Spirit Connection Realm, Divine Inheritance?

The clamor in the Awakening Hall gradually subsided like a receding tide. Yet the heat and shock hanging in the air lingered for a long time.

Twin Martial Souls—the Azure Sky Snake and the Body Martial Soul—along with Innate Full Soul Power. At this moment, Xiao Cheng's brilliance had even eclipsed Leng Yulai, who had previously awakened the Dark Phoenix.

Yet this was not the end.

The high-ranking deacon presiding over the awakening, an elder of the Spirit Pagoda who had weathered countless storms, had not yet lost the flush of excitement from his face before immediately signaling the staff to proceed with the next test—the spiritual power test.

The staff led Xiao Cheng before a strangely designed, intricately constructed machine. The entire device was silver-white, its surface covered in dense soul guidance circuits that faintly emitted a deep blue glow. Countless cables extended from its rear, connecting it to a massive display screen in the distance.

"Little friend Xiao Cheng, next, we need to test your spiritual power." There was an imperceptible gravity and anticipation in the elder deacon's voice as he handed Xiao Cheng a mental testing helmet. In this era where soul spirits were prevalent, the importance of spiritual power went without saying.

It was the core foundation for housing soul spirits, absorbing soul rings, and even breaking through the barriers of higher realms in the future. Someone with a powerful martial soul but weak spiritual power was destined not to go far.

Xiao Cheng completely emerged from the daze brought on by the fusion of memories from three lifetimes. He took a deep breath, caught the helmet with his small hands, and slowly put it on.

Countless tiny circuits inside the helmet gently pressed against his temples. In the next instant, a strange suction force came over him, and his consciousness grew slightly dizzy.

"Buzz—"

The massive display screen lit up at once, and endless streams of data cascaded down like a waterfall.

Everyone qualified to sit in the hall was an elite of the soul master world, with even some Title Douluo-level powerhouses among them. They had a clear understanding of spiritual power levels.

Generally speaking, for a six-year-old child, spiritual power between 10 and 30 points was considered normal. Reaching 50 points and entering the early Spirit Origin Realm was already excellent. Breaking through 100 points and reaching the Spirit Connection Realm meant being a once-in-ten-thousand genius, one destined for great achievements.

Earlier, when Leng Yulai awakened the super martial soul, the Dark Phoenix, her spiritual power test result had been 64 points, already drawing praise from many. But Xiao Cheng had just displayed the supreme talent of Twin Martial Souls... How high would his spiritual power be?

Everyone held their breath and stared fixedly at the screen.

The numbers began to jump, rapidly climbing upward from a few dozen.

100... 150... 200...

The pace of the jumps began to slow, but the upward trend remained incomparably firm.

220... 230... 238... 239...

At last, the number froze at 239!

"Ding!"

A crisp notification sounded, especially piercing in the utterly silent hall.

"Spirit... Spirit Connection Realm?!" The deacon's voice cracked as he looked at the bright red "239" on the screen as though he had seen some unimaginable monster. "239 points! Spirit Connection Realm!!"

The instant that number appeared, the entire Awakening Hall fell into deathly silence once more. A pin could have been heard dropping.

239 points of spiritual power!

What did that even mean?

Spirit Origin Realm (1–100), Spirit Connection Realm (101–500), Spirit Sea Realm (501–5000)... These were the universally recognized classifications. For a child who had just turned six and only just awakened his martial soul, 239 points of spiritual power was simply inconceivable! This was no longer something that could be described as talent. This was a monster! A freak!

"Spirit Connection Realm... entering the Spirit Connection Realm immediately after awakening..." The smile vanished from Leng Zhaoran's face for the first time, replaced by extreme solemnity and scrutiny. As a Rank 99 Limit Douluo, he knew better than anyone what spiritual power meant to a soul master.

Powerful spiritual power not only meant one could house stronger soul spirits, but also that one's control over Soul Power, perception, and chances of breaking through future bottlenecks would far exceed those of ordinary people. With Xiao Cheng's 239 points of spiritual power, combined with Twin Martial Souls and Innate Full Soul Power, his future could no longer be measured by the standards of an ordinary demigod. This was the starting point toward the realm of quasigods, perhaps even... the realm of gods!

"Good! Good! Good!" Leng Zhaoran said "good" three times in a row. This time, his voice held not merely pure admiration, but deep affirmation and a trace of anticipation.

He looked toward Xiao Ran and found that the usually steady Azure Douluo had clenched his fists, his body trembling faintly, his eyes filled with a complex mixture of wild joy and disbelief.

"It seems another core family will emerge within our Spirit Pagoda." Leng Zhaoran muttered softly, his gaze shifting back and forth between Xiao Cheng and his two daughters. Leng Yaozhu still maintained the poise of a little adult, but she could not conceal the shock in her eyes.

Leng Yulai tilted her small head as she looked at Xiao Cheng on the stage and muttered quietly, "Hmph, always stealing the spotlight... But he does seem a tiny bit better than me... Just a tiny bit!"

Xiao Ran and Mu Wan exchanged glances, each seeing the other's delight. They knew their son was exceptionally gifted, but they had never expected him to display such terrifying dominance in spiritual power. 239 points! That even surpassed the spiritual power of many adult soul masters!

The awakening ceremony ended in an almost dreamlike atmosphere. Though the following children also awakened decent martial souls, none received any attention before the twin mountains of Xiao Cheng and Leng Yulai.

After the ceremony, Xiao Ran and Mu Wan took Xiao Cheng with them, politely declining Leng Zhaoran and the others' invitation to dine together. They directly boarded a soul guidance flying car and returned to their residence in Shrek City—a luxurious villa with exceptional privacy.

The carriage was unusually quiet throughout the journey. Xiao Ran seemed to hesitate several times before speaking. He had keenly sensed that his son seemed somewhat different after awakening his martial soul, but he did not question him immediately. He needed to get home, to an absolutely safe environment.

When they arrived home, the intelligent housekeeper had already adjusted the temperature and lighting in the cozy villa. Xiao Ran waved away all the servants and even temporarily disabled the intelligent housekeeper's voice interaction function. Only the family of three remained in the living room.

Xiao Ran sat in the seat of honor, Mu Wan beside him, while Xiao Cheng sat across from them. The atmosphere was somewhat heavy.

"Cheng'er," Xiao Ran finally said, his voice low and stern. He was no longer the gentle father he usually was, but the high-ranking Spirit Envoy. "Your performance on the awakening platform just now made your mother and me incredibly proud. Twin Martial Souls, Innate Full Soul Power, and that astonishing spiritual power... You are the pride of our Xiao Family."

He paused, his sharp gaze falling upon Xiao Cheng. "But, Cheng'er, I examined you with my spiritual power beneath the stage just now. Your body and soul are both normal. You are the Cheng'er I know. However... at the instant you awakened your martial soul, I clearly saw a purple-gold mark flash across your forehead before disappearing. That mark was extremely ancient and mysterious. Your father has never seen it in any record."

Xiao Ran stared intently into his son's eyes. "Did... you feel anything unusual?"

Xiao Cheng's heart skipped a beat. He knew this moment would come sooner or later. Having inherited the memories and experience of his previous two lives, he could no longer pretend to be an ignorant ordinary child.

At the same time, he was somewhat puzzled. He had felt nothing about the so-called Purple-Gold Mark Xiao Ran mentioned. After carefully sensing the condition within his body and still finding nothing, Xiao Cheng could only set the matter aside for now, burying the question in his heart as he considered how to answer his father's doubts.

He had long considered how to explain things to his parents, but directly claiming that he was reincarnated would be far too shocking. It might even raise unnecessary suspicions, such as whether an evil soul master had seized his body.

Now that his father had brought up the Purple-Gold Mark, he did not know what it was either, but it would not hurt to pin the blame on it. He could also take this chance to bring out some good things and strengthen his parents.

He raised his head, putting on a perfectly measured expression of "confusion" and "trying to remember." Then, as if he had finally recalled something, his eyes lit up.

"Dad, Mom," Xiao Cheng said in a clear voice, carrying the wonder unique to a child, "now that you mention it, I think I really did feel something. When my martial soul awakened, my mind went boom, and it felt like there were suddenly so many... so many strange images and bits of information inside. I learned so, so much. It was like... like someone had stuffed a huge book directly into my head."

He organized his words before cautiously continuing, "There seemed to be something called Martial Dao in there. There were many methods for training the body and using strength, along with all sorts of strange moves and cultivation techniques."

"Martial Dao?" Xiao Ran and Mu Wan were both stunned. The mainstream power system of the Douluo Continent was that of soul masters, reliant upon martial souls, soul rings, and soul spirits. Though some body cultivation schools existed, they had never heard of a system called Martial Dao.

"Yes, Dad." Xiao Cheng nodded and began using his past life's working man's skill at making up stories. "The information said this was a power system different from that of soul masters, one that focused more on uncovering the body's own potential. There were many cultivation techniques... I tried to recall them, and there was one... I think it was called the Taixuan Technique. It seemed pretty powerful."

As he spoke, he walked over to a desk in the house, took out paper and pen, and began writing. His movements were not fast, but every stroke seemed to contain a certain rhythm. Soon, an exceedingly profound scripture and mnemonic formula appeared on the paper, clearly displayed before Xiao Ran and Mu Wan.

The scripture was not long, yet every word seemed to contain the ultimate truths of Martial Dao. It expounded an energy circulation principle of endless vitality and steady accumulation. This technique did not have many flashy effects. Its core lay in just eight words: inexhaustible, robust, and pure. It was also the cultivation technique Xiao Cheng had practiced in his previous life before obtaining the Dragon Transformation Sutra. It was a high-grade martial art, and most importantly, it was easy to begin and upright and peaceful in nature, with no risk of cultivation deviation.

Xiao Ran and Mu Wan were both Title Douluo-level powerhouses. Their insight was exceptionally keen. With only a few glances at the Taixuan Technique, their minds shook as if the door to an entirely new world had been opened!

This cultivation technique was completely different from the path soul masters used to cultivate Soul Power! Soul Power cultivation involved sensing the elements of heaven and earth, drawing external power into the body, and strengthening oneself. But the Taixuan Technique was more like an inward search, an ultimate excavation and refinement of the body's hidden treasures! Its lofty concept and unique perspective left even Xiao Ran, who had seen countless great sights, deeply shaken!

"This... this is..." Xiao Ran abruptly stood up, his hands trembling faintly. He stared fixedly at the words on the paper, his breathing growing rapid. "Cheng'er, where did you obtain such a cultivation technique?!"

"It was that Purple-Gold Mark..." Xiao Cheng blinked his wide eyes, looking utterly innocent. "Dad, I told you already. It suddenly appeared in my mind when I awakened my martial soul. I feel like that mark might be some kind of very powerful... inheritance?"

He deliberately left the words hanging, firmly pinning the blame on that mysterious Purple-Gold Mark.

An inheritance? A divine inheritance?!

This thought flashed through Xiao Ran and Mu Wan's minds almost simultaneously. Only a divine inheritance could explain such an inconceivable phenomenon! Twin Martial Souls, Innate Full Soul Power, Spirit Connection Realm spiritual power, and now this unheard-of supreme cultivation technique... When all these things were linked together, they pointed to only one possibility—their son had received the favor of an ancient god!

With that thought, although doubts remained in Xiao Ran's heart, he knew that if gods were involved, there was no way he could investigate the matter further. Still, he had carefully examined Xiao Cheng's soul with his spiritual power before. It was pure and familiar, without the slightest sign of being corroded by an external soul or seized by another. Since the soul was still Cheng'er's soul, receiving an inheritance was an enormous blessing! It was an opportunity for the Xiao Family and a fortunate event for the Spirit Pagoda!

As for the Dragon Transformation Sutra, Xiao Cheng did not bring it out for the time being. A supreme cultivation technique like the Dragon Transformation Sutra could not be learned casually. It required a high level of Martial Dao foundation. Martial arts foundation did not refer to one's strength, but to one's understanding of the path of Martial Dao.

When he obtained the Dragon Transformation Sutra in his previous life, he had already been a first-rate expert in the martial world, with quite profound Martial Dao cultivation. Only then had he barely been able to control that incomparably domineering technique. Given Xiao Ran and Mu Wan's current complete lack of understanding of Martial Dao, rashly cultivating the Dragon Transformation Sutra would likely cause major problems. The Taixuan Technique had a solid foundation and progressed step by step, making it the most suitable choice for beginners.

"Wan'er, what do you think?" Xiao Ran took a deep breath, calming his surging emotions as he looked at his wife.

Excitement also shone in Mu Wan's eyes. Looking at her son, she said softly, "Since this is Cheng'er's opportunity, and I see nothing sinister about this technique, it instead feels grand and upright and can help strengthen one's foundation. Why don't we... give it a try? With our cultivation, even if there is a problem with it, we can immediately detect it and stop."

Xiao Ran nodded. He sat back down and looked at his son, his heart filled with emotion and anticipation. He reached out and gently rubbed Xiao Cheng's head. His tone returned to its usual warmth, though it now carried unprecedented gravity.

"Cheng'er, thank you for being willing to share such an important opportunity with your mother and me. We will study this Taixuan Technique carefully. Starting tomorrow, your father will personally guide your cultivation. Your path will take you higher and farther than mine ever did. As for the inheritance in your mind, from now on, everything concerning it may only be discussed among the three of us. Do you understand?"

Feeling the warmth from his father's palm and seeing the unreserved trust and pride in his parents' eyes, a warm current rose in Xiao Cheng's heart. Though he had awakened the memories of two previous lives, he had been reincarnated. Even after awakening his past-life wisdom, Xiao Ran and Mu Wan were still his parents. He had been an orphan in both his previous lives. In this life, he was experiencing the warmth of family for the first time.

"Mm! Dad, Mom, let's work hard together!" Xiao Cheng nodded vigorously, a confident smile blooming across his small face as a great weight finally lifted from his heart.

This was perfect. The Martial Dao cultivation techniques from his previous life now had a reasonable origin, and he would no longer have to worry about being treated like a monster. Better yet, he could go with the flow and let his parents benefit too. After all, a family had to be complete together.