Chapter 651: An Unwavering Heart Over Ten Thousand Years
Rewind to earlier times
The Unique Universe of Absolute Douluo
Ten thousand years after Huo Yu´er ascended to the highest realm
With her unparalleled talent and the "guide" left by Ye Wen, Huo Yu´er had, within a mere ten thousand years, led her universe to match the accomplishments of the Douluo Civilization, which had taken twenty millennia to reach such heights.
Yet even at the pinnacle, loneliness lingered.
Though time had done nothing to diminish her friendship with her sisters, Huo Yu´er couldn't ignore how those around her had each begun finding their own happiness. Meanwhile, the figure that lived in her heart still felt so far away. Even as the strongest in her realm, what did it matter? Watching her friends move forward in life left Huo Yu´er's heart longing for what she could not have.
Recently, she had used the coordinates left by Ye Wen to open a path to the Naruto World, gaining access to a powerful item: the Plow of Parallel Time and Space. The stars had aligned, her heart was set, and Huo Yu´er's desire grew.
But the decision brought with it new turmoil.
"I can finally go and find Master… but if we just go back to being what we were before… is that enough for me?"
She wondered to herself, "Even though I care deeply for him, after all this time, will Master even accept my feelings? He has companions in his life already what if I disturb his peace?"
Caught between anticipation and fear, the usually stoic and decisive Huo Yu´er found herself as uncertain as a young girl in love.
It was then that a gentle voice broke her thoughts. "Xiaoyu, lunch is ready."
Huo Yu´er snapped back to reality, stepping outside to find her mother, Huo Yun'er, inviting her to eat. Long ago, Huo Yun'er's world had revolved around Dai Hao. But as time went on, and as her daughter showed her endless love, Huo Yun'er realized that Huo Yu´er was the one she truly held most dear.
Just as Ye Wen had once planned, Huo Yun'er's world shifted, and Huo Yu´er was her true priority. Although, as a god, she no longer needed food, the empty, routine nature of divine life left her grateful for this simple indulgence of a mother daughter meal together.
On most days, the shared table of humble, homemade dishes would fill Huo Yu´er's heart with warmth. Today, though, she found herself restless, barely tasting a bite. It didn't take long for her mother, with her own life's experience, to notice something was different. She smiled knowingly.
"Xiaoyu, have you finally met someone who makes your heart beat faster?" she asked. "Tell me, who is he? It's been ten thousand years, you know I've been waiting forever to have grandkids."
Caught off guard, Huo Yu´er blushed, her face turning as red as a little girl's. She turned her head, mumbling her answer in embarrassment, "No… not at all."
Amused, Huo Yun'er laughed softly as she sat down beside her daughter, taking her hand in her own. "You're a grown woman, and yet you still can't tell a lie," she teased gently.
Huo Yu´er's face burned brighter, unable to form any kind of response to her mother's gentle challenge. She thought about Ye Wen constantly about her love for him, a love that she feared might be impossible.
Having endured her own unhappy love, Huo Yun'er couldn't stand the thought of her daughter making the same mistakes. She encouraged Huo Yu´er to open up about her feelings for Ye Wen. At first surprised, Huo Yun'er accepted her daughter's confession without hesitation. She herself owed Ye Wen a great debt for the love and care he had shown Huo Yu´er throughout the years. He had never once overstepped, and in Huo Yun'er's eyes, that made his character all the more admirable.
Although teacher student love might challenge traditional morals, Huo Yun'er had come to see her daughter's feelings as genuine and precious. Whether Ye Wen returned Huo Yu´er's love was one thing, but a man so pure hearted and protective was rare indeed. She encouraged Huo Yu´er to be brave in pursuing her feelings.
The idea of "one man, one wife" didn't matter to the gods who among them still clung to mortal constraints?
With her mother's support, Huo Yu´er felt her resolve growing. The Douluo Civilization might see her as a Supreme God King and honor her as its ruler, but truthfully, her heart had always been less concerned with power than with personal strength. She left day to day governance in her sisters' hands, stepping in only when problems arose at the frontlines that no one else could handle.
Finally, she made a decision: she would go on a journey and only return if absolutely necessary. With this brief explanation to her allies, she set off, accompanied by her mother, Huo Yun'er.
The World of Ye Wen's Douluo Plane
After so many years of holding in her feelings, Huo Yu´er had hoped to boldly confess her love to Ye Wen. But when the moment came, her courage failed. She instead concealed her divine power and, together with her mother, began exploring the Douluo world that Ye Wen had helped create. If she could learn more about Ye Wen, perhaps her heart would settle.
As they traveled, neither she nor her mother realized the subtle corruption that had begun infecting Douluo Star due to the Celestial Demon Civilization's insidious influence. Due to her beauty, Huo Yu´er encountered several unwanted advances, but her strength allowed her to brush off these incidents without much thought.
It wasn't until the God Kings' fierce battle erupted that she noticed something was wrong. Recognizing Ye Wen's familiar energy, she felt her heart leap with excitement. She wanted to join him, to fight by his side, but just as she got close, Ye Wen's sudden spatial displacement technique caused him to disappear.
She wandered the universe frantically, searching for him. By the time she located him, the battle had ended. Fate had intervened, and she had come just a moment too late.
She held what remained of Ye Wen a fractured soul core. Sorrow filled her eyes as tears slipped down her face. "I'm so sorry, Master. I was here, but I arrived one step too late."
Her voice softened, her hand clutching his core. "But don't worry. With my Supreme Reincarnation Law, I can cleanse the effects of these ruinous laws on you. I'll find us a new world one where we can start over, get to know each other again."
A faint, dreamy smile crossed her beautiful face as she spoke. But then she noticed something strange: Ye Wen's soul core was intertwined with that of another Nana. A flicker of irritation crossed her face.
"Fine," she muttered, her voice laced with jealousy. "I'll let you come along. You can reincarnate with us. After all, it's a good deal for you, isn't it?"
(End of Chapter)
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Chapter 652: Returning to the Beginning
Huo Yu´er had spent considerable time on Douluo Star, and the Plow in her possession had finally finished recharging. She knew that the stronger a civilization became, the more powerful the entities surrounding it tended to be. To ensure her own safety, Huo Yu´er selected a time period far earlier than that of Ye Wen's era before the stories of the Dragon God or Ultimate Douluo, even before the timeline she had ruled in her own Absolute Douluo world. She chose instead to return to the timeline of the original Douluo Continent.
The era of the Spirit Hall, though it boasted some powerful Douluo figures, did not pose a threat to someone as powerful as Huo Yu´er, who had plenty of trump cards ready.
Opening the spatial gate, Huo Yu´er descended into the ancient Douluo Continent. As she took in her surroundings, she noticed its resemblance to the Douluo Star of her time, though she had always seen it merged with the Sun Moon Continent.
"This Douluo Star is so much like Master's Douluo Star," she thought briefly before pushing the thought aside. She had no time to waste.
Though her era was often referred to as the Douluo God Realm, that name had actually been a label assigned by the later pantheon for classification. At this point in time, the God Realm had no specific connection to Douluo Star, instead residing in a faraway void.
Not wanting to alert the powerful gods of this era, Huo Yu´er restrained her power, knowing that the present God Realm was ruled by two Supreme God Kings. She compressed her strength to avoid detection and began to employ the Laws of Reincarnation.
All things were ultimately subject to the power of time, and the Laws of Reincarnation were a manifestation of time itself. With this, she began to cleanse the remaining traces of Ye Wen's powerful attack. Though that power clung stubbornly to him, Huo Yu´er's mastery of reincarnation allowed her to thoroughly erase it, preserving Ye Wen's very essence.
However, the two interlocked soul cores of Ye Wen and Na'er remained entangled. Watching the two, Huo Yu´er couldn't help but feel frustrated she had come to reunite with her master, yet he still clung to someone else. The thought left her feeling like an unwelcome third party.
"Even so," she thought, gazing at Ye Wen's soul core with devotion, "as long as I'm by Master's side, that's all that matters."
Her body flickered as the toll of suppressing Ye Wen's deadly attack became apparent. Even a being as vast as the Celestial Demon Patriarch had been eradicated by it. For a Supreme God King like Huo Yu´er, who had not yet amassed such depth, the price of neutralizing it was high. But in her heart, every sacrifice was worth it.
Since the worlds beneath the God Realm were equipped with laws to detect divinity, Huo Yu´er and Ye Wen would be discovered if they entered Douluo Continent with godhood still intact. But Ye Wen's shared divinity technology meant they could relinquish their godly positions. No divinity meant no detection.
Huo Yu´er flew toward Douluo Star but paused, a determined look crossing her face. "Master's wives," she muttered, "you became his beloved because I didn't get to meet him first. Now that we're reincarnating, I'll make sure I have the same opportunity as you." Her face took on a mischievous smirk. "Losing memories after reincarnation is only natural, right?"
Huo Yu´er inscribed the "Mystery of Reincarnation" upon Ye Wen's soul core, sealing away his memories of everything that had happened since his ascension. What she didn't realize, however, was that Ye Wen's soul originated from a higher dimension. While she could erase his godly memories on Douluo, she could not erase his memories of his past life.
Satisfied, Huo Yu´er observed her handiwork with a smile. As long as Ye Wen remained unawakened, the Mystery of Reincarnation would bind him. This would give her time to… perhaps even more than she dared to hope.
Before entering Douluo Star's world, Huo Yu´er quietly connected to its consciousness. At this moment, Tang San was developing in Ah Yin's womb. Under the covert influence of Shura, Tang San would become the pseudo favored son of the plane.
But with Huo Yu´er's arrival as the heir of the Absolute Douluo Star, and Ye Wen's essence blessed by his own Douluo Star, the plane's consciousness stirred. Though it couldn't fully perceive Ye Wen's memories, a strong instinct guided it to favor these two. Not doing so would lead to certain regret.
The energy of fate poured down upon them both, and Huo Yu´er sensed this blessing. Once the host of her own plane, she quickly linked herself to Douluo's consciousness. The storm of energy rolling through Douluo Star didn't go unnoticed, causing many of its inhabitants to wonder what had just happened.
With their destinies entwined, both Huo Yu´er and Ye Wen transformed into pure spirit forms, their souls merging with the world.
In the God Realm, some of the gods sensed the energy pulse. But cosmic phenomena, they thought, often caused such waves. As long as no new gods were born, the gods of Douluo were content to let it pass. For now, they remained idle, indifferent.
Ten months later, Douluo Continent, Holy Soul Village
A loud cry pierced the air, heralding the birth of a new life.
Uncertain and confused, Ye Wen found himself disoriented. What on earth had happened? He'd only stayed up three nights in a row working on a paper how had he suddenly ended up in this state, exhausted and blind?
His own voice sounded strange to him, too a high pitched, helpless wail. The sound annoyed him, so he forced himself to quiet down, silencing the infant's cry.
At first, panic flooded his heart, but soon realization dawned.
The blindness was simply because his infant eyes hadn't yet fully developed; he'd need a few months before he could see clearly. His lack of strength, meanwhile, was due to his current status as a newborn. His weak limbs and tiny body left no room for doubt he was indeed an infant.
"Did I really reincarnate?" he wondered. "All I did was stay up a few days for a thesis paper. Three days without sleep, and I die? The previous generation could go seven days without sleep." He sighed in disappointment. "I've let my ancestors down."
Suddenly, hunger gnawed at him, prompting a fresh wave of cries.
But when he was finally fed, a new thought crossed his mind.
"...Not bad at all."
(End of Chapter)
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Chapter 653: Martial Soul Awakening Part 1
Time passed, and young Ye Wen grew into a bright, capable child. On one particular day when he had just finished washing up, Ye Wen cast an envious glance at Tang San, who was returning from an early morning training session in the mountains.
"So lucky," Ye Wen muttered to himself. "It's like he just seamlessly transitioned from one extraordinary world to another he's training before even awakening his Martial Soul."
But Ye Wen shrugged it off; he knew that whatever the future held, it had little to do with him now as an ordinary village boy. As someone reborn with the memories of a previous life, Ye Wen had lofty ambitions. However, in a world where a person's success largely depended on the innate power of their Martial Soul, he had no way of training until it was awakened. For now, he could only wait and see what fate had in store for him.
He was, of course, familiar with Douluo Continent lore and knew that the quickest way for someone ordinary to gain a foothold here was through consuming a celestial herb. But that meant access to the treasured Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, which was currently in the hands of the eccentric Dugu Bo. There was no chance for him to obtain anything like that.
In the meantime, he had some theories based on the world of Douluo and tried to keep his daily routine healthy: eating nutritious food, staying active, and building his body as best as he could. This might give him a small advantage when it came time for his Martial Soul awakening. Perhaps he could luck out with some spirit power, get a spirit ring, and join the Spirit Hall to receive a monthly stipend of Gold Soul Coins. Living a peaceful, comfortable life with three or four wives wouldn't be a bad outcome.
After a tough life in his previous world, Ye Wen felt he'd earned the right to enjoy himself in this second one.
As for trying to get close to Tang San and learning his cultivation method? Ye Wen never even considered it. Anyone who knew Tang San's story could understand that idea was a shortcut to disaster. Tang San didn't even pass on the Mysterious Heaven Skill to those closest to him certainly not to Saint Soul Village villagers whom he generally ignored.
Finishing up his washing, Ye Wen sat down to the breakfast his mother had prepared. Despite the village's poverty, he'd managed to make their household comfortable. Though still young, Ye Wen had shown an unusual intelligence from early on. He took the initiative to study letters with Old Jack, the village elder, and even convinced his family to raise rabbits and chickens small livestock with low maintenance costs that could still make a big difference for a modest household.
Some people don't lack effort, but focus. Instead of struggling blindly, learning a skill can become a person's real lifeline. Although raising animals wasn't exactly groundbreaking, in this relatively primitive era, any skill had value. Most people still believed that "all professions are inferior, only soul masters stand above others," and books with knowledge accessible to commoners were rare. But Ye Wen, someone naturally inclined to learning, had found ways to gain access to useful knowledge from various sources.
Sure, he'd thought of ways to get even richer, but he knew that in a supernatural society like this, too much wealth without a soul master backing could easily attract trouble. Until he became a soul master himself or had a soul master ally, maintaining a decent lifestyle was enough. The modest income from his small scale livestock business was more than enough to ensure that his family was well fed, even able to eat meat, eggs, and dairy regularly.
Out in the countryside, keeping to oneself could lead to resentment, so Ye Wen made sure to foster good relations with the neighbors. Thanks to his generous spirit, his family was well liked in the village.
In contrast, Tang San's family had little popularity. Without Tang Hao's smithing skills, they might not even have enough to eat.
Enjoying what was considered a luxurious breakfast in Saint Soul Village, Ye Wen couldn't help but chuckle. "Sure, Tang San might become a god one day, but he can't even afford a side dish right now."
As a former medical student, Ye Wen knew better than to rush through meals. He chewed slowly, savoring his food. After finishing, he put away his dishes and, with a smile, said to his mother, "Mom, I'm heading out now."
"Alright," she replied gently, washing dishes. "Be careful, and don't get hurt."
It was a simple, daily exchange, but Ye Wen treasured it deeply. In his previous life, he'd grown up in an orphanage, so he deeply appreciated this warm family atmosphere.
After breakfast, Ye Wen headed to a secluded spot and began his morning exercises, practicing Eight Pieces of Brocade and Xing Yi Boxing. As he moved through the routines, he noticed an odd feeling though he regarded these techniques as simple calisthenics, his body naturally made subtle adjustments, leaving him feeling energized and relaxed.
While practicing, his thoughts drifted to Tang San.
"Not eating breakfast before training... Tang San doesn't know the first thing about taking care of himself. And even though his life was hard, he'll still end up playing the loyal dog to Tang Hao," Ye Wen shook his head, then let the thought go. He was happy enough just living his own life well.
After finishing his exercises, Ye Wen returned home and spent time reading. Though he wasn't sure if he could become a soul master, he knew it was essential to understand the world better. After all, novels were novels, and reality had its own rules.
"This blasted feudal world," Ye Wen grumbled as he counted his dwindling money. "Even borrowing books is so expensive... Greedy capitalists! If I could, I'd be hanging them from lampposts one day!"
Unlike Tang San, who kept to himself, Ye Wen had built up his family's wealth through resourcefulness. Though they weren't rich, they had some savings thanks to his foresight and his parents' support.
His father left early every morning to deliver produce to restaurants in Nuoding City. The quality rabbits and chickens they raised had established a solid market presence there two years ago. This connection also helped them sell other farm goods from the village, raising the overall standard of living and winning Ye Wen's family a great deal of respect.
And so, time passed. Eventually, Ye Wen arrived at a day he'd been eagerly anticipating.
In the Saint Soul Village spirit hall, he waited patiently for the arrival of the Spirit Hall official who'd conduct the Martial Soul awakenings. Ye Wen couldn't help but reflect on how unfortunate it was to be born a commoner. While nobility and the wealthy had access to early awakening ceremonies, commoners had to wait for an annual village wide ceremony, adding yet another layer of disadvantage to those without innate soul power.
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Chapter 654: Martial Soul Awakening Part 2
By the time the sun was high in the sky, a dust covered Su Yuntao finally arrived at Saint Soul Village. Alongside him was Old Jack, who brought a young boy with him.
When the children of Saint Soul Village saw this boy, their faces showed thinly veiled dislike, with the exception of Ye Wen. At this age, they weren't yet snobbish, but they did judge by appearances. Tang San, at this point, was not very easy on the eyes: his little face was dark, and though his clothes weren't too dirty, he wore a constant icy, scornful expression as if everyone owed him something. The other children were instinctively repelled by his aloofness.
Ye Wen, despite not wanting to get too involved with Tang San, gave him a friendly smile, hoping to leave a positive impression and avoid any trouble with him in the future.
But Tang San was unimpressed. "Hmph, hypocrite," he thought with disdain. Tang San, who had lived as a lower level disciple in the Tang Sect in his previous life, had a natural resentment toward people like Ye Wen those who lived better than him, were wealthier, and looked better. No matter how friendly Ye Wen tried to be, Tang San saw only insincerity.
That's right. Tang San, the future God King, had always harbored a bitterness toward those more fortunate.
To make matters worse, all of Saint Soul Village was involved in agricultural trade, while Tang's family worked in blacksmithing, a trade from which they reaped no benefits. Even when Old Jack or Ye Wen's family would help them out, Tang San felt it was more humiliating than kind. He was determined that no one would find satisfaction in pitying him.
Ye Wen was lost in thought when Old Jack stepped forward, bowing respectfully before Su Yuntao. "Honored Deacon, thank you for coming all this way."
Su Yuntao nodded slightly, a hint of pride in his bearing though he remained polite. "Leave it to me, Elder Jack. You can wait outside."
Following the rules of Martial Soul awakening, only the children and the spirit master performing the ceremony could remain inside the humble Saint Soul Village Spirit Hall.
"Yes, yes, thank you, my lord. Sorry to trouble you," Jack said, bowing deeply.
Ye Wen's heart sank a little as he watched this display of humility from the elderly village chief. No matter the civilization, strength would always command respect. Still, Old Jack was a good leader. As he left, he turned to the children, instructing them, "Kids, this is Lord Su Yuntao from Nuoding City. He'll guide you in awakening your Martial Souls and setting you on the path of a soul master. Be respectful and follow his instructions. I hope one of you will become a soul master…"
Su Yuntao, though he enjoyed the praise, hurriedly gestured for Jack to go. "Alright, alright, Elder Jack. You're delaying my work here."
Under Su Yuntao's prompting, Jack reluctantly left. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Su Yuntao softened his tone for the children. "Alright, little ones, line up in a row, one by one. Remember, don't be afraid no matter what happens."
He placed six black stones in a hexagonal formation on the ground, gesturing to the first child in line. "Come forward, stand here, and close your eyes. Just relax and focus."
As the child complied, Su Yuntao's eyes took on a faint green glow. To the children's amazement, he completed his Martial Soul Possession, briefly manifesting the spectral figure of a husky.
Ye Wen watched the display with a strange sense of déjà vu. He'd experienced similar dissonance over the past six years, but he had mostly grown accustomed to it, dismissing it as a lingering feeling from reading the original story.
Despite Su Yuntao's earlier reassurances, the children couldn't help but cry out in alarm as he unleashed his fierce Martial Soul aura. Gradually, however, they realized that the "scary" uncle hadn't transformed completely he was still the same kind man, just with some extra fur and claws.
Once reassured, they lined up, and the awakening ceremony proceeded smoothly.
After a long wait, it was finally Ye Wen's turn. He had planned to go last, hoping to "steal" the protagonist's fate, but Tang San, as it turned out, was even more stubborn and silently took the last spot with a defiant look.
Alright, Ye Wen thought with a sigh. You're the main character; you can go last.
So far, the awakenings had been underwhelming either hoes or the infamous Blue Silver Grass, none of which contained spirit power. Su Yuntao was beginning to lose hope, performing his duty mechanically by this point.
"Next," he said.
Ye Wen stepped into the array, and as Su Yuntao activated the awakening circle, Ye Wen felt a wave of spirit energy surge through him, flowing into every inch of his body. Then, with a flash of golden light, his Martial Soul appeared a transparent sphere of water floating above the circle.
Su Yuntao, initially drowsy with boredom, snapped to attention. "A mutated Martial Soul?"
Delighted, he leaned closer. "Mutated Martial Souls often carry spirit power. Looks like I'll have something good to report this time."
Ye Wen examined his Martial Soul closely. In the transparent sphere, he could make out a silvery, oval shaped core. A strange thought crossed his mind, and his expression grew more confused.
"Could my Martial Soul be a...slime? But how would there be slimes in Douluo Continent? Though…"
Holding his Martial Soul, Ye Wen felt an overwhelming sense of connection and warmth. His Martial Soul felt like an extension of himself, as if it were the most precious thing he possessed.
Su Yuntao's voice pulled Ye Wen back to the present. "Place your hand on this crystal, child. Let's measure your spirit power."
Ye Wen complied, but what he saw on Su Yuntao's face when the test was over left him disappointed.
"Only half a rank? You do have spirit power, but such a low amount means your potential will be limited," Su Yuntao muttered, unable to hide his disappointment.
Realizing he'd let slip a discouraging statement, Su Yuntao quickly added, "But don't worry too much! Even if it's a weak mutation, it's better than having no spirit power at all."
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Chapter 655: Martial Soul Awakening Part 3
Ye Wen barely paid attention to Su Yuntao's attempt to console him; all his thoughts were wrapped around his newly awakened Martial Soul. Despite having only a measly half level of innate soul power and possessing what appeared to be a low tier slime Martial Soul, he couldn't help but feel thrilled. Watching Ye Wen's carefree smile, Su Yuntao felt relieved at least he didn't have to bear the guilt of shattering a child's dreams and quickly moved on to the last child, Tang San.
When Tang San stepped onto the array, the awakening circle lit up again. Although it wasn't as bright as Ye Wen's earlier golden glow, the light still had an impressive radiance, piquing Su Yuntao's interest. Maybe his luck wasn't so bad after all. But as soon as Tang San's Martial Soul materialized, Su Yuntao's excitement collapsed.
What appeared in Tang San's hand was a single blade of Blue Silver Grass a common, useless weed that covered nearly every inch of Douluo Continent. Su Yuntao couldn't help but sigh in frustration.
"Just my luck. First, a mutated Martial Soul that barely has soul power, and now another useless Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul." Still, having seen Ye Wen awaken with some innate power, Su Yuntao thought that Tang San might have the same.
After all, while he hadn't read extensively, Su Yuntao was a practical soul master and knew of rare cases where Blue Silver Grass Martial Souls possessed soul power. Handing the crystal ball to Tang San, he repeated the procedure, not expecting much more than perhaps half a level of soul power.
What happened next took him by surprise. A blinding light burst from the crystal ball, filling the room with a glare so intense he instinctively pulled his hand away.
"My goodness! Innate full soul power!" Su Yuntao exclaimed, staring at Tang San in shock. But his joy quickly gave way to frustration as he slapped a hand to his forehead, muttering, "Of all the Martial Souls to awaken with full soul power, why did it have to be useless Blue Silver Grass? There go my rewards and my promotion…"
He trailed off, grumbling about how this discovery could have earned him praise and even a rank increase within the Spirit Hall. Instead, he was stuck with a powerful but useless Martial Soul. Tang San, however, ignored Su Yuntao's complaints, asking earnestly, "Uncle, what is 'innate full soul power'?"
That question brought Su Yuntao back to reality, though his face darkened again at being called "Uncle" he was barely in his twenties! Still, he remembered his duty and took a deep breath, explaining the meaning of innate full soul power.
Just as he finished, Ye Wen spoke up. "Mister Deacon, could you teach me how to retract my Martial Soul?"
Relieved by Ye Wen's polite and respectful manner, Su Yuntao's mood improved slightly. With patience, he explained the method to retract a Martial Soul, and all the children listened intently, even if most of them would never become soul masters. It was useful knowledge for basic Martial Soul control, and even if they couldn't cultivate, knowing how to withdraw their Martial Souls was practical.
Most of the kids took several tries to master it, but Ye Wen, after carefully listening to the explanation, managed it on his first attempt. With just a thought, he retracted his slime Martial Soul. As he did, he noticed a slight pulse of soul power within him a faint but unmistakable energy.
Though no experienced soul master was around to verify his feelings, Ye Wen recognized this as something unusual. In the original story, such an occurrence didn't seem common. However, with Tang San and his hidden powerhouse father still around, Ye Wen decided it was best to keep this a secret and explore it further on his own. The extra soul power might be a unique talent of his Martial Soul.
As for his half level of innate soul power, Ye Wen wasn't too concerned. He knew from his knowledge of Douluo Continent lore that rare herbs or treasures, like immortal grass, could enhance soul power, and that sometimes, a low innate soul power could be attributed to an incomplete awakening rather than weak potential. If he kept a low profile and developed slowly, he'd have time to investigate and improve.
With the basics covered, Su Yuntao finally led the group of children out of the Spirit Hall. After briefly explaining the results to Old Jack and writing certificates for the two who had awakened soul power, he prepared to leave. But just as he was about to depart, Ye Wen approached him.
Ye Wen, mature beyond his years, understood the importance of seizing every opportunity, and now was his best chance to ask Su Yuntao for a basic meditation technique. If he missed this opportunity, he'd have to wait until he entered the academy in the future.
Su Yuntao was momentarily surprised but softened as he looked into Ye Wen's eager eyes. In those eyes, he saw something that reminded him of his own younger self a thirst for knowledge. As it happened, Su Yuntao had a spare copy of a basic meditation guide, which he handed to Ye Wen.
Seeing this, Ye Wen offered the booklet to Tang San, inviting him to study it together. But Tang San declined, saying he would ask his father instead. Ye Wen wasn't surprised; he had met plenty of people who relied on their parents' guidance in his previous life, but Tang San was a unique case an absolute "dad loyalist."
As Su Yuntao left, Ye Wen couldn't help but feel some admiration for the Spirit Hall. Despite how soul masters were seen as valuable resources who could quickly rise in social rank after gaining a spirit ring, Spirit Hall still provided awakening services to rural villages. This gesture had an effect: unlike the idle, selfish nobility, Spirit Hall was at least doing something to help the common people.
After Su Yuntao departed, Old Jack came over to Ye Wen, patting his head warmly. "Congratulations, Little Ye Wen. Now you'll be a soul master, bringing honor to the village!"
"It's all thanks to the village, Grandpa Jack. I was just lucky," Ye Wen replied with a modest smile. After saying goodbye, he hurried off to share the news with his parents.
Jack then turned his attention to Tang San. When he heard that Tang San had awakened with innate full soul power but possessed only a Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, his joy quickly turned into regret, which he couldn't quite conceal.
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