Chapter 4: Martial Soul Awakening
"Hello everyone. I am the deacon responsible for today's Martial Soul Awakening ceremony. Please line up and enter in an orderly manner."
"Let's not delay—Martial Soul Awakening begins now."
An elderly man with white hair presided over the ceremony.
Today marked the annual event where all six-year-old children from the surrounding area gathered to awaken their martial souls.
As a result, long lines were inevitable. The accompanying adults waited in a separate viewing area—most of them were parents, watching eagerly, hoping their children would become soul masters.
Soon, the ceremony began.
"Martial Soul: Tiger. Innate Soul Power: Level 2."
"Martial Soul: Scythe. Innate Soul Power: Level 1."
"Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass. Innate Soul Power: Level 0."
...
Watching others awaken their martial souls, Quan Yi quietly reflected.
"Looks like beast-type martial souls have a higher chance of awakening innate soul power."
"But both my father and mother have very powerful martial souls. Awakening either one wouldn't be a bad thing."
The ceremony moved faster than expected. The line ahead shortened rapidly, and soon it was Quan Yi's turn.
The Martial Soul Hall deacon had noticed this boy from the beginning. His figure stood out like a crane among chickens—hard to ignore.
"Are you really six years old?" the deacon asked incredulously.
"Yes, Master Soul Master. I just had my sixth birthday recently."
"Hmm, step inside. I'll help you awaken your martial soul."
Quan Yi strode forward and stepped into the hexagonal formation. As soul power was infused into the array, it lit up with a golden glow, forming a faint golden barrier that enveloped him.
From a black stone, countless golden lights emerged—dazzling and bright.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on Quan Yi. The sheer number of light particles within the formation was astonishing—dozens of times more than normal. Quan Yi's parents widened their eyes in excitement. This was the sign of awakening a powerful martial soul.
But Quan Yi wasn't paying attention to those stares—his mind was focused inward. As the light entered his body, he felt a warm energy begin circulating inside him.
This energy resonated with his entire being. Under its guidance, Quan Yi could feel energy flowing throughout his body, concentrating toward his hands.
Suddenly, he instinctively raised his hands—and was stunned to see them engulfed in crimson flames. Yet, strangely enough, he didn't feel any heat.
In contrast, the deacon standing in front of him felt an intense wave of heat and involuntarily narrowed his eyes.
Soon after, the flames faded, revealing the true form of his martial soul.
It was a pair of gauntlets—like those worn by medieval knights. However, these were more streamlined and perfectly fitted to the hands and forearms. The gauntlets were entirely black, covered with dark red flame-like patterns. On the back of each hand was a red sun-shaped emblem. Looking closely, one could see that the flame patterns radiated outward from this circular sun.
The mix of red and black gave a luxurious yet restrained appearance. The gauntlets looked less like weapons and more like master-crafted works of art. As he stared at them, Quan Yi felt his consciousness being pulled in, unable to look away. It gave off a dangerous aura.
Just as he was mesmerized by his martial soul, the deacon hurriedly reminded him and picked up a soul power testing crystal, quickly walking over.
"Little one, first use your mind to retract your martial soul. Then place your hand on this crystal."
The deacon was thrilled—he had a strong feeling this child was a rare genius. If he could bring him into the Martial Soul Hall, it would be a great accomplishment.
Hearing the deacon's voice, Quan Yi reluctantly shifted his gaze away from the gauntlets.
His parents, watching from a distance, were holding hands tightly, palms sweaty from nervousness.
Amid everyone's expectant gazes, Quan Yi reached out and firmly pressed his large hand onto the blue crystal.
The crystal lit up instantly, shining with a brilliant glow.
"Yes! Yes! Innate full soul power!"
The first voice to ring out was Quan Yue's. He shouted in excitement. Su Ling'er, unable to hold back her tears, joyfully patted Quan Yue and boasted to those around them.
"That's my son! My son has innate full soul power!" Su Ling'er knew exactly how hard Quan Yi had worked these past four years. Her tears were ones of happiness and pride.
Quan Yi turned to look at his parents. Seeing their expressions, he couldn't hold back his own emotions. His eyes turned red with joy and excitement.
Overwhelmed, Quan Yi ran to them and embraced them tightly. Gratitude surged from the depths of his heart.
Even his usually cheerful father had tears welling in his eyes.
The Martial Soul Hall deacon, upon recognizing Quan Yue, narrowed his eyes and sighed inwardly: "So he's the son of Mad Fist and the Blazing Sun Lion. No wonder he's such a genius. What a pity… Looks like the Martial Soul Hall won't get this child."
Quan Yue used his long arms to hold his wife and son tightly. He restrained his excitement and calmly said, "Let's go home. We'll talk about everything there."
Quan Yi and Su Ling'er also realized that the Martial Soul Hall wasn't the place to linger. The family left amid the envious stares of the crowd.
That night, the Quan family estate was ablaze with light.
All the clan members gathered around a bonfire, celebrating joyously. Everyone toasted and drank freely. It was all in celebration of Quan Yi.
In the past, Quan Yi had been immersed in his training. To maintain secrecy, he rarely appeared before the clan. As a result, everyone had long been curious about him. No one expected that his first appearance would bring such shocking news.
"Innate full soul power… This is my first time seeing it."
"With the young master here, won't the Quan family rise even higher?"
"Indeed! Innate full soul power! The Quan family might produce a Title Douluo!"
Everyone was filled with hope for the future. Quan Yi, in turn, reinforced the family's unity through his achievements.
And yet, the protagonist of the night sat stiffly at the center of the feast, silently eating the soul beast dishes set before him.
Glancing at his father happily chatting with the clan in the distance, Quan Yi sighed.
"Today's a good day. Why the long face?" Su Ling'er's face was full of joy as she soaked in the festive atmosphere.
"Mother, no one told me there would be a feast tonight. When did Father prepare all this? Shouldn't I be studying my martial soul right now? What if I hadn't awakened any soul power?"
"There's no rush to study your martial soul. As the clan leader's son, you should get to know the other family members. Your father went to great lengths to prepare this banquet. At first, the others even thought it was a clan meeting. All you need to do is enjoy the feast," Su Ling'er explained gently.
Looking at the laughter and joy around him, Quan Yi felt a deeper connection to his family.
Then he glanced at Quan Yue. Perhaps this banquet was his father's way of uniting the clan. He hadn't expected such a thoughtful gesture from someone with such a bold exterior.
Quan Yi stopped thinking about his martial soul and began to fully enjoy the celebration.
(End of Chapter)