Chapter 20: Your Martial Soul Is Your Body
In this era, the influence of Spirit Hall reached every corner of the empire. Even the most remote villages had Spirit Hall clerks assigned to awaken the martial souls of the people.
The village of Emperor Soul was no exception. The annual soul‑awakening ceremony had arrived once again. From afar, Huo Qiqiang watched as the village elder, Old Tom, stood outside the small Spirit Hall temple with a group of anxious children, waiting eagerly for the arrival of the officiant.
At last, a young man entered the village. He took out a key, opened the doors of the hall, and beckoned the children inside.
"Children, my name is Su Haitao. I'm twenty‑four and a Spirit Hall officiant. Today, I'll awaken your martial souls. Look closely—this is mine!"
He extended both arms. A wolf's howl pierced the air as a fierce phantom wolf formed behind him. Two rings glowed around him—one white, one yellow.
Twenty‑fourth rank, martial soul: Lone Wolf.
The children stared wide‑eyed. Some shrank back in fear, while others looked on in awe.
"Master Haitao," one child asked timidly, "can I awaken a martial soul as powerful as yours?"
Su Haitao laughed. "That's hard to say. We'll find out soon enough. Come now, line up—I'll awaken you one by one."
The children formed a neat row. Su Haitao prepared the awakening array and began his work.
"Martial soul: Scythe. Innate soul power—zero. A pity. With one or two ranks, you might've been a decent craftsman‑type."
"Martial soul: Blue Silver Grass. Trash soul. Innate power—zero."
"Martial soul: Bell Grass. Trash. Zero soul power."
"Martial soul: Hoe. Trash. Zero soul power."
…
From outside, Huo Qiqiang quietly used his spiritual sight to observe the ceremony. Most of the children failed to awaken any significant power, which was to be expected.
On Douluo, talent followed bloodline. Dragons gave birth to dragons; phoenixes gave birth to phoenixes. Great clans produced mighty souls, while commoners—lacking strong heritage—could only dream.
Mutation was the only exception. Some ordinary villagers soared to greatness through mutation—like Ma Hongjun from Cockscomb Village. Others, like nobles born with deteriorated bloodlines, fell from grace—like Yu Xiaogang.
But sheer numbers favored the common people. A larger population meant more chances for rare mutations. Whoever controlled the awakening of these ordinary souls controlled a vast, untapped source of strength—enough to counter the aristocratic sects.
And in this age, Spirit Hall dominated that process. Through thousands of awakenings across villages, they gathered the most accurate, extensive data on new martial souls. The Angel line, the Golden Crocodile line, and the Qian line formed the pillars of its leadership, while the countless soul masters born from peasant awakenings filled its powerful armies. This was how Spirit Hall ruled the age.
…
One by one, worthless martial souls were revealed, but Su Haitao's expression never wavered. He had seen the same results in village after village. Finally, one child awakened a Wild Boar soul, and the crystal sphere glowed faintly with level‑two light.
"Martial soul: Wild Boar. Innate soul power: level two." Su Haitao smiled. "Congratulations, child—you have the qualification to become a soul master. Will you join Spirit Hall?"
The boy's eyes lit up. "I can really become a soul master? Yes! I'll join!"
"Good. Stand behind me. I'll bring you with me afterward." Turning to the remaining children, Su Haitao said, "Next."
A peculiar‑looking boy stepped forward—small, wrinkled‑faced, seeming strangely old for his age. Huo Qiqiang's eyes narrowed slightly.
Su Haitao activated the awakening array again, channeling his spirit power into the boy.
A flash of light—but nothing appeared. No beast form, no weapon shape. The glow faded into emptiness.
"Where's your martial soul?" Su Haitao asked, frowning. He tried again—still nothing.
"How could this be…" he muttered in confusion.
"Master, what's happening? D‑do I have no martial soul?" The boy's voice trembled in panic.
After several moments, Su Haitao sighed, regret heavy in his tone. "Rare, but not unheard of. Every year, a few children are born without any martial soul at all. I'm sorry, child—you are one of them."
The boy went pale, shoulders drooping. On this continent, a martial soul defined existence. Even a useless one was better than none.
When the ceremony ended, Su Haitao departed with his newly accepted soul master, bidding Old Tom farewell. The children with failed awakenings left one by one, returning to their families—except for the boy without a spirit. He sat alone on the temple steps, staring blankly into space.
A hand suddenly patted his shoulder. Startled, he looked up to see a man he didn't recognize.
"What's your name, child?" Huo Qiqiang asked with a gentle smile.
"My name's Lu Yuan," the boy said quietly.
"I saw your awakening. It seems the officiant couldn't bring forth your martial soul. Would you like me to help you try again? Perhaps he made a mistake." Huo Qiqiang held up a specialized awakening device.
Lu Yuan's face lit up with hope. "Please, sir—please!"
Huo Qiqiang nodded and activated the array. Lu Yuan stood in its center as divine power surged through the lines. But again, no manifestation appeared.
"It's still… nothing," Lu Yuan whispered, lowering his head in despair.
"Then let's test your innate soul power," said Huo Qiqiang. His eyes gleamed faintly, and a subtle aura of light enveloped the boy. He placed a crystal sphere in Lu Yuan's hands.
The moment the boy touched it, the sphere blazed brilliantly—far brighter than any before.
"Your innate soul power… is level seven," Huo Qiqiang said calmly.
"I—I don't have a martial soul. How can I have soul power?" Lu Yuan stammered.
Huo Qiqiang shook his head with a faint smile. "You are mistaken. You do have one. Your martial soul… is your body."
"My body?" the boy echoed.
"Yes. A Body Martial Soul."
Huo Qiqiang's eyes gleamed with approval. "Unlike beast or weapon souls, Body‑Type martial souls draw upon one's own flesh. It could be your hand, hair, torso, eyes, mouth—any part of yourself. But yours… is the rarest of all, the highest form among Body‑Type souls: the True Self Body."
(END CHAPTER)
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