Chapter 217: The Hongchen Siblings Finally Awaken
However, the instinct to survive quickly spread through his mind. A surge of intense vitality erupted from within his body as the very essence of his bloodline roared and churned!
Huo Yuhao's bloodline was remarkably complex. Generally, a soul master's bloodline was tied to their martial soul. Take Xu Sanshi, for example his Xuanwu Turtle martial soul granted him a Xuanwu bloodline. If Xu Sanshi's bloodline were to awaken, his martial soul would evolve into the true Xuanwu.
As for Huo Yuhao, he had two martial souls: the Spirit Eyes and the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion. The former, infused with the power of fate, had already evolved into the Eye of Destiny, while the latter, having fused with the Snow Empress as a soul spirit, now possessed the purest form of Ultimate Ice and Snow attributes.
After all, within the Douluo universe, Ultimate Ice and Ultimate Snow had similarities but were fundamentally distinct.
The next moment, golden light flickered in Huo Yuhao's eyes, and the Eye of Destiny gradually surfaced on his forehead. Instantly, the surrounding seawater was bathed in radiant golden hues, creating a mesmerizing scene.
Behind him, his Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion martial soul emerged. The golden lit seawater instantly froze, and intricate snowflake patterns began appearing on the ice's surface, seemingly forming out of thin air in a perfectly symmetrical fashion.
Nearby, Kong Deming, who had been restraining Huo Yuhao, revealed a look of astonishment. "So this is how potential is stimulated in a soul master? I wonder how long it will take for Yuhao to achieve his second awakening."
Huo Yuhao's condition improved slightly, but he still couldn't breathe. Yet this struggle was precisely what stimulated his latent potential.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Ji Juechen in the distance. Ji Juechen's neck muscles bulged with strain as he continued to endure. The lone, sharp sword in his hand glowed faintly.
"I've lost to the Pagoda Master again," Ji Juechen thought. Despite his unwavering willpower, he couldn't help but feel puzzled. Why is Huo Yuhao's physique so absurdly strong?
Logically speaking, Ji Juechen should have had the strongest physical endurance among the four of them. Yet, based on the current situation, it was evident that Huo Yuhao surpassed him in sheer resilience.
As oxygen deprivation took its toll, the sensation of impending death crept closer. With the last of his strength, Ji Juechen propelled himself toward the surface.
Some time later, even Huo Yuhao began to struggle. After all, he was still human, not a god there was a limit to how long he could endure the crushing pressure of the deep sea without breathing.
Utilizing the Water Dragon King's soul bone to manipulate water was out of the question doing so would defeat the purpose of stimulating his potential.
Kong Deming, observing his deteriorating state, immediately lifted the restriction on him.
As a Rank 9 Soul Engineer, Kong Deming had plenty of methods to breathe underwater, so he wasn't in a rush to leave the depths. However, he didn't stop Huo Yuhao from surfacing survival was the priority.
Soon, Huo Yuhao broke through the waves, gulping in fresh air before climbing back onto the deck to rest in preparation for the next dive.
Achieving a martial soul's second awakening in a single session was rare, as it required extremely limited potential. Huo Yuhao had a deep foundation, so he estimated that he would need at least forty days to complete his awakening.
Day 20.
Meng Hongchen emerged from the sea, water instantly freezing beneath her feet as she walked effortlessly atop the ice. Her eyes glowed a striking crimson, and her snow white hair glistened with moisture. Her expression radiated pure elation.
"Grandfather, I did it! My martial soul has undergone its second awakening! I'm so much stronger than before!"
As she spoke, a translucent, jade like toad spirit appeared behind her. The toad's eyes were the same blood red hue as hers, but upon closer inspection, intricate ancient markings could be seen within its irises.
"Oh?" Jing Hongchen's curiosity was piqued. "In what way has it improved?"
Meng Hongchen explained, "My Scarlet Eyed Ice Toad's poison is now exponentially more potent, and its activation time has been reduced by at least ninety percent.
"As you know, Grandfather, my poison used to take a considerable amount of time to take effect. This often forced me into a defensive playstyle when facing stronger opponents, relying on prolonged battles to gradually weaken them.
"But this strategy had a major flaw against opponents with overwhelming brute strength, I would lose before my poison had enough time to take effect.
"Now, however, my poison activates almost instantly. Even against powerful enemies, I can stand my ground. Plus, the ice attribute of my Scarlet Eyed Ice Toad has been greatly enhanced I'm just one step away from reaching Ultimate Ice."
"Not bad." Jing Hongchen nodded approvingly. "But surely, this isn't your only gain."
Meng Hongchen beamed. "I've also reached Rank 58. If I keep going at this pace, I'll be a Soul Emperor in no time. The increase in soul power after the second awakening is incredible."
Day 22.
Xiao Hongchen stood on the deck, his martial soul's projection a Three Legged Golden Toad floating behind him. However, unlike before, its eyes now gleamed with a deep crimson hue.
"So, I've also completed my second awakening. My control over metal has improved significantly, and my affinity with the metal element has reached a near Ultimate level.
"Moreover, my cultivation speed has increased drastically. Before, I could only absorb energy from rare metals to assist in my training. Now, I can extract power from any metal to enhance my strength."
"Wait… doesn't that mean our martial soul fusion skill will be even stronger now?"
A grin spread across Xiao Hongchen's face. He could already envision the look of shock on the faces of the Shrek Academy students when they faced him in the next Continental Soul Master Tournament.
He was eager to test his newfound power and immediately set off to find Meng Hongchen for an experiment.
As he walked, he noticed Ji Juechen standing motionless on the deck, gripping his sword tightly, his figure as still as a statue.
"Wait… did he awaken his martial soul, too? Could it be that Ji Juechen possesses a hidden bloodline?" Xiao Hongchen mused.
Ji Juechen had only been born with Rank 3 innate soul power, and his martial soul was nothing exceptional. Yet, despite this, he had risen to become the top combatant in the Control and Soul Tool Combat Department, surpassing many naturally gifted students.
Many had speculated that Ji Juechen's martial soul wasn't as ordinary as it seemed.
The most likely explanation was that it contained a dormant bloodline waiting to be awakened.
However, this was mere conjecture there was never any proof.
But after so many days without any sign of Ji Juechen's martial soul awakening, it seemed this theory was slowly being validated.
(End of chapter.)
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