Lu Yuan sighed. Whether he succeeded or failed, it all came down to today.
Lu Yuan stepped into the martial soul awakening formation and closed his eyes. As Su Yuntao poured soul power into the formation, a white spiritual glow lit up.
Lu Yuan felt a warmth inside his body, as though something was about to emerge.
It was not scorching heat, but a gentle, springlike warmth, like sunshine on a spring day, easing the tension in Lu Yuan's face.
"Strange."
Lu Yuan raised his left hand, but he felt none of the unusual sensations of a martial soul emerging from his palm, much less the twin martial souls that would appear in his right palm.
"Strange, what's going on? Do I not even have a martial soul?"
Lu Yuan swallowed, his heart rising into his throat.
Just as Lu Yuan began sweating with anxiety, something unexpected happened. A cat's meow sounded beside his ear.
"Meow~" (Master, meow.)
"Huh?!"
Hearing that meow, whose meaning he somehow seemed to understand, Lu Yuan snapped his eyes open. The first thing he saw was a tiny green figure standing on the ground before him.
"You're!"
Lu Yuan's lips curled upward, his eyes brimming with delighted surprise.
Standing there was a Little Monster Cat. She had a yellowish-green face, a wide mouth, and large, watery eyes that gazed up at Lu Yuan. Her body was green, her tail was a thick leaf, and a tuft of pink cleverness fur sprouted from the tips of her ears. A closer look even revealed a little potbelly.
"Meowmeow!"
Wasn't this Meowmeow, the initial form of the first-generation grass starter from the Kingdom of Locke, whom he had been commanding in battle before his sudden death?
"Meow~ Meow~ Meow!" (Master! Master! It's me, meow!)
Meowmeow, you finally came to get me!
Ah~ No, wait. Meowmeow, how did you end up on the Douluo Continent too?
Delighted, Lu Yuan bent down and picked up Meowmeow, then brought her close and affectionately rubbed his cheek against hers.
Beside him, Su Yuntao and the two children watched, dumbstruck.
"What kind of martial soul is that? How come I've never seen it before?" one child asked.
"Hmm?" Su Yuntao rested his right fist against his chin, searching his memories.
"This kind of martial soul... I remember someone at Nuoding City Junior Soul Master Academy seems to have one too. What was it called... Oh! Right! An external martial soul."
"Lu Yuan, you called your martial soul Meowmeow just now. Is that her name?"
Abandoning his earlier indifference, Su Yuntao questioned Lu Yuan kindly.
After all, those who awakened such rare martial souls generally possessed innate soul power, and might even be geniuses with extremely high innate soul power. Naturally, Su Yuntao wanted to befriend a future soul master like Lu Yuan.
"Yes." Lu Yuan nodded.
"Good. Lu Yuan, put your hand on this crystal ball. Let's see how much innate soul power you have."
Su Yuntao happily took out a crystal ball and asked Lu Yuan to place his hand on it. Lu Yuan did as instructed.
A pure white glow began shining from the bottom of the crystal ball. Yet, under everyone's expectant gazes, it rose only a little before abruptly stopping, seemingly filling less than a tenth of the ball.
"This... level 0.5 soul power?! This is a trash martial soul, just like Blue Silver Grass!"
Su Yuntao was dumbfounded. He had seen plenty of people whose talent barely qualified them to become soul masters, but with Meowmeow being such an exceedingly rare external martial soul, this innate soul power still fell short of his expectations.
"Big Brother Su Yuntao, what's wrong? Is my talent really bad?"
Faced with Lu Yuan's questions, Su Yuntao could not help breaking into a nervous sweat. He could only awkwardly pat the boy's head.
"Lu Yuan, your talent... is indeed a little poor. But an ordinary person who can awaken soul power and become a soul master is already one in a hundred. You don't need to be so upset."
Su Yuntao tried to comfort Lu Yuan with his words, but Lu Yuan was not worried at all.
My level 0.5 innate soul power should be much like Yu Xiaogang's situation. After all, just like Luo Sanpao, Meowmeow is a martial soul that can evolve.
Although my cultivation will face obstacles early on, as long as I obtain suitable soul rings, I can make Meowmeow evolve. She could become a Magic Cat in the future, or even a Crowned Magic Cat or Fighting Cool Cat.
That way, both my talent as a soul master and my martial soul's rank can rise to unprecedented heights.
From the moment he saw Meowmeow become his external martial soul, Lu Yuan had prepared himself mentally. To Su Yuntao, however, he seemed unshaken by adversity.
To think this child can remain so calm when faced with trouble at such a young age. Unfortunately, with his level 0.5 innate talent, and trapped here in Douluo Village, even a lifetime of effort will at most allow him to absorb one soul ring and become a soul master.
"Lu Yuan, if you're upset, don't bottle it up. As long as you cultivate diligently, given the unique nature of your external martial soul, with a recommendation from me, a future Soul Elder, you might even be able to join our Spirit Hall Branch in Nuoding City."
Under Lu Yuan's puzzled gaze, Su Yuntao patted his shoulder, put away the crystal ball and the Awakening Stones, and pushed open the doors of the Spirit Hall, leading the three children outside.
Outside, Old Tom, the parents and relatives of the other two children, and the villagers of Douluo Village who had come to watch had already been waiting anxiously for quite some time.
As soon as Su Yuntao and the others emerged, they hurriedly crowded around them to ask about the results.
"Master Su Yuntao, may I ask whether any children in our Douluo Village can become soul masters this year?"
Facing more than half the village, Su Yuntao suppressed the disappointment of his dashed hopes and put on a gratified smile.
"There's one. Step forward, Lu Yuan."
As Su Yuntao finished speaking, Lu Yuan stepped forward. He would not refuse something that helped Old Tom gain face before the villagers. Besides, word that he possessed innate soul power would spread among the neighbors sooner or later anyway.
"It's actually the child the village chief found and brought home six years ago!"
"I told you! Lu Yuan is smart, polite, and capable. He was bound to become a soul master."
Amid the villagers' noisy discussion, Old Tom looked at Lu Yuan.
"Yuan'er, is that your martial soul?"
At that moment, Meowmeow was huddled behind Lu Yuan's legs, peeking out to observe Douluo Village and its villagers.
"Meowmeow, Old Tom is Grandpa. He isn't a bad person."
After hearing Lu Yuan's words, Meowmeow smiled and ran toward Old Tom. She circled him once, then stretched in front of him and raised her two little green paws, acting cute.
"So your name is Meowmeow. You really understand people."
Old Tom bent down and patted Meowmeow's little head, then looked at Su Yuntao.
"Then how much innate soul power does Yuan'er have?"
Faced with Old Tom's eager gaze, Su Yuntao spoke regretfully.
"Only level 0.5."
"Is that so?"
Old Tom's weathered eyes held a trace of desolation, but then he smiled again.
"Level 0.5, that's good. He can become a soul master and still avoid getting involved in dangerous battles between high-ranking soul masters."
"Old Tom, your Douluo Village finally has someone to fill this year's work-study place at Nuoding City Junior Soul Master Academy. Don't forget to send Lu Yuan there."
Old Tom solemnly gave Su Yuntao his promise. By then, it was time for the latter to leave.
"All right, everyone. You all know the results of this year's martial soul awakening in Douluo Village now. I still have to visit the next village, so I'll take my leave."
"Have a safe journey, Master Su Yuntao."
Led by Old Tom, the villagers of Douluo Village watched Su Yuntao leave, then crowded around Lu Yuan and his grandfather. Only after offering their congratulations and telling Lu Yuan not to forget Douluo Village once he made something of himself did they disperse and head home.
Old Tom looked at Lu Yuan with a meaningful gaze.
"Yuan'er, when we get home tonight, Grandpa will make you a feast to celebrate you becoming a soul master. I also have quite a few things to tell you."