Chapter 4: The Awakening of the Martial Spirits: Part 2

Su Yuntao stood up, feeling that his soul power had been completely restored. With a firm gesture, he pointed to the next in line, a girl who approached with a mix of nerves and expectation. "Stand in the middle of the stones," he instructed with a voice that resonated with authority.

The girl obeyed and positioned herself in the center of the stone circle. Su Yuntao concentrated deeply and then exclaimed forcefully: "Lone Wolf, Possession!" Behind him, the spectral figure of a wolf emerged, its imposing presence filling the room. The master's soul power channeled into the slowly rotating stones, and with his influence, they resumed their movement with renewed energy.

The girl went through the same process as the others before her, and her martial spirit was revealed to be a reed. "It's the first time I see a reed as a martial spirit," Su Yuntao commented, observing the unusual spirit. "Test your innate soul power."

With an encouraging gesture, the girl placed her hand on the crystal sphere. The light that emanated was dim, almost imperceptible. "Well, at least you're qualified to become a Spirit Master," Su Yuntao said, trying to be encouraging. "You have half a level of innate soul power." The girl nodded, a small smile crossing her face, and returned to the line.

The next nine aspirants, all girls, awakened martial spirits of everyday objects like needles, brooms, scissors, and spoons, but none showed innate soul power. Su Yuntao looked at those remaining and thought to himself, "Good thing, only seven left."

After a brief rest to recover his soul power, Su Yuntao stood up and once again invoked the Lone Wolf. "Come quickly, let the next one in," he urged the children.

Of the next six, three awakened with half a level of innate soul power, their martial spirits being a shifting shadow, a black crow, and a stealthy cat. The two of level 1 awakened a rusty, blood-stained sword and threads they could move with their mind. The last one, with a level 3 soul power, awakened something surprising.

When it was the turn of the level 3 boy, Su Yuntao performed the ritual and, upon awakening his martial spirit, a roar resonated in the room, a deep sound that evoked the majesty of a dragon. A figure materialized, a dragon-like being of dark purple color that emanated an aura of power.

"A dragon martial spirit!" Su Yuntao exclaimed, but upon closer inspection, his expression changed. "What a pity, it only has dragon blood," he murmured, disappointed. "Test the innate soul power."

The boy placed his hand on the sphere, and it lit up more than any before. Su Yuntao, with a voice full of regret, said, "Ah, only level 3. If it were a complete dragon martial spirit, you would have at least level 7 or 8." A sigh of sorrow escaped his lips as he contemplated what could have been and what actually was.

Su Yuntao nodded his head, giving permission to the last aspirant. "Xue Sha, go ahead," he said with a voice that resonated in the silent room. The other children watched with a mix of envy and wonder, whispering among themselves about who would be the last to try their luck.

Xue Sha approached the circle of stones with a calm that contrasted with the anxiety of the previous aspirants. At first glance, he seemed serene, but a closer look would reveal his hands clenched into fists at his sides, betraying the tension he felt. Upon reaching the center, he let out a sigh and closed his eyes, preparing for the ritual.

Su Yuntao began to inject soul power into the ancestral stones, and almost immediately, Xue Sha began to rise slightly off the ground. Xue Sha's heart beat strongly, and he could feel his blood flowing more vigorously through his veins.

"Raise your right hand," Su Yuntao instructed, watching attentively. Xue Sha complied, and an ethereal mist began to form around him, with nothing visible emerging from his hand. Su Yuntao stopped the flow of soul power, noticeably exhausted by the effort required to awaken Xue Sha's martial spirit.

"What martial spirit have you awakened?" Su Yuntao asked, trying to hide his surprise.

Xue Sha, still with his eyes closed, processed the new information flooding his mind. After a few seconds, he opened them and looked directly at Su Yuntao. "It seems I have awakened this mist," he replied with a voice that left no room for doubt. "It can control, more or less, the emotions of others, as long as they are of a lower level than mine."

Su Yuntao, visibly surprised by the revelation, quickly recovered and, with a forced cough, said: "Let's test your innate soul power."

"Fine," Xue Sha replied confidently.

He placed his hand on the crystal sphere, and instantly, it began to glow with blinding intensity. Su Yuntao, unable to contain his amazement, exclaimed: "Innate soul power level 10!"

Su Yuntao's revelation about Xue Sha's innate soul power level 10 resonated in the room, causing a whirlwind of emotions among those present. Ma Xiu Nuo, with clenched fists and a burning gaze, could barely contain his agitation. "Innate soul power level 10," he repeated in his mind, almost shouting, "With that, if he joins the Spirit Hall, I can get enough resources to try to advance to level 30. And if I advance to level 30, I can take revenge."

Xue Sha, still with his hand on the sphere, suddenly perceived a surge of intense feelings emanating from Ma Xiu Nuo: hope, hatred, and perhaps sadness. He withdrew his hand and, with feigned curiosity, asked: "What does it mean to have innate soul power level 10?"

Just as Su Yuntao was about to answer, Ma Xiu Nuo stepped forward with bloodshot eyes and said: "It means you can almost certainly become a titled douluo, as long as you live long enough."

After answering, Ma Xiu Nuo placed his hands on Xue Sha's shoulders, looking at him with expectant eyes. "Kid, do you want to join the Spirit Hall?"

"No," was Xue Sha's simple and direct response.

Ma Xiu Nuo, surprised, raised his voice unintentionally: "What do you mean, no?" He realized his mistake and, moderating his tone, asked: "Why don't you want to join the Spirit Hall?"

Xue Sha, with a calm that contrasted with the tension of the moment, inquired: "Is there anyone who has a spirit similar to mine?"

"No, but if you join you will have many resources and whenever you need rings, at least one counterpart will help you," Ma Xiu Nuo assured, trying to persuade him.

"How do we know that my martial spirit is not useless? If I join and then it turns out that my martial spirit is useless, I don't even want to imagine what would happen. So it's better not to join until level 30 or 40. With 3 or 4 rings and knowing their effects, you can tell if my martial spirit is useless or not. And if it turns out that it's not only not useless but also of high quality, even better. When joining, better conditions will be needed," Xue Sha explained firmly.

Xue Sha noticed a flash of murderous intent in Ma Xiu Nuo, but it disappeared as quickly as it had arisen. Ma Xiu Nuo, now appearing more calm, said: "Well, I hope you join when you want to. We always welcome geniuses."

After those words, Ma Xiu Nuo withdrew from the Awakening Hall. Su Yuntao, watching his departure, proceeded to collect the sphere and stones with a gesture of his hands. The objects began to levitate and spin rapidly before flying directly into his hands, where he stored them carefully.

Addressing the children, Su Yuntao announced: "To those who have awakened innate power, now here you have this." He took out some sheets and began to note down names, martial spirits, and the level of innate soul power. He handed those papers to each of those who had awakened the innate power, thus sealing their fate and their futures in the world of martial spirits.