Douluo: Jianmu Martial Soul, Am I an Abomination of Abundance?

As Huo Wu spoke, she summoned her Fire Shadow Martial Soul.

Though the original Fire Shadow had resembled Huo Wu herself, the differences could only be made out through subtle details in its overall outline.

But now, the golden-red Fire Shadow stood beside Huo Wu, and at first glance, they looked like a pair of twin sisters.

"I can feel that my connection to and control over my Martial Soul have improved tremendously. The power of my flames has also increased greatly."

Under Huo Wu's command, the Fire Shadow danced gracefully before everyone. Even the flames of the campfire began to sway along with it.

After pondering for a moment, Mu Ci finally asked Huo Wu the question that had been buried in his heart for a long time.

"Huo Wu, do you know about Body Martial Souls?"

Mu Ci's question not only made Huo Wu stop, but also drew the Bingyue Sisters' attention away from the dance.

Huo Wu's lovely brows furrowed slightly as she asked in confusion, "Body Martial Souls?"

In the current mainstream Spirit Master world, Martial Souls were generally divided into two major categories: Beast Martial Souls and Tool Martial Souls.

Even pure Elemental Martial Souls were considered Tool Martial Souls rather than being classified as a separate major category.

For example, one student at Blazing Fire Academy possessed Spark as a Martial Soul—the sort of sparks that burst from flames. It had only been roughly categorized as a Tool Martial Soul.

Thus, when Mu Ci mentioned Body Martial Souls, everyone looked utterly baffled.

Still, the girls were all outstanding talents from their respective academies. Upon hearing the name, they each formed their own guesses.

Mu Ci had no intention of keeping them in suspense and began clearing up their confusion.

"Although the current Spirit Master world only divides Martial Souls into Beast Martial Souls and Tool Martial Souls, there are actually many Martial Souls that should not be placed in either category."

"Elemental Martial Souls, Astrological Martial Souls, and the Body Martial Souls I mentioned should not be simply classified into those two categories."

"Of course, if you insist that all detached Martial Souls used by Spirit Masters count as Tool Martial Souls, then the first two can barely be considered as such."

"As for Body Martial Souls, they generally refer to Martial Souls formed from various parts of the human body itself, such as fingernails, hair, skin, and so on."

"The gap between the upper and lower limits of such Martial Souls is enormous. Weak ones can be directly classified as trash Martial Souls, while powerful ones can rival or even surpass top-tier Martial Souls. It all depends on the importance of the corresponding body part."

After hearing Mu Ci's explanation, the girls finally understood. Though they had never encountered such Martial Souls themselves, they had heard of one or two cases. However, those cases had all been weak, and few advanced Soul Master Academies were willing to accept them.

Being weak was one thing. The other problem was that no one knew how to teach them.

If an academy admitted students but had no relevant knowledge to teach them, wouldn't that be misleading them—or even endangering their lives?

Huo Wu nodded with some understanding, but she still asked in confusion, "I understand what a Body Martial Soul is now, but does my Fire Shadow count as one?"

Mu Ci shook his head. "If we go strictly by the definition of a Body Martial Soul, your Fire Shadow indeed should not count."

"But look at it from another angle. Your Martial Soul is not a special Martial Soul like a shadow or dark shadow. It is your own shadow, except that it has gained the ability to control the fire element."

Mu Ci moved his palm closer to the campfire. Immediately, the light of the flames cast the outline of his hand onto the ground in the distance.

"Look. Everything in this world has yin where there is yang. Have you ever seen anyone without their own shadow?"

The three girls nodded thoughtfully, beginning to understand Mu Ci's view of Huo Wu's Martial Soul.

At that moment, Shui Bing'er also asked a question.

"Brother Mu Ci, you've explained so much, and we roughly understand what Body Martial Souls are. But what use is that? This kind of Martial Soul is usually very weak!"

Shui Bing'er voiced the greatest doubt shared by the other two girls. Why had Mu Ci specifically brought up Body Martial Souls?

"Body Martial Souls are naturally not that simple."

Mu Ci stated his view to the girls with certainty.

"Judging by the current definitions in the Spirit Master world, Bing'er is indeed correct. Body Martial Souls are weaker than other types of Martial Souls in the early stages. But if you keep thinking that way, you would be completely wrong."

"Body Martial Souls possess an ability that no other Martial Soul has: through a Spirit Master's arduous training, they can undergo a second Self-Awakening."

"Self-Awakening!?"

The three girls were all shocked. They had never expected Body Martial Souls, which were defined as trash Martial Souls, to possess such an ability. Should it be called heaven never sealing off every path, or man conquering fate?

"Self-Awakening can generally be divided into Black Iron Grade, Bronze Grade, Silver Grade, and Gold Grade."

"Once a Body Spirit Master successfully undergoes Self-Awakening, they will immediately gain a special soul skill that enhances all attributes."

"Black Iron Grade grants a thirty percent increase, Bronze Grade sixty percent, Silver Grade one hundred percent, and Gold Grade can reach a terrifying threefold increase. It may even unlock special abilities."

"At that point, even a Spirit Master with the most ordinary Body Martial Soul could immediately possess combat strength comparable to Spirit Masters with mid-to-high-grade Martial Souls of the same rank. It would not even be impossible to fight above one's level. It could truly be called defying fate."

Upon hearing this, Huo Wu's golden-red eyes seemed to genuinely ignite with flames as she developed immense interest in the wonders of the Body Martial Soul Mu Ci had described.

Mu Ci naturally saw the burning passion in Huo Wu's eyes. He could not help taking her jade-like hand and smiling as he said,

"I was only mentioning it. Although there is a high chance that your Fire Shadow is a Body Martial Soul."

"It is still somewhat ambiguous and difficult to define accurately. Besides, the path of Self-Awakening is too difficult. There is no need for you to insist on taking this path."

"Even if you make no changes at all, your path to becoming a Title Douluo will be smooth. You could even set your sights on becoming a Peerless Douluo."

Mu Ci did not mention what came after that. With him around, matters such as lifespan were not a problem at all.

Even Deities would be nothing more than scenery along their path of cultivation.

But saying such things now would feel too empty, and they would find it difficult to truly grasp. Thus, he did not bring it up.

Hearing this, Huo Wu raised her other jade-like hand and lightly hit Mu Ci with a reproachful look.

"Aren't you deliberately stirring up my emotions? Since such a method exists, how could I possibly not try it? Do you think I'm the kind of woman who only lets you lead her around?"

Mu Ci had still underestimated Huo Wu's competitive nature. He truly had not brought it up to provoke her.

It was merely that he had remembered it ever since their chance encounter years ago. Now that the subject had come up, he could not keep it to himself any longer.

But Huo Wu truly was this sort of person. She admired strength and demanded absolute power from her partner.

Take Feng Xiaotian, for example. When he should have been cultivating diligently, he lost his way and wasted his talent for nothing. Huo Wu would normally never give someone like that a pleasant look.

Yet while she admired strength, she was also strong herself. Whenever she needed to be strict with herself, she would never slacken in the slightest. Her pursuit of power was no weaker than anyone else's.

"I don't care. Since you've already told me about it, I have to try."

Huo Wu slightly raised her snow-white chin and stared at Mu Ci with an unyielding expression.

Looking at the beauty before him, since Huo Wu had such aspirations, Mu Ci could only support her.

Although he said Self-Awakening was difficult, it was actually nothing much.

With him present, there would be no danger to her life. Furthermore, the pills he refined were far better than the secret methods used by the Body Sect ten thousand years later.

Was it not merely stimulating a bloodline awakening? In the entire universe, who would dare claim to understand life better than Abundance?

The Goddess of Life? A born God King? Had she ever truly practiced her own path?

The other God Kings were the same.

God King of Destruction—had he ever truly destroyed anything? If one had never practiced one's own laws, how could one speak of truly mastering or comprehending them?

"Fine. Then let me offer my congratulations in advance to Miss Huo Wu on your success. In the future, you will become the pioneer of Body Martial Souls across the world, the founding ancestor of the Body Martial Soul school."

Mu Ci caressed Huo Wu's jade-like hand and congratulated her with a smile.

Hearing Mu Ci imagine her future, Huo Wu became even more fervent about Self-Awakening.

Mu Ci then turned his gaze toward the Bingyue Sisters.

"Bing'er, Yue'er, who wants to go first?"

"Brother-in-law, me!" Upon hearing Mu Ci's question, Shui Yue'er immediately raised both hands impatiently.

Seeing all three pairs of eyes turn toward her, Shui Yue'er walked aside like Huo Wu and entered Martial Soul Possession.

A high-pitched Dragon's Roar rang out. Shui Yue'er's water-blue hair fluttered in the wind, while a pair of crystalline, delicate dragon horns emerged from both sides of her forehead.

The transparent glaze-like texture that had belonged to the Lustrous Jade Dolphin transformed into thin, delicate, water-blue round dragon scales, while her small jade-like hands turned into dragon claws with exceptionally smooth lines.

Due to the difference in their Dragon Race bloodlines, Shui Yue'er gave off a vastly different impression from Dugu Yan.

Because of her dark attribute, Dugu Yan felt mysterious and powerful. Shui Yue'er, on the other hand, felt as gentle as water and as endlessly flowing as a great river.

Of course, that was only a first impression. Anyone who truly believed that would be terribly mistaken. The saying that water and fire showed no mercy was not made lightly.

"After taking the Dragon Transformation Pill Brother-in-law gave me, my Martial Soul changed from the Lustrous Jade Dolphin into the Azure Wave Spirit Dragon. Not only did I gain the power of the Dragon Race, but I also gained water-controlling abilities far beyond those of my original Martial Soul."

"My soul skills have also been greatly strengthened. My Soul Power has risen from rank twenty-six to rank thirty. After absorbing a Soul Ring, I feel like I can break through several more ranks."

After finishing, Shui Yue'er kept her water-blue eyes wide open as she stared at Mu Ci, waiting for praise.

"Very good. Yue'er will be able to stand on her own in the future as well."

Mu Ci waved to Shui Yue'er, signaling for her to sit back down beside him.

Shui Yue'er pouted as she walked over and sat beside Mu Ci, muttering, "Brother-in-law is so perfunctory. You didn't even praise me more."

Hearing that, Mu Ci smiled and stroked Shui Yue'er's hair as he comforted her. "Isn't the strength of a True Dragon Martial Soul something everyone knows? There's no need for me to say much more, is there?"

Under Mu Ci's touch, Shui Yue'er quickly lost her little bit of displeasure.

Mu Ci then looked toward Shui Bing'er, the last one remaining, and said, "Bing'er, you know how powerful Ultimate Ice is now, don't you?"

Shui Bing'er nodded in agreement.

Ever since obtaining Ultimate Ice, she had been marveling at the strength of this grade of ice attribute at every moment.

Against attributes below the ultimate level, it was simply overwhelming.

"Ultimate Ice?"

Another term she had never heard before piqued Huo Wu's interest.

She discovered that following Mu Ci had been the most correct decision she had ever made. Not only had she gained a lover, but she could also learn countless things she had never heard of before.

"Ultimate Ice is a general term for an ice attribute that has reached a certain level. Likewise, there are Ultimate Fire, Ultimate Wind, and so on."

"But don't be intimidated by the word 'ultimate.' It is merely a manner of speaking. No one truly dares claim that their attribute has reached the limit of the world."

"Still, it is extremely powerful on the Douluo Continent."

At this, Mu Ci shook his head inwardly.

Who in this world dared claim to have mastered an Ultimate Attribute? The ultimate of ice was absolute zero, and the ultimate of wind was a perfect fluid. But what about fire? Did fire even have an upper limit?