Martial Soul Awakening

At the river estuary of Xiling Harbor, a massive ship shaped like a Mystic Tortoise was slowly sailing into port.

This was the renowned Mystic Tortoise, famous throughout the nearby Sea Area.

On the Mystic Tortoise's bow deck stood a middle-aged man in a black robe.

His short black hair was thick, and his posture was straight. Azure patterns were embroidered on his robe, and his face showed no expression. Only the unconscious tapping of his fingers against the railing revealed the anxiety in his heart.

The man was Xia Yang's father—Xia Shi.

He had originally arranged to return to port with his son, but a storm Last Night had delayed him.

At that moment, Xia Shi's Thoughts were in turmoil. I wonder whether Yang'er has already completed his Martial Soul Awakening?

Did he inherit my North Mystic Black Tortoise Martial Soul, or his mother's Blazing Flame Tiger Martial Soul?

Perhaps noticing the Captain's impatience, the Mystic Tortoise's First Mate—Sun Chuanjun—approached and said, "Captain, we've got things covered here. You should head back first."

"Didn't you say today was Xia Yang's Martial Soul Awakening? Hurry and go!"

"Mm!"

Xia Shi nodded with a hum, finally letting out a breath of relief without saying anything more.

Then he leaped from the bow before the ship had even fully stopped, landing heavily on the stone slabs of the dock.

Xia Shi immediately broke into a sprint, his figure swiftly disappearing into the streets of the city.

Inside the Martial Soul Branch Hall of Xiling Harbor, Xia Yang moved through the Front Hall with practiced ease and headed straight for the Martial Soul Awakening room in the Depths of the hall.

This branch hall was all too familiar to Xia Yang.

Ever since he could remember, his mother, Huo Yang, had risen from an ordinary Deacon of Spirit Hall to the Bishop of this branch hall.

Xia Yang had also spent most of his childhood in this Palace Building.

Every pattern on the Corridor Pillars and every worn spot on the Floor Tiles were familiar to him.

The Guards and Deacons he encountered along the way merely nodded slightly when they saw Xia Yang. No one stepped forward to stop him.

Everyone knew that he was the Bishop's Young Master.

Before he knew it, Xia Yang had reached the corridor outside the Martial Soul Awakening room.

Families who had completed their Martial Soul Awakening streamed down both sides of the corridor.

The children's excited or dejected expressions intertwined with their parents' pleased or disappointed gazes, forming a vivid Portrait of Life.

Xia Yang had no time to pay attention to anything else. He passed straight through the crowd and headed toward the end of the corridor.

Deep within the long corridor, the queue of children waiting for awakening wound like a dragon.

Every so often, one child entered the room at the end while another emerged from it.

"Looks like Mom is still pretty fast at awakening Martial Souls."

Xia Yang mused to himself.

As the Bishop of Spirit Hall in Xiling Harbor, Huo Yang personally oversaw the Martial Soul Awakening ceremony every year.

Seeing dozens of people still ahead of him, Xia Yang hesitated briefly before walking directly past the crowd.

The parents in line frowned at the sight, but after recognizing the Bishop's son, they tacitly withdrew their dissatisfied gazes and allowed the black-haired young man to pass through the queue.

At the end of the corridor, Xia Yang quietly poked his head inside.

Within the room, a red-haired woman dressed in a Bishop's robes was awakening the children's Martial Souls.

Her posture was straight, and her fiery red Long Hair fell to her waist like flames. She was Xia Yang's mother—Huo Yang.

"Mom, can you hurry it up?" Xia Yang asked in a low voice.

Without turning her head, Huo Yang said sternly, "How many times have I told you? Address me by my title when I'm working."

When she saw her son peeking around outside the door, she added irritably, "You brat, you knew today was Martial Soul Awakening day, yet you still came so late."

"Wait obediently outside. Come in after everyone else's Martial Souls have been awakened."

"Got it."

Xia Yang shrank his neck and obediently agreed.

Strangely enough, after being scolded by his mother, most of the unease lingering in Xia Yang's heart dissipated.

Afterward, Xia Yang sat on the bench outside the door and quietly waited for everyone else's ceremony to end.

The queue in the corridor moved forward slowly, while his mother's clear voice occasionally drifted out from the room.

"Martial Soul: Yellow Sponge; Innate Soul Power: level zero."

"Martial Soul: Squirrel; Innate Soul Power: level one."

"Martial Soul: Red Crab; Innate Soul Power: level zero."

"Martial Soul: Blue Octopus; Innate Soul Power: level three."

"Martial Soul: Pink Starfish; Innate Soul Power: level two."

Xia Yang silently counted and discovered that quite a few children possessed Innate Soul Power.

Although the Soul Power levels of these children with Innate Soul Power were not high,

they were already far better off than the complete wipeout in Holy Soul Village in the Original Work, aside from Tang San.

But on second thought, Xiling Harbor was a city after all. With its large population, such a situation was perfectly reasonable.

"Next."

Before he knew it, the corridor was completely empty.

"Is there no one left?"

"Since everyone else is done, Xia Yang, you can come in now."

"Xia Yang?"

His mother's call came from inside the room, but Xia Yang was still immersed in his Thoughts and failed to respond in time.

"You brat, your mom is calling you."

A familiar voice sounded beside his ear. Xia Yang abruptly looked up and saw his father, Xia Shi, who had clearly rushed over through wind and dust.

"Dad, you're back?" Xia Yang rose to his feet in delight.

Xia Shi rubbed his son's hair and said urgently, "Go in quickly. Don't keep your mom waiting."

"Mm."

Xia Yang nodded heavily and turned to enter the room.

This was an Awakening Room of roughly two hundred square meters, with countless fist-sized black stones embedded in its walls.

On the floor was a precise pattern of multiple concentric circles.

Within the smallest inner circle, six black stones were arranged in a regular hexagon. They emitted a faint golden glow, forming a translucent Light Shield.

Huo Yang stood outside the Light Shield, continuously pouring Soul Power into the Black Stones.

As a level fifty-five Soul King, even after completing Martial Soul Awakening for dozens of children, her Soul Power remained abundant. Unlike ordinary Deacons, she did not need to rely on Martial Soul Possession to maintain her Soul Power output.

"Yang'er, stand in the Center of the Magic Array."

The moment she saw her son enter, Huo Yang gave her instructions.

Xia Yang took a deep breath and stepped into the Center of the Magic Array.

"Buzz—"

The Magic Array suddenly lit up. Countless Golden Light Particles drifted from the six Black Stones and slowly merged into Xia Yang's body like Fire Flies.

A Warm Current enveloped Xia Yang from outside to within, and the comfort that seeped into his bones nearly made him groan.

However, that comfort did not last long.

A moment later, the warmth turned into numb soreness, as though countless ants were crawling through his body.

Following that, the left half of Xia Yang's body felt as if it were being burned by fire, while the Right Side felt as if it had fallen into an ice pit. His spine was assaulted by both extreme sensations at once.

"Argh."

Xia Yang could not help crying out in pain.

Outside the room, Xia Shi and Huo Yang watched the strange changes in their son with anxiety.

Xia Yang's bones were emitting an eerie glow—the left side was crimson like flames, the right side a deep blue like ice, while the spine in the middle shimmered with a mysterious violet radiance.

"Yang'er, how do you feel? How did this happen?" Huo Yang's voice carried undisguised worry.

Xia Shi also clenched both fists until his knuckles turned white. His tightly furrowed Eyebrows revealed the anxiety in his heart.

"I... I'm okay."

Xia Yang gritted his teeth and replied.

After receiving her son's answer, Huo Yang continued to channel her Soul Power.

"Buzz."

With another soft hum, Xia Yang felt as though something inside him had burst through the earth.

He abruptly opened his eyes, and all the pain from Just now vanished in an instant.

Martial Soul Awakening was complete.

"This is... a Bone Martial Soul?" Xia Shi said, his Eyebrows tightly furrowed and his tone grave.