Ling Chen sat quietly, tracing the infinity symbol on his palm as a storm of questions whirled in his mind.
My cultivation is only at the Mortal Martial Artist Second Stage, he realized, tension coiling in his chest. Everyone else, as soon as they awaken their Martial Soul, advances to the Seventh or Eighth Stage.
When my Martial Soul was ripped out... my cultivation collapsed too.
I hardly even understand the structure and categories of cultivation in this world. How can I seek revenge or even survive, if I remain this ignorant?
A sense of resolve took root within him. There was only one place in the entire Ling Family estate with answers— Ancestral Book Library.
Located at the very heart of the clan grounds, the Ancestral Book Library was not guarded by sentries or protected by visible treasures. Its value lay in knowledge alone: endless rows of shelves, each heavy with scrolls, jade slips, and ancient tomes recording the wisdom and secrets of generations.
The Library welcomed every member of the Ling Family, from direct descendants to the most distant relatives. There were no cultivation level requirements to enter; knowledge, after all, was the foundation of the clan and the right of every cultivator.
Everything I need to know about this world is somewhere inside, Ling Chen thought as the towering stone façade of the Library came into view. Its lofty ceilings and grand arched doorway hinted at many stories packed with ancient records and cultivation secrets.
Ling Chen's hope flickered back to life. This is where I'll find my answers.
He strode through the entrance. His footsteps echoed on polished flagstones, the air thick with the scent of aged parchment and ink—a feeling of time itself lingering between the shelves.
Near the entrance, a solid wooden counter stood as a silent sentinel. Behind it, on a sturdy wooden chair set against the wall, the library's keeper rested: a man between middle-age and elderly, his short, well-groomed beard streaked with white.
He was slouched, posture relaxed, head lowered as if caught between meditation and light sleep.
His worn indigo robes, frayed at the hems, and the jade authority token around his neck spoke silently of countless years spent in this post. By his elbow, a half-finished cup of tea, long since gone cold,
Ling Chen approached the library's keeper with a respectful bow, placing his fist into the palm of his other hand, a customary gesture of courtesy in their clan.
Slightly bowing his head and nodding in deference, he spoke plainly, "Senior, could you please tell me which books contain all the information about cultivation in this world?"
The library keeper slowly lifted his half-closed eyes and glanced at Ling Chen, recognition dawning in his gaze. "Ah, so it's you—the son of Zhan. What brings you here? Shouldn't you be resting instead?"
Ling Chen met the keeper's gaze and replied steadily, "Senior, you know me?"
The keeper's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Who in the entire clan doesn't know you these days? Your name is on everyone's lips. You may go to the fifth section of the second floor. The books you need are there. But remember, you must not take any books outside the library. Serious punishment awaits anyone caught breaking this rule."
Ling Chen nodded firmly. "Senior, I will follow your instructions exactly. But how long am I allowed to stay here?"
The keeper's eyes twinkled faintly as he answered, "You may stay for two days, but for you, I will extend the time. Take your time—four or five days if you need. You will have no disturbances, but remember to follow every rule. I have little patience for rule-breakers. And above all, do not let any books leave this place."
Ling Chen bowed once more. "Thank you, Senior. I will be careful and respect all the rules."
Ling Chen ascended directly to the second floor, his steps echoing lightly in the quiet corridor. Ahead, the fifth section of the floor revealed itself—a chamber less crowded with books compared to others, yet the volumes present were impressive in their stature.
The books here were large and thick, their spines embossed with golden letters that shimmered faintly in the dim light.
Approaching the shelves, Ling Chen's eyes scanned the titles carefully. Each book was marked with cultivation level categories prominently displayed on its cover—a guide to the power hierarchies of this realm.
One book detailed unique body types that aid cultivation, outlining rare physical forms and their special affinities that could boost a cultivator's potential.
Beside it lay a volume about demonic beasts—their cultivation levels, categories, how to identify their power, and the environments where these fearsome monsters thrived.
Further along, another hefty tome cataloged weapons associated with cultivation.
The book described swords, axes, hammers, bows and arrows, maces, daggers, spears, and other weapon types that martial artists could wield, along with their cultivation level requirements and enhancements.
Additionally, several more smaller but no less important tomes were stacked nearby, covering realms such as the Alchemist Association, weapon-smithing guilds, and formation arrays—each crucial to a cultivator's knowledge base.
Ling Chen's gaze returned to the first book—the widest and heaviest of the group. Its golden inscriptions on the spine glowed softly, "Cultivation Levels and Categories."
Determined, he reached out and gripped it firmly. The sheer weight threatened to pull from his fingers, but showing no weakness, he wrapped both hands around its sturdy cover.
"This must weigh at least 40 to 50 kilograms… I wonder what kind of material it's made from," he murmured, marveling at the craftsmanship and durability.
With great effort, Ling Chen carried the voluminous book over to a large wooden table nearby—the only table on this vast second floor, surrounded by several sturdy chairs.
He gently placed the tome on the surface, taking a seat and carefully opening the heavy cover.
As Ling Chen contemplated deeply, he spoke aloud to himself, organizing his understanding of the cultivation system in this world:
"In this world, when a person starts cultivation, the very first step is to reach the Mortal Realm.
At this point, they formally awaken their Martial Soul. Upon awakening, their cultivation level automatically attains Mortal Martial Artist First Stage.
This realm itself is divided into nine levels — from First to Ninth Stage. Once someone becomes a Mortal Martial Artist, they begin advancing through these nine levels.
Normally, almost all children in our clan, aged around five to ten years, have already awakened their Martial Souls. Awakening this Martial Soul properly is essential, because without it, further cultivation becomes extremely difficult.
If a child cannot awaken their Martial Soul by the age of fifteen, progressing further becomes very challenging.
The Martial Soul a cultivator awakens also determines their talent. For example, a Martial Soul of higher rank, say level sixteen, makes it easier for the cultivator to level up their cultivation further. So, the talent of the cultivator is linked closely to the Martial Soul they awaken.
Interestingly, this book I'm reading does not mention Martial Souls evolving or upgrading on their own.
So why did mine say it can evolve? Perhaps this book contains only the knowledge preserved from the ancestors of our clan, who only witnessed Martial Souls awakening to Golden stages, but not beyond. The truth might be hidden deeper, beyond these written records.
After Mortal Realm and achieving Mortal Martial Artist rank, the next realm is Earth Saint Martial Master. This realm also has nine levels to climb.
Beyond that is the Nascent Soul Stage — a realm where cultivators gain remarkable powers. At this stage, cultivators can easily fly through the air, and even separate their soul from their body at will. The soul remains their true self and can wander freely, even reincarnate if necessary.
However, if a cultivator abandons their body or if the body is destroyed in battle, rebuilding the body takes a long time. Without proper nourishment or resources, their consciousness weakens slowly and eventually passes into reincarnation or another life, leaving them with no memories from the past life—practically becoming a newborn again.
There is also a vulnerability here: powerful cultivators can destroy the soul itself using their spiritual energy. So, the soul is comparatively weak during separation and cannot defend itself well.
Following Nascent Soul comes the Soul Transformation Stage, and then the Void Refinement Stage. Each of these realms grants cultivators unique powers that make them seem like gods compared to those at previous levels.
Now, about those who stole my Martial Soul—their cultivation level is in the Sky Profound Realm, which is achieved only after surpassing the Void Refinement Stage at all five levels.
This explains why no one from our clan could face Xue Mo and the Scarlet Enchantress. The highest level achieved in our clan is Nascent Soul Stage.
Advancing beyond requires unmatched talent, rare spiritual materials, and cultivation resources that simply are not available. Cultivators often die after 300 to 350 years—roughly the lifespan limit for cultivators at Void Refinement Stage.
Compared to Shen Xi's cultivation level, Xue Mo and the Scarlet Enchantress were nothing more than insignificant insects. Just as we were powerless against Xue Mo and Scarlet Enchantress, to Shen Xi they too were like insignificant bugs