal had to possess an exceptionally powerful martial soul.
"Could it be... I've finally found something special on this trip?" Su Yuntao thought with excitement.
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