Qingshan City, Chu Family Village.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
...
Night had fallen, but in a small courtyard, a young man was still gritting his teeth and persisting, fiercely punching a sandbag.
"Qingyun, take a rest. Tomorrow is the day you test for your Martial Soul."
A middle-aged man walked out from the house behind him.
"No, Father. I still have four hundred reps left to finish today's task!"
"You should go rest first."
The young man's fists paused for a moment before landing heavily on the sandbag once more.
"This child…"
The middle-aged man knew his son's personality. He shook his head helplessly and turned to go back inside.
The young man's name was Chu Qingyun. He was a famed genius in the vicinity of Chu Family Village, having reached the Martial Disciple Ninth Layer at the young age of fifteen.
However, anyone who knew Chu Qingyun was aware that his so-called genius was, in fact, built upon daily sweat and toil.
Whether in the biting cold of winter or the searing heat of summer, through wind and rain, Chu Qingyun never once stopped his grueling training.
Awakening a Martial Soul was the most important event in any person's life.
After cultivating to the Martial Disciple Ninth Layer, one had to rely on the power of a Martial Soul to break through any further.
Only with a Martial Soul could one break through to the Martial Artist realm and truly set foot on the path of the Martial Dao.
Without a Martial Soul, one would remain a Martial Disciple Ninth Layer for life, no different from an ordinary person.
After another four hundred punches, Chu Qingyun was completely exhausted. He took a quick, cold rinse, returned to his room, and lay on his bed, but sleep would not come.
'Father, I will not let you down. I will definitely awaken a Martial Soul!'
In a daze, Chu Qingyun gradually drifted off to sleep.
Chu Qingyun's father, Chu Xuan, had never awakened a Martial Soul and thus had remained a Martial Disciple Ninth Layer his entire life.
Because of this, he had always seen Chu Qingyun as the continuation of his own life, pouring all his efforts into supporting his son's cultivation.
And Chu Qingyun had lived up to those expectations, displaying astonishing talent and diligence from a young age.
「The next morning」
In the village plaza, nearly every resident of Chu Family Village had gathered.
For today, Chu Family Village had three new cultivators who had reached the Martial Disciple Ninth Layer.
But the most important of them, of course, was Chu Qingyun.
When it came to awakening a Martial Soul, the younger one was, the greater their chances.
Having broken through to the Martial Disciple Ninth Layer at only fifteen, with such talent, awakening a Martial Soul was considered a near certainty for Chu Qingyun.
"Everyone, today our Chu Family Village has three more at the Martial Disciple Ninth Layer. This is a joyous occasion for the entire village!"
"Now, let the Martial Soul testing begin!"
"First up, Chu Shifei!"
On the Martial Soul Platform in the center of the village, an old man with white hair and a white beard, yet brimming with vigor, shouted with a powerful voice.
Gazing at the old man, everyone's eyes filled with reverence and admiration.
He was the chief of Chu Family Village, a powerful Level Nine Martial Artist.
Moreover, the village chief possessed a powerful Tier Two Martial Soul!
The Martial Souls awakened by different people were, naturally, different as well.
Martial Souls were graded by quality, ranging from Tier One to Tier Nine.
However, in a remote place like Chu Family Village, which lacked any powerful bloodline inheritances, simply awakening a Martial Soul was already an impressive feat.
For a Tier Two Martial Soul to appear occasionally was a true blessing from the ancestors.
'I must awaken a Martial Soul and become a powerful Martial Artist. Then, like Grandpa Chief, I will protect Chu Family Village!'
The young Chu Qingyun's eyes shone brightly as he secretly clenched his fists.
Chu Shifei, a man in his thirties, looked very stiff and awkward, as it was his first time being stared at by so many people.
"Heh, Shi Fei, relax. Don't feel pressured."
The village chief, Chu Tianxiong, patted Chu Shifei's shoulder and said with a chuckle.
In the village chief's hand was a translucent, pale-gold Crystal Stone.
It was a Soul Testing Crystal, an item used specifically for detecting Martial Souls.
One Soul Testing Crystal had enough energy to test three people, but after the first use, the energy within the crystal would slowly dissipate.
Therefore, in a small place like Chu Family Village, the common practice was to wait until there were three new cultivators at the Martial Disciple Ninth Layer before beginning the test.
The village chief infused his Primordial Power into the Soul Testing Crystal. A golden ray of light shot out and enveloped Chu Shifei.
A minute later, the golden light receded, but there was no reaction from Chu Shifei at all.
Disappointment instantly filled everyone's hearts.
"Shi Fei, don't be disheartened. If you don't have a Martial Soul, it's fine to live as an ordinary person."
The village chief offered a word of comfort.
Chu Shifei forced a smile, scratched his head, and said, "Heh, I'm already over thirty. I gave up hope a long time ago. It's fine."
"Second, Chu Xingwei!"
The moment the village chief's voice fell, a young man in his early twenties eagerly rushed onto the Martial Soul Platform.
"Chu Xingwei is only twenty-three. His chances of awakening a Martial Soul are still pretty high."
"I think he'll definitely awaken one!"
The villagers were all hoping Chu Xingwei would be able to awaken a Martial Soul.
"Xingwei, stand properly! Stop slouching!"
The village chief chided, his face stern.
Chu Xingwei instantly puffed out his chest and stood at attention. He grinned and said, "Come on, Village Chief, hurry up. I can't wait."
'This rascal…'
A hint of a smile flashed in the chief's eyes. A golden ray flew from the Soul Testing Crystal and enveloped Chu Xingwei.
About half a minute later, the space in front of Chu Xingwei seemed to distort, and a faint, black, twenty-centimeter-long mouse slowly materialized.
"A Martial Soul! It's a Martial Soul!"
"Haha, my Xingwei is promising after all! He really awakened a Martial Soul!"
The crowd erupted with excitement, especially Chu Xingwei's family, who couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Some people even began to consider whether they should marry one of their daughters to Chu Xingwei.
A minute later, the golden light disappeared.
The village chief announced with a smile, "Chu Xingwei, a Tier One Rat Martial Soul! Not bad. You must work hard from now on and not waste this talent."
"Next, Chu Qingyun!"
When the village chief called Chu Qingyun's name, the crowd quickly fell silent. All eyes were fixed on the handsome young man.
He was the genius of their Chu Family Village, the pride of their Chu Family Village!
"I've had high hopes for that kid, Qingyun, since he was little. He'll definitely awaken a Martial Soul!"
"Nonsense. It'd be strange if a fifteen-year-old at the Martial Disciple Ninth Layer *couldn't* awaken one."
"I think Qingyun might even awaken a Tier Two Martial Soul. You have to remember, the village chief himself only reached the Martial Disciple Ninth Layer when he was eighteen."
Many people in the crowd were murmuring amongst themselves.
Meanwhile, Chu Qingyun's parents were also very nervous, watching their son from a distance.
This was especially true for Chu Xuan. His hands were trembling with anxiety, even more so than twenty years ago when he himself had stood on the Martial Soul Platform.
"Qingyun, just relax."
Seeing Chu Qingyun, the village chief's eyes also filled with great satisfaction.
Not only had this child been diligent and hardworking since he was young, but his temperament was also exceptionally steady.
The village chief and the other elders all agreed that as long as Chu Qingyun awakened a Martial Soul, his future cultivation would soar to the heavens.
They had even considered sending Chu Qingyun to Qingshan City to develop his potential, so that Chu Family Village would have one more true expert.
The Soul Testing Crystal in the village chief's hand had already shrunk quite a bit. A golden ray of light shot out, enveloping Chu Qingyun.