Gu Xuan retracted his gaze and spoke, "You have been studying within the clan for so long; by now, I assume you all know the classification of a Soul Master's Martial Soul?"
Hou San raised his hand and replied, "Hall Master, a Soul Master's Martial Soul is divided into two major categories: Tool Martial Souls and Beast Martial Souls. We belong to the category of Beast Martial Souls."
Hou San was one of the current four Gate Masters and was likewise a Soul King. He stood about six feet tall with round eyes, flared ears, a face full of hair, and a mouth like a thunder god's. His face was lean with pointed features and sunken cheeks; his body resembled a pine-nut-eating macaque. Although he was human, he lacked the jawline of a typical man, looking for all the world like a monkey.
Gu Xuan nodded, then shook his head, leaving Hou San and the others in a state of confusion. Was he wrong? But the teachers who gave them lessons in the clan were professionals.
Looking at their puzzled faces, Gu Xuan said calmly, "You are right, but also wrong. Martial Souls are indeed divided into Tool and Beast categories, but strictly speaking, your Martial Souls are no longer considered Beast Martial Souls."
Hearing this, Niu Si raised his hand to question, "Hall Master, but our physical characteristics are all beast-like. Why are we not Beast Martial Souls?"
Niu Si, another of the four Gate Masters and also a Soul King, had a tall and burly frame. Two backward-curving yellow bull horns grew from his head, and a golden ring was pierced through his nose. With every breath, his large nostrils exhaled plumes of white mist-like gas.
To be honest, the appearances of Zhu Er, Hou San, and Niu Si left Gu Xuan quite speechless. These three guys looked far too similar to certain spirits from the Journey to the West of his previous life. Most importantly, their weapons made Gu Xuan suspect they were the reincarnations of those very spirits!
The three of them had originally been Rank 48 Soul Ancestors, but within their year at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, they had all broken through to Rank 50 and obtained Soul Rings with the clan's help.
Zhu Er's fifth Soul Ring came from a thirteen-thousand-year-old Iron-Toothed Demon Pig. These pigs fed on refined iron, and their mouths were incredibly sharp, possessing a terrifying force like a rake. Thus, his fifth soul skill was named "Iron-Toothed Rake."
Hou San's fifth Soul Ring was from a twelve-thousand-year-old Golden Bamboo Monkey. This type of soul beast fed on gold, and its tail was as hard as bin iron, even capable of detaching to be used as a weapon. Therefore, Hou San's fifth soul skill was named "Golden Cudgel."
Niu Si's fifth Soul Ring was taken from a thirteen-thousand-year-old Horn-Axe Mad Bull. This soul beast grew a massive horn shaped like an axe, possessing the power to split mountains. Consequently, Niu Si's fifth soul skill was named "Great Horn Axe."
When Gu Xuan learned of their soul skills, he couldn't help but feel like he had walked into a Journey to the West set. Looking at these 108 people who looked like monsters and demons, he felt like he had entered a monster's lair; not a single one looked entirely human.
However, it had to be said that the talent of these four Gate Masters was truly good. Now that they had resources to assist their cultivation, their potential could be thoroughly explored.
In response to Niu Si's question, Gu Xuan continued to explain, "Although you are beast-shaped, you have already merged into one with your Martial Souls. That is to say, you are the Martial Soul, and the Martial Soul is you."
Everyone fell into deep thought. Gu Xuan was right; due to the mutation, their bodies and martial souls had become inseparable.
As they pondered, Gu Xuan continued, "Therefore, there is a new term for your Martial Souls. I call it the 'Body Martial Soul.'"
"Body Martial Soul?" Hearing this term, everyone looked confused, as it was their first time hearing it. But it wasn't hard to understand. The key to "Body Martial Soul" lay in the word "body." Since their martial souls and bodies were one, wasn't that a Body Martial Soul?
At this moment, Gu Xuan's side, Gu Miao, asked, "But Master, is there any difference between a Body Martial Soul and a Beast Martial Soul?"
"Yes," Gu Xuan nodded. "And the difference is huge. A Body Martial Soul is very different from a Beast or Tool Martial Soul."
"Let's put it this way: owners of Body Martial Souls usually cultivate specific parts of their bodies that act as the soul. You, however, can be said to be full-body Body Martial Souls, the most complete form of owners. A Body Martial Soul has an advantage: depending on the specific martial soul, everyone has a chance to take a step further."
"This opportunity, I call the 'Second Awakening.'"
Gu Xuan then proceeded to explain the theories and knowledge regarding Body Martial Souls and Second Awakenings one by one, giving them a complete understanding of the term.
Gu Xuan spoke for a full six hours this time, basically covering the concept of Body Martial Souls and their future cultivation paths. Afterward, he took out the materials he had written and gave them to Gu Miao, letting her lead the four Gate Masters in careful study.
As for the fifty children under the age of ten, they didn't have such strong comprehension yet. They only understood generally that their Martial Souls were not "freaks" but a brand-new system, which made them very happy.
Gu Xuan did not give the methods for Second Awakening to everyone. Most of them were only at Rank 20 or 30, which didn't meet the criteria for a Second Awakening. He only intended to teach the method to those whose soul power reached Rank 50 and who had a profound understanding of their own martial soul. Only they had a chance to trigger it.
It could be said that as long as one completed a Silver-level Second Awakening and had an innate soul power of no less than Rank 7, they had the potential to reach the Titled Douluo realm in the future, or at the very least, become a Soul Douluo.
Furthermore, the strength of a Body Martial Soul user was top-tier among those of the same rank. If nurtured well, the Zodiac Hall would become a terrifying force in the future.
After finishing his explanation, Gu Xuan went directly into the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to cultivate. By the second week, he gathered everyone again to teach the method.
Gu Xuan resolved their cultivation problems and difficulties one by one. The four Gate Masters were all Soul Kings; after a week of studying the materials Gu Xuan left behind, their understanding of Body Martial Souls was quite clear. This was a system different from mainstream Soul Masters. If they succeeded, their future abilities would definitely surpass most others.
However, the Second Awakening was extremely difficult. Gu Xuan divided it into three levels: Normal, Silver, and Gold.
Gu Xuan himself possessed a Gold-level Second Awakening. He did not hide this from them and used his own Martial Soul to provide many demonstrations.
Following that, Gu Xuan spent one day every week guiding their cultivation, spending the rest of his time in secluded meditation within the Well.
During this period, the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings did not actively contact Gu Xuan but watched him silently. Although they discovered that he controlled eight elements and carried the aura of an Evil God, this was not a bad thing for them. The stronger Gu Xuan became, the greater their chance of escaping would be, and the faster it would happen.
At this stage, they couldn't help Gu Xuan much anyway, as they had already given him the basics, and Gu Xuan wasn't ready for the more advanced knowledge. So, they simply watched him cultivate in silence.
(End of Chapter)
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