Old Jack obviously answered Tang San with great patience. In his heart, the village’s most intelligent child was none other than this Tang San. It was truly difficult to imagine that such a father could have as clever a son as this.

"Spirit Grandmaster is a Spirit Master rank. Spirit Master is the noblest vocation on our Douluo continent: they can be formidable champions, they can possess remarkable assisting ability. But no matter which kind of spirit master, all are sorted and accorded titles."

"Spirit Masters all possess their own spirit power. Based on spirit power intensity, these are subdivided into ten general titles. Each title is further subdivided into ten ranks. At first after only crossing the threshold, one is called Spirit Scholar. As soon as a spirit awakens, everyone is a spirit scholar. In the event that the spirit is capable of cultivation, when the spirit power reaches the eleventh rank, one can enter the next title, which in that case is Spirit Master. And Spirit Grandmaster, it is the third in this sequence of titles. Having reached the Spirit Grandmaster realm, one already is a fairly famed Spirit Master. There are a total of ten like this.”

"Spirit Scholar, Spirit Master, Spirit Grandmaster, Spirit Elder, Spirit Ancestor, Spirit King, Spirit Emperor, Spirit Sage, Spirit Douluo and Title Douluo[1]. This is precisely where our Douluo Continent’s name comes from. It is said that when attaining the power of a ninetieth ranked Title Douluo, one can take a title for oneself. They are simply unparallelled existences, ah!"

His eyes shone with proud radiance,

"A hundred years ago our Holy Spirit village produced an eighth ranked Spirit Sage, ah. In all of Nuoding city, even in the whole Fasinuo region, this is extremely rare."

To the side Tang Hao curled his lip,

"Old Jack, that’s just a legend, nothing more."

Intentionally rubbed the wrong way, Old Jack became indignant,

“What are you calling a legend? This legend comes from fact. Tang Hao, it’s already been six years since you came to the village, you ought to realize that the Spirit Sage is part of our history. If you let me hear you insult the lord Spirit Sage again, I will banish you from the village. Were it not for little San, you think I would want to come to your doghouse, huh?”

Tang Hao wasn’t angry, still pounding on the farming tool in his hand, still looking as if he hadn’t heard Jack’s words.

Jack resolutely glared at him, and facing Tang San, said:

“You mustn’t take after such a dispirited father in the future. Alright, I’ll leave first, and in three days, I will come get you.”

Having finished talking, Old Jack left the smithy in spitting anger.

“Dad.”

Tang San called out.

“Ng?”

Tang Hao coldly shot a glance at him. Catching sight of the chill in his father’s eyes, Tang San could only swallow back his words. He returned to his room with a drooping head to continue striving for ten thousand swings.

At nightfall, after eating dinner, Tang Hao wiped his mouth and was about to leave as usual; that is to say, this was routine; going out to drink and drinking the cheapest ale.

“Dad. Wait a moment.”

Tang San, without time to clear away dishes, first called out to stop Tang Hao.

“What?”

Tang Hao impatiently glared at him. Even though Tang Hao had never hit Tang San, for some reason, Tang San innately held some fear towards this father. For this person of two lifetimes, he was unable to change this feeling.

“Those ten thousand blows, I have completed forging them.”

Tang San said.

“Oh?”

The look in Tang Hao’s eyes was brilliant, as if it had some lustre.

“Fetch it for me to have a look.”

“Alright.”

Tang San sprinted back to his room. Very quickly, he came running out holding a chunk of iron in his hands.

The entire iron chunk was pitch black, and though irregular in shape, each facet appeared extremely brilliant, a black light dimly visible within. The entire iron chunk was approximately one fourth the size of the original, and  when Tang San used Mysterious Heaven skill to hold it he didn’t feel strained by any means.

Tang Hao took the pitch black iron chunk into his hands, raising it before his eyes to carefully study it,

“Do you now understand what I said?”

 Tang San nodded,

“When tempered into steel, metal of once insufficient quality is refined through continuous forging, it changes into high grade. Dad, did you want to tell me this principle?”

Tang Hao realized that these days, his son caused him quite a bit of astonishment. Returning the iron chunk to him, he said:

“Then continue. When you have completed forging it to the size of a fist, bring it to me again.”

Done speaking, he turned around and walked out of the house.

According to what he originally said, after forging that iron lump ten thousand times he would teach Tang San forging, but now he seemed to have gone back on his promise. But Tang San didn’t take this to heart, he only thought of Tang Hao’s words.

“Fist size?”

This big iron lump, could it really be forged to the size of a fist? Despite only being a quarter of the original volume, Tang San was still very clear that along with continuous forging, as the iron lump was becoming more and more concentrated, reducing volume also become even more difficult. Thinking about forging it to only fist size, it absolutely couldn’t be accomplished with another ten thousand blows.

After being tempered into steel, what would it become after another ten thousand blows? Glittering radiance flashed through Tang San’s eyes, and he staggered slightly as he dexterously entered his room. Very soon, ting ting dong dong hammering noises, once more rose from the smithy.

Three days passed very quickly, Tang San still went to the hilltop in the early morning to do his routine exercise every day, and returned home afterward. In addition to cooking, he was also forging, testing his strength against that piece of pig iron. Every day the tempo of the beats increased. Mysterious Heaven Skill helped him recover physical strength quickly, so that he could especially maintain this continuous forging process.

“Little San, grandpa has come to get you.”

Old Jack punctually came to the smithy, this time he didn’t even go inside, only calling Tang San from the outside.

Tang San glanced at his father by his side who just now had eaten. Tang Hao indifferently said:

“Go. Don’t delay midday cooking.”

Tang San promised to be back soon, then left the smithy.

With old Jack leading, Tang San followed him to the Spirit Hall in the middle of the village. Naturally, this so-called Spirit Hall was merely a large log cabin, nothing more.

Because everyone had spirits, every year would have children undergoing spirit awakening. Therefore, Spirit Halls could be found everywhere on the Continent. Naturally, these were all only subsidiary halls, there was a distinct hierarchy.

The village children didn’t have a very good opinion of Tang San. To favor the rich and disdain the poor is an ability not only among nobles, among common people the circumstances are instead even more distinct. With Tang San originally being a reincarnated person and his real age having long ago exceeded 30, naturally he was also unwilling to come into contact with these children. To him, spare time was better spent on cultivation, consequently, he of course never had a childhood playmate.

In addition to village elder Jack and eight children present, there was also one youth in the Spirit Hall. This person appeared to be just over 20 years old, dashing eyebrows slanting above starry eyes, his facial features extremely bright and handsome. He was dressed completely in brilliant white clothes, a black cloak on his back, and right on the center of his chest, above his heart, was a palm sized ‘spirit’ character. This was standard attire for staff directly subordinate to Spirit Hall.

On the left side of the chest was a carved badge with three crossed long swords. It seemed like Jack knew this kind of Spirit Master well; three in quantity represented a Spirit Master of third degree, titled Spirit Grandmaster, and the long swords represented this Spirit Hall attendant was a Battle Spirit Master.

“Greetings, esteemed Battle Spirit Grandmaster, this time we will inconvenience you.”

Old Jack respectfully bowed to the youngster.

The centre of the youngsters forehead betrayed an indifferent arrogance. Indifferently bowing slightly, he at last returned the greeting,

“My time is scarce, let’s begin.”

Old Jack said:

“Very well. Children, this is a Battle Spirit Grandmaster from Nuoding City. Next, he will guide you to open yourselves to your spirit. You must cooperate well with the great teacher to conduct your spirit awakening; grandpa is looking forward to seeing who among you has the capability to become Spirit Masters.”

The youngster somewhat impatiently said:

“Very well, you said the same thing last year. Do you think becoming a Spirit Master is really that easy? I already passed six villages, and not one of them had a person with spirit power. They also didn’t have suitable spirits.”

Old Jack’s eyes showed a trace of dejection, sighing, he said:

“Yes, ah! Only one in very many inherit the aptitude to actually become a Spirit Master. Among us ordinary people, it is indeed most difficult.”

Shaking his head, he moved away from the Spirit Hall.

The youngster’s gaze fell on the eight children before him. As a Spirit Hall inspecting attendant, helping ordinary people undergo spirit awakening was his compulsory assignment, and he was long since used to it.

“Children, line up.”

Towards these children, his manner was quite lukewarm.

The eight children stood in order before the youngster, Tang San stood at the leftmost side. He was a little thinner and smaller than other children his age.

The youngster smiled and said:

“I am called Su Yuntao, a twenty sixth ranked Spirit Grandmaster, and will be your guide. Now, I will have you undergo spirit awakening one by one. Remember, regardless of what happens, do not be afraid.”

While speaking, Su Yuntao unfolded a bundle on a desk to one side, taking out two things from inside: six round pitch-black stones and one sparkling blue crystal ball.

Su Yuntao placed the six black stones on the ground in the form of a hexagon, then motioned the first child on the right to stand inside.

“Don’t be afraid, close your eyes and feel carefully.”

While speaking, Su Yuntao’s eyes suddenly lit up, and before the children’s appalled eyes, he shouted in a deep voice,

“Lone Wolf Body Enhancement.”

A wisp of thin blue-green light rose from between his eyebrows, following straight up, entering into the hair knot.

Su Yuntao’s hair was originally black, but just after that blue-green light poured in, it had turned grey in a flash. Furthermore it quickly grew longer, and similarly colored fur appeared on both his uncovered hands. At the same time, his body also seemed to expand a great deal compared to before, his whole body swelling with muscle.

The Spirit Hall attire had very good elasticity; it actually didn’t rip when filling to the point of bursting because of his body growing large. Su Yuntao’s eyes had already changed to a faint green color. Sharp claws stretched out from the ten fingers on both hands, glimmering coolly with a dazzling gleam. Two concentric halos of light shone brightly up from underfoot, constantly moving from underfoot to the crown of his head. Among them one was white, the other one was yellow. Exceedingly strange.

The boy he told to stand among the black stones, with eyes staring at Su Yuntao’s body transforming, suddenly shouted,

“Aaaaah~~~~~~”, about to run away from fear.

 The fresh green radiance in Su Yuntao’s eyes was truly frightening. Catching hold of that child, he said:

“Don’t move. I said not to be afraid. This is my spirit, Lone Wolf. If one of you is capable of becoming a spirit master in the future, they will also be able to employ similar abilities.”

The only one not immediately at the height of terror was Tang San, immediate results appeared all over Su Yuntao’s body as he transformed.

Instead of astonishment, Tang San’s heart was full of curiosity, ‘Grey fur appeared all over him, green eyes,