Chapter 3 Awakening Martial Soul
Time flies, and the years pass like a white horse galloping across a gap.
Six years quietly slipped away.
The former infant, Jiang Bai, had now grown into a six-year-old child.
He had slightly messy black hair, and because he worked outdoors herding livestock year-round, his skin had taken on a healthy wheat-colored tan.
His frame appeared somewhat thin and small compared to his peers, but his eyes were exceptionally bright. Deep within his clear pupils, a hint of calm and clarity inconsistent with his age would occasionally flash.
This was Niuma Village, an ordinary village situated on the plains that made its living through animal husbandry.
The village was not large, and the local customs were simple. The villagers had lived here for generations, relying on the lush pastures to raise herds of cattle and horses. Though their lives were not wealthy, they were peaceful.
A year ago, his mother, Jiang Ning, who had always been depressed, finally failed to withstand the dual toll on her body and mind and passed away.
Before she died, she tightly held Jiang Bai’s small hand, her eyes filled with indelible sadness and endless worry. In the end, she left only the words "Don’t hate your father and mother" before passing away peacefully.
Fortunately, Jiang Bai’s memories and intellect from his past life gave him the ability to care for himself far beyond that of his peers.
After his mother’s death, he declined the kind offers of adoption from several families in the village, choosing instead to live alone in the simple hut his mother had left behind.
On a daily basis, he relied on helping neighbors herd cattle and horses in exchange for some rations and a few meager bronze coins to barely maintain his livelihood.
This morning, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, Jiang Bai headed toward Adolf’s house at the west end of the village as usual, preparing to start his day’s herding work.
Just as he reached the entrance of the courtyard surrounded by a wooden fence, he saw the village chief, Grandma Liu, leading Adolf’s youngest son, Xi Hai, out of the house.
Grandma Liu was a kind and capable old woman who was highly respected in the village.
It was she who had taken in the unconscious Jiang Ning and her son years ago, and after Jiang Ning died of illness, she looked after Jiang Bai quite a bit.
"Village Chief Grandma!"
Jiang Bai stopped in his tracks and gave a polite greeting.
"Oh, it’s little Jiang Bai."
Seeing Jiang Bai, Grandma Liu’s wrinkled face broke into a gentle smile. She nodded and said,
"You’ve come at just the right time. Come with me!"
"Where to?"
Jiang Bai blinked, somewhat confused. His work for the day hadn’t even started yet.
"To awaken your Martial Spirit, of course!"
A booming voice came from inside the house. Then, a burly middle-aged man with a ruddy complexion walked out; it was Adolf.
He patted Jiang Bai on the shoulder, his voice hearty.
"A deacon from Spirit Hall is coming to the village today to awaken the Spirits of the children of the right age. Counting the years, you should be of age too, kid. The village chief is here to take the children to the village’s Awakening Room. Go along with them; you don’t have to work today!"
Martial Spirit Awakening?
Jiang Bai was slightly startled, then immediately understood.
His mother’s past words instantly flashed through his mind.
His father was named Ning Fengping, hailing from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. His Spirit was the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, known as the number one support Tool Spirit in the World.
As for his mother, Jiang Ning, her Spirit was an ordinary long spear, nothing extraordinary.
Actually... he hoped even more that he could inherit his mother’s Spirit...
He knew well that in this World where strength was revered, the path ahead would be incredibly difficult for a pure support system Spirit Master, especially one without the protection of a powerful figure.
He craved power—power that would allow him to control his own destiny—rather than placing his safety in the hands of others.
"Alright, thanks, Uncle!"
While his thoughts whirled, Jiang Bai remained calm on the surface, offering Adolf a thankful smile with a hint of excitement.
"Get going, kid!"
Adolf laughed heartily and encouraged him.
Jiang Bai nodded and followed behind Grandma Liu.
By now, four children around Jiang Bai’s age had gathered around Grandma Liu. Including Xi Hai and Jiang Bai, there were six of them in total.
Seeing Jiang Bai, Xi Hai immediately leaned over with a playful wink, and the two young companions walked together with a silent understanding.
...
About fifteen minutes later, Grandma Liu brought the six children to a lonely stone house located in the center of the village.
The stone house looked quite old, its walls covered in moss, giving it an ancient and solemn appearance.
In Douluo Continent, almost every village had such an "Awakening Room."
It was the place where the dreams of countless commoner children set sail, and the first watershed that determined whether their futures would be as dragons or worms.
Outside the stone house, a woman was already waiting.
She looked to be in her twenties, with a tall posture and a pleasant appearance. Between her brows was a heroic air belonging to a Spirit Master.
She wore the standard white martial attire of Spirit Hall, which outlined her vigorous figure, topped with a black slim-fit cloak. A badge was pinned to the left side of her chest.
Seeing Grandma Liu approaching with the children, a formulaic smile appeared on the woman’s face. She spoke in a crisp and efficient voice: "Grandma Liu, is everyone here?"
"They’re here, they’re here, Lord Deacon. These are the only children of the right age in the village this year."
Grandma Liu replied respectfully.
When facing a Spirit Master from Spirit Hall, even the village chief maintained the necessary awe.
"Mhm."
The woman nodded and said no more. She reached out to push open the door and stepped aside. "Children, come in and line up."
The six children filed in with moods ranging from curiosity and nervousness to excitement.
The interior of the stone house was not large, and the furnishings were extremely simple.
The floor was paved with large slabs of bluestone, polished quite smooth.
Due to his habits from his previous life, Jiang Bai always preferred to stay in inconspicuous positions whether in a line or other group activities, so he consciously stood at the very back of the line.
Xi Hai was familiar with him, being a companion who herded cattle and horses with him every day. Naturally, he wanted to be near him, so he grinningly squeezed in front of Jiang Bai, becoming the fifth in line.
The female deacon skillfully took out six pitch-black round stones from the bag she carried, fluidly arranging them into a standard hexagon on the floor.
Then, she gestured for the little boy at the front of the line—who was so nervous he didn’t know where to put his hands and feet—to stand in the middle of the hexagon.
"Children, don’t be nervous. Close your eyes and feel carefully."
The female deacon’s voice softened slightly, attempting to soothe the children’s emotions.
Immediately following that, she gave a low shout: "Wind Spirit Bird, Possess!"
A hint of cyan light flashed in her eyes, and a faint phantom of cyan wings flickered briefly behind her back.
At the same time, two bright yellow spirit rings slowly rose from beneath her feet.
Standing at the back of the line, Jiang Bai watched those two constantly pulsing yellow hoops without blinking, marveling in his heart.
Is this a Spirit Master?
At that moment, Xi Hai, who was in front of Jiang Bai, nudged him lightly with his elbow and whispered, his voice full of irrepressible excitement and tension.
"Ah Bai, aren’t you excited? We’re about to find out if we have the qualifications to become Spirit Masters!"
Jiang Bai turned to look at Xi Hai. This companion, who wore patched clothes just like him, had a face glowing red with excitement.
He sighed softly in his heart.