Twin Martial Souls?

The golden numbers on the giant display screen glowed silently; the number 78 looked particularly striking in the empty training room.

Chu Yuntian stared at that line of numbers in silence for a full ten seconds, then whirled around, his tiger-like eyes wide as he looked his son up and down, his gaze resembling that of someone examining a rare, priceless treasure.

"Yan'er, tell your father the truth: do you have a second Martial Soul?"

Chu Yan: "...?"

"Perhaps something like an eye-type Martial Soul? Or a body-type Martial Soul related to the brain?" Chu Yuntian strode over to his son, bent down to peer closely at his eyes, his gaze burning as he continued:

"Tell me honestly, is there some special ability you haven't told me about?"

After all, how could a Tool Martial Soul possess such high mental power?

Chu Yan felt somewhat uncomfortable under his gaze, tilting his head slightly as he said helplessly, "Father, I truly only have the Yan Divine Weapon as my Martial Soul."

But Chu Yuntian continued to stare into his eyes for a full dozen seconds, as if judging whether he was lying.

However, Chu Yan's gaze remained open and honest, without a hint of evasion.

Finally, Chu Yuntian straightened up, rubbed his temples hard, and let out a long, weary sigh. "A Tool Martial Soul... six years old, 78 points of mental power, Spirit Connection Realm... your mental power is higher than some graduates from the East Sea City Intermediate Academy."

He paused, seemingly struggling to digest the fact, before saying in a tone tinged with self-mockery, "When I was young, I didn't break through to the Spirit Connection Realm until I was twenty, and I thought I was quite impressive. You, on the other hand, have finished my twenty-year journey at the age of six."

Chu Yan did not respond, standing there quietly.

He understood his father's shock, for he knew himself that this was indeed exaggerated, but the accumulation of over twenty years of soul strength—combining his past and present lives—was not something a normal six-year-old could compare to.

Chu Yuntian paced back and forth twice, then stopped and examined Chu Yan again, finally sighing heavily as if accepting the reality.

"Forget it, forget it. You have innate full soul power, your Martial Soul is that strange thing, so having freakish mental power... I suppose it's not impossible to accept."

He waved his hand, his tone carrying a sense of resignation; it was a pity, he thought, that his son wasn't a twin Martial Soul.

He said, "But you must remember: this data, today, is known only to you and me. Do not mention it to a third person, not even Xiao Yan, not even if she is your future wife."

"I understand, Father." Chu Yan nodded.

Some things were safer the less they were exposed; he had always understood this principle.

"Alright, the test is over." Chu Yuntian patted his son's shoulder, the shock on his face having faded for the most part, replaced by a look of gratification. He continued, "Go back to your courtyard and tidy up, then go see your mother in a while. She said she has something for you. I have matters to attend to at the Spirit Pagoda this morning, so I won't be accompanying you."

Hearing this, Chu Yan nodded.

They then walked out of the training room together, heading back along the long corridor they had arrived by.

When he returned to his courtyard, Qin Mengyao was already waiting there.

She sat by the stone table in the yard, a tray placed before her with several items on it.

Seeing Chu Yan return, she beckoned him over with a smile. "Yan'er, come here."

Chu Yan walked over, sat on the stone stool, and cast his gaze upon the tray.

There were three items on the tray: a silver-gray badge, a slightly yellowed booklet, and a palm-sized soul guidance device that looked like a bracer.

"What are these?" Chu Yan asked.

Qin Mengyao picked up the silver-gray badge and handed it to Chu Yan.

The badge was about two fingers wide, with an exquisite pattern engraved on its surface—a star wrapped in flames—with fine, intricate lines along the edges, crafted with extreme precision.

"This badge is a token left behind by your grandfather," Qin Mengyao said, her tone softening with a hint of nostalgia in her eyes. "Your grandfather was a retired researcher from the Federal Military Research Institute, specializing in soul guidance arrays and energy conduction. This badge was his identification while at the institute. Although the institute has changed its identification several times since then, this badge still holds some utility through specific channels."

"In the future, if you wish to access deeper knowledge of soul guidance devices or require authorization to purchase certain special materials, this badge can open some doors for you."

Hearing this, Chu Yan took the badge. It felt slightly heavy in his hand, the material cold to the touch, not like ordinary metal.

He flipped the badge over; a serial number and a line of small text were engraved on the back.

"Federal Military Research Institute · Energy Conduction Department · Special Grade Researcher."

Chu Yan felt a slight stir in his heart.

The Federal Military Research Institute was one of the highest-level scientific research institutions in the Sun Moon Federation. Soul guidance arrays, soul guidance devices, energy conduction, battle armor manufacturing... almost all top-tier research related to soul guidance technology was conducted there.

If this badge could grant him authorization through certain channels, it was indeed a very valuable item.

"Mother, is Grandfather still at the institute?" Chu Yan asked.

Qin Mengyao shook her head. "He retired five years ago. He and your grandmother are now living on a small island in the south, spending their days fishing and basking in the sun; they live more leisurely than anyone."

As she spoke, she picked up the yellowed booklet from the tray and handed it to Chu Yan.

"This was written by your grandfather himself. He said it contains his insights and notes on soul guidance arrays from over the years. When I returned to my maiden home a few days ago and mentioned that you had awakened your Martial Soul, he had someone send this booklet over, saying you should take a look when you have time."

Chu Yan took the booklet with both hands and opened the cover.

The handwriting inside was neat and dense, filled with the basic principles of soul guidance arrays, optimization schemes for energy conduction, and disassembly diagrams of the internal structures of several common soul guidance devices. There were also many additions and annotations made in red ink in the margins.

Although the script was small, it was well-organized and logically rigorous; it was clearly a systematic summary by a professional.

"Please thank Grandfather for me." Chu Yan closed the booklet and put it away carefully.

"You can tell him yourself." Qin Mengyao smiled and waved her hand, then picked up the last item from the tray.

It was the palm-sized soul guidance device that looked like a bracer, entirely silver-gray, its surface smooth and devoid of any unnecessary decoration, save for a long, thin slot on the side.

"This is..." Chu Yan took the bracer and examined it.

"Portable Basic Soul Guidance Array Recorder." Qin Mengyao recited the long name with a hint of pride in her tone, adding, "It's also something from your grandfather's stash. He said he swiped it from the research institute before he retired. Its function is quite simple: it can record and store the structural diagrams of soul guidance arrays and perform some basic energy simulation calculations. For a beginner, this thing is very useful."

Chu Yan fastened the bracer onto his left forearm; the size was a perfect fit.

He fumbled around the card slot and discovered a small Soul Power Drive Core embedded within it, which likely required only a small injection of soul power to activate.

"Thank you, Mother." Chu Yan looked up and offered Qin Mengyao a sincere smile.

Being born into the Chu Clan in this life and having parents who doted on him so much was a stroke of fortune he could never have imagined in his previous life.

Qin Mengyao watched her son pack away the three items and nodded in satisfaction, then, as if remembering something, she spoke up, "Oh, that's right, Yan'er. I heard your father mention a couple of days ago that you don't have any other plans for the time you're home besides cultivation and staff techniques, right?"

"Yes, I don't have any plans." Chu Yan nodded.

"That's perfect." Qin Mengyao stood up, smoothed out her dress, and smiled. "Go find Xiao Yan this afternoon. That girl has been missing you quite a bit. Spend more time with her while you're still on break; once school starts, even though you'll be at the same academy, you won't necessarily see each other more often than you do now."

"I understand, Mother."

"I would be so happy if she became my daughter-in-law."