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Both were soul masters and faculty members at Nuoding Soul Academy, making them among the more educated individuals in the soul master community. Naturally, they could tell that Chu Chengzhou's martial soul had undergone some unknown mutation.
However, mutations in martial souls could be either beneficial or detrimental. Relatively speaking, ordinary people without powerful inheritances often experienced benign mutations, while those from established soul master families were more prone to malignant ones.
It was like rolling dice—ordinary folk typically started with rolls of one or two, while noble families generally began with five or six. A martial soul mutation was akin to rerolling the dice. For ordinary people, the probability of improvement was significantly higher than for those born into prestigious lineages.
Moreover, since neither of Chu Chengzhou's parents possessed particularly powerful martial souls, even if his mutation turned out malignant, how bad could it really be?
But if it were a benign mutation? It might just turn a sparrow into a phoenix!
"Little Chengzhou, place your hand on the testing crystal orb."
Su Nan handed the blue crystal orb to Chu Chengzhou.
Nodding slightly, Chu Chengzhou retracted his gray flag martial soul and placed his small hand on the soul power testing orb.
Instantly, the orb emitted a suction force, and Chu Chengzhou felt the primal energy within him surge forth like an unleashed flood, pouring into the crystal.
Contrary to expectations, the brilliant blue light didn't shine brightly across the orb. Instead, only a tiny fraction—perhaps one-twentieth of it—lit up faintly.
'No…'
Seeing this, Chu Chengzhou's heart sank. His face paled as despair washed over him.
This particular soul power testing orb was designed for beginners, specifically for children who had just awakened their martial souls—not for seasoned soul masters. If the entire orb lit up, it signified maximum innate soul power. Half-lit indicated Level 5 innate soul power. But barely one-twentieth lit up—was he stuck with half a level of innate soul power? Wasn't he in the same boat as Yu Xiaogang, that infamous failure?
No, Chu Chengzhou thought bitterly. He was worse than Yu Xiaogang.
At least Yu Xiaogang had a Title Douluo father and a first love destined to ascend to godhood. What did Chu Chengzhou have?
In his previous life, poor academic performance didn't mean all hope was lost—it simply meant success through education was unlikely, but other paths still existed. However, on the continent of Douluo, lacking a strong martial soul inheritance and having low innate soul power basically sealed one's fate.
If he'd been born into a powerful family with a Title-level ancestor backing him, there might still be hope. After all, miraculous methods to defy destiny weren't unheard of—like the legendary herbs in Dugu Bo's garden, waiting to be harvested.
Unfortunately, Chu Chengzhou was of humble origins. His greatest support came from Grandpa Su Nan, whose strength barely scratched the entry-level fourth rank of a Soul Elder. This background wouldn't grant him any significant advantages.
As for softer options? A mere four-rank Soul Elder like Su Nan didn't hold enough sway to negotiate deals with revered Title Douluos.
And with such abysmal cultivation talent, even hitching himself to someone else's coattails seemed impossible.
Just as despair consumed him, feeling like he was embarrassing all transmigrators everywhere, a golden screen abruptly appeared in his field of vision.
[Detected host awakening martial soul, binding progress: 1%]
'??? Is this a cheat system arriving?!'
Staring wide-eyed at the progress bar displayed on the golden screen, Chu Chengzhou couldn't believe what he was seeing.
So this was the fabled "golden finger"—it might be late, but it never missed?
"Little Chengzhou? Little Chengzhou?"
Noticing Chu Chengzhou's pale face and vacant stare (focused on the cheat menu), Li Wan grew concerned.
The boy already had a tragic backstory, and now this blow... she hoped he wouldn't lose heart entirely.
"Ah, uh, Grandma!"
Hearing her call, Chu Chengzhou tore his gaze away from the golden screen and snapped back to reality.
Su Nan patted his grandson's shoulder reassuringly. "Little Chengzhou, don't be disheartened. Though your innate soul power is low, I promise you'll become a soul master someday!"
This wasn't empty reassurance. While Chu Chengzhou's innate soul power was indeed pitiful—barely half a level—anyone possessing innate soul power could technically become a soul master.
Take Su Nan's friend Yu Xiaogang, for example. Due to a malignant martial soul mutation, his innate soul power was similarly lackluster, yet he still managed to reach the 29th level as a Soul Grandmaster. Plus, he authored The Ten Core Competencies of Martial Souls, earning fame across the continent.
Of course, achieving Soul Grandmaster with less than Level 1 innate soul power required wealth. Ordinary commoners, busy scraping by, had no time for meditation or cultivation. Poor talent combined with insufficient practice made becoming a formal soul master nearly impossible.
While the Spirit Hall offered subsidies to low-level soul masters, this aid came with age restrictions. A fifty-year-old single-ring soul master? That'd be utterly useless.
These subsidies weren't pensions—they aimed to nurture the growth of soul masters, ensuring that financial struggles wouldn't hinder training.
Fortunately, though Su Nan's strength was negligible on the broader continent, in Nuoding City, he was unquestionably a "big shot." As the principal of the local academy and a baron honored by the Tian Dou Empire, Su Nan might not be rich, but he certainly wasn't short on petty cash.
'Yu Xiaogang had poor talent, and so does little Chengzhou. Maybe I should let Xiaogang take him as a disciple? With similar circumstances, they might resonate with each other.'
Thinking of his friend Yu Xiaogang, Su Nan mused silently.
Meanwhile, Chu Chengzhou remained blissfully unaware of his grandfather's thoughts—if he knew, he'd vehemently protest. Forget about the cheat system; even without it, being labeled a failure in Nuoding City didn't mean bowing to another failure as a teacher.
What would two failures together achieve except mutual incompetence?
Besides, Yu Xiaogang's character left much to be desired—he plagiarized academic work shamelessly. Hardly the ideal mentor.
"Grandpa, Grandma, don't worry! I'll definitely become a soul master one day!"
Meeting their worried gazes, Chu Chengzhou's young face radiated determination.
He avoided boasting about becoming a Title Douluo, lest they think he'd gone mad from the shock.
"Good, keep working hard, little Chengzhou!"
Seeing his grandson hadn't given up, Su Nan nodded approvingly.
Even with poor talent, Chu Chengzhou was still better off than countless others without any innate soul power. With Su Nan around, he might not achieve greatness, but a comfortable life was assured.
This way, their grandfather-grandson bond wouldn't go to waste, and it would honor the teacher-student relationship Su Nan once shared with Chu Chengzhou's deceased parents.
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