Chen Yuan, Dali Gu

"My Martial Soul is a Sickle. No Soul Power."

"My Martial Soul is a Rusty Sword. No Soul Power."

"My Martial Soul is a Swan. Innate 2.5 Soul Power!"

Inside the dilapidated wooden house, a young man who seemed utterly out of place amid his surroundings was awakening the Martial Souls of the village children who had come of age.

Seeing the faint glow emanating from the Crystal Ball, Chen Yuan smiled as well.

"Grandpa, there's a child in the village with innate Soul Power this year."

Looking at the fourteen-year-old before him, then at the timid little girl nearby, Old Chen finally let out the breath he had been holding.

"Mm, that's wonderful. After three or four years, another child with Soul Power has finally appeared. What a pity she doesn't have talent like yours, Xiao Yuan."

"Grandpa, I was an exception. There aren't many people with Innate Full Soul Power on the entire continent."

"Yaya, remember to come find me this afternoon. I'll teach you the Meditation Method. Go home first and tell your parents that you have Soul Power."

Although only one child had awakened Soul Power over the past few years, the other children who lacked it had not been affected much.

The only Soul Master they had ever met was Chen Yuan, and Chen Yuan treated them well. Besides, these children had been born later than their parents' generation. Unlike their elders, they did not know the gap between Soul Masters and ordinary people.

Small Lake Village's villagers were all exceptionally simple and honest. Especially after the unexpected disaster six years ago, they had become even more united.

"The village is different now. The difference between those who have awakened Martial Souls and those who haven't is really huge."

"Yeah, the village has indeed changed a lot."

"That's all thanks to you!" Old Chen looked proudly at Chen Yuan. This child he had adopted had truly changed the lives of everyone in Small Lake Village.

Even without Soul Power, those who awakened Martial Souls would experience a certain improvement in their physical abilities, especially those with Beast Martial Souls.

If it was a Tool Martial Soul, the villagers could directly use their own Martial Souls in their daily lives without having to maintain them.

That was why the lives of Small Lake Village's villagers had steadily improved over the past few years.

"If it weren't for you, we wouldn't even know that Martial Souls existed, let alone have someone awaken them for us."

"The nobles of our Heaven Dou Empire have never treated us as human beings."

The Heaven Dou Empire was the country where Small Lake Village was located. Before Chen Yuan left Small Lake Village, no one in the village even knew the name of the country they lived in.

They only knew that some officials came every year to collect taxes.

They did not even know their own country's name, much less anything about Martial Souls.

In this day and age, there were even people in the military who did not know what Martial Souls were.

Knowledge had been locked away. No one cared about commoners like them, and Martial Soul Awakening had long become a privilege exclusive to the nobility.

"Grandpa, things will get better."

"Ever since I entered Shrek Academy, haven't those nobles stopped coming to the village for a long time?"

"That's true. It's just a pity that everyone in the village can't give you much help."

"It's fine. As long as everyone in the village lives well, that's enough. I've already received recruitment offers from many sects and clans."

In Chen Yuan's heart, everyone in Small Lake Village was family. Family members should help one another; no reason was needed.

He put the Awakening Stone on the ground and the Crystal Ball on the nearby table into the Red Bracelet on his left wrist. Thus, this year's awakening ceremony in Small Lake Village came to an end.

Those two things were rather expensive, especially the Awakening Stone. Not only was it costly, it even required connections to buy.

Chen Yuan had only managed to purchase it through the connections of a certain Licking Turtle.

"Tell Grandpa about how your year has been at Shrek, the number one academy on the continent."

A few years ago, the old man had not even known what Martial Souls were. How could he possibly have known about Shrek Academy?

His grandson had told him that Shrek was currently the continent's number one academy, with excellent conditions, so he should not worry.

But as an elder, even if he could not help his grandson with anything, he still had to show some concern.

"Life's been pretty good. I earned quite a few Gold Soul Coins, and I'm already a Soul Ancestor now. I'm even the strongest person in the Outer Court."

"And... I reported a bad teacher, though the academy might not expel her."

"And also..."

Old Chen listened patiently. There was little he could do, but at the very least, he could be a listener.

By the lake stood a large tree with a swing hanging from it. Chen Yuan had made that swing long ago, and whenever he had nothing to do, he would come sit there for a while.

At first, Chen Yuan had thought he had transmigrated into some unknown otherworld, or perhaps a small village in ancient times.

Back then, he had not noticed anything unusual, so he had not thought much of it.

Life had continued peacefully until Chen Yuan was eight years old, when a group of Evil Soul Masters barged into Small Lake Village.

They killed everyone they saw. Even when the villagers resisted, they could not inflict any harm on those people.

The men struggled to hold back the Evil Soul Masters from behind, trying to use their lives to slow the enemy's advance, hoping their deaths might give the village children a better chance of surviving.

It was then that Chen Yuan saw the Soul Rings on those Evil Soul Masters and finally realized where he had transmigrated to.

Peerless Tang Sect!

Only in this era would there be people who did not know that Martial Souls existed!

Before those Evil Soul Masters, ordinary people had no power to resist at all.

Just as a blade was about to pierce Chen Yuan's body, something inside him seemed to shatter.

Before losing consciousness, Chen Yuan vaguely heard someone say, "Sky Wing Lion King Demon-Breaking Fist," and then he knew nothing more.

When he woke up, the three Evil Soul Masters had vanished without even ashes left behind, aside from their Storage Soul Tools.

Later, using the resources within those Soul Tools, Chen Yuan left Small Lake Village, hired mercenaries to obtain his first Soul Ring, and successfully entered a junior academy to study.

He even later obtained a letter of recommendation for Shrek.

Because he had successfully enrolled at Shrek, Chen Yuan also received a scholarship from the junior academy, replenishing his heavily depleted savings.

By now, he was already a Soul Ancestor with Soul Rings beyond the standard age limit.

"Xiao Yuan, why are you so downcast, Gulu?"

Countless fiery-red motes of light peeled away from Chen Yuan's body and gathered beside him, forming an orange-red dinosaur.

What was unusual was that this dinosaur had a circular crystal organ on its chest.

Dali Gu was the Fire Element Baby Dragon representing courage among the first generation of Dragon Fighting Warriors. He had also been Chen Yuan's constant companion.

"Time feels like it passed so quickly. Dali Gu and I have already been partners for six years."

"Come on, Dali Gu. You must be hungry, right? Let's have grilled fish today!"

"Grilled fish! Wonderful, Gulu!"

"Staying in Xiao Yuan's Sea of Consciousness all the time, with only a Pillar of Courage inside, is so boring."

"Only when Xiao Yuan releases his Martial Soul can I transfer my consciousness to the Dragon Soul and get some fresh air."

"Sorry. There's usually no way to let you come out, Dali Gu."

"I understand. Things in this world are so strange. If Dali Gu came out, those people would probably mistake me for a Soul Beast, Gulu."

"Today, I want to eat ten grilled fish. Only then will I forgive you, Gulu."

"Hehe, forget ten. As long as you can eat them, Dali Gu, you can have as many as you want."

"Time to catch fish!"

Hearing Chen Yuan's words, Dali Gu excitedly charged toward the lake before them. Grilled fish could be eaten anytime, but chances to run wild as freely as this were rare.