C4 Martial Soul Awakening

Bibidong wasn't incapable of awakening Qian Xiaoyi's martial soul; her goal was merely to quench Qian Xiaoyi's curiosity.

A bead of cold sweat formed on the forehead of the middle-aged man as he quickly said, "Yes! Everyone in line, step aside. The Pope's son is about to awaken his martial soul. If you have any sense, you'll..."

"Wait a minute!" A youthful voice interrupted before the man could finish.

The middle-aged man's shirt was instantly drenched in sweat. That foolhardy kid! If you want to risk your neck, don't drag me down with you!

"Be quiet! I was saying... Oh, it's His Highness, the Crown Prince!" The man nearly wet himself under Bibidong's lethal glare. Though the Crown Prince wasn't his flesh and blood, the Pope cherished him even more than his own daughter. Indeed, serving a ruler was like walking with a tiger.

Qian Xiaoyi spoke up, "Here, we are all equal. I'm no different. Let's just wait our turn. I'm not in any rush. Mom, is that okay?"

What began as a solemn statement ended with a playful whine.

Bibidong smiled and gently stroked Qian Xiaoyi's head, "Let's listen to my son."

"Yes!"

After a lengthy wait, it was finally Qian Xiaoyi's turn.

An elder approached and bowed to Bibidong, "Pope, we may commence."

Bibidong simply nodded, giving the signal to proceed.

This elder was a Level-86 Soul Douluo and held the highest position in the Martial Soul Hall's Awakening Hall. Yet, he still bowed deeply before the Pope.

The elder extended his hand, palm facing Qian Xiaoyi, as his soul power streamed out continuously.

Awakening a martial soul is a process where an individual with a martial soul uses their soul power to stimulate a child's martial soul, leading to its awakening. This can temporarily impact the child's body. Moreover, children under six have underdeveloped meridians, making awakening more challenging. Therefore, it's best to perform the awakening at six years old to prevent any discomfort.

A low hum emanated from Qian Xiaoyi's body as the center of his left palm began to emit a soft glow. Lifting his palm, palm facing upward, Qian Xiaoyi could see the source of the light—a mark known as a soul mark. (The original novel did not feature a soul mark, but it was introduced in the manga. I've included it here for clarity.)

The soul mark is a symbol of one's martial spirit, with each unique martial spirit corresponding to its own distinct soul mark.

On Qian Xiaoyi's left palm was the soul mark of a ghost face. Staring at the ghost face soul mark, Qian Xiaoyi felt as if a stampede of ten thousand alpacas was racing through his mind. Damn it, awakening a martial spirit only to get a ghost face—was this some sort of joke about acting cute? He was relieved that no one was around to witness it; otherwise, it would have been utterly embarrassing.

Bibidong was deep in thought, furrowing his brow, while the elder who had been conducting the test wore a grimace as if he had just swallowed something foul. It took a while for him to regain his composure.

With an awkward chuckle, the elder said, "Haha, Your Highness, please hold this crystal ball to determine your soul power level. As you've just awakened your martial spirit, your soul power will be between level 0 and level 10, also known as innate soul power."

Qian Xiaoyi accepted the crystal ball and channeled his martial spirit.

Silence.

The crystal ball remained unresponsive, causing Qian Xiaoyi's mouth to twitch in disbelief. Could his mother's words really be coming true? Such a dramatic fall from grace!

The elder's embarrassment deepened, and he was also filled with dread, fearing that the Pope before him might end his life in a fit of anger.

Crack, crack, crack...

The sound of the crystal ball fracturing captured everyone's attention. All eyes turned toward the source of the noise.

It was the very crystal ball that had frustrated Qian Xiaoyi to no end, now riddled with cracks.

With a resounding crash, Qian Xiaoyi, in a burst of fury, slammed the crystal ball to the ground, shattering it to pieces.

"Wuwuwu, Mommy, the crystal ball was mean to me. Please, Mommy, don't ever abandon Yi! Wuwuwu~" Clinging to Bibidong, Qian Xiaoyi refused to let go, his fear of being cast aside palpable.

Qian Xiaoyi's small frame roused Bibidong from her stupor. With a smile, Bibidong said, "Alright, Yi, let's head home."

"Wuwu, okay! Goodbye, Grandpa!" Qian Xiaoyi continued to cry but managed to respond. He bid farewell to the elder and left with Bibidong, leaving behind the unsettled old man.

"Ah, what a shame. Such a polite child is rare these days. He holds a high position yet remains so humble. He truly reminds me of the Soul Battle Master Xun Feng! No wonder he's so endearing. But this crystal ball..."

The elder gazed thoughtfully at the shattered crystal ball on the ground. Then, with a flash of insight, he chuckled and registered the name "Qian Xiaoyi."

In the Martial Soul Hall, only those with innate soul power above level five are eligible to register their names in the Awakening Hall.

Back at home, Bibidong soothed Qian Xiaoyi, "Yi, there's no need to cry. Everything will be alright."

Qian Xiaoyi continued to sob, "Mommy, I don't like this Martial Soul. I want a different one."

Bibidong smiled and affectionately stroked his head, "Whether you like it or not, your Martial Soul can't be changed. It's fine. If you don't like it, we won't use it. Mommy will take care of you for your whole life."

Qian Xiaoyi looked at Bibidong, puzzled and adorably naive, "Mommy, you've got it wrong. I'm not going to use this Ghost Face Martial Soul. I want to use the other one."

Bibidong tapped Qian Xiaoyi's head lightly, "Silly boy, what do you mean by 'another one'? Do you have a second Martial Soul?"

Qian Xiaoyi nodded silently, extending his right hand to reveal a soul mark—a sword.

A sword began to materialize slowly in Qian Xiaoyi's right hand, as if it were growing from the palm itself.

The blade was intricately patterned, with designs that seemed to flow and shift in color.