Chapter 1: Abandoned Martial Soul

He has long been accustomed to the mockery of these youths

At this moment, the emerald light on this branch of the green orchid is blooming, and those tender leaves, dripping with lush green, are gradually beginning to enlarge

Xiao Yun opened his eyes, cast a faint glance at the five young men beside him, and then withdrew his gaze

At that time, Xiao Yun was praised by the world as a prodigy, destined for limitless achievements, certain to stand shoulder to shoulder with his father. He was expected to leave this realm of romance and enter the vast world of martial artists, becoming a paragon of excellence just like his father.

Xiao Yun knew that even if he felt dissatisfied with these people in his heart, without sufficient strength, it would be in vain

This middle-aged man is named Xiao Hu and is a martial artist of the Xiao family

Even if this martial soul grows, this young man will at most become an outstanding physician

Do not lose heart, for those who awaken their martial souls are one in ten thousand. As long as you put in the effort, you can still achieve success in the martial arts. Uncle Tiger said, "Alright, you will now begin to practice boxing with me. This is a set of low-level yellow-grade boxing techniques, known as the Fierce Tiger Fist."

Unfortunately, we have not awakened our martial souls. Those young people all shook their heads

On the other side of the training ground, a young man dressed in a white robe is sitting cross-legged under a large tree, with his eyes closed and his mind focused.

Certainly, this confidence does not arise out of thin air, as Xiao Yun is not incapable of cultivation but has special reasons for it

It seemed to sense Xiao Yun's mood, and that branch of emerald light flashed and vanished into his mind

In the eyes of these individuals, Xiao Yun's actions were evidently a sign of disrespect towards them

In this chaotic sea of consciousness, there is a plant about one foot tall taking root, emanating a faint and ethereal green halo.

Genius

"Uncle Tiger, what is a genius?" A boy with bright, lively eyes looked up and asked

This young man is named Xiao Cheng, and he is the cousin of Xiao Yun

This leaf seems to have grown quite a bit, it appears that you are about to advance as well!" Upon seeing the martial soul that had grown a circle around the leaf, Xiao Yun finally let out a slow sigh of relief, for with every increment in the size of his martial soul leaf, the healing effect would be enhanced, and at the same time, the speed at which he absorbed the essence of heaven and earth would also be multiplied.

The ups and downs of these past few years have seemingly made Xiao Yun's temperament more mature than that of his peers

"Are you all afraid that I will drag down the family?" Xiao Yun paused, looking back at the crowd. His eyes twitched slightly, revealing a fluctuation of emotions within his heart. However, he quickly regained his composure, and as he gazed into the void, his brow involuntarily furrowed, as if he had recalled something.

"Oh come on, don't drain everything completely, at least leave me a bit of vitality!" Upon seeing that jade-like green branch, Xiao Yun was momentarily speechless, fearing that he might be the only one in the entire Fengyue Kingdom to awaken such a shameless martial soul.

Accompanying this change, the attitude of those around Xiao Yun also began to shift. He gradually transformed from a remarkably talented genius into a mediocre talent, a good-for-nothing, in the eyes of the public. Those who once flattered him began to mock and ridicule him.

The Xiao family originally held some hope for Xiao Yun, after all, he was the only descendant of the Xiao family who had awakened a martial soul.

However, this state of dejection did not last long; Xiao Yun quickly began to pick himself up and, with the help of books and diagrams, worked even harder during his training than before. He remained indifferent to the mockery of others because he believed that as long as he put in the effort, there would come a day when he would shine brightly.

This verdant branch is indeed a part of Xiao Yun's martial soul

"I take my leave." Xiao Yun paid no attention to the crowd, suddenly stood up, turned around, and left

Perhaps they have already made a breakthrough. The several youths nearby also cast mocking smiles at Xiao Yun.

The branch paid no heed to Xiao Yun's opinion; instead, after draining all the vital energy, it emitted a humming sound in the dantian, appearing to be still unsatisfied. This drove the already frustrated young man even more into a frenzy

Xiao Yun is indeed a direct descendant of the Xiao family, and in a few months, he will turn sixteen. His solitary practice here makes him seem out of place among others, which is not due to his reclusive nature, but rather because he has encountered problems in his cultivation journey

In the Kingdom of Wind and Moon, in the city of Ziyun, a group of young boys stood attentively in the large training ground of the Xiao family, listening to a middle-aged man on the high platform as he explained the various profound aspects of martial arts, their youthful faces illuminated with expressions of hope.

Indeed, Brother Xiao Yun, if you manage to break through, you must let us know!" Several youths nearby exchanged strange smiles, echoing the sentiment. Their frivolous and disdainful expressions made it clear to anyone that they were mocking Xiao Yun.

Unfortunately, after the age of eight, Xiao Yun's cultivation stagnated. He watched as those with lesser talents than him successively entered the sixth and seventh levels of body refinement, continuously widening the gap between them. Yet he remained stuck at the sixth level of body refinement.

Just as a smile appeared at the corner of Xiao Yun's mouth, a group of young practitioners gradually walked past him after finishing their training

You are really asking for trouble! Xiao Yun couldn't help but roar in his heart

"Hehe, Cheng Ge, look at this useless person laughing." A thin, emaciated youth suddenly stopped and mocked, "Do you think he has gone mad? He hasn't advanced for eight consecutive years, and yet he can still laugh while cultivating?"

I see that he must have lost hope for a breakthrough, which is why he remains immersed in the world of genius, deceiving himself

Although Xiao Yun had walked far away, he could still faintly hear these sounds

Among low-level cultivators, this type of consciousness sea is possessed only by those who have awakened their martial souls

The appearance of this young man clearly indicates that he is ignoring them

I have not made any breakthroughs for the time being, so there is no need for you all to worry. Xiao Yun's gaze flickered as he cast a sidelong glance at the few young men; his indifferent expression made it difficult to discern his emotions, and it was precisely this expression that further infuriated Xiao Cheng and the others

Xiao Yun awakened his martial soul at the age of 5 and entered the sixth level of body tempering at the age of 8, condensing profound energy within his body

In my land of wind and moon, anyone who awakens their martial soul is considered a genius and can attract the attention of various sects. Uncle Hu withdrew his gaze, focusing on the young man below the high platform, his expression solemn. Such a person possesses limitless potential, a true dragon among men, destined to soar into the vast world of martial artists and become a true powerhouse.

Within Xiao Yun's sea of consciousness, there exists a realm of chaos, shrouded in mist, resembling the primordial world before the creation of heaven and earth

Therefore, the members of the Xiao family placed great hope in Xiao Yun, believing that he could revitalize the family and bring glory to their name

As long as this martial soul grows stronger, I will be able to draw more cold energy for my sister in the future to alleviate the frequency of her episodes. With this thought, a faint smile finally appeared at the corner of the young man's mouth, and his tightly furrowed brows were also relaxed.

It is also unknown whether this martial soul has been enhanced. With a thought, Xiao Yun's mind sank into the sea of consciousness.

Therefore, Xiao Yun is not anxious; he believes that he will eventually have the opportunity to rise again

After Xiao Yun had cultivated for more than half a day and absorbed the vital energy into his dantian, flashes of light and shadow flickered in his mind. A greenish branch, radiating a faint glow, extended directly from his mind into his dantian, as if traversing an uninhabited realm. It then drained all the vital energy that the young man had painstakingly refined, transforming it into its own nourishment

Should you bite back if a dog has bitten you

"Xiao Yuntang, have you made a breakthrough?" Upon seeing Xiao Yun, he ignored a slightly older boy among them, who first frowned and then smirked, speaking in a strange tone, "If you have made a breakthrough, you must inform Brother Cheng, so that we can also share in your joy. I believe Grandpa would be very pleased to hear it as well"

This is Xiao Yun's martial soul, which resembles a branch of green orchid.

Such talent is rarely seen in the entire Ziyun County, occurring once in a century

When it was later discovered that Xiao Yun's martial soul was not a combat-type martial soul, but rather one that could heal and treat illnesses, the elders of the Xiao family completely lost hope in this young man. In this world where martial prowess is revered, what use is a martial soul that heals and treats?

At this point, the young man's once-proud aura of genius had completely faded, transforming him from a widely admired prodigy into a mediocre individual dismissed by the world. This change left Xiao Yun feeling dejected and despondent.

The sudden sound of mockery caused the young man, who had just been immersed in the advancement of his martial soul, to furrow his brow slightly

Today is the full moon, and the yin energy is at its peak. My sister's cold symptoms are about to flare up again. Xiao Yun furrowed his brow slightly; just thinking of the painful expression on his sister's face when her cold symptoms occur made his heart ache like a knife, and his pace began to quicken.

"Hmph, how dare a useless person be so arrogant?" Seeing Xiao Yun turn to leave, the nearby youths couldn't help but feel a surge of anger. They were the true talents and hopes of the family, and how could this mere waste, Xiao Yun, act so domineering?

Having finished speaking, Uncle Tiger began to teach everyone how to fight.

This young man is named Xiao Yun, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, possessing a handsome appearance that can be described as exceptionally talented

Certainly not, only when one possesses sufficient strength to strike out with a single punch and deliver a powerful counterattack is the true path.

However

"Over the past few years, he has squandered so many resources of the family. If I had those resources, I would have already stepped into the innate realm." A few young men murmured with indignation, "Fortunately, Grandpa is in seclusion; otherwise, our Xiao family would surely be drained by him."

If one were to look closely, they would see strands of light gathering around him from all directions in the universe

The strands of heavenly vitality were absorbed into Xiao Yun's dantian, and the speed at which this occurred was many times faster than that of other youths at the same realm. According to reason, he should have already made a breakthrough and entered the Innate Realm or the True Martial Realm.