The yellow light at the acupoint over his heart transformed into a clod of yellow earth—heavy and solid. Meanwhile, the green light at the acupoint on his crown became a green sprout, representing endless longevity. The two auras, like lions just awakened, began to emanate their own distinct presences.
In front of the array of instruments, Ye Xuan was drenched in a cold sweat, his face contorted in a pained and conflicted expression.
There were countless methods for the art of Awakening Souls, each one different from the next. The one Ye Xuan employed was the strongest he had mastered in his previous life: the Profound Celestial Life and Death Soul Skill. The level of Soul Power control it required was absurdly demanding.
To make matters worse, Ye Xuan was performing the Soul Awakening on himself. This meant he had to operate the instruments while simultaneously observing his own body. The two tasks had to be performed in perfect concert. The slightest mistake would mean failure at the final moment, resulting in a backlash that would injure him. It was a tremendous test for Ye Xuan.
Most crucial of all, Ye Xuan was attempting to awaken two Martial Souls at once—a heaven-defying act, unprecedented in history.
「An unknown amount of time passed...」
BOOM!
Nourished by his Soul Power, the yellow earth and the green sprout slowly came into focus. An aura that combined the vastness of the barren earth with the vigor of a wildfire of life erupted from within him.
PTHOO!
The force of the aura’s eruption made him spit out a mouthful of impure blood. Ye Xuan’s face was pale as he collapsed weakly to the ground, completely exhausted. And yet, his eyes shone with an endless, divine light.
"Hahaha." He threw his head back and laughed. Inside his body, three Martial Souls—green, yellow, and black—occupied the three major life points, each performing its duty and radiating its own profound power.
The Martial Soul at the acupoint on his crown was a green sprout. It was tender and so vividly green it looked dewy. A hazy mist surrounded the sprout, emanating a rich life aura. As this mist sprinkled over Ye Xuan’s body, the physical and mental fatigue he’d felt just moments before vanished at an astonishing rate. This was clearly some kind of mysterious healing Martial Soul, containing immense life force.
’Legend speaks of a heaven-defying Immortal Martial Soul in this world. As long as the Martial Soul lives, the body and spirit cannot be extinguished. My green sprout Martial Soul seems to work on a similar principle, but it possesses an even greater life aura, representing a vibrant, flourishing vitality. I’ll call it the Life Martial Soul!’
The Martial Soul at the acupoint over his heart was a patch of yellow earth—heavy, solid, sturdy, and immortal, yet also all-encompassing.
’Without a doubt, this is the Ye family’s Earth Martial Soul.’
The Martial Soul in his Dantian was a black dot the size of a soybean. The dot spun endlessly like a vortex or a black hole, devouring wisps of Profound Qi. It felt evil and terrifying.
’This Dantian Martial Soul devours Profound Qi, plundering the very essence of the world. I’ll call it the Devouring Martial Soul!’
Although he had yet to break through to become a Tier One Warrior and truly unleash the abilities of his Martial Souls, Ye Xuan had already named each of his three Martial Souls based on their characteristics.
’With the Life, Earth, and Devouring Martial Souls all in one body, even I’m a little excited to see just how far I can go in this life...’
Ye Xuan smiled faintly. After a brief rest, he stepped out of the room.
Chen Sisi had actually been waiting right outside the door. When it opened, she immediately bowed in greeting. But as she lifted her head, her heart trembled.
When she first met Ye Xuan, she had only sensed that he had an extraordinary aura, different from that of an ordinary Martial Artist. But now, after not seeing him for just a couple of hours, he gave off an unfathomable feeling that shocked her greatly. The only other person who had ever made her feel that way was the president of the Soul Master Tower.
’This young man is just too astonishing.’
"Master Mu Ren, is there really nothing that can be done?"
Just then, a low, pleading voice drifted over from a short distance away. Turning to look, Ye Xuan saw a rather burly, middle-aged man in armor anxiously questioning an old man in the robes of a Soul Refiner.
The middle-aged man had short brown hair and looked to be in his early thirties. His armor was polished and his long saber looked formidable, but his face was etched with dejection and exhaustion, his brows furrowed with deep sorrow.
Mu Ren snorted coldly. "Lin Xiong, I’ve told you many times already. Once the power of a Martial Soul begins to decay, it’s impossible to reverse. Not only is your Martial Soul’s power decaying, but it can no longer even take form. This means your Martial Soul isn’t just simply injured—it’s showing signs of imminent collapse. Take my advice: stop looking for a way to heal it. The only thing you can do now is completely abandon your Martial Soul. If you do, you might retain some of your strength. Otherwise, once it collapses completely, you won’t even be able to preserve your current realm. You’ll become a total cripple."
"Alright, I’ve said all I have to say. You can go now."
Mu Ren waved his hand dismissively, clearly telling him to leave.
Lin Xiong’s face was flush with panic, and he blurted out, "Master Mu Ren, might the other masters have a way to heal it? I’ve heard that your tower’s president, Jiang Xun, has already reached the level of a Second Grade Soul Refiner. Perhaps he might have a solution. Master Mu Ren, could you possibly make an introduction? I would be eternally grateful."
This remark, however, touched a nerve with Mu Ren. Among Soul Refiners, being compared to others was the greatest taboo. His face darkened. "Hmph! Lin Xiong, you’re a man of some standing in our Blue Moon City, which is why I’ve diagnosed you several times. But the president is a man of immense status. Do you think he would see just anyone? Besides, for a collapsing Martial Soul, it wouldn’t matter if the president or the Heavenly King himself came down; no one could do anything about it! And to think I wasted so much advice on you. Leave now. Otherwise, don’t blame me for having you thrown out."
As Mu Ren’s anger flared, an invisible pressure radiated from him, causing Lin Xiong’s expression to change drastically. He hastily said, "Master Mu Ren, I was just anxious and spoke out of turn. Please forgive my offense."
"Enough. Don’t say another word. I’m very busy today. Can’t you see all these people waiting in the hall? And another thing, don’t come looking for me again. I won’t help you, no matter how much you offer to pay me." With that, Mu Ren turned and walked back into his room.
Lin Xiong’s face was ashen, a trace of utter despair in his eyes.
"Sigh, to think the great Vice Commander of the City Guard would end up in such a sorry state. How pitiful."
"I heard he went deep into Black Wind Ridge to hunt Profound Beasts to raise his Martial Soul’s star-level. But he failed the hunt and was injured by a Profound Beast instead. Even his Martial Soul was damaged."
"From what Master Mu Ren said, it looks like Vice Commander Lin Xiong’s Martial Soul can’t be saved. And not only that, his entire cultivation base is going to drop."
"He’s an Earth Martial Artist at the First Layer of the Earth Profound Realm, a pillar of Blue Moon City’s defense. Once his realm falls, not only will his strength plummet, but he’ll probably have to give up his position as Vice Commander."
"Tsk, tsk. Vice Commander Lin Xiong is only in his early thirties, right? I remember he was one of Blue Moon City’s top geniuses. They said he had a chance of breaking through to become a Celestial Martial Artist. What a shame..."
"Reality is a cruel thing."
In the service desk’s waiting area, many people who witnessed this scene were whispering amongst themselves. Some sighed, some sneered, and there was no shortage of those who took pleasure in his misfortune.
A Tier Three Earth Martial Artist was already considered a top-tier expert in Blue Moon City. This was how Lin Xiong had secured the position of the City Guard’s Vice Commander. After all, the City Guard was the strongest force under the City Lord’s Mansion, responsible for the safety of Blue Moon City. Without real strength, one could never hope to sit in the Vice Commander’s seat.
The strongest experts in Blue Moon City were said to be only at the Third Layer of the Earth Martial Realm. The City Lord’s Mansion had such individuals, as did the three great families. The dean of Xingxuan Academy and the president of the Alchemist Association were also rumored to be at this level. As for the other families and factions, they likely had no one of that caliber.
As for the number one expert in Blue Moon City, that was widely acknowledged to be Commander Hei Zhuo of the City Lord’s Mansion. His cultivation was at the Third Layer of the Earth Martial Artist realm, just one step away from becoming a Tier Four Celestial Martial Artist.
Therefore, Lin Xiong’s strength and status were truly powerful and influential. For such a person to fall from grace was an immense shock to everyone.
In the hall, Lin Xiong seemed oblivious to the crowd’s chatter, walking away in a dejected daze.
A fierce unwillingness to accept his fate raged in his heart. Born into a poor family, he had clawed his way up, step by step, to the position of City Guard Vice Commander. The amount of suffering, sweat, and blood he had shed was immense. He had earned this position with every slash of his saber, enduring hardships unimaginable to the average person.
A few months ago, he had resolutely entered Black Wind Ridge to advance his Martial Soul from One-Star to Two-Stars. Reality, however, had dealt him a crushing blow.
He wasn’t afraid of death; he had even prepared for it. But the feeling of his Martial Soul gradually collapsing, of his future as a cripple—that was something he could not bear.
But what could he do, even if he couldn’t bear it?
He couldn’t bear to imagine the scene at home every day. The once-joyful laughter was gone. Although his wife was considerate enough never to ask too many questions, he couldn’t miss her deeply worried expression or the tears she shed alone each night.
He had even considered ending it all.
But if he died, what would happen to his wife and son? That was the ultimate act of cowardice, and Lin Xiong couldn’t bring himself to do it.
’Forget it. Just let it be. Since even Master Mu Ren says so, my Martial Soul must truly be beyond saving. If I abandon it, I can still retain some of my strength. At the very least, with my old connections, my wife and son won’t have to suffer. The only thing is, now I need to find a different Soul Refiner to help me do it.’
Lin Xiong finally accepted his reality.
He also knew that by taking this step, his dreams of dominating the world and reaching the peak of the Martial Dao were now forever beyond his reach.
"Heh. Can’t even handle a little setback like this? Moping around without any fighting spirit. And you call yourself a City Guard commander? If you ask me, you’re just a coward. It’s probably for the best that your Martial Soul is crippled. Go back home and be a farmer; it’d suit you better."
Suddenly, a calm voice, laced with obvious mockery, reached Lin Xiong’s ears. It was incredibly grating.
"What did you say?" Having just made a heart-wrenching decision, Lin Xiong’s intense anguish had nowhere to go. Hearing this sudden taunt was like the last straw that broke the camel’s back. He exploded.
"Say that again if you have the guts!" he roared, whipping his head around. He was met with the sight of a young man standing before him.
Lin Xiong’s fury, far from subsiding, burned even hotter. ’My Martial Soul may be injured, but for now, my strength remains. I’m still the Vice Commander of the City Guard! Yet these people, one after another, want to kick a man while he’s down, eager to stomp all over me. Heh... do I really look like such an easy target?’