After returning home, Yang Xiong remained unusually silent, lost in deep thought about how to develop his Body Martial Soul.
A full-body Body Martial Soul was considered one of the most top-tier forms of Body Martial Souls, offering an incredibly diverse range of development paths. Whether pursuing a route of brute force, agility, defense, or even control through spiritual cultivation, the possibilities were vast.
One particularly terrifying characteristic of a full-body Body Martial Soul was its unparalleled compatibility.
It could absorb any type of soul ring without adverse effects, making it versatile enough to adapt to virtually any path—whether focusing on poisons, raw strength, or other specialized abilities. It truly encompassed all possibilities.
However, the era of Douluo was an exceptionally radiant one, often referred to as the age of gods' ascension. More deities emerged during this time than at any other point in the history of the Douluo world.
Yang Xiong carefully considered his options. The path of poison was undoubtedly out of the question. Even if he reached the peak of that path—level ninety-eight—the damage poison inflicted on the body would outweigh their benefits. While poisons could make him a formidable and fearsome opponent akin to wielding nuclear weapons, they ultimately harmed his physical well-being.
The most ideal path for a full-body Body Martial Soul was pure strength. Beast souls associated with strength typically possessed powerful attacks, outstanding defense, and relatively easier-to-obtain soul rings.
Yet, Yang Xiong felt that pursuing pure strength alone might impose certain limitations. It didn't feel perfect enough, especially since it lacked emphasis on spiritual growth.
Regardless of which path he chose, his body remained the foundation of everything. Ultimately, it all boiled down to one word: body refinement. Only by cultivating an exceptionally strong and resilient physique could he absorb higher-year soul rings.
In the entire Douluo world, only Body Martial Souls had the potential to absorb ten-thousand-year fourth soul rings and hundred-thousand-year seventh soul rings without external aids like immortal herbs.
For Body Martial Souls to truly rise to prominence, a second awakening was essential. Unfortunately, Yang Xiong had no idea how to achieve this. The original work hadn't detailed the process thoroughly—it seemed to be a closely guarded secret within the Body Sect. There was mention of using deep-sea water pressure, but again, specifics were lacking.
Another option involved using immortal herbs to trigger a second awakening. Sadly, Yang Xiong had no knowledge of such herbs.
Since the age of four, Yang Xiong had developed a fondness for reading. Every day, aside from training, he immersed himself in various books. Some belonged to his parents, while others were borrowed through connections from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's outer circle. None of these materials mentioned immortal herbs.
Perhaps the inner sect's library contained some references to rare herbs, but the information was likely too sparse to be useful.
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As Yang Xiong pondered, Yang Lin and Sun Yu grew increasingly concerned upon seeing their son's pensive demeanor. For soul masters, their martial soul was the foundation of everything, and awakening a useless martial soul was something many found hard to accept.
Sun Yu was now over forty years old, yet despite her relentless efforts, she had only reached rank forty-two. She doubted she'd ever achieve the Soul Emperor level, and she currently felt trapped in a bottleneck—a common tragedy among soul masters.
Yang Lin attempted to console him: "Xiao Xiong, don't worry too much. Your innate soul power is at level six. With the resources of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, reaching the Soul Emperor or even Soul Sage level shouldn't be an issue."
"Remember, your mother's innate soul power was only level four, and mine was level five. Your level is higher than both of ours combined, and it's considered quite impressive within the sect."
Yang Xiong studied his parents' faces, noting the concern etched into their expressions. Clearly, they worried that he'd be burdened by his supposedly useless spirit. After all, Body Martial Souls were widely regarded as inferior and notoriously difficult to cultivate.
Yang Xiong couldn't help but laugh. "Mom, Dad, what are you worrying about? I'm just thinking about how to develop my spirit. I'm very satisfied with today's awakening results—both my martial soul and innate soul power level. In the future, I might reach heights our family has never seen before."
Sun Yu gently patted Xiao Xiong's head, still puzzled. "Xiao Xiong, are you sure there wasn't some mistake during your awakening? martial souls tied to specific body parts are extremely rare—and universally considered useless and difficult to cultivate."
Yang Xiong quickly reassured her: "Mom, my martial soul isn't useless—it's a top-tier spirit! Though it may present challenges, it's arguably one of the top-tier martial souls in the world of soul masters."
Yang Lin and Sun Yu exchanged bewildered glances. Indeed, there were countless types of martial souls, and Body Martial Souls were exceedingly rare, appearing perhaps once in ten thousand cases.
Sun Yu hesitated before speaking: "Xiao Xiong, I've reviewed all records within the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. No notable experts have emerged with martial souls like ours—not even many Soul Sages. How can it be considered a top-tier spirit?"
Yang Xiong replied: "Mom, I've read plenty of books. martial souls tied to specific body parts, which I call Body Martial Souls, aren't cultivated primarily through meditation. Instead, they require constant physical training. Only by pushing the body's limits can the martial soul grew stronger."
Yang Lin and Sun Yu were even more perplexed. Both had grown up within the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect and were well-versed in various fields of knowledge, yet they'd never heard of soul masters relying on physical training as their primary method of cultivation. Meditation to absorb ambient spiritual energy was universally accepted as the standard practice.
Seeing his parents' confusion, Yang Xiong decided not to elaborate further. The development of Body Martial Souls had been fraught with challenges, and their true rise wouldn't come until thousands of years later. Moreover, Body Martial Souls did indeed have certain inherent limitations.
Relieved that Yang Xiong wasn't overly disheartened, Yang Lin and Sun Yu sighed in relief. Though they didn't fully understand his explanation, their son's optimism was all that mattered.
Suddenly recalling something, Yang Lin added: "By the way, Xiao Xiong, your innate soul power level is commendable. The sect will likely take notice. According to sect rules, all children will be enrolled in a unified school soon. You'll need to attend classes as well."
Yang Xiong frowned at this. "Father, attending school seems pointless. I'd rather study at home—it's better suited for my training."
Yang Lin shook his head. "These are the sect's rules; no exceptions. Besides, all children your age will study together, giving you a chance to make friends. Both inner and outer sect children attend the same school. This will also allow you to interact with the inner sect children early on. With your innate soul power level, you're bound to enter the inner sect eventually."
He paused, then continued: "Later, I'll personally teach you the method of meditation. Starting today, you can begin meditating and cultivating on your own."
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