From level 1 to 10 is Soul Apprentice, from 11 to 20 is Soul Master, followed by Great Soul Master, Soul Elder, Soul Ancestor, Soul King, Soul Emperor, Soul Saint, Soul Douluo, and finally Titled Douluo. Since Tang San was born with Innate Full Spirit Power, he essentially skipped the Soul Apprentice stage. All he needed was to hunt a suitable Spirit Beast to break through.
The Clear Sky Sect's Registry Ceremony was similar to ordinary family clan registrations, with one key difference: merely bearing the Tang surname wasn't enough for the Clear Sky Sect—one had to awaken the Clear Sky Hammer. The Clear Sky Hammer Spirit was the fundamental requirement.
Only those who awakened the Clear Sky Hammer could be recorded in the Clear Sky Sect's clan registry. Even external branches of the sect could be granted the Tang surname and registered if they awakened the Clear Sky Hammer.
When Tang San arrived at the Clear Sky Sect's ancestral hall, he immediately sensed numerous pairs of eyes opening all around him, even from the high ceilings above.
"The security is really tight," Tang San thought to himself.
"Little San."
Hearing the voice, Tang San turned to see his great-uncle Bai He. Given Tang Hao's formidable strength, he was often occupied with sect affairs, leaving many matters concerning Tang San to this great-uncle.
Tang San walked over and greeted, "Good morning, Great-uncle. Good morning, Uncle Tang Lie."
In the Douluo Continent, one awakened their Martial Soul at the age of six. Since everyone was still children, they needed adult supervision. Tang Guang, who had awakened alongside Tang San the previous day, was naturally brought by his father, Tang Lie.
When Tang Lie saw Tang San approaching, his eyes couldn't help but show a mix of envy and resignation. If not for Tang Hao and Tang Xiao's overwhelming excellence, he might have had a chance to become the Clear Sky Sect's leader, as he had already reached level 81 as a Soul Douluo—catching up to the previous generation.
Now, it seemed the next generation's leader would likely be this precocious child before him.
Tang Lie said, "Innate Full Spirit Power—good, you haven't let your father down. The next Clear Sky Douluo will probably be you as well. Xiao Guang, make sure to learn and train hard under Little San's guidance, understand?"
Tang Guang clutched his father's pant leg and nodded. "Understood, Father."
"Third Young Master." The parents of the other two children also approached with their kids, wearing ingratiating smiles as they greeted him.
Tang San quickly replied, "Uncles, there's no need for such formality. We're all part of the sect."
The backgrounds of the other two children's families paled in comparison to Tang Lie's. Their parents were merely ordinary Clear Sky Sect disciples without the Clear Sky Hammer, their cultivation only around level 40 as Soul Ancestors—far beneath the status of the Seventh Elder's lineage and Tang San. For their children to awaken the Clear Sky Hammer was nothing short of a miraculous blessing, significantly elevating their family's standing.
Clang! Clang! Not long after Tang San and the others exchanged pleasantries, the rhythmic tolling of bronze gongs echoed mysteriously through the hall. The long-browed Second Elder entered the grand hall, solemnly carrying the clan registry.
Including Tang San, only four Clear Sky Sect disciples had awakened the Clear Sky Hammer the previous day. Though the number seemed small, it was actually the highest in recent years—some years didn't yield a single Clear Sky Hammer Spirit. This alone demonstrated just how rare the awakening of this supreme Martial Soul truly was.
The Registry Ceremony was much simpler than Tang San had imagined. It merely involved reciting an oath before the ancestral tablets, offering incense, and finally having the Second Elder inscribe the names of the children who had awakened the Clear Sky Hammer Spirit into the clan registry.
With a snap, the Second Elder closed the aged, yellowed clan registry and smiled at Tang San and the others. "Though you four are still young, you are already Soul Masters. The cultivation of a Soul Master has always required resources, and the Clear Sky Sect will naturally not neglect its disciples."
Upon hearing the Second Elder's words, Tang San could clearly sense a faint glimmer of anticipation in the eyes of the elders present.
"Tang Guang."
"Disciple present." Hearing the Second Elder's call, the young Tang Guang took a deep breath and stepped forward.
The Second Elder nodded, his aged hand sweeping out as a small jade pendant appeared in his palm. He handed it to Tang Guang and said, "With your Innate Soul Power at level eight, your talent is exceptional. Hence, we bestow upon you the management rights to the Clear Sky Restaurant branches at numbers twelve to fifteen on North Street in Clear Sky City. We hope you will cultivate diligently and serve the sect in the future."
"Many thanks, Second Elder. This disciple will certainly train hard and serve the sect." It was obvious that the six-year-old Tang Guang couldn't have come up with such words on his own—his elders must have coached him beforehand.
Cultivation indeed required resources. Tang San knew that the Spirit Hall provided monthly stipends to Soul Masters. At the time, he had thought ten gold coins per month was a considerable sum. Now, he realized that major sects were far more extravagant!
The monthly income from a single restaurant branch would undoubtedly far exceed the coins distributed by the Spirit Hall.
Tang San wasn't particularly surprised; he had long been aware of such practices.
The other disciples all envied those who awakened the Clear Sky Hammer. It wasn't just about the spirit's formidable power—the resources were incomparable. Moreover, the assets granted were immovable; if one left the Clear Sky Sect, they couldn't take them away. This effectively tied outstanding disciples to the sect's interests.
This was the method of major sects: continuously absorbing talent, binding them to the sect, and thereby strengthening themselves.
Of course, Tang Guang's allocation was already substantial. This wasn't solely due to his high talent but also because he belonged to the Seventh Elder's lineage, which naturally received more cultivation resources.
The other two, though they had also awakened the Clear Sky Hammer, had Innate Soul Power one level lower than Tang Guang's. They were each granted only one shop, yet this still thrilled their parents. After all, once their children made further breakthroughs and contributed to the sect, there would be additional rewards!
The true significance lay in earning the qualification for such rewards.
At this point, Tang San began to understand some of the intricacies of major sects. No wonder large sects and factions were internally divided into lineages of varying strength—the assets controlled by each lineage determined everything.
Cases like Tang Hao's, with only a single child, were undoubtedly rare. Tang San's grandfather, the previous sect master, had fathered three siblings: Tang Xiao, Tang Hao, and Tang Yuehua. Even though Tang Yuehua's Soul Power couldn't progress, she still possessed vast assets in the royal city of the Heaven Dou Empire and controlled untold resources.
"Tang San."
Hearing the Second Elder call his name, Tang San stepped forward. "Second Elder."
Seeing Tang San's calm and composed gaze, neither servile nor overbearing, without greed or excitement, the Second Elder's eyes lit up as he smiled and said, "Good, excellent, truly excellent."
The Second Elder repeatedly praised before continuing, "Tang San, with Innate Full Spirit Power and a mutated Clear Sky Hammer Spirit, your talent is unparalleled. After unanimous deliberation by the sect's elders and the sect master, it has been decided to entrust you with the management of the Clear Sky Auction House and Clear Sky Soul Arena in Clear Sky City. We hope you will cultivate diligently and serve the sect well in the future."
Hiss, hiss, hiss!!!
Upon hearing the Second Elder's words, several of the older members present gasped in shock, for they all understood the significance of these two establishments.
The Clear Sky Soul Arena was not only the sole soul arena in Clear Sky City but also the largest in the Heaven Dou Empire. The scale of a soul arena could be considered a symbol of a city's prosperity, which was one of the reasons why the Clear Sky Sect was hailed as the strongest sect on the continent by Soul Masters.
For Soul Masters, the soul arena was a place to compete with Martial Souls, a battleground for Soul Masters to face off. But for the owners, it was far more than that.
The Clear Sky Soul Arena was one of the Clear Sky Sect's most lucrative assets, generating wealth beyond measure. Owning a soul arena meant never having to worry about money or resources again.
(End of Chapter)