Douluo Dalu: The Path of Abyss

"Master, how is it? Are there any children in our village who can become soul masters this year?" Old Jack asked anxiously.

"Ah, there are indeed two. And both are innately full of soul power!" Su Yuntao replied.

"Innately full soul power?" Old Jack's eyes widened in astonishment.

"One was born with level ten innate soul power, while the other was born with level twenty." Su Yuntao added calmly.

"Level twenty innate soul power!" Old Jack was stunned, frozen in disbelief.

For a small village like Holy Soul Village, having a child with even a trace of soul power was a rarity, let alone two children with innate full soul power. The very notion of a level twenty was unprecedented.

"Unfortunately, one of them has Blue Silver Grass, and the other has Pear Blossom as their martial spirit. Do you understand?" Su Yuntao said regretfully.

"Blue Silver Grass... Pear Blossom... Innate soul power..." Old Jack mumbled, a mix of hope and disappointment flashing across his face. "Master, is there really no way to cultivate with Blue Silver Grass or Pear Blossom as a martial spirit?"

"It's not that it's impossible," Su Yuntao said with a sigh. "But think about it—what can Blue Silver Grass or Pear Blossom possibly evolve into, even with cultivation? A useless martial spirit is still a useless martial spirit, no matter how much effort you put into it. It's such a pity for these two children with innate full soul power. I still have other villages to visit for martial spirit awakenings, so I'll be leaving now."

After Su Yuntao finished speaking, he turned and walked away, leaving Old Jack standing there in deep thought.

"Grandpa Jack, what exactly is a soul ring? And how can I get one?" Tang San asked as he walked up to Old Jack.

"I'm not too clear on the details, but I know that soul rings come from soul beasts. Only soul masters can hunt them," Old Jack replied. Then, looking at Tang San with a curious expression, he asked, "Xiao San, are you the child with innate soul power that the master mentioned?"

"I only have level ten innate soul power. Ye Feng, on the other hand, has level twenty," Tang San replied, glancing at Ye Feng, who was following behind them with a calm demeanor. There was a hint of envy in Tang San's voice.

Despite practicing Xuantian Gong for several years, Tang San still fell ten levels behind Ye Feng. Even with his unique advantages, Ye Feng's talent seemed unreachable.

"Ye Feng, is it true that your innate soul power is level twenty?" Old Jack asked, his tone tinged with disbelief. Ye Feng's calmness was markedly different from Tang San's shock.

"Yes," Ye Feng confirmed with a simple nod.

"Show me your martial spirit," Old Jack demanded.

Ye Feng complied, extending his hand. A delicate, jade-like pear blossom appeared, glowing faintly in his palm.

"It's just as I thought… It resembles her martial spirit, though the color is different," Old Jack muttered softly, almost to himself.

"Who does it resemble?" Ye Feng asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.

Martial spirits are usually inherited from one's parents, though occasionally there may be cases of atavism, where a martial spirit from earlier generations manifests. Ye Feng, however, had no memory of his parents. He had grown up an orphan, with only an unmarked grave in the village said to belong to them. Old Jack had always avoided discussing Ye Feng's parents, leaving the truth shrouded in mystery.

Old Jack's vague comment now piqued Ye Feng's curiosity.

"Ye Feng, you are not allowed to become a soul master. Do you hear me?" Old Jack suddenly declared with a stern tone.

"Why not? Give me a reason," Ye Feng asked, his voice calm but resolute.

"I can't tell you why, but you're not allowed. That's final," Old Jack said forcefully.

"That's not for you to decide. It's my life," Ye Feng countered, his tone sharpening.

"You ungrateful child—" Old Jack glared at Ye Feng angrily before pausing, as if struck by an idea. After a moment, he regained his composure and said smugly, "Our village has only one work-study quota for the Junior Soul Master Academy, and I'm the village elder. If I decide not to give it to you, let's see how you plan to enroll in the academy."

"Am I not your adopted son?" Ye Feng asked angrily.

"And that's precisely why I have the authority to decide your future," Old Jack replied smugly.

"Grandpa Jack, did you just say there's only one work-study quota in our village?" Tang San asked, his expression thoughtful.

"Yes. And that spot is yours," Old Jack replied firmly.

"But Ye Feng's innate soul power is higher than mine!" Tang San protested, a hint of unease in his tone.

"So what? What can his Pear Blossom martial spirit evolve into? Useless martial spirits are useless, no matter how high their soul power is!" Old Jack declared dismissively.

"Still, it seems unfair to him…" Tang San murmured.

"It's not unfair at all. I'm the village chief, and I raised him. If I gave him the spot over you, now that would be unfair," Old Jack retorted.

As their voices faded into the distance, Ye Feng remained behind, his expression dark. He picked up a stone from the ground and hurled it at a nearby stone pillar bearing the Soul Saint's Handprint, frustration etched into his face.

"Damn it!" Ye Feng cursed under his breath.

He looked toward the backs of Old Jack and Tang San, his mind racing with worry. Without the work-study quota, Ye Feng couldn't attend the Junior Soul Master Academy in Notting City. Without attending, there would be no one to guide him in hunting soul beasts or obtaining a soul ring. More importantly, he wouldn't meet Xiao Wu.

Old Jack's decision had disrupted all of Ye Feng's plans.

"Should I find Su Yuntao and join the Spirit Hall's academy instead?" Ye Feng muttered to himself, recalling Su Yuntao's earlier invitation.

"Xiao San, you have such remarkable talent. It's such a pity your father couldn't pass down a better martial spirit. If he had, perhaps you could've been the second Soul Saint of our village!" Old Jack's voice drifted from a distance.

Ye Feng sneered inwardly. "Tang San's father isn't ordinary at all. He's Tang Hao, the legendary Clear Sky Douluo! Tang San even inherited his father's martial spirit, the Clear Sky Hammer. There's no way Tang Hao won't agree to let Tang San attend the Junior Soul Master Academy. I really envy Tang San—having a Titled Douluo for a father from the start. If only I had the same backing, I wouldn't have to suffer like this."

Suddenly, a crisp mechanical sound echoed in Ye Feng's mind.

"Ding! The system has detected the host's envy of Tang San for having a Titled Douluo father. The system expresses dissatisfaction and rewards the host with a Titled Douluo master!"