It wasn't until the sun was high in the sky that Su Yuntao, covered in dust and looking thoroughly worn out, finally arrived at Saint Soul Village.
Accompanying Su Yuntao was Old Jack, along with a child brought by the village elder.
Upon seeing the child, all the children of Saint Soul Village—except Ye Wen—wore expressions of disdain.
At this age, they weren't necessarily prejudiced against poverty, but judging by appearances was inevitable.
Tang San at this stage couldn't exactly be called handsome. His small face was dark and grimy, though his body wasn't particularly dirty. His perpetually frosty expression made it seem as if everyone owed him money, evoking an instinctive aversion in others.
Though Ye Wen didn't want to have much to do with Tang San, he still offered a friendly smile to avoid leaving a bad impression, lest Tang San one day decide to cause trouble for him.
Unfortunately, Tang San didn't reciprocate.
"Hmph, what a hypocrite," Tang San inwardly sneered.
As a former low-ranking disciple of the Tang Sect in his past life, Tang San naturally harbored resentment toward someone like Ye Wen, who lived better, had more money, and was better-looking than him. No matter how friendly Ye Wen appeared, Tang San saw only hypocrisy.
Yes, this was the God King Tang San's inherent resentment toward wealth.
And why wouldn't he feel this way? While the entire Saint Soul Village engaged in agricultural trade, his family eked out a living through blacksmithing, gaining no benefits from the village's prosperity.
Even when Elder Jack or Ye Wen's family occasionally helped them out, Tang San felt humiliated, as if they were mocking him.
Inwardly, Tang San vowed: "Thinking you're superior to me? Never!"
This was also why, after graduating, Tang San never returned to Saint Soul Village. He, the God King Tang San, would not associate with those who looked down on the poor!
While Ye Wen's thoughts drifted, Old Jack approached Su Yuntao respectfully and bowed. "Respected official, thank you for your trouble."
Su Yuntao nodded slightly, his demeanor devoid of arrogance, though he straightened his chest, clearly proud of his position.
"Leave it to me, Village Chief. You can wait outside."
The rules of martial soul awakening were well-known. In this small Spirit Hall of the village, only the soul master responsible for the awakening and the children were allowed to remain.
"Very well, very well. I'll leave it to you, sir. Thank you for your hard work," Old Jack said, bowing repeatedly.
Watching an elderly man grovel like this, Ye Wen felt a pang of helplessness. Whether in civilization or barbarism, the strong were always revered.
Still, Old Jack was a good village chief. Before leaving, he couldn't help but worry about the children and reminded them:
"Children, this is Master Su Yuntao from Nuoding City. He will guide you in awakening your own martial souls and beginning your journey as soul masters. Be sure to cooperate and listen carefully to Master Su. Grandpa hopes that one of you will become a soul master."
Though flattery felt good, Old Jack was delaying Su Yuntao's work. Waving him off, Su Yuntao said impatiently:
"That's enough, Elder. Your words are interfering with my work."
With some reluctance, Old Jack finally left.
After calming himself slightly, Su Yuntao softened his tone. He remembered his own time as one of these children, guided by the elders of the Spirit Hall to awaken his martial soul. Now, he proudly carried on his father's duties, which filled him with honor. As he arranged the awakening array, he instructed:
"Children, line up one by one. Remember, no matter what happens, don't be afraid."
Placing six black stones into a hexagonal formation, Su Yuntao beckoned to the child at the front of the line. "Come here, child. Stand here, close your eyes, and focus carefully."
As the child obeyed, a faint green light flickered in Su Yuntao's eyes. Amidst the gasps of the other children, the martial soul possession was completed.
Seeing the fleeting shadow of a husky-like figure, Ye Wen felt a strange sense of familiarity. This feeling of dissonance often surfaced during his short six years of life, but he quickly grew accustomed to ignoring it.
Perhaps this was the temporal dissonance caused by having read the original story.
Though Su Yuntao had reassured the children multiple times, the sudden appearance of the fierce beast-type martial soul still frightened many of the younger children into tears.
However, after Su Yuntao calmed them again, the children realized that this uncle hadn't changed much—he just had more fur and sharper claws, but he was still the same gentle, handsome man.
Gradually, the martial soul awakening ceremony proceeded in an orderly fashion.
After a long while, it was finally Ye Wen's turn.
Ye Wen felt a bit frustrated. He had wanted to take the protagonist's spot and be the last to awaken his martial soul, but Tang San, stubborn as ever, stood at the end of the line with a cold expression.
"Fine, you can have the spotlight since you're the protagonist," Ye Wen thought resignedly.
The previous children who had awakened their martial souls had either received sickles or blue silver grass—useless martial souls with no soul power. By now, Su Yuntao had given up hope and was merely going through the motions.
"Next, come forward."
Ye Wen stepped onto the array. As Su Yuntao activated the martial soul awakening formation, Ye Wen felt waves of soul power seeping into his body, flowing through his limbs and bones. Then—
A brilliant golden light filled the air, eventually coalescing into a transparent water sphere above the array.
The previously listless Su Yuntao instantly perked up and exclaimed involuntarily:
"A variant martial soul!?"
His expression brightened. Regardless of the type of variant martial soul, as long as it was a variant, it would possess at least some soul power. It seemed he might actually have something to show for his efforts this time.
Ye Wen observed his martial soul. Inside the transparent water sphere was a silvery, oval-shaped core. Its appearance…
Ye Wen's expression gradually turned strange.
"Is my martial soul… a slime? Wait, where did Douluo Continent even get slimes from?"
However—
As the martial soul manifested, Ye Wen felt an inexplicable connection to it, as if their hearts were intertwined. A profound sense of attachment emanated from it, making Ye Wen feel as though this martial soul was his sole companion.
Suddenly, Su Yuntao's voice pulled Ye Wen back to reality.
"Child, place your hand on the crystal ball so I can measure your soul power."
Ye Wen complied, but the result dampened Su Yuntao's earlier excitement.
"Sigh, only half a level of innate soul power. You can cultivate, but your potential is limited."
Realizing he shouldn't say such things in front of a child, Su Yuntao quickly added:
"Don't be discouraged, little one. Variant martial souls are often like this. Yours is a case of malignant variation, but having soul power is still better than none."
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