"Oupai's really taking off now! A mechanism-type martial soul with maxed-out ranged firepower—he'll be Spirit Hall's number one ranged marksman!"
At the center of the formation, Oupai looked at the Godly Zhuge Crossbow in his palm and smiled until his eyes narrowed to slits.
He had figured it out long ago: no matter how strong close combat was on the Douluo Continent, it still feared suppressive fire from a distance. The Godly Zhuge Crossbow martial soul was practically tailor-made for him!
Su Yuntao hurriedly offered the crystal ball. Oupai placed his small hand on it, and pale blue light instantly flared, climbing steadily until it stopped at the tenth mark.
"Innate full soul power!" Su Yuntao announced loudly, his face brimming with delighted surprise. "The young master has successfully awakened at only five years old, with innate full soul power! His future is boundless!"
Guang Ling Douluo instantly breathed a sigh of relief, the weight finally lifting from his heart, and laughed heartily. "Good lad! That's my grandson! I don't know how our family's bow martial soul mutated into something like this, but one look tells me it's anything but ordinary."
Everyone's gaze fell in unison on the exquisite little crossbow in Oupai's palm, full of curiosity and puzzlement, and they gathered around him. Golden Crocodile Douluo stroked his graying beard, studying the intricate patterns on the crossbow with an inquisitive gaze; Falling Devil Douluo leaned closest, his bell-sized eyes wide and round, looking as though he wanted to take the little crossbow apart to examine it; even the usually composed Qian Daoliu leaned forward slightly, clearly fascinated by this martial soul he had never seen before.
Seeing a roomful of heavyweights surrounding him, Oupai puffed out his little chest, his face shining with unconcealed pride, and declared in a clear voice, "My martial soul is called the Godly Zhuge Crossbow! It's a mechanism-type hidden weapon martial soul! There's no need to draw a bow and charge it. The interlocking mechanism drives the soul power, and a pull of the trigger fires it instantly!"
"The Godly Zhuge Crossbow?"
"A hidden weapon martial soul?"
Everyone exchanged looks, repeating the name as their confusion deepened. Tool martial souls came in all shapes and sizes on the Douluo Continent, but most fell into three categories: power attack, agility attack, and support. As for something explicitly called a "hidden weapon martial soul," they had never even heard of one, much less seen it.
And that went double for the name "Zhuge." The Titled Douluos present, who had lived for nearly a century, could find no related record even after combing through the continent's texts.
Only Tang San, standing beside Bibi Dong, felt his fingertips tremble as towering waves of shock surged through his heart once more.
It really was the Godly Zhuge Crossbow.
Having lived two lives, he could not have been more familiar with that name—it was the Tang Sect's most classic mechanism-type hidden weapon, with tremendous explosive power at close range.
Its magazine held sixteen bolts in total, all of which could be fired within three seconds.
Based on what he had learned at Spirit Hall, it could threaten a Soul Elder within thirty meters. If crafted from top-grade materials, it could even pierce a Soul Ancestor's defenses.
But he had never imagined that this thing could actually become an inborn martial soul.
"A hidden weapon martial soul? Sounds flashy, but does it pack any punch?"
Falling Devil Douluo spoke in a rumbling voice, disbelief written all over his face. "That little thing isn't even as big as my palm. Can it hit harder than a swing of my Coiling Dragon Staff?"
"What do you know?"
A clear voice rang out as Guang Ling Douluo strode over. Dressed in a fitted white-and-gold outfit, with his signature Glazed Light Feather Bow on his back, he stared fixedly at the Godly Zhuge Crossbow in Oupai's palm. His lively eyes shone startlingly bright, as though he had discovered some rare treasure.
He was already the continent's foremost master marksman and had spent his entire life with bows and crossbows. Back when he trained, he had drawn his bow ten thousand times a day. His sensitivity to ranged-attack martial souls far surpassed everyone else present.
From the moment the Godly Zhuge Crossbow appeared, he had never taken his eyes off it—the patterns of its mechanism looked simple, yet clever ingenuity lay in every detail. Even as a mere phantom, it exuded the fierce penetrating power concealed within its intricate construction.
"Power attacks rely on brute force. Ranged attacks are all about finesse."
Guang Ling Douluo glanced at Falling Devil Douluo and retorted without mercy, "All your Coiling Dragon Staff can do is smash floors. What do you know about the finer points of ranged martial souls? Believe me, I could blow your head open one day before you even knew what happened."
After putting Falling Devil Douluo in his place, he immediately lowered his head toward Oupai beside him. His expression instantly became a kindly yet eager smile, and even his voice softened several notches. "My dear grandson, let Grandpa try your Godly Zhuge Crossbow, all right? I want to see just how this martial soul differs from our family's inherited Guang Ling Divine Bow."
Seeing the gleam in his grandfather's eyes, Oupai hardly dared refuse. He immediately nodded like a chick pecking grain and offered him the phantom Godly Zhuge Crossbow in his palm.
The moment Guang Ling Douluo's fingertips touched the crossbow, he distinctly sensed the intricate mechanism within, and his eyes widened further and further.
"Well, now... this mechanism is incredibly clever."
Guang Ling Douluo murmured to himself, tracing the patterns on the crossbow with his fingertips. "It really doesn't need to be drawn and charged? The interlocking mechanism alone drives the soul power, and pulling the trigger fires it instantly?"
"That's right!" Oupai immediately nodded, his little face full of pride. "Not only can it fire instantly, it can fire three shots in succession! Its penetration is especially strong at close range!"
Guang Ling Douluo's eyes shone even brighter. He immediately led Oupai to the hall entrance and pointed at a refined-steel stone wall a hundred meters away, specifically used to test martial souls' power. "Come on, my dear grandson. Fire a shot at that wall. Use all the soul power you can muster and let Grandpa see the true power of this Godly Zhuge Crossbow."
The people nearby instantly crowded around, craning their necks to see just what this unheard-of hidden weapon martial soul could do.
Gui Mengguan and Qian Gujue squeezed to the very front, their faces bright with excitement at the spectacle, their thoughts flooding past like a scrolling feed. Here it comes! An iconic moment! Guang Ling Douluo personally testing the Godly Zhuge Crossbow!
This is hilarious! Spirit Hall's ranged squad will have two gods holding the fort from now on—one at the pinnacle of long-range sniping, the other at the pinnacle of close-range burst damage. Whoever comes at them will get shot full of holes!
Oupai took a deep breath and gripped the Godly Zhuge Crossbow in his palm, his small body standing straight. He assumed the stance he had used for archery practice in his previous life, feet shoulder-width apart and back straight, supporting the crossbow with his left hand and hooking his right finger around the trigger as he concentrated on the refined-steel stone wall a hundred meters away. He poured all his newly awakened level-eight innate soul power into the Godly Zhuge Crossbow. Silver light instantly illuminated its pitch-black body, and the mechanism gave a crisp click.
"Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—"
Three sounds of rushing air rang out in succession, so fast they almost merged into one. Before anyone could even make out the bolts, three deep, thunderous impacts sounded from the wall a hundred meters away.
When the dust cleared and everyone saw the wall, they instantly sucked in a sharp breath.
Three smooth holes stood neatly aligned in the hard refined-steel stone wall, each as thick as a thumb. They had pierced clean through the half-foot-thick wall, leaving smooth, even edges without the slightest sign of cracking—a clear testament to their terrifying penetration.
Oupai had only just awakened his martial soul and had less than level-ten soul power, yet he could pierce a refined-steel stone wall half a foot thick! Once his soul power rose and he added soul rings to the Godly Zhuge Crossbow, just how terrifying would its power become?!
"Good heavens! That little thing hits that hard?!"
Falling Devil Douluo's eyes widened as he cried out involuntarily, "When my grandson first awakened his martial soul, he couldn't smash through that wall even with his Coiling Dragon Staff!"
"I told you, you don't understand finesse."
Guang Ling Douluo glanced at him, but his eyes remained fixed on the holes in the wall, brimming with astonishment and delight.
He strode over to the wall and carefully felt each of the three holes, then returned to Oupai's side, unable to hide his smile.
"Excellent! What a Godly Zhuge Crossbow!"
Guang Ling Douluo patted Oupai's little head, his voice filled with admiration. "Now I understand. This martial soul and my Guang Ling Divine Bow follow completely different paths."
He paused, then clearly explained the difference to the people gathered around them. "My Guang Ling Divine Bow follows the path of long-range sniping. It relies on charging soul power. The steadier the draw and the fuller the charge, the greater its range and power. It can take an enemy's head from a thousand meters away, excelling in precision and long-range attacks."
"But this Godly Zhuge Crossbow excels in instant firing and close-range bursts."
Guang Ling Douluo brushed his fingertips over the crossbow's mechanism. "It doesn't need charging. Pull the trigger and it fires, even three shots in succession. Anything within thirty meters is squarely in its killing zone. Even in point-blank combat, it can instantly unleash a burst of damage."
"Better still, it consumes little soul power. Even a low-ranking Soul Master can fire it repeatedly. In actual battle, it's a killing move that leaves opponents unable to guard against every attack!"
His explanation was perfectly clear. The Titled Douluos present nodded one after another, looking at Oupai with admiration.
They had originally considered it merely an unusual, niche martial soul. Now, it appeared to be a top-tier agility-attack tool martial soul tailor-made for close combat!
"Grandpa, then... does that mean my martial soul isn't as powerful as the Guang Ling Divine Bow?" Oupai tilted his little face up, deliberately putting on an aggrieved expression.
"What nonsense are you talking?"
Guang Ling Douluo immediately pinched his little cheek and said earnestly, "Martial souls aren't inherently superior or inferior. What matters is whether their wielder knows how to use them. My Guang Ling Divine Bow handles long-range attacks, and your Godly Zhuge Crossbow handles close-range bursts. They complement each other perfectly!"
"You'd even deserve a whole new family genealogy of your own."
As he spoke, he took the Glazed Light Feather Bow off his back and pushed it into Oupai's arms, declaring with boundless confidence, "Starting tomorrow, Grandpa will personally teach you accuracy, how to control soul power, how to calculate trajectories, and every secret of ranged shooting! With our Guang Clan's masterful marksmanship paired with your Godly Zhuge Crossbow, no ranged Soul Master on the entire continent will be able to match you one day!"
Oupai's eyes instantly lit up. Hugging the Light Feather Bow, he almost jumped for joy, then hastily bowed to Guang Ling Douluo. "Thank you, Grandpa! I'll study hard!"
Watching from the side, Gui Mengguan and Qian Gujue nearly failed to hold back their laughter, their thoughts scrolling wildly. This is hilarious! Oupai's latched onto a powerful backer! With Guang Ling Douluo personally teaching him, his starting point is maxed out!
Guang Ling Douluo was his grandfather to begin with.
Forgot that in all the excitement!
Spirit Hall will dominate both long and short range from now on. Anyone coming at them will have to think twice—Guang Ling Douluo snipes them from afar, and Oupai's Godly Zhuge Crossbow wipes them out up close. They're practically walking artillery batteries. There's nowhere to hide!
Not far away, Tang San watched Oupai hugging the Light Feather Bow and grinning from ear to ear, the shock in his heart still refusing to subside.
He looked up at Bibi Dong beside him, who was watching him tenderly, then at the noisy crowd in the hall. Seeing his three spirited young friends—Gui Mengguan, Qian Gujue, and Oupai—he suddenly felt an anticipation unlike anything he had ever known.
Oupai skipped over to Gui Mengguan and Qian Gujue, then joined them in approaching Tang San. The four young friends excitedly bumped fists, all grinning from ear to ear.
The awakening ceremony came to a complete close. Two peerless geniuses with twin martial souls and two exceptional prospects with innate soul power of level nine or above sent the whole of Spirit Hall into an uproar.
The Titled Douluos in the hall surrounded the four children, showering them with praise one after another. It was as lively as a New Year celebration.
Still, only their own inner circle knew. They also understood that geniuses who had yet to mature could all too easily attract unwanted attention.
Before you continue