Chapter 1: Awakening a Useless Martial Soul
[Note: The protagonist starts off at age 14 and is transmigrated.]
Star Luo Empire, Mingri Village.
"Ha—hup—!"
In the early morning, as the sky was just beginning to lighten, the crisp and powerful sound of training echoed through a small courtyard.
A young boy stood there with a resolute expression. His eyes were like deep, icy-black stars, faintly radiating a heroic spirit and righteousness.
"Bājíquán — Eight Intentions, Eight Forms, Power Reaches in All Directions."
"When one limb moves, the whole body follows; when one place is still, the whole body is still."
"Internal motion must manifest externally; external motion must originate from within."
"…"
Bear steps, tiger palms.
Each move was fierce and explosive, concentrating all his strength into every action.
In just a short while, beads of sweat the size of soybeans began dripping from his body. His plain clothes were soaked, and his breath remained steady and even.
"…"
"Where intention goes, energy follows; where energy flows, blood circulates."
"When bones align and tendons are straight, energy arrives and strength is released."
Suddenly, the boy's star-like eyes grew sharp. In a flash, he darted toward the sandbag like lightning.
Before one could react—
He stepped forward in a bow stance, pushed out his right arm, and his entire body erupted with a tremendous force.
Bājíquán — Single Ram Thrust!An ancient saying goes: "In peace, literature governs the world with Taiji; in war, martial arts stabilize the universe with Bājí."
Bājíquán is known for its strength, fierceness, and rigidity—designed to strike with direct, unyielding power.
The force is like a drawn bow, the strike like a crashing thunderclap.
Boom—!The hundred-pound sandbag shot into the air, the branches it was tied to creaking and groaning as if about to snap.
"As expected…"
"My strength has increased again!"
A bright and pure smile bloomed on the boy's face like the morning sun—radiant, yet carrying a burning determination.
The boy's name was Su Ye. Not long ago, he accidentally transmigrated from Blue Star to the Douluo World.
Back on his original world, he began learning Bājíquán at the age of ten under his father's guidance, training diligently twice a day for four straight years without slacking.
Knowing that physical fitness in the Douluo World could affect how long one could absorb soul rings, he trained even harder during the two weeks since arriving here.
Perhaps because this world had the presence of Heaven and Earth energy, his progress in Bājíquán was even faster than before.
"Whew—"
With a deep breath, he drew in his energy and ended his training.
Su Ye looked into the distance. The sun had just climbed over the mountaintop, casting brilliant rays in all directions, illuminating the land.
"…If only I could have a good Martial Soul, then everything would be perfect."
Just as a hopeful smile appeared on his face, he let out a helpless sigh and began scratching his head in frustration.
Back in his previous life, the Douluo anime had become wildly popular. He even went out of his way to buy the complete set of books and read the original novel.
This world had Martial Souls, said to exist because after the fall of the Dragon God, its bloodline energy spread across the Douluo Star.
As a transmigrator, his body had not undergone any sort of bloodline awakening. There was no guarantee he would even have a Martial Soul.
Even if he did, his innate soul power was likely to be so low it'd be negligible.
Innate soul power is born from a Martial Soul's and body's ability to draw in energy from the environment…
Having only arrived two weeks ago, and with Bājíquán not being a cultivation method focused on absorbing energy, how could he possibly have even level one soul power?
Besides, he was already fourteen, well past the optimal age for soul power cultivation.
"Even if I can't become a Title Douluo, at least let me become a Soul Master…"
Muttering to himself, Su Ye walked into the wooden hut, thinking that whether or not things would work out all depended on the Martial Soul Awakening.
He washed off the sweaty stench on his body and changed into a clean set of simple clothes.
Not long after, an elderly voice called from outside.
"Ye boy?"
"Coming! I'll be right there."
"It's best not to keep the Martial Soul Hall's Soul Master waiting. We don't want them saying our Mingri Village was rude."
Urged by the voice, Su Ye quickly ran out.
Outside the fence stood an elderly man with white hair and beard, wearing a cowboy hat. Though well into his seventies, he still looked relatively fit. The smile on his weathered face radiated kindness and ease.
Tom, the village chief of Mingri Village.
Su Ye currently lived in the courtyard of Tom's second son's family. After the grandson became a Soul Master, the whole family had moved to the city.
Old Tom, a lifelong hunter, had long rooted himself in the mountains.
When Su Ye had first arrived in this world, he happened to run into Tom setting animal traps, and followed him back to Mingri Village.
Being able to live safely and peacefully in the village owed much to this kind old man's help.
"Let's go, I'll take you to awaken your Martial Soul." Seeing the boy so full of energy, Tom's deep eyes were filled with joy as he waved him over.
"Alright!"
Never one to take the normal path, Su Ye sprinted forward, leapt, and vaulted over the wooden fence with one hand.
Thud—!A stylish landing—perfect form.
Seeing the boy's agile and mischievous nature, Old Tom couldn't help but smile and shake his head, as if seeing a younger version of himself.
Soon, the two of them arrived at the center of the village.
Every village had a local branch of the Spirit Hall, established for Martial Soul Awakening ceremonies.
That year, there weren't many children of the right age in Mingri Village—only eight in total.
Shortly after Su Ye and Old Tom arrived, a woman in a white robe of a Spirit Hall deacon entered the area.
"Village Chief, it's been a while," she said with a smile, clearly familiar with Old Tom.
Nice, nice… she's an acquaintance of the village chief, Su Ye thought. Looks like my Martial Soul Awakening is basically guaranteed to go smoothly.
"Ye… Ye girl?"
Old Tom gave a surprised grunt, his aged face showing astonishment. "Has it only been a few years? And you've already become a Great Soul Master?"
A few years? More like over a decade…
Knowing the old man could be forgetful, Ye Ling smiled helplessly."Village Chief, the last time we met, you brought me to visit Brother Luo at the junior Soul Master Academy after he got injured."
"He was only ten then. Now he's over twenty, already married with children. You don't remember?"
Only then did Old Tom realize, tapping his forehead in frustration."Sigh… look at this old brain. Feels like it was just a few years ago…"
Ye Ling simply smiled and didn't mind. Her eyes gently swept over the group of young, nervous children in front of her, clearly anticipating the ceremony.
But the moment her gaze landed on Su Ye, the boy behind Old Tom who looked to be in his teens, her expression noticeably froze.
"Village Chief, who is… he?"
Ye Ling's tone turned a bit stiff. According to regulations, outsiders were not allowed to observe or participate in Martial Soul Awakening ceremonies.
Old Tom quickly stepped in, explaining that Su Ye was a child from the mountains who had never undergone a Martial Soul Awakening, so he brought him to give it a try.
"Oh, I see…"
Understanding now, Ye Ling waved Su Ye over with a smile."Since it's the village chief's request, you can get in line and give it a try."
"Maybe with his blessing, you'll awaken a decent Martial Soul."
With that, she turned and opened the door to the wooden hut. Several glass windows let in the morning sunlight, bathing the interior in a warm, sacred glow.
Clang—
Everyone entered, and the door closed behind them. The eight young faces immediately turned anxious and tense.
Su Ye, meanwhile, silently prayed to the gods and spirits, hoping to awaken a powerful Martial Soul.
"Little ones, before we begin the Awakening, let me say a few words."
Ye Ling adopted the stern demeanor of a teacher and said in a serious tone:
"Generally speaking, the quality of one's Martial Soul determines the level of innate soul power."
"But don't be discouraged. Even if your Martial Soul is something like a scythe or a hammer, as long as you have innate soul power, you can still become a Soul Master."
"If your talent is decent, we may even invite you to join the Spirit Hall and train you to become an honored Soul Master."
As she spoke, a blue glow burst from her palm, and a sharp blue iron sword appeared in her hand. Her voice carried a hint of pride.
"This is my Martial Soul — the Blue Star Sword."
"Everyone's Martial Soul is different. It could be a dog, or it could be a wolf. So when your Martial Soul awakens, stay calm no matter what."
"You there… your name's Su Ye, right? You're the oldest one here. Why don't you go first and demonstrate for the others?"
Uh…
"Sure, I'll go first, no problem."
Su Ye hesitated for just a second, then rolled his wrists and stepped forward decisively. His eyes involuntarily flicked again to the sword in her hand.
As someone who practiced martial arts, what he most wanted to awaken was a Tool-type Martial Soul—a weapon like a blade, spear, or sword.
Ye Ling was somewhat impressed by his calm and brave demeanor. She quickly took out several black crystal stones and began arranging the awakening array.
"Step in."
"On it."
As the golden spiritual light from the array flowed into his body, Su Ye instantly felt something breaking out from deep within him.
I… I have a Martial Soul!He couldn't help but feel ecstatic inside.
But the next second—
When he saw the Martial Soul that had appeared, the joy in his eyes vanished like a falling star.
He was about to explode.
"WTF!!"
"KUN BRO!?"
(End of Chapter)