Chapter 5
Three days passed in a flash.
Finally, the day of the martial soul awakening arrived. The villagers of Calabash Village, as if sharing a common thought, gathered early in the morning at the village square.
Over the past few years, they had all been paying close attention to Wang Xiaofeng's growth. In their eyes, he was an exceptionally bright and sensible child. Many believed that he might awaken a martial soul with an innate soul power surpassing level 4.
The person in charge of the awakening ceremony, Wang Feng, had also arrived early. For years, he had been assisting the village with martial soul awakenings, and through persistent effort, he had finally reached level 30. However, he had yet to hunt for a soul ring. He hoped that if Wang Xiaofeng awakened a high-quality martial soul with strong innate soul power, introducing him to the Wuhun Hall Academy would earn him considerable merit.
With enough credit, he might even be able to request the assistance of two Soul Sects to help him obtain a thousand-year soul ring.
As Wang Xiaofeng stared at the absent-minded Wang Feng, who was grinning foolishly, he couldn't help but clap his hands loudly to wake him up from his daydream.
Snapping back to reality, Wang Feng hurriedly wiped away nonexistent drool, straightened his posture, and put on a serious expression.
"Alright! When I call your name, step forward. Wang Xiaofeng!"
Wang Xiaofeng turned around and saw… nothing. The space behind him was completely empty.
He was speechless.
This year, I'm the only one old enough for martial soul awakening, and this guy is still trying to act all official?
Suppressing the urge to roll his eyes, Wang Xiaofeng stepped forward and stood at the center of six black stones.
"Martial Soul Possession!" Wang Feng shouted, unleashing his soul power.
Summoning his martial soul, he quickly extended his hands and injected blue light into the six black stones on the ground.
In the next instant, a golden halo emerged from the hexagonal formation, forming a shimmering golden barrier that enveloped Wang Xiaofeng.
"Wang Xiaofeng, extend your right hand," Wang Feng instructed.
Taking a deep breath, Wang Xiaofeng stretched out his right hand, feeling a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.
Although bloodline inheritance was highly valued on the Douluo Continent, martial soul mutations were always a possibility. If he ended up with a waste martial soul, his future would be ruined before it even began.
Don't those noble clans from the Legend of the Eyes in Wunin Village sometimes have descendants who fail to awaken their bloodline?
Just as he was thinking this, a strange energy began surging through his body. It felt like stepping into an air-conditioned room in the middle of summer—both chilling and refreshing.
Then, a blue gourd suddenly appeared in his palm.
Before he could examine it closely, the warm energy within him surged uncontrollably, pouring into the martial soul as if it had found a long-awaited release.
Deep within his consciousness, in a mysterious space, a tender seedling sprouted. In mere moments, vibrant green vines extended from it, unraveling the chaotic energy inside him like the creation of a new world.
But from the outside, all Wang Xiaofeng felt was an intense, splitting headache, as if someone were repeatedly hammering his skull.
No way! Since when does martial soul awakening feel like dying?
Seeing Wang Xiaofeng's pale face and constant sweating, Wang Feng frowned.
"Are you okay? If you need a break, withdraw your martial soul first."
After taking a moment to steady himself, Wang Xiaofeng noticed that the pain had significantly lessened. He immediately muttered, "Retract martial soul," causing the green gourd in his hand to slowly fade away.
"Alright, now let's test your soul power," Wang Feng said, placing a crystal ball in front of him.
As soon as Wang Xiaofeng placed his palm on the crystal ball, his body trembled violently.
To his shock, the crystal ball exerted a powerful suction force, pulling out the small amount of soul power his martial soul had left him.
He tried to pull away, but the suction was too strong.
⊙﹏⊙ Am I about to make history as the first person to be sucked dry by a crystal ball during a martial soul awakening?
Luckily, the absorption stopped after a moment. Otherwise, he really might have become the first soul master to die from awakening. That would have been humiliating for a transmigrator.
Meanwhile, Wang Feng was just as shocked.
The crystal ball, initially dim, suddenly flared up with dazzling blue light. The glow spread rapidly, filling half of the crystal sphere in an instant, radiating like a brilliant gemstone. A faint blue halo shimmered around it, mesmerizing everyone.
"My God! Fifth-level innate soul power?!"
Wang Feng unconsciously activated his martial soul again, his excitement barely contained. The entire village erupted into an uproar.
Five levels of innate soul power!
It had been many years since Calabash Village had seen such a high level of talent. With this potential, Wang Xiaofeng was almost guaranteed to reach the Soul King level in the future.
Some even speculated that the village might one day produce a Soul Saint.
Wang Daniu, beaming with pride, waved his hand. "We're celebrating tonight! A feast for everyone!"
At that, the villagers burst into cheers, eager to celebrate.
Of course, the real center of attention—Wang Xiaofeng—had no say in the matter. Dragged around like a puppet, he became a tool for He Li to proudly show off.
---
That night…
"I'm so tired… (';︵;`)"
Collapsing onto his bed, Wang Xiaofeng sighed deeply. From morning till night, he had been poked, prodded, and endlessly congratulated. Countless people had pinched his cheeks, and he could still feel the soreness.
Finally, he had a moment to himself.
"Alright, let's take a good look at my martial soul."
"MARTIAL SOUL POSSESSION!"
Imitating Wang Feng's earlier shout, he raised his right hand and focused on the special energy within him.
A soft cyan glow flickered in his palm, and in an instant, the blue gourd reappeared.
It looked just like an ordinary blue gourd, identical to the kind old men used to carry around. There was nothing particularly special about it.
Wang Xiaofeng turned it over in his hands, examining every inch, but couldn't find anything unusual.
But that strange suction power earlier… That had to be from my martial soul. So why isn't it showing anything now?
He knocked on it lightly, hoping for some kind of response. Nothing.
After a few more fruitless attempts, he sighed. Forget it. I'm too tired to think. I'll figure it out later.
With that, he lay back down and fell asleep almost instantly.
---
The next morning…
Wang Xiaofeng wasted no time in pestering Wang Daniu for a soul power cultivation method.
"You want to meditate?" Wang Daniu looked at him strangely. "Why are you so eager?"
"Of course! How else am I supposed to increase my soul power? I'm aiming to become a man who will shake the continent!"
Wang Xiaofeng couldn't contain his excitement. For a modern person, the idea of cultivation was beyond thrilling. Who wouldn't want to wield immense power, soar through the skies, or defeat enemies with a single strike?
"Increasing soul power is simple," Wang Daniu said nonchalantly. "Sit cross-legged."
Wang Xiaofeng quickly complied.
"Close your eyes and clear your mind."
"Okay…"
"Feel the soul power around you and draw it into your body."
"…And then?"
"Then? That's it." Wang Daniu gave him a weird look. "Over time, your soul power will increase naturally."
Wang Xiaofeng blinked.
Wait, what? That's it?!