For some reason, the child who had been crying and fussing just moments ago instantly calmed down once bathed in that pale golden glow, standing there with a dazed look on his face.
Golden motes of light drifted up from the black stones on the ground and sank into the boy's body.
The boy's body began to tremble faintly. He wanted to cry out but couldn't make a sound.
"Extend your right hand." Su Yun Tao's emerald-green eyes fixed on the boy as he issued the command with authority.
The boy instinctively reached out his right hand. In an instant, every mote of light surged forth, and in the span of a heartbeat a sickle materialized in his palm.
It didn't look like some illusory projection of light — it appeared to be entirely real.
Su Yun Tao furrowed his brow. "A tool-type Martial Soul. Can a sickle actually be used as a weapon? I suppose it barely counts."
The golden light gradually receded. The boy stared at the small sickle in his hand with a startled expression, looking thoroughly at a loss.
Su Yun Tao said, "Your Martial Soul is a sickle — a tool-type. Now, let me test whether you have any Soul Power. If you possess Soul Power, even a tool-type Martial Soul allows you to train as a Battle Soul Master. After all, a sickle does have some offensive capability."
"G- Great Master, what should I do?" the boy asked timidly.
Su Yun Tao replied indifferently, "Use your will to recall your Martial Soul. In the future, whenever you wish to summon it, call it forth the same way — with your will."
The boy struggled for a good while before he finally managed to retract the sickle in his hand. Su Yun Tao then held the blue crystal ball out before him, gesturing for him to place his right hand on it.
The child's small, tender hand and Su Yun Tao's wolf-like claw sat on opposite sides of the crystal ball, a stark contrast in every way.
After a moment, Su Yun Tao said with a trace of disappointment, "No Soul Power. You cannot become a Soul Master. Go wait to the side."
The same scene played out again and again. One after another, five more children had their Martial Souls awakened. Their Martial Souls were all farming tools — hoes, sickles, and the like. Not a single Beast Martial Soul appeared among them. As for Soul Power, Su Yun Tao judged every one of them as possessing "none."
It came time for the seventh child — the last one before Tang San.
Prolonged use of his Soul Power had left Su Yun Tao looking somewhat fatigued, but he was still determined to complete the awakening process for all eight children.
The golden motes gathered once more. This time, at last, it was no longer a farming tool. Something different appeared. A small, pale-blue blade of grass materialized in the girl's palm, swaying gently.
Tang San vaguely felt that he had seen this kind of blue grass before. Soon, he recalled — it was called Blue Silver Grass, and it could be found everywhere in the village, as common as the green grass of his former world. Apart from being fairly hardy, it served no other purpose. The only reason he hadn't recognized it immediately was the pale golden barrier of light surrounding the girl's hand.
Despite its not being a farming tool, the disappointment in Su Yun Tao's eyes was even more pronounced. "A useless Martial Soul. No offensive power, no defensive power, no auxiliary ability. Blue Silver Grass is practically the textbook example of a worthless Martial Soul." As he spoke, he went through the motions and held the blue crystal ball before the girl. Just as he expected, no Soul Power appeared.
Finally, it was Tang San's turn. Without needing Su Yun Tao's prompting, he stepped forward and took his place at the center of the six black stones.
As Su Yun Tao channeled his Soul Power into the stones for the sixth time, the pale golden radiance blazed to life once more.
Warmth — that was the first thing Tang San felt. His entire being seemed to be wrapped in a cozy, comforting embrace, a sensation so pleasant it was almost indescribable. No wonder all those children had calmed down the moment the golden light enveloped them.
The warm energy seeped into his body. Tang San could clearly feel his Mysterious Heaven Skill's internal energy begin to stir ever so slightly. Then, as if drawn by the warm power, something inside him seemed to shatter, and all the warmth surged toward his palm in a single instant.
Su Yun Tao's eyes suddenly lit up. Within that golden barrier, the number of golden motes that appeared this time exceeded the combined total of every child before. He had a vague feeling that an extraordinarily powerful Martial Soul was about to emerge. Excitement was written all over his face.
For Spirit Hall Deacons like him, tasked with awakening Martial Souls among commoners, being able to awaken a child of exceptional potential and then recruit them into Spirit Hall would earn him considerable marks toward a promotion — a tremendous career advantage.
But then, just as quickly, Su Yun Tao's hopes were dashed.
Tang San instinctively raised his right hand, and what he saw was blue. This particular shade of blue had already appeared twice today in this village's Spirit Hall.
Blue Silver Grass — identical to what the girl before him had manifested. The very definition of a useless Martial Soul.
Su Yun Tao said helplessly, "Another worthless Martial Soul. It seems Sacred Soul Village was a complete waste of time once again. All right, children, you're dismissed." The vast number of golden motes that had appeared moments ago had filled him with enormous hope, yet in the end it had all amounted to nothing more than Blue Silver Grass. The gut-wrenching drop left Su Yun Tao feeling rather sour.
"Uncle, you still haven't tested me for Soul Power." Tang San noticed that Su Yun Tao was already about to put the blue crystal ball away and quickly reminded him.
Without even turning around, Su Yun Tao said, "No need to bother. I've never seen anyone manifest Soul Power with a useless Martial Soul like Blue Silver Grass."
"Please let me try, Uncle." Tang San was insistent. The warmth brought by the golden light had produced a peculiar sensation as it circulated through his body. That door that had been opened made him feel as though his Mysterious Heaven Skill had undergone some subtle change. At the same time, he genuinely wanted to know what the difference was between his internal energy and the Martial Souls of this world.
Su Yun Tao paused, then turned around and met Tang San's calm yet resolute gaze. He thought to himself, this child seems a little different from the rest.