NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1: Disobeying the System
"Blue Silver Grass—useless martial soul."
Inside a grand hall, a young man, seemingly in his twenties, stood tall. His sharp eyebrows framed a pair of bright, intelligent eyes, and his handsome appearance exuded confidence. Dressed in a pristine white suit with a black robe draped over his shoulders, he carried an air of authority. At the center of his chest, a fist-sized emblem displayed the word "Soul."
The man, Su Yuntao, looked at the wheat-skinned boy in front of him with disappointment and called out softly, "Next."
"Uncle, you haven't tested my soul power yet!"
"There's no need to test. I've never seen anyone with Blue Silver Grass martial soul possess soul power," Su Yuntao replied dismissively.
"Uncle, please test my soul power. It won't take long."
Su Yuntao sighed and reluctantly agreed. "Fine, I'll test it. Let's get this over with."
The little boy had expected this response.
He was a child of about six, with black hair and deep black eyes. His clothes were tattered and patched, showing signs of hardship. His wheat-colored skin shone with a healthy glow, but it was his eyes—calm, deep, and filled with determination—that stood out. They seemed capable of seeing through everything.
The boy's name was Ye Feng, and he had come to the Spirit Awakening Ceremony to awaken his martial soul.
"Your situation is very unique," Su Yuntao said, his tone heavy with regret. "A genius with innate full soul power is as rare as a phoenix feather or a qilin horn. But what a pity… what a waste. Even if your martial soul were a farm tool, it would be more useful than Blue Silver Grass. In that case, at least you'd stand a chance to—ugh." He shook his head in frustration before gesturing to the next participant.
"Next!"
Nearby, a boy named Tang San quietly watched the proceedings, a thoughtful expression on his face. He had countless questions about martial souls and soul rings, but seeing Su Yuntao's impatience, he temporarily stepped aside, allowing Ye Feng to enter the formation.
Ye Feng stood in the awakening array, where golden soul power began to flow into his body. The warm energy coursed through him, soothing and invigorating, as if it were unlocking something deep within.
Suddenly, a mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
"Ding!"
"System detected! The host is awakening a martial soul. Conditions met for system activation. Initializing binding process!"
A holographic progress bar appeared in Ye Feng's mind, with the words:
"Binding progress: 10%... 20%... 30%…"
Ye Feng's eyes widened in shock.
"System?!"
His heart raced. "After six long years, my golden finger is finally here!"
Suppressing his excitement, he thought to himself, "System, do you even know how I've lived these six years? Now, with you, I finally have hope. I'm going to become stronger—stronger than anyone!"
"Binding complete. System activation successful!"
As the process finished, Ye Feng couldn't help but glance at Tang San, who stood quietly nearby.
"Interesting," Ye Feng thought. "Tang San isn't originally from Holy Spirit Village, and neither am I. Grandpa Jack once told me that before my parents passed, they entrusted me to him by chance. My martial soul shouldn't be ordinary. Still…"
His eyes flickered with a mix of envy and admiration. "Tang San, the chosen one, awakened twin martial souls. The protagonist truly lives up to his name. He's different from the rest of us."
Suddenly, the system chimed again:
"Ding!"
"The host envies Tang San's twin martial souls. The system is dissatisfied and will assist the host in awakening a unique tri-spirit martial soul configuration!"
Ye Feng froze. "What? Tri-spirit martial soul?!"
"Correct," the system confirmed.
"Are you serious? From ancient times to now, no one has ever had three martial souls… unless you count the monster who appeared thousands of years later in the legends of Douluo Continent!"
"The system does not joke. Host, please select your first martial soul."
A holographic menu appeared in Ye Feng's mind, showcasing a selection of formidable martial souls:
Xuanyuan Sword
Sun-Shooting Bow
Dinghai Divine Needle
"I'll choose Xuanyuan Sword!" Ye Feng declared without hesitation. In Chinese culture, the sword was revered as the king of all weapons, and Xuanyuan Sword was a legendary artifact.
"Selection confirmed. Congratulations, host, on obtaining the first martial soul: Xuanyuan Sword. Now, please select your second martial soul."
The image shifted, this time showing auxiliary-type martial souls:
Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda
Blue Silver Emperor
Nine Heart Mysterious Tang
Ice God Staff
"System, what's the difference between Nine Heart Mysterious Tang and Nine Heart Begonia?"
"Nine Heart Mysterious Tang is a mutant evolution of Nine Heart Begonia. Unlike its predecessor, it is no longer limited to healing. Its abilities are centered around the concept of 'mystery,' granting it infinite potential. It is on par with the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda and the Blue Silver Emperor."
Ye Feng's heart raced with excitement. "Then I choose Nine Heart Mysterious Tang as my second martial soul!"
"Selection confirmed. Congratulations on obtaining the second martial soul: Nine Heart Mysterious Tang. Now, please select your third martial soul."
A final menu appeared, this time filled with spiritual-type martial souls:
Eye of Shura
Golden Eye
Heavenly Golden Eye
Eye of Hell
Ye Feng hesitated before saying casually, "I'll choose the Eye of Hell."
"Selection confirmed. Congratulations on obtaining the third martial soul: Eye of Hell. Binding complete."
At that moment, Ye Feng's eyes began to emit a faint glow, and warmth filled his entire body. Both his hands tingled as the powers of his awakened martial souls settled within him.
"Child, are you deaf? I said stretch out your right hand!" Su Yuntao's voice snapped Ye Feng out of his thoughts.
Ye Feng quickly extended his hand. A delicate, colorless flower appeared—a transparent crabapple blossom, as beautiful as a gem.
Su Yuntao frowned and sighed. "Another useless martial soul… no color at all. What a waste. Seems my trip to Holy Spirit Village was pointless. Alright, step aside."
Ye Feng didn't argue. Smiling faintly, he withdrew his Nine Heart Mysterious Tang, concealing its true nature. "Before I grow stronger, whether my martial soul is strong or weak is something only I need to know," he thought.
"Uncle, you still haven't tested my soul power yet," Ye Feng reminded Su Yuntao with a calm smile.