On the Canglan Continent, to become a warrior, one must awaken their own martial soul. Only through the martial soul can one communicate with the heavens and earth, absorb spiritual energy, and engage in cultivation.
Martial souls come in a myriad of forms, ranging from the mundane to the extraordinary, and are classified into four primary ranks: Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, and Yellow, each subdivided into ten grades.
The higher the rank of the martial soul, the faster the cultivation speed, the greater the abilities and potential, and the more promising the future of becoming a formidable warrior.
At this moment, in the Kingdom of Luohe, in the city of Linshui, the Qin family is conducting a martial soul awakening ceremony.
On a pitch-black altar, a handsome and proud disciple, Qin Changkong, is seated cross-legged. Surrounding the altar are numerous disciples and elders of the Qin family.
Qin Changkong, the son of the Qin family’s grand elder, is a prodigious disciple, second only to the young master, Qin Nan.
This is why the faces of the surrounding disciples and elders are filled with anticipation.
At this moment, the dark altar begins to emit streams of white light, as if transforming into ethereal serpents that snake into Qin Changkong’s body, visibly circulating within him.
Roar!
Suddenly, a majestic beast roar echoes from within Qin Changkong.
Behind him, yellow light manifests in five distinct rays. As the fifth ray appears, a colossal, fearsome white tiger phantom emerges, exuding an aura of supreme ferocity as if the king of beasts has arrived.
The entire assembly of elders and disciples feels a tremendous pressure.
“What is this…” The elder presiding over the ceremony, momentarily stunned, quickly recovers and exclaims with great excitement, “Five rays of yellow light! Five rays of yellow light! This is a Yellow Grade Five martial soul! A Yellow Grade Five beast martial soul!”
This announcement is like a thunderclap, exploding among the crowd and making every disciple and elder’s expression shift dramatically.
“What? A Yellow Grade Five martial soul?”
“Heavens, our Qin family has produced a top-tier genius!”
“…”
The faces of everyone are etched with deep shock, unable to believe the outcome.
A Yellow Grade Five martial soul, within the entire Linshui City, is a top-tier talent, rare to appear once in three years. Moreover, a martial soul of Yellow Grade Five or higher signifies immeasurable future achievements and exceptional potential.
They had thought that Qin Changkong could at most awaken a Yellow Grade Four martial soul.
Qin Changkong’s face reveals unbridled joy, having never expected to awaken a Yellow Grade Five martial soul.
Observing the astonished gazes of the disciples and elders, Qin Changkong’s pride surges. His eyes sweep over to a plain-looking disciple, filled with challenge.
That disciple is none other than the current young master of the Qin family, the first genius, Qin Nan.
“Alright, next, Qin Nan!” The presiding elder swiftly regains composure and announces with a hint of anticipation.
With Qin Changkong having demonstrated such top-tier talent, it is only natural to expect that Qin Nan’s awakened martial soul would be at least as impressive.
As soon as the elder calls out the name, all eyes turn eagerly toward the plain-looking youth, their anticipation even greater than for Qin Changkong.
Qin Nan is not just a legend in the Qin family but also in Linshui City.
The son of the Qin family head, Qin Nan displayed exceptional talent from a young age. At six, he began his education, at eight, his literary accomplishments stirred Linshui City. At nine, he switched from literary studies to martial arts; by ten, he was practicing拳技 (quanzhi, martial arts techniques); at eleven, he hunted tigers barehanded; at twelve, he trained with the sword; at thirteen, he mastered ten martial techniques; at fourteen, he survived a lightning strike unharmed; and by sixteen, he had created a mid-grade martial technique, shocking Linshui City.
A martial king had once predicted, “This child’s talent is extraordinary. His awakened martial soul will surely be Yellow Grade Five or even surpass it. His future achievements will be extraordinary.”
A martial king’s words have immense weight, and even before awakening his martial soul, Qin Nan was already deemed the greatest genius of Linshui City.
Qin Nan, clad in a black robe that contrasts with his slightly pale complexion, appears as though he has just recovered from a serious illness. Under the gaze of the crowd, his expression remains calm, neither proud nor anxious, as he ascends the altar.
“Finally, the day has come…”
Qin Nan silently reflects, taking a deep breath and disregarding the gazes around him. He sits cross-legged, closing his eyes.
Streams of white light begin to emerge from beneath the altar, entering Qin Nan’s body.
The surrounding disciples and elders, witnessing Qin Nan entering a state of focus, erupt in excitement.
“I have a feeling that Young Master Qin Nan’s awakened martial soul will be extraordinary!”
“Yes, if Young Master Qin Changkong awakened a Yellow Grade Five martial soul, then Qin Nan, with his superior talent, will certainly surpass that!”
“Wow, a martial soul exceeding Yellow Grade Five—our Qin family has never seen such a thing.”
“Be quiet and don’t disturb Young Master Qin Nan. If something goes wrong, can you all take responsibility?”
“…”
The atmosphere is electric, with both the younger generation and the elders filled with admiration and anticipation.
However, Qin Changkong, seeing this scene, feels his previous joy and pride at awakening a Yellow Grade Five martial soul dissipate in an instant. His face turns dark with displeasure.
“Hmph, martial souls are determined by fate; nothing else matters,” Qin Changkong coldly remarks. “Do you really think that awakening a Yellow Grade Five martial soul is as simple as it seems? Don’t be surprised if Young Master Qin Nan ends up with a Yellow Grade Two martial soul!”
His comment earns him a disdainful look from the surrounding disciples and elders.
Though these disciples and elders do not speak out, they clearly look down upon him. Qin Changkong, despite feeling displeased, remains calm. Given Qin Nan’s extraordinary talent recognized even by a martial king, it is improbable that his martial soul would be less than Yellow Grade Three.
Determined, Qin Changkong fixes his gaze on the altar.
“Qin Nan, you must awaken a martial soul lower than Yellow Grade Five. At the very least, it cannot exceed Yellow Grade Five…”
Qin Changkong silently curses.
At this moment, more and more white light drifts from above the altar.
Seated on the altar, Qin Nan’s face reddens slightly under the baptism of these lights. A sharp, resonant hum emanates from his somewhat frail body.
The entire crowd holds their breath in anticipation!
With a thunderous explosion, a yellow light abruptly bursts forth from within Qin Nan. Amidst the tense gazes, the yellow light briefly flickers and then reveals a fiery greatsword, slowly materializing within the light.
In that instant, every disciple and elder stands stunned.
A yellow light? A Yellow Grade One martial soul? The lowest level of martial soul? How is this possible?
Even Qin Changkong, who had been cursing, is now filled with shock and disbelief. He had never imagined that Linshui City’s top genius would awaken a Yellow Grade One martial soul, the most inferior of all.
Qin Nan, sitting on the altar, slowly opens his eyes and takes in the astonished expressions around him.
“The Crimson Flame Blade, a Yellow Grade One martial soul…”
Qin Nan silently reflects, his mind moving to retract the suspended Crimson Flame Blade into his body. Despite awakening what is considered a useless martial soul, he does not show any sadness or despair, only a fleeting hint of satisfaction, which he quickly masks.
