The Peerless Emperor (TPE)

Lin Qian squinted slightly, looking at his master with a puzzled expression. "Master, what exactly is an Ancestral Soul Weapon, and why does it make you so certain that my origins are extraordinary?"

Lin Qian was genuinely curious about Wei Wushuang's words, especially since he had long suspected that his parents were far from ordinary.

Wei Wushuang took a deep breath and began explaining, "You know that Soul Warriors start by cultivating through the three basic realms: Entry Yuan, Gather Yuan, and Form Yuan. After that, there are the three transformative realms: Nirvana, Break Void, and Life and Death."

"Beyond that lies the Three Martial Realms: Awakening, Soul Insight, and Saintly Entry."

"The Three Martial Realms?" Lin Qian's expression shifted, showing a mix of surprise and realization. In Linhai Prefecture, Soul Warriors only knew of the basic and transformative realms. The Three Martial Realms that Wei Wushuang mentioned were entirely unheard of.

Although Lin Qian had always suspected that there were higher realms beyond the transformative ones, this was the first time he had heard concrete confirmation.

"After the Nirvana Realm, a Soul Warrior's soul weapon begins to awaken unique traits, and their soul power gains elemental attributes. The Awakening Realm marks a more significant transformation, where the soul weapon no longer remains an indistinct, vague shape but instead takes on a form that closely matches the wielder's preferences," Wei Wushuang continued.

"Just like the soul weapon in your dantian now—it's fully awakened, no longer just a crude form of soul power but detailed, reflecting the wielder's individuality."

"If the previous state of a soul weapon was akin to an embryo, then in the Awakening Realm, it is fully formed."

Lin Qian was stunned. Wei Wushuang's explanation made it clear that to achieve this level of soul weapon maturity, one had to break through to the Awakening Realm. But Lin Qian was still in the basic realms, not even close to the Nirvana Realm. So why had his soul weapon already displayed characteristics of the Awakening Realm?

This discrepancy must be related to what Wei Wushuang referred to as an "Ancestral Soul Weapon."

"Could it be that my ability to harness elemental attributes and have a fully formed soul weapon at this stage is directly tied to this Ancestral Soul Weapon?" Lin Qian asked, looking at Wei Wushuang, awaiting further clarification.

Wei Wushuang nodded solemnly, his expression complex. "Indeed, it's because only the descendants of legendary figures who have surpassed the Three Martial Realms can potentially awaken such a soul weapon."

"Above the Three Martial Realms, there's an even higher level of cultivation!" Lin Qian exclaimed, realizing that his rebirth might be linked to being the descendant of an extraordinary figure.

"I only ever heard of such families when I ventured outside Linhai Prefecture, and even then, they were mere rumors. I never imagined that a disciple I took in here would have such a lineage!" Wei Wushuang said, his expression complicated as he looked at Lin Qian.

Wei Wushuang then explained more about the concept of Ancestral Soul Weapons. After breaking through the Three Martial Realms, a person's descendants could inherit the power of their bloodline, with their soul weapons awakening with superior traits. However, even among these descendants, there was a wide range in talent and the extent to which they could draw power from their lineage.

Most descendants would simply have faster cultivation speeds and stronger awakened traits in their soul weapons during the Nirvana Realm. Such individuals were considered to possess bloodline talent.

Only a few exceptionally gifted descendants could extract more power from their lineage, accelerating their cultivation speed and strengthening their soul weapon traits. These individuals were said to have Inherited Soul Weapons.

Some descendants could even fully form their soul weapons during the Nirvana Realm, drastically increasing their cultivation speed. These were known as Semi-Ancestral Soul Weapons.

Finally, those with unparalleled cultivation speed and fully formed soul weapons upon awakening were considered to have Ancestral Soul Weapons.

Since Lin Qian had fully formed his soul weapon without even reaching the Nirvana Realm, his was undoubtedly an Ancestral Soul Weapon, inheriting all the power of his forebears.

"An Ancestral Soul Weapon doesn't necessarily mirror the exact form of the ancestor's weapon," Wei Wushuang explained. "Your soul weapon might be a sword, but your ancestor's might have been a saber. The key is that your weapon, once armed with soul power, grants overwhelming strength."

Lin Qian silently nodded. Even without the help of the Hua Xia Empire, his cultivation speed was indeed terrifying. Additionally, once he armed his soul weapon, he could clearly feel the immense boost in power.

If his bare-handed soul power output was one, then the power of his sword strikes after arming his soul weapon was ten.

This drastic difference was why Lin Qian, with his formidable body and soul power at the Form Yuan level, could shock others by standing toe-to-toe with armed warriors of higher realms.

"The Thunder Night Sword—according to Zhuge Ming's research—is inherited from my father. So, my father must be a descendant of a powerful family. But why was he imprisoned in that water dungeon?" Lin Qian thought, recalling the scenes Zhuge Ming had extracted from the countermeasure tactics.

And according to his master, Wei Wushuang, his dantian also housed the fully formed Cloud Sword. Did this mean that it, too, was an Ancestral Soul Weapon?

If Wei Wushuang knew that his disciple possessed not just one Ancestral Soul Weapon but two, he might have fainted from shock.

"If that's the case, then my mother's family must also be immensely powerful. This confirms that without sufficient cultivation, searching for my parents would be futile."

"But with my current cultivation speed and the resources of the Hua Xia Empire, I won't have to wait too long before I have the strength to find them."

As Lin Qian reflected, Wei Wushuang was also deep in thought. They shared a close master-disciple bond, and Wei Wushuang had heard Lin Qian mention that his parents left when he was young, likely to find a solution for his inability to awaken his soul weapon.

But his parents never returned, suggesting they faced significant challenges.

"Lin Qian, remember my words: you may want to find your parents, but do not act rashly without sufficient strength," Wei Wushuang advised. After a pause, he added, "And in the future, it's best not to fully reveal your armed soul weapon."

Lin Qian nodded quietly. He understood the principle of not drawing unwanted attention to oneself.

"Being too conspicuous can bring unnecessary trouble," he thought.

"The grand event at the Ancient Ruins is approaching, so you should prepare well," Wei Wushuang said, giving Lin Qian a teasing smile. "And by the way, your little fiancée will also be attending. You should make sure to impress her so she doesn't get stolen by another young talent from Linhai Prefecture."

"Master, how did you know that?" Lin Qian asked in surprise.