Li Mu now had soul power

Lin Nuo had not opened the letter, so he had no idea what it said!

But seeing how desperately urgent Li Mingzhu had been just now, he knew the situation was serious.

Still, his old habit had reared its head: he liked to weigh things over in his mind. He had wanted Li Mingzhu to specify when he would leave and when he would return.

Unexpectedly, Li Mingzhu had left without waiting for his reply. Did that mean he did not amount to much in Li Mingzhu's eyes?

At that thought, Lin Nuo said regretfully, "What a shame. If I'd answered a little faster, Li Mingzhu might have felt a little closer to me."

In truth, Li Mingzhu had felt no particular change in emotion. His thoughts had been entirely on Li Mu. As for Lin Nuo-sorry, but he was merely a slightly familiar stranger.

Now, Li Mingzhu mobilized all his soul power, gathering most of it in his legs as he raced along the road, covering ten meters with each stride.

For the journey between Nuoding City and Greenleaf Village, Li Mingzhu chose the fastest route: a straight line. When mountains blocked his way, he crossed them with Airflight; when rivers appeared, he crossed those too.

Li Mingzhu paid no heed to exhausting his soul power. Whenever it ran dry, he stopped to replenish it, then continued on his way.

The shortest distance between two points was a straight line, with none of the twists and turns of mountain roads. Traveling like this, Li Mingzhu soon saw the outline of Greenleaf Village!

After he entered the village, the villagers spotted him and teased, "Little Mingzhu's back! How did you get so travel-worn?"

As they spoke, the villagers burst into laughter.

To put it unkindly, Li Mingzhu looked like a beggar at that moment. His clothes had been slashed to tatters during his journey.

His face was flushed, his hair disheveled, and his breath came in heavy pants. Every piece of clothing on him was soaked with sweat.

Without waiting to catch his breath, Li Mingzhu hurriedly questioned the nearest villager.

"Aunt Qing, where's my grandpa?"

The village woman called Aunt Qing paused in surprise, but seeing Li Mingzhu's urgency, she quickly answered.

"The village chief? Isn't he at home?"

"Thank you, Aunt Qing!"

Learning that his grandpa was at home, Li Mingzhu hurried toward the house.

"Grandpa! Grandpa!"

Before Li Mingzhu entered, his voice had already carried inside.

"Mingzhu?"

Hearing Li Mingzhu's voice from inside the house, Li Mu immediately set down what he was doing and strode toward the door.

Seeing movement inside, Li Mingzhu began to calm down. Just as he entered the courtyard, he saw Li Mu coming out.

Li Mingzhu circulated his soul power and rushed to Li Mu's side, his eyes examining his body. Only after finding no injuries did his panicked heart finally settle completely.

"Grandpa, you wrote asking me to hurry back. What exactly happened?"

Li Mingzhu was the first to ask.

Hearing his question, Li Mu said quietly, "Mingzhu, come inside. We'll talk there."

After bringing Li Mingzhu inside, Li Mu hurriedly shut all the doors and windows. Apparently still feeling that it was not private enough, he led a bewildered Li Mingzhu down into the cellar.

Seeing how cautious Li Mu was being, Li Mingzhu asked curiously, "Grandpa Mu, what exactly happened? Why all this secrecy?"

"Mingzhu, do you remember the whale rubber you gave me last time?"

"Whale rubber?"

Li Mingzhu sounded startled and doubtful. At the same time, he wondered whether the whale rubber had some hidden danger.

"Grandpa Mu, is something wrong with the whale rubber?"

"No. Quite the opposite-it had another, unexpected effect."

With that, Li Mu summoned his Black Iron Bar!

Li Mingzhu recognized the pitch-black iron bar before him and knew it was Li Mu's martial soul.

He immediately asked, "Grandpa Mu, has something happened to your martial soul?"

Li Mu smiled. "It's not a problem, but an opportunity. My martial soul actually has soul power now."

"Soul power?"

Li Mingzhu's ears twitched, as though he were making sure he had heard correctly.

But seeing the old man's earnest, smiling face, Li Mingzhu did not doubt him and carefully probed inside Li Mu's body.

After examining him, Li Mingzhu truly did discover soul power within Li Mu. Though faint, it was unmistakably soul power.

Li Mingzhu looked at Li Mu in puzzlement. "Grandpa, what does the whale rubber have to do with your soul power?"

"I don't know either. The day after you gave me the whale rubber and left, I suddenly felt a little energy flowing inside me. At first, I didn't know what it was."

"But after I practiced using the Meditation Method that soul masters use, that energy actually grew a little stronger. So I thought it might be soul power."

Li Mu told Li Mingzhu everything that had happened.

Li Mingzhu was dumbfounded as he listened. What did he mean, he had felt soul power?

He had never known whale rubber could do this. His understanding of whale rubber was a version ahead, yet he had never heard of whale rubber causing ordinary people to develop soul power in Douluo Dalu III: The Legend of the Dragon King or Douluo IV.

Besides, he had taken whale rubber himself and knew something about it. Without soul power to activate it, consuming it would, at the very most, improve one's physique.

Only when activated by soul power could whale rubber's effects bring about an increase in soul power.

Yet Li Mu's condition left Li Mingzhu at a loss. Why did he have soul power?

Unable to figure it out, Li Mingzhu could only examine Li Mu's body carefully again.

Li Mingzhu did not know how long he spent examining him. Even after using his spiritual power, he still found nothing wrong.

Once Li Mingzhu finished his examination, Li Mu asked softly, "Mingzhu, is there something wrong with me?"

Li Mu asked anxiously, an uneasy expression on his face as he cautiously awaited Li Mingzhu's answer.

Having soul power meant one could become a soul master. On the Douluo Continent, everyone who failed to awaken soul power at the age of six harbored a deep-seated yearning to possess it and become a soul master.

"Grandpa Mu, don't worry. There really is soul power inside you. In the future, you might even become a soul master!"

Seeing Li Mu's worried expression, Li Mingzhu reassured him.

"Ha ha!"

"Mingzhu, never mind becoming a soul master. I'll be happy if it lets this old man live a few more years."

Clearly, after receiving confirmation, Li Mu was still delighted.

"Grandpa Mu, I'll give you the Meditation Method they teach at school in a little while. Practice with it, and once you reach rank ten, I'll help you obtain a soul ring."

Li Mingzhu did not know how good Li Mu's Meditation Method was. All he could do was give him the best one he currently had!

"Child, it's enough that you care. Put yourself first. I don't even know whether I'll reach rank ten in this lifetime."

"Grandpa, I've already obtained my first soul ring. I'm a rank-fourteen soul master now."

With that, Li Mingzhu let his soul ring rise slowly from beneath his feet.

Li Mu watched a yellow soul ring appear around Li Mingzhu. His eyes held shock, but even more than that, pride.

"Good, good, good! Mingzhu, I knew you could do it."

His eyes reddened and shimmered with tears. He knew his grandson had become a soul master.

Li Mu knew his grandson had always longed to become a powerful soul master. During the martial soul awakening, he had worried that Li Mingzhu might fail to awaken soul power and be unable to accept the result.

Fortunately, Li Mingzhu's martial soul had ultimately awakened with innate full soul power, allowing him to pursue the path of a soul master.

And now, he had become a true soul master!