Not Laughing—Enlightened

"Iron Sword Martial Soul, innate soul power: half a level!"

Su Yuntao's voice rang through the Awakening Hall. He looked at the child in blue before him, his eyes carrying a trace of pity.

This child's parents were fairly well-known Great Soul Masters in Notting City.

But unfortunately, while inheriting his father's Iron Sword Martial Soul, his martial soul had mutated. Several cracks ran across the blade.

Because of those cracks, the entire sword looked as though it could shatter at any moment.

"Child, don't be sad. At least you aren't without innate soul power."

"Cultivate diligently, and you can still become a respected Soul Master like me!"

Seeing the child standing motionless before him, Su Yuntao could not help but offer comfort.

His own innate soul power had not been high either. It was only through sheer perseverance that he had reached where he was today.

Su Yuntao's words pulled Qi Dao from his disappointment. He gave the man a slight nod.

"Thank you for your guidance, Deacon. I'll remember it."

After saying that, Qi Dao stepped back among the children behind him.

The martial soul awakening ceremony continued, but Qi Dao's thoughts had drifted elsewhere, his eyes filled with confusion.

In his previous life, he had merely been an ordinary person who enjoyed reading novels. After staying up all night reading, he had only just fallen asleep when he transmigrated to the ever-popular Douluo Continent.

When he had first arrived, Qi Dao had imagined that one day he would awaken a golden finger and embark upon a path to the heavens.

But evidently, heaven had not favored him even now!

Not only that, it had kicked him while he was down, causing a malignant mutation when he inherited his father's Iron Sword Martial Soul.

Coming back to himself, Qi Dao felt miserable whenever he thought of the cracks on the Iron Sword.

This damn half-level innate soul power, no golden finger, and not even a scion of some great clan.

How was he supposed to play this?

Play your *****!

The martial soul awakening ceremony soon ended. Su Yuntao led the children out of the hall, where their parents had long been waiting outside.

The moment they saw the doors of the Awakening Hall open, they immediately crowded forward.

It was easy to see the tangled emotions on their faces—expectation, nervousness, worry, and more.

Among the crowd, a couple around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old stood just like all the other parents present.

The moment they saw Qi Dao, their eyes lit up.

Both of them were Great Soul Masters, so the odds of their child possessing innate soul power were quite high.

After walking out of the hall, Su Yuntao looked at the children's parents and announced calmly, "All right, everyone. This awakening ceremony has successfully concluded. Of the twenty-three children, three awakened innate soul power."

Everyone present felt a surge of joy upon hearing this.

For three out of twenty-three children to awaken innate soul power was already a very high proportion.

They all hoped one of them was their child.

Thus, after thanking Su Yuntao, they eagerly began asking about their children's results.

Qi Dao also walked over to his parents.

His father, Qi Mingyuan, asked nervously, "Dao, how did your martial soul awakening go?"

Beside him, his mother Wang Rou wore an expression of both anticipation and concern.

Seeing his parents' expressions, Qi Dao showed a hint of helplessness.

"Dad, Mom, my martial soul underwent a malignant mutation. I only have half a level of innate soul power."

The moment they heard just the first half of Qi Dao's words, Qi Mingyuan and Wang Rou's hearts sank completely.

But the couple was even more worried about Qi Dao himself.

The child had been precocious since he was young. Everyone who knew him had praised him, saying that he would surely become an outstanding Soul Master someday.

Yet his martial soul had undergone a malignant mutation, and he only possessed half a level of innate soul power.

They truly feared that he would be unable to bear such a blow and do something foolish.

Wang Rou softly comforted him, "Son, half a level of innate soul power is no big deal."

"Do you remember when you were two or three years old?"

"You were so tiny then, yet you kept saying that you wanted to become a Sword Immortal, a Sword God, and let your father and me live in comfort."

"So what if it's only half a level of innate soul power?"

"Your father and I both believe in you!"

After Wang Rou spoke, Qi Mingyuan echoed her from the side.

"That's right, your mom and dad both believe in you!"

Seeing the worried looks on his parents' faces, Qi Dao knew what the couple was concerned about. But his mind was not truly that of a mere child.

All of a sudden, he seemed to recall the first two or three years after he had transmigrated here.

Back then, he had been at his most confident, always looking forward to the appearance of a golden finger.

He had firmly believed that he, too, was like the protagonists in novels.

Yet just now, after awakening his martial soul, he had actually felt lost.

No golden finger, no powerful martial soul...

Could he truly become like the protagonists in those novels?

Qi Dao still stood where he was, but his consciousness seemed to travel back through time. He saw his bewildered self standing at the center of the awakening array, questioning himself.

But in the end, he suddenly smiled.

No, he had not smiled!

He had attained enlightenment!

How could such a foolish thought have arisen in his heart?

The quality of a martial soul was not something he could control.

But he could control his own will and never be cowardly!

"I really shouldn't have thought that!"

Qi Dao murmured inwardly. A subtle, indescribable sensation seemed to have appeared within him.

An iron sword stood before him, plain and ordinary.

Yet Qi Dao felt as though an inexplicable connection had formed between himself and the iron sword.

He could not help reaching out and gripping the iron sword!

The instant Qi Dao grasped it, a realization suddenly dawned upon him.

It was as though he had been born to become the foremost figure of the sword path.

With a single thought, flights of steps appeared beneath his feet. Sword in hand, he climbed upward step by step and stood at the summit.

The ringing of swords suddenly rose from all directions, echoing beside Qi Dao's ears.

At that moment, his heart was clearer than ever, his eyes brighter than ever, and his will firmer than ever.

It felt as though his soul had been elevated.

Then, in the very next second, his consciousness instantly returned to reality. Yet his eyes still shone brightly, and his entire bearing was high-spirited.

He looked at his parents!

"Don't worry, Dad, Mom. Your son..."

"...isn't that fragile!"

"After all, I said before..."

"I'd take you to the Divine Realm to enjoy the good life!"

Seeing Qi Dao's radiant appearance, Mingyuan and Wang Rou's eyes lit up.

He was back. All of him was back!

This was their son!

"Hahaha, son, your dad believes in you!"

Mingyuan laughed heartily, just short of declaring that his son had the bearing of a God King.

His laughter drew strange looks from the surrounding parents.

Why was this man laughing so happily? Could it be that their son's talent was outstanding?

But when they learned from their own children that Qi Dao's innate soul power was only half a rank, their expressions immediately became incredibly strange.

No, it was only half a rank of innate soul power.

Was that really worth being so happy about?