Chapter 4: Martial Soul Characteristics, Resolving Doubts
Choosing a path that suits oneself isn't actually that difficult. One just needs to align with their martial soul and stay true to their own aspirations.
However, considering how to deal with overpowered individuals is an entirely different challenge.
Xu Yuan hadn't even met Tang Wulin yet, and it wasn't certain that their relationship would necessarily be one of life-and-death. Still, this was something he couldn't ignore. Anyone with ambitions to stand at the pinnacle of the continent would inevitably face this hurdle.
"Finding the right path is a major challenge. Setting aside the issue of Tang Wulin for now, my first priority is to fully understand the characteristics of my martial soul."
With innate soul power reaching level seven, there was no doubt that his Tianyuan Brush martial soul had undergone some form of mutation.
And during last night's meditation, he had gained a small insight.
Xu Yuan went to the backyard to test his thoughts.
He summoned his martial soul, and the Tianyuan Brush appeared in his hand. Gripping the shaft, he infused it with soul power.
The black patterns on the Tianyuan Brush began to glow, gradually elongating and enlarging. Even the originally soft brush tip instantly hardened.
"If I'm not mistaken, this mutation must have been influenced by my father's martial soul," Xu Yuan mused as he observed the Tianyuan Brush now transformed into the shape of a spear.
Rather than saying his martial soul was inherited solely from his mother, it was more accurate to say it was inherited from both parents. It used his mother's Tianyuan Brush as a base while also incorporating the form of his father's spear martial soul.
"But that's not all—my martial soul isn't this simple." Holding the Tianyuan Brush-spear, Xu Yuan began to wield it, practicing various movements.
His father's martial soul was just an ordinary spear, as was the case for generations of the Xu family. Occasionally, there might be one or two children born with accompanying innate soul power, but their aptitude was usually low. Xu Shengqun was an exception; his martial soul had mutated into the Tian Sheng Void-Shattering Spear (Heavenly Saint Void Piercing Spear).
For generations, the Xu family had maintained a foundation in spear techniques. Building on this, Xu Shengqun had further refined and developed his own Tian Sheng Spear Technique.
Over the past year, Xu Yuan hadn't been idle either. He had already learned the basics of spear techniques, and now as he practiced, his movements carried a certain impressive flair. The difference was that wielding the Tianyuan Brush-spear now gave him a unique aura compared to before he had awakened his martial soul.
"My martial soul naturally carries a certain presence—a spear-like momentum. While it hasn't reached the level of a domain, it's still quite formidable."
After repeatedly practicing spear techniques and finding ways to harness this momentum effectively, Xu Yuan finally sheathed the spear in satisfaction.
"In its spear form, it carries a natural momentum. In its pure Tianyuan Brush form, it has an affinity with the origin energy of heaven and earth."
Transforming the spear back into its original form, he held the Tianyuan Brush firmly and swung it forcefully. Soul power condensed through the brush tip, fusing with the origin energy of heaven and earth. This fusion turned into ink, which shot out in the form of a crescent-shaped wave.
The ink struck a large boulder but left no visible mark.
"This ability will need further development before it can become truly lethal." Despite the lack of immediate destructive power, Xu Yuan didn't overlook this characteristic of his martial soul. "Being able to channel the origin energy of heaven and earth and fuse it with soul power—this trait of my martial soul is far from ordinary."
Xu Shengqun was away for a few days, so Xu Yuan continued cultivating on his own.
He memorized and explored the soul power circulation routes in the meditation method, quickly getting the hang of them.
In the blink of an eye, five days passed.
"Uncle's back?"
"Yes, Young Master. Lord Xu was very pleased to hear about your diligent cultivation these past few days."
Xu Yuan nodded, tidied himself up, and headed to the main hall.
"Uncle."
"Xiao Yuan, Old Wu told me you've been cultivating soul power these past few days?"
"That's correct."
"Oh? Any progress?" Xu Shengqun asked curiously.
He knew well enough that mastering the basics of meditation shouldn't be a problem. Under normal circumstances, someone at this stage would likely still be struggling to figure out the meridian pathways in the meditation method.
"I've basically mastered the meditation method."
"Mm... Mm?" Xu Shengqun paused after nodding twice, noticing the phrasing Xu Yuan had used.
It wasn't that he had "basically mastered meditation," but rather that he had "basically mastered the meditation method!"
"You've already grasped the soul power circulation?"
Xu Yuan nodded and remarked, "I must say, a systematic approach to soul power circulation makes a noticeable difference. By the time I completed one cycle, my soul power directly broke through a bottleneck."
Xu Shengqun was stunned.
He stepped forward to examine Xu Yuan's physical condition, sensing the general flow of soul power within his body. After carefully checking the key points of the meditation method's soul power circulation, he finally exhaled in relief.
But even as he relaxed, Xu Shengqun was deeply shocked.
"Could this be the advantage of having such strong spiritual power when cultivating?"
As a Spirit Emissary, Xu Shengqun had seen no shortage of prodigies, but he had never encountered anyone who could master an advanced meditation method in just three days. Nor had he ever seen someone like Xu Yuan, whose spiritual power had already reached eighty-one at the moment of awakening their martial soul.
"Mm, good work." Acknowledging Xu Yuan's progress, Xu Shengqun continued, "I've arranged for you to join the Body Sect. Prepare yourself—we'll head to Tiandou City again tomorrow."
"Great!" Xu Yuan said with delight.
"Any questions about your cultivation?"
Although Xu Yuan had already mastered the meditation method, there were bound to be areas where he still had doubts.
Xu Yuan asked about some of the issues that had been troubling him during his practice. Most of his questions revolved around the spear techniques he had been practicing over the past five days. During this time, he hadn't just been cultivating the meditation method—he had also been refining his spear techniques and exploring the unique abilities of the Tianyuan Brush, accumulating many questions that he now laid out.
In just five short days, he had amassed so many questions.
And they weren't shallow or thoughtless inquiries either.
This alone made Xu Shengqun quite satisfied. He could see that his nephew was genuinely putting effort into his cultivation and also began to appreciate Xu Yuan's talent in this area.
Though his physical aptitude only reached level seven innate soul power, his comprehension and perseverance were top-tier.
"Uncle, I have a question that came up while studying the materials." After finishing his cultivation-related questions, Xu Yuan hesitated for a moment before continuing.
"Oh? What's the question?"
"I read in the materials that the True Dragon martial soul is considered a top-tier martial soul. When facing dragon-type spirit beasts, it naturally exerts pressure. Even non-dragon beast martial souls are suppressed, and weapon martial souls are affected by its dragonic aura. How should one deal with such opponents?"
Xu Shengqun was surprised by the depth of this question.
Seeing the description of the True Dragon martial soul and immediately considering it from the perspective of an enemy showed a level of foresight that, while extreme, was also highly rational. It was the kind of mindset every soul master should cultivate.
Understanding a martial soul and imagining it as an opponent to strategize against was, in itself, a form of mental training in combat awareness.
"There aren't many martial souls with True Dragon bloodlines on the continent—they're exceedingly rare. But they do exist. If you really join Shrek Academy in the future, the chances of encountering one won't be small, given that it gathers the most talented individuals from across the continent."
After pondering for a moment, Xu Shengqun began to address Xu Yuan's doubts.
---
A Note to Prevent Misinterpretation:
Some may claim that the protagonist is being overly ambitious, asking how he dares to compare himself to someone with Golden Dragon King bloodline before even starting his cultivation. But let's be honest—anyone who has transmigrated into another world is bound to have some pride. Even those who resign themselves to mediocrity likely do so only after careful consideration and despair. For now, the protagonist hasn't given up hope, and he sees a glimmer of possibility. Why shouldn't he strive to be the best?
As for unnecessary concerns—those are certainly misplaced. Tang Wulin may seem to start from humble beginnings, relying entirely on himself, but even if everything goes wrong, he still has the backup plans left by Tang San and the protection of Tang Hao, the Plane Master. The first nine seals—or even all but the final three—are guaranteed not to fail.
As for whether Tang Hao is currently conscious or not… that's not something anyone can afford to gamble on, is it?
{T/N: Makes sense to me, idk who would disagree tbh.}
------------------------------------------------------
Support my writing journey: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow