Soul Power, One Level! (A New Book Sets Sail, Please Add It to Your Collection)

"Innate Soul Power. Level One."

"Tsk."

The undisguised sighs of disappointment reached his ears, but they failed to draw even the slightest attention from Huo Yuhao. At that moment, he was staring blankly at the window beside him.

Ill-fitting coarse-cloth clothes hung from his frail body. Even the colored glass could not conceal his pallid complexion, yet his azure eyes revealed a depth far beyond his years. After staring blankly for a moment, he suddenly laughed.

"Martial Soul Mutation, Innate Soul Power Level One. I can't believe this brat can still laugh."

"Heh, it's still better than having no Soul Power, isn't it?"

"After all, he's the son of a servant. The fact that he possesses Soul Power already means he's benefited from the Duke's favor."

As the contemptuous remarks from those around him continued, invisible energy seeped from their bodies. Wisps of it surged into Huo Yuhao's forehead, and the Original Sin of Arrogance gathered into a gray orb of light within his Spiritual Space.

The lifeless gray gradually peeled away as if dust were being washed off, revealing a deep dark-blue color beneath.

The Pride Origin was slowly awakening.

Was this something brought back by his reincarnation?

Recalling the scene of dying together with Tang San in his previous life, a glimmer flashed through Huo Yuhao's eyes. After carefully sensing it, he found that most of the Arrogance Original Sin did not come from the people who had bullied him and his mother over the past six years. Instead, it came from the onlookers.

As a direct descendant of the current White Tiger Duke, naturally, one took pride in awakening the Evil Eye White Tiger Martial Soul. The resulting change would be enough for Huo Yuhao—a descendant who could not even be considered a concubine-born son—to enjoy an extremely high status within the estate.

That was why the entire Duke's Mansion had placed unusual importance on Huo Yuhao's awakening ceremony today. Whether they were people who had once bullied Huo Yun'er and her son or those who were still waiting to see what happened, all of them were waiting for a result.

If Huo Yuhao awakened the Evil Eye White Tiger, the former would need to apologize at the earliest opportunity, while the latter could use the chance to curry favor. After all, even servants in the Duke's Mansion were divided into different ranks. Doing odd jobs and personally serving the Duke's concubine came with vastly different treatment.

Yet the boy before them had not only failed to inherit the Duke's Martial Soul, his talent was even at the lowest level. This completely crushed the hopes of those who had been waiting and watching. The fence-sitters who had chosen sides late and wanted to make up for their mistakes and regain the Duchess's favor naturally had to show their loyalty with even greater effort.

"Can I leave now?"

Huo Yuhao suppressed the excitement in his heart and asked in a clear voice.

Six years old! He was only six years old now. Everything had only just begun!

"Ah, yes, you can."

The ceremony's presiding officer finally came back to his senses and nodded stiffly. He watched Huo Yuhao turn away without the slightest reluctance and walk through the slightly crowded doorway with an unchanged expression. He could not help shivering.

He did not know why, but being the person closest to Huo Yuhao, he had suddenly felt an indescribable sense of dread at the instant the boy had tested his Soul Power.

And why did it feel as though that brat's gaze had changed after testing his Soul Power?

He immediately shook his head, merely assuming that it was a change brought about by awakening an eye Martial Soul. Martial Souls in this world were strange and varied, so it was perfectly normal for an awakening to bring changes to the body.

As Huo Yuhao followed the route stored in his memories, he sensed the Arrogance Origin in his mind, which was almost entirely dark blue. Beside that origin, six other nearly identical gray orbs of light floated quietly.

Judging from what had happened just now, as long as someone around him developed feelings of arrogance, he would absorb them. However, each person seemed able to provide it only once.

He simply did not know whether that meant he could absorb it only once from each person, or whether it was because of a cooldown period.

While he was pondering this, Huo Yuhao unknowingly arrived at the side gate of the Duke's Mansion. Looking at the lush forest outside, he touched the White Tiger Dagger in his robe and stepped out.

Today was the day he would awaken his Martial Soul. His mother, Huo Yun'er, believed this item could bring him good luck and had specifically asked him to carry it. Unfortunately, in his previous life, it had not served much purpose.

He suddenly thought of his reincarnation and could not help laughing at himself.

Perhaps this was what people called good luck?

He still remembered how he had excitedly rushed home after having his Soul Power tested in his previous life. Now that he had returned through reincarnation, surely he could not go back empty-handed?

Not long after leaving the gate, Huo Yuhao vaguely heard the sound of a stream in the distance. He continued along the path, but before he could see his destination, a noisy chorus of footsteps caught his attention.

Turning his head, he saw a blond boy around his age, dressed in luxurious clothes and surrounded by several guards as they approached. Facing the fawning expressions and flattering words around him, the boy maintained an arrogant look from beginning to end. Invisible energy seeped from his body and surged toward Huo Yuhao.

"Dai Huabin."

Huo Yuhao slightly furrowed his brow. He had not expected to encounter him here.

Dai Huabin seemed to notice him as well and slightly knitted his brows. A lackey who looked like the youngest of the group—apparently no older than Dai Huabin—seemed to recognize Huo Yuhao and hurriedly began explaining to him.

"Young Master, he's the son of the Duke and that servant woman I told you about. I've already heard about it. His Martial Soul is his eyes, and he has Level One Soul Power."

They were not very far apart, so Huo Yuhao heard every word clearly. He immediately realized something was wrong. He had only just awakened his Martial Soul, and this person had clearly returned from outside with Dai Huabin. How could he possibly know about his Martial Soul and Soul Power?

"Oh?"

Dai Huabin's gaze suddenly turned cold. "Since his Martial Soul isn't the Evil Eye White Tiger, then do as you said. Handle it cleanly."

Joy appeared in the lackey's eyes. He gave Huo Yuhao a sinister smile and waved his hand. The four guards beside him frowned slightly, but they still charged toward Huo Yuhao.

Facing the guards rushing straight at him, Huo Yuhao's expression shifted several times before he finally sighed.

"On such a happy day, I wasn't planning to draw blood."

In an instant, dark-blue light burst from his body as his words fell. His eyes became incomparably arrogant, but that emotion of arrogance was immediately suppressed and vanished just as quickly.

Under Dai Huabin and the lackey's astonished gazes, Huo Yuhao's body exploded with speed far beyond their expectations and collided with the guards.

One guard was the first to be struck by a kick from the small-framed Huo Yuhao. With a crisp crack of breaking ribs, he coughed up a mouthful of blood and toppled backward uncontrollably, clutching his chest as he let out a pained howl.

The three others, who were half a step slower, were so frightened by the sight that their movements stalled. The words impossible instinctively surfaced in their minds.

Was this really the strength a six-year-old child should possess!?

What exactly was that blue light?

In the next second, one of them saw a flash of cold steel before his eyes. The White Tiger Dagger slashed down diagonally, its blade sinking into his chest and tearing through flesh as blood sprayed into the air.

The intense pain robbed him of all his strength. His legs gave way, and he collapsed.

In a single exchange, two of the four guards had already lost their ability to fight.