"To think there's another one with Innate Full Soul Power..." Su Yuntao muttered blankly to himself.
"But what a waste that it's another trash Martial Soul..." As the thought crossed his mind, he couldn't help but sigh.
The events of today were far too dramatic, completely overturning Su Yuntao's prior understanding of the world. He would likely never forget what happened today for the rest of his life.
Feeling a sense of regret, Su Yuntao pulled two sheets of specialized parchment from his bundle. He began to register the information for Lin Ye and Tang San, including their names, Martial Souls, and Innate Soul Power levels. For Lin Ye, he recorded the Begonia Flower, and for Tang San, he recorded Blue Silver Grass.
"These are your Martial Soul certificates. You are both Innate Full Soul Power holders, which is incredibly rare on the Douluo Continent. It is a pity that your Martial Souls are both trash souls with no real prospects for development."
"If they weren't trash souls—if they were even just tools with a bit of offensive power like a sickle or a hoe—Innate Full Soul Power would be enough to guarantee you'd become powerhouses." Su Yuntao handed the completed certificates to the boys, his voice tinged with a complex mix of emotions.
After they took the certificates, Su Yuntao turned to pack his things, placing the six black stones and the blue crystal ball back into his bundle, preparing to depart.
"By the way, you should give your certificates to your village head for safekeeping. If you wish to study at a Soul Master Academy in the future, you will likely need his help." Before leaving, Su Yuntao turned his head to offer one last piece of advice, then walked out of the Spirit Sub-Hall.
Just as he stepped out, Old Jack rushed forward impatiently. "Respected Battle Soul Master, is there anyone in our village this year qualified to become a Soul Master?"
"There are, in fact—two of them. And both possess Innate Full Soul Power..." Su Yuntao sighed, his gaze flickering with complicated thoughts.
"Two... two? And Innate Full Soul Power?" Old Jack felt a wave of dizziness hit him—it was pure excitement!
"Alas! But they are both trash souls. One is Blue Silver Grass, the other is a Begonia flower. Village Head, you should understand; these are two types of trash souls with almost zero combat capability." Su Yuntao shook his head.
"Trash souls? I see... but even if they are trash souls, having Innate Full Soul Power should be enough to become a Soul Master, right?" Old Jack was stunned for a moment before speaking with a sigh of emotion.
"They can certainly become Soul Masters," Su Yuntao nodded. "Alright, I'll say no more. I have other villages to visit for awakenings. I shall take my leave."
With that, Su Yuntao leaped into the air. Starting from the Spirit Sub-Hall, he moved rapidly across the rooftops of the wooden houses, vanishing into the distance almost in the blink of an eye.
After Su Yuntao left, Lin Ye and Tang San finally walked out of the hall.
"Xiao Ye, Xiao San, how did it go? What Martial Souls did you awaken?" Seeing them, Old Jack stroked his long beard and walked over, leaning on his cane.
"I awakened a Begonia flower," Lin Ye replied softly, though his eyes were fixed in deep thought.
"Grandpa Jack, even if it's a trash soul, as long as one has Innate Full Soul Power, they can still become a Soul Master, right?" Tang San didn't answer immediately but asked with a slight frown.
"Of course! As long as you have Soul Power, you are qualified to become a Soul Master in the future. It's just that the higher the innate power, the faster your cultivation speed."
"And with Innate Full Soul Power, you can become a Soul Master right now. However, to truly advance, you must absorb something called a Soul Ring. As for what a Soul Ring is, I'm not entirely sure; I've only heard it's related to Soul Beasts." Old Jack answered patiently, shaking his head at the end.
"Xiao San, the Master just said there were two cases of full power—one Begonia and one Blue Silver Grass. Xiao Ye's is the Begonia... surely yours isn't the Blue Silver Grass?" Old Jack asked in amazement as the realization hit him.
"Sigh! Innate Full Soul Power, but the soul is Blue Silver Grass? Xiao San, your talent is so good; it's a shame that fellow Tang Hao didn't pass down a better soul to you. What a waste!" Old Jack couldn't help but feel regretful.
"But don't you worry. Since you both have full power, you will definitely become Soul Masters in the future. This Grandpa will surely send you to a specialized Soul Master Academy to learn how to cultivate and gain knowledge."
"Grandpa, I remember our village only has one slot for a Working Student, don't we?" Lin Ye asked from the side, a bit confused.
Due to his curiosity about Martial Souls, Lin Ye had loved asking Old Jack about them since he was small. He knew almost everything Old Jack knew about Soul Masters, and the Working Student system was no exception.
Working Students were part of a special system in Soul Master Academies. Because the fees were expensive—both for tuition and daily living—ordinary commoners couldn't afford them. Thus, the Working Student system allowed them to enroll for free in exchange for doing chores like cleaning to earn a small amount of money for meals. It was a special favor granted to commoners.
However, such slots were usually shared among several villages. Because Holy Spirit Village once produced a "Soul Saint," they had their own dedicated slot every year. But with only one slot, how could two people go together?
"Haha, don't worry," Old Jack chuckled. "While our village only has one slot, people who can actually awaken Soul Power in villages like ours are few and far between."
"Even in our village, we haven't produced a Soul Master in over ten years, and the other villages are the same. I can go to another village and 'borrow' a slot for one of you. Don't worry about it."
"So that's how it is," Lin Ye understood.
"Xiao San, I know Xiao Ye is definitely willing to go; he's been interested in this since he was a toddler. But what about you? Are you willing? If you are, I'll go get that slot from another village. Don't worry, there won't be any problems." Old Jack looked at Tang San seriously.
"This... Grandpa Jack, I need to ask my father first," Tang San said hesitantly.
"Sigh! For something this big, you indeed must ask your father." Old Jack shook his head with a wry smile. Although Tang San was exceptionally sensible, he was still just a child.
"Come, I'll walk you home and ask for his opinion."
"Grandpa, can I go on ahead? I want to test my Martial Soul," Lin Ye spoke up.
"Sure! Go ahead then." Because of Lin Ye's long-standing interest, Old Jack agreed naturally. In his eyes, it was perfectly normal for a boy who just awakened his soul to be curious and want to test its abilities. Though, in truth, without becoming a full Soul Master, a Martial Soul didn't usually do much.
Having received permission, Lin Ye turned and left. However, once he was out of Old Jack's sight, he didn't head home. Instead, he quickened his pace toward the back mountains.
Lin Ye is heading to the mountains to test the secret of his "Begonia" soul! Would you like me to translate the next chapter for you?