"System, are you telling me that my martial soul is Pan Gu's world-splitting axe?"
Kai Rivers paused, still struggling to believe what he'd just heard.
Ding dong!
"That's correct, host. Your martial soul is the God-Axe. Its original name was the Nine-Aperture Chaos Axe, but ever since Pan Gu used it to split the heavens and the earth, it became known as the God-Axe," System Xiaoyi explained.
"A weapon used by Pan Gu himself… as a martial soul?" Kai still found it hard to wrap his head around.
"Why not?" Xiaoyi responded. "Consider Yan from the future Golden Generation of the Spirit Hall—his martial soul is the Ancient Flame Lord. If something like that can become a spirit, why can't Pan Gu's weapon?"
"…Fair point," Kai nodded slowly.
After all, the Clear Sky Hammer, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, the Seven Killing Sword—these were all weapon spirits. Why should the Nine-Aperture Chaos Axe be any different? Just because it had never appeared in recorded spirit master history didn't mean it didn't exist.
Outside the Spirit Hall, old Jack hurried over to Su Yuntao, leaning on his cane, eyes filled with hope.
"Master Su, how did it go? Any kids with potential this year?"
Su Yuntao gave a casual reply. "Nine of them qualify."
"...What? Not even one?" Old Jack slumped a bit, disappointed. But then he paused, replaying the words in his mind. "Wait, wait... Did you say nine?!"
"I did," Su Yuntao confirmed. "All nine children from the village can become spirit masters."
Old Jack's hands trembled with excitement, nearly dropping his cane. "Spirit above… I must be dreaming."
"And it gets better," Su Yuntao added. "Three of them were born with innate full spirit power. With a single spirit ring, they'll immediately become proper spirit masters."
Old Jack blinked rapidly. "Three with full spirit power? In one year? In our village?!"
"Yup. I tested them twice to make sure the crystal wasn't faulty. It's all real."
"That means we might end up with nine spirit masters from Holy Soul Village!" Old Jack could barely contain himself. "We've only had one Spirit Sage in all our history… and now this?"
Su Yuntao, though impressed, added, "It's a shame—most of their martial souls are simple farming tools. Three-pronged rakes, sickles, hoes... One of them has a broken axe, and…"
His gaze drifted to Tang San.
That one, he would definitely have to report.
Old Jack wasn't discouraged. "Tools or not, it's the soul power that matters. Maybe we'll get another Spirit Sage yet. If nothing else, these kids have a chance to walk a brighter path."
Su Yuntao nodded, then pulled out nine stamped certificates from his storage soul guide. "Here are their entry documents. And Kai—" he turned to Kai Rivers— "if you ever change your mind, come find me at the Notting City branch of Spirit Hall."
"I won't," Kai replied calmly, confident in his choice.
He had already accepted his second system mission: enroll at the Junior Spirit Master Academy in Notting City.
"Nine students…" Old Jack muttered as the children dispersed. "But we only have one scholarship slot for work-study students!"
The tension rose immediately. Even Tang San and Cuihua looked visibly anxious.
"Don't worry, kids," Old Jack reassured them. "I'll head to Notting City myself. Other villages share quotas. If they have no qualified children this year, I'll try to claim their spots. Now go home—share the good news with your families!"
As the group scattered, Kai remained.
"Old Jack, won't that be tough?" he asked.
"It will," Jack admitted. "But with three children born with full spirit power, I have confidence. And what about you, Kai—what's your martial soul?"
Kai smirked. "They called it a broken axe. But I call it the Nine-Aperture Chaos Axe."
With a thought, the black axe shimmered into existence in his palm, etched with strange, shifting patterns.
Jack looked it over. "Hmm. Sturdy. Elegant, even. Alright, I need to be off if I'm going to Notting City today. You take care of yourself."
Meanwhile, miles down a quiet country road leading from Holy Soul Village…
Su Yuntao hurried along, thoughts racing.
This trip was more than worth it… If I report that the remnants of the Clear Sky Clan still exist, I could be handsomely rewarded!
Suddenly—THUD!
A figure dropped from the sky, blocking his path.
Before Su Yuntao could speak, nine soul rings appeared beneath the figure's feet—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black… red.
"A… Title Douluo?!"
Panic gripped Su Yuntao. Cold sweat poured down his face.
The man turned, a massive Clear Sky Hammer in his hand.
"Do you recognize this?"
"I—I don't…"
The man frowned.
"I mean—yes! Yes, I do!"
With a flick of his wrist, the man lightly tapped a nearby boulder—one that weighed at least two or three tons.
BOOM.
The stone shattered instantly, pulverized into dust and rubble.
Su Yuntao dropped to the ground, legs giving out, his pants visibly soaked.
"Speak a word of this to anyone… and that stone's fate will be your own."