Martial Soul Awakening

"Listen carefully, children. Next, I will—"

At the front of the Quiet Room, a middle-aged man lit three sticks of incense. Only after bowing respectfully did he take a two-foot-square Red Sandalwood Treasure Case from a cabinet. When he opened it, Huo Yuhao was left somewhat dumbfounded, because the man took out a slightly smaller Gold-Gilded Dragon-Carved Treasure Case from within. He then repeated the process, unpacking a Diamond Pearl Treasure Case, a Glazed Agate Treasure Case, and a Silver Treasure Case with Domed Lid like nesting dolls. Only then did he retrieve six pitch-black, lightless Matte Small Round Stones from the final case.

So Martial Soul Awakening required such precious treasures to proceed smoothly?

Although Huo Yuhao had no idea how much those six matte black stones were worth, merely looking at the layer upon layer of treasure cases told him they must be immensely valuable, perhaps even items that money could not buy. Like certain Famous Blades—perhaps the sheath wrapped around the blade was costly, even extravagantly adorned with crocodile leather, gold, and jade, but the truly most valuable thing was still the blade with its legendary history.

Fortunately, he had not rashly left the White Tiger Duke's Mansion with his mother before his Martial Soul Awakening. Otherwise, awakening his Martial Soul would likely have taken much more effort.

Such precious treasures were most likely private collections of imperial nobles and sect factions. Even with money, they would be difficult to obtain. For commoners to invite out such a treasure for a single Martial Soul Awakening, who knew what price they would have to pay?

Before long, the children ahead of Huo Yuhao had all awakened their Martial Souls one after another. Weapon Martial Souls made up the majority, though most were merely tools and farm implements—things like sickles, plows and rakes, washboards, and steel saw blades. Some also awakened Martial Souls such as Blue Silver Grass and sheep, but aside from the sheep Martial Soul that had half a level of Innate Soul Power, none of the others had any Innate Soul Power.

The boy with the sheep Martial Soul wore an unmistakably uncontrollable smile. Having Innate Soul Power meant he had a chance to cultivate. In the future, when working for the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, he could serve as a guard rather than doing the menial labor his parents did. Not only would his monthly allowance be greater and his meals better, but his social standing outside would also be a cut above.

"Weapon Martial Souls, Beast Martial Souls... Mm, it really is about what Mother said."

As Huo Yuhao watched those ahead of him awaken their Martial Souls one by one, he could not help but feel a faint anticipation.

If I can awaken a Weapon Martial Soul, I hope it will be a katana like Kusabimaru. That would be perfect.

"Your name is Dai Yuhao, right? Come over and stand in the middle of these six stones."

Just as he was deep in thought, the middle-aged man's voice rang out.

Huo Yuhao looked around. He was the only child left in the room who had not yet awakened a Martial Soul. The way the man addressed him made Huo Yuhao instinctively want to refuse, but he did not say anything. The other children had already left, so Huo Yuhao said no more and stepped into the circle formed by the six small stones.

Six faint rays of light flowed into the Awakening Stones on the ground. A hazy layer of golden radiance emerged from the stones, forming a pale gold barrier that enveloped Huo Yuhao.

Golden specks of light entered his body one after another and gradually gathered upward.

Inside the Secret Chamber of the awakening room, a middle-aged woman was observing the activity in the Quiet Room through a One-Way Transparent Gem embedded in the wall. When she saw no sign of Huo Yuhao undergoing White Tiger Martial Soul Possession, she visibly relaxed.

She quietly let out a sigh of relief.

"It's good that he didn't inherit the White Tiger Martial Soul. A wench is a wench. Even after sharing in Master's favor, the bastard she bore still couldn't inherit the White Tiger Martial Soul."

The next moment, the golden specks of light surged upward at high speed.

A deep blue glow burst from Huo Yuhao's eyes instinctively, and a faint Mental Wave seeped outward. Immediately afterward, his formerly calm gaze turned cold, carrying an indifference toward life—or rather, the indifference of someone who had seen life wither away too often yet lacked the power to change it.

His icy eyes slowly swept across everyone in the room. The instant the middle-aged man responsible for awakening Martial Souls met that cold gaze, his arm trembled instinctively. The man was completely frozen by those eyes. Huo Yuhao's gaze did not linger on him. It swept across the walls of the Quiet Room, pausing briefly on a gem embedded in one wall before that chilling look gradually faded and his eyes returned to their tranquil calm.

"I-I'll test your Innate Soul Power."

The middle-aged man looked at Huo Yuhao, stumbling over his words. Huo Yuhao, meanwhile, looked utterly confused. "Sir, what is my Martial Soul? I didn't feel Martial Soul Possession, and I don't have a Weapon Martial Soul in my hand."

"It should be your eyes, a Body Martial Soul. Ask around about the rest yourself later."

The man had clearly lost the patience to properly explain things to Huo Yuhao. The change in Huo Yuhao's gaze just now had truly frightened him, and feeling as though he had lost face, he had no desire to continue talking with Huo Yuhao.

An eye Martial Soul is a bit of a shame. How great would it have been if it were a longblade Martial Soul?

Thoughts churned in Huo Yuhao's mind.

Just now, the power stirred by those six black stones seemed to amplify my emotions a little, causing some emotional fluctuation. But judging by that middle-aged man's reaction, he seemed frightened. That should be the effect of this eye Martial Soul, right?

Huo Yuhao silently pondered his eye Martial Soul, analyzing the help it could offer him.

Disrupt the opponent's mind before making a move, find their opening before they could react, then Stealth Kill them directly. If this eye Martial Soul's effect was truly so powerful, then in one-on-one combat, its value might be no less than the Bloodsmoke Ninjutsu used in a melee.

Even without obtaining a Soul Skill, simply awakening a Martial Soul can bring such a tremendous improvement?

Just as Huo Yuhao wanted to study his Martial Soul further, the man's voice sounded again. "Place your hand on this Crystal Ball. I'll test your Soul Power Level."

The Crystal Ball glowed faintly. It looked as though he had only one level of Innate Soul Power.

"Innate Soul Power Level One. At least you can cultivate. Go."

The man waved his hand expressionlessly, signaling that Huo Yuhao could leave. Only after Huo Yuhao had completely walked out the door did a fawning smile appear on the man's face. "Madam, that boy's Martial Soul is not the White Tiger, and his Innate Soul Power Level is only one. You—"

The man received no response. In the Secret Chamber behind the wall, the middle-aged woman's body was still trembling uncontrollably with fear.

Just now, it had felt as though someone had thrown her into a Mountain of Corpses and Sea of Blood. The emotion contained in the eyes of that child—the son of the wench, as she called him—had made her dizzy and disoriented after only one glance. That blood-soaked gaze was even more terrifying than her master, who had fought through countless battles on the battlefield.

Only when the man's voice sounded did she gradually break free from that horrifying scene.