The Great Master fished a paper parcel from inside his robe and handed it to Tang San. "Eat it first. You're at the age when your body needs to grow—surviving on poor rations won't do."
Tang San blinked in surprise, then unwrapped the parcel to find two chicken legs and a steamed bun inside. They were still warm.
"Teacher..."
"That's enough. Hurry up and eat. I have more to discuss with you after the meal. Youth is not something to waste." The Great Master's expression was calm but serious as he spoke evenly.
Coarse flatbread alone had never been enough to fill him, and Tang San had a healthy appetite. He quickly finished everything the Great Master had brought.
The Great Master poured him a cup of water, then walked behind the desk and sat down.
"You are six years old this year. Innate Full Soul Power, Twin Martial Soul. Release your other Martial Soul and let me see."
Tang San nodded. The Great Master already knew about his Twin Martial Soul, so there was nothing to hide. He raised his left hand, and a surge of black light erupted forth, coalescing once again into that small hammer.
Thanks to the training he had undergone before arriving at the academy, his physical strength had improved considerably. He could now just about grip the hammer without feeling overwhelmed by its weight.
The moment the Great Master laid eyes on the hammer in Tang San's hand, he shot up from his seat, eyes blazing with intense emotion. He stared fixedly at the hammer and murmured, "Tang San, Tang San, surname Tang… Alright, you can put the Martial Soul away. Don't reveal it to others lightly. Without my permission, never again attach a Soul Ring to this Martial Soul. You must remember that."
Tang San looked at his teacher with some surprise. "Father told me the same thing. Why can't I attach a Soul Ring to this Martial Soul?"
The fervor gradually faded from the Great Master's eyes. "What does your father do?"
"He's the village blacksmith," Tang San replied.
"A blacksmith?" The Great Master's gaze turned peculiar. He let out a sigh and shook his head. "A blacksmith and a hammer—quite the match."
"The time isn't right for me to explain yet. You only need to understand that forbidding you from using this Martial Soul and attaching a Soul Ring to it now is solely for the sake of your future. You must remember this."
His father had said the same, and now his teacher said it too. This only deepened Tang San's trust in the Great Master. "I will."
The Great Master continued, "Tomorrow is the opening ceremony, and classes begin the day after. However, for you, that's merely a waste of time. The pressing matter right now is to allow your Martial Soul to continue advancing in cultivation. After accepting you as my disciple this morning, I thought it over carefully. Tomorrow morning, you'll leave the academy with me first thing. I'll take you to find a suitable Soul Ring and help you advance to the rank of Soul Master."
Tang San was overjoyed upon hearing this. Only after obtaining a Soul Ring could he confirm whether his Mysterious Heaven Skill was being restricted by the absence of one. The Great Master's plan aligned perfectly with his own thoughts, and he eagerly agreed.
The Great Master went on, "I'll handle things on the academy's end for you—don't worry about that. On the way there and back, I'll teach you knowledge about Martial Souls. Tang San, what are your thoughts on your Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul?"
Tang San said, "Everyone says it's a useless Martial Soul, but I believe everything has its purpose and its unique characteristics. Even the most common Blue Silver Grass should be no different."
The Great Master nodded with satisfaction. "Well said. Every Martial Soul has its own characteristics. In my research, low-ranked Martial Souls have occupied a significant proportion. I have always maintained that there are no useless Martial Souls—only useless people. Tomorrow I'll be taking you to find a Soul Ring, so now you need to decide for yourself the direction your Martial Soul will develop."
Tang San was taken aback. "The direction of my Martial Soul's development? Teacher, what do you mean?"
The Great Master explained, "This has to do with the classification of Martial Souls themselves. Broadly speaking, Martial Souls fall into just two categories: Beast Martial Souls and Tool Martial Souls. Plant-type Martial Souls are included among Tool Martial Souls—both of yours would count as Tool Martial Souls. The biggest difference between Tool Martial Souls and Beast Martial Souls lies in how they manifest."
"When a Beast Martial Soul is used, the beast's power is added to one's own body—essentially a fusion effect. Through the combination of the human body and the Beast Martial Soul, one's own strength is enhanced, achieving the goal of attacking with human-and-soul unity. Tool Martial Souls are entirely different. All Tool Martial Souls function externally, detached from the body. Because of this, Tool Martial Souls tend to be more supportive than Beast Martial Souls. To give a simple example, if your Martial Soul were rice—the most common staple in our daily diet—then your Martial Soul could serve as food. And since it would be formed from Soul Power, it would be even more effective than ordinary rice."
Tang San was astonished. "Martial Souls can be eaten too?"
The Great Master nodded firmly. "All Food-type Tool Souls can be eaten. That is why high-level Food-type Tool Soul Masters have always been the most sought-after talent in the military. A Food-type Tool Soul Master above the thirtieth rank can provide enough food to feed a hundred soldiers. It dramatically reduces a military's consumption of resources."
Tang San stared blankly. "I still don't quite understand."
The Great Master patiently continued, "The principle is actually quite simple. Food is a source of energy replenishment for any living being. Soul Power is also a form of energy. When Soul Power itself can transform into energy that can be absorbed by the human body, then for us, it is no different from real food. Both are the same thing—energy the body requires."
Tang San listened with a vague half-comprehension, but he grasped the general idea. "So Tool Martial Souls are mostly used for support purposes?"
The Great Master said, "Nothing is absolute. Some Tool Martial Soul holders can also become Battle Soul Masters. For instance, if your Tool Martial Soul were a sword and could be used as a weapon, then you could become a Battle Soul Master too. Those so-called divine artifacts people speak of—those are actually Battle Soul Masters of Tool Souls who have cultivated their Martial Souls to the pinnacle. Though there is a distinction between Tool Soul Masters and Battle Soul Masters, there is some common ground between the two. Every Soul Master has a developmental direction—Food Type, Reconnaissance Type, Combat Type, Healing Type, Control Type, and so on. Now, before obtaining your Soul Ring, you must first decide the future developmental direction of your Martial Soul. A Soul Master's Martial Soul cultivation must advance along a single chosen path."
(End of Chapter)