Chapter 6: So, What Exactly is This Thing?
"Xiao Guang, Grandpa is stepping out for a bit. Stay home by yourself for a while."
"Okay."
The old butler looked somewhat dejected, constantly muttering something under his breath.
"A Light Martial Soul with Innate Level One soul power... what on earth can he do with that in the future? Sigh..."
After returning to the small courtyard, Qian Zhaoguang immediately ducked into his room, eager to study the Martial Soul he had just awakened.
In his previous life, while reading the original works thoroughly, he had been incredibly curious about the miraculous Martial Souls.
Now that he possessed one himself, how could he resist experiencing it firsthand?
He removed his upper garment, exposing his chest to the air.
After over a thousand days of continuous training, faint outlines of muscle definition were already visible on his upper body.
Qian Zhaoguang recalled the sensation during the Martial Soul Awakening. As his thoughts directed, his soul power was unconsciously mobilized, and the temperature in the room quietly dropped slightly.
A fist-sized, ice-blue circular point appeared on his chest, making the room seem even brighter.
What exactly is this Martial Soul?
Is it a Body-type Martial Soul?
Qian Zhaoguang was rather clueless.
Many details about Martial Souls were never mentioned in the original works, leaving him with little basis for judgment.
Right now, aside from a slight coolness in the area where the blue light appeared, he felt no other special sensations.
His physical condition didn't feel significantly enhanced, nor did there seem to be any other buffs. It was truly strange.
He picked up a piece of paper from nearby and held it in front of his chest, concentrating his will to channel the wisp of soul power within him towards the location of his Martial Soul.
After a moment, a beam of blue light shot forward, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop even further.
Some fine ice shards appeared on the paper.
Qian Zhaoguang put the paper down, half amused and half resigned, and put his shirt back on.
Well, the Martial Soul is awakened. And it's very unique, looks pretty awesome, but I have no idea what it's good for.
Ah well, it's not like I planned to rely on the strength of my Martial Soul to succeed anyway. Whatever it is, it is.
Having a bit of an ice attribute is an unexpected bonus. It should increase my chances of success when I try to acquire the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm five years from now.
Since my Martial Soul manifests as light and possesses some ice attributes, why not call it Extreme Ice Light?
When it came to names, it was better to pick something that sounded good.
Qian Zhaoguang stopped fussing over his Martial Soul, turned around, picked up the long saber leaning against the wall, and walked out the door.
The Martial Soul Awakening had taken up half the morning; his training schedule for the day wasn't completed yet.
While Qian Zhaoguang was sweating profusely in the small courtyard, the Duchess was listening to the report from the same middle-aged man from earlier.
"You said Elder Zhu's adopted grandson awakened what kind of Martial Soul? Light?"
The middle-aged man answered respectfully, "Yes, Madam. However, his Martial Soul looked somewhat strange, not like the usual Light-type Martial Souls."
The Duchess scoffed disdainfully, "So what? He's nothing but trash with Innate Level One soul power. Elder Zhu's old illness worsens daily. Even if a Healing-type Titled Douluo were to intervene, he has five years left at most. I'd like to see then how that little brat can continue protecting that pair of bitches!"
At this point, she began grinding her teeth again, her voice practically squeezed out from between them.
"Body-type Martial Soul eyes, Innate Level Nine soul power! How could a worthless woman, not even a Soul Master, possibly give birth to such superior offspring! Hurry up and do what I told you!"
The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment, then asked quietly, "But Madam, are we really not going to inform the Master? An Innate Level Nine Body-type Martial Soul... that's talent with a high chance of getting into Shrek. What if the Duke finds out later—"
Before he could finish, the Duchess rudely cut him off.
"Am I the master, or are you the master? Do you need to teach me how to conduct my affairs?"
"This subordinate wouldn't dare..."
"Then why haven't you scrammed yet?"
"This subordinate takes his leave..."
The Duchess angrily slammed the teacup she had picked up back onto the table, a cold sneer spreading across her face.
"Shrek? Pah! Is that little bitch worthy? Without a recommendation letter from a City Lord-level figure, how could she possibly enter Shrek!"
After lunch, the old butler gave Qian Zhaoguang a manual detailing a meditation method.
Once Qian Zhaoguang had quickly read through and memorized it, the butler took him out, heading towards the forge within the Duke's Mansion.
Inside the clanging forge, the old butler introduced Qian Zhaoguang to a highly skilled blacksmith.
Although this old blacksmith wasn't a Soul Tool Master, his skill in forging alone was by no means inferior to those of mid-to-high-rank Soul Tool Masters.
The custom-made long saber Qian Zhaoguang had used for his daily training these past few years was his masterpiece.
Under the old blacksmith's initial guidance, Qian Zhaoguang picked up two forging hammers and began his forging apprenticeship.
The old blacksmith stood aside, beaming, observing Qian Zhaoguang's movements, and said with satisfaction, "Well now, Old Zhu, this grandson of yours is really not bad! His body is very sturdy, and his mind works quickly too. Don't you worry, since you've put in the word, I'll definitely pass on my entire skillset to him. There aren't many youngsters willing to put in the hard work in forging these days."
The old butler gave a wry smile, saying, "Zhaoguang has been a sensible child since he was young, it's just... his innate soul power is truly unsatisfactory. Learning a trade from you, at least he'll be able to support himself in the future."
"Come on, Old Zhu, try to look on the bright side," the blacksmith countered. "This kid has high comprehension; maybe he'll become a Soul Tool Master. Besides, look at that ox-like strength of his! Does he look like a six-year-old? Even if he joins the Duke's army later, he'll definitely secure a good position."
"Let's hope so..."
"In a couple of days, I'll find a recipe for you. My old man got it from who-knows-where years ago; supposedly, the effects are wicked good. Go grab some herbs, give Xiao Guang some medicinal baths or something. Don't let all that brute force go to waste."
While the two elders chatted about Qian Zhaoguang's future, he himself didn't hear much of it.
He was already completely immersed in the world of forging, diligently pouring out sweat.
With each consecutive hammer strike, the Golden Body Art began to circulate unconsciously.
He felt every single muscle in his body tensing, undergoing tempering from both his physical exertion and his soul power, almost as if he himself had become a piece of metal being forged.
With every wholehearted exertion of force, Qian Zhaoguang surprisingly felt a unique kind of exhilaration, as if his entire body had become clear and unblocked.
The previously painful, mechanical movements had become the best aid to his cultivation, allowing his physique to progress at a rapid pace.
The blacksmiths nearby gradually stopped their own work, their gazes converging on him.
It was simply incredible that a six-year-old child could persist in swinging the hammers for so long.
The old master blacksmith proudly declared, "His name is Qian Zhaoguang, my newly accepted apprentice! From now on, you all better look after him."
Just like that, Qian Zhaoguang continued until he was near total exhaustion before following the old butler back to their small courtyard.
During the forging process, the progress of his Golden Body Art cultivation had far exceeded his expectations.
If he could maintain this high intensity of forging every day, he should be able to complete the first layer of the Golden Body Art in less than five years.
(End of Chapter)