Martial Soul Awakening

When Wang Chuan followed Bai Qingyun into the Awakening Hall, more than a dozen children his age were already standing inside, each wearing expressions of nervous anticipation. Two oil lamps hung from the wooden beams, their warm yellow light spilling across the flagstone floor and casting a faint gray sheen over the awakening stones piled in the corner.

"Is everyone here?" The Village Chief hurried over in short steps, clutching a crumpled roster as he counted heads one by one.

"Everyone's here!" The children answered unevenly, though their voices carried a shared excitement. Wang Chuan softly echoed them, then quietly shifted toward the corner, his gaze settling on Bai Qingyun—the Lord Soul Master had yet to withdraw his martial soul. A gleaming silver spear rested diagonally across his back, its tip shining with a cold glint. Three soul rings slowly revolved beneath his feet, two yellow and one purple, their colors especially striking in the dim room. They were the mark of a Soul Elder, leaving the children staring wide-eyed.

"Honored Soul Elder, all the children are here. Please begin." Unable to suppress his excitement, the Village Chief bent even lower, his voice brimming with respect.

"Good. You may leave." Bai Qingyun's voice was gentle, yet carried unquestionable authority. With a casual gesture, he put away his spear, and both the martial soul and soul rings vanished. The Village Chief quickly responded, "Yes," but before turning away, he looked back to warn the children, "Listen to the lord, all of you. No causing trouble!"

Once the wooden door creaked shut, Bai Qingyun dragged a wooden box from the corner. Inside were several fist-sized black stones and a transparent crystal ball as large as a bowl. "Children, my name is Bai Qingyun. My martial soul is a spear, a Weapon Martial Soul." He picked up an awakening stone and lightly traced the patterns on its surface with his fingertips. "If you awaken a Weapon Martial Soul, especially an Assault Type one, then perhaps one day you may cultivate to become a Soul Elder like me—or even go further. Don't be afraid. Just do as I say."

The first child called was the Blacksmith's Son from the village, a sturdy, broad-faced boy who stepped forward with his fists clenched. Bai Qingyun arranged five awakening stones in a circle and had the boy stand in the middle. Then he handed him another stone. "Extend your right hand, focus your mind, and feel the power within the stone."

The instant the boy gripped the stone, the five black stones suddenly lit up with a pale golden glow. Rings of light climbed up his arm. Before long, a flash of green light burst from his right palm, and a rusty sickle slowly emerged, its blade still bearing rough hammer marks.

"A sickle martial soul. A Weapon Martial Soul." Bai Qingyun frowned, then relaxed. "It may not be a top-tier Assault Type martial soul, but it's still decent. Try controlling it with your mind and drawing it back."

The boy stared at the sickle for several seconds, gritted his teeth, and focused. The sickle trembled, gradually faded, and finally disappeared into his palm. "I-I did it! Thank you, sir!" His face turned red with excitement, and his voice was filled with delight.

"It was nothing. That was your own ability." Bai Qingyun pointed at the crystal ball. "Put your hand on it and let's see your Soul Power Level."

The boy pressed his hand against the crystal ball. A faint white light immediately appeared within it, its glow only spreading over less than half the sphere. "Soul Power Level 1." Bai Qingyun nodded. "Train hard, and you'll become a soul master in the future. Go wait at the side. Next."

One after another, the children stepped forward to awaken their martial souls. Some awakened farming tools such as hoes and shoulder poles, while others awakened ordinary Beast Martial Souls like rabbits and goats. Most had Soul Power Levels between 1 and 3. Wang Chuan stood in line, watching the children ahead of him rejoice or despair. His own heart tightened as well, and his fingers unconsciously clenched the hem of his clothes—he remembered his parents' expectations, remembered his wish to protect them, and his heartbeat quickened.

At last, it was his turn. He was seventh in line. Bai Qingyun looked up at him, his gaze falling on Wang Chuan's thin shoulders and slightly pale face. He could not help asking an extra question. "You're Wang Chuan?"

"Yes, sir." Wang Chuan blinked and obediently extended his right hand. His small palm was so thin that bluish veins could be seen beneath the skin.

The moment his fingertips touched the awakening stone, an inexplicable tremor crashed into his heart—like a massive boulder striking a tranquil lake and instantly stirring towering waves. The next second, overwhelming despair surged out of nowhere, thick as ink that could not be diluted, seeping through every limb and bone.

Everything around him suddenly lost its color and sound. The oil lamps turned a murky gray, the movements of the other children disappeared from his ears, and even Bai Qingyun's figure became blurry. He felt like a feather floating in midair, weightless, meaningless. A mad thought began to grow in his mind: What was the point of living? His parents would grow old, he himself would vanish, and all warmth and hope would eventually turn to dust. Struggling was futile. Remaining was futile. Better to simply sink like this, into an endless darkness...

His consciousness seemed to be swept into a whirlpool. Wang Chuan tightly shut his eyes, his body beginning to tremble, even his breathing weakening. Just as he was about to be completely devoured by that despair, another entirely different power burst in without warning.

It was a tremor carrying warmth, like a flame suddenly kindled in the dead of winter. It began as a faint spark, then transformed into vivid green—the tender shoots breaking through the earth after spring rain, the new leaves emerging on barren slopes, overflowing with vibrant life. This green forcibly scattered the despair. Like a small hammer, it struck his heart again and again, awakening the obsession buried deep within him: No, I can't sink! My parents are still waiting for me. I haven't protected them yet. How can I give up like this?

That power gently supported his sinking consciousness, tender yet resolute as it pushed him out of the swamp of despair. When Wang Chuan opened his eyes again, purple light was already shining from his right palm, and a long blade slowly emerged—the blade was slender, with purple-and-white patterns winding across it like flowing water. A faint glow shimmered between those patterns, making it appear both magnificent and mysterious.

What startled him even more was that a faint tremor was hidden within his left palm as well, as though something else were quietly awakening. But instinctively, he pressed down on his left hand and did not let it reveal itself.

"This martial soul..." Bai Qingyun stepped closer, his eyes filled with curiosity. "It looks like a fine blade, but why isn't there any soul power fluctuation at all?" He stretched out his hand, intending to touch the blade, but just as his fingertips neared the patterns, a bone-piercing chill suddenly crawled up from them. The instincts of a Soul Elder screamed a frantic warning: Danger! Touch it, and I'll die!

Bai Qingyun abruptly staggered back two steps, cold sweat breaking out across his back as his breathing fell into disorder. Startled by his reaction, Wang Chuan hurriedly withdrew the long blade with his mind and softly asked, "Sir, are you all right?"

"I'm fine. It's not your fault." Bai Qingyun wiped away his sweat, steadied himself, and pointed at the crystal ball. "Place your right hand on it. Let's test your soul power."

Wang Chuan did as instructed and pressed his hand against the crystal ball. The next second, the crystal ball erupted with dazzling white light. The radiance surged upward through the sphere, instantly filling the entire crystal ball, while even its edges glowed with a golden halo. The oil lamps in the room seemed to dim beneath its brilliance.

"Th-This is... Innate Full Soul Power!" Bai Qingyun's eyes widened, and even his voice cracked. In all his years of work, he had encountered only a handful of people with Innate Full Soul Power. Every one of them had been a genius fought over by the major sects. "No, this must be reported immediately!"

He hurriedly pulled a Communication Jade Talisman from his robes, poured soul power into it, and quickly spoke a few words. Then he called over another soul master waiting outside. "You continue awakening the children. I'm going to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect right now to report this to the Sect Master!" Before his words had even faded, he grabbed his outer robe and rushed out of the Awakening Hall in long strides, moving so fast that he stirred up a gust of wind.

Wang Chuan stood where he was, still unable to recover from the shock of "Innate Full Soul Power." The warmth of the crystal ball lingered in his palm. The children beside him gathered around, their eyes full of envy. Even the chubby boy who had bullied him before no longer dared look at him with contempt.

Half an hour later, all the children had completed their awakenings. The soul master who had taken over led them out of the Awakening Hall. The Village Chief had long been waiting impatiently at the entrance, and the moment he saw them emerge, he rushed forward. "Sir, how did it go? Did our village get any promising soul masters this year?"

"More than that." The soul master smiled and patted the Village Chief's shoulder, his tone brimming with admiration. "You produced a genius with Innate Full Soul Power! That child named Wang Chuan. Soul Elder Bai Qingyun has already gone to report to the Sect Master. If nothing unexpected happens, that boy will likely enter the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to cultivate in the future!"

The Village Chief froze for several seconds, then jumped up in excitement. Turning around, he ran toward the village, shouting as he went, "Kaitai! Qingyun! Your Wang Chuan has made something of himself! Innate Full Soul Power!" His voice drifted away on the wind and reached Wang Chuan's ears. Wang Chuan could not help smiling, with only one thought in his heart: Dad, Mom, I did it. From now on, I can protect you.