C2 The Blood Flame Martial Soul Was Reborn from the Ashes!!

Confronted with Lin Wu's taunts, Xiao Ling's slender frame shook uncontrollably.

His dignity was being trampled upon, little by little.

He couldn't accept it!

Memories of past mockery and scorn filled his eyes with red. In that moment, thirteen years of pent-up resentment burst forth.

'I am not worthless,' Xiao Ling vowed silently. 'All of you who have mocked and shamed me will deeply regret it!'

Lifting his head, Xiao Ling's eyes, once dull with despair, now blazed with resolve as he faced Lin Wu.

"Lin Wu, I challenge you to a duel! A duel to the death!"

Amidst a sea of shocked faces, Xiao Ling ripped a strip of cloth from his sleeve, bit his finger, and hastily scrawled a message in blood. He then flung the bloodstained cloth at Lin Wu.

"What?"

Catching the cloth reflexively, Lin Wu stared at the crimson script, his eyes wide with disbelief as he looked at Xiao Ling's stoic face. "A life and death duel? Have you grown tired of living?"

On the Divine Martial Continent, accepting a blood-written challenge meant it must be honored.

At this moment, Xiao Ling, who had not even awakened his martial soul and was no warrior, was challenging Lin Wu to a duel to the death. Lin Wu found the notion preposterous.

It was like an egg taking on a rock—the outcome was predictable.

"Exactly."

Xiao Ling's dark eyes were icy, like the still waters of a deep lake, as he declared, "In one month, we will settle this on the life and death platform!"

Xiao Ling's words sent a shockwave through the disciples in the hall.

"Good heavens! Xiao Ling has actually challenged Senior Brother Lin Wu to a life and death duel. Is he seeking death?"

"With only a month's time and his current strength at the Ninth Layer of Soul Refining, surpassing Senior Brother Lin Wu is a fool's dream!"

"Lacking the wisdom to bide his time, even awakening his martial soul will be of little consequence..."

Everyone doubted Xiao Ling's chances. In their view, his challenge was merely an attempt to salvage some dignity, but the cost would be his life at Lin Wu's hands in one month's time.

In a life-and-death duel, it's a matter of kill or be killed—a gravely serious affair.

"Lin Wu, do you have the courage to face me in a duel to the death one month from now?" Xiao Ling stepped forward, his youthful face etched with resolve.

His challenge to Lin Wu wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision; he had sensed a breakthrough in his soul power, which had lain dormant for years, after enduring a relentless onslaught of ridicule.

With his innate talent and relentless effort, he was confident that within a month, he could reclaim the dignity Lin Wu had stripped from him.

"Why would I be afraid?"

Lin Wu's gaze met Xiao Ling's steely determination, stirring an unexplained anxiety within him. Yet, he wore a sneer, and a subtle hint of murderous intent flickered in his eyes as he responded, "In one month, we'll settle this on the dueling platform. Don't you dare flee when the time comes!"

"It's a promise."

With those words, Xiao Ling departed amidst the jeers of onlookers. Still, he stood tall and straight, like a solitary pine on a lofty peak.

"In one month, you will fall by my hand..."

Lin Wu's eyes glinted with veiled lethality as he slowly rested his hand on the crystal ball.

"A Nine-star Peak martial artist."

Admiration and envy filled the air as praises flowed without end.

...

Secluded within a quiet courtyard of the Holy Martial Institute, Xiao Ling was seated in meditation, his hands forming an intricate seal, reaching out to the heavens as he absorbed the spiritual essence of the world around him.

In the Martial Tao, refining the soul is the first step, followed by awakening.

Once the martial soul is awakened, one becomes a martial cultivator and truly embarks on the Martial Tao.

On the Divine Martial Continent, the ranks are Soul Refining, Martial Cultivator, Martial Master, Martial Spirit, Martial King, Martial Emperor, Martial Ancestor, Martial Sovereign, Martial Saint, and Martial Monarch.

Each rank is further divided into nine sub-levels, represented by the Nine-star system.

"Time for a breakthrough."

With a determined cry, Xiao Ling channeled all the Yuan Qi into his dantian, but it refused to remain, dissipating into nothingness.

"Damn it, where did things go wrong?"

Xiao Ling was lost in thought as he felt his Yuan Qi dissipate once more. He had dedicated the last thirteen years to relentless training, never once allowing himself to slack.

Yet, without the ability to stabilize the Origin Qi in his dantian, he couldn't awaken his martial spirit, nor could he harness Origin Qi for his own use, which meant he couldn't become a martial artist.

"Back in the testing hall, I definitely sensed a slight shift in my dantian..."

Pondering for a moment, Xiao Ling murmured, "Was it the jeers from the crowd that jolted my nerves, giving me a glimpse of a breakthrough?"

"No, that's not it."

Rubbing his chin, a glint of insight flashed in Xiao Ling's dark eyes. "That's right, at the testing hall, I felt my blood boiling, a surge of rebellious blood pounding against my brain, and then that elusive sense of breakthrough emerged..."

"If I can hold onto that state, I'm certain I can awaken my martial spirit and become a true martial artist!"

Xiao Ling leapt to his feet, his eyes ablaze with excitement.

"But how do I sustain that state? It's not like I can just find someone to hurl insults at me..."

Pacing his bedroom, Xiao Ling experimented with various methods, like standing on his head and punching his own body, but none could recapture that earlier sensation.

It was only when he struck his heart with force that the feeling intensified.

"When my heart is under extreme stress, the sensation is incredibly powerful!"

Biting down on his teeth, a fierce determination shone in his eyes. He stripped off his shirt, baring his lean torso, and grabbed a dagger, aiming it at his heart...

Huff! Huff!

Xiao Ling's breaths were labored, his eyes wrestling with the gravity of his decision.

If this stab didn't awaken his martial spirit, he would face certain death.

This was his final gambit. If he couldn't awaken his martial spirit, he'd have no regrets.

This approach was madness, a last-ditch effort born of desperation.

"Here goes, everything hinges on this one move."

With his eyes closed, Xiao Ling plunged the dagger into his chest. Crimson blood gushed from the wound, pouring out as if it cost him nothing.

His complexion was ashen, nearly the color of paper. As the dagger hovered a hair's breadth from his heart, he felt the exhilarating sensation of a breakthrough.

Xiao Ling's heart leapt with joy. He hastily drew in the surrounding heaven and earth Yuan Qi, directing it towards his dantian with fervor.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

With each relentless assault, he finally succeeded in funneling the Yuan Qi into his dantian, transforming it for his own use.

Before long, Xiao Ling sensed a blood-red flame spreading within him, filling him with astonishment. He was certain this was his martial spirit!

The flame grew in intensity, engulfing Xiao Ling until he was enveloped in fire.

Suddenly, his breath caught, and he lost consciousness.

Rumble!

As Xiao Ling's martial spirit stirred to life, the skies above the Holy Martial Institute grew ominous and dark. Thunder boomed ominously, as if heralding the apocalypse.

People for hundreds of kilometers around ceased their activities, their gazes fixed on the sky in stunned disbelief.

Moments ago, the sky had been clear and the sun shone brightly; now, the sudden shift in weather left everyone baffled.

Meanwhile, Sect Masters of the great powers across the Divine Martial Continent paused their endeavors, their eyes trained on the Myriad Country Territory.

"It looks like the Divine Martial Continent is on the brink of another bloody upheaval..."

...

When Xiao Ling came to, night had fallen.

The dagger that had been pressed against his chest was gone, and his wound had miraculously healed.

But there was more; he could feel a transformation within his body. Eagerly sitting cross-legged, he focused his mind and peered into his dantian.

There, a lively and endearing blood-red flame danced above his dantian.

Xiao Ling was ecstatic; his martial spirit had awakened!

"What?! I've advanced to a Three-star warrior!"

In that instant, Xiao Ling felt a surge of power coursing through him, his face breaking into an irrepressible grin.

"Ugh, that stench!"

He then noticed the copious amounts of black grime coating his skin, emitting a foul odor.

No doubt, this was the residue of impurities expelled as his martial spirit awakened and he underwent a profound transformation.

Xiao Ling stepped outside, drew water from the well to cleanse himself, and after washing away the filth, he donned a fresh black robe, looking rejuvenated and full of vigor.

"Ling."

At that moment, a man clad in purple strode toward Xiao Ling with the commanding presence of a dragon and the fierceness of a tiger. His demeanor was imposing, yet his eyes softened with affection as they rested on Xiao Ling.

He was Jiang Ya, the esteemed principal of the Holy Martial Institute, and also Xiao Ling's adoptive father.

"Ling," Jiang Ya said, his robust hand resting on Xiao Ling's shoulder as he let out a sigh. "I'm aware of the hardships you've faced over the years, yet there's no need for you to engage in a life-or-death duel with Lin Wu."

Without any children of his own, Jiang Ya had always treated Xiao Ling with the care and concern of a true father.

"Father, I'm not acting out of spite," Xiao Ling replied with a smile. "Haven't you noticed something different about me?"

At Xiao Ling's words, Jiang Ya's eyes widened in astonishment, his mouth agape. "Ling, you've awakened your Martial Spirit!"

"Indeed," Xiao Ling affirmed. With a thought, he summoned forth a blood-red flame and declared, "And that's not all—I've also advanced to a Three-star warrior."

"Excellent, this is fantastic!" Joy lit up Jiang Ya's eyes as he exclaimed in delight, his voice trembling with the verge of tears.

"Ling, now that you've awakened your Martial Spirit, there are certain matters I must disclose to you." Regaining his composure, Jiang Ya focused his thoughts and extracted a red jade token from the storage ring on his finger.

He handed the token to Xiao Ling with a solemn instruction, "This red jade token may hold the key to your origins. Keep it close and guard it well."

Upon receiving the token, Xiao Ling felt an innate connection, as if it were an extension of his very being.

"Understood." Tucking the red jade token safely away, Xiao Ling met Jiang Ya's gaze with unwavering resolve and vowed, "Father, I won't let you down. I will reclaim every ounce of honor we've lost!"

"That's the spirit of a true man—heartfelt and resolute!" Jiang Ya affirmed, giving Xiao Ling's shoulder an encouraging pat. He had no doubt that with dedication to his training, Xiao Ling would rise to prominence.

Yet concern crept into Jiang Ya's voice as he cautioned, "However, Lin Wu has reached the pinnacle of a Nine-star warrior and is on the cusp of becoming a Martial Master. To defeat him within a month will be a formidable challenge."

"Rest assured, Father, I've got this under control."

Xiao Ling's expression was resolute as he declared, "In one month's time, Father, you'll witness firsthand how I triumph over Lin Wu!"