Soul Land 5: The Rebirth of Tang San

Chapter 10: The Awakening Ritual

Tang San spent time thinking deeply about the Redemption Society. He understood that its formation as a secret resistance movement showed that some humans held solid moral convictions and knew the world's true nature well.

The vast number of human slaves, far outnumbering the Wind Wolf Clan, showed the abundance of humans in this world.

In three days, huh.

The day after the notices were posted, the villages began responding to the published messages. Each village had appointed wolf demons to oversee the slaves.

In the early morning, these wolf demons gathered everyone in the village, young and old alike. The older humans seemed numb and quiet, while the younger ones, around twenty years of age, still had a hint of hope in their eyes. They were the most likely candidates to awaken the wind wolf bloodline.

Amid the crowd, Tang San felt a deep sadness. The humans in front of him were hoping to awaken a bloodline that could have only been born from their mothers being violated by demons. How could he not feel that it was tragic?

He didn't resent the rule of the demons and nymphs in and of itself, as it was the natural order of this world. But the sight of his fellow humans living as numb slaves and giving up every trace of humanity just to survive filled him with sorrow.

These feelings had grown over the past eight years, fueling his resolve to find his wife and empower humans to live in this world with strength and dignity.

"Pay close attention. I'm about to awaken your bloodlines. Any slaves who awaken the bloodline of our Wind Wolf Clan can take the test in two days. Those with strong enough bloodline power will be granted the status of vassals and the opportunity to study in the town. Exceptional vassals might even achieve the same status as our clan members. This is your chance to rise to the ranks. Therefore, during the awakening process, be mindful of your bloodline. Don't suppress any changes; allow your transformations to manifest. Is that clear to everyone?" said the wolf demon.

The human slaves bowed simultaneously, displaying a mixture of fear and reverence.

The wolf demon nodded in satisfaction, his fangs protruding as his eyes emitted an increasingly bright green light. With a fierce glint in his eyes, he suddenly raised his head and let out a piercing howl.

"Awooo...."

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With this howl, numerous other howls appeared to reverberate in the distance.

Tang San stood a bit farther away, yet his senses were sharp enough to distinctly perceive the wolf demon's bloodline surging and unleashing a searing wave of bloodline energy as it roared. This energy surged outward, causing the humans nearby to shiver slightly.

"Awooo—" Following the conclusion of the initial howl, the wolf demon began to howl once more, filling the air with a dense presence of blood energy.

Out of nowhere, a young man positioned to the left of Tang San suddenly convulsed, as if he was enduring intense pain. He emitted a strange cry and violently toppled forward, resting on all fours with his face pressed against the ground. Strands of greenish-gray hair protruded from his skin, but the man wasn’t even aware; he appeared to be in great distress and he was writhing in agony.

Was this the awakening of the wind wolf bloodline?

Tang San took his time. He refrained from revealing himself, and instead just quietly observed the unfolding scene.

Apart from the young man, on the opposite side, further away, there was also a teenage girl clutching her head with her hands, crouching down in place. It appeared that some changes were also occurring within her body, though they were fainter.

Among the remaining individuals, most displayed little more than quivering and trembling. When they cast sidelong glances at the two undergoing transformations, there was even a hint of envy in their eyes.

"Awooo...." came another howl.

As the third howl neared its conclusion, Tang San realized he couldn't delay further. He abruptly crouched down, gripping his head and feigned pain. This unexpected move startled the children surrounding him.

After the three howls, the wolf demon's gaze moved across the group. Tang San and the others, who had undergone significant changes, drew the most attention. The wolf demon approached them and escorted them away individually.

The young man whose skin had grown wolf hair writhed on the ground, undergoing noticeable transformations. He drooled and appeared to be unconscious.

The girl's changes were less dramatic, with only a bit of hair appearing on her neck. Tang San, on the other hand, showed no changes whatsoever.

The wolf demon didn't pay any heed to the young man and the girl. Instead, he kicked Tang San hard, sending him rolling a few times.

"Kid, I hope you are not just pretending to possess our noble bloodline. You better pray that your bloodline is genuine. Otherwise, you'll end up as the sacrificial offering. Take them away," the wolf demon scoffed.

Several second-order wolf demons came forward, placed the three on a cart, and pulled them away.

Tang San had expected more slaves to awaken the wind wolf bloodline. However, when they gathered, there were only thirteen people of varying ages. Four individuals displayed clear signs of undergoing a wolf transformation, indicating a more concentrated wind wolf bloodline.

Tang San's body remained unchanged, with no signs of transformation, but he was the only one among them. The others all exhibited varying degrees of transformation.

They were assembled in preparation for the bloodline test that would be conducted two days later.

What caught Tang San off guard was that they actually had meat for dinner that night, marking the first time he had eaten meat since his arrival. Nevertheless, he had no appetite.

Before dinner, three out of the four individuals who had undergone the most significant transformations died.

Tang San went to examine their bodies, and the reasons behind their deaths were identical. The fragile slave physique couldn't endure the Demonic God Transformation that took place during the awakening of the wind wolf bloodline, causing organ failure or ruptured blood vessels, ultimately resulting in their demise.

The wolf demons came during the night and removed the three bodies. The remaining humans silently ate their meals, not even saying a word to each other.

The food for dinner was just barely edible; the meat was chewy and fibrous, and its origin remained a mystery. Someone had simply boiled the meal, and it lacked any discernible flavor.

After dinner, Tang San looked for a quiet corner and sat by himself. With two more days remaining until the bloodline test, he wasn't concerned about testing positive for the Wind Wolf bloodline. He had his methods and wouldn't have come here if he didn't.

While he closed his eyes to rest and silently readied himself to cultivate his Mysterious Heaven Technique, he suddenly felt a presence and instinctively opened his eyes.

He immediately noticed that someone was now standing beside him. It was a girl who appeared slightly older than him. Tang San recognized her—she was from the same village. Despite looking slightly older, she had a petite frame. Her face was smeared with dirt, but she still looked pretty cute.

"You...," the girl spoke, finally opening her mouth. Her voice was slightly hoarse.

"Hmm?" Tang San replied. Communication among human slaves was pretty uncommon, particularly among the children. Interaction was more common among adults. These children had not received an education since their early years, leaving them ignorant.

"Can you really do it?" the girl inquired in a hushed tone. Tang San looked at her in astonishment, and the girl continued in a whispered voice, "If you can't, you'll... you'll die."

She's concerned about me? Warmth enveloped Tang San's heart, a first since arriving in this world.