Chapter 2: The Treasure Chest Triggering System

Shi Jian's martial soul is soil, though Shi Quan is not very clear about the specific details of its mutation.

He only heard his mother say back then that when his father underwent Spirit Awakening, the Spirit Master who performed the awakening exclaimed about Shi Jian's mutated martial soul, and then sighed that it was a pity after testing that he had no soul power; over time, this spread through the village until it became the claim that he almost possessed soul power.

"Quiet."

The villagers were chatting heatedly when suddenly a resonant male voice came from afar; everyone quieted down at once, their gazes turning in unison toward the direction of the sound.

Shi Quan is also very familiar with this voice; it is the voice of Shi Gandang, the Village Chief of Shi Family Village.

Looking up, Shi Quan immediately noticed the young man behind Village Chief Shi Gandang.

That person looked to be in his twenties, with sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, dressed in a white martial outfit with a black cape on his back; in the center of his chest was a fist-sized "Spirit" character. This is the standard attire for direct personnel of the Spirit Hall.

On the young man's left chest was a badge engraved with a long sword, with three long swords crisscrossed on it; Shi Quan knew this was the mark of a Great Soul Master. He hadn't spent all these years reading books for nothing; he now knows quite a bit of knowledge.

"This is the respected Battle Spirit Master Su Yuntao."

Under the Village Chief's introduction, the people in the square hurriedly bowed to Su Yuntao.

"The Blind Douluo?!"

Shi Quan was stunned on the spot upon hearing this name. He only knew before that the current Pope of the Spirit Hall was Bibi Dong and that the Three Upper Sects still existed; he didn't know exactly what timeline the plot was at, but having met the Blind Douluo, figuring out the timeline suddenly became much simpler.

However, what made Shi Quan even more excited was that everyone knows, which transmigrator awakened by the Blind Douluo isn't a "Golden Legend" who is wild, cool, and heaven-defying?

Since he happened to run into him, does that mean he is about to turn the tables and sing a song of triumph?

This immediately stirred up Shi Quan's long-dormant desire to lie flat.

Surely he must get a "Golden Legend" to be worthy of the Blind Douluo's status.

Su Yuntao felt a headache looking at the sea of people in the square; he bowed slightly to the crowd, returned the greeting simply, and came to one side of the square, saying somewhat helplessly: "Children participating in the awakening, stand over here."

At Su Yuntao's signal, the group of twelve children also walked quickly toward Su Yuntao.

"Xiao Quan, good luck, don't be nervous."

Li Meili did not forget to encourage Shi Quan; Shi Quan nodded, not in a hurry, and walked forward slowly.

"Children, stand in a row and follow me inside." Su Yuntao swept his gaze over the twelve people, nodded, and turned to lead everyone into the Spirit Hall.

Shi Quan stood at the back and waved at Li Meili before walking into the Spirit Hall.

The light inside the hall was a few shades dimmer than on the square, appearing solemn and dignified.

The parents could only wait outside the hall; the children who entered were all looking around cautiously, only Shi Quan was watching the Blind Douluo with great interest.

"Stand in the order you came in. I am Su Yuntao, a level 26 Great Soul Master, and I am your guide. Now, I will perform Spirit Awakening for you one by one. Remember, do not be afraid no matter what happens."

Su Yuntao stood at the very front, opening his pack as he spoke, and took out two items: six pitch-black round stones and a shining Blue Crystal Ball.

Although he didn't know the principle, Shi Quan still remembered that the pitch-black round stones were for awakening martial souls, and the blue crystal ball was for testing soul power levels.

In no time at all, Su Yuntao had everything set up and signaled for the boy at the front of the line to walk into the Spirit Awakening Array he had just placed on the ground.

"Lone Wolf, possess."

Following Su Yuntao's low shout, all the children in the hall suddenly wore expressions of terror.

Su Yuntao was already accustomed to this reaction and pacified everyone in a few words.

Shi Quan looked Su Yuntao up and down. Su Yuntao was already handsome; the noble air of a Spirit Master, combined with his muscles and this current look, made him a proper "muscular fresh meat" even back on Blue Star in his previous life—who knows how many people he would infatuate.

Just as Shi Quan was pondering, the first boy had already entered the array under Su Yuntao's guidance. Pale golden light bloomed, and soon the first boy's martial soul was successfully awakened; an earthy yellow stone appeared in the child's hand.

"Stone martial soul."

In Shi Family Village, stone martial souls could be seen everywhere. Under Su Yuntao's guidance, the boy quickly retracted his martial soul and placed his right hand on the blue crystal ball he handed over.

A moment later, Su Yuntao's voice sounded again: "No soul power. You cannot become a Spirit Master. Go to the side first."

The second, the third.

The same scene continued to play out; eight more people completed their Spirit Awakening one after another. Half of them were ordinary stones, and the other four were just ordinary tools; not a single one possessed soul power.

Without exception, the children full of anticipation returned to the group disappointed one after another.

Soon it was finally Shi Quan's turn.

Taking a deep breath to suppress the excitement and anticipation in his heart, Shi Quan walked quickly into the stone array; Su Yuntao's consumption was also quite high after helping eleven people awaken their martial souls.

Seeing Su Yuntao, whose face was somewhat pale, clap his hands, faint green light quickly poured into the six black stones on the ground. The next moment, wisps of golden light radiated from the stones, forming a faint golden light shield that enveloped Shi Quan's body.

Warm.

This was Shi Quan's first feeling. His whole person seemed to be wrapped in a warm world; his very Soul Soul seemed to be touched suddenly, and it felt as if something in his body was flowing out under the guidance of this aura, slowly gathering in his hand.

"It really is comfortable!" Shi Quan felt the warm current in his body constantly gathering toward his right hand and subconsciously opened his eyes to look at his hand.

"Where is my Golden Legend..."

Looking at the familiar small pale blue grass in his hand, Shi Quan felt a wave of helplessness in his heart.

Blue Silver Grass; this was his mother's martial soul. It was very clear he had inherited his mother's martial soul.

When others awakened, they would clench their left hands, worried about exposing their Twin Spirits; he had clenched his too, but he had clenched nothing but emptiness.

"GG."

Shi Quan was somewhat disappointed in his heart; a piece of ordinary Blue Silver Grass, and a single martial soul at that—there was simply no way to play.

"Goldfinger Daddy, why haven't you come yet? My martial soul has already awakened!" Shi Quan roared crazily in his heart.

"Child, use your intent to retract your martial soul, then come over to test your soul power." Responding to Shi Quan was Su Yuntao's voice, which carried a hint of fatigue.

Because of awakening the Blue Silver Grass, Shi Quan did not notice the subtle change in Su Yuntao's expression.

Just hearing Su Yuntao's voice, he followed his instructions and retracted his martial soul almost instantly, then placed his right hand on the blue crystal ball.

The moment he touched the blue crystal ball, the blue crystal ball, which had been dim and lusterless from start to finish, suddenly lit up. Although not much, it had indeed lit up.

Su Yuntao looked at the blue crystal ball in his hand in surprise, raised an eyebrow, and laughed in astonishment: "It's truly haunted; another person with Blue Silver Grass who possesses soul power!"

Looking at the blue crystal ball in his hand, Su Yuntao announced: "Martial soul: Blue Silver Grass. Innate soul power... close to level one, let's just call it level one."

Su Yuntao looked at Shi Quan, who was trembling with excitement, and did not pour cold water on him by saying Blue Silver Grass was a trash martial soul; instead, he patted Shi Quan on the shoulder lightly, signaling him to stand to the other side.

Shi Quan was indeed excited, even agitated, not because he possessed level one innate soul power, but because the moment he touched the blue crystal ball and his innate soul power was triggered, a voice also rang out in his mind.

"Ding, Chest Treasure Triggering System, at your service."

"Ding, congratulations to the host for successfully completing Spirit Awakening and possessing soul power. The Awakening Treasure Chest has been triggered and opened for the host. Congratulations to the host for obtaining one bottle of Martial Soul Awakening Liquid."

"Ding, because the host has triggered the chest for the first time, you have received a novice reward. Chest rewards ×2. Congratulations to the host for obtaining two bottles of Martial Soul Awakening Liquid."

This series of mechanical sounds echoed in Shi Quan's mind, and he immediately understood that the golden finger essential for a transmigrator had finally... finally arrived!

This heaven-sent fortune had finally fallen to him.

"Trading a bird gun for a cannon, time to take off!"

Shi Quan tried his best to suppress the excitement in his heart, but the corners of his mouth still couldn't help but curl upward.

To outsiders, it just looked like Shi Quan was overly excited about possessing soul power.

"What is your name, child?" Su Yuntao asked Shi Quan patiently.

Shi Quan responded excitedly: "Uncle, my name is Shi Quan."

Su Yuntao nodded, packed his things away, took out a notebook from his bosom to jot down a few notes, tore the page off, picked up his parcel, and walked toward the door.

The door opened.

The gazes of everyone in the square immediately converged.

Shi Gandang also looked at Su Yuntao with an expectant face, "Master, how did our village do this year?"

Su Yuntao looked at him, sighed, and said: "There is one, but it is a pity."

As he spoke, Su Yuntao handed the note he had just written to Shi Gandang.

Shi Gandang took the note handed over by Su Yuntao with both hands, "Blue Silver Grass? Innate Soul Power level one? Shi Quan!"

This note was effectively the certificate issued by the Spirit Hall.

"Xiao Quan, you have soul power!? You can become a Spirit Master?"

Hearing the Village Chief call out Shi Quan's name, Li Meili's excited scream immediately rang out, her excitement plain for all to see.

Before Shi Quan had even walked out of the Spirit Hall, Li Meili had already hurried over to the front of the Spirit Hall and pulled Shi Quan into her arms, even with tears in the corners of her eyes.

"Thank you, Master, thank you, Master." While hugging Shi Quan, Li Meili also thanked Su Yuntao very sincerely.

"This is what I should do, it's nothing." Su Yuntao looked at Li Meili with a hesitant expression; for an ordinary person, possessing soul power was already rare and commendable, and as for the martial soul... he didn't want to discourage them.

After finishing everything, Su Yuntao prepared to leave. Shi Quan also recovered from his excitement and hurriedly called out to Su Yuntao: "Uncle, since I have soul power, can you tell me how to cultivate?"

Su Yuntao's figure paused. Looking at Shi Quan's clear and lively eyes, he thought to himself that this Shi Quan, like the child from before, was somewhat different. The movement he had intended to leave with slowed down.

At the beginning of the awakening, he had been able to feel that the energy fluctuations around Shi Quan were stronger than those of the other children. Although not by much, this anomaly meant that the child before him had a certain possibility of becoming a Spirit Master.

If it were in the past, even if he had felt the difference, he wouldn't have bothered after seeing Shi Quan's Blue Silver Grass martial soul.

The reason he had taken the initiative to let Shi Quan test his soul power today was because he had encountered a child two days ago who also had a Blue Silver Grass martial soul but possessed Innate Full Spirit Power!

"You possess soul power and can go to a Spirit Academy to study. The teachers there will teach you how to cultivate."

Shi Quan was unwilling to give up. His Innate Soul Power was only a meager level one. If he remembered correctly, there were still several months until school started. Although he had the system, it would be a great pity to waste these few months of cultivation time.

"Uncle, I know my talent isn't high, but diligence can make up for clumsiness. I want to start cultivating now. Can you teach me now?"

Su Yuntao was stunned for a moment, not expecting such words to come from a six-year-old child.

After looking deeply at Shi Quan, he said: "I do have basic cultivation methods here, but you are so young, you shouldn't be able to read yet, right? If I give it to you, will you be able to learn it?"

Seeing a chance, Shi Quan hurriedly said: "Uncle, I have liked reading since I was small. I am already literate and know quite a bit of knowledge about Spirit Masters. If you don't believe me, you can ask my mother."

Li Meili also hurriedly helped by saying: "Master, everything Xiao Quan said is true."

"Very well." Su Yuntao sighed softly, took a small booklet out of his backpack, and said: "Take it and read it yourself, but remember that you must not be impetuous when cultivating; you must calm your mind and focus."

"Thank you, Uncle." Shi Quan's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly opened his small hands to take the booklet Su Yuntao handed over.

"Thank you, Master." Li Meili was also very sensible; she hurriedly took out the money pouch from her bosom and handed it all to Su Yuntao, "Thank you for your guidance, Master, this is a small token of my appreciation."

Su Yuntao waved his hand in refusal, did not accept the money pouch Li Meili handed over, said a few brief words, and turned to leave Shi Family Village.

This kind of basic cultivation manual was a dime a dozen in the Spirit Hall and was not worth anything at all. The reason he carried it with him was that it was prepared for those who possessed soul power after awakening.

However, under normal circumstances, he would only give these manuals to young Spirit Masters who were worth the Spirit Hall's recruitment and were willing to join the Spirit Hall. His reason for giving Shi Quan the cultivation manual also had his own considerations.

Shi Family Village was a relatively famous village in the vicinity of Nuoding City. Using this kind of basic cultivation manual to build goodwill with the people in the village would make it easier to talk if there were any business dealings in the future. This kind of favor was of no consequence.

(End of this chapter)