# Chapter 4: The Day of Awakening
**The Morning of the Awakening Ceremony**
The village square buzzed with excitement as families gathered for the most important day in any child's life. Old Jack stood at the center with the ceremonial awakening equipment—six black stones arranged in a hexagon with a larger blue crystal in the center. Su Yuntao, the Spirit Hall's traveling Soul Master, prepared to conduct the ceremony.
Lin Feng stood among the village children, his heart pounding with anticipation. Beside him, Tang San appeared calm, but Lin Feng could sense the underlying tension in his friend's posture.
"Children, step forward one by one," Su Yuntao announced. "We'll begin with the oldest."
Several village children went first, most awakening weak tool-type martial souls with no innate soul power. Then came the moment Lin Feng had been waiting for.
"Tang San, step forward."
Tang San walked to the center of the formation, his small frame dwarfed by the glowing stones. Su Yuntao placed his hands on Tang San's shoulders, and immediately, blue light erupted from the crystal.
"Martial Soul... Blue Silver Grass!" Su Yuntao announced, though his voice carried a note of disappointment. "Soul power level... ten! Full innate soul power!"
Gasps echoed through the crowd. Full innate soul power was incredibly rare, even for noble families. But Lin Feng watched carefully and caught the subtle flicker—Tang San had hidden his second martial soul, the Clear Sky Hammer, just as in the original story.
*Clever,* Lin Feng thought. *Hiding the hammer to protect yourself from the Spirit Hall's persecution.*
"Excellent!" Su Yuntao's disappointment vanished, replaced by excitement. "A child with full innate soul power! Blue Silver Grass may be a weak martial soul, but with cultivation, anything is possible!"
As Tang San stepped back, looking appropriately modest, Su Yuntao's eyes scanned the remaining children. "Lin Feng, you're next."
Lin Feng walked to the center, his mind racing. He had no idea what martial soul he would awaken, but given his enhanced abilities and the Master's Sword Instinct talent, he hoped for something combat-oriented.
Su Yuntao placed his hands on Lin Feng's shoulders, and the blue crystal blazed with light. Power flowed through Lin Feng's body, awakening something deep within his soul. He felt a stirring, a presence that was both familiar and strange.
"Martial Soul..." Su Yuntao began, then frowned. "This is... unusual."
A small, pitiful-looking tiger cub materialized above Lin Feng's palm. It was barely the size of a house cat, with dull orange fur and stripes so faded they were almost invisible. Its eyes were cloudy, and it let out a weak mewling sound that was more pathetic than fierce.
"A... a Sickly Cub Tiger?" Su Yuntao's voice was filled with confusion and disappointment. "I've never seen such a weak beast-type martial soul. In fact..."
He examined the manifestation more closely, his frown deepening. "This is so weak that it barely qualifies as a beast-type martial soul. It's closer to a tool-type, and even then, it's weaker than most tools. I'm sorry, child, but this martial soul has no practical combat applications."
Lin Feng felt a surge of frustration and embarrassment. Of all the martial souls he could have awakened, he got what was essentially a sick kitten?
"However," Su Yuntao continued, "let me check your soul power level."
The blue crystal flared again, and Su Yuntao's eyes widened. "Soul power level... ten! Full innate soul power!"
The crowd gasped again. Two children with full innate soul power in the same village was unheard of.
"Remarkable!" Su Yuntao exclaimed. "Even with such a weak martial soul, full innate soul power means you have the potential for cultivation. Your martial soul may be weak, but with proper training, you might still become a Soul Master!"
*Full innate soul power,* Lin Feng thought, feeling a mix of disappointment and hope. *That's thanks to the Hermit's Profound Heaven Art. At least I have that advantage.*
**[MARTIAL SOUL AWAKENED: SICKLY CUB TIGER]**
**[SYSTEM ANALYSIS COMPLETE]**
**[MARTIAL SOUL CLASSIFICATION: Defective Beast-Type (Borderline Tool-Type)]**
**[BASE ABILITIES: Minimal Enhancement to Physical Capabilities, Weak Intimidation Effect]**
**[EVOLUTION POTENTIAL: HIGH - Due to Host's Unique Circumstances]**
**[SPECIAL NOTE: This Martial Soul's weakness may be a blessing in disguise. Lower scrutiny from Spirit Hall and other organizations.]**
Lin Feng's spirits lifted slightly. The system seemed to think his weak martial soul might actually be advantageous in some ways.
After the ceremony, Su Yuntao pulled both boys aside. "Tang San, Lin Feng, both of you have full innate soul power. I strongly recommend you attend a Soul Master Academy to develop your abilities properly. There's Nuoding Academy in Nuoding City—it's perfect for students with your potential."
"We'll consider it," Tang San replied politely.
That evening, as the excitement died down, Lin Feng found himself sitting with Tang San by their usual training spot, both boys processing the day's events.
"A Sickly Cub Tiger," Lin Feng said with a rueful laugh. "I was hoping for something a bit more... impressive."
"Martial souls don't determine everything," Tang San said supportively. "You have full innate soul power, and you're one of the most skilled fighters I know. That has to count for something."
"Thanks," Lin Feng replied, genuinely touched by his friend's support. "Your Blue Silver Grass is considered weak too, but we both know you'll make it work."
They sat in comfortable silence for a moment before Tang San spoke again. "My father wants to see us tomorrow. He said he has some things to teach us before we decide about the academy."
Lin Feng's interest perked up. "What kind of things?"
"I'm not sure, but he seemed... different. More serious than usual."
**The Next Day**
Tang Hao was indeed different. Gone was the perpetually drunk, slovenly blacksmith. In his place stood a man whose presence seemed to fill the entire smithy, his eyes sharp and focused.
"Sit down, both of you," Tang Hao commanded, his voice carrying an authority that made both boys immediately comply.
"Little San," he began, looking at his son, "you have potential, but potential means nothing without proper foundation. I'm going to teach you the basics of the Clear Sky Hammer technique."
Tang San's eyes widened. "Father, you know about—"
"About your real martial soul? Of course I know," Tang Hao interrupted. "I also know you're smart enough to hide it. Good. Keep doing that."
He turned to Lin Feng. "And you, boy. Don't think I haven't noticed how strong you are. No six-year-old should be able to move like you do, or hit as hard as you can."
Lin Feng tensed, but Tang Hao continued. "I don't know what your secret is, and I don't care. What I care about is that you're my son's friend, and that means you're under my protection. So I'm going to teach you something too."
Over the following days, Tang Hao began their training. Tang San learned the basic stances and principles of the Clear Sky Hammer technique, while Lin Feng was taught a variant form.
"The Clear Sky Hammer technique is based on power and momentum," Tang Hao explained. "But not everyone needs a hammer to use these principles. Lin Feng, your martial soul may be weak, but your body is strong. I'll teach you the Flowing Sky Palm—a technique that uses the same energy circulation and power generation as the Clear Sky Hammer, but adapted for empty-handed combat."
The Flowing Sky Palm was a revelation. It combined the explosive power principles of the Clear Sky Hammer with fluid martial arts movements, creating a technique that could generate devastating force without requiring a weapon martial soul.
**[NEW TECHNIQUE ACQUIRED: FLOWING SKY PALM - BASIC LEVEL]**
**[SYSTEM ANALYSIS: This technique shows significant compatibility with your existing abilities. Training efficiency increased.]**
As weeks turned to months, both boys threw themselves into their training with Tang Hao. Tang San developed his hammer techniques while maintaining his Blue Silver Grass abilities, and Lin Feng mastered the Flowing Sky Palm while learning to work with his weak martial soul.
Surprisingly, the Sickly Cub Tiger proved to have some hidden benefits. While it provided almost no combat enhancement, it did give Lin Feng a heightened sense of danger and improved instincts. More importantly, its weakness meant that other Soul Masters consistently underestimated him.
"Your martial soul may be weak," Tang Hao said one day after watching Lin Feng training, "but I've seen you fight. You're more dangerous than most Soul Masters with 'powerful' martial souls. Remember that."
**Six Months Later**
The time had come to make their decision about the Soul Master Academy. Both boys had grown stronger under Tang Hao's tutelage, and their bond had deepened through shared training and challenges.
"Nuoding Academy," Tang San said as they walked through the village one evening. "Are you ready for it?"
Lin Feng nodded, though his mind was already racing with possibilities. An academy meant new opponents, new challenges, and most importantly, new opportunities for his King's Plunder System.
"Ready as I'll ever be," he replied. "Though I have to admit, I'm curious to see how our 'weak' martial souls stack up against the so-called prodigies."
Tang San smiled. "I think they might be in for some surprises."
"Oh, they definitely will be," Lin Feng agreed, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
**[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: NEW ENVIRONMENT DETECTED]**
**[ACADEMY SETTING WILL PROVIDE NUMEROUS OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH]**
**[RECOMMENDATION: MAINTAIN LOW PROFILE WHILE IDENTIFYING HIGH-VALUE TARGETS]**
As they prepared for the next phase of their journey, Lin Feng reflected on how far he'd come. His martial soul might be weak, his background humble, but he possessed something no one else did—the King's Plunder System, a year of systematic enhancement, and the friendship of the protagonist himself.
*Let them underestimate the boy with the sickly tiger,* he thought with dark satisfaction. *They'll learn soon enough that appearances can be very deceiving.*
The path to Nuoding Academy awaited, and with it, a whole new world of possibilities.