manynovel Chapter 13 Awakening of Twin Martial Souls
Chapter 13 Awakening of Twin Martial Souls
"Little brother, when will you awaken your martial soul?" That afternoon, Xiao Wu sat on the stone mill in the courtyard, swinging her slender legs as she asked.
She was supposed to go to Notting Academy when she was six years old, but she was injured in an accident. She also longed for the warmth of the Yan family and the protection of the Qilin, so she made a promise with Yan Zu that after Yan Zu awakened his martial soul at the age of six the following year, the two of them would go to Notting Academy to study.
Yan Zu was wiping an ordinary iron sword he had obtained as a sign-in reward—it was called an iron sword, but it was really just a piece of iron with a few rust spots on the blade, looking exactly like something he had picked up from a junkyard.
Yan Zu seriously doubted whether the system had a problem with its aesthetics, but it was a sword after all, so he would make do with it.
Hearing this, he looked up and smiled, "It'll be soon. In three days, it will be my sixth birthday. Father will help me awaken my martial spirit then."
"That's great!" Xiao Wu's eyes lit up. She jumped off the millstone and ran to Yan Zu's side. "Then we can cultivate together and go to the academy together!"
She recalled the auspicious aura that reassured her about Yan Zu, and her heart was filled with anticipation for his martial spirit.
Finally, the day of Yan Zu's sixth birthday arrived.
As dawn broke, Yan Zu woke up and immediately muttered to himself, "Sign in."
[Ding! Today's check-in successful!]
[Congratulations, host, on reaching the six-year growth milestone! This triggers the annual critical reward!]
[Obtained core item: Martial Soul Mimicry Training Ground!]
[Item Description: Can guide consciousness into an independent cultivation space during sleep, supports two main functions—]
Firstly, it simulates battles against any Soul Master/Soul Beast no more than 30 levels higher than oneself, allowing adjustment of the opponent's strength and Martial Soul type for refining martial skills.
Secondly, it supports inviting one other person's consciousness to enter, allowing for joint cultivation and sparring without any real-world risks. The time flow in the training ground is 3:1 compared to reality, and it can be used for 4 hours daily.
Yan Zu was delighted; this reward came at just the right time.
Although he has not yet awakened his martial spirit, he has been practicing the Nine Yin Manual for many years, and his physical body and mental strength far surpass those of his peers. He needs a safe environment to hone his martial skills, and the ability to invite others to practice together will allow him to improve together with Xiao Wu in the future.
He and Xiao Wu were going to wipe out those peers who were still fast asleep at night.
He suppressed his excitement, quickly washed up, and left his room.
In the courtyard, Su Qing had already prepared steaming longevity noodles, while Yan Hu was carefully wiping a polished awakening stone, his face full of anticipation and solemnity.
Xiao Wu also got up early, wearing the new clothes Su Qing had sewn for her, and skipped around in the yard waiting, her eyes full of curiosity.
"Happy birthday, Ancestor!" Su Qing handed a bowl of longevity noodles sprinkled with scallions to Ancestor Yan. "Eat up and share in the joy. I hope you can awaken a powerful martial soul and become a formidable soul master."
"Thank you, Mother." Yan Zu took the noodles and ate them heartily. The noodles were chewy, the broth was delicious, and it contained the faint life force nourished by Su Qing's Qinghe Martial Soul, which flowed warmly into his stomach.
Yan Hu walked to his side and placed the Awakening Stone on the stone table in the center of the courtyard: "Grandpa, after you finish your noodles, I'll help you awaken your Martial Soul. Don't be nervous, just follow the method I taught you, concentrate your mind, and feel the power within your body."
"I understand, Father." Yan Zu put down the empty bowl and nodded.
Xiao Wu approached the stone table, curiously examining the pale blue awakening stone: "Uncle Yan, is this the awakening stone? It's amazing, I can feel a warm energy inside."
"This child has very keen senses." Yan Hu nodded approvingly. "That's right, the Awakening Stone can guide out the martial soul within the body, and many children awaken their martial souls through it."
With everything prepared, Yan Hu had Yan Zu sit cross-legged in front of the stone table, placing his hands on the Awakening Stone. He himself stood to the side, circulating his soul power and carefully injecting a gentle strand of Iron Axe soul power into the Awakening Stone.
"Close your eyes, concentrate, feel the unusual movement within your body, don't resist it, let that power emerge naturally." Yan Hu's voice was steady and powerful, carrying a calming force.
Yan Zu closed his eyes as instructed, focusing his mind into his body. He could clearly feel the gentle soul power emanating from the Awakening Stone acting like a key, gently activating the connection between him and the phantoms of his two martial souls.
In the spiritual world, the jade-colored Qilin phantom and the ancient Xuanyuan Sword phantom seemed to sense something, becoming exceptionally active and emitting an increasingly intense aura.
He didn't deliberately guide it; he simply followed the incantation of the "Martial Soul Synchronization Technique" to let the Nine Yin Soul Power within his body flow naturally, nourishing the two illusory Martial Souls.
Suddenly, a warm energy surged from Yan Zu's body, flowing through his hands into the Awakening Stone. Immediately afterwards, the entire courtyard was enveloped in a soft, jade-colored light, without any glaring glare, only a comforting warmth.
"Buzz—"
A soft buzzing sound rang out, and a jade-colored light slowly condensed on the open ground in front of Yan Zu.
It was a Qilin about the size of a small dog.
It squatted there before Yan Zu, its body smooth and lustrous like jade, its antlers small and delicate—so small that they looked like two tiny mushrooms just sprouting. Its tail swayed gently, its scales shimmered faintly in the light, and its paws were a soft pink, the pads of its paws pink as well. It opened its large, watery eyes, curiously surveying everything around it, then tilted its head and let out a soft, childlike cry:
"Eeya—"
That look was incredibly cute and adorable.
The auspicious beast Qilin martial spirit has arrived!
Su Qing was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously asked, "This...is this a martial spirit or a pet?"
Yan Hu was also stunned. Having hunted spirits for many years, he had seen countless spirits, such as fierce tigers, lions, and blazing eagles. Which one didn't look majestic after being possessed? But this one in front of him... this little thing, can it really fight?
The Qilin seemed to understand their doubts, and with a dissatisfied "Eee-yah," it ran around the yard on its short legs.
Wherever she went, the weeds that had withered in autumn sprouted new shoots, so tender they seemed to burst with moisture; the rose bush in the corner of the yard, which Su Qing had nurtured for three years and nearly killed by her overwatering, suddenly burst into vibrant blooms, a deep, almost purple-red; even the few withered leaves on the old locust tree by the gate turned green again on the spot, a bright, glossy green.
"What... what kind of martial spirit is this?" Su Qing covered her mouth, her eyes filled with shock and surprise.
Yan Hu's eyes widened in disbelief. He'd lived for decades and never seen a martial spirit like this—one that could heal? One that could grow vegetables? If he used it for farming, wouldn't his two acres of meager land yield double?
Xiao Wu's reaction was the most intense.
Her eyes widened as she stared intently at the little Qilin, her expression shifting from shock to ecstasy, and then from ecstasy to... a kind of inexplicable dependence.
Because she could clearly sense that the auspicious aura emanating from this jade-colored little Qilin was of the same origin as the aura of the Auspicious Beast Heart-to-Heart Talisman, but even more intense.
As the Qilin ran past her, the soul beast essence within her seemed to be summoned, becoming exceptionally active, while the soul beast aura on her body was completely concealed, to the point that even she herself could hardly sense it.
What does this mean? It means she can walk openly in the sunlight without worrying about being discovered by humans!
The little Qilin seemed to sense her kindness, stopped, and took the initiative to come closer to her hand, nuzzling her palm.
The soft, warm touch instantly brought a radiant smile to Xiaowu's face, brighter than the rose bush in the yard. She knelt down and carefully stroked the qilin's fur, becoming increasingly enamored with it, murmuring, "So soft, so soft, so soft..."
Yan Zu watched from the side and thought to himself: If outsiders saw this scene, they would probably think it was two small animals interacting.
Just then, another unexpected event occurred!
A deep, resonant sword cry emanated from Yan Zu's body, completely different from the gentle aura of the Qilin. A heavy and majestic aura suddenly spread out. This aura was not sharp, but it carried a sense of oppression originating from the source of civilization, causing everyone in the courtyard to subconsciously hold their breath.
Before Yan Zu, besides the jade-colored Qilin, another black light and shadow condensed. It was an ancient short sword, about five feet long, completely black, without any gorgeous patterns, but faint golden patterns flowed around it, which were the Xuanyuan patterns.
The sword exuded a faint aura of "evil-dispelling" power, causing the birds and beasts that occasionally flew by outside the courtyard to instinctively keep their distance and dare not approach.
Xuanyuan Sword!
Two martial spirits, one a beast and the other a sword, floated simultaneously in front of Yan Zu, echoing each other and coexisting harmoniously without any sign of conflict in their soul power.
Yan Hu was stunned for three seconds, then suddenly realized:
"Dual...Twin Martial Souls!"
His voice was cracked and distorted, sounding like a rooster whose neck had been stepped on: "Auntie, you've awakened twin martial souls!!"
Su Qing's eyes reddened with excitement, and she covered her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes. Twin Martial Souls! That's a legendary existence! There are only a handful in the entire Douluo Continent! Her son actually possesses such heaven-defying talent!
Yan Zu focused his mind on the Xuanyuan Sword.
The short sword trembled slightly, then slowly floated up, half a foot off the ground, and began to rotate gently in front of him.
With a thought, he sent the Xuanyuan Sword flying toward a blue stone in the courtyard. The sword emitted a faint sword intent, and with a gentle touch, the blue stone was split in two, the cut smooth and clean.
"Amazing!" Xiao Wu's eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but clap and cheer.
Yan Zu sheathed the Xuanyuan Sword, but a sudden realization dawned on him.
He could sense that both of these martial souls were not fully awakened, as if they were enveloped by an invisible barrier.
From the depths of the Xuanyuan Sword, an ancient thought came, telling him that this was the "Sword of Civilization and Tradition," and only by promoting the growth of civilization in the Douluo Continent could it be completely unsealed and reveal its true power that surpassed that of gods.
The Qilin Martial Soul conveys the message of a "totem of destiny and civilization," which also requires the prosperity of civilization to fully awaken.