Chen Xiaojun's Soul Master Path

Chen Cong smiled broadly, golden sunlight slanting across the corner of his eye and casting butterfly-wing shadows on his pale face.

He continued calmly, "During this time, besides sensing your Martial Soul's qualities, you should also think about what kind of Soul Master you want to become."

"Soul Masters' Martial Souls are divided by function into combat and support types."

"Combat types include Power Attack, Agility Attack, Defense, Control, Mental, and ranged types;"

"Support types can be divided into Enhancement, healing, Food, suppression, and perception types."

"Our Seven Kill Sword is a combat-type Martial Soul with Metal, Water, and Mental attributes. Power Attack is a given;"

"Thanks to the Sword-Controlling Art, it can also serve as a ranged or Agility Attack type;"

"Accumulating Metal Attribute can harden its defense, or adding Water Attribute can provide flexible defense. Whether Metal or Water, their defensive power is second only to Earth, and the two are evenly matched;"

"The Seven Kill Sword's Killing Qi enhancement also has applications for Mental Power;"

"With skilled technique, area attacks, and mental attacks, it can also excel at Control,"

"So it can serve as Power Attack, Agility Attack, Defense, Mental, or Control. There are seven established Soul Master paths in total."

Chen Cong paused, lifted his teacup, and took a sip. With an easygoing expression, he said, "Let me make one thing clear: becoming a Title Douluo doesn't automatically mean you've followed an established path."

"Each person can have at most nine Soul Rings. Choose each one carefully and strive for perfection, taking into account a Soul Master's growth in the early stages, changes in the middle stages, and strength in the later stages."

"As for Soul Skills, the first four Soul Rings, all under ten thousand years, need to meet your current needs without seeming outdated later;"

"By the middle stages, a Soul Master's personal combat system has begun to take shape. The fifth, sixth, and seventh Soul Skills must be highly adaptable and capable of handling the vast majority of situations;"

"In the later stages, the eighth and ninth Soul Skills need to be decisive, capable of turning the tide when all seems lost;"

"The types and effects of each Soul Skill must fall within certain bounds. The nine Soul Skills must form a coherent combat system without any waste, one that can withstand scrutiny."

"At the same time, your choice of Soul Beasts must be practical, and the Soul Beasts for your Soul Rings must have substitutes."

In the book room, where a faint fragrance drifted through the air, Chen Cong lowered his head and continued pouring tea into his cup. "Only when all these requirements are met can it be considered an established path: one with a stable minimum and the potential to maximize combat strength."

"If you read enough books, you'll find that every inherited faction has at least one powerful path."

"The first few Soul Skills are mostly the same. The middle and later skills may differ in power, but their types are much alike, with different approaches leading to the same result."

"Our Seven Kill Sword is an offensive Martial Soul. No matter what, it has top-tier attack capabilities; it's just a matter of which direction you lean."

"Put simply, the choices boil down to Strength Type, Balanced Type, or Technique Type."

"Fortunately, most of the Soul Masters following these paths are in the clan now. They should be able to give you plenty of advice and experience in this regard."

"Your grandpa is a Power Attack Soul Master who leans toward Control, also known as a Strong Control Type Battle Soul Master. Your father, Chen Xun, follows the Strength Type Power Attack path. Grandpa Hong chose a path that combines offense and defense, which can also be called a Strong Defense Type Battle Soul Master. Your Grandpa Wen Chao is an Agility Attack type."

Chen Xiaojun's head began to ache. "Strong Control Type? Strong Defense Type?"

Chen Cong smiled. "Type is a finer classification beneath System. It's usually used for Soul Masters who involve two Systems or fit a distinct category, to make things easier to understand."

Chen Xiaojun blinked and asked, "Then what about you, Second Granduncle?"

Chen Cong laughed freely. "Ha ha, I'm a Control System Soul Master."

Chen Xiaojun asked, "What other paths are there?"

Chen Cong replied, "There are. Your Grandma Xin is a Mental System Soul Master. As for the Defense System..."

Chen Yu opened his eyes after having kept them closed to rest and interjected, "Someone in the clan chose the Defense System; he just isn't in the village, so let's leave it at that."

"..." Chen Xiaojun thought to himself, Grandpa suddenly butting in like that-there's another story here, it seems.

Chen Yu looked deeply at Chen Xiaojun and said solemnly, "Don't ask for our opinions. Let your own nature and way of thinking guide you. Choose what your heart tells you."

"Melons forced off the vine aren't sweet. This is a choice for your whole life; once you've made your move, there's no taking it back."

"Don't rush. You have plenty of time to decide."

Chen Cong added, "Mm. Tell us when you've made up your mind."

After thinking briefly, Chen Xiaojun declared without hesitation, "No need to think about it. Adults make choices; children take everything!"

As he spoke, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. He explained, "Besides, I have ten Sword God Pearls. The Divine Swords have spirits, and I can sense that each has its own personality and temperament. There's no way they could all follow one style."

"My Martial Soul has destined me to take a path of Myriad Transformations, combining attack, defense, strength, technique, speed, and mental power."

Chen Yu and Chen Cong exchanged a glance. Chen Cong began, "Well, Xiaojun, this is something no one has tried before. Being all-encompassing could very well mean being mediocre. Are you sure you shouldn't think it over more carefully?"

Chen Xiaojun shook his head. "My Martial Soul itself is a mutation. I believe in my Martial Soul!"

"I want to carve out a path of my own. What suits you best is the strongest! 'If it exists, it must have a reason!'"

Chen Yu fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "Good. A Swordsman charges ahead fearlessly and never yields, no matter how many setbacks he faces! Your choice is yours to make!"

Chen Xiaojun beamed. "Thank you, Grandpa."

Chen Cong tilted his head and asked, "Since you want to cover so many things, how are you planning to choose your Soul Skills? Do you have any ideas?"

Chen Xiaojun straightened his back and said seriously, "Second Granduncle, you just said that Soul Masters with an inheritance choose their Soul Skills based on their Martial Soul's qualities and functions, as well as their own personalities and preferences."

"In my view, Martial Souls each have their own temperament. The Clear Sky Hammer is domineering, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon is proud and majestic, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda is meticulous and rigorous."

"Our sword-type Martial Souls, whether they're drawn to test their edge against the world; kill with a single strike, then vanish a thousand li away; cast off all ostentation and remain hidden; or rule the world with dazzling brilliance, are all peerless emblems of sharpness. The Seven Kill Sword has simply taken that to its utmost."

"Since I've chosen a path that's broad and all-encompassing, and as I said just now, the Divine Swords have spirits. Each of these ten Sword God Pearls has its own temperament."

"So I won't choose based on my Martial Soul's qualities or a person's preferences. Instead, I'll start from the Divine Swords' temperaments."

A six-year-old child speaking so clearly and coherently left Chen Yu momentarily stunned. Chen Cong watched him with surprise and keen interest.

"This pearl tells me it represents refinement and elegance-the refinement of a sword, the elegance of a sword."

As he spoke, Chen Xiaojun activated his Martial Soul. The Sword God Pearls in his hand spun continuously, and one pale, somewhat translucent pearl, much like a peerless luminous pearl, flew out.

"It told you that?" Chen Cong suddenly stood up.

Seeing Chen Cong's unusual reaction, Chen Xiaojun said, "Yes. Last night, when I touched the Sword God Pearl with my Mental Power, this pearl was more active."

"I felt very close to it, and it conveyed some vague messages to me."

"Second Granduncle, is something wrong?"

Chen Cong immediately asked again, "What about the other nine?"

Chen Xiaojun scratched his head and said, "They're a little quiet, but I feel close to them too."

Chen Cong pressed on, "Did the pearl convey anything else?"

Chen Cong's reaction startled Chen Xiaojun, and he blurted out, "It seemed to mean that choosing a Soul Beast that's refined and elegant would increase its spirituality and power."

Chen Cong paced back and forth a few steps. The shadow beneath his feet kept changing shape in the sunlight, broken apart by the pillars along the corridor.

"I should have thought of it sooner. I should have thought of it sooner..."

Chen Yu looked at Chen Cong. Something was definitely going on, so he couldn't help asking, "Second, what's wrong?"

Chen Cong stopped to think and then said solemnly, "Big Brother, I think this child may be more than just a Top-Tier Martial Soul!"

Chen Yu asked, "What makes you say that?"

Chen Cong's face showed considerable excitement, his brows slanting upward. "This child's Martial Soul is a mutation-a Beneficial Mutation combining our Chen Clan's Ninth Grade Seven Kill Sword and the Ye Family's Seventh-Rank Martial Soul, the Seven-Color Begonia Bracelet, two top-tier Martial Souls."

"In theory, he could have awakened a Super Martial Soul, but because of the restrictions of heaven and earth, the Divine Swords concealed their brilliance."

"But perhaps his powerful Martial Soul withstood the Backlash, or perhaps the ten Divine Swords dispersed the Backlash."

"In any case, Xiaojun is fine, and his Martial Soul doesn't have any severe side effects or defects."

"Simply put, this is already the embryonic form of a Super Martial Soul: a King Martial Soul!"

"That's why it can exert a trace of pressure on our Seven Kill Sword, and its evolution is far easier than the usual evolution of a Super Martial Soul."

"The evidence is the spirituality of these Sword God Pearls. The more powerful the Martial Soul, the greater its spirituality."

"These pearls are more spiritual than our Seven Kill Sword. I suspect they already have the beginnings of a will, or that their will is being suppressed."

"This Sword God Pearl is spiritually active because Xiaojun has reached Level Ten Soul Power and can attach a Soul Ring."

"Presumably, the other pearls will each become active when Xiaojun's Soul Power reaches the required level."

Chen Yu's heart stirred, and he asked in a low voice, "How sure are you?"

Chen Cong clapped his hands together. "Seventy percent!"

Chen Yu gripped the armrest. "Good. I trust your conclusion. It seems we'll have to reconsider our arrangements."

Chen Yu turned to Chen Xiaojun and enunciated each word. "Xiaojun, it looks like we'll have to intensify your studies."

Chen Xiaojun immediately felt as if a mountain of books and a sea of studies were looming over him, the air of a high school senior sweeping toward him. He raised his voice and shouted, "Yes! Without a tempered blade, a sword won't be sharp; without willpower, a person won't be steadfast."

"I'll work hard and won't let Grandpa, Second Granduncle, or anyone else down."

"Your grandson is determined to 'stand atop the highest peak and see all the mountains look small at a glance'!"

Chen Yu and Chen Cong clapped their hands and exclaimed, "Stand atop the highest peak and see all the mountains look small at a glance... What ambition!"

Chen Cong thought for a moment, then his hand flashed past his belt, and a book appeared in his hand. The cover read "A Brief Record of Chen Clan Seven Kill Sword Soul Masters." He handed it to Chen Xiaojun.

"This records the seven paths in the Chen Clan that I mentioned. You can use it as a good reference."

Chen Xiaojun took the book. "All right, Second Granduncle."

Chen Cong nodded with a smile. "Over the coming days, I'll continue to teach you about identifying Soul Beasts and classifying Soul Skills every day."

After speaking, Chen Cong pointed to the thick and thin books on the desk beside them and continued, "Though there are countless Soul Beasts, this Beginner's Guide to Soul Beasts records most of the species under ten thousand years that Soul Masters need to know about."

"The other book, Chen Study of Targeted Soul Skills, records dozens of Soul Skills suitable for our Seven Kill Sword, along with the corresponding Soul Beasts."

"These three books will be the focus of your studies for the time being."

"Here's an assignment: after you've read them, use your Martial Soul as a basis to plan your first few Soul Skills and tell us what you come up with."

"As for the Chen Clan's cultivation method, your grandpa will teach you. I'll be heading out first."

With that, Chen Cong headed straight outside.