Martial Soul Awakening

Spirit City, early morning.

The faint calls and conversations of pedestrians on the street outside gradually reached Xu Xiaonian's ears.

He opened his large, sky-blue eyes and saw a palm-sized Firefly perched on the tip of his nose, looking adorably dopey.

"Time to get up, son."

"Today is the day you awaken your martial soul. After breakfast, come with me to Spirit City Advanced Soul Master Academy. I hope you'll have soul power and become a soul master... don't end up like me..."

A gentle female voice came from the Firefly's mouthparts, but Xu Xiaonian was accustomed to it and answered brightly:

"I know, Mom."

The Firefly nodded in satisfaction, fluttered its six pairs of wings, and wobbled out of the room.

Only six years old, Xu Xiaonian watched his mother's martial soul leave. A flicker of unreadable complexity crossed his eyes, quite unlike anything a child should have shown.

He sighed softly and murmured to himself:

"Qian Peijiu... who would have thought my mother in this life would belong to the Holy Angel Family? Apparently, she was even one of its core members..."

"It looks like Tang San is destined to be an enemy I can't avoid... I'll have to snatch those opportunities before he gets them. I can't let him grow too quickly."

"But whether it's the Eight Spider Soul Bone, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, or even the two divine seats, I'll need to reach a certain soul power level first."

"If the martial soul I awaken today has no soul power... none of those opportunities will be any use..."

Indeed, Xu Xiaonian was someone reincarnated from another world, the kind who had retained his memories since infancy.

Thus, he also knew that this was the Douluo Continent, during the era when Bibi Dong ruled Spirit Hall.

Breakfast was a fairly simple meal of bread with butter, Mashed Potatoes, and milk, with modest portions.

"Cough! Cough!"

Listening to his mother's familiar coughing beside him, Xu Xiaonian finished his breakfast with an uneasy heart.

His "big sister," Xu Xiaotang, suddenly set down her bowl and chopsticks with a bang.

He, his father Xu Ke, and his mother Qian Peijiu all turned to her in puzzlement.

Xu Xiaotang took a deep breath and said resolutely, "I've decided to drop out! I'm not going to Spirit City Advanced Soul Master Academy anymore!"

Xu Xiaonian was startled, but then he noticed his parents' worn clothes, which they had not replaced in years, and Qian Peijiu's sickly pale face...

Thinking of the tuition he would soon need for junior soul master academy, his gaze darkened as he guessed the reason.

"Utter nonsense!" Xu Ke scolded. "You think you can quit school just because you say so? Do you know what graduating from Spirit City Advanced Soul Master Academy means?"

Xu Xiaotang shrugged, pretending not to care:

"It just means you might get a position in Spirit Hall right away... Dad, you're already a White-Robed Deacon in Spirit Hall yourself... it doesn't look all that special to me. I don't care for it."

Qian Peijiu saw at once that her words did not reflect her heart and immediately frowned:

"You are not dropping out, so put that idea to rest. I know what you're thinking..."

"Money is not something a twelve-year-old child like you needs to worry about. Do you understand?"

Xu Ke and Qian Peijiu's stern tones brought a thin mist to Xu Xiaotang's eyes, and she began softly:

"I'm sorry. I just don't want you to keep working so hard. After all, I'm only adopted..."

Xu Ke and Qian Peijiu exchanged a glance, pain flashing in both their eyes. The latter said gently:

"Xiaotang, don't overthink it. Once you're our daughter, you're our daughter forever. You and Xiaonian are both our beloved children."

"Our family's situation isn't your fault... you should know that we're struggling mainly because of my illness. I'm the one who's burdened you all. Your mother is the useless one..."

By then, tears were already streaming down Xu Xiaotang's face. She threw herself into Qian Peijiu's arms and sobbed:

"Mom! Don't say that! I swear that when I grow up, I'll become a powerful soul master and cure your illness..."

Beside them, Xu Xiaonian blinked, knowing that what Xiaotang had promised was entirely possible.

Qian Peijiu's illness had resulted from a failed attempt to absorb a soul ring. Her body had suffered a shock, and without timely treatment, it had left a stubborn underlying condition that ordinary healing-type soul masters could scarcely cure.

However, Xu Xiaotang's martial soul was Nine Heart Begonia, a healing-type martial soul as renowned as the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. Once her soul power level rose, she could very well cure Qian Peijiu's illness.

Xu Xiaonian also silently resolved to cure his mother's illness as soon as possible, if he could.

At Spirit City Advanced Soul Master Academy, a long line had formed outside the awakening room. Xu Ke joined the end of it with Xu Xiaonian.

"Xu Ke? This kid... is your son?"

An elaborately dressed father and son approached the end of the line. The father had a sinister face, and he clapped Xu Ke heavily on the shoulder with a mocking smile:

"This boy looks like a girl who'd topple in a stiff breeze. He'll probably inherit your Spirit Cat... oh, no, your Sickly Cat martial soul, won't he? Hahaha!"

The stocky boy beside him also bobbed his head and laughed:

"Big sickly cat! Big sickly cat! Hahaha!"

Xu Ke's gaze hardened. "Deacon Ding, whatever martial soul my son awakens is none of your business. Show some respect... and keep your son in line."

"Hah!" Ding Xianzong gave a derisive chuckle and turned away dismissively, utterly unconcerned. He had no intention of reining in his son.

Xu Xiaonian studied the man's lavish gray robes and realized that he must also be a deacon of Spirit Hall.

He was simply a Gray-Robed Deacon, one rank above his father Xu Ke, a White-Robed Deacon.

Spirit Hall's deacon ranks were white-robed, gray-robed, and black-robed.

Most Gray-Robed Deacons had soul power levels above forty, while Xu Ke's soul power level was only twenty-nine.

The line gradually advanced, but when Xu Ke and Xu Xiaonian's turn came, Ding Xianzong cut in and stepped ahead of them.

"You! You've gone too far..."

Just as Xu Ke's face filled with anger and he was about to act.

Xu Xiaonian tugged at the hem of his clothes, met his gaze, and shook his head:

"Forget it, Dad. Let them go first. Martial souls are something we're born with, anyway. Waiting a little longer won't change anything."

Xu Ke paused at those words, then smiled. "All right. Let them go first, then."

Ding Xianzong was also taken aback for quite a while. After studying Xu Xiaonian for a moment, his expression grew somewhat more serious.

Still, he said nothing more and led his son, Ding Peng, into the awakening room.

"You're the last few. Come in and awaken together." The teacher stationed at the awakening room's entrance waved Xu Ke and the others inside.

There were more than ten people in the final group for martial soul awakening, including Xu Ke and Xu Xiaonian, as well as Ding Xianzong and Ding Peng.

A young man dressed in lavish black robes stood before them all, holding a dull black Awakening Stone.

"Deacon Long? The Black-Robed Deacon in charge of Spirit City's awakening this time is him?" Ding Xianzong exclaimed in surprise, his eyes full of respect as he looked at the Black-Robed Deacon.

Surprise appeared on Xu Xiaonian's face.

A Black-Robed Deacon needed a soul power level above sixty, yet this man looked so young.

"Now, let the martial soul awakening begin!"

Long Changfeng swept his long sleeve and beckoned the child at the front forward, telling him to place his hand on the Awakening Stone, hold his breath, and focus.

Xu Xiaonian watched quietly.

The child's clothes were far more worn than even Xu Xiaonian's. He was clearly a commoner's child.

Hum!

The Awakening Stone glowed with an extremely faint white light, and a broom-shaped martial soul appeared behind the boy.

"Awakened martial soul: Broom. Innate soul power: level zero. No possibility of becoming a soul master." Long Changfeng announced the result indifferently, ignored the dejected child, and motioned for the next one to step forward.

It was Ding Peng.

He stepped up and placed his hand on the Awakening Stone. Before long, it shone with a somewhat dazzling black light.

"Screee!"

A black Fierce Eagle stood behind Ding Peng, spreading its wings and crying out, brimming with vigor.

"Awakened martial soul: Fierce Eagle. Innate soul power: level six."

Long Changfeng looked at him with a hint of appreciation and asked:

"Would you be interested in attending Spirit City Advanced Soul Master Academy? We can admit you without an entrance examination. And if your strength is good enough six years from now, we can waive part of your tuition as well."

It was worth noting that Long Changfeng was not only a Black-Robed Deacon of Spirit Hall but also a senior teacher at Spirit City Advanced Soul Master Academy, where he held considerable authority.

"Yes, yes!" Ding Xianzong immediately stepped forward and said eagerly, "I'm Ding Peng's father. I'll accept on his behalf. Once he graduates from junior soul master academy, he'll definitely come here."

"Good." Long Changfeng said no more and turned his gaze to Xu Xiaonian, who now stood at the front. "Come forward and awaken your martial soul."

Under the contemptuous gazes of Ding Xianzong and his son.

Xu Xiaonian slowly stepped forward and placed his hand on the Awakening Stone.

Suddenly.

A dazzling pillar of black-and-red light shot skyward from the Awakening Stone!

A tiger martial soul with wings on its back, a scorpion's tail, fangs, and crimson eyes slowly materialized and crouched before Xu Xiaonian.

"Impossible! This is..."