Douluo: Soul-Breaking spear

Chapter 20: Awakening the Martial Soul

In the days that followed, each of the clan elders took the whale gelatin, and its effects were even better than expected. Nearly everyone's spirit power advanced by one level, and as they absorbed the gelatin, a thick black substance oozed from their skin—impurities and toxins leaving their bodies.

For a while, every clan member greeted Yang Potian with a smile, hugging him at any opportunity. This constant affection from everyone was a bit much, leaving him a little speechless.

Yang Potian also pondered the effects of the gelatin. Could it really be this effective? It seemed that the increase in spirit power wasn't the only benefit; each elder's cultivation rate had noticeably improved.

However, this outcome wasn't exactly surprising. The Po Clan had a deep affinity for alchemy. Every clan member practiced it, and some even seemed to value it more than their cultivation.

But as the saying goes, "All medicines have poison in small doses," and years of brewing had accumulated toxins within the clan members, even deeply embedded in their blood and bones. The whale gelatin's benefits of strengthening the body and flushing out impurities made it a priceless treasure for the Po Clan. The effects of the ten-thousand-year-old gelatin that many of the elders used were comparable to some of the rarest natural treasures.

After taking the gelatin, Yang Wudi, Potian's grandfather, advanced to level 78, and his granduncle, Yang Wushuang, reached level 77. With their current cultivation rates, both could reach the Spirit Douluo rank within two years.

Half a year later, Yang Potian finally turned six. He'd grown taller, nearly reaching 1.3 meters. His face, though still youthful, now had a hint of maturity.

Meanwhile, his mother's belly had started to show; in just a few more months, he'd have a younger sibling. His father had been staying close to home, helping his mother through her pregnancy while balancing his own spirit power cultivation. Since taking the whale gelatin, his father's progress had been swift. Five months ago, he broke through to level 73, and now he was at the peak of that level, on the verge of reaching 74. His mother, Niu Jinfeng, had also reached level 65.

One evening after dinner, his father told him, "Son, rest up early tonight and conserve your energy. Tomorrow, the entire clan will be holding the Martial Soul Awakening ceremony. It'll be your turn to awaken your martial soul."

Hearing this, Yang Potian felt a rush of excitement. After six years in the Douluo Continent, it was finally time to awaken his martial soul. On this continent, everything is determined by one's martial soul and innate spirit power level. Only with a good martial soul and high innate spirit power can one aspire to great achievements; otherwise, even relentless effort might not be enough to achieve anything substantial.

It was like Yu Xiaogang in the original story—he awakened a flawed martial soul with a half level of spirit power. If it hadn't been for his father being the clan leader of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, he might never have become a Spirit Master at all. Yu Xiaogang's half-life of dedication and research on martial souls didn't help him reach level 30.

Yang Potian knew that unlike Yu Xiaogang, he had neither a powerful family background nor the same charm for wooing women. If his luck ran out, he'd be doomed to mediocrity for life.

With these mixed emotions, he eventually fell asleep, while his parents watched him with a blend of pride and apprehension. Every Spirit Master went through this, after all.

The next morning, his father, Yang Zhentian, and his mother led him to the place of awakening. His father initially suggested his mother wait at home, but her concern for Yang Potian won out, and she insisted on coming along. In the end, Yang Zhentian had no choice but to bring her along.

The place where the awakening ceremony was held turned out to be the ancestral shrine of the Po Clan. Outside the shrine were eight chairs occupied by his grandfather, Yang Wudi, and the seven clan elders.

Surprisingly, his father, Yang Zhentian, was officiating the ceremony. And to Yang Potian's dismay, his father pulled him to the front of the line.

Yang Potian felt a bit awkward, hoping to watch a few others go through their awakenings first. Instead, he was now going first.

Soon, everyone gathered around. There were thirteen children in this year's awakening ceremony, all direct descendants of the Po Clan.

In the world of Spirit Masters, the main difference between direct and branch family members is the martial soul. Regardless of one's family status, if their martial soul wasn't the clan's inherited spirit, they would become a branch member. Every clan had its own cultivation methods tailored to its unique martial soul; this was the reason Yu Xiaogang faced such hostility from his family.

Yang Zhentian took out six black stones and arranged them in a hexagon.

"Potian, step into the center," his father said.

Yang Potian, both nervous and excited, walked into the hexagon.

Yang Zhentian then activated his martial soul, summoning a massive Po Soul Spear over three meters long, with a sharp blade that took up a quarter of its length. He channeled six rays of light into the six black stones, and they emitted a golden glow, forming a dome of golden light around Yang Potian.

His father's voice came from outside, "Potian, close your eyes, extend your right hand, and try to sense it."

Yang Potian closed his eyes and focused on the changes within himself. He could feel a flow of power running through him, making his whole body warm.

Gradually, a Po Soul Spear appeared in his right hand, almost identical to his father's—its black shaft looked even darker, and the blade seemed sharper.

But something felt incomplete. Yang Potian could still sense energy surging within him like a river, though there was no reaction in his left hand.

"This isn't right," he thought. "When the Po Soul Spear awakened, I sensed another distinct martial soul, but my left hand isn't responding at all. Aren't twin martial souls supposed to manifest one in each hand? Something feels off."

As Yang Potian pondered, the surge within him subsided, leaving only the large Po Soul Spear in his hand.

"Well done, son!" Yang Zhentian sighed in relief. "Your martial soul is the Po Soul Spear."

For the Po Clan, this was the best possible outcome. The Po Soul Spear was their ancestral martial soul, and those who awakened it usually had a decent level of innate spirit power, rarely below level five.

(End of Chapter)

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