World Modulation... "Perspective" Activated

The sudden turn of events left Jiang Ci'an momentarily bewildered, unable to grasp the situation.

Before he could even begin to think it through, Tang San seemed to sense something, suddenly turning his head to meet his gaze.

Their eyes locked.

Tang San's expression held a hint of confusion, as if wondering why this unfamiliar peer was standing there.

At the same time, because Tang San, who had just revealed his innate full soul power, was the center of everyone's attention, the moment he turned his head, the others instinctively followed his line of sight.

Su Yuntao noticed, and the few villagers watching from the sidelines noticed as well.

The old man in the cloth shirt looked at Jiang Ci'an, sizing him up from head to toe, and frowned in confusion as he spoke:

"Whose child are you? I don't recall seeing you before."

Jiang Ci'an paused.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something.

However, the next moment...

A sensation of rising suddenly washed over him.

It felt as if his entire body had been yanked from the bottom of the water by an invisible hand; the noisy sounds around his ears rapidly faded away, becoming increasingly blurred and distant.

The scenery around him began to distort, colors fading and outlines dissolving.

Jiang Ci'an felt his vision blur, and by the time he regained his senses, what met his eyes was no longer the awakening ceremony at Holy Soul Village, but the familiar ceiling of the back hall in Ping'an Pharmacy.

Dark brown wooden beams carved with simple patterns, and the afternoon sun shining obliquely through the carved wooden windows, landing on his face with a warm glow.

Had he... returned?

Jiang Ci'an was dazed for a moment.

Then, he felt a pair of small hands gripping his sleeve tightly—the force wasn't great, but the grip was firm, as if afraid he might run away.

He looked down.

Xiao Xiao was looking up at him, her small face taut, her lips slightly pursed, and her emerald green eyes filled with worry.

Seeing him regain his focus, the worry in Xiao Xiao's eyes dissipated just a little.

"Ci'an..." Xiao Xiao whispered, her voice soft and sweet, yet unable to hide her concern.

Jiang Ci'an was stunned for a moment and couldn't help but ask:

"What just happened to me?"

Beside them, Xiao Shan looked at Jiang Ci'an, his brows furrowing slightly before relaxing, his tone carrying a hint of uncertainty:

"After you awakened your martial soul just now, you stood there, motionless, for about a dozen breaths."

"...Is that so?"

Jiang Ci'an murmured, lost in thought.

Standing there, motionless, for a dozen breaths.

In that world of Douluo World, he had probably only stood for a moment, only looked at Tang San once, and hadn't even managed to say a word before returning.

The time spent there was roughly the same as the time that had passed in the real world.

So, the flow of time was the same?

Jiang Ci'an pondered, but he didn't reveal too much. He naturally raised his head, a smile appearing on his face, his tone relaxed and natural:

"Don't worry, Grandpa Xiao, I'm fine. I was just so absorbed in sensing my martial soul that I couldn't help myself."

Xiao Shan looked at him, his gaze lingering as if he had sensed something, but he didn't press further and nodded:

"As long as you're fine... How was it? What martial soul did you awaken?"

Jiang Ci'an paused.

He closed his eyes and calmed his mind, reaching out to sense the thing that had just awakened and was quietly lying dormant deep within him.

Then, a name naturally surfaced in his mind.

It seemed to have been there all along, just waiting for him to discover it.

"World."

...Modulation Mode.

Jiang Ci'an silently added the last four words in his heart.

He held back a little.

After all, his martial soul was truly troublesome to explain, and the name was honestly a bit absurd. Even if no one in this world should know what this thing actually was, he still found it hard to say out loud.

Xiao Shan paused slightly upon hearing this, as if trying to recall if he had ever heard of such a martial soul, but he soon shook his head and didn't continue to ask.

He picked up the blue crystal ball from the table and handed it to Jiang Ci'an.

"Come, let's test your innate soul power."

Jiang Ci'an took the crystal ball and held it in his palm.

The crystal ball felt warm and slightly cool to the touch, much like holding a piece of jade warmed by the sun.

He closed his eyes and naturally mobilized the soul power that had just awakened within him, still carrying a hint of rawness, slowly injecting it into the sphere.

The next moment, a brilliant radiance erupted.

Bright golden light burst forth from the crystal ball, warm and soft, illuminating the entire hall.

"Innate full soul power."

Xiao Shan sighed softly, though his tone held little surprise, carrying instead a sense of "as expected."

Given the commotion just now, it would have been abnormal if it weren't innate full soul power.

He set the crystal ball down and shifted his gaze from Jiang Ci'an to Xiao Xiao, then back again, his heart filled with complex emotions as he looked at the two little ones who barely reached his chest.

One with twin martial souls and innate full soul power.

The other with a "World" martial soul, also possessing innate full soul power.

Though he did not know exactly what kind of martial soul "World" was, based solely on the aura during its awakening and the foundation of innate full soul power, it could never be anything ordinary.

With these two children supporting each other, their future was secure.

Xiao Shan steadied his mind, the gentleness on his face receding slightly, replaced by a touch of solemnity.

He looked at Jiang Ci'an and Xiao Xiao, saying in a deep voice:

"In that case, there is no time to lose. I will make some preparations, and in a few days, we shall go to hunt for soul rings to resolve the matter of your soul rings."

Jiang Ci'an glanced at Xiao Xiao, and seeing that she was looking back at him, he understood immediately.

He withdrew his gaze and nodded slightly toward Xiao Shan.

"We leave everything to Grandfather Xiao's arrangements."

"Good! Then I shall go and prepare at once!"

With that, Xiao Shan hurried away in a flurry of activity.

Evening.

Twilight seeped in through the window lattice, dyeing the room in a warm, dusky yellow.

After sending off Xiao Xiao, who had been clutching her pillow with a pitiful little face that practically screamed "I don't want to leave," Jiang Ci'an sighed.

So much for childhood sweethearts.jpg

Shaking his head, Jiang Ci'an pulled back his thoughts.

He sat cross-legged on the bed, closed his eyes, and calmed his mind to perceive the martial soul that had just awakened, still feeling somewhat unfamiliar.

"World Modulation Mode."

These four words surfaced naturally in his mind.

Jiang Ci'an's expression shifted slightly.

Without a doubt, this was a very unconventional martial soul.

But it was his martial soul nonetheless.

He took a deep breath, not rushing to explore the potentially indescribable functions it might possess, but instead closed his eyes to make a most basic attempt.

The next moment.

He opened his eyes.

His golden pupils shimmered with a faint luster in the twilight—not the fleeting glow from before, but a sustained, brilliant gold.

A lofty, ethereal temperament rose from his body.

At this moment, Jiang Ci'an felt his perspective undergo a change, as if he were standing in a higher dimension, looking down upon everything around him.

Everything around him shed its external disguise, revealing a deeper reality.

The walls were no longer just walls; he could see the gaps between the bricks, the grain inside the wooden beams, and every minute crack on the surface.

The air was no longer empty; he could see the trajectories of dust slowly floating in the light and the paths of air currents seeping in through the window gaps, circulating slowly through the room.

He watched all of this, lost in thought.

Then, he turned his head to look at the wall on his right.

Next door was Xiao Xiao's room.

When they first moved to Shrek City, Xiao Xiao had intended to share a room with him, but he had refused.

Xiao Xiao had been very unhappy about it, sulking with a long face for quite a while.

In the end, she couldn't win against him and had to settle for the room next to his, claiming it was so that "if anything happens to Ci'an, I can come over immediately."

And at this moment, his gaze easily passed through that wall.

The texture of the bricks became transparent in his eyes, the wooden beams faded into faint outlines, and the mortar filling was peeled away like a thin veil.

He easily caught sight of Xiao Xiao sitting on the bed in the room next door.

She was wearing that light cyan pajama set, the fabric soft and form-fitting, her long, dark green hair cascading over her shoulders as she curled up, a tiny figure amidst the bedding.

She had not yet fallen asleep; with her head lowered and her palm spread open, the phantom image of a small black cauldron slowly rotated above it. The dark light rippled, reflecting the focused and earnest expression on her small face.

Jiang Ci'an took a glance.

Then, an inexplicable feeling arose within him.

A certain instinct told him that as long as he wished, he could see more, deeper, and in greater detail.

That thin layer of clothing was nothing more than another wall, no different in essence from the bricks, wooden beams, or plaster.

It could be ignored just as clearly... as long as he wished...

Jiang Ci'an paused.

Then, he withdrew his gaze.

The golden light flowing in the depths of his eyes dissipated, and the room returned to its original tones—the dim twilight, the simple furnishings, everything as it should be.

Jiang Ci'an lowered his eyes, reaching a conclusion in his heart.

His Martial Soul... was truly, incredibly wrong!

After all, what kind of Martial Soul came with "X-ray vision" as an innate talent!

That was right, it was "X-ray vision."

And based on his personal attempt just now, the effect was similar to those found in certain strange works, perhaps even more advanced.

Jiang Ci'an took a deep breath, using great willpower to warn himself not to use this ability for anything strange... at the very least, he had to figure out the limits of this ability first.

Collecting his thoughts, Jiang Ci'an shifted his attention in another direction.

Although his Martial Soul was worth deep study, there was a more important matter that needed to be clarified right now.

...That world he had subconsciously entered while in a meditative state during his Martial Soul awakening, the one set in the Douluo World timeline.

Jiang Ci'an closed his eyes and sank his consciousness, reaching out to sense the existence of that world.

His Martial Soul trembled slightly within his body, as if responding to his call.

Soon, a glimmer of realization dawned upon Jiang Ci'an.

As long as he circulated his Martial Soul while in a meditative state, his consciousness would be able to enter that world once again.

Jiang Ci'an lowered his eyes, his thoughts gradually settling.

He would put the matter of his Martial Soul aside for now; over the next few days, he would first figure out exactly what was going on with that world.