Martial Soul Awakening, a Top-Tier Martial Soul?!

Early the next morning, Lin Yuyang got up and headed to several remote villages some distance away from Daoxiang Village.

This was the Martial Soul Awakening assignment he had received from the Spirit Temple in Heaven Dou City.

Those villages, including Daoxiang Village, fell within the area where he was responsible for helping children awaken their Martial Souls. He planned to work his way from far to near, leaving Daoxiang Village for last before completing the assignment.

As a powerful Soul Ancestor, he was willing to awaken Martial Souls for these children not only to complete the task and earn compensation, but also because he himself had once been given hope in the same way. Naturally, he did not mind passing that seed of hope on.

Meanwhile, after breakfast and a brief stretch, Lin Yao saw that it was about time. Led by Zhao Wan, he arrived at the place in the village where Martial Souls were awakened.

Quite a few children who had reached the age of six had already gathered there with their parents. At the front of the crowd stood Daoxiang Village's elderly village chief, Jerry.

"Ah Wan, you brought Yao here. Let the boy come over here."

Seeing Lin Yao and Zhao Wan arrive, Jerry smiled kindly and called for Lin Yao to join the children waiting for their Martial Souls to awaken.

Zhao Wan greeted Jerry, then had Lin Yao go over and wait.

Once all the children scheduled for awakening had arrived, Jerry spoke in a gentle tone.

"Children, in a little while, Uncle Lin Yuyang will help awaken your Martial Souls. Make sure you cooperate with Uncle Lin.

Grandpa hopes that among you, a few will awaken Soul Power and become Soul Masters, just like your Uncle Lin and Auntie Zhao."

As he spoke, Jerry looked expectantly at the children present, his gaze lingering a little longer on Lin Yao.

Jerry was filled with anticipation for the Martial Soul Awakening of Lin Yao, the son of Lin Yuyang and Zhao Wan—the two prides of Daoxiang Village.

Meanwhile, upon hearing the names Lin Yuyang and Zhao Wan, the children immediately turned to look at Zhao Wan, their eyes full of admiration.

They had grown up hearing the names Lin Yuyang and Zhao Wan. A Soul Ancestor in his thirties and a high-level Soul Elder were already extremely impressive to ordinary villagers.

Especially after the two had returned to the village to care for Lin Yao, the village had gained the protection of a Soul Elder and a Soul Ancestor. Bandits and wandering wild beasts had been dealt with easily. The impact this had on the village children was easy to imagine.

Thus, many of the children present looked at Lin Yao, who had such formidable parents, with envy—but no other negative feelings.

Partly because they were still young, but also because Lin Yao was not like Tang San, with his aloof personality from a previous life. Nor had he ended up with a father like Tang Hao, who had coasted through life with a bit of talent, only to become utterly defeated upon encountering a setback. Lin Yao got along quite well with children his age in the village.

"Boss Lin Yao once killed a wild boar that charged into the village all by himself. Just as expected of Uncle Lin and Auntie Zhao's son."

"I wonder whether Boss Lin will awaken Uncle Lin's Green Peak Sword Martial Soul or Auntie Zhao's Star Radiance Martial Soul?!"

At that, Lin Yao noticed the "kind" look his mother Zhao Wan gave him and felt a little awkward.

After all, it had been far too dangerous for a child whose Martial Soul had not even awakened to fight a wild boar that had entered the village.

Even though he had won, Lin Yao had been lectured for a long time. Now that someone had brought it up again, Zhao Wan naturally had an immediate reaction.

Fortunately, a figure approaching from the distance broke Lin Yao out of his predicament. Looking closely, it was Lin Yuyang hurrying over, with two yellow and two purple rings of light floating around him.

Clearly, with the strength of a Soul Ancestor, he had gone early to the other villages to help their children awaken their Martial Souls. Now, it was about time for him to return.

"Ayang, you're back. You've worked hard," Village Chief Jerry immediately stepped forward with a smile.

"Not at all, Old Village Chief. You're too polite."

Lin Yuyang spoke warmly. For this elder, who could be said to have watched him grow up, his heart was full of respect and affection.

After greeting Village Chief Jerry, he looked at Zhao Wan and Lin Yao with a gentle smile. However, he said nothing and simply led Lin Yao and the other children into the branch hall for Martial Soul Awakening.

Actually, Lin Yuyang could have brought his wife inside, but he made his living within the Spirit Hall system. There was no need to break its rules.

"All right, children. I am your Uncle Lin Yuyang, a Level 43 Attack Type Battle Soul Ancestor. My Martial Soul is the Green Peak Sword. I just finished awakening the Martial Souls of children from several other villages. You are the final group.

There is no need to be nervous. Stand in a line, and I will awaken your Martial Souls one by one, taking the most crucial step in your lives."

After entering the branch hall, Lin Yuyang gave them those instructions, then took out the Awakening Stones and other items needed for Martial Soul Awakening from his Storage Soul Tool and began setting them up.

What a shame. It would be hard to meet the God King-level Su Yuntao in Heaven Dou City—the man who helped countless geniuses awaken their Martial Souls in Nuoding City. Otherwise, if I awakened a trash Martial Soul certified by Su Yuntao, I could start out punching Heaven Dou and kicking Star Luo.

Having prepared himself and relaxed, Lin Yao could not help entertaining some improper thoughts.

After all, having transmigrated to Soul Land, it somehow felt as though something was missing if Su Yuntao was not the one presiding over his Martial Soul Awakening.

But Lin Yao could not find a legitimate excuse to travel that far, so he could only have his father awaken it for him.

While Lin Yao was distracted, the awakening ceremony had already begun.

Lin Yuyang took out two items: six round, jet-black stones and a gleaming Blue Crystal Ball. He arranged the six stones, then gestured for the first child to stand among them.

"Don't be afraid. Close your eyes and feel carefully."

As he spoke, Lin Yuyang activated his Soul Power, and his four Soul Rings appeared once more.

"Green Peak Sword, manifest!"

At the same time, a Green Peak Sword gleaming with a sharp, icy light appeared in his hand. He grasped it in one hand, and his entire presence instantly changed. He was like a sword piercing the heavens, its edge laid bare.

This was the powerful form the Green Peak Sword, a weapon Martial Soul with Innate Soul Power at Level Five, had developed into after Lin Yuyang's years of hard work.

Seeing this, not only the other children, but even Lin Yao, who had been mentally prepared, was somewhat surprised.

Although the general level of education on Douluo Continent was low, his Old Man had, through tireless exploration, attained a profound understanding of his own Martial Soul.

Being able to let them sense the aura of his Martial Soul without affecting them at all was truly an exquisite use of power.

"Children, this is my Green Peak Sword Martial Soul. If any of you awaken a weapon Martial Soul, you too will have a companion worthy of trusting for your entire life."

"Come, Xiao Jing. Hold out your hand!"

After allowing the children to sense the aura of his Martial Soul and prepare themselves, Lin Yuyang let the Green Peak Sword hover by his side and gently addressed the little girl standing at the front of the line.

At his words, Xiao Jing instinctively held out her hand.

At once, countless motes of light emerged from the six stones and enveloped her. A spear-shaped Martial Soul slowly appeared in her hand.

The spear's shaft was straight and slender, sturdy yet flexible. Its tip was sharp and keen, shaped like a triangular prism. Most eye-catching of all was the red tassel hanging below the spearhead.

"Oh, it is actually a spear Martial Soul born from Martial Soul mutation. What is your Martial Soul called? I remember that one of your parents has a long staff Martial Soul, while the other has an embroidery needle Martial Soul. I never expected them to mutate into an even stronger spear Martial Soul. This is a fine Attack Type weapon Martial Soul with good potential for development."

"Uncle Lin, my Martial Soul is called the Red Tassel Spear. What should I do now?"

Hearing the praise in Lin Yuyang's words, Lin Jing was delighted. Gripping her Red Tassel Spear tightly in both hands, she immediately answered with a smile.

"Red Tassel Spear? A fine name. Now, take a step forward and let me test whether you have Soul Power. As long as you have Soul Power, no matter how low it is, you can become a true Soul Master through hard work and change the fate of yourself and your family!"

Lin Yuyang smiled.

Born into poverty, he had changed his fate through Martial Soul Awakening. He similarly hoped that more ordinary people could have the same hope of changing their destinies.

Of course, the things he had seen over the years had also made him understand just how fortunate he and his wife were, as well as how difficult it was for ordinary people to change their fates.

Even with Martial Soul Awakening, without the corresponding bloodline inheritance and proper nutritional supplements, it was incredibly difficult for an ordinary person who could barely keep themselves fed to become a Soul Master. Yet he had encountered a promising child right from the start, and she even possessed a rare beneficial Martial Soul mutation.

"Okay."

Lin Jing obediently took a step forward.

"Now, use your thoughts to put away your Martial Soul first. Then place your hand on this and let me test your Innate Soul Power."

Looking at the little girl before him, Lin Yuyang nodded and held the Crystal Ball out to her.

Lin Jing withdrew her Martial Soul and placed her hand on it. Immediately, the Crystal Ball began to shine.

"Good, you have Soul Power! Very good! It has actually reached Level Six Innate Soul Power, just like Wan'er did back then. With hard work, your future definitely will not be limited to the level of low-ranking Soul Masters. You have an excellent chance of breaking through to Soul Emperor, or even Soul Saint. Wonderful!"

A trace of delight appeared in Lin Yuyang's eyes.

After combining his experiences traveling the continent with years of accumulated observations and analysis of countless Martial Soul Awakening cases, Lin Yuyang had discovered that apart from inheriting their parents' Martial Souls, the Martial Souls of six-year-old children seemed to be affected by the nourishment of nutritional supplements after birth. Ever since then, he had invested more heavily in raising Lin Yao in that regard.

The reason Lin Yao had grown so sturdy before even awakening his Martial Soul was because his parents had piled Gold Soul Coins into his upbringing.

At the same time, Lin Yuyang had not forgotten the villagers from his own hometown, nor the villages he had visited over the years while awakening Martial Souls. Within their limited means, he had encouraged them to pay more attention to nourishing their children.

However, aside from Daoxiang Village, the other villages were ultimately still too poor. Even with deliberate efforts to compensate in this regard, most children could only barely awaken half a level or one level of Soul Power.

Even so, they had gained the hope of becoming Soul Masters and changing their fates.

But prosperous Daoxiang Village was different. Right from the start, there was a child with Level Six Innate Soul Power and a Martial Soul.

Before he and his wife had grown powerful, Daoxiang Village had not produced a Soul Master for decades. Based on what was known about Martial Soul inheritance, aside from their own child, the children of Daoxiang Village should gradually have lost even the possibility of awakening Soul Power.

Yet all of that had changed.

The child who had stood first in line for this Martial Soul Awakening had not merely arrived early. She had already won over all the other children through her past actions.

In Daoxiang Village, the areas where Xiao Jing displayed abilities beyond ordinary people were second only to Lin Yao.

Lin Yuyang had already felt that she was extraordinary before. Sure enough, he had been right. By that logic, his own brat Yao could not possibly be ordinary either. At the very least, he should start at Level Six Innate Soul Power.

"All right, child. Go wait to the side for now. Since you have the potential to become a Soul Master, perhaps even a high-level Soul Master, I will discuss it with the village chief later and arrange for you to enter a Junior Soul Master Academy to build a solid foundation. You must cultivate diligently in the future, understand?" Lin Yuyang said softly.

"Okay!" Lin Jing was thrilled beyond measure. Awakening a Martial Soul, awakening an ability, and becoming a Soul Master were the dreams of every child in the village.

Now, she had already taken the second step. Only the final step remained, so she was naturally overjoyed.

Lin Yuyang raised his head and continued, "Next!"

The Martial Soul Awakening continued. Unfortunately, aside from the first child with Level Six Innate Soul Power, the others mostly hovered around half a level or one level of Soul Power.

"A Sickle, a weapon Martial Soul. It has some offensive power, but its Soul Power is a little low—only Level One. Still, you have a chance to become a Soul Master."

"A Hammer, a weapon Martial Soul. Level One Soul Power."

"A beast Martial Soul, a Rooster. Level Two and a half Innate Soul Power. What a pity it did not mutate. Otherwise, it would have been good if it gained some elemental attributes or evolved into another powerful bird Martial Soul."

"Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, Level Two Innate Soul Power. Child, do not be discouraged. Although it has no Battle Power and is widely recognized across the continent as a trash Martial Soul if you take the Attack Type path, taking the support route is still a path to survival in desperate circumstances."

After awakening several in a row, Lin Yuyang appeared calm, but inwardly, he was already extremely satisfied.

After all these years of effort, Daoxiang Village had produced so many Soul Master Seeds. Even if many of them would never break through to Soul Elder, it was still a wonderful change.

The future was promising.

Especially Lin Jing. Her mutated Red Tassel Spear Martial Soul and Level Six Innate Soul Power made her an obvious Seed worthy of cultivation even in an ordinary sect.

As the number of children gradually dwindled, every child in this group had received the chance to awaken a Martial Soul, and all of them were extremely happy.

As for Lin Jing, who had awakened first, she watched with a gratified expression as the younger children she had beaten into submission received good results. At the same time, she turned her gaze toward the careless-looking figure standing at the very end, her eyes flickering.

He had suppressed her for so many years, and he was Uncle Lin and Auntie Zhao's son. I hope he gives me a little surprise. Don't disappoint me.

After helping the other children awaken their Martial Souls, Lin Yuyang turned his gaze toward Lin Yao and said softly, "Yao, come."

After awakening so many children in succession, even with the strength of a Soul Ancestor, Lin Yuyang did not look relaxed. Helping others awaken their Martial Souls was physically taxing work.

No wonder that ten thousand years later, on Douluo Continent, where Spirit Hall no longer existed and Shrek had replaced the top powers in the ecosystem, the foundations of the pyramid-like Soul Master system had already rotted away.

As a frontline taxi driver, one did not even know about Martial Souls or undergo Martial Soul Awakening. That would have been unimaginable in the first Soul Land era. It was a blatant step backward in history.

"Okay, Father."

Thinking this, Lin Yao was extremely calm. He answered Lin Yuyang, then walked seriously into the center of the Awakening Formation.

As Lin Yuyang channeled Soul Power into the Awakening Formation, Lin Yao's body involuntarily floated off the ground, and the six Awakening Stones gradually lit up.

This aura... without gaining any additional Soul Rings, it is no weaker than my Green Peak Sword after gaining four Soul Rings. It has absolutely entered the level of a high-tier Martial Soul, perhaps even touched the threshold of a top-tier Martial Soul...

Yao's body has been well nourished in every respect. He should not be much worse than Xiao Jing. Xiao Jing has Level Six Innate Soul Power and an excellent high-tier Martial Soul. With Innate Soul Power that may not be weak either, he has the aptitude to reach Soul Saint at the very least if he works hard. Good boy...

Seeing Martial Soul fluctuations far beyond any he had witnessed during Martial Soul Awakenings over the years, the corners of Lin Yuyang's mouth rose with delight.

However, when Lin Yao's Martial Soul Awakening in the formation reached the level of a powerful high-tier Martial Soul—

After pausing for a moment, its light blazed even more brilliantly. Even the Green Peak Sword behind him began to hum involuntarily, as if expressing submission to a superior being. Lin Yuyang's pupils contracted, and stormy waves surged in his heart.

This... my Green Peak Sword is reacting like this? It is a top-tier Martial Soul. Yao's awakened Martial Soul has reached the level of a top-tier Martial Soul...