Martial Soul Awakening, The Grandmaster's Pronouncement

Douluo Calendar, year 2634.

Fanos Province, Nuoding City.

The Martial Soul Branch was currently swamped with work.

Children who had reached the age of six stood in a long, winding line.

At the very end of the queue, Ye Feng looked down at his hempen clothes, which were covered in patches and holes.

He had scavenged these clothes from a trash heap; after countless mends, their original color was long gone.

He had transmigrated into this world six years ago.

During these six years, due to the instability of his soul fusion, he had lived in a daze, appearing like a mentally stunted vagrant.

It was only two days ago that the memories from his life on Blue Star fully awakened, allowing him to finally see the world clearly.

This was a world where bloodline reigned supreme—dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and the son of a rat can only dig holes.

Ye Feng knew very well that if he awakened a hoe or Blue Silver Grass, his ceiling for this life would be to find some way to survive in Nuoding City, then hope to improve the next generation's genes by marrying a Spirit Master wife.

If his Martial Soul was even slightly high-tier, he would fight for his future. People often called Douluo the "sewer of fantasy," but Ye Feng didn't care; as long as he could become a god and attain immortality, that would be awesome.

"Next, Ye Feng."

Su Yuntao's slightly hoarse and weary voice drifted from inside the hall.

As the guide for the Nuoding City Martial Soul Branch, Su Yuntao had awakened over a hundred children today, but the results had left him deeply disappointed.

Aside from a few hoes and sickles, not a single child possessed spirit power.

Ye Feng took a deep breath and stepped into the solemn awakening formation.

His palms were slick with sweat.

He didn't know what his parents' Martial Souls were in this life; after all, he was an orphan abandoned on the side of the road.

This fear of the unknown was the most tormenting of all.

"Child, don't be nervous. Just relax."

Su Yuntao looked at the little boy before him, whose skin was sallow and whose hair was as messy as a bird's nest, a trace of pity flashing in his eyes.

With a wave of his hand, six pitch-black awakening stones floated into the air, and azure spirit power flowed from his fingertips into the formation.

Hum—

A dull, booming sound echoed through the empty hall.

Ye Feng felt a warm current surge from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head.

It was an indescribable sense of comfort, as if every bone in his body were being shattered and reconstructed at that very moment.

Immediately after, a sudden change occurred.

Ye Feng's originally messy black hair began to fade rapidly before everyone's eyes.

The jet-black color vanished, replaced by an almost translucent, silvery-white.

His hair became elegant and smooth, cascading over his shoulders like a waterfall of starlight.

Not only that, but his sallow and rough skin was also becoming fair and translucent at a speed visible to the naked eye.

In just a few seconds, the disheveled little beggar had transformed into a white-haired youth with an ethereal temperament and features as delicate as a porcelain doll.

Su Yuntao's eyes widened, and he nearly interrupted the flow of his spirit power.

"This... is this a body mutation?"

He exclaimed aloud.

At this moment, on the second-floor corridor.

A middle-aged man with an average build and a somewhat decadent air stood beside Branch Master Masnuo.

This man was none other than Yu Xiaogang, who styled himself as "Grandmaster."

Seeing this scene, the eyes of Yu Xiaogang, which had been as still as an ancient well, suddenly erupted with a near-pathological brilliance.

"Masnuo, hurry down and take a look!"

Ignoring etiquette, Yu Xiaogang rushed toward the stairs.

In the center of the formation, Ye Feng felt a strong suction force behind his back.

Subconsciously, he turned to look.

He saw a phantom figure quietly coalescing.

The figure's appearance and posture were identical to his own, as if his shadow had been forcibly peeled away.

But this shadow was not pitch black; instead, it radiated a holy white glow, looking both illusory and divine.

"A Shadow Martial Soul?"

Su Yuntao wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his voice trembling slightly.

"No, how could a shadow have this attribute? This is a mutation of a Body Martial Soul—it's a light-attribute shadow!"

Ye Feng felt the power flowing within his body, his heart stirring slightly.

Light and Shadow.

This was his Martial Soul.

Much like the mutated shadow Martial Soul of Huo Wu, it belonged to a body-based shadow that had mutated to possess innate attributes.

"Alright, child, let's test your Soul Power."

Su Yuntao, unable to contain his impatience, handed the crystal-clear crystal ball to Ye Feng.

He was shouting internally; it had been far too long since Nuoding City had produced a decent genius.

If this child possessed decent Soul Power, his bonus would be secured.

Ye Feng extended his fair palm and pressed it gently against the crystal ball.

Hum!

The crystal ball was instantly more than half-filled, and a dazzling, brilliant light flooded the entire hall.

The intensity of that brightness caused everyone present to instinctively squint their eyes.

"Innate Soul Power... level seven!"

Su Yuntao cried out, his tone filled with wild joy.

"Heavens, it's actually innate level seven! This is a genius the likes of which Nuoding City hasn't seen in a hundred years!"

Just as Su Yuntao prepared to extend an invitation, an abrupt and low voice came from behind.

"A pity, it is merely a slightly more special body-based Martial Soul; the potential of Light and Shadow is limited after all."

Ye Feng frowned slightly and turned around.

He saw Yu Xiaogang walking over slowly with his hands behind his back, taking steady, measured steps.

His face wore an expression of compassionate sorrow, as if he had seen through all the truths of the world.

Yet, in the deepest part of his eyes, Ye Feng clearly caught a trace of undisguised envy and jealousy.

Could this guy be the legendary Fart Master, Yu Xiaogang?

Why did he always show up specifically on the day of the Martial Soul Hall awakening?

"Uncle, what do you mean by that?"

Ye Feng did not shrink back because of the other man's inscrutable appearance; instead, he asked in a calm tone.

Yu Xiaogang walked up to Ye Feng, looked down at him condescendingly, and said in a stiff tone:

"Innate level seven is all luck, but your Martial Soul determines your upper limit.

Shadow Martial Souls inherently lack offensive power, and mutating into a light attribute makes it even more of a useless burden.

Light and shadow are inherently contradictory; once your Soul Power level increases, this Martial Soul is extremely prone to self-collapse.

Without the correct guidance, I fear you will never be able to break through to the Soul Emperor realm in this lifetime."

As soon as these words were spoken, the originally overjoyed Su Yuntao froze.

The surrounding children who had yet to awaken also cast strange looks his way.

The genius who had just shocked everyone was, in this instant, seemingly labeled as a "defective product."

Ye Feng looked at Yu Xiaogang's stiff face and let out a cold snort in his heart.

He hadn't been sure who it was before, but now that he said that, it was definitely this piece of trash.

This so-called "Master" was nothing more than someone who had compiled common knowledge using Martial Soul Hall's archives, yet he arrogantly attempted to control the truths of the Soul Master world with it.

Ye Feng had seen this routine of pouring cold water to suppress a genius, only to then take them on as a disciple with a "savior" persona, countless times in the novels of his past life. If he actually had real ability, it would be one thing, but this guy was nothing but a failure...

"Oh? Then may I ask, learned uncle."

Ye Feng's lips curled into a playful arc, his eyes revealing a depth that did not belong to his age.