Soul Power Level Three

"Who wants to go first?"

Su Yuntao clapped his hands, drawing the attention of the nine children.

The Awakening Stone array had long been set up. A pale golden glow flowed across the stone surfaces, carrying an air of mystery and solemnity.

The atmosphere inside the hall instantly became subtle.

The other seven children shoved and jostled one another, their eyes full of curiosity and timidity. Their gazes unconsciously avoided Tang San in the corner.

He was thin and frail, his face carrying the sallow hue of long-term malnutrition. Aloof and taciturn by nature, he had naturally become the target of exclusion and was silently pushed to the back of the group.

Lin Xuan's situation, however, was entirely different.

Over the past three years, the effort he had put into Martial Soul Awakening had been witnessed by everyone in Sacred Soul Village.

He ran around the village before dawn, persisted with push-ups beneath the blazing sun, and never stopped even in the depths of winter, carving his obsession with "becoming a Soul Master" into his daily life.

The village parents often sighed at their own children:

"Lin Xuan works this hard. Doesn't he deserve to awaken a Martial Soul someday?"

Given how hard he worked, the parents and children of Sacred Soul Village had to admit that they were not jealous in the slightest of Lin Xuan awakening Soul Power.

On top of that, he was sweet-tongued and sensible in everyday life, getting along well with children his own age. At this moment, he was practically pushed to the front by popular demand.

"I'll go first!"

Lin Xuan did not hesitate in the slightest. His eyes burned with fervent light as he strode toward the center of the Awakening Stone array.

That gaze was far too scorching, as though it contained all the anticipation and obsession of the past three years. Even Su Yuntao instinctively paused for a moment at the sight.

He had awakened the Martial Souls of countless children, yet this was the first time he had seen such fanatical eyes. This child seemed somewhat different from ordinary village children.

Lin Xuan had his own little calculations as well.

Back when he was three, he had taken advantage of a child's apparent innocence to pester Su Yuntao with all sorts of questions about Martial Souls and Soul Power. Faced with his adorable act, the other man had patiently answered a few.

But Lin Xuan knew that Su Yuntao, as a Martial Soul Hall Deacon, was always busy. He had not disturbed him too much afterward, afraid of drawing unnecessary attention.

And Su Yuntao met far too many people. He had long forgotten that little brat from three years ago.

He had also forgotten the casual words he had once said just to placate a child.

Much less did he know how many people Lin Xuan had bluffed with those golden words of his.

Feeling somewhat uncomfortable under Lin Xuan's stare, Su Yuntao cleared his throat and said:

"Stand still. I'll release my Martial Soul next. There may be slight tremors and strange noises during the process, but those are normal. Don't be afraid."

The moment he finished speaking, he directly activated Martial Soul Possession.

Su Yuntao's body suddenly swelled several sizes, and a layer of grayish-brown fur rapidly covered his skin. His facial features became sharply defined, while his eyes flickered with an eerie green light.

Behind him, a wolf-shaped phantom slowly rose upright. Its limbs were thick and powerful, its fangs exposed, radiating a fierce and chilling aura.

Even more eye-catching were the two Soul Rings that rose from beneath his feet out of thin air—one white and one yellow—slowly rotating as the pressure of a Soul Master instantly spread through the hall.

Although Su Yuntao had deliberately suppressed his aura, the instant his Martial Soul awakened still stirred up a fierce gust of wind. Accompanied by a deep wolf howl, it shook dust from the hall ceiling.

"Wow!"

The other seven children turned pale from the sudden change. Two of the more timid ones even burst into tears, instinctively hiding behind their companions.

Even Tang San, who had been pretending to remain calm, could not help narrowing his eyes. He quietly took half a step back, a trace of vigilance flashing through his gaze. This power was far stronger than he had imagined.

Lin Xuan alone showed not the slightest fear. Instead, the light in his eyes grew even more blazing.

He stared fixedly at Su Yuntao's Soul Rings and wolf-shaped phantom, his breathing unconsciously growing more hurried.

So this was the power of a Soul Master! The key he had dreamed of—the key to the Eternal Life Blueprint!

Three years of grueling training, countless days and nights of persistence—hadn't it all been for this very moment?

He could even feel something within his body stirring restlessly, as though responding to the pressure of this Soul Master.

His blood boiled, and his adrenaline surged.

"Heh, good kid!"

Noticing Lin Xuan's reaction, Su Yuntao was actually amused.

He had seen children eagerly awaiting Martial Soul Awakening before, but one like Lin Xuan, who was not only unafraid but filled with longing, was truly one of a kind.

He could not help saying seriously:

"Kid, you're quite impressive.

If you successfully awaken Soul Power, you'll definitely become a powerful Soul Master in the future."

"I think so too!"

Lin Xuan raised his head and puffed out his chest, his tone filled with unquestionable certainty.

This confidence had not come from nowhere. It was the assurance nurtured by three years of sweat.

If he had worked this hard and still failed to awaken a Martial Soul, then it could only mean he was not meant for Douluo Continent. He would turn around and try traveling to another world instead.

What was the point of traveling to a fantasy world if he could not cultivate? He might as well just die!

After a simple "business pitch," he turned his attention back to Lin Xuan and said in a deep voice:

"All right, let's begin."

As soon as he finished speaking, and once Lin Xuan was ready, Su Yuntao infused Soul Power into the Awakening Stone beneath his feet.

The six Awakening Stones instantly burst with dazzling golden light. Countless tiny golden specks poured from the cracks between the stones like stars scattered across the sky, slowly enveloping Lin Xuan's body.

Lin Xuan curiously examined the light specks all over his body, but his brow gradually furrowed.

He remembered that in the Original Work, the higher the quality of a Martial Soul, the denser the light specks that emerged during awakening.

When Tang San awakened his Blue Silver Grass, the golden specks had nearly submerged his entire body. That had been the sign of top-tier talent.

Yet the specks surrounding him, while not particularly few in number, only drifted sparsely across the surface of his body, as though he were draped in a thin veil of golden gauze. They were nowhere near the standard of a top-tier Martial Soul.

Could my Martial Soul quality be fairly ordinary?

A trace of unease rose in Lin Xuan's heart, but he quickly suppressed it.

No matter what Martial Soul it is, as long as I have Soul Power, that's enough.

Unlike Lin Xuan's slight disappointment, Su Yuntao's eyes had already filled with delight.

As a level twenty-six Soul Grandmaster, he was exceptionally sensitive to Soul Power.

From the moment the Awakening Stones lit up, he had clearly sensed Soul Power resonating within Lin Xuan's body, and the fluctuations were not weak, either.

This was absolutely a sign that he could awaken Soul Power. Judging by the brightness of the light specks, he had at least Second-Rank Soul Power!

One had to know that in an ordinary village, children capable of awakening Soul Power were already few and far between. Even Level 1 Soul Power was enough to call someone a genius.

Second-Rank Soul Power was already quite a good result among the villages around Nuoding City.

"Child, stretch out your right hand."

Su Yuntao's voice carried barely concealed excitement. This was a genuine accomplishment—he might even receive a bonus for it later.

Lin Xuan obediently extended his right hand. He could clearly feel a warm force gathering through his Limbs and Bones before finally surging toward his palm.

Subconsciously following Su Yuntao's earlier instructions, he calmed his mind while quietly sensing all over his body.

He did not dare hope for a top-tier Martial Soul, but if he had Twin Martial Souls or a Body Martial Soul, that would be an unexpected delight.

There was no need to mention Twin Martial Souls. As for a Body Martial Soul, even if it was weak in the Early Stage, its quality could still be improved through a second awakening later on.

Since he had already reached this point, was he supposed to fear death?

If he failed to Become a God, he would die anyway. He might as well take a gamble.

Unfortunately, no matter how he sensed it, there was only one stream of warmth within his body. It steadily condensed in his right palm, without the slightest sign of splitting apart.

Just then, a gentle blue radiance burst from Lin Xuan's palm.

Within the glow, a tender shoot slowly emerged. It swiftly grew, unfurled its leaves, and ultimately became a delicate little stalk of Blue Silver Grass.

This Blue Silver Grass was completely different from ordinary wild Blue Silver Grass. Its leaves were thick and full, their edges tinged with a faint silver trim. Its stem was slender yet upright, gleaming with a crystalline luster beneath the light and releasing a fresh fragrance of grass and wood. As an ornamental plant, it would have been quite unique.

But the instant he saw his Martial Soul clearly, Lin Xuan's mouth could not help twitching.

Blue Silver Grass.

Sure enough, this was the standard Waste Spirit beginning on Douluo Continent.

Fortunately, he had been mentally prepared. During the three years since his transmigration, he had considered countless possibilities and had even planned several growth paths for Blue Silver Grass.

From ordinary Blue Silver Grass to the Blue Silver Emperor, from the control type to the Attack Type, he had a corresponding plan for every step.

Though the path of a Waste Spirit was Destined to be more arduous and difficult than that of others, as long as he could awaken a Martial Soul and Soul Power, he had the confidence to keep moving forward step by step. That was the confidence and pride of a transmigrator.

"Ah, why did it have to be Blue Silver Grass?"

Some of the excitement faded from Su Yuntao's face, and his tone was filled with obvious regret.

A Martial Soul like Blue Silver Grass had almost no Combat Power. Even with Soul Power, its future development would be extremely limited. At most, he could become a Support Type Soul Master, and it would be difficult for him to achieve much.

Still, Su Yuntao dutifully took out a fist-sized Crystal Ball from his robes and held it out before Lin Xuan.

"Come, child. Calm your mind, treat the Martial Soul as part of your body and withdraw it, then place your palm on the Crystal Ball to test your Soul Power."

Lin Xuan nodded and followed the method Su Yuntao had taught him, focusing his mind to establish a connection with the Blue Silver Grass in his palm.

The next second, the blue light receded. The Blue Silver Grass transformed into specks of light and merged back into his body, leaving behind only a faint grassy fragrance in his palm.

He took a deep breath and gently pressed his right hand against the Crystal Ball.

In an instant, the originally grayish-white Crystal Ball flared with dazzling blue light. The light rapidly climbed—one layer, two layers, three layers! The blue halo steadily stopped at the third layer, bright and pure, illuminating Lin Xuan's face with exceptional clarity.

"Soul Power, Third Rank!"

Su Yuntao instinctively raised his voice, the regret in his eyes instantly replaced by astonishment.

Third-Rank Soul Power! For a child who had awakened a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, this was already a result far beyond expectations!

One had to know that many Martial Souls of decent quality only awakened with one or two ranks of Innate Soul Power.