You're 9 Years Old? Level 20!

"Observation. Hmm, that's a well-chosen word."

Mu Ye grinned, "For the past two days, I've been observing you. Your blood energy is very strange, and it wasn't until later that I realized you truly possess a Body Martial Soul. I intended to have a chat with you, but then that group of orcas showed up first."

He tossed the fish bones into the sea, stood up, and stretched, his joints popping with a crisp sound.

"As for your performance on the ice tonight, how should I put it?"

Mu Ye looked down at Lin Qingzhou, the lazy air on his face mostly dissipating, replaced by a look of intense, serious scrutiny.

"That purple phantom of your Martial Soul, the pressure it carried—I have never seen it in any Martial Soul compendium. It isn't pressure at the level of soul power; it's at the level of laws. You might not even be able to sense it yourself yet, kid."

He paused, then asked, "Including your blood energy from before, I can be certain: it is a Body Martial Soul."

Lin Qingzhou nodded.

Mu Ye nodded in satisfaction, as if confirming a judgment he had already made. He sat back down, crossed his legs, and returned to his previous lazy tone, though Lin Qingzhou could tell the laziness was feigned, masking a deep-seated excitement.

"I have never seen your Martial Soul in any records. But I can determine two things. First, it is very strong. Second, it is a Body Martial Soul. Those two points are enough for me."

When Mu Ye said this, a light that was hard to describe flashed in his eyes. It wasn't greed; it was more like someone who had spent half a lifetime picking up seashells on a beach suddenly discovering a pearl.

"I come from the Body Sect."

When Mu Ye spoke of his origins, there was a hint of showing off in his tone, but it wasn't the kind of deliberate posturing for a junior; it felt more like an old man reminiscing about his few remaining glorious deeds.

"I am Mu Ye, Martial Soul 'Flesh Body', a ninety-fourth-level Power Attack System Titled Douluo. A four-word Battle Armor Master, a Red-Grade God-Level Mecha Master. As for my title? 'Body'."

He paused intentionally after speaking, squinting his eyes as he waited for Lin Qingzhou's reaction.

Lin Qingzhou played along, widening his eyes, nearly forgetting to swallow the fish meat in his mouth. In truth, he had known Mu Ye's background all along; after all, he was a man who had read the book Legend of the Dragon King.

He also had a deep impression of Mu Ye. Such a powerful sect as the Body Sect had fallen into such decline, and as the sect master of this generation, he carried a great deal of tragic color.

To think he was only level 94, though his combat power was truly at the limit.

Of course, Lin Qingzhou put on an expression of "My god, you're so strong."

Having spent these years in Proud Arrival City, he couldn't claim many skills, but reading the room and playing along were things he had truly mastered.

Seeing his reaction, the corners of Mu Ye's mouth curled up in satisfaction.

"As for the current situation of the Body Sect,"

He coughed, his tone becoming slightly more restrained.

"To be honest, there are only a few stragglers left. I've been wandering around for years, working as a cook on ships, drifting through various cities—half the time, I'm just looking for good seedlings."

"But the awakening rate for Body Martial Souls is too low; one in ten thousand is considered high. When I finally stumble upon one, they are either mediocre in talent or have already been poached by other sects."

As he said this, a faint, barely noticeable melancholy appeared in his half-squinted eyes.

"You are the first seedling I've encountered in three years that I felt was worth snatching up directly."

Lin Qingzhou swallowed the last bite of fish and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. The fish was finished, and he had heard just about everything he needed to. Mu Ye was frank, not beating around the bush, telling him directly who he was, where he came from, and what he wanted. This way of communicating made him feel comfortable.

"Senior Mu Ye," he set down the iron skewer and sat up a bit straighter, "you said my Martial Soul is very strong. I know it isn't weak myself. But there is one issue I must clarify with you first; please don't be in a rush to make up your mind."

Mu Ye raised an eyebrow, signaling him to continue.

"My Martial Soul did not awaken at the age of six."

When Lin Qingzhou said this, his tone was flat, but his eyes carried a layer of faint gloom at just the right moment.

"I participated in the awakening ceremony when I was six, and nothing awakened. I had no Martial Soul at birth, and my innate soul power was zero. A standard 'trash' start."

The smile on Mu Ye's face faltered.

"You know about the Evil Soul Master attack on Proud Arrival City. I killed an Evil Soul Master in retaliation. I won't go into the details of the fight, but the result was that I was struck by a poisoned blade. My Martial Soul awakened suddenly while I was on the verge of death."

Lin Qingzhou's voice was calm, as if he were narrating something that had happened to someone else, "So, I am nine years old now."

Mu Ye was silent for a long while.

"Nine years old."

He muttered, picking up the clay pot and then setting it back down, as if he had suddenly lost interest in drinking. He stood up, walked over to Lin Qingzhou, and crouched down. He reached out with his rough hands, starting from Lin Qingzhou's wrists and moving upward, his fingers pressing against the bones, kneading them inch by inch.

From wrists to forearms, from forearms to shoulders—his technique was professional. It didn't feel like a simple bone-check; it felt more like he was sensing the flow of energy within the bones.

After kneading for a long time, he withdrew his hands, his expression complex.

"It really is the bone age of a nine-year-old."

He sat back on his stool, resting his elbows on his knees with his fingers interlaced. "Awakening three years late... from six to nine, those three years are the window where innate soul power grows the fastest, and they were wasted. Your cultivation speed will definitely be a step slower than your peers; there's no denying that."

He lowered his head, as if struggling with himself. He had finally found a treasure, only to discover a crack in it—a crack he couldn't simply ignore.

He was silent for a moment, then suddenly slapped his own thigh with a sharp sound and straightened his back.

"So what if it's slower!" He said this in a booming voice, as if he had suddenly figured something out.

"What does it matter if the brats who started cultivating three years earlier than you have two or three levels more soul power? With the medicinal herbs of my Body Sect, are you afraid you won't catch up? The secondary awakening of the Martial Soul is what's critical. Once you pass the secondary awakening, the gap of these three years will be nothing."

His eyes dimmed slightly when he mentioned the "secondary awakening," but they brightened again quickly.

"As long as you don't end up like me. I was too stubborn back then, pouring all my energy into mecha, welding my own ceiling shut at level 94. I could never reach the state of 'Heaven and Man as One' and break through the barrier of level 95."

He gave a bitter smile, a hint of self-deprecation hidden in his voice, "The sect master with the lowest soul power in the history of the Body Sect is none other than me."

Lin Qingzhou fell silent at these words. The man who had slapped a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast to death on the deck with a single palm was now sitting on a small stool on the fishing boat, speaking of the greatest regret of his life without a hint of resentment, only a faint sense of resignation.

It was not the painful kind of resignation, but rather the lingering trace of regret left behind after truly coming to terms with things.

Mu Ye took a swig of wine, shaking off that faint gloom. He reached out his hand again, not to feel the bones this time, but to probe the state of Lin Qingzhou's soul power. A few seconds later, his hand jerked to a halt.

"Level 20 soul power?"

Mu Ye's voice jumped up half an octave. He looked up and stared at Lin Qingzhou, his eyes wide as saucers, the image of a carefree and casual master he had projected earlier shattering instantly.

Lin Qingzhou nodded.

"Nine years old, awakened for less than a week."

Mu Ye began counting on his fingers, faster and faster.

"And your soul power is already at Level 20?" He stood up and paced the deck twice, muttering to himself as if calculating something, then suddenly stopped and went completely quiet.

This wasn't right. This speed was wrong.

If it were truly an acquired awakening, and his soul power had soared to Level 20 in just a few days, then just how high must the quality of his Martial Soul be?

Even for a genius with Innate Full Soul Power, it would take at least three years to go from awakening to Level 20, and that was assuming they practiced diligently every single day. Lin Qingzhou had crossed that threshold in a matter of days.

He re-examined the youth before him. Nine years old, unnaturally composed, with combat instincts far beyond his peers, and a demeanor that was superficially respectful but inwardly indifferent when faced with a display of his own strength. And then there was that purple Martial Soul he couldn't identify.

This kid was a walking mystery.

Mu Ye pushed his doubts to the back of his mind.

He would, of course, verify the truth of these claims; although the Body Sect was seen by the world as a loose organization, that didn't mean they didn't conduct background checks on new disciples.

He had connections in Proud Arrival City; checking the records of Evil Soul Master attacks and digging into Lin Qingzhou's background would yield results in a few days.

But for now, there was one thing he had to do.

"Lin Qingzhou."

Mu Ye called his full name solemnly, his tone completely different from before, carrying a sense of ritual.

"On behalf of the Body Sect, I formally invite you to join us. The Body Sect isn't some rigid sect; it's more like a ragtag troupe."

"We don't have that many rules, we don't play the game of strict hierarchies, and you won't have to kneel or bow to anyone every single day. Whatever you need for your cultivation, the sect will provide."

"Spirit herbs, Soul Tools, cultivation resources—I, as the Sect Master, will personally mentor you. Your Martial Soul is a Body Martial Soul; the Body Sect is your best option, and you should be aware of that yourself."

He stared into Lin Qingzhou's eyes, his gaze frank and direct.

"Well, are you joining or not?"

The fishing boat fell silent. Waves lapped against the hull, the iron grate on the charcoal stove was still sizzling with heat, and a few seagulls circled low in the distance.

Lin Qingzhou sat on the small stool, looking at the middle-aged man in the chef's uniform, and suddenly smiled.

"If you've fed me all the fish, and I don't join, will I have to swim back myself?"

Mu Ye froze for a moment, then burst into loud laughter. The sound was rough and hearty, carrying far across the surface of the sea.