Martial Soul Awakening: Worthless

Holy Spirit Village's Martial Soul Awakening platform basked in the autumn morning light. Six-year-old Yang Jun stood before the crystal ball, a thin layer of sweat forming in his palms.

The villagers gathered in a circle below the platform, their eyes filled with anticipation and unease. Father Yang and Mother Yang's martial souls had long been famous throughout the village. Yang Jun's awakening today concerned the fate of this farming family.

"Yang Jun, focus!" the village chief called out steadily as Soul Power flowed into the crystal, making its light gradually brighten. Yang Jun took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and focused. The phantom images of a hoe and sickle appeared in his mind.

The instant the Martial Soul's form appeared, the crystal ball gave off a faint glow, its scale stopping at "Half-level." A wave of sighs rose from below the platform, but no one mocked him. Although Father Yang and Mother Yang's Hoe-Sickle Spirit possessed no Soul Power, their farming skills had kept the entire village well fed. The villagers felt only regret.

"Jun'er, don't be afraid." Father Yang's voice carried through the crowd. His rough palm rested on Yang Jun's shoulder. "A Martial Soul is a soul, but so is the human heart. Our family's hoe and sickle can nourish the land, and they can nourish people's hearts as well."

Father Yang's voice seemed to carry the weight of the earth, and warmth surged through Yang Jun's heart. He remembered that after crossing over to Douluo Continent, his parents had always taught him, "Soul Power may have a scale, but the Soul Heart has no limits."

Yang Jun opened his eyes and looked at his parents. Their faces were ordinary, yet the contours of their features carried the curves of a hoe and sickle. This was the mark of the Earth Vein Guardian. Mother Yang smiled and nodded, her gaze bright as a torch, as if saying, "Your path does not lie in the Soul Power scale, but in the land beneath your feet."

Yang Jun clenched his fists and silently made a vow. Since he had crossed into this world, he would carve out a future with this Hoe-Sickle Spirit. He recalled what he knew about farming from his previous life on Earth. Perhaps he could combine modern knowledge with it and forge a new path of cultivation.

The village chief recorded, "Martial Soul: Hoe-Sickle. Half-level Soul Power," with a trace of regret in his voice. As the crowd dispersed, several children crowded around Yang Jun. "Brother Yang, your dad said your hoe and sickle can cultivate Soul Power from the fields. Is that true?" Yang Jun grinned. "You'll know after we harvest the wheat in autumn." The children laughed and scattered, but Yang Jun noticed people murmuring in the crowd. "Half-level Soul Power... he probably can't even absorb a Soul Ring." "The Yang family's Martial Soul may be strange, but it has no Soul Power in the end..." Though their voices were soft, the words stabbed into Yang Jun's ears like needles. He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms. His path to rise would begin with this Half-level Soul Power!

In a corner, the withdrawn girl Bibi Dong stopped and stared at him. She wore an old robe, coldness glinting in her eyes, though a hint of curiosity showed through. "Your Martial Soul... has the Aura of the Earth Vein." Yang Jun turned toward her. Bibi Dong looked especially slender in the morning light. He remembered the village rumors: Bibi Dong was an orphan adopted by his parents three years ago. She was solitary by nature, yet extraordinarily gifted. The curiosity flickering in her eyes stirred his thoughts. Perhaps this girl could become an ally?

Night fell, and Yang Jun went to the fields at his parents' instruction. Moonlight spread over the earth like silver gauze. Father Yang held up a hoe to demonstrate. "Jun'er, a Martial Soul does not fall from the sky. It grows from the earth. Try pouring your Soul Power into the hoe and feel the pulse of the land." Yang Jun gripped the handle tightly as his Half-level Soul Power circulated faintly. The moment the hoe blade touched the ground, a sudden change occurred—the soil rippled, and fine, Spider Web-like lines spread from the hoe's tip, as though the earth itself were breathing! Delight flashed through Father Yang's eyes. "Earth Vein Resonance! Your Martial Soul can hear the land's heartbeat!"

Yang Jun's heart jolted as memories of his previous life intertwined with his current realization. He recalled the "Earth Vein Sensing" recorded in ancient Earth texts. Wasn't the resonance between his Hoe-Sickle Spirit and the Earth Vein based on a similar principle? He closed his eyes and focused, slowly channeling Soul Power into the hoe. The lines became clearer, and the aura within the soil streamed into his senses like a brook. Mother Yang said softly, "The Earth Vein is Sentient. You must listen with your heart. Your Soul Power may be weak, but your Soul Heart is strong enough."

Suddenly, rustling came from the distant grass. Bibi Dong appeared, holding a piece of Azure Stone Marrow. "I found this on Back Mountain. It can amplify Soul Power. Your hoe and sickle... seem connected to the Earth Vein." Yang Jun accepted the stone marrow, and a warm current seeped into his palm. As he closed his eyes and focused, the Hoe-Sickle Spirit became as clear as a physical object within his consciousness. The stone marrow's glow resonated with the Martial Soul, revealing a phantom image of the Earth Vein's network! Bibi Dong's pupils contracted. "Your Soul Power is flowing along the Earth Vein!"

Yang Jun was exhilarated. The stone marrow's amplification expanded the range of his Soul Power perception several times over. He tried extending his Soul Power through the Earth Vein and discovered that the soil's moisture, temperature, and even the distribution of roots were all within his grasp. Father Yang exclaimed, "This stone marrow is actually an Earth Vein Crystal! Jun'er, perhaps you can transmit Soul Power through the Earth Vein and break through the Half-level shackles!"

A beastly roar tore through the silence as a low-level Rock Pig charged forward, its tusks gleaming coldly. Yang Jun instinctively raised his hoe—the blade swung, and the ground abruptly rose into an Earth Wall. The Rock Pig crashed into it and fell! Bibi Dong could hardly believe it. "Half-level Soul Power, and you can actually control the Earth Vein?" She drew a short blade and stabbed at the Rock Pig's vital point, her movements swift as the wind. Only then did Yang Jun see clearly that Spider Markings had been carved into Bibi Dong's short blade, faintly glowing in the dark.

The Rock Pig struggled to flee, but Bibi Dong stopped Yang Jun. "Don't kill it." She cut open the Rock Pig's hide and took out a dark-red Soul Pearl. "This is its Soul Core. It contains earth-attributed Soul Power. After you absorb it, perhaps it will strengthen your resonance with the Earth Vein." Yang Jun accepted the Soul Pearl. Soul Power seeped into his palm, and the Earth Vein lines in his consciousness became clearer than ever. He realized that Bibi Dong was not only clever, but also understood the mysteries of Martial Soul cultivation.

After absorbing the Soul Pearl, Yang Jun swung his hoe again. Thorns sprouted from the Earth Wall, completely trapping the Rock Pig. An unusual light flashed through Bibi Dong's eyes. "You can actually merge Earth Vein Power with the Soul Pearl's attribute... This is no ordinary Martial Soul." Yang Jun smiled. "Perhaps my Martial Soul is not a hoe and sickle, but The Earth Itself." At those words, Bibi Dong's gaze suddenly deepened, as though she had glimpsed a possibility that could overturn the rules of Douluo Continent.

After the Rock Pig fled, Bibi Dong gazed at Yang Jun. "Your parents said that a Martial Soul is a soul, and the human heart is also a soul. Perhaps... we should redefine 'Soul Power.'" She handed him the stone marrow. "Tomorrow at noon, at the Earth Vein junction on Back Mountain. I'll wait for you." Yang Jun tightened his grip on the stone marrow and watched the girl's retreating figure. Under the moonlight, her old robe fluttered in the wind, while the Spider Markings blade at her waist glimmered. This mysterious girl was destined to become crucial to his path of rising.

When he returned home, Father Yang and Mother Yang had been waiting for a long time. Father Yang spread open his palm, revealing a dim Earth Vein line. "Jun'er, when we sealed the Earth Vein Crack in the village years ago, we sacrificed our Soul Power. But you are different... your Martial Soul was born able to coexist with the Earth Vein. This is the awakening of the Guardian Bloodline." Mother Yang stroked Yang Jun's head. "Remember, an Earth Vein Guardian is not a battle Soul Master, but a link to the land. Your hoe and sickle are meant to protect, not to kill."

Yang Jun was deeply shaken. At last, his parents' secret had been revealed. The awakening of the Earth Vein Guardian bloodline meant he carried an even heavier mission. He closed his eyes and focused. The resonance between his Soul Power and the Earth Vein grew stronger, while the Hoe-Sickle Spirit gradually manifested a phantom image of the earth's network in his consciousness. He realized that his path to rise was not merely about increasing Soul Power, but also about unraveling the inheritance of the Earth Vein Guardian.

At noon the next day, Bibi Dong was already waiting at the Earth Vein junction on Back Mountain. She held a yellowed map. "This is the village's ancient Earth Vein Distribution Map. The place where the crack appeared three years ago... overlaps with the Earth Vein anomaly you are sensing now." Yang Jun unfolded the map. Its Earth Vein lines perfectly matched his remembered perception of the soil. He pointed to one intersection. "The Earth Vein energy here is the weakest. The crack may be reviving here."

Bibi Dong nodded. Her Spider Markings blade cut across her fingertip, and a drop of blood seeped into the soil. "I'll use my Spider Martial Soul to sense the underground aura... there really are Undercurrents Stirring." The two followed the Earth Vein in their investigation and found an area of soil with a strange grayish-brown color. Yang Jun swung his hoe, gathering Earth Vein Power into a probe that pierced underground. Suddenly, the grayish-brown soil boiled, and several Rotten Earth Spiders burst out!

The Rotten Earth Spiders spat corrosive slime. Bibi Dong quickly formed hand seals, and a Spider Web covered the ground, blocking every drop of slime. Yang Jun controlled the Earth Vein, raising an Earth Wall to trap the Rotten Earth Spiders inside. The two worked together seamlessly, and the spider swarm was gradually wiped out. Bibi Dong wiped blood from the corner of her mouth. "The appearance of this Rotten Earth Spider swarm proves that the Earth Vein Crack is worsening. If we do not repair it in time, it may cause an even greater disaster."

Yang Jun gripped his hoe tightly, pouring Soul Power into the Earth Vein to trace the crack's source. He suddenly opened his eyes. "There is an icy aura deep inside the crack... like some kind of soul beast is devouring the Earth Vein's energy!" Bibi Dong's pupils shrank. "Could it be a Cave Yin Spider? This soul beast feeds specifically on Earth Veins. If we leave it alone, the Earth Veins throughout this entire region will wither!"

The two decided to investigate further. The cave entrance was gloomy and damp. Bibi Dong climbed the walls with spider silk, while Yang Jun manipulated the Earth Vein to form earthen steps. After descending a hundred zhang, the cold aura became increasingly intense. Spider Webs and rotten soil covered the cave walls. Suddenly, a piercing screech rang out, and a gigantic Cave Yin Spider appeared, its body covered in armor and its eyes crimson!

The Cave Yin Spider spewed Poisonous Mist. Yang Jun hurriedly swung his hoe, gathering Earth Vein Power into an Earth Shield to block it. Bibi Dong leaped onto the spider's back, driving her short blade into a gap in its shell, only to be swept away by one of its legs. Yang Jun's thoughts raced. He poured Soul Power into the Earth Vein, and the cave suddenly collapsed, hindering the Shadow Spider's movements. Seizing the chance, he split open the ground with his hoe, and Earth Vein Fire surged out to scorch the spider's body!

The Shadow Spider shrieked in agony as the cave shook violently. Bibi Dong took the chance to throw out a Spider Web that bound its legs, while Yang Jun condensed Earth Vein Power onto his hoe blade and cleaved at the Shadow Spider's core. With a thunderous blast, the Shadow Spider crashed to the ground, and a Soul Core emerged. After Yang Jun absorbed it, the range of his Earth Vein Resonance doubled, and flame patterns appeared on the Hoe-Sickle Spirit—he had comprehended the ability of Earth Vein Fire!

Bibi Dong collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily. "You... actually evolved your Martial Soul ability in battle." Yang Jun looked at the Fire Pattern dancing in his palm, his heart surging. What did Half-level Soul Power matter? As long as he mastered the true essence of the Earth Vein, he could defeat the strong with the weak! He helped Bibi Dong to her feet. "The Earth Vein Crack must be repaired. Otherwise, the Shadow Spider will return."

The two repaired the crack with Soul Power. Yang Jun poured Earth Vein Fire into the fissure, burning away the cold aura; Bibi Dong used spider silk to weave the Earth Vein network and stabilize its structure. The instant the crack closed, the Earth Veins throughout the region shone brightly, and grass and trees flourished. Bibi Dong stared at Yang Jun. "Your Martial Soul has already surpassed the scope of a 'hoe and sickle'... it belongs to The Earth Itself."

On the way back to the village, Bibi Dong suddenly stopped. "I received a summons from Spirit Hall. I must depart tomorrow." Yang Jun was stunned. "You're leaving?" Bibi Dong nodded, a complicated expression flickering in her eyes. "But I will report the matter of the Earth Vein Crack to Spirit Hall. If you need me, use this token to contact me." She handed him a Jade Token inlaid with Spider Markings. After Yang Jun accepted it, mixed emotions filled his heart. This girl, both enemy and friend, would eventually walk a path intertwined with his fate.

Night fell once more. Yang Jun stood in the fields, his Soul Power resonating with the Earth Vein like surging tides. Within his consciousness, the Hoe-Sickle Spirit had become a miniature reflection of the earth's network. Fire Patterns flowed over it, and abilities such as Earth Shield, Earth Split, and Fire Burn could all be used. He looked toward the village, where scattered lights shone like stars. His parents worked in the fields, their hoe and sickle blending into the earth.

"Half-level Soul Power... is only the beginning." Yang Jun clenched the Jade Token, blazing light igniting in his eyes. "The path of the Earth Vein Guardian begins today."