"Since you've awakened your martial soul, step aside."
Watching the uncle-nephew duo fool around, Yan Jun's expression wasn't particularly pleasant. Still, not wanting to sound overly harsh, he coughed lightly before offering a reminder.
At his age, nearing retirement, Yan Jun wasn't interested in managing much. His only wish was for nothing bad to happen that would drag him into unnecessary trouble.
"Yes, senior, we'll step aside immediately."
Chen Ming's second uncle respectfully cupped his hands toward Yan Jun before grabbing Chen Ming by the shoulder and dragging him off to the side.
The rule in Biluocheng was simple: no matter what martial soul you awakened—whether it was trash without soul power or the family-inherited martial soul—you had to remain until the awakening ceremony was over before heading home to evaluate the results. This centuries-old tradition was something even the Chen family couldn't interrupt, no matter how urgent things might seem.
After Chen Ming was hauled to the side, the nearby spectators instinctively took a step back. In a city like Biluocheng, where venomous creatures roamed everywhere, anyone with half a brain knew to avoid danger when necessary. Sticking around at the wrong time was a recipe for disaster.
People learn best through experience, and in this place, the curious either shed their curiosity or end up losing their lives. Those who liked to court death didn't live long.
Hadn't they just seen the 40th-level Soul Ancestor get poisoned enough to turn green after a careless touch? If they accidentally got hit, it would be nothing short of terrible luck.
Even if the poison could be neutralized, it would still be a painful and unnecessary ordeal.
Better to observe from a safe distance—watch from afar first, and then get closer to satisfy curiosity.
As he watched the tail behind his nephew swaying side to side, the slim man coughed twice. He made a clawing motion over his chest and then pressed downward gently.
"Calm your mind. Focus on your heartbeat. Feel the power flowing through your body with every breath and pulse, like blood coursing through your veins. That is soul power. Now, imagine yourself relaxing, sinking into a soft bed, and feeling the weight in your chest dissipate. Then, pull that weight back into your body."
Soul master families typically offered more detailed instructions on sensing soul power than the martial soul awakeners at Spirit Hall. However, their guidance often veered into metaphysical territory. Descriptions like a weight in your chest were too abstract for most children, and overthinking could sometimes prevent them from retracting their soul power altogether.
Fortunately, Chen Ming's mature mindset as a reincarnated adult allowed him to process these instructions with ease. After pondering briefly, he quickly entered the right state.
Retracting his martial soul and soul power went smoothly. Yet during this process, Chen Ming seemed to sense something unusual.
It was a force that felt abstract, impossible to describe with simple language, yet omnipresent—a power anyone could connect with at any moment.
It was incredibly familiar, but at the same time, it defied concrete description or logical thought.
If he had to put it into words... it felt like some kind of spiritual or conceptual energy.
Did all soul masters in Douluo Continent experience this sensation when releasing and retracting their martial souls? Or was he an exception, perhaps due to his status as a transmigrator with a uniquely adapted soul? Or could it be that he had some kind of hidden advantage, a cheat ability, that he hadn't discovered yet?
Chen Ming silently mulled over these thoughts as he reached out with his right hand to touch his exposed left arm. Though his skin felt a bit tougher, and his muscles were visibly bulkier, the changes weren't drastic. There was no trace of the exaggerated enhancements he'd experienced during his martial soul possession, nor could he detect any sign of exoskeletal armor.
Because his body expanded dramatically after activating his martial soul, and his arms developed a layer of carapace, Chen Ming's clothes were now somewhat tattered, with his arms exposed to the air.
Martial soul families had indeed considered the problem of clothes tearing due to physical changes after martial soul awakening. Chen Ming's clothes were designed to be quite elastic. However, his body didn't just grow in size; it also emitted a corrosive toxin that damaged the fabric, leaving him in a rather disheveled state.
Chen Ming didn't mind this. He was a little messy, but he wasn't running around naked. If a bit of dishevelment during martial soul awakening could result in a higher-quality martial soul, probably everyone in Douluo Continent would willingly strip naked for the ceremony.
The ceremony continued, but no other particularly noteworthy children emerged.
This year, the child with the highest soul power level awakened during the ceremony was Chen Ming, with an innate soul power of level five. Among the fifteen children, only one had no soul power, and most hovered around levels two or three. The second highest had a soul power of level four, but their martial soul was a common venomous snake, not particularly strong.
After the ceremony concluded, Chen Ming's second uncle immediately picked him up and, without paying any attention to others' reactions, activated his soul power and bolted toward the Chen family's home.
When they were still several hundred meters from the house, a powerful surge of soul power emanated from its direction. A vigorous elderly man stormed toward them with an imposing aura.
"Are we being pursued? I'd like to see who dares act against the Chen family!"
A sinister soul power enveloped the old man. Behind his aged figure, one could faintly make out the shadow of an emerald-green poisonous scorpion. Two yellow, two purple, and one black—the optimal combination of soul rings—circled his body. His eagle-like gaze swept over the seemingly peaceful street, and his voice was as icy as the chill of deep winter.
"Dad, no one's chasing us. It's something else. Let's go home first."
Seeing his father in this state, Chen Ming's second uncle immediately realized that the old man thought he was fleeing from enemies.
Glancing at the ground corroded by the soul power his father had released, Chen Ming's second uncle didn't need to guess how furious the old man must be. If he didn't explain, he'd probably be strung up and spanked once they got home.
"Seriously, I haven't been in trouble or chased in the city for a long time…" the middle-aged man muttered under his breath.
"You brat, there'd better be a good reason…"
Hearing there were no pursuers, the old man's overwhelming aura faltered slightly. Feeling Chen Ming's gaze on him, his expression turned awkward for a moment. He gave a cold snort, flicked his sleeve, and turned away.
The old man knew that his second son, though a bit mischievous, wouldn't make such a mistake. If he said something was important, it surely was. However, making such a fuss in front of his only grandson was a bit embarrassing for the old man.
Fortunately, because Chen Ming's second uncle had rushed home at full speed, no other forces had time to report back. There were a few spies near the Chen family's residence, and the vendors and pedestrians had already fled, frightened by the duo's imposing auras. Thus, this scene was witnessed by very few people.