Martial Soul

Biodata

Power Progression

Awakening and Possession

A Martial Soul is awakened through a ceremonial array powered by Soul Power. During awakening, the bearer may enter a mental space and witness the Martial Soul’s form before it manifests externally. 1

Martial Soul Possession allows the bearer to draw on its traits directly. Beast-type Martial Souls can cause substantial physical changes, including altered hair and eyes, scales, claws, horns, wings, tails, or enhanced musculature. 2 12 71 93

• A Martial Soul may be withdrawn and summoned at will after awakening. 2
• Beast-type Martial Souls commonly enhance physical strength and combat ability during Possession. 3 8
• Some unusual Martial Souls can function both as detached Tool Martial Souls and as Possession-type Beast Martial Souls, as shown by Huo Wu’s Naruto Martial Soul. 82
• Dragon Transformation is an advanced manifestation associated with dragon bloodlines; Jiang Lan displayed it with only one Soul Ring, far earlier than the usual examples known to Skywater Academy. 12

Quality, Aptitude, and Bloodline

Martial Soul quality and Innate Soul Power are related but separate measures. Innate Soul Power represents cultivation aptitude, while Martial Soul quality strongly affects physical strength, future cultivation limits, and the ability to absorb stronger Soul Rings. 2 4 67

• Innate Full Soul Power is the highest recorded innate aptitude in the setting, while high-grade Dragon Martial Souls commonly guarantee at least Innate Rank Seven or Eight Soul Power. 2
• Higher-quality Martial Souls can overcome ordinary Soul Ring absorption limits because their bearers possess stronger physiques and greater endurance. 4
• A superior Martial Soul can suppress inferior ones through bloodline pressure, even when the opposing Soul Master has much greater cultivation. 2 71
• The suppression is especially pronounced between high-ranking dragon bloodlines and weaker aquatic, fish, waterfowl, or dragon-blooded Martial Souls. 2 72
• High-grade and top-tier Martial Souls generally possess higher cultivation ceilings than low- or middle-grade Martial Souls with the same Innate Soul Power. 67

Domains and Exceptional Traits

Innate Domains

An Innate Domain is an ability associated with Martial Souls of exceptionally high quality. It can provide effects beyond ordinary Soul Skills and may fundamentally alter a Soul Master’s combat role. 4 12

Lord of Tides possesses the Innate Domain Sea of Tides. 4 5

• Negates attribute-based attacks against its bearer. 5
• Doubles the bearer’s attack power and adds 50% damage against enemies inside the domain. 5
• Raises physical and energy defenses by 50% whenever the bearer is attacked, stacking to a maximum 300% increase. 5
• Continuously restores the injuries and Soul Power of the bearer and acknowledged allies. 5
• Can support allies with elemental immunity and a 50% damage increase. 12
• Does not automatically prevent non-elemental effects such as abnormal-status control; Jiang Lan was initially frozen by Ice Seal despite his attribute immunity. 12

Soul Ring Skills

Soul Rings can grant abilities suited to a Martial Soul, though Lord of Tides is unusual in that its first ring opened skill pools associated with King Lus, Blade King Lus, and Starlight King rather than providing a fixed skill. 5

• Flash Strike / Starlight Strike — Grants exceptional movement options and can remove enemy enhancement effects. Its applied effect can grant two minutes of immunity to abnormal statuses and ability-reduction statuses when its condition is met. 6 12
• Starlight / Restraint — Forms an invisible shield that absorbs physical and energy attacks, converts their force into Soul Power, heals injuries, strengthens the bearer, and releases a stronger counterattack. Enemies hit by the counterattack have their next attack reduced by 30%. 29 30
• Starlight · Water and Sky as One — Removes debuffs and abnormal statuses from allies, grants four minutes of abnormal-status immunity and reflection, and doubles allies’ water-element Soul Skill power. 59 96

Spiritual Defense

A Martial Soul may also protect its bearer’s Spiritual Sea. When Shui Qinghan attempted to test Jiang Lan’s Spiritual Power, the Sacred Dragon within his consciousness destroyed her probing needle and inflicted backlash on her instead. 57

Evolution and Mutation

Martial Souls are not necessarily fixed after awakening. Beneficial mutations and evolution can improve their bloodlines, attributes, cultivation speed, and upper limits. 67 72

• Cultivating near Jiang Lan’s Lord of Tides increases the cultivation speed of water-attributed and dragon-type Martial Souls. Shui Yue’er’s boost rose from 20% to roughly 30% as Jiang Lan grew stronger. 47 60
• Lord of Tides’ dragon bloodline can gradually guide aquatic Martial Souls toward dragon-related mutations. 47 72
• Physical contact and Soul Power transfer can temporarily transform compatible aquatic Martial Souls, producing dragon scales and boosts to strength, defense, and speed. 72 73 80
• These temporary transformations are similar to, but are not true, Martial Soul Fusion Skills because the effect is one-sided rather than mutually sensed. 72 73
• After six months near Jiang Lan, Yu Hairou, Shen Liuyu, Gu Qingbo, and Qiu Ruoshui developed Sub-Dragon traits such as sea-dragon features, a dragon-like head and limb buds, a dragon tail, and dragon horns. 115

Notable Martial Souls

Trivia

• Jiang Lan’s Lord of Tides · Starlight Ruth King originated from the god-tier pet he used while playing Seer before his transmigration. 1
• The Martial Soul’s name was conveyed directly to Jiang Lan after awakening. 2
• Lord of Tides has an undisclosed resurrection ability intended to activate after Jiang Lan reaches level 100. 5