"Master, how have things been lately? Any children in our village showing potential to become Soul Masters this year?" Old Jack asked anxiously.
"Ah, surprisingly, there are two. And both have full innate soul power!" Su Yuntao responded.
"Full innate soul power?" Old Jack's eyes lit up.
"One has an innate soul power of level 10, and the other has an astonishing level 20," Su Yuntao added.
"There's even one with innate soul power level [-]!" Old Jack's eyes widened in shock. He was completely stunned, speechless. For a small village to produce a child with even weak soul power was already rare, let alone one with full innate soul power—and this one was unprecedented.
"Ah, what a pity. One of their martial spirits is Blue Silver Grass, the other a Begonia flower. Do you understand?" Su Yuntao said regretfully.
"Blue Silver Grass… Begonia… both with full innate soul power… Master, are you saying Blue Silver Grass and Begonia can't be cultivated at all?" Old Jack asked, unwilling to give up.
"It's not that they can't be cultivated, but what do you think those spirits can evolve into as their soul power increases?" Su Yuntao said calmly. Glancing at the departing figures of Ren Arakawa and Tang San, he sighed, "Trash spirits are still trash spirits. Such a shame, both of them had full soul power. Anyway, I need to head to the other villages to help more children awaken their spirits. We're off."
With that, Su Yuntao turned and left, leaving Old Jack behind in emotional turmoil.
"Grandpa Jack, what is a spirit ring? How do you get one?" Tang San stepped up and asked curiously.
"I don't know much, but from what I've heard, getting a spirit ring involves hunting soul beasts. That's something only Soul Masters can do," Old Jack replied. He paused, then looked at Tang San and asked, "Little San, you aren't the one Master mentioned, the one with full innate soul power, are you?"
"I only have level 10 innate soul power. Ren Arakawa has level 20," Tang San said, glancing behind at Ren walking slowly. There was clear envy in his tone. He had practiced his Xuantian Technique for years, only to find that his soul power was ten levels lower than Ren's. He couldn't even catch up!
"Ren, do you really have level [-] innate soul power?" Old Jack asked in disbelief, though less shocked than Tang San had been.
"Yes," Ren replied.
"Your spirit—let me see it," Old Jack requested.
Ren extended his right hand. A jade-like Begonia flower appeared in his palm.
"Just like her… only the color's different," Old Jack muttered under his breath.
"Like who?" Ren raised a brow, curious.
Martial spirits were usually inherited from one's parents. Some rare cases involved ancestral spirits resurfacing—like from grandparents or even great-grandparents. Ren had grown up an orphan. In the village, there was a nameless grave. Old Jack told him that his parents were buried there. No matter how much Ren pressed, Old Jack refused to speak about his parents.
All the villagers knew was that one day, Old Jack returned with two corpses in his cart and a baby in his arms needing milk. That was all.
Now, Old Jack's vague comment piqued Ren's curiosity.
"Ren, you're not allowed to become a Soul Master. Do you hear me?" Old Jack ordered sternly.
"Why not?" Ren asked.
"Because I said so!" Old Jack snapped.
"That won't do. My life is mine to decide," Ren retorted.
"You…" Old Jack glared at him. After a pause, he calmed down and said, "There's only one work-study slot in our village. I'm the village chief, and I won't give it to you. Let's see how you get into the Junior Soul Master Academy. You should apply to a normal teacher's college instead."
"Am I still your adopted son or not?!" Ren shouted.
"Precisely because you are, I can decide whether you go to the Junior Soul Master Academy or not," Old Jack said slyly, then turned to Tang San, tempting him, "Tang San, tell Grandpa, don't you want to attend a real academy to study martial cultivation? Only there can you truly understand the path of martial spirit mastery."
"You'll have to ask my dad about that," Tang San replied.
"Good boy. It's best to ask your dad. Come, I'll walk you home," Old Jack said, patting his head—treating the more talented Ren as if he didn't even exist.
"Grandpa Jack, you said there's only one work-study slot in our village?"
"Yes, and that slot is yours."
"But Ren's soul power is higher than mine!"
"So what? His martial spirit is useless. What do you think it could evolve into with cultivation?"
"Still… it seems kind of unfair to him."
"I'm the village chief. He was raised by the chief. If I give the spot to him instead of you, that'd be the real unfairness."
Old Jack and Tang San's voices grew fainter as they walked away, leaving Ren standing alone.
Ren picked up a stone and hurled it fiercely at a stone pillar marked with the Soul Saint's handprint, cursing, "Damn it!"
Staring at the backs of Old Jack and Tang San, Ren's brow furrowed in worry. Without the work-study slot, he wouldn't be able to go to Nuoding City's Junior Soul Master Academy. Without the academy, no one would help him hunt soul beasts and obtain spirit rings. And without spirit rings, he would never see Xiao Wu again.
Old Jack's decision shattered Ren's plans.
"Should I go find Su Yuntao at the Spirit Hall and ask to join the academy through him?" Ren thought, remembering Su Yuntao's offer before leaving. He had told Ren to find him in Nuoding City if he changed his mind.
From afar, Old Jack's voice drifted back, "Little San, I didn't expect you to have such great talent. It's a shame your father didn't pass down a better spirit. Otherwise, you might have been our village's second Soul Saint!"
Ren pursed his lips and whispered, "Tang San's father isn't some nobody. He's the legendary Clear Sky Douluo of the Soul Master world. Tang San even inherited his father's Clear Sky Hammer. If they go to the academy, Tang Hao will definitely agree."
Ren clenched his fists.
"So jealous of Tang San… he's had a Douluo-level dad from the start. If I had one too, I wouldn't need any academy. I wouldn't even have to try this hard!"
Ding!
System detected the host's jealousy over Tang San having a Douluo-level dad. The system is displeased. Therefore, a Douluo-level master has been gifted to the host!
…