Martial Soul Awakening

If Hu Zixin was the clan's number one peerless genius, then Leng Ning was its eternal runner-up.

By age, Hu Zixin had been born a few days after Leng Ning, yet they were like natural enemies. Since childhood, neither had been able to stand the other.

At first, Leng Ning and Hu Zixin cultivated at roughly the same pace, but as time went on, the gap between them gradually widened.

Hu Zixin had now reached the realm of a Titled Douluo, while Leng Ning had only just broken through to Soul Sage.

Leng Ning had once been able to exchange a few moves with Hu Zixin, but now, fighting her was simply asking for a beating.

And Leng Ning just happened to enjoy asking for one.

"Look, it's the Young Emperor!"

"It really is!"

"Wow, is that the Young Emperor who'll lead our Azure Hill Clan to its peak? He's so handsome!"

"Did you hear? A few days ago, the Young Emperor sneaked out of the clan and came back seriously injured."

The surrounding clan members chattered about all sorts of things. But when Ye Mo heard that he had sneaked out of the clan and returned badly wounded, he could not help sighing. The original owner of this body had really been a damn talent.

Ye Mo's memories had left an extremely deep impression of how he had been so badly injured. There was not the slightest bit of vagueness.

The original owner of this body had taken advantage of his personal maid Qing Ling's inattention and quietly slipped out of his room under cover of darkness.

He had then traveled through the night to the passage leading from the Azure Hill Clan to the outside world. The entire Azure Hill Clan was located in a basin, surrounded by several towering mountains. What left Ye Mo speechless was that the guards stationed at the clan entrance had actually been asleep at the time.

Then that fool had slipped out, played outside for a while, and failed to find his way back.

He had not encountered any soul beasts, but hunger soon set in. When had the Young Emperor, who had lived a life free from all worries since childhood, ever gone hungry?

He had panicked at once. By chance, he spotted a fruit tree on a cliff, its fruit giving off an enticing fragrance, and headed toward it.

The rest was easy to imagine.

"What are you two doing? This is utterly disgraceful! Let go at once!"

A dignified, low voice belonging to a middle-aged man pulled Ye Mo back from his thoughts.

A middle-aged man appeared before Ye Mo. He had a resolute face, and his deep eyes seemed to shine with starlight.

Ye Mo grew a little excited. He had finally found a savior.

"Hmph."

Hu Zixin gave an unwilling cold snort, but obediently released her hand. Leng Ning on the other side released hers as well.

"Father."

"Greetings, Grand Elder."

That was right. This man was Hu Tian, the Grand Elder of the Azure Hill Clan and its former clan chief.

Hu Zixin and Leng Ning each bowed to Hu Tian.

Hu Tian glanced at Hu Zixin and let out a faint sigh. "How many times have I told you? Zixin, you are now the clan chief of the Azure Hill Clan. There is no need for you to bow to me."

By rank, Hu Tian should still have bowed to Hu Zixin, but Hu Zixin could not possibly accept a bow from her own father.

Hu Zixin did not dare be negligent and hurriedly said, "No matter what, you are Zixin's father. Zixin must bow to you."

Hu Tian's eyes revealed both gratification and a trace of pride. This was Hu Tian's daughter.

"The two little ones are still the same as ever, always jealous of each other."

A charming voice came from the sky, followed by a gorgeously dressed woman descending from above.

"Mother!"

Hu Zixin's pretty face flushed scarlet as she protested coquettishly.

A blush also appeared on Leng Ning's cold little face. Hu Xin had said that in front of everyone.

"Enough. Today is the important day of the Young Emperor's martial soul awakening. Hu Xin, no mischief."

Hu Tian glared at Hu Xin, his voice carrying an air of authority.

Hu Xin ignored his gaze, covered her mouth, and smiled at Hu Zixin and Leng Ning.

Hu Tian shook his head helplessly and turned his gaze toward Ye Mo, who was still waving his hands around.

"Young Emperor, please come with me. It is time for your martial soul awakening."

"Huh? We're going already?"

Ye Mo stared blankly at Hu Tian. His hands were still aching, and now he was being taken to awaken his martial soul.

If Hu Zixin was his fiancée, then this man before him was his future father-in-law.

There was a small island in the middle of Heart Tide Lake. On it stood an enormous, bewitching and sinister fox statue. Even more strangely, the fox statue had nine tails.

There were no other decorations around the island, yet it was the most beautiful and sacred place in the hearts of every Azure Hill Clan member. It was also where martial souls were awakened.

At that moment, Hu Tian led Ye Mo and some of the other clan members who wished to awaken their martial souls onto the island.

The Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony should have been presided over by the clan chief, but Hu Zixin was only the clan chief in name. The one handling and conducting the ceremony was still her father, Hu Tian.

The clan members around Heart Tide Lake immediately had their attention drawn over, and without exception, fervent excitement appeared in their eyes.

"Young Emperor!"

No one knew who started the shout, but soon the entire clan erupted with a cry that rang through heaven and earth. There were only two words: Young Emperor.

Even Ye Mo felt his blood begin to boil.

Since I fused with your soul and received a second life, I will bear your responsibilities and your mission.

Ye Mo silently recited those words in his heart. He knew very clearly that his soul had long been shattered in that great battle. Though his soul had been damaged when he awakened earlier, it was still thousands, even tens of thousands of times better than it had been during that battle.

The only reasonable explanation was that Ye Mo's soul had fused with the soul of this body's original owner. However, the original owner's consciousness had already dissipated, so Ye Mo's consciousness now took precedence.

It sounded ridiculous, but it was the most reasonable explanation. Otherwise, Ye Mo should have perished in that great battle. At the time, his entire soul had been fragmented, and his body had long since died.

Having inherited the original owner's memories, Ye Mo could be said to be the previous Young Emperor. He had simply survived in another form, with no distinction between them.

"Silence."

Hu Tian spoke in a low voice. Though he was not loud, his words clearly reached the ears of every clan member.

The entire clan quickly fell silent. Although Hu Tian was now the Grand Elder, he had once served as clan chief for many years, and his authority had long been deeply imprinted in every clan member's heart.

"Today is an important day, a day on which we will witness the martial soul awakening of the Young Emperor of our Azure Hill Clan."

At that point, Hu Tian paused and swept his dignified gaze across the clan members gathered around Heart Tide Lake.

"The Young Emperor is the one our ancestor prophesied would lead the Azure Hill Clan to its peak. Everyone should know that.

"In other words—

"Today—

"Is the beginning of our Azure Hill Clan emerging from decline and heading toward its peak!"

Hu Tian roared that final sentence. His words shook everyone to their core, carrying blazing passion and unyielding resolve as he made this declaration to the entire Azure Hill Clan.

"Toward the peak!"

"Toward the peak!"

The entire clan erupted as well, unleashing deafening cries.

Hu Tian turned and nodded to Ye Mo behind him.

"Whew."

Ye Mo took a deep breath. He knew how the Azure Hill Clan awakened martial souls: one only had to place both hands on the Nine-Tailed Fox Statue, and the statue would release a strange stimulus to awaken what lay within the body.

When Ye Mo had first arrived on the island, he had felt as though the Nine-Tailed Fox Statue was calling to him from somewhere unseen.

Ye Mo looked to the side. Hu Zixin and Leng Ning both looked at him encouragingly, with a trace of excitement in their eyes.

For the first time, the pair of rivals stood together without arguing, quietly side by side. They shared the same thought in their hearts.

Ye Mo nodded and slowly walked toward the Nine-Tailed Fox Statue. With every step he took, the feeling in his heart grew stronger.

At last, Ye Mo arrived before the Nine-Tailed Fox Statue. That sensation seemed to have become tangible.

The instant Ye Mo placed his hand on the statue, an abrupt change erupted from the entire Nine-Tailed Fox Statue.

"Guwu!"

A fox cry rang through heaven and earth as massive Soul Power fluctuations surged around the statue.

A beam of violet light shot skyward from the Nine-Tailed Fox Statue, piercing the clouds.

The entire world seemed to have been dyed by that violet light, filled with a purple glow.

Every member of the Azure Hill Clan held their breath and stared blankly at the soaring radiance.

Suddenly, a beast claw stretched out from the violet light. It was called a beast claw, but it looked more like a fox paw.

The violet light seemed to be torn apart by the fox paw, opening into a massive rift. Then the owner of that claw emerged: a violet fox.

"Guwu!"

The violet fox released a long howl, and a sudden change swept through the entire Azure Hill Clan.

The martial souls of everyone who had awakened one manifested on their own, including Hu Zixin, who possessed the strength of a Titled Douluo.

All the fox martial souls of the Azure Hill Clan pointed toward the violet fox, and they actually lowered their heads.

It was as though ministers were paying respects to their sovereign.

When one fox emerged, ten thousand foxes submitted.

The Azure Hill Clan's martial souls were based on foxes, but every person's martial soul had different effects and offensive traits. Each clan member's martial soul was independent; they did not all possess the same fox martial soul.

The violet fox looked down upon the various fox martial souls kneeling before it, then turned into a streak of violet light and surged into Ye Mo's body.

Ye Mo tightly shut his eyes, as if accepting the violet fox.

A moment later, Ye Mo slowly opened his tightly closed eyes, and a terrifying violet gleam flashed through them.

His originally bewitching and domineering purple pupils now carried the aura of a king.

"I name this martial soul the Millennial Fox."

Ye Mo spoke in a low voice, yet his childish tone carried an inviolable pressure.

But no one cared about his voice right now. They only felt that they would never forget those words and that scene for the rest of their lives.

Yet the violet light showed no sign of ending.

A long sword flew out from the rift the violet fox had torn open earlier. Carrying overwhelming thunderous force, as though it could rip apart space itself, it arrived beside Ye Mo.

The blade was azure, with threads of thunder rumbling through its azure glow. The hilt resembled a bat, yet also seemed like a strange face wearing an evil grin.

Wasn't this the sword in Millennial Fox's hand from that game?

As a veteran player who loved playing Li Bai, Ye Mo recognized it at a glance.

Don't tell me I really became Li Bai's Millennial Fox? And when I used the Millennial Fox skin before, I think the words Azure Hill appeared too.

Before Ye Mo could react, the sword transformed into a streak of azure lightning and drilled into his body. Ye Mo could only close his eyes and accept the sword.

The clan members around Heart Tide Lake went mad with excitement. The Young Emperor possessed Twin Martial Souls!

Even across the entire Douluo Continent, those with Twin Martial Souls were exceedingly rare, peerless geniuses. Their Young Emperor had not disappointed the Azure Hill Clan. Under Ye Mo's leadership, the Azure Hill Clan would surely reach its peak.

A moment later, Ye Mo opened his eyes once more. Faint lightning seemed to linger around his body, with sparks flashing from electrical collisions.

Hu Zixin's eyes shone with brilliance. This was her future husband.

Leng Ning, standing on Hu Zixin's side, also revealed a delighted smile.

Yet the violet light still had not stopped. It changed direction and converged toward a single point.

What formed was actually a person.

Ye Mo stared at the familiar figure. It was her. No, it should not be. It could not be.

The violet light slowly faded, and Ye Mo's pupils contracted.

How was that possible?

I've typed so much that my hands are about to break.

End of Chapter.