Xu Xiaoyan

And then, his consciousness returned to reality.

Inside the ancestral hall, everyone stared at Chu Yan in stunned silence.

His hands were still pressed against the Awakening Stone, but a dark golden staff had already formed in his palms.

Golden patterns flowed across its surface. An ancient, domineering, and razor-sharp aura radiated from it, making every Soul Saint-level elder present feel a chill in their hearts.

"What kind of Martial Soul is this?!" the Third Elder cried out in shock.

"A staff... though not entirely a staff." Chu Yunshan frowned as he studied the dark golden staff. "There seems to be another world within it. I can vaguely sense countless sharp objects inside."

Chu Yuntian strode over to his son, crouched beside him, and carefully examined the staff, his eyes gleaming.

"Yan'er, what is this Martial Soul?"

Chu Yan thought for a moment before answering, "Father, it's called the Yan Divine Weapon."

"The Yan Divine Weapon?" Chu Yuntian repeated, his brows knitting tighter. "I've never heard of a Martial Soul like this, but its quality..."

He reached out, trying to touch the staff.

Yet just as his fingertips were about to make contact, a layer of golden light suddenly appeared over the staff, knocking his hand away!

"Repulsion?" Chu Yuntian murmured in surprise.

The hand of a Soul Douluo had actually been knocked away by a newly awakened Martial Soul? Just what rank was this Martial Soul...

"Father, it seems the Yan Divine Weapon can only be used by me," Chu Yan explained, though he knew it was the weapon's recognition-of-owner trait.

This divine weapon needed to be nurtured with spiritual power to imprint a mark, and it demanded exceptional comprehension and insight into laws. No one else could wield it.

Chu Yuntian wasn't angered. Instead, he burst into laughter. "Excellent, excellent! That's my son! When a heavenly sign appears at birth, its bearer is destined for greatness!"

He turned to the elders. "Honored elders, with the ancestors of the Chu Clan looking down upon us, today my son, Chu Yan, awakened the Martial Soul Yan Divine Weapon. Its quality is unknown, but it is at least a top-tier Martial Soul! I propose that, starting today, Chu Yan be formally named the Chu Clan's young heir and receive the family's core resources!"

The elders exchanged glances. At last, Chu Yunshan nodded first. "Agreed."

Just then, a commotion suddenly rose outside the ancestral hall.

"Uncle Chu! Uncle Chu! Let me in!"

A soft, childish voice rang out.

Hearing it, Chu Yan couldn't help the corners of his mouth from lifting.

The door to the ancestral hall swung open, and a little girl with pale blue twin tails ran inside.

She looked about five or six years old, with delicate features and big, round eyes. Her little cheeks were flushed, as if she had just run in from outside.

She wore a pale blue dress and a blue-ice pendant around her neck. She looked just like a porcelain doll from a painting.

"Xiao Yan?" Chu Yuntian was startled, then smiled. "What brings you here?"

The little girl was named Xu Xiaoyan, the young lady of the Xu Clan, one of Eastsea City's four great clans.

The Xu Clan was an old Soul Master family, descended from a cadet branch of the Star Crown Xu Clan from ten thousand years ago. Their lineage had endured for millennia, and they were also known as the Ice Staff Xu Clan.

The Chu and Xu Clans had been close for generations, and Chu Yan and Xu Xiaoyan had been promised to each other as children.

Xu Xiaoyan ran up to Chu Yan, panting, her cheeks flushed from the run. She tilted her head to look at the Yan Divine Weapon in his hand, her big eyes full of curiosity.

"Brother Yan, you awakened?" she asked in a soft, sweet voice that could melt anyone's heart.

Looking at the childhood friend before him, Chu Yan felt warmth well up in his heart.

He had known Xu Xiaoyan since he was little. She was the girl who had truly grown up by his side.

They played together, ate together, and practiced basic techniques together. They were as close as siblings... and closer still.

"Mm, I awakened." Chu Yan patted Xu Xiaoyan's head and smiled. "Look, this is my Martial Soul, the Yan Divine Weapon."

Xu Xiaoyan cautiously reached out to touch the dark golden staff.

This time, the Yan Divine Weapon didn't repel her. Instead, it trembled slightly, as if responding to her.

Chu Yuntian fell silent at the sight. What? Could it be because I'm not a girl?

"It's so pretty..." Xu Xiaoyan's eyes sparkled. Then she grew worried and said, "Brother Yan, your Martial Soul is really powerful, but it also seems dangerous. You have to take good care of yourself."

Chu Yan felt a warmth in his heart and smiled. "Don't worry. From now on, I'll protect you."

"Mm!" Xu Xiaoyan nodded firmly, her little face full of trust.

Watching the two children together, Chu Yuntian and the elders exchanged smiles.

Chu Yuntian suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, Xiao Yan, why did you come running over tonight? Does your family know?"

Xu Xiaoyan stuck out her tongue and pulled a delicate Soul Guidance Communicator from her sleeve. "Father knew Brother Yan was awakening tonight, so he sent me to ask how it went. He said that if Brother Yan awakened a Martial Soul, then... then..."

As she spoke, her little face suddenly turned red, and her voice grew softer and softer.

"Then what?" Chu Yuntian asked deliberately.

"He said... when we've both turned six and can sign up at Eastsea's junior academy, Brother Yan should take me there..." Xu Xiaoyan finished, her face as red as an apple.

A chorus of good-natured laughter rang through the ancestral hall.

Chu Yuntian laughed heartily. Seeing how bashful Xu Xiaoyan looked, he couldn't resist teasing her. "Xiao Yan, you're not even married into the family yet, but you're already looking out for Brother Yan?"

"Uncle Chu!" Xu Xiaoyan stamped her feet, then hid behind Chu Yan, showing only half her face. Her big eyes blinked, making her impossibly adorable.

Chu Yan couldn't help smiling either. He reached behind him, took Xu Xiaoyan's small hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze.

This little girl had been like this since they were young. In front of others, she was somewhat poised and proper, just like a young lady of the Xu Clan. But sometimes she was timid around strangers. In front of him, though, she became a soft, sweet little girl. Whether she was acting spoiled or getting shy, she was always showing her truest self.

"All right, all right. I'll stop teasing you." Chu Yuntian sobered and said, "Since your father sent you to ask, take the news back to him. Yan'er's Martial Soul has indeed awakened, and its quality is extremely high, though it still needs further testing."

"Besides the Martial Soul, there's also Soul Power," said the Grand Elder Chu Yunshan, stroking his beard as he looked at the Awakening Stone.

Aside from guiding the awakening of a Martial Soul, the Awakening Stone had another function: it could measure Innate Soul Power.

Innate Soul Power was one of the most important measures of a Soul Master's talent.

When an ordinary Soul Master awakened, their Innate Soul Power was usually between one and three levels, which already counted as decent talent.

Six levels meant a genius. Eight or more meant a top genius across the entire continent. As for Innate Full Soul Power, ten levels...

One in ten thousand.

Chu Yunshan walked forward and lightly tapped the Awakening Stone with his palm. The runes on its surface shifted, and the dark golden light gradually faded, replaced by a transparent film of light.

"Yan'er, inject your Soul Power into it again. This time, don't guide your Martial Soul. Just release the Soul Power inside you and pour it into the Awakening Stone," Chu Yunshan said.

Chu Yan nodded and took a deep breath.

For six years, though he hadn't been able to formally cultivate his Martial Soul, he had built an excellent foundation.

The Chu Clan, a family of Battle Armor specialists, had a complete set of body-tempering techniques.

From the age of three, he had gotten up before dawn every day to run, punch, and practice his stance. He trained in the Chu Clan's ancestral Hunyuan Stance Technique to strengthen his bones and muscles and temper his body.

Besides that, he studied Soul Beast knowledge, the principles of Soul Tools, Battle Armor theory... nothing was left out.

For a transmigrator with the soul of an adult, these lessons weren't especially difficult. But the day-in, day-out commitment had forged his will.

From three to six, three whole years and more than a thousand days and nights—he hadn't missed a single one.

He knew all too well that in this world, where strength reigned supreme, only by becoming powerful enough could he protect the people he wanted to protect.

Chu Yan pressed both hands to the Awakening Stone again, closed his eyes, and guided the Soul Power that had lain dormant for so long out of his body.

A warm current welled up from his dantian, flowed slowly along his meridians, and finally gathered in his palms before pouring into the Awakening Stone.

Buzz—

The Awakening Stone began to tremble.

At first, it only quivered faintly. But as more Soul Power flowed into it, the vibration grew stronger, and the transparent film on its surface began to glow faintly.

First came white, indicating level one Soul Power.

Then it quickly turned yellow, indicating level two.

In the blink of an eye, yellow turned orange, level three.

Orange turned red, level four.

Red turned green, level five.

Green turned cyan, level six.

Cyan turned blue, level seven.

Chu Yunshan's eyes widened.

Blue turned purple, level eight.

The four elders rose to their feet together, their faces full of disbelief.

Chu Yuntian had awakened with only eight levels of Innate Soul Power, and Chu Yan's was still rising.

Purple turned silver, level nine.

"This..." the Third Elder cried out. "It's still rising!"

Chu Yuntian clenched his fists, his tiger-like eyes wide as his breathing grew ragged.

And just then, the light on the Awakening Stone transformed once more...

Silver turned pure gold!