1. Determination

In the early morning, the sky was tinged with twilight.

Quan Yi swam rhythmically in the expansive pool within the Quan family's territory. His arms and legs moved smoothly, cutting through the water with practiced ease. Though his strokes were not forceful, his speed was far from slow.

White splashes danced on the water's surface, glistening under the soft morning sunlight.

The swimming pool was an impressive 25 meters long and 500 meters wide. Each morning, Quan Yi's training required him to swim a set distance.

But what did 500 meters mean? For an average adult, swimming this distance typically took around thirty minutes. Yet, at just six years old, Quan Yi could complete it in 20 minutes.

This level of achievement was the result of his relentless dedication over the past four years.

Since establishing his training regimen, Quan Yi had swum every day—rain or shine—continuously increasing his endurance and strength.

There was a reason behind his determination.

Quan Yi was not an ordinary child. He was a reincarnated soul. In his past life, he had been a high school student—an orphan, yet a promising young man with a bright future ahead of him.

That was until one day when, in an act of selflessness, he sacrificed himself to save another, only to be struck by a truck. The next moment, he found himself reincarnated into this strange new world.

This was a fantastical realm where everyone possessed a Martial Soul. However, it was also a rigid, feudal society with a strict hierarchy, where social status was deeply entrenched.

At the pinnacle of this structure stood soul masters. To become one meant surpassing 90% of the population. More importantly, the Spirit Hall provided subsidies to soul masters, ensuring their cultivation up to the fortieth level. Even if one failed to break through beyond that, the country would continue to support them, guaranteeing a life free from material worries.

For Quan Yi, becoming a soul master was a goal he desperately sought. However, there was one crucial prerequisite: innate soul power. And as far as the world knew, this power was determined at birth—bestowed by fate itself.

Born into a soul master family, Quan Yi had a higher probability of awakening his soul power compared to the average person.

But Quan Yi was cautious. He refused to entrust his future to mere probability. He needed something concrete—something he could control.

Thus, he delved deep into books about Martial Souls and soul power, researching every aspect he could find. It was during this time that he made a startling discovery: innate soul power might not be as predetermined as people believed.

One glaring clue lay in the gender disparity among soul masters. The ratio of male to female soul masters was roughly five to one—a shocking imbalance. If soul power were truly innate, how could such a drastic difference exist?

Pondering this question, Quan Yi analyzed everything he knew about Martial Souls and came to a bold conclusion.

Martial Souls were, at their core, a manifestation of life energy—energy that originated from the body itself. And since energy could not be created from nothing, it stood to reason that a stronger body could provide more energy to a Martial Souls.

If this was true, then the stronger one's physical foundation, the more powerful their Martial Soul would be.

Furthermore, Martial Soul and soul power were directly proportional—the stronger the Martial Soul, the higher the innate soul power. Conversely, the greater the innate soul power, the stronger the Martial Soul.

With this realization, Quan Yi began to suspect that physical strength played a crucial role in determining innate soul power—perhaps even more than people had ever realized.

Building on his previous inferences, Quan Yi came to a bold conclusion—women were generally physically weaker than men, and this might be the fundamental reason why female soul masters were far fewer in number.

The realization sent a wave of excitement through him. In his mind's eye, he could see a path stretching out before him—a road leading straight to the ranks of the soul masters.

A strong body could awaken a powerful martial soul, and with that came the potential for greater innate soul power.

But a significant challenge lay before him. He was still very young. Could his developing body withstand high-intensity training?

He needed a method that could strengthen his physique without placing an overwhelming burden on his frame.

Drawing from the memories of his previous life, Quan Yi quickly found the perfect solution—swimming.

The buoyancy of water would reduce the strain on his joints, unlike exercises performed on solid ground. At the same time, swimming was a full-body workout, capable of enhancing endurance, strength, and flexibility.

It was a low-impact, high-efficiency exercise—undoubtedly the most suitable choice at his current stage of development.

Moreover, if the swimming pool was built indoors, he wouldn't be hindered by weather conditions.

Without hesitation, the two-year-old Quan Yi sought out his mother and expressed his desire to train through swimming.

His mother, Su Ling'er, was a striking woman with fiery red curls, an alluring yet dignified presence, and an exceptionally tall frame—standing at least 1.8 meters, towering over many men.

When Su Ling'er heard her son's request, a flicker of surprise crossed her gentle features. She had always known that Quan Yi was intelligent and mature beyond his years, but this exceeded even her expectations.

Relief and concern warred within her.

"Xiao Yi, training is not easy," she said softly. "You'll only see results if you persist for a long time. The process will be painful. Are you truly ready to endure such hardship?"

Quan Yi met his mother's gaze head-on, his clear eyes filled with unwavering determination.

"Mother, I want to become a soul master," he declared. "I can't afford to waste time. I only have four years."

Su Ling'er frowned slightly. "Four years? What do you mean?"

Quan Yi patiently explained his reasoning—detailing his research and deductions about the relationship between physical fitness, Martial Souls, and innate soul power.

His words left Su Ling'er deep in thought.

As a powerful soul master herself—one who had reached the rank of Soul King in her thirties and now stood at level 53—Su Ling'er possessed a mutated Martial Soul, Fiery Sun Lion.

She understood all too well the importance of physical fitness for a soul master. A strong body could house greater soul power, sustain higher endurance in battle, and directly influence combat strength. Every outstanding soul master prioritized physical training.

However, she had never heard of the notion that innate soul power could be influenced by physical conditioning.

For as long as history recorded, people had accepted that innate soul power was a matter of birth—an unchangeable gift from the heavens.

Yet, hearing her son's hypothesis sent shockwaves through her heart.

"Xiao Yi," she said after a long pause, her voice measured, "what you're saying makes sense, but it remains purely theoretical. Without large-scale experiments, there's no way to confirm if your inference is correct.

"Besides, you are our son. Your father and I are both soul masters. Regardless of which martial soul you inherit, there's a high probability that you will awaken with strong innate soul power."

Though Su Ling'er spoke calmly, her mind was still reeling.

But Quan Yi had already made his decision.

"Mother," he said firmly, "I refuse to leave my future in the hands of fate. I want to control my own destiny."

"I don't want to look back one day, regretting that I didn't try hard enough before my martial soul awakening."

"Please, Mother, help me. I don't want to live with regret."

His steady, resolute voice echoed in Su Ling'er's ears.

At that moment, she realized she had underestimated her son's willpower. This was not the plea of a child—it was the determination of a man.

A fire ignited in Su Ling'er's heart. Pride swelled within her as she gazed at her son, who carried such grand ambition at such a tender age.

Without hesitation, she pulled him into a tight embrace and whispered with conviction:

"Good! That's the spirit I expect from my son. Don't worry—I support your decision. No matter the outcome, I will stand by you until the very end."

Wrapped in his mother's warmth, Quan Yi felt a surge of strength course through him.

This was a feeling he had never experienced in his previous life.

His mother's unwavering trust and promise strengthened his resolve. He silently vowed to himself—he would never let her down.

As night fell, darkness swallowed the world outside.

But in Quan Yi's room, a faint light still flickered.

Seated at his desk, he wrote diligently under the dim glow of a lamp, his posture reminiscent of his late-night study sessions in his past life's final year of high school.