Ten Blank Masks

It was a mask.

It was entirely blank, without any patterns or features, like a sheet of white paper that had yet to be drawn on.

At that moment, the mask hovered behind him, its entire surface giving off a faint glow.

Then a second appeared, followed by a third, then a fourth...

One blank mask after another appeared behind him, arranged neatly as they floated in midair.

Until there were ten.

The ten blank masks hovered silently behind Wang Zhi, forming an arc around him.

Wang Zhi was stunned.

He stared at the ten blank masks, his mind completely blank.

What kind of Martial Soul was this?

He had never seen one in any book.

The teacher from Shrek Outer Court, who had initially looked indifferent, now seemed bewildered as well.

He had presided over awakening ceremonies for many years and had seen thousands upon thousands of Martial Souls, from the most common sickles and hoes to rare Body Martial Souls, and even bizarrely mutated ones.

But he had never seen anything like this.

Ten masks?

And all of them were blank?

His brows drew together slightly, and a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes.

It looked like a powerful Martial Soul. Martial Souls with this kind of form were usually no ordinary thing.

If Wang Zhi's Innate Soul Power was decent, he could consider giving him a place at Shrek Academy.

After all, Shrek wanted monsters, and a never-before-seen Martial Soul like this was right up their alley.

Meanwhile, Wang Zhi stared at the Martial Soul he had awakened, looking just as bewildered.

Ten Blank Masks.

Had his Martial Soul undergone a mutation?

Was it a good mutation or a bad one?

He instinctively glanced at the teacher and noticed the bewilderment in his eyes.

Wang Zhi's heart sank.

He knew the teacher had no idea what kind of Martial Soul this was, either.

That made Wang Zhi incredibly nervous.

Shrek might have plenty of problems, but its foundations were truly deep.

Over the past twenty thousand years, the academy had accumulated countless records on Martial Souls, cataloguing almost every known type.

If even the people at Shrek didn't know what his Martial Soul was...

What was he supposed to do?

How was he supposed to cultivate?

How was he supposed to improve?

An unknown Martial Soul often meant an unknown path of cultivation.

There was no experience from those who came before to draw on, no established system to follow. He would have to figure everything out himself.

And figuring it out...

Often meant taking the wrong path, or even making a grave mistake.

Just as Wang Zhi's thoughts were in turmoil, the teacher's amusement faded. He took a fist-sized Crystal Ball from his robe.

The Crystal Ball was completely transparent, with faint wisps of light swirling inside.

"Put your hand on it."

The teacher's voice had returned to its earlier indifference.

Wang Zhi stepped forward and pressed his right hand against the Crystal Ball.

The next moment, it lit up.

A soft light emanated from within, faint at first, then gradually growing brighter.

In the light, wisps of mist rose slowly into the air.

The teacher watched how high the mist climbed, his expression calm.

A few breaths later, the light faded.

"Innate Soul Power, level three."

His tone was flat, but his disappointment was almost impossible to hide.

Level three?

A Martial Soul's potential was usually tied to its Innate Soul Power.

The higher the Innate Soul Power, the higher the quality of the Martial Soul and the greater the talent for cultivation.

Innate Full Soul Power was the pinnacle; Innate Level Eight or Nine meant a genius; Innate Level Five or Six was average; and Innate Level Three...

Wang Zhi's Innate Soul Power was only level three.

That meant his Martial Soul couldn't be of very high quality, either.

So no matter how intimidating those ten masks looked, they were ultimately just a Low-grade Martial Soul.

The teacher immediately gave up on the idea of letting Wang Zhi join Shrek.

An ordinary child like him wasn't fit to join Shrek.

After all, Shrek Academy only accepted monsters.

It didn't accept ordinary children.

"All right, you can go."

The teacher waved him away, no longer showing the slightest interest. He couldn't even be bothered to give Wang Zhi another glance.

He turned toward the door, ready to call in the next child.

Wang Zhi stood where he was, watching the ten blank masks slowly fade into the air.

He said nothing.

Then he turned and walked to the door.

He pushed open the heavy door, and the noise outside washed over him.

The sunlight was a little harsh. Wang Zhi squinted and saw his father standing not far away, looking at him expectantly.

He didn't say anything. He just walked over.

Seeing Wang Zhi's expression, Wang Heng's heart sank. He hurried over, crouched down, and placed both hands on his son's shoulders as he comforted him.

"Xiao Zhi, don't worry. Even if you awakened your mother's Mysterious Wood Spear Martial Soul, that wouldn't be bad."

"With your dad here, I'll get you a Hundred Year Spirit. You'll be just as strong as anyone else."

His voice was warm and firm, trying to give his son some confidence.

Wang Zhi shook his head and said softly,

"Dad, I don't know how to explain it yet. My Martial Soul underwent a mutation, but I don't know if it was a good one or a bad one."

He looked up at his father.

Only then did Wang Heng understand why Wang Zhi looked that way.

It was true. While a Martial Soul Mutation could produce a top-tier Martial Soul and turn one's fortunes around overnight, more often than not, the mutated Martial Soul was much worse than the one inherited from one's parents.

Even keeping the same quality would count as a blessing.

He thought for a moment, then asked,

"Didn't the Shrek teacher know anything about your mutated Martial Soul?"

Wang Zhi nodded.

Wang Heng sighed inwardly.

If even the teachers at Shrek Academy didn't know what kind of Martial Soul this was, then it really was troublesome.

But he couldn't show any negative emotions in front of his son. Instead, his expression grew gentler.

He reached out, pulled Wang Zhi into his arms, and comforted him softly.

"Xiao Zhi, no matter what kind of mutation your Martial Soul underwent, don't give up on yourself."

"Your dad will support you."

Caught off guard by his father's sudden embrace, Wang Zhi froze for a moment.

He wasn't giving up on himself, though.

He had fallen silent because he was thinking through and planning his future.

After all, as long as he had Soul Power, he could become a Soul Master.

Even if his Martial Soul really was useless, he could still take the path of a Soul Engineer.

For example, he could become a Mecha Master.

He was an adult in spirit, after all, and had lived two lives. How could he give up over something so trivial?

Wang Zhi couldn't help looking exasperated.

"Dad, you're overthinking it."

"You know what I'm like. What's the big deal?"

He gently pulled free of his father's embrace and spread his hands.

Hearing that, Wang Heng realized he had misunderstood.

He quickly let go, then fumbled with his hands in the air before giving an awkward laugh.

"That's what I thought!"

"My son, Wang Heng's boy, wouldn't be beaten by something this trivial!"

"Come on! Let's go home!"

"Your mom made a feast today to celebrate your Martial Soul awakening!"

With that, he waved grandly, took his son's hand, and headed home.

Wang Zhi followed behind his father, looking at his broad back with a faint smile.

In his previous life, he had been an orphan and was used to relying on himself.

He had forgotten that in this life, he didn't have to rely on himself alone.

He had a family who loved him.