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At the rear exit of the estate, Maid Ma stood anxiously, scanning the surroundings.
"Sister Ma, the young lord will be back soon. There's no need to worry," said one of the two Soul Engineers stationed at the gate.
Both belonged to the Lin Clan's private guard. Generally, no Soul Engineer outside the clan held authority within the estate.
Sister Ma gave the Soul Engineer a small smile. "I can't help but worry. The young lord's health isn't good. Tomorrow is an important day for him. Nothing must go wrong."
The other Soul Engineer pointed with his hand. "The young lord…there he is."
Sister Ma followed his gesture and saw Lin Zhechen struggling to make his way back to the gate.
Worried and flustered, she rushed back inside and ordered one of the standing maids, "Go prepare the medicinal bath."
The maid nodded and quickly ran toward Lin Zhechen's residence.
Sister Ma went back out and hurried toward the boy.
"Young Lord Zhechen, why didn't you tell me you were going out? What if something had happened?"
He brushed off her concern. "I'm fine. This isn't the first time."
Just as he finished his sentence, a bright light shone, and Sister Ma's Martial Soul manifested—a green flower with two petals, surrounded by two Soul Rings: one white, one yellow.
The white ring lit up and shrank in size. A petal detached and swiftly entered the boy's body.
Lin Zhechen felt the energy enter him and closed his eyes.
A quiet sigh of relief escaped his lips as his body relaxed. He felt like he could move more freely.
How magical, he thought. Truly incredible.
When he opened his eyes again, he felt as if he looked healthier—at least, it seemed that way. Even if it wasn't real.
The maid looked pleased with her work. She deactivated her Martial Soul and gently held Zhechen's hand. The boy barely reached her waist.
"Green Flower. My first soul skill comes from an 80-year-old plant. It restores 10% of physical fatigue," she explained.
As they walked back toward the estate, he asked thoughtfully, "How does a Soul Master measure the effects of their soul skill?"
The maid paused briefly before replying, "Experience shows that once a Soul Ring is fully absorbed, the Soul Master naturally receives the name and effect of the skill."
He was puzzled.
The Soul Master receives it naturally? How?
Does the Martial Soul itself transmit the knowledge of the skill and its effect?
He knew everyone possessed a Martial Soul. Whether they had Soul Power or not, anyone could summon theirs. Even without Soul Power, Martial Souls had practical effects.
That means spiritual energy plays a role here, he thought.
So Martial Souls have awareness? They transmit information through spiritual energy to the user?
How do they even interpret this energy?
As they re-entered through the back gate and two Soul Engineers bowed to him, Zhechen didn't even notice. His thoughts were too tangled.
If this line of reasoning is correct... then Martial Souls possess some level of consciousness…or at least, they can process and convey information. Fascinating.
A smile tugged at his lips. He glanced at Sister Ma and said,
"I'm really looking forward to tomorrow."
His smile twisted into a smirk.
"Well... if I have Soul Power at all."
The maid pressed her lips together in silence.
***
The Lin Clan's Awakening Hall was located in the southern section of the estate.
Every year, on a set day, Martial Soul awakenings were conducted for the common people. However, descendants of the clan were eligible for awakening as soon as they turned six.
This year, on that very day, five children were to undergo their awakening.
Among them were Lin Zhechen's half-siblings and two others who weren't from the clan's main bloodline.
In total, there were two girls and three boys in the hall.
Lin Zhechen was one of them.
Only someone who knew him well could see the worry in his eyes.
To others, he seemed perfectly calm.
But that wasn't the truth. The restless darting of his eyes, the way he bit his lower lip—these small movements revealed his inner turmoil.
He glanced at his half-siblings. They stood some distance away, clearly uninterested in even acknowledging him.
Zhechen didn't mind. In fact, their indifference brought him a strange sense of comfort.
He held no affection for them and preferred not to get entangled in the family's complex dynamics.
All his focus was on the upcoming awakening.
The Awakening Hall was a modest structure—gray on the outside, slightly dimmer on the inside. It had no windows, but soul-powered devices provided sufficient ventilation and gentle lighting.
At the center of the hall stood a hexagonal platform used for awakening Martial Souls.
Its sole purpose was to concentrate the power of the Awakener and channel it into the child standing atop it.
By age four, Zhechen had learned to read and soon began collecting information about Martial Souls. But the estate offered little in the way of books or explanations.
Still, he had researched what he could about the awakening platform.
From older texts, he'd found many theories suggesting the platform had other uses, but further reading had debunked most of them—those were merely speculations shaped by the diversity of Martial Souls.
Apparently, the three great empires of Douluo used six special stones during their awakenings.
Nonetheless, the platform before him was etched with energy lines and patterns, forming an elegant geometric network.
The children grew restless—until the door opened.
A tall woman in a blue robe stepped inside.
Her long, chestnut-brown hair reached her waist, and she carried herself with confidence and composure.
She walked with measured strides to the platform, then turned to inspect the children.
Under her gaze, all five straightened up, and even their whispers ceased.
Her expression softened.
"Line up by height, shortest to tallest. I'll awaken your Martial Souls one by one. Follow my instructions, and nothing will go wrong."
She paused as the children rearranged themselves.
Lin Zhechen, the shortest, stood at the front of the line.
She glanced at him, then continued,
"Usually, the awakening process is quite smooth. But stay calm, stand at the center of the platform, and remember—you must use your mind to sense, summon, and retract your Martial Soul."
She turned to Zhechen. "Step up."
He took a deep breath and climbed the platform. A circle was marked in the center.
He stepped onto it.
The Awakener spoke firmly,
"Martial Soul Possession."
In an instant, wind began to swirl through the hall, and the ambient energy trembled. A green aura enveloped the woman, and her body began to shift.
She became leaner. Her fingertips elongated and sharpened. Her eyes grew narrow and piercing—so much so that Zhechen felt as if her gaze alone could slice him in half.
Another presence seemed to overlay her body, like a beastly layer—an eagle-like entity that manipulated wind as a tangible, green energy.
Five standard Soul Rings manifested around her and circled her Martial Soul.
She commanded,
"Close your eyes. Calm your thoughts."
Her voice had grown sharper—her teeth slightly pointed.
As Zhechen closed his eyes, beams of light shot from her fingertips.
The platform lit up completely, and a glowing sphere enclosed him, pulling in the energy directed at his body.
At that moment, the boy felt an extraordinary sensation.
This energy… it's warm. It feels both familiar and foreign.
He sensed energy moving within him—searching for something. Suddenly, it surged.
For a moment, he couldn't follow its path. Then, it veered toward his right hand.
As it neared his fingertips, he became aware of something else—something riding that energy.
When he felt the energy pressing against his fingers, trying to burst out, the Awakener's voice cut in:
"Open your right hand."
Not only did he open it, but his eyes also flew open.
A steady stream of glowing particles swirled around him.
And in the center of his palm hovered a blue, prismatic crystal.
It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
It drew in light from one side and released it from another—radiant, serene, mesmerizing.
"What a beautiful Martial Soul," the Awakener said. Her tone remained professional. Still, a flicker of surprise showed in her eyes.
"It resembles a prism. What will you name it?"
Her voice pulled him from his trance. He paused to think.
"Prism Crystal," he said.
"Very well. Deactivate your Martial Soul. Let's hope you have Soul Power."
Moments later, the Prism Crystal dissolved back into his body.
The expression on his face turned slightly odd, catching the Awakener's attention.
"Did something happen?"
He shook his head. "No, it's nothing."
Strange… I can faintly sense my spiritual energy. My vital energy too—though it's even weaker.
But this new energy… it feels like a blend of both, and yet it's neither.
Zhechen could feel the new energy moving within him, following inconsistent patterns—sometimes fast, sometimes sluggish.
"Take this orb," the Awakener said.
His gaze followed her extended hand.
As he stepped down and took the orb, his Soul Power was instinctively drawn toward it.
Moments later, the orb began to glow. About half of it lit up.
"Innate Soul Power of 5? Not bad. With some talent, you could become a Rank 6 Soul Engineer someday, young lord."
Lin Zhechen didn't miss the shift in her tone.
How bitter… he thought.
No matter the world, people always measure your worth.
He handed the orb back and thanked her.
When she called, "Next," he turned and walked toward the door without once looking back.