The Dou Di Bloodline Was Still Carrying

"My lord, the people from the Mittel Auction House, along with the Ouba Clan Leader and Jia Lie Clan Leader, are waiting outside."

Xiao Zhan strode forward and bowed respectfully to Lu Chuan.

As he spoke, Ya Fei, Ouba Pa, Jia Lie Bi, and the others entered the courtyard. Their gazes fell on Lu Chuan in unison, and they froze.

Shock filled their hearts, and the same question sprang to mind.

That mysterious lord was a young man?! Which family's young master was he?

Ya Fei recovered first and stepped forward with a slight curtsy.

"I am Ya Fei, chief auctioneer of the Mittel Auction House. It is a pleasure to meet you, my lord. Please accept this modest gift."

She took out an exquisite wooden box, offered it to Lu Chuan with both hands, and gently lifted the lid.

A wave of medicinal fragrance washed over them.

Xiao Zhan and the others jolted and cried out in astonishment.

"Qi Gathering Powder?! That's a Fourth-Grade Medicinal Pill!"

The others exchanged glances, then hurried forward to present their gifts, speaking with respect.

"Gu Ni, chief alchemist of the Mittel Auction House, greets you, my lord."

"Ouba Pa, clan leader of the Oba Family, greets you, my lord."

"Jia Lie Bi, clan leader of the Jia Lie Family, greets you, my lord."

Lu Chuan nodded lightly and swept every gift they had offered into his system space.

His gaze settled on Ya Fei as he considered her gift. In a small city like Wutan City, a Fourth-Grade Qi Gathering Powder counted as a rare treasure of the highest order, yet the Mittel Auction House had given one away outright.

They're placing a huge bet. No wonder she's an angel investor this early on.

Ya Fei noticed his gaze. A faint smile touched her lips, and she took the chance to give him a flirtatious glance.

Lu Chuan cleared his throat and spoke.

"Ahem. Well... since you're guests, you'll have the same terms as the Xiao Family. One Yellow Level Dou Technique buys one person a Martial Soul Awakening; one Black Rank Dou Technique buys five."

Lu Chuan then explained to them what Martial Souls, Spirit Rings, and the Soul Master System were.

The entire courtyard fell silent.

Xiao Zhan, standing to the side, closed his eyes helplessly.

Ah... it seemed the Xiao Family still had no chance to rise, and the competition would only grow fiercer.

After all, obtaining something like a Spirit Ring would probably cost even more resources.

Ouba Pa and Jia Lie Bi exchanged a look. Surprise and delight filled their faces, sweeping away their earlier unease.

They had worried that Lu Chuan would favor the Xiao Family. Instead, he had given them exactly the same opportunity—and a chance to obtain something as wondrous as a Martial Soul!

Jia Lie Bi was the first to cup his fists, his voice trembling with excitement.

"My lord, the Jia Lie Family will bring the Dou Techniques at once and send our most talented young clansmen here to awaken!"

Ouba Pa hurried to follow, unwilling to be outdone. "The Oba Family won't hold back either!"

The fervor in Ya Fei's eyes burned brighter.

A whole new path of cultivation!

For someone like me, with no talent for cultivation, this is a chance!

Even if I can't become a Dou Huang expert, becoming a Dou Ling would be enough!

Just then, a Xiao Family disciple rushed into the courtyard and respectfully reported in a loud voice.

"Clan Leader, all the Dou Techniques for the exchange have been copied! The clansmen scheduled for Martial Soul Awakening are lined up outside, waiting!"

Xiao Zhan instinctively turned to Lu Chuan. Only when he saw Lu Chuan nod slightly did he give the order in a firm voice.

"Bring them in."

Several Xiao Family disciples carried in a chest with much huffing and puffing and set it on the ground. It contained the Dou Techniques.

"My lord, there are thirty-five Yellow Rank Dou Techniques in all. Please take a look."

Lu Chuan walked over, casually picked a few out of the chest, and flipped through them.

Hmm, not bad. But cultivating them would be a bother. Better to have the system put them straight into my head.

He then stored them all in his system space, took out the Spirit Awakening Stone, and said firmly,

"Everyone, line up! One at a time."

The Xiao Family disciples wasted no time forming a long line.

If they lost their chance to awaken over something like this, not only would the clan leader and elders refuse to forgive them—they would never forgive themselves.

Ya Fei and the others stood obediently to one side, watching the Martial Soul Awakening with curiosity.

Xiao Mei was the first to step forward. She had peach-blossom eyes, and when her gaze passed over someone, it carried an alluring softness that came naturally to her.

"My lord," she said in a gentle voice.

Lu Chuan's expression remained neutral. He felt neither fondness nor dislike for her, and simply reminded her,

"Don't resist the power inside you."

Hum—

The Spirit Awakening Stone slowly spun, shedding a soft glow, and Xiao Mei raised her right hand.

A slender, exquisitely crafted longsword appeared in her palm, its blade gleaming faintly red.

Lu Chuan was puzzled. He had thought they would all awaken flame-type Martial Souls like Xiao Yan. He had not expected a Tool Martial Soul, though it carried a trace of fire.

It must be because the bloodline is thin and has mixed with outside bloodlines, causing the trait to become recessive.

Xiao Mei stared at the longsword in her hand, bewildered. She did not know why it differed from her cousin Xiao Yan's, and asked timidly,

"My lord, did my awakening fail?"

"No. There are several kinds of Martial Souls: Beast Martial Souls, Tool Martial Souls, body Martial Souls, and Elemental Types.

"Each has its own strengths. Your longsword Martial Soul leans toward combat and killing, but it provides a smaller boost to your physical abilities."

Xiao Mei finally breathed a sigh of relief. She withdrew her Martial Soul, bowed, and stepped aside.

Xiao Ning was next. He stepped into the circle with complete confidence.

Soft light flowed across the Awakening Stone. A moment later, the phantom of a Fire Lizard appeared behind him, its body covered in dark red scales and wisps of fiery mist spilling from its mouth and nostrils.

The smugness on Xiao Ning's face deepened. Now that Fire Lizard looked cool!

Lu Chuan glanced at the phantom and explained calmly,

"Fire Lizard. A fire-attribute Beast Martial Soul focused on offense. It gives you a considerable boost to your physical strength and fire resistance."

Xiao Ning burst out laughing. Pointing at the Fire Lizard phantom behind him, he turned and shouted to Xiao Yan,

"Hahahaha! Xiao Yan, look! My Martial Soul is way cooler than your little flame!"

Dark lines seemed to cover Xiao Yan's forehead. Irritated, he turned his head away, unwilling to bother with Xiao Ning now that the man had let success go to his head.

The remaining Xiao Family disciples came forward in turn to awaken their Martial Souls.

None of them awakened a top-tier Martial Soul or a rare Mutated Martial Soul, but none were bad, either. Every one was solid.

There were no useless Trash Martial Souls—no bottom-of-the-barrel weeds, hoes, or wooden sticks.

The Dou Di Bloodline still carried weight. Even withered to this extent, it continued to benefit its descendants.

To one side, Xun'er, Ya Fei, Ouba Pa, and the others marveled at the many different Martial Souls.

People often said that a big forest held every kind of bird, but who would have thought the saying applied to Martial Souls too?

They all belonged to the same family and shared the same bloodline, yet their Martial Souls fell into so many different categories.

Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing client Xiao Zhan's commission.

Low Yellow Tier "Stone Shattering Fist," "Cloak Leg," and others have been mastered to perfection.

Mid Yellow Tier "Mountain Splitting Palm," "Rending Claw Strike," and others have been mastered to perfection.

High Yellow Tier "Iron Mountain Fist" has been mastered to perfection.