Attempting to Awaken the Martial Soul

"Ah, ooh, ho ho... ho ho ho ho!"

After a chaotic flurry of movement, Lin Beiya rubbed his bruised, purple-tinged face, grimacing as he looked at the triumphant Qian Renxue before him.

Grief and indignation welled up in his heart, and he silently vowed that he would definitely get his revenge in the future.

"Hmph, aren't you going to confess honestly? Why did Grandfather bring you to the Douluo Hall?"

Lin Beiya pointed at the bruises on his body and said with a helpless expression:

"Didn't I tell you already? Was it really necessary to beat me up over it?"

Seeing her own handiwork, Qian Renxue's small face flushed slightly. Although she had controlled her strength and hadn't gone for the kill, the attacks of a second-ring Soul Grand Master were still quite potent for an ordinary person; one slip and she nearly left Lin Beiya unable to speak clearly.

"Logically speaking, apart from the descendants of the few Elders, no one else is allowed to enter the Douluo Hall. There must be something special about you."

"I don't know about that. I just awakened my Martial Soul today and was planning to go back to the orphanage to pack my bags and report to the Spirit Academy, but halfway there, the old man brought me here!"

"Just awakened your Martial Soul..."

Qian Renxue propped her chin up like a little adult and sized Lin Beiya up for a moment, then her eyes lit up as she said:

"In that case, your Martial Soul must be very unique, right? What is it? Release it and let me see."

Realizing that if he didn't satisfy this young miss's curiosity today, she wouldn't let him off the hook, Lin Beiya sighed in his heart and prepared to summon his Martial Soul for Qian Renxue to see.

But just as he was about to summon his Martial Soul, an ill-timed sound abruptly interrupted his movements.

"Gurgle~~ rumble~~~ rumble~~~ gurgle!"

The little angel, who had been staring intently at Lin Beiya's right hand, slowly shifted her gaze to his stomach.

"Uh... haven't you eaten?"

"What do you think? I woke up early to awaken my Martial Soul, then got dragged here by the old man, and then got a sound beating from you!"

Lin Beiya's look—the kind that said you know exactly why—made Qian Renxue feel very embarrassed. She didn't force him to release his Martial Soul for her to see anymore; after all, in her mind, entering the state of Martial Soul Possession consumed a lot of energy.

"Then this young miss will take you to eat first. We can look at your Martial Soul when you're done."

"That sounds great! Once I'm full, you can look at whatever you want!"

"..."

Although she felt Lin Beiya's words were a bit strange, Qian Renxue didn't take them to heart. She skillfully led him to the pavilion in the center of the garden and ordered the servants to bring over plenty of food.

To be honest, this was the most sumptuous meal Lin Beiya had seen in the four years since he arrived in the Douluo world.

It was true what they said: there was no such thing as a free lunch. It seemed this beating hadn't been for nothing.

Swallowing his saliva while waiting for the rest of the meal to arrive, Lin Beiya immediately began to devour the food like a whirlwind.

This gluttonous, starving-ghost-reincarnated appearance made Qian Renxue look on with disdain. As someone who valued etiquette, this was the first time she had seen someone act so unrefined in front of her.

If Lin Beiya had known the little girl's inner thoughts, he would definitely have shown a look of disdain.

What kind of image should I maintain in front of a little girl who can't even tell her front from her back?

A quarter of an hour later, Lin Beiya was lying half-reclined on a garden lounge chair, completely disregarding his image, rubbing his bloated stomach. He realized he could no longer look at the wild game he used to hunt outside.

"Hey, your stomach is full now, let me see that Martial Soul!"

Qian Renxue was very curious about a Martial Soul that even her grandfather valued, and seeing Lin Beiya finish his meal, she urged him immediately.

This time, Lin Beiya didn't hesitate. He raised his right hand slightly and released a golden glow, and the Athena statue instantly appeared in his palm.

"Eh, your Martial Soul is so strange? And so small!"

Lin Beiya rolled his eyes. You're small, your whole family is small.

Ignoring his expression, Qian Renxue slowly stepped forward and reached out her chubby little hand, gently tapping the Athena statue.

It felt rigid to the touch, and the little girl didn't feel anything special about it.

"Is this the Martial Soul that even Grandfather values? Are you lying to me?"

"What good would lying to you do? If you don't believe me, why don't you go ask the old man yourself?"

"Uh..."

Qian Renxue didn't want her grandfather to know she had resorted to violence, so she could only scratch her golden hair in embarrassment.

"Then... what can this Martial Soul of yours actually do? It's somewhat similar to the Angel Statue in the temple, but your Martial Soul is much smaller, and it doesn't have wings!"

"I'm still researching it myself. I just awakened it today, so I don't know how to use it yet. I'll go to the Library Pavilion in a few days to check the records and see what kind of Soul Ring is suitable for me."

"Great, great! This young miss will take you to the Library Pavilion tomorrow, and I can even give you some advice!"

The little girl clearly wanted to get closer to Lin Beiya, who had just arrived; after all, he was the only person of her age she had ever met.

Moreover, he didn't seem to fear her at all, which was a relief, as she was very annoyed by the way the servants at the Douluo Hall acted around her.

After thinking about it, Lin Beiya didn't refuse the little angel's proposal. Having someone familiar with the Library Pavilion to lead the way was better than a newcomer like him wandering around looking for suitable books.

"Then thank you very much."

"By the way, you still haven't told me your name."

Although he knew the little girl's situation, he still intended to let her introduce herself so as not to seem abrupt.

The little blonde girl was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said:

"My name is Qian Renxue, and the person who brought you back today is my grandfather."

"Oh? Then you'll have to look after me from now on!"

Knowing everything, Lin Beiya revealed a look of surprise without leaving a trace, which greatly satisfied Qian Renxue's small vanity.

The little girl patted her flat chest and said brightly:

"Don't worry, from now on in the Douluo Hall, this young lady will cover for you."

Just as the two peers were having a friendly exchange, a voice reached their ears.

"Young Mistress, the afternoon swordsmanship lesson is about to begin."

The little girl was slightly stunned, then pouted and complained to Lin Beiya:

"That's the swordsmanship teacher my grandfather arranged for me; I have to go practice."

"Alright, then go ahead. You know where I'm staying, so you can come find me if you need anything."

"That won't be necessary. Let's just meet here tomorrow, and I'll take you to the Library Pavilion then."

Waving at Lin Beiya, the little angel entered the state of Martial Soul Possession and flew rapidly toward the direction the voice had come from.

Watching her leave, Lin Beiya returned to his own quarters. After washing up, he sat cross-legged on the bed and began to ponder the development path of his Martial Soul.

Logically speaking, as the vessel for the Athena Divine Cloth, this thing required the blood of Athena to be activated.

But the problem was, here on the Douluo Continent, where was he supposed to find the blood of Athena?

After thinking it over, Lin Beiya set his gaze upon his outstretched right arm.

Could it be that I am the Athena of this other world? Does this Martial Soul need to be activated by my own blood?

The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Lin Beiya's eyes lit up instantly. After checking his surroundings, he stood up and drew the iron sword used for decoration in the living room.

He swallowed hard. He wasn't afraid of butchering wild game, but taking a blade to himself felt a bit... different.

However, this concerned whether his Martial Soul could be unsealed. Gritting his teeth, Lin Beiya drew the iron sword across his palm, and fresh blood immediately began to drip down from his fingertips.