Martial Soul Awakening

"Oscar, if I told you Flender was a very formidable man back then, would you hate me?"

At the border of the Heaven Dou Empire stood an inconspicuous little village.

Two boys, one older and one younger, lay on the plains beside the village, reminiscing about the past.

The place was not particularly developed, but thanks to its location at the confluence of two tributaries, quite a few merchants passed through.

Thus, while the village could not be called wealthy, it was not especially poor either.

"Flender? Who's that?"

Though Oscar was only six years old, his handsome features were already beginning to show.

Given time, he would surely become a dashing young man capable of enchanting countless girls.

The boy beside him, Su Chen, was quite a bit older.

At ten, his growing body gave him a somewhat more valiant air.

"Formidable? How formidable could he be? Stronger than the Soul Master who awakens Martial Souls?"

Oscar stuffed a piece of bread into his mouth and asked indifferently.

Every year, Spirit Hall sent a Soul Master to the village to awaken the Martial Souls of children of the proper age. They were usually around level thirty, already enough to crush anyone else he knew.

"That 'Four-Eyed Cat Owl' was a Soul Saint."

Su Chen spoke calmly.

The moment the words "Soul Saint" were spoken, Oscar, who had been eating bread, froze as well.

A Soul Saint meant at least level seventy. To him, such a level was no different from a fantasy.

"What are you thinking about? Never mind whether he's a Soul Douluo—even if he's a Titled Douluo, it has nothing to do with me."

Oscar slowly rose from the grass and stretched lazily.

"You were the one who saved me, Boss."

Three years ago, Oscar had still been an abandoned infant drifting downstream.

Su Chen had found him and entrusted him to the village elders to raise.

A year ago, Flender, who had been passing through on his travels, had taken a liking to Oscar.

His intuition told him that this child's talent was extraordinary.

But Oscar had refused him, saying, "Everything I cherish is here."

"By convention, Yang Ye should be here this afternoon, right?"

Yang Ye was the Soul Master from Spirit Hall responsible for awakening Martial Souls in this area. Every year at this time, he came here to awaken the children's Martial Souls.

As a regular "customer" of Martial Soul Awakening every year, Su Chen had long since become acquainted with him.

"How have you been doing lately, Old Yang? It's been a year. Has your Soul Power improved?"

At two in the afternoon, Yang Ye arrived as expected.

Seeing him approach, Su Chen went up and greeted him with practiced ease.

"Good afternoon, little brat. Are you still going to be the last one to awaken your Martial Soul this year?"

Yang Ye was only in his thirties and could be considered young. With sword-like brows and bright eyes, he was exceptionally handsome. He wore a fitted white outfit, a black cloak draped behind him, and a fist-sized character for soul emblazoned at the center of his chest.

Whenever he went out to perform official duties, he liked to wear Spirit Hall's standard attire.

On his left breast was a badge engraved with longswords, four swords crossing one another on its surface.

He was a Soul Elder.

"If there's nothing else, I'll begin the Martial Soul Awakening."

As he spoke, Yang Ye strode into the Council Hall.

This was where the villagers usually gathered to discuss important matters and hold meetings. It was also used as the location for awakening Soul Power.

"Mm. I'll awaken mine last."

Martial Soul Awakening was something most people in this world experienced.

But unlike most people, Su Chen had already undergone it four times.

Fate seemed to have played a joke on him.

Innate Full Soul Power, but no Martial Soul.

Skillfully taking out six stones and a crystal ball from his bag, Yang Ye arranged them into the shape of a formation.

"Only four children are undergoing Martial Soul Awakening this time?"

Seeing that the village had only four children of eligible age this time, Yang Ye shook his head in disappointment.

The odds of becoming a Soul Master were no different from buying a lottery ticket. The more people there were, the greater the chances naturally became.

For Spirit Hall deacons like them, who were responsible for awakening the Martial Souls of ordinary people, if they could awaken a child with exceptional potential and recruit them into Spirit Hall, their own future would gain a certain degree of security.

"Mm."

The village chief nodded. In the thirty years he had served as village chief, only one child with level-one Innate Soul Power had ever appeared, and that child's Martial Soul had been a radish.

One.

Two.

Three.

The three children were quickly tested. Without exception, none possessed the talent to become a Soul Master.

"Next, Oscar."

There were only four people in total, and Yang Ye himself had not held out much hope.

"Okay."

The instant Oscar's palm touched the blue crystal ball, his body trembled violently. That beautiful-looking blue crystal ball possessed an enormous suction force, and an inexplicable energy within his body began surging forth.

Yang Ye was equally astonished. He had not held any hope for the last child.

He had merely been following routine, going through the motions.

But the blue crystal ball in his hand suddenly lit up, its blue radiance gradually spreading. At first, there was only a tiny point of light, but soon, the crystal ball shone like a dazzling gemstone. A faint blue halo spilled outward, indescribably beautiful.

The Soul Power crystal ball was extremely sensitive. Even the slightest reaction indicated the presence of Soul Power.

And brightness of this degree could only mean one thing.

This child named Oscar possessed Innate Full Soul Power.

"Gulp."

Yang Ye swallowed nervously.

"Good child, try releasing your Martial Soul. Relax, then release your Soul Power."

"I'll try."

Oscar truly deserved to be a genius with Innate Full Soul Power. In the blink of an eye, he successfully summoned his Martial Soul.

A Sausage.

"A Food-Type Martial Soul, Innate Full Soul Power. Boundless prospects—boundless prospects!"

Yang Ye shouted excitedly.

People with food Martial Souls were not uncommon. Carrots and apples were everywhere.

What was truly rare were food Martial Souls that possessed Soul Power.

If the chances of an ordinary Martial Soul possessing Soul Power were one in ten thousand, then the chances for a Food-Type Martial Soul were one in a hundred thousand, or even one in a million.

"If you're interested, I can recommend you to join Spirit Hall. With your talent, you'll definitely receive focused training. You might even have a chance to join the Golden Generation."

Yang Ye's excitement was beyond words, to the point that he was beginning to speak incoherently.

"Boss, what do you think?"

Oscar was momentarily undecided and turned to look at Su Chen.

"Let me think about it."

Su Chen frowned in thought at his words.

His Martial Soul had never been able to awaken properly. If this continued, he would inevitably hold Oscar back.

If that happened, joining Spirit Hall would become an extremely dangerous choice for Oscar.

"Your Holiness the Pope has arrived!"

At that moment, a long shout came from outside the door.

The voice echoed with powerful vigor. It was clear that the newcomer's cultivation was not weak.

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