Chapter 9.

"After undergoing some well needed repairs, Soul Hall no longer resembles the dilapidated cabin depicted in the original work. Instead, it has been reconstructed using jade white rock, exuding an aura akin to that of a 'temple'."

"Xiao Feng, fear not that if your martial soul is not of superior quality," reassured Grandpa Jack as they stood outside the village Soul Hall, accompanied by a group of young children.

He then affectionately patted Wang Feng, whom he had raised for several years and continued, "To become a soul master, one must possess a martial soul. In the future, you can stay in the Holy Soul Village if you didn't awaken or get bad martial soul. Coincidentally, our village is also in need of someone like you."

Wang Feng's expression displayed a mix of frustration and amusement.

'All this old man wants is for me to stay in the Holy Soul Village. After all, many of the changes that have occurred in the village over the years were a result of my ideas. The villagers now lead better lives, so naturally, they want me around.'

"I must say, Grandpa, my soul is not awakened yet," grumbled Wang Feng.

"Hee hee! you're right, Brother Feng. But still you're quite lazy and don't do anything. You're definitely not going to get a martial soul," chimed in a mischievous little boy, grinning at Wang Feng.

"You cheeky little bastard! Do you want to pick a fight, huh?" Wang Feng shot a fierce glare at the little boy, who promptly retreated, afraid to utter another word.

Over the past month, Wang Feng had gone through significant trials and transformations, boosted by the power of Meteoric Tears. Though not undergoing a profound metamorphosis, he now exuded a slightly more assertive aura than his previous lazy demeanor.

The children in the village, intimidated by Wang Feng's newfound presence, were cautious around him, fearing they might get beaten if they provoked him.

"Among you, Xiao San has the highest potential to become a soul master with an impressive soul power."

Grandpa Jack's eyes turned to Tang San, who remained silent and contemplative. Recalling their visit to Tang Hao's house two days ago, he couldn't help but shake his head at Tang Hao's stubbornness.

"As for Xiaofeng, Grandpa doesn't expect you to become a soul master," said Grandpa Jack with a smile. "Even if you awaken ordinary martial soul like blue silver grass, shovel, or sickle, I'd still be satisfied, as they can prove to be quite useful for the village."

Wang Feng remained silent, seemingly lost in his thoughts.

"Do you doubt me so much?" he mused quietly.

But as he contemplated further, he acknowledged the truth.

"In the Douluo Continent, one's martial soul is generally inherited from their biological parents," Wang Feng thought. "And in my case, it's evident that my soul is going to be as ordinary as my farmer parents."

"I'm not like those privileged individuals whose parents are powerful Soul Masters," he reflected.

"Alright, let's go in. When you meet the Soul Master from the Soul Hall, show some respect and refrain from speaking recklessly to avoid any impatience on his part," Jack instructed the children repeatedly, leading them into the Soul Hall.

Before long, they encountered a young man standing at the center of the hall. Upon hearing their approach, he turned to face them.

"This is Su Yuntao, the Soul Master from Nuoding City Soul Hall branch," Grandpa Jack introduced with respect. However, before he could continue, he noticed something unusual and hurriedly approached Su Yuntao, whispering, "Master Su, haven't we treated you well in the past two days? Why do you have dark circles under your eyes?"

Indeed, Su Yuntao, the beast soul master who had come to the Holy Soul Village two days ago, appeared fatigued, as if he hadn't gotten enough rest and sleep.

"No! It's nothing. I'm just a little tired. Let's begin the ceremony now," Su Yuntao replied impatiently.

Observing this scene, Wang Feng almost burst into laughter.

"Brother Tao is just like me, reminding me of my past life when I stayed up late in the night reading novels," he thought.

The day before yesterday, Su Yuntao had looked fresh and lively, exuding an air of vitality akin to a gentle spring breeze. But now, with his dark circles and weariness, he seemed more relatable to Wang Feng during his past life.

"His hair is all messy and greasy and the dark circles under his eyes are definitely from staying up these past two days, collecting and indulging in made-up stories by yours truly that break the boundaries of imagination," Wang Feng sighed inwardly.

Su Yuntao, too, felt annoyed. All he wanted was to finish this test quickly and get back to reading more of those captivating Soul Breaking The Sky chapters. It was strange how such a simple and mundane narrative had managed to captivate him for two days straight.

"Unbelievable!" he muttered to himself.

To add to his frustration, one of the kids had claimed to have a complete story of his own. Su Yuntao glanced over at the children and his eyes quickly fell on Wang Feng, immediately recognizing him but ignored him for now. 

"Humph! I am Su Yuntao, a twenty-sixth-level beast soul master!" he announced in an attempt to assert his authority and calm down the excited and nervous kids.

To his surprise, the other children looked at him with admiration and respect, except for one, Wang Feng, who just grinned and casually asked, "Soul Master, can we get started already? Our martial souls are eager to come out and play."

The remark elicited laughter from the other children, including Tang San, who found Wang Feng's boldness amusing.

"..." Su Yuntao was left speechless.

"Fine, whatever. I've been to six villages and none of them had anyone with soul power, let alone someone with a decent martial soul," he retorted, choosing not to argue with the cheeky Wang Feng.

Without further ado, Su Yuntao took out six black round stones and arranged them in a hexagon on the ground. He then produced a crystal ball.

"Go inside one by one from left to right," Su Yuntao instructed, pointing at the hexagon on the ground.

A faint light emerged from the hexagon as the first child stepped inside.

"Lone Wolf!" Su Yuntao whispered and two soul rings, one white and one yellow, rose from the Su Yuntao body. At the same time, Su Yuntao's figure enlarged significantly, radiating power.

The other children watched in awe and fear, their eyes filled with admiration and curiosity.

Swiftly, Su Yuntao approached the hexagon and shot several green rays of light from his hands.

A golden glow shimmered and enveloped the child.

"Extend your right hand, child." Su Yuntao said.

The child hurriedly complied and a small sickle materialized in his hand.

Then the child touched the crystal ball but there was no response.

Su Yuntao shook his head in disappointment as the child walked out of the hexagon, clearly disappointed.

One by one, the rest of the children walked in but with each attempt, Su Yuntao's disappointment grew.

Finally, it was Tang San's turn.

To Su Yuntao's surprise, the golden light emitted by Tang San's interaction with the crystal ball was much different than other, emitting bright golden light.

"Innately full of soul power….as expected from my little brother...cough…I mean protagonist."

Wang Feng whispered, noticing that Tang San's left hand was tightly clenched while only his right hand was extended, revealing a Blue Silver Grass martial soul.

Tang San's expression darkened when he saw the Blue Silver Grass.

"Brother Feng, you jinx!" he muttered in frustration in his heart.

In reality, the Blue Silver Grass was nothing to him and did not matter in his mind but brother Feng had previously said it to be his martial soul, which left Tang San feeling exasperated.

Of course, Tang San didn't truly believe that Wang Feng somehow truly knew his martial soul but the situation was rather comical.

However, as Tang San slightly squeezed his left hand, he felt another martial soul condensing within it but he chose not to reveal it.

"Blue Silver Grass again..." Su Yuntao sighed, shaking his head.

But in the next moment, his eyes widened in astonishment.

As Tang San placed his hand on the crystal ball, an incredibly brilliant blue light filled the entire room.

"Innately full of soul power!" Su Yuntao exclaimed, his voice filled with surprise.

After a moment of shock, Su Yuntao regained his composure but his gaze towards Tang San now held a mixture of shock and disappointment.

Meanwhile, Wang Feng stared at the crystal ball, wondering if he could mobilize all the energy within him and can make the crystal ball explode. 

'Heh! That would be fun but a little too much even for me and not to mention the attention I'll get from Soul Hall. It's not worth it. '

...