5. The Ultimate Fire Attribute Martial Soul

The next day.

In the swimming pool, Quan Yi had been swimming for quite some time.

Even though he had gone to bed quite late the previous night, his long-established biological clock woke him up early as usual.

As he moved through the water, he could distinctly feel the changes in his body.

The most obvious difference was the significant increase in his physical strength. His soul power seemed to be continuously reinforcing his body, enhancing his endurance and overall athletic ability.

As soon as Quan Yi noticed the effects of his soul power, his mind naturally wandered to the anime he had seen in his previous life. Many of them had similar power systems—chakra in Naruto, nen in Hunter x Hunter—each derived from the user's own energy and capable of strengthening the body in return.

Moreover, they all granted supernatural abilities beyond human limits.

Chakra, for example, was a fusion of physical and spiritual energy, while nen was an extension of one's life force.

The method of cultivating soul power in this world was through meditation, refining and expanding one's own reserves. Despite the medieval backdrop, the training process was quite similar to traditional martial arts cultivation in Eastern novels.

"This world is such an odd blend of East and West. Nobles and Popes exist, yet there are also powerful sects." The more Quan Yi understood about this world, the stranger it felt.

His morning exercise lasted a long time. As he swam, he continued adapting to his enhanced physique and carefully analyzed the transformations his soul power had brought about.

The effects were astonishing. Even at just the tenth rank of soul power, the improvement was already this drastic.

It was no wonder that in this age of cold weapons, Soul Masters had become the most revered figures. Their dominance stemmed from their own overwhelming strength.

Although this world contained supernatural elements, at its core, it was still a world where the strong reigned over the weak.

Realizing this only solidified Quan Yi's determination to become stronger.

Breakfast Time

At the dining table, the family sat together.

At this moment, Quan Yue and Su Ling'er were both staring at Quan Yi in surprise.

He was already on his second plate of soul beast meat—and still not full.

"Mom, can I have another plate? I'm still hungry," Quan Yi asked.

"Why are you eating so much today? Are you feeling unwell?" Su Ling'er asked worriedly.

Quan Yi paused to think before replying, "Mom, I exercised a lot this morning, so I burned a lot of energy."

Before Su Ling'er could say more, Quan Yue spoke up. "It's fine. Xiaoyi is already a Soul Master now—it's normal for him to eat more. In fact, the bigger the appetite, the stronger the body. This is a good thing."

Su Ling'er considered this for a moment and realized it made sense. Nodding to herself, she got up and went back to the kitchen.

A short while later, she returned with a large pot of freshly grilled meat.

Quan Yi didn't waste a single bite, quickly finishing everything in front of him.

Leaning back in his chair with satisfaction, he let himself relax, savoring the warmth that spread from his abdomen to the rest of his body.

This was his favorite part—feeling the nourishment of soul beast meat merging with his strengthened physique.

As Quan Yi sat there in contentment, Quan Yue exchanged a glance with Su Ling'er.

After a moment, Su Ling'er gave a small nod.

Quan Yue looked at Quan Yi and spoke seriously, "Xiao Yi, now that you've eaten, come with us. Let's examine your Martial Soul together."

"Okay!" Quan Yi could hardly contain his excitement.

Following his parents, he arrived at the entrance of a basement. Two tall guards stood on either side of the heavy iron door.

With a simple command from Quan Yue, the two men struggled to push open the massive door, its weight evident in their effort.

Quan Yue and Su Ling'er gestured for Quan Yi to follow them inside. As he stepped through the doorway, his curiosity grew.

Once inside, Su Ling'er shut the iron door behind them, securing it with a latch.

The underground passage wasn't very long, indicating that the basement itself wasn't too deep. Before long, a spacious chamber came into view. Despite being underground, the walls were lined with numerous hanging lamps, brightly illuminating the entire space.

The moment he stepped inside, Quan Yi caught the distinct metallic scent lingering in the air. His eyes widened in shock.

The underground chamber was filled with an astonishing array of weapons and armor, all neatly arranged. Under the warm glow of the lights, the metallic surfaces gleamed.

Noticing Quan Yi's surprise, Quan Yue solemnly introduced him to their family's secret stronghold.

"Son, this is the most well-guarded area of our Quan family. Every weapon and piece of equipment you see here was forged with great effort and resources over many years."

"You've always enjoyed studying Soul Masters, so you should be familiar with the concept of a mimicry training environment, correct? This basement has been specially designed to serve as a mimicry training ground for the Black Iron Gauntlet Martial Soul. You can train here in the future."

"Additionally, this is our family's armory. If the Quan family ever faces a crisis, these weapons will serve as our last line of defense. As you noticed earlier, the door can be locked from the inside, allowing our clansmen to seek refuge here. There's also a hidden passageway that serves as an escape route, ensuring our family's survival."

Quan Yi was taken aback. He had never imagined that their family possessed such a well-hidden, strategic sanctuary.

He had never been particularly interested in family affairs before. His focus had always been on training, leaving him with little understanding of the family's inner workings.

'As the son of the patriarch, I will eventually inherit the family's legacy. It looks like I need to start learning more about our family's responsibilities, in addition to cultivating my strength.'

A newfound sense of responsibility settled over him. Having received so much support from his family, he felt a deep obligation to repay their kindness. In his past life, he had no family to rely on, making him cherish this one even more.

"Alright," Quan Yue said, "the main reason we brought you here is to examine your Martial Soul. Summon it."

"Understood, Father."

Without hesitation, Quan Yi summoned his Martial Soul.

A radiant glow emerged from his right hand as his 'Black Iron Gauntlet' materialized.

"It's beautiful," Su Ling'er murmured in admiration.

"Xiao Yi, try channeling your soul power into your Martial Soul. The flames that appeared when you awakened yesterday were likely not a coincidence. Your Martial Soul should have inherited my fire attribute."

Quan Yi took a deep breath, focusing his mind as he directed his soul power into the gauntlet.

The moment he did, a vibrant flame burst to life atop the metal surface.

Su Ling'er's eyes sparkled with excitement. "I knew it! This Martial Soul didn't just inherit your father's Black Iron Gauntlet—it also inherited my fire attribute! This is a rare mutation!"

Quan Yi marveled at the flame in his palm. He could feel it as though it were a part of his own body. With a mere thought, the fire shifted and transformed.

From a flickering wisp to a roaring blaze, from a human-shaped silhouette to that of an animal, Quan Yi delighted in experimenting with its form.

Su Ling'er, however, was watching closely, and suddenly, her eyes widened in disbelief.

"This… this is impossible!" she gasped. "You're controlling the flames directly without even absorbing a soul ring! That can only mean…"

Quan Yue's expression turned serious. "The best fire-attribute Martial Soul?" he asked urgently, sensing his wife's excitement.

Su Ling'er took a deep breath before explaining, "Ordinary fire-attribute Martial Souls—whether tool-type or beast-type—can only produce flames through their abilities. True control over the flames only becomes possible after absorbing a soul ring. But Xiao Yi is manipulating his fire freely before even obtaining his first soul ring…"*

Her voice trembled slightly as she concluded, "The only explanation is that his Martial Soul is one of the legendary top-grade fire-attribute Martial Souls!"