Martial Soul

Biodata

Awakening

A Martial Soul is the power awakened by individuals who become Soul Masters; its quality and accompanying Innate Soul Power are treated as decisive factors in a person's future path. Yu Xiaogang's initial awakening manifested a piglet-like beast and was judged a malignant mutation despite his dragon-type lineage. 4 12 14

• Martial Soul awakening normally occurs at age six. 3 4
• Innate Soul Power determines a Soul Master's initial cultivation foundation. Yu Xiaogang awakened with level-one Innate Soul Power after cultivating before awakening; his counterpart possessed only half a level. 12 13
• Early physical training and meditation can improve Innate Soul Power before awakening, overturning the belief that it is fixed. 12 13
• A Beast Martial Soul normally grants its user Martial Soul Possession, enhancing the user's body with the beast's traits. 201

Classifications

Martial Soul Evolution

Martial Soul Evolution is a qualitative transformation of a Martial Soul's origin rather than a mere increase in raw attributes. Stacking elemental affinities or bloodline traits can change a Martial Soul's essence—for example, from a snake to a jiao—while repeatedly increasing strength or speed only raises numerical performance. 17

• Soul Ring selection can guide an evolution path by adding compatible elemental or bloodline traits. 17
• A Martial Soul's evolution can physically affect its Soul Master, as seen when Yu Xiaogang's hair became gold and his skin and appearance changed during Little Dragon's evolution. 128
• Evolution may alter a Martial Soul's perceived quality and aura. After completing its delayed awakening, Little Dragon radiated a sense of divinity and brilliance comparable to the impressions created by the Angel Martial Soul and Nine Heart Begonia. 200
• A second Martial Soul awakening is considered abnormal. Little Dragon did not complete the Beast Martial Soul trait of Martial Soul Possession until Yu Xiaogang reached level forty. 199 201

Ultimate Attributes

An evolved attribute can reach an Ultimate state, combining overwhelming elemental potency with a distinct special property.

• Ultimate Light possesses purification power. 362
• Ultimate Dark possesses devouring power. 362
• Yu Xiaogang theorized that combining Ultimate Light and Ultimate Dark through a Martial Soul Fusion Skill could produce god-level power. 362

Soul Rings and Soul Skills

Soul Rings are acquired after reaching a cultivation threshold and grant Soul Skills. Yu Xiaogang reached level ten before seeking his First Soul Ring, then defied conventional limits by absorbing a Thousand Year ring as his first. 31 53

• Ring age directly affects the power available to a Soul Master; Thousand Year rings are normally considered suitable only at much higher levels. 53
• A Soul Ring may grant both active and passive effects. Yu Xiaogang's First Soul Ring provided Soul Power Release and a passive increase to his total Soul Power. 68 69
• Soul Skills need not be fixed in form. Soul Power Release can shape Soul Power into beams, spheres, shockwaves, weapons, shields, and other imagined constructs; its strength scales with the Soul Power invested. 68 70
• A Soul Ring can retain stored Soul Power after absorption. A Soul Master can charge a ring, use its stored energy to activate skills, and effectively expand total Soul Power reserves. 168 169 171

Martial Soul Avatar

The Martial Soul Avatar is the standard high-level ability associated with Beast Martial Souls: the user merges with or draws deeply upon the beast aspect of their Martial Soul. 201

Yu Xiaogang's Avatar with Little Dragon is an exceptional case equivalent to a Martial Soul Fusion Skill despite involving only one Soul Master. Because Yu Xiaogang and Little Dragon are separate yet inseparable, their fusion produces power greater than the sum of its parts. 208 209 210

External Beast Martial Souls

An External Beast Martial Soul is distinguished by its ability to exist independently outside its user's body. Little Dragon possesses its own thoughts, can cultivate alongside Yu Xiaogang, and shares a telepathic connection with him. 14 31 168

• The Soul Master and External Beast can learn or cultivate separately, improving overall efficiency. 31 32
• Both can release the same Soul Ring's skills independently and without interfering with one another. 69 70
• This allows one Soul Master to function as two coordinated combatants, with one handling close combat while the other provides ranged support. 70 98
• Little Dragon can shoulder part of the strain of Soul Ring absorption, enabling Yu Xiaogang to absorb rings beyond normal limits. 74
• Little Dragon later awakened its own domain, an unusual development because domains are normally unique to individual Soul Masters. 390

Documented Martial Souls