Master pulled a paper package from his bosom and handed it to Tang San, "Eat this first. It's the time for growing, so it's no good if the food is too shabby."
Tang San was stunned for a moment, then opened the paper package to see two chicken legs and a steamed bun inside which were still warm.
"Teacher..."
"Alright, eat up quickly, I have more to say to you after you've eaten. We can't waste your youth," said Master with a calm and serious face.
Having a crude pancake wasn't enough to fill one up, and Tang San had a good appetite, so he quickly finished the food Master brought him.
Master poured him a cup of water and then sat down behind his desk.
"You are six years old this year, with innate full soul power and twin martial souls. Release your other martial soul, let me have a look at it."
Tang San nodded. Now that Master knew about his twin martial souls, there was nothing left to hide. He lifted his left hand, and a black light surged out, once again condensing into that not-so-large hammer.
Because of his training during the time before attending the academy, he had made significant progress in his physical strength, and now he could barely hold the hammer without feeling too much of a burden.
As Master saw the hammer in Tang San's hand, he stood up abruptly from his seat, his eyes showing extremely agitated expressions. Staring fixedly at the hammer, he murmured, "Tang San, Tang San, the surname Tang... Alright, retract your martial soul now. Don't easily show it to others. Without my permission, never affix a soul ring to this martial soul in the future. Remember this well."
Tang San looked at his teacher in surprise, "My dad said the same thing. Why can't I affix a soul ring to this martial soul?"
The excited light in Master's eyes began to fade, "What does your father do?"
Tang San said, "He's the village blacksmith."
"Blacksmith?" There was a strange look in Master's eyes as he sighed and shook his head, "A blacksmith and a hammer, quite the perfect match."
"Now is not the time to tell you, you just need to remember that not allowing you to use this martial soul and affix a soul ring to it is only for planning your future. You must remember that."
His father had said so, and now his teacher as well, making Tang San's trust in Master grow even stronger, "I will."
Master said, "Tomorrow is the school's opening ceremony, and the day after that, classes will officially start. However, for you, that's just a waste of time. What's currently urgent is to continue cultivating your martial soul. After accepting you as my disciple this morning, I gave it some thought, and I will take you away from the academy first thing tomorrow morning to find a suitable soul ring for you, so you can advance to the Soul Master level."
Hearing this, Tang San was overjoyed. Only with a soul ring could he confirm whether his Mysterious Heaven Method was restrained by the soul ring or not. Master's approach was exactly what he had hoped for, and he quickly agreed happily.
Master continued, "I'll take care of the school for you; you don't need to worry. On our journey, I will teach you about martial souls. Tang San, what do you think of your Bluesilver Grass martial soul?"
Tang San said, "Everyone says it's a wasted martial soul, but I think everything has its use and characteristics, even something as common as Bluesilver Grass."
Master nodded in approval, "Correct, every martial soul has its characteristics. In my research, low-tier martial souls comprise a significant part, and I've always maintained that there are no useless martial souls, only useless people. We're going to look for soul rings for you tomorrow, so now you need to decide on the development direction for your martial soul yourself."
Tang San was taken aback, "The development direction for my martial soul? What do you mean, teacher?"
Master explained, "This is about the classification of martial souls. Broadly speaking, there are two main types of martial souls: Beast Souls and Tool Souls. Plant-class martial souls are also included in Tool Souls, and both of your martial souls are considered Tool Souls. The largest difference between Tool Souls and Beast Souls is in their manifestation."
"A Beast Soul, when used, adds the beast's power onto oneself, hence the possession effect. It enhances one's strength through the combination of the human body and the Beast Soul, aiming to launch attacks with a united human and soul. However, Tool Souls are completely different; all Tool Souls function externally. Therefore, Tool Souls tend to have more auxiliary functions than Beast Souls. To give a simple example, if your martial soul were the rice we commonly use as food, your martial soul could be taken as food. And since it's formed with soul power, it would be better than ordinary rice."
Tang San said in astonishment, "Martial souls can be eaten too?"
Master nodded affirmatively, "Food-class Tool Souls can indeed be eaten. That's why high-level food-class Soul Masters have always been sought after by the military. A food-class Soul Master over level 30 can provide enough food for a hundred soldiers, greatly reducing the consumption of military resources."
Tang San said blankly, "I still don't quite understand."
Master patiently explained, "The principle is actually quite simple. Food, for any living organism, is a replenishment of energy. And soul power is also a form of energy. When soul power itself can be transformed into energy that can be absorbed by humans, then to us, it's no different from real food. Both are energy required by the human body."
Tang San, who partly understood, nodded, "So, Tool Souls are mostly for assistance, right?"
Master replied, "There are no absolutes; some Tool Soul owners can also become battle-ready Soul Masters. For example, if your Tool Soul is a sword, usable as a weapon, you too can become a Battle Soul Master. What people refer to as divine tools are actually Tool Soul Masters who have cultivated their martial souls to their peak. Although there is a distinction between Tool Soul Masters and Battle Soul Masters, there are some commonalities between the two. Every Soul Master has a direction for development, like the food class, scouting class, combat class, healing class, control class, and so on. Now, before you obtain your soul ring, you must decide your martial soul's future development direction. A Soul Master must cultivate their martial soul with a specific focus in mind."