Awakening a Martial Soul

A week later,

In front of Tianhun Village's Spirit Branch Hall stood more than a dozen children and an old man, waiting for something. Chen Xuanji was among them.

Spirit Branch Halls were spread throughout every village on the continent. A main city would have a main hall, while smaller cities would have branch halls.

This was merely one small part of how Spirit Hall controlled the entire Douluo Continent.

Tianhun Village was close to Fasnuo City, the main city of Fasnuo Province, so Tianhun Village's Spirit Branch Hall was fairly decent, built from bricks.

Perhaps it was because the villagers of Tianhun Village also enjoyed a rather high quality of life.

Fasnuo Province was an agricultural region. Tianhun Village had plenty of people and land, yet only around a dozen children were awakening their martial souls this year—the fewest in all the years so far.

In any case, Chen Xuanji never lacked food or drink while living here. Old Chen Chen was quite wealthy and gave him two Gold Soul Coins each month for living expenses.

One Gold Soul Coin was equivalent to several months' living expenses for an ordinary family. Many ordinary families had never even seen a Gold Soul Coin.

However, Tianhun Village had high grain production, so the average standard of living was good. At the very least, no one worried about food or drink.

Today was the day of martial soul awakening. Old Hank, Tianhun Village's elderly village chief, had brought the village children to wait at the Spirit Branch Hall early in the morning.

The other children were playing and chatting, while Chen Xuanji lay on a patch of grass, asleep.

"Xiao Lin, show a little energy. Don't sleep here—go play with the other little ones."

Old Hank smiled as he spoke to the sprawled-out Chen Xuanji.

"Oh, Grandpa Hank, what's so fun about that? Sleeping is much more comfortable. Besides, the deacon from the Spirit Hall Main Hall hasn't arrived yet."

Chen Xuanji did not even open his eyes as he muttered.

Chen Xilin was Chen Xuanji's name in this world. Old Chen Chen had found him in a forest, and since it had been sunset at the time, Old Chen Chen named him Chen Xilin.

"Hm?" Chen Xilin opened his eyes. He sensed someone rapidly approaching.

A few breaths later, a young man appeared before the Spirit Branch Hall.

He looked to be in his twenties, with swordlike brows, starry eyes, and an exceptionally handsome face. He wore a fitted white outfit and a black cloak draped over his back. At the center of his chest was a fist-sized Soul Character. This was the standard attire of direct personnel under Spirit Hall.

On his left breast was a badge engraved with a longsword, with four crossed swords upon it. People like Old Hank, who knew Spirit Masters well, understood that the four swords represented the third rank of Spirit Master—Soul Elder—while the longsword indicated that this deacon from Spirit Hall was a Battle Spirit Master.

"Greetings, Master Su. Is it you again this year? Have you advanced to Soul Elder? Congratulations on your increased cultivation." Clearly, Old Hank knew this deacon from the Spirit Hall Main Hall quite well.

"Haha, Old Hank, it has been some time since we last met. I've been lucky this year. Not only did I break through to Soul Elder, but I also awakened several promising seedlings in Tianzhu Village and Yumi Village.

Tianhun Village has always yielded the most within my district. I trust you won't disappoint me today."

Master Su was obviously in high spirits. His performance this year had already exceeded expectations, and with his cultivation advancing to Soul Elder, his status within the Spirit Hall Main Hall would also rise.

"Haha, we certainly won't disappoint you." Old Hank was extremely confident in his village. There was a reason Tianhun Village had a large population and high average income: every year, it produced good prospects capable of becoming Spirit Masters.

The Spirit Masters who left Tianhun Village would return every so often to help develop it. The money Spirit Masters could earn was far greater than what could be made from selling grain.

"Children, let's go inside." Old Hank led the dozen or so children into the sacred Spirit Branch Hall.

After entering the Spirit Branch Hall, Master Su looked them over carefully and frowned. "Old Hank, are there only this many people in Tianhun Village this year? Usually there are at least twenty-odd children. Why are there so few this year?"

Only now did Master Su realize how few children from Tianhun Village were awakening their martial souls this year, leaving him somewhat speechless.

"Hehe, there truly are fewer children of the proper age this year. There will be more next year and the year after." Old Hank knew that this year's numbers were low.

After explaining, Old Hank looked at the dozen or so children behind him. "All right, children. This is a Battle Spirit Master from Fasnuo City. Next, he will guide you in awakening your martial souls. You must cooperate with Soul Elder during the awakening. Grandpa hopes that every one of you will have what it takes to become a Spirit Master."

Master Su was also somewhat speechless. "Old Hank, you dare hope that all of them will become Spirit Masters? The most Tianhun Village has ever had was twelve children qualified to become Spirit Masters, and there were nearly thirty children awakening their martial souls at the time."

A trace of sadness showed in Old Hank's eyes. He sighed. "Yes. Only the inheritors of the great sects can easily become Spirit Masters. For ordinary people like us, it is simply too difficult." Shaking his head, he walked to the side and waited quietly.

Old Hank was also a Spirit Master, a one-ring Tool Spirit Master. His Innate Soul Power had been far too low, and he had awakened a sickle, allowing him to harvest wheat quickly.

Since Old Hank was also a Spirit Master, he could remain present during Master Su's martial soul awakening process. The village chiefs of other villages might not have such qualifications.

"All right, let's begin. Children, stand in a line."

Master Su spoke gently.

The fourteen children lined up, with Chen Xilin—Chen Xuanji—standing at the far left. He would clearly be the last to awaken his martial soul.

Master Su smiled at the row of children. "Hello, children. My name is Su Tianyu, a Level 31 Battle Soul Elder, and I will be your guide.

Now, I will awaken your martial souls one by one. Remember, no matter what happens, do not be afraid."

As he spoke, Su Tianyu opened his bag on a nearby table and took out two items: six jet-black round stones and a shining blue Crystal Ball.

Su Tianyu arranged the six black stones into a hexagon on the floor, then gestured for the first child on the right to stand within it.

"Don't be afraid. Close your eyes and feel carefully." As he spoke, Su Tianyu's eyes suddenly lit up. Under the children's horrified gazes, he gave a low shout. "Lone Wolf, Martial Soul Possession."

A faint green light emerged first from the center of his brow, traveling upward along his forehead and into his hair.

Su Tianyu's hair had originally been black, but the moment the green light entered it, it turned gray and rapidly lengthened. Fur of the same color appeared on his exposed hands, while his body seemed to swell noticeably larger than before. His entire body became packed with muscle.

Spirit Hall's special uniform was highly elastic and did not burst despite his enlarged frame. Su Tianyu's eyes had turned a dim green, while the claws extending from all ten fingers glinted with a faint cold light.

Three rings of light rose beneath his feet, continuously circling from his feet to above his head. One white, one yellow, and one purple ring stood out prominently.

Chen Xilin's eyes narrowed. The aura of this Soul Elder was actually so different before and after Martial Soul Possession?

If he had been confident he could defeat Master Su before, then in his Martial Soul Possession state, he probably could not. The Muscle Tendon Classic had not broken through, and his True Qi was insufficient. Without enough True Qi, the power of his martial arts was also inadequate.

The children of Tianhun Village had broader knowledge than those from the previous village. The village possessed many varieties of martial souls, though their quality was generally ordinary.

Thus, rather than feeling afraid upon seeing Su Tianyu's Lone Wolf, they were filled with longing.

"You go first, child." Su Tianyu pointed at Chen Xilin—Chen Xuanji—on the far left. Chen Xilin looked bewildered. Shouldn't he have started from the right?

Chen Xilin stepped forward and came before Su Tianyu.

Su Tianyu rapidly struck out with both hands, sending six faint green lights into the six black stones on the ground. At once, a hazy golden glow emerged from the stones, forming a pale golden barrier that enveloped Chen Xilin.

Golden motes drifted out from the black stones on the ground and entered Chen Xilin's body. It felt as though he had been wrapped in a warm world, indescribably comfortable.

Warm energy seeped into his body. Then, guided by that warm energy, Chen Xilin felt as though something inside him had shattered, and the Muscle Tendon Classic began circulating on its own.

It fused that power within his body together. The Muscle Tendon Classic possessed the trait of embracing all things.

The Muscle Tendon Classic was profound and vast, balancing hardness and softness. The True Qi it produced possessed exceptionally strong assimilative and inclusive properties. Any kind of inner force could be embraced and fused by the Muscle Tendon Classic into Muscle Tendon True Qi.

Meanwhile, the Muscle Tendon Classic's True Qi could serve as the driving force behind any move or cultivation method during use, producing a wondrous power that turned the mundane into the miraculous.

Clearly, the martial soul traits of this Douluo Continent had also been assimilated and embraced by Chen Xilin's Muscle Tendon Classic.

Suddenly, a majestic dragon roar sounded from within Chen Xilin's body. His body expanded in an instant, his shirt swelling taut as the formerly skinny Chen Xilin became incomparably muscular.

It was not over yet. Jet-black scales began growing across Chen Xilin's body, and the pupils in his eyes turned vertical, creating a terrifying sight.

"What is this?" Su Tianyu carefully examined the martial soul on Chen Xilin's body. He had never seen a martial soul like this before.

The dragon roar erupting from Chen Xilin made the other children's ears ache. Moreover, waves of black mist radiated from his body—strange, dark, and frightening.

"Xiao Lin, this is..." Old Hank also studied Chen Xilin closely.

Chen Xilin had been brought here by an elderly man around Old Hank's own age. The child's parents had been killed soon after his birth. The old man had saved him and brought him to Tianhun Village.

"What martial soul is this? It should be a dragon-type martial soul. A black dragon martial soul? But it has no dragon wings... Let me look." Su Tianyu took out a Martial Soul Compendium from his bag.

At this moment, Old Hank walked up to Chen Xilin. Just as he was about to remind him how to dispel the Martial Soul Possession state, an astonishing scene unfolded before him.

The black dragon scales on Chen Xilin's body gradually receded, and the muscle expansion caused by Martial Soul Possession slowly returned to his normal physique.

Old Hank was utterly shocked. Could Xiao Lin be a one-in-ten-thousand genius?

At this moment, Chen Xilin sensed his own martial soul. It was a Black Dragon! The Black Dragon possessed a massive body covered in scales that gleamed with a dim luster. Under the light, those scales appeared deep black or dark purple, exuding a mysterious and majestic aura.

Its posture was agile yet powerful, with strong limbs and claws as sharp as blades, capable of easily tearing through space.

Its dragon head was enormous and imposing. Its eyes were like two cold stars in an abyss, glimmering with dim light and revealing a heart-palpitating sense of oppression.

Its sharp fangs were like blades, seeming to display its immense strength and peerless majesty to the world.

"I found it. Pitch-black scales, Dragon Horns, and a dense Dark Aura radiating from its entire body. This aura is not only oppressive and frightening, but it has no dragon wings. This is the Dark Demonic Flood Dragon Spirit! An exceptionally powerful sub-dragon species martial soul, a formidable Earth Dragon."

Su Tianyu found the description of Chen Xilin's martial soul. This time, he had truly struck it lucky.

Su Tianyu took out the blue Crystal Ball and handed it to Chen Xilin.

"Child, test your Innate Soul Power. With such a powerful martial soul, your Innate Soul Power should be extremely high."

Chen Xilin had also heard that his martial soul was called a Dark Demonic Flood Dragon Spirit. But... Chen Xilin could see his own martial soul. This was clearly a genuine dragon! The giant dragon within his body had no wings, but its appearance was the standard Eastern dragon form from his previous life.

When Chen Xilin touched the Crystal Ball, he felt an immensely powerful suction force. The inner force within his body truly surged into the Crystal Ball, somewhat beyond his control.

Chen Xilin circulated the Muscle Tendon Classic and kept his inner force inside his body. The Crystal Ball flashed, then dimmed again. Only a little over two-thirds of the entire Crystal Ball was lit.

"Innate Soul Power Level Seven! Hahahaha, your talent is far better than mine was back then. Old Hank, you've found a treasure!" Su Tianyu was so delighted he nearly began dancing. What was this? A living achievement!

"What is your name, child?" Su Tianyu composed himself slightly, though his tone remained excited.

"Chen Xilin."

"Good. I'll call you Xiao Lin. This is your Martial Soul Awakening Certificate. When you need to attend school, remember to come to the Spirit Hall Main Hall in Fasnuo City. Take this with you, and no one will stop you."

Su Tianyu handed Chen Xilin a token. It bore six symbols: a blue dragon, a hammer, a sword, a golden human figure, a golden crocodile, and a crown.

However, the token in Chen Xilin's hand bore only the crocodile symbol.

"Okay." Chen Xilin nodded and walked to the back.

Chen Xilin found a place and sat down. Using the inner vision granted by the Muscle Tendon Classic, he examined the martial soul within his body. It was indeed a Black Dragon!

They mistook a dragon for a flood dragon? Still, it isn't without its benefits. I'll treat it as playing the pig to eat the tiger. There's nothing wrong with being cautious. A Black Dragon with such a dark aura should be a Dark Holy Dragon.

Luckily, Master Su's eyesight is poor. Wait, his surname is Su? Could he be the legendary Blind Douluo? But Blind Douluo seems to be called Su Yuntao. Forget it, no need to worry about that.

My martial soul has awakened, and Master Su even gave me a token that can grant me access to the Spirit Hall Main Hall. When the time comes, I'll see whether the Spirit Hall Main Hall has any books about Spirit Beasts or the like.

Otherwise, when I Hunt Spirit Beasts later, it would be terrible if I did not even recognize them or understand their age.

While Chen Xilin continued daydreaming, Master Su was awakening the martial souls of the other children.