Chapter 6: The Work-Study Quota

"Another one with innate full soul power..." Su Yuntao muttered to himself in disbelief.

"But unfortunately, it's another useless Martial Soul..."

With a sigh, Su Yuntao couldn't help but feel regretful as he thought about everything that had transpired. Today had been filled with surprises, so dramatic that it completely overturned his understanding of Martial Souls. He knew he would never forget what happened today.

As he lamented internally, Su Yuntao pulled out two specially-made parchment papers from his bag. He began to register Lin Ye and Tang San's information, including their names, Martial Souls, and innate soul power.

For Lin Ye, Su Yuntao recorded "Begonia Flower" as his Martial Soul, and for Tang San, he noted "Blue Silver Grass."

"These are your Martial Soul certificates. Both of you possess innate full soul power, which is incredibly rare on the Douluo Continent. However, your Martial Souls are unfortunately useless for combat."

"If they weren't useless Martial Souls, even if they were something as simple as a sickle or a hoe, your innate full soul power would have made you formidable warriors."

As Su Yuntao handed over the certificates to Lin Ye and Tang San, his emotions were complicated.

After they received their certificates, Su Yuntao turned to pack his things. He gathered the six black stones and the blue crystal ball back into his bag, preparing to leave.

"By the way, it's best to let your village elder keep these certificates. If you want to attend a Spirit Master Academy in the future, you'll likely need the village elder's assistance."

With those words, Su Yuntao turned and left the Martial Soul Hall.

As soon as Su Yuntao stepped outside, Elder Jack hurried over, his face filled with eagerness. "Honorable Spirit Master, does anyone in our village have the potential to become a Spirit Master this year?"

"There are two, actually, and both possess innate full soul power..." Su Yuntao sighed deeply, his expression conflicted.

"Two... and both with innate full soul power?" Elder Jack felt his head spin with excitement at Su Yuntao's words.

"Yes, but unfortunately, both have useless Martial Souls. One has the Blue Silver Grass, and the other has the Begonia Flower. You should understand, Elder Jack—these two Martial Souls have almost no combat potential," Su Yuntao shook his head regretfully.

"Useless Martial Souls, huh? I see... But still, even with useless Martial Souls, innate full soul power should be enough to become a Spirit Master, right?" Elder Jack sighed with mixed emotions.

"Yes, they can still become Spirit Masters." Su Yuntao nodded. "Anyway, I have other villages to visit for Martial Soul awakenings, so I must take my leave now."

With that, Su Yuntao leapt into the air, bounding over the rooftops of the village buildings, disappearing into the distance within moments.

...

After Su Yuntao left, Lin Ye and Tang San finally emerged from the Martial Soul Hall.

"Xiao Ye, Xiao San, how did it go? What Martial Souls did you awaken?" Elder Jack asked as he approached, gently stroking his long beard and leaning on his cane.

"I awakened the Begonia Flower," Lin Ye replied softly, his gaze thoughtful.

"Elder Jack, even if our Martial Souls are considered useless, we should still be able to become Spirit Masters with innate full soul power, right?" Tang San furrowed his brow and asked.

"Of course! As long as you possess soul power, you have the potential to become a Spirit Master in the future. The higher the innate soul power, the faster you'll progress. With innate full soul power, you could become a Spirit Master right away, but you'll need to absorb something called a Spirit Ring to advance. I don't know much about Spirit Rings myself, but I've heard they have something to do with Spirit Beasts," Elder Jack explained patiently, shaking his head as he spoke about the Spirit Rings.

"Xiao San, the Spirit Master mentioned that our village produced two children with innate full soul power—one with the Begonia Flower and the other with Blue Silver Grass. Since Xiao Ye's Martial Soul is the Begonia Flower, does that mean your Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass?" Elder Jack asked, suddenly realizing the situation with a look of astonishment.

"Innate full soul power, but with Blue Silver Grass? Xiao San, you have such incredible talent. It's a shame that Tang Hao didn't pass down a better Martial Soul to you. What a pity!" Elder Jack shook his head, feeling regret for Tang San's unfortunate luck.

"But don't worry. With innate full soul power, both of you will certainly become Spirit Masters in the future. I will make sure you both go to a proper Spirit Master Academy to learn how to cultivate your Martial Souls and acquire knowledge about Spirit Masters."

"Elder, I thought our village only had one work-study slot available?" Lin Ye asked, puzzled.

Because of his curiosity about Martial Souls, Lin Ye had always asked Elder Jack various questions about them, and he had a solid understanding of Spirit Masters and the village's resources, including the work-study program.

The work-study program was a special system in Spirit Master academies. Since the tuition fees at these academies were expensive, and ordinary people couldn't afford the enrollment fees or daily living costs, the work-study system was created.

Work-study students could attend the academy for free and earn money by helping the school with chores, such as cleaning. Though the earnings were modest, they were enough to cover daily meals, making this a rare opportunity for commoners. However, such slots were usually shared among several villages.

The Holy Spirit Village, due to its past production of a Spirit Saint, was lucky enough to be granted one slot each year. But with only one available, how could both Lin Ye and Tang San attend the Spirit Master Academy?

"Ha ha, don't worry. Although our Holy Spirit Village only has one work-study slot, it's extremely rare for villages like ours to produce anyone with awakened Martial Souls, let alone Spirit Masters."

"Our village hasn't produced a Spirit Master in over a decade, and it's the same for other villages. I'll be able to borrow a work-study slot from another village for you two. Don't worry about it," Elder Jack reassured them with a hearty laugh.

"So that's how it works."

Lin Ye nodded, finally understanding.

"Xiao San, Xiao Ye is definitely going to want to attend the Spirit Master Academy—he's been fascinated by Martial Souls and Spirit Masters since he was young. But what about you? Do you want to go to the Spirit Master Academy? If you do, I'll go to the other villages and secure a slot for you as well. Don't worry, it won't be a problem," Elder Jack asked, looking at Tang San seriously.

"Well... Elder Jack, I'll have to ask my father first," Tang San hesitated, but he answered truthfully.

"Ah, yes. For something this important, it's understandable that you would want to consult your father." Elder Jack smiled wryly and nodded. Even though Tang San was mature for his age, he was still a child, after all. For such a major decision, it was only right to ask for an adult's guidance.

"Come on then, I'll walk you home so you can ask your father."

"Elder, may I go ahead? I want to test my Martial Soul," Lin Ye asked.

"Of course, go on ahead," Elder Jack readily agreed, knowing how curious Lin Ye had always been about Martial Souls. It made sense that Lin Ye would want to test out his newly awakened Martial Soul.

After receiving Elder Jack's permission, Lin Ye turned and left. However, instead of heading home, he walked quickly toward the back mountain, away from the village.

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