Chapter 221

Gu Xuan withdrew his gaze, then spoke: "After studying in the sect for so long, you must all know the classification of soul masters' martial souls by now, right?"

Monkey Three raised his hand and replied: "Sect leader, soul masters' martial souls are divided into two major categories: tool martial souls and beast martial souls; we belong to the beast martial soul category."

Monkey Three, one of the four current sect leaders, is also a Soul King, six feet tall, with round eyes, jutting ears, a face full of hair, a thunder‑god mouth, a gaunt visage, pointed mouth and sunken cheeks, his body like a pine‑cone‑eating monkey; though human, he has less cheek than a person, looking exactly like a monkey.

Gu Xuan nodded, then shook his head, leaving Monkey Three and the others puzzled—could it be wrong? But the teachers who instruct them in the sect are professionals, after all.

Seeing everyone's doubtful expressions, Gu Xuan calmly said: "Yes and no—martial souls are indeed divided into tool martial souls and beast martial souls, but strictly speaking, yours are no longer beast martial souls."

Upon hearing this, Ox Four raised his hand and asked: "Sect leader, but our physical traits are all beast‑like, so why aren't we beast martial souls?"

Ox Four, one of the four current sect leaders, is also a Soul King, tall and sturdy, with two upward‑curving yellow horns on his head, a golden nose ring on his bovine nose, and with each breath he exhales a mist‑like vapor from his large nostrils.

Speaking of Pig Two, Monkey Three, and Ox Four, their appearance left Gu Xuan utterly speechless, for these three fellows are practically identical to the monsters from Journey to the West in his previous life.

Most importantly, their weapons make Gu Xuan suspect they are the reincarnations of those very monsters from Journey to the West!

They were originally all forty‑eighth‑rank Soul Ancestors, but after more than a year in the Seven Treasure Glazed Sect they each broke through to fiftieth rank, thereby obtaining soul rings with the sect's help.

Pig Two's fifth soul ring comes from a thirteen‑thousand‑year‑old Iron‑Tooth Demon Pig, which feeds on refined iron and has a mouthful of teeth razor‑sharp as a harrow, so his fifth soul skill is named Iron‑Tooth Rake.

Monkey Three's fifth soul ring is from a twelve‑thousand‑year‑old Golden Bamboo Monkey, a spirit beast that feeds on gold, whose tail is as hard as bronze and can even be detached to use as a weapon, so his fifth soul skill is named Golden Hoop Staff.

Ox Four's fifth soul ring is taken from a thirteen‑thousand‑year‑old Horn‑Axe Frenzied Ox, a spirit beast whose head bears a single massive horn shaped like an axe, possessing the power to split mountains and rend the earth, so his fifth soul skill is named Giant Horn Axe.

Upon learning their soul skills, Gu Xuan could only think to himself: "Damn, have I stumbled into Journey to the West?"

Moreover, looking at the one hundred and eight people before him who resemble fairies and monsters, Gu Xuan felt as if he had entered a demon's cavern, for not a single one looked human.

But it must be said, these four sect leaders have considerable talent; now that they have resources to aid their cultivation, their abilities can be fully drawn out.

Hearing Ox Four's question, Gu Xuan continued to explain: "Although you all have beast‑like forms, you have now fused completely with your martial souls—in other words, you are your martial souls, and your martial souls are you."

Upon hearing this, everyone fell into thoughtful silence, for Gu Xuan was right—due to the mutation of their martial souls, they and their martial souls have become one.

While they were pondering, Gu Xuan continued: "Thus your martial souls now have a new term; I call it the intrinsic martial soul."

"Intrinsic martial soul?" Upon hearing this term, everyone showed a puzzled expression, as it was the first time they had heard it.

But it's not hard to grasp—the key lies in the two characters 'intrinsic'; their martial souls have merged with their very selves, which is precisely what an intrinsic martial soul is.

At that moment, Gu Miao standing beside Gu Xuan asked: "But Master, what is the difference between an intrinsic martial soul and a beast martial soul?"

"Yes." Gu Xuan nodded and replied: "And the difference is great; an intrinsic martial soul differs greatly from either a beast martial soul or a tool martial soul."

"Put it this way, those who possess an intrinsic martial soul train the parts of themselves that are the martial soul; you could say you are entirely intrinsic martial soul, the most complete possessors of it. And an intrinsic martial soul has one advantage: depending on each person's martial soul, everyone has a chance to advance further."

"I call this opportunity a second awakening."

Afterward, Gu Xuan explained the theory and knowledge of intrinsic martial souls and second awakening in detail, giving them a complete understanding of the term.

Gu Xuan lectured for a full three hours this time, essentially covering intrinsic martial souls and their future cultivation path; afterward he handed the notes he had written to Gu Miao, so she could bring them to the four sect leaders for careful study.

As for the fifty children under ten years old, they temporarily lack the capacity for such deep understanding; they merely know roughly that their martial souls are not aberrations but a completely new system, which makes them very happy.

As for the experience and methods of second awakening, Gu Xuan did not share them with everyone, because most of them are only in their twenties or thirties in rank, still unable to meet the standard for completing a second awakening.

Gu Xuan intends to teach second awakening of martial souls only to those whose soul power reaches fifty rank or above and who have a profound understanding of their own martial soul; only they are likely to unlock a second awakening.

"Put another way, as long as Mengniu completes the silver‑rank second awakening, with innate soul power not lower than rank seven, he could eventually cultivate to become a Titled Douluo, failing that he would at least be a Soul Douluo."

Moreover, those who possess an intrinsic martial soul stand out among peers of the same rank; if nurtured well, the Zodiac Hall will become a formidable force in the future.

After finishing the lecture, Gu Xuan went straight to the Binghuo Liangyi Yan to cultivate; when the second week arrived, he gathered everyone again to impart the teachings.

He would clarify every problem and difficulty they encountered in their cultivation; the four sect leaders are all Soul Kings, and within a week, using the materials Gu Xuan left behind, their comprehension of intrinsic martial souls became quite clear.

This is a system distinct from that of ordinary soul masters; if they succeed, their future abilities will surely surpass those of most soul masters.

However, second awakening is extremely difficult, so Gu Xuan further divided it into three grades: ordinary, silver, and gold.

Gu Xuan himself has achieved gold‑grade second awakening, a fact he did not conceal from them, and he has used his own martial soul to give them many explanations.

Afterward, Gu Xuan also spends one day each week guiding their cultivation, while the rest of the time he remains in secluded practice within the Binghuo Liangyi Yan.

This time, the Binghuo Dragon King did not proactively contact Gu Xuan, but silently kept watch over him; although they discovered that Gu Xuan commands eight elements and bears the aura of an evil god, this is not a bad thing for them.

The stronger Gu Xuan becomes, the greater their chance of escaping confinement will be, and the sooner it will happen.

Moreover, at present they cannot assist Gu Xuan, because the basics have already been passed to him, and the more advanced knowledge he currently cannot accept; thus they simply observe his cultivation in silence.

PS: First correct the typos, then revise.

(End of chapter)