The next day, Gu Yang got up early and washed up, mainly because he had woken up early on his own.
He had woken at five in the morning and had not managed to fall asleep again.
After getting dressed, Gu Yang went to a side hall of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Just as they had discussed yesterday, his grandfather, Bone Douluo, would oversee this Martial Soul Awakening.
Aside from Bone Douluo, however, three other figures stood in the side hall: Sword Douluo Chen Xin, Sect Master Ning Fengzhi, and Ning Rongrong, who wore a pale green lolita outfit.
Considering their relationships, their presence was quite normal.
Seeing Gu Yang arrive, Bone Douluo smiled and nodded.
Bone Douluo was very pleased with Gu Yang. The more time and effort he invested in Gu Yang, the more he discovered what an exceptionally disciplined child he was. Over the past few years, in particular, Gu Yang had consistently maintained an effective physical training routine. This was one of the main reasons his fighting skills surpassed those of every disciple his age, as well as an essential quality on the path to becoming a powerhouse.
Thus, Bone Douluo himself took this Martial Soul Awakening very seriously, as did Sword Douluo and Ning Fengzhi.
They had all seen how outstanding Gu Yang was, but Douluo Continent was, after all, a world whose keynote was Martial Souls. Martial Souls were its main melody.
As Gu Yang paid his respects to Sword Douluo and Ning Fengzhi, Bone Douluo casually waved a hand, taking Awakening Stones from his Storage Soul Tool and arranging a six-pointed awakening formation in the center of the hall.
Once the awakening formation was complete, Bone Douluo immediately instructed Gu Yang.
"Stand in the center of the formation!"
Gu Yang followed Bone Douluo's instructions and walked into the center of the six-pointed formation.
At the same time, Bone Douluo stepped up beside Gu Yang and raised his hands slightly. Surging Soul Power carrying threads of coolness poured from between his hands.
Even a mere Soul Grandmaster was enough to awaken a Martial Soul. Having a Titled Douluo like Bone Douluo personally do it was downright extravagant!
He did not even need to summon his Martial Soul. Soul Power alone flowed from Bone Douluo's hands into the Awakening Stones, and a faint white light rose. Before Gu Yang could examine it closely, Bone Douluo's voice sounded beside his ear.
"Focus! Close your eyes! Carefully sense the changes within your body!"
Wisps of wondrous white light drifted from the Awakening Stones and entered Gu Yang's body. He felt warmth inside him, as though something had come alive, and then...
Then there was nothing.
As Bone Douluo's Soul Power slowly dissipated, Gu Yang opened his eyes and looked down at his hands.
He was dumbfounded.
Not just Gu Yang, but Bone Douluo, Sword Douluo, and Ning Fengzhi were all dumbfounded.
There was nothing?!
At least give me a sickle. Even Blue Silver Grass would do! What the hell was having nothing supposed to mean?
Sword Douluo's sword-like brows furrowed slightly. "Old fellow, has it been so long since you last awakened someone's Martial Soul that you botched the procedure?"
"Awakening a Martial Soul is so simple I could do it with my eyes closed. How could I possibly make a mistake!" Although Bone Douluo looked bewildered, he quickly shot back.
Soon, both Titled Douluos turned their gazes toward Ning Fengzhi.
As the sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Fengzhi could only cultivate to Soul Power Level seventy-nine due to the shortcomings of the sect's Martial Soul. Naturally, he had ample time to broaden his knowledge, so in a situation like this, the two instinctively turned to him for help.
Ning Fengzhi rested his chin on his hand and pondered briefly. "Uncle Gu, why not have Gu Yang test his Soul Power first?"
Hearing this, Bone Douluo could only nod before taking out a blue crystal ball.
You needed a Martial Soul to be called a Soul Master. Was I not even going to be allowed to become a Soul Master?
With that thought, Gu Yang apprehensively placed his hand on the blue crystal ball.
The moment his right palm touched the crystal ball's surface, a shiver ran through Gu Yang's body. Then he felt something inside him surge toward his right hand and pour into the crystal ball.
The next moment, the crystal ball began to radiate a dazzling light. In the blink of an eye, it shone and glittered like a sapphire.
At this sight, Bone Douluo's tightly knitted brows finally relaxed, and he exclaimed:
"Innate Full Soul Power?!"
Beside him, the bewilderment on Sword Douluo's and Ning Fengzhi's faces likewise gave way to shock and delighted surprise.
"It's actually Innate Full Soul Power! But just what is his Martial Soul?" Ning Fengzhi sank into thought.
Innate Soul Power Level and Martial Soul strength actually went hand in hand. Since Gu Yang possessed Innate Full Soul Power, the quality of his Martial Soul was naturally extremely high. But why had it not manifested?
Bone Douluo, who was closest to Gu Yang, immediately stepped forward, took hold of his wrist, and carefully examined him.
The presence of Innate Full Soul Power meant that the Martial Soul Awakening ritual had succeeded.
Gu Yang could feel an unusual force entering his body. It was the same as the substance that had surged from inside him toward the crystal ball earlier.
"So this is Soul Power..."
Bone Douluo's Soul Power traveled through Li Yang's body, and after a while, he really did discover a few clues.
Bone Douluo turned his wrist and abruptly exerted force.
Immediately afterward, Li Yang felt as though something was being drawn out.
It was a white... b-bone?!
Then, guided by Bone Douluo, it slowly emerged from the center of Gu Yang's right palm.
For a moment, everyone's eyes fell on Gu Yang-or, more precisely, on that white bone.
"This... could this be Gu Yang's Martial Soul?"
"Bone? And his own bone at that?"
Unlike Sword Douluo and Ning Fengzhi, the smile on Bone Douluo's face faded somewhat.
He finally understood why he had felt something special about Gu Yang. It turned out that both their Martial Souls were bones.
"If it's human bone, then there are many limitations in the end. Human bones are actually very fragile, after all, far inferior to those of Soul Beasts..."
Though both were bones, Bone Douluo's Martial Soul was a Bone Dragon. Soul Beasts had powerful bodies, so their bones were naturally powerful as well. Dragons stood at the top of the pyramid among Soul Beasts, making their bones incomparably formidable. Moreover, Bone Douluo's Bone Dragon Martial Soul also possessed spatial properties.
"Uncle Gu, that isn't necessarily the case!" Ning Fengzhi said mildly, his expression genial.
Hearing this, Bone Douluo's interest was rekindled. Although Ning Fengzhi's strength was unremarkable, his knowledge was extremely broad.
Ning Fengzhi continued, "Uncle Gu, do you think a Martial Soul with Innate Soul Power reaching level ten could be something so simple?"
Indeed, ordinary human bones as a Martial Soul could not reach the level of Innate Full Soul Power.
"Gu Yang, carefully sense your Martial Soul and see if there's anything unusual about it."
By now, Gu Yang had also come back to his senses. It wasn't a trash Martial Soul, nor was it level 0.5 Soul Power. The author still had a conscience.
In an instant, worry turned to delight, and Gu Yang began carefully sensing his Martial Soul.
Before long, as Gu Yang mobilized his Soul Power, the bone in his hand, which had originally resembled an arm bone, rapidly began to change. It gradually shed the shape of an ordinary bone and transformed into a sharp bone sword.
At this moment, Gu Yang finally gained some understanding of his Martial Soul.
His Martial Soul was indeed bone-or, more precisely, the bones throughout his body.
He could extract bones from his body at will and turn them into all manner of shapes to serve as his weapons or means of attack.
Wasn't this a bit like... Shikotsumyaku?