On the Origin of Martial Souls, Shattering Preconceptions

The vast tiered classroom was so silent that a pin drop could be heard.

Every student, from veterans like Bing'er and Yan'er to new students like Huo Yun and Lin Xiaowan, held their breath and fixed their burning gazes on the young yet mountain-like figure at the podium. Qin Mo's opening remarks were like a bomb dropped into their established understanding of the world, stirring up towering waves.

Martial Souls were not predetermined at birth? They were not unchanging? They could even... evolve?!

This utterly overturned the ironclad laws that had existed on Douluo Continent since ancient times! If this were true, its significance would be enough to rewrite the future of the entire Spirit Master World!

As though he had not seen the stunned, nearly frozen expressions below, Qin Mo continued explaining in his calm, measured voice, every word carrying profound meaning:

"People say that Martial Souls awaken at the age of six, that Innate Soul Power determines one's starting point, and Martial Soul quality determines one's upper limit. This is true, but it is also not true." He paced slowly, his gaze seeming to pierce past appearances and see directly into the essence. "It only speaks of the surface, without touching the root."

"What is the root of a Martial Soul? What is the source of Soul Power?" He posed two fundamental questions, plunging every student into thought.

"In the eyes of Myriad Manifestations Sect, a Martial Soul does not emerge from nothing. At a deeper level, it originates from Bloodline Inheritance, Soul Imprints, and the unique 'resonance' and 'manifestation' produced when Life Origin intertwines and collides with the Heaven and Earth Laws!"

"The strength of one's Innate Soul Power is not merely a gamble of talent. It depends on the strength of one's Life Origin at birth, the depth of one's resonance with Heaven and Earth Primal Energy, and... whether the ancient power accumulated within one's bloodline has awakened."

He paused, allowing the students to digest this information before delivering an even more startling idea:

"Therefore, a so-called Waste Martial Soul may not truly be useless. Rather, its owner's Life Origin may have failed to perfectly align with it, or their bloodline may lie dormant, leaving its true potential untapped. Likewise, a so-called Top-tier Martial Soul is not guaranteed smooth sailing. If one follows the wrong path after birth and their origin is depleted, it too will gradually be covered in dust and may even degenerate."

"Cultivation, in a sense, is the process of continuously 'Nourishing Origin,' 'Deepening Resonance,' and 'Awakening Bloodline,' thereby 'Nourishing Martial Soul' and allowing it to evolve and transform without end!"

Heavy breathing had already begun to sound from below. Those whose Martial Souls were ordinary or even poor, especially Lin Xiaowan, clenched the corners of their clothes tightly, their bodies trembling faintly with excitement. The dean's words seemed to light the brightest lamp upon the dark road ahead of her!

"However, how does one Nourish Origin? How does one Deepen Resonance? How does one Awaken Bloodline?" Qin Mo's voice carried a guiding, almost magical quality. "It is not through brute-force absorption of Soul Power, nor is it something as simple and crude as Devouring Soul Ring Energy."

"You must perceive. You must guide. You must align."

"Perceive the most fundamental emotion of your Martial Soul. Is it blazing heat? Bitter cold? Lightness? Heaviness? Vitality? Extinction? Only by finding it and understanding it can you better guide Soul Power into resonating with it."

"Guiding Soul Power is not simply about washing it through the Meridians. Instead, use your will as a guide, allowing it to nourish the Martial Soul Origin like spring rain moistening all things, rather than flooding it like a torrent and adding needless burden."

"Find an environment of Heaven and Earth Primal Energy that aligns with your Martial Soul's attributes, or use specific medicines and formations to achieve twice the result with half the effort."

He did not teach any specific cultivation methods. Instead, from the most fundamental level of "concepts," he opened an entirely new door for every student. It was an upheaval in thinking, a correction of the path of cultivation!

Many students listened in rapt attention. The many doubts and bottlenecks they had encountered in their past cultivation now seemed to have new ways of interpretation and directions toward resolution. Even geniuses with ultimate Martial Souls like Bing'er and Yan'er felt they had gained immensely, developing a deeper understanding of their own power.

Huo Yun's eyes shone brightly. He realized that his control over the Soul Suppressing Bell perhaps did not have to remain limited to sonic attacks. If he resonated more deeply with the essential meaning of "suppression" and "stabilization," he might gain unexpected results.

Lin Xiaowan felt as though thunder had exploded in her mind! Could the core of her Straw Martial Soul be "tenacity" and "vitality," rather than the "uselessness" that had always made her feel inferior? How should she perceive it, guide it, and align with it?

The lesson lasted a full two hours.

When Qin Mo announced the end of class, many students remained immersed in that sense of shock and enlightenment, unable to recover for a long while.

"Today's lesson was merely an introduction. How much you can comprehend and how far you can go depend on yourselves," Qin Mo said at last. "After class, each of you must submit your reflections on the origin characteristics of your own Martial Soul. This will count toward your next assessment."

Ignoring the students' cries of despair, mainly from the new students, Qin Mo drifted away.

Yet the intellectual storm brought about by Introduction to the Origin of Martial Souls continued fermenting throughout the academy. Students gathered in small groups, discussing it heatedly and attempting to examine their Martial Souls from a new perspective. Their enthusiasm for cultivation reached unprecedented heights.

Over the following days, Qin Mo successively offered courses such as Basic Fine Control of Soul Power, A Brief Analysis of Common Soul Beast Characteristics and Soul Ring Selection, and Identification of Basic Formation Runes. The content he taught often came from unconventional angles, with unique insights that went straight to the core. The students found it immensely satisfying, but also felt enormous pressure to study. The difficulty and depth of Myriad Manifestations Academy's teaching far surpassed that of any academy outside.

One day, after class ended, Qin Mo kept Huo Yun behind alone.

"You have been stuck at the Level 29 bottleneck for some time." Qin Mo looked at the steady-minded youth before him. "Have you encountered some confusion?"

Huo Yun respectfully bowed. "In response to the dean, this student indeed feels that the bottleneck is exceptionally firm. My Soul Power accumulation is already sufficient, yet I have been unable to break through. Following what the dean taught recently, I tried resonating with the Soul Suppressing Bell on a deeper level. Though I gained something, I still feel as though there is a barrier between us."

Qin Mo nodded slightly. "The core of your Soul Suppressing Bell lies in 'suppression' and 'soul.' The Soul Rings you absorbed in the past were one for sonic attacks and one for area interference. They are not bad, but neither touched upon the true meaning of the Suppressing Origin. That is the root cause of why your bottleneck is so firm. What you need for your Third Soul Ring is not merely to pursue its age. You must seek a Soul Beast with talents related to 'suppression,' 'confinement,' or 'stabilization.' Only then can you truly draw upon the power of your Martial Soul Origin, break through in one stroke, and lay the most solid foundation for the future."

At those words, Huo Yun's eyes suddenly cleared, as though clouds had parted to reveal the sun! He bowed deeply. "Thank you, Dean, for clearing away my confusion! This student understands!"

"Go and prepare. In three days, I will take you to Star Dou Great Forest to obtain your Third Soul Ring."

Huo Yun suppressed his excitement and, after bowing once more, took his leave.

Qin Mo watched Huo Yun's departing figure, his gaze deep. Huo Yun's talent and temperament both made him worthy of focused cultivation. This Soul Hunting trip might also be a good opportunity for a teaching demonstration.

Three mornings later, Qin Mo left the academy with Huo Yun and Ning Rongrong, who had voluntarily asked to come observe and learn, entering Star Dou Great Forest once again.

However, they did not know that shortly after they left,

a twisted, bizarre figure nearly fused with the shadows slipped past the sight of the patrolling guards around the academy and appeared at the edge of the Guardian Great Formation like Gui Mei, utterly silent.

The aura around this figure was exceedingly strange, as though it did not exist in this world, yet it carried a chilling evil and deathly stillness.

It raised its head, revealing a pair of entirely black pupils without any whites, staring fixedly at the flowing Nine-Colored Light Screen. Its mouth stretched into an inhuman, greedy curve.

"Delicious... Life Aura... and... the scent of divinity... Heh heh..."

It extended a shriveled black hand with sharp nails and slowly pressed it against the resilient barrier, as tenderly as though caressing a lover.

This time, the barrier did not immediately repel it. Where the hand touched, the light screen actually dented inward slightly, emitting an almost inaudible, teeth-grating sizzle, as though it were being slowly corroded by some corrosive force!

Inside the tower, Bing'er, who was responsible for monitoring, changed expression dramatically and instantly activated the highest-level alarm!

The piercing alarm rang out across the entire Myriad Manifestations Academy!