Six Years

"Six years."

"Do you know how I've spent these past six years?"

"Hello? Daddy System, Master System, Grandpa System? Are you there? If you are, could you make a peep?"

"Sigh! Just as I thought!"

Mo's diary:

July 14, overcast.

A good day to hug a thigh.

No system. Time for bed.

The 2,192nd day of missing my system.

Wait, that's not right. I never even got a system in the first place.

How heartbreaking!

Tomorrow's the day of my Martial Soul Awakening. If I still don't have a system tomorrow, then, then...

Then there's no then.

Chen Mo had originally been an 'ordinary person' from the Celestial Empire. After struggling to make his way in the city for three years, he had relied on his own hard work and a few million in financial support from his parents and siblings to achieve the life young people today dreamed of.

He had an apartment in the city, a home in the countryside, a car to get around in, enough savings to live on, and no illness or misfortune.

And then...

Somehow, he had transmigrated, and to the Douluo Continent at that.

Seriously, hadn't he just gone to meet a woman he'd met online? How had he ended up in a godforsaken place like this?

Could it be that he'd been tricked, had his kidneys harvested, and then died of blood loss?

Perhaps that was the truth behind his transmigration!

It was the nth time Chen Mo had thought about it.

People online these days had no principles. Even if you were going to harvest someone's kidneys, couldn't you at least let them have some fun first? Was there any code of honor left in the jianghu?

And couldn't they be a little better at harvesting kidneys? They'd gone and killed him outright.

Chen Mo grumbled silently. Had he died at the hands of a rookie? Had the guy used anesthetic? Had his hands been shaking...?

Sigh!

Since he was here, he might as well settle in. Chen Mo, oh, Chen Mo, life was so beautiful. How could he waste his time on the past?

The past couldn't be changed. He ought to focus on the present, work hard, and strive for...

For the nth time, Chen Mo had gone off on a tangent and let his mind wander.

Just like that, a day passed, spent in Chen Mo's complaints and reminiscences.

Life on the Douluo Continent was just too hard. He really didn't know how he'd made it through his childhood: no internet, no games, no goofy friends online, no anime or manga, no novels to read, no videos to scroll through... There was nothing.

How he missed those carefree days on Blue Star!

The 2,192nd day of missing Blue Star.

That night.

"Momo, you must be especially excited, aren't you? Tomorrow's your birthday, and it's also the day of your awakening. You've been waiting for this day for so long. I'm sure you'll awaken a powerful Martial Soul and become a powerful Soul Master someday."

The speaker was Li Xiao, Chen Mo's mother in this life. She was a level thirteen Tool Martial Soul Master, and her Martial Soul was a kitchen cleaver.

"Don't put too much pressure on the boy. Little Mo is sensible. He knows what he's doing," Father Chen said in a low voice.

Chen He, Chen Mo's father in this life, was a wealthy merchant. His Martial Soul was a box, and he wasn't a Soul Master, because he hadn't awakened any Innate Soul Power.

As everyone knew, on the Douluo Continent, only those who awakened Innate Soul Power could cultivate and become Soul Masters, and their Innate Soul Power basically determined the heights they could reach in the future.

Those with less than level two Innate Soul Power would struggle to break through to Soul Elder in their lifetime. Those below level five had little hope of reaching Soul Saint, and those below level seven had no chance of becoming a Titled Douluo.

In fact, Father Chen, Chen He, wanted Chen Mo to become a Soul Master more than anyone, but it wasn't easy.

Generally speaking, if both parents were Soul Masters, most of their children could awaken Innate Soul Power and become Soul Masters.

But for parents who were both non-Soul Masters to have a child who awakened Innate Soul Power, the odds were no better than those of an ordinary person in Blue Star's China getting into Tsinghua or Peking University.

The odds were only around one in a few thousand.

Of course, Chen Mo's chances were a little better. At least his mother, Li Xiao, was a Soul Master, even if her aptitude was poor and her Innate Soul Power had only been level one.

Chen Mo had roughly a one-in-ten-something chance of awakening Innate Soul Power. If he was especially lucky, he could still become a Soul Master.

That was why Chen He had said what he did. Such was the aching heart of a parent; no parent didn't want their child to be a genius.

But Chen Mo was far too sensible in his parents' eyes. The higher their expectations for him, the more they feared he might one day be unable to accept the truth, so Chen He hadn't said much about the Martial Soul Awakening.

There was no helping it. Innate Soul Power really did come down to bloody bloodline!

As a transmigrator, Chen Mo naturally didn't play in the mud every day like an ordinary little kid. He could speak at one, read at three, and by five had shown a maturity no less than that of the average adult.

Even the family business had expanded considerably thanks to Chen Mo's suggestions.

Too much wisdom was bound to bring harm.

The more Chen Mo displayed such intelligence, the more worried Chen He became. Ordinary six-year-olds couldn't truly understand what the Martial Soul Awakening meant, but Chen Mo did.

So after Chen Mo turned three, Chen He never said things like that again.

"Hey, son, one day you'll definitely awaken a powerful Martial Soul and become a great Soul Master."

Six-year-old children didn't know any better. Even if they failed, they would forget before long. Only when they grew up would they understand and hate themselves for not having awakened Soul Power and become Soul Masters back then.

But awakening Soul Power didn't depend on whether a child was clever. For the descendants of Soul Masters, it depended on bloodline; for ordinary people, it came down to fate.

You either had it or you didn't.

Of course Chen Mo hoped he could awaken Soul Power and become a Soul Master.

But there was really no telling with this sort of thing. Chen Mo had lost count of how many times he'd gone through the family genealogy, hoping to find some badass ancestor, but there simply wasn't one. He didn't have a system now, either. He had no choice!

"Don't worry. Your son's so smart, becoming a Soul Master will be a piece of cake."

Chen Mo deliberately kept his tone light.

Though his heart was full of worry and uncertainty, weren't his parents feeling the same way at this moment?

A Martial Soul Awakening was a much bigger deal than the college entrance exam on Blue Star.

After all, even if you flunked the college entrance exam, you might still be able to change your fate through other means. But it was different on the Douluo Continent. If you had no Innate Soul Power when you awakened your Martial Soul, you could never become a Soul Master and would forever be beneath others.

"Momo..."

Faced with his mother's nagging and endless chatter, Chen Mo soon couldn't take it anymore and immediately deployed his sleep escape.

"Sigh! That boy. Being too smart isn't necessarily a good thing. I remember he stopped wetting the bed when he was just one, and after he turned three, he could take care of himself and sleep alone. Momo hasn't slept with us in over two years, has he?"

Li Xiao looked at Chen He and sighed.

Chen He merely nodded without speaking.

This night was destined to be sleepless. Chen Mo was still young and fell asleep after letting his thoughts run wild for a while. His parents, on the other hand, tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

The next day.

Outside the Spirit Hall Branch in Haier City.

Father Chen and Mother Chen had brought Chen Mo to the Spirit Hall early to awaken his Martial Soul.

From his parents' bloodshot eyes, Chen Mo could tell they had probably been up all night.

Chen Mo, oh, Chen Mo, you have to awaken Soul Power. Failing that, a system would do!

Chen He handed a bag of silver coins to the Spirit Hall guard and said, "I'm here to see Lord Feilin. I arranged with him to awaken my son's Martial Soul today. Please do me a favor and let him know we're here. Sorry for the trouble."

The guard felt the bag in his hand and glanced at it. Silver coins. "Mr. Chen, you're too polite. Lord Feilin gave instructions long ago. Please wait in Awakening Hall Two. Lord Feilin will be there shortly."

Chen He smiled faintly. "Sorry for the trouble."

Although this was only a small Spirit Hall Branch, it occupied a considerable area. Father Chen had been here a few times for business and to build connections over meals, so he wasn't about to get lost.

Besides, the signs for the awakening halls were conspicuous. Anyone who wasn't blind could see them.

There were guides, actually, but they only served nobles.

Father Chen soon led Chen Mo and the others to Awakening Hall Two. Several couples had already arrived with their children. Father Chen and Mother Chen found a corner with Chen Mo, and all that remained was to wait quietly.

The awakening halls were divided into Hall One and Hall Two. Hall One served nobles exclusively, while Hall Two was for commoners. The Soul Masters who performed the awakenings were different, too. Those who awakened commoners were generally Soul Grandmasters, while those who awakened nobles were Soul Elders.

However, none of the nobles who came to the Spirit Hall for their awakenings were important nobles. They were all minor nobles of no standing. The great nobles didn't have to give a damn about the Spirit Hall; only a few minor nobles came to the Spirit Hall to awaken their Martial Souls.

After waiting for about an hour, long enough for Chen Mo to grow tired, Lord Feilin finally arrived late.

By now, there were dozens of children in Awakening Hall Two, all about to awaken their Martial Souls.

"Lord Feilin..."

"Lord Feilin..."

As soon as Feilin appeared, quite a few people greeted him and tried to get on his good side.

Feilin said, "Ahem, quiet. I'm Feilin, the Soul Master responsible for awakening your children's Martial Souls this time. I'm a level twenty-six Soul Grandmaster. My Tool Martial Soul is the knight's sword."

With that, Feilin summoned his Martial Soul, the knight's sword. Under its pressure, everyone present fell silent.

Feilin said, "Now, I'll awaken your Martial Souls in the order on the list."

Feilin said, "First, Lin Yaodong."

Well, would you look at that. Uncle Dong's first! Looks like his family paid even more than mine!

Chen Mo muttered to himself.

Feilin said, "Martial Soul: poppy flower. Innate Soul Power: level two. Congratulations, little one. You can become a Soul Master in the future. Here's your Martial Soul certificate and letter of recommendation. Keep them safe."

Lin Yaodong's eyes darted around, and he curled his lip. Putting on a serious air, he said, "Uncle Dong is happy he can become a Soul Master, but that tone of yours makes Uncle Dong very mmph..."

Before Lin Yaodong could finish, Father Lin covered his mouth and gave Feilin an apologetic smile.

"I'm terribly sorry, Lord Feilin. My child doesn't know any better. I'll be sure to discipline him properly when we get home. Please don't hold it against him. I'll bring my son to visit you another day and apologize..."