The Martial Soul Hall

The Shi Family's Martial Soul Hall had five floors.

Each floor corresponded to a different realm and stored manuals for that realm.

The first and second floors stored Mortal Grade Martial Skills. Generally speaking, Martial Artists in the Postnatal Realm chose suitable Martial Skills to cultivate on the first floor, while those in the Innate Realm chose theirs on the second.

The third and fourth floors stored Mysterious Grade Martial Skills. Martial Artists in the Human Position Realm chose Mysterious Grade Martial Skills on the third floor, while those in the Hundred Tribulations Realm could choose Mysterious Grade Martial Skills from the fourth floor to cultivate.

It was said that the fifth floor of the Martial Soul Hall held the Shi Family's only Spirit Grade Martial Skill.

Unfortunately, that floor was not open to anyone. Only Shi Jian, the family head himself, went up there from time to time.

Spirit Grade Martial Skills were extraordinary. Even some of the Shi Family's Attendants weren't qualified to read them. Only direct descendants of the Shi Family who had reached the Earth Position Realm were eligible to cultivate them.

However, among the Shi Family's descendants, even Shi Dang, whose cultivation was the deepest, had only reached the Hundred Tribulations Realm's Third Heaven. He was still one step away from the Earth Position Realm.

Shi Jian led Shi Yan to the Martial Soul Hall.

At its entrance stood an aged woman with a face creased like a ravine. When she saw Shi Jian approach, she bowed. "Family Head."

The old woman was called Yun Luo, and she was one of the Shi Family's veteran Attendants. Like Han Feng, she had reached the Nirvana First Heaven Realm. They said she was even older than Shi Jian. When he was a child, she had already been an Attendant of the Shi Family.

It was precisely because she had served the Shi Family for such a long time that Shi Jian trusted her deeply. That was why she had been given the task of guarding the Martial Soul Hall.

"I'm bringing Shi Yan to choose a Martial Skill." Shi Jian strode forward. Once he reached the entrance, he turned to Han Feng and Yang Hai. "You two wait outside."

Han Feng and Yang Hai nodded together.

Yun Luo stepped aside and bowed to let Shi Jian and Shi Yan pass. Once they had entered the Martial Soul Hall, she stood at the entrance again and nodded to Han Feng, her expression somewhat strange.

Ever since Shi Yan had returned to the Shi Family, Shi Jian had kept him under constant watch, confining him to the gravity room with no chance to come out.

Not only Yun Luo, but even some of the Shi Family's direct descendants knew little about Shi Yan.

Now Shi Jian himself had brought him to the Martial Soul Hall to choose a Martial Skill. What did that mean? It meant Shi Yan had probably become a Martial Artist!

Yun Luo knew a little about Shi Yan, too. She knew this young master had no Martial Soul and had never been fond of martial arts. Now, at seventeen, he had actually become a Martial Artist. Wasn't that strange?

Yun Luo couldn't help finding it odd.

Unable to make sense of the details, Yun Luo looked at Han Feng in confusion, but he shook his head, indicating that he couldn't say.

Yun Luo grew even more puzzled, but she didn't ask further. She simply stood at the entrance to the Martial Soul Hall, pondering.

Normally, she would lower the Hall's iron gate, then enter and keep an eye on anyone who came to choose a Martial Skill, preventing them from recklessly entering a floor that didn't match their realm.

But this time, Shi Jian had personally brought Shi Yan, so she didn't need to be so cautious.

"The first and second floors each have eighteen Mortal Grade Martial Skills. The third floor has eight Mysterious Grade Martial Skills, and the fourth has four. You're currently at the Innate Third Heaven Realm, so you can go straight to the second floor to choose a Martial Skill."

After briefly explaining, Shi Jian led Shi Yan straight to the second floor of the Martial Soul Hall.

Inside each floor of the Martial Soul Hall, the walls had been carved with rows of stone niches. In the center of each niche sat a Martial Skill manual.

A dark green crystal cover enclosed each niche. In the center of each cover was a small keyhole, and beneath it lay a piece of paper with a brief description of the Martial Skill inside.

As Shi Yan made a round of the second floor, he found that at least ten of its eighteen Martial Skills were very common outside. Many mercenaries and Martial Artists knew how to cultivate them. For instance, the "Chaotic Star Fist" that Jin Mo had used was among these Mortal Grade Martial Skills.

Only eight Martial Skills were rarely seen outside. But in Shi Yan's eyes, neither their power nor their cultivation methods seemed particularly difficult. They offered little challenge.

Deep down, Shi Yan was someone who liked taking on trouble. He enjoyed the process of overcoming it.

So, after walking around the second floor, Shi Yan shook his head. "Great-grandfather, the Martial Skills on the second floor aren't very interesting. Take me upstairs to have a look."

In the past, Shi Yan wouldn't have been able to speak to Shi Jian like that.

But now, Shi Yan had deliberately revealed his Undying Martial Soul and made it clear that he possessed two Martial Souls, all to achieve just this.

In his eyes, only that mysterious Martial Soul was truly fundamental to him. He kept every secret about it tightly hidden and would never tell anyone. He would bury them in the deepest part of his heart.

As for the Undying Martial Soul, there was nothing wrong with talking about it. Only by revealing his recovery ability could he gain more privileges in the Shi Family and get Shi Jian to arrange a better direction for his cultivation.

Two Martial Souls were enough to make Shi Jian tolerate all his wilfulness.

Sure enough, Shi Jian showed no displeasure. He only hesitated and grunted, "You're only in the Innate Realm. Cultivating a Mysterious Grade Martial Skill recklessly might not be a good thing."

"Am I like everyone else? You saw it yourself. Although I'm only in the Innate Realm, my body's petrification has already reached the second stage. Besides, I have a recovery ability that others don't. Maybe I can cultivate a Mysterious Grade Martial Skill that ordinary people can't."

Shi Jian was taken aback by his words, then nodded. "That's true. Come on, I'll take you to look at the third and fourth floors."

One strange Martial Skill after another sat in the niches. Shi Jian stood beside him, and whenever he noticed Shi Yan taking an interest in one, he patiently explained its characteristics and cultivation method.

"You're right. The Martial Skills on the third floor are much more interesting." Shi Yan nodded again and again, quickly committing each of the Mysterious Grade Martial Skills on the third floor to memory. A little while later, he said, "Let's have a look at the fourth floor."

"All right. I'll explain the fourth floor's four Martial Skills in detail, too. You're different from ordinary people, so you can learn about them ahead of time."

Shi Jian led Shi Yan straight to the fourth floor.

When they arrived, Shi Jian walked directly to a niche. "This is the 'Shattering Star Net.' It condenses the essence within your body into individual points of light, then weaves them into a net of starlight. It can directly bind the essence in your opponent's body, leaving them unable to summon any strength."

"Interesting."

"Don't even think about this one. Cultivating the 'Shattering Star Net' requires an extremely deep reserve of essence. You also have to be exceptionally skilled at controlling it. As for you... you're still far from that!"

Shi Jian didn't mince words. He snorted, then went to another niche. "This is the 'Eight Desolations Seal.' When you use it, hand seals appear in every direction, blocking all your opponent's escape routes and forcing them to face you head-on. Because of the nature of our Martial Souls, close combat lets us bring our advantages into full play. So the 'Eight Desolations Seal' is very suitable for those of us with Petrifying Martial Souls!"

"This one isn't bad either."

"Don't think about it, either. You can't cultivate it before reaching the Hundred Tribulations Realm. The reason is the same as with the 'Shattering Star Net': it requires a rich reserve of essence. If you can't even form a single hand seal, how are you supposed to hold someone back from every direction?"

"What about the next one?"

"'Dark Moon Shadow Follows.' It's a movement technique. Cultivated to its peak, it turns your body into an elusive shadow. Hmm, this one is difficult, too. The realm requirements are too high. You need to be able to sense the aura field in the Hundred Tribulations Realm before you can use it. Don't think about this one either."

"There's one last niche."

"The 'Finger Spear Art'!"

Shi Jian cried out in surprise, as if he'd suddenly remembered something. His eyes lit up, but then he hesitated. After a long pause, he said, "The Finger Spear Art is a Martial Skill for training the ten fingers. Once mastered, your fingers become like steel spears, and a single thrust can pierce an enemy's body. With all ten fingers turned into spears, tearing out someone's heart and lungs is child's play. At close range, combined with our Petrifying Martial Soul, its lethality is terrifying!"

"I'm interested in this one!" Shi Yan's expression sharpened. "Are there any special requirements?"

"There are special requirements, but you're actually suited to it." Shi Jian hesitated, then said, "Before cultivating the Finger Spear Art, you have to reach the second stage of the Petrifying Martial Soul. After your body petrifies, a dark glow must appear. Only then can you make sure your fingers won't snap while cultivating the Finger Spear Art. Hmm, you qualify."

"Then I'll take this one." Shi Yan made his decision at once.

Shi Jian's expression turned strange. He stared at Shi Yan, lost in thought.

"What is it? Is there a problem?" Shi Yan had a vague sense that something was wrong.

"Boy, are you really planning to cultivate the Finger Spear Art?" Shi Jian drew a breath, his expression growing stranger by the moment.

"What's wrong with it?"

"You can cultivate the Finger Spear Art, and you can even master it quickly. The Undying Martial Soul in your body can be put to use, too." Shi Jian paused, then continued, "But cultivating the Finger Spear Art is extremely painful! It's practically inhuman torment inflicted on yourself, even worse than ramming the wolf fang club a thousand times every day! Do you really want to cultivate the Finger Spear Art instead of one of those much easier Mortal Grade Martial Skills on the second floor?"

"Yes!"

"Fine. Then I'll explain how to cultivate the Finger Spear Art. Once mastered, your ten fingers will truly be sharp beyond compare. Every jab will punch a bloody hole in someone—vicious beyond measure. But the method of cultivation is... a little hard to stomach."

A day later, in the gravity room.

Six of the seven gravity pillars were wrapped in the hides of Silver Flood Dragons, fifth-level demon beasts. The hides could block the gravity, so the gravity in the room was now only twice normal.

Beside the one pillar still uncovered by Silver Flood Dragon hide, Shi Yan was upside down, his body pressed against the gravity pillar. He supported himself on the tip of his left index finger alone.

That slender index finger held up his entire body. Under double gravity, his body's weight had doubled!

His lone finger trembled faintly, as though it might buckle and snap at any moment.

Shi Yan's face was flushed bright red. The muscles in his left arm twitched, and veins writhed across the surface of his skin like little snakes, giving him the ghastly look of someone about to burst through his own flesh.

The pain from the fingertip supporting him was etched into his very bones!

It was as if countless little needles kept jabbing into that finger. Waves of pain crashed against his nerves, nearly driving him to the brink of collapse.

Endure!

Shi Yan gritted his teeth. His face was so red it looked as though blood might seep from it. Inverted, his blood flowed backward, all of it slowly surging toward his head. The sensation was incredibly unpleasant.

Five minutes.

After only five minutes, Shi Yan was nearly on the verge of a mental collapse.

The pain coming from the index finger touching the ground made him want to give up. If the finger hadn't already petrified, its joints would have snapped long ago.

Hold on!

Six minutes! Seven minutes!

By the eighth minute, Shi Yan's mind was on the brink of collapse. He felt as though he were about to pass out, and even his senses seemed to be slowly going numb...

At that very moment!

Negative forces surged from the many acupoints in his head!

Traces of negative energy suddenly flooded out, madly rushing toward his mind!

This was a sign that "Berserk" had been triggered.