Nexus Ascension: My Comprehension Defies the Heaven Chapter 530: Martial Soul Awakened

As the old man instructed, Grey felt a distinct pull within his soul, just as he had been foretold.

"How surprising," Grey murmured, a hint of astonishment in his voice. The notion that he would actually possess a martial soul was quite unexpected.

He then attempted to sever this newfound connection.

As he exerted his will, a brilliant emerald light flared into existence before him.

"Oh, great Perfect One," an ancient voice resonated within Grey's mind.

"Yo," Grey responded casually. "Are you my martial soul?"

"I had no idea they could converse," he added.

"Ahem. I am the consciousness of the World Tree," the voice replied, a touch of awkwardness in its tone.

"You do indeed possess a martial soul, or what is known as a willpower manifestation within the Ascendancy Domain."

"I have enhanced it, making it perfect as a tribute to you, Perfect One."

"Why a gift? Is this not our very first encounter?" Grey inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Correct," the World Tree affirmed. "But you are the Perfect One. The dominion over this world lies within your grasp."

"How could I possibly mistreat you?"

"Once the core belongs to you, I sincerely hope you will return it to the domain."

"I wish to have a word with my owner. He discarded me as if I were merely a trivial plaything."

"..." Grey found himself utterly speechless upon hearing this.

"Surely, you must possess some useful abilities, correct? How might I go about refining you into my artifact?"

"R-refine me? Perfect One, should you refine me, my consciousness will cease to exist."

"Oh. In that case, how then?" Grey probed.

"Once you attain Ascendancy Valor, I shall automatically become bound to you, and that moment is not far off."

"Understood." Grey nodded. "May I then enter your domain beneath your roots?"

"Do as you please, Perfect One. All that you perceive and comprehend originates from your core. This world was fashioned by you, as were the boundless expressions that exist above."

"The core does not belong to me," Grey countered.

"Nor do I intend to depend on the core."

Grey comprehended.

This so-called core held no appeal for him.

It was not a source of his own power.

He would forge his unique path, rendering the core obsolete by then.

"Now, I shall return you, Perfect One."

"I have concluded the restoration of your martial soul. Hahaha."

Grey's vision shifted, and in the following instant, a majestic purple dragon materialized before him.

[Martial Soul: Primordial Nexus Dragon]

"It bears the name Nexus?" Grey was taken aback.

Naturally, a martial soul was a reflection of one's being.

This made perfect sense.

Soon, data pertaining to it flooded his consciousness.

It augmented his Nexus-related abilities, including his domain and overall power.

Furthermore, it significantly enhanced his enlightenment and accelerated the restoration speed of his evolutionary foundation. Previously, his foundation required three days for complete recovery due to endless potential, but now, it only took a single day!

"My next step is to integrate this into my path and forge a primordial spirit," Grey pondered thoughtfully.

Once it evolved into a primordial spirit, it would become an intrinsic part of him, granting him unrestricted usage.

"This martial soul… I have never encountered anything quite like it before," the Spirit Ancestor remarked, stepping forward.

"I have witnessed individuals form robotic constructs as their martial souls. However, a dragon is an unprecedented sight," the Spirit Ancestor added.

"This implies I am a dragon amongst men."

"What...?"

"Nothing." Grey coughed, feeling a flush of embarrassment at his own unspoken thought. He had nearly forgotten that this individual was not Lin Fang and hailed from a considerably earlier era, judging by the cartoonish themes. This likely meant he was unfamiliar with the cliché phrase 'dragon amongst men.'

"If it is permissible, may I have the others awaken their martial souls as well?" Grey inquired.

Accompanying him were Alan Benson, Julie, Alissa, Xia Qingyue, and Aerin.

He desired for them to have a similar opportunity.

"Certainly," the Spirit Ancestor readily agreed. "I have no objections."

"You are an ally. As fellow transmigrators from Earth, we must extend mutual assistance."

Shortly after, the Spirit Ancestor's son escorted the others.

"What is this place, Big Brother?" Julie asked, tilting her head in bewilderment as she approached.

"We are about to awaken our martial souls!" Grey announced with excitement.

'Like those depicted in martial arts novels?' Julie communicated telepathically.

'Precisely,' Grey replied. 'By the way, this eighth-rank Elder is also an Earth transmigrator. However, refrain from mentioning anything about your origins from there, alright?'

Julie cast a sideways glance at the Spirit Ancestor, who was observing her with mild curiosity, and then nodded.

'Understood.'

Soon, they proceeded in turns.

Xia Qingyue awakened a jade serpent. Julie and Alissa, being True Dragons themselves, awakened dragons akin to Grey's. Alan abstained from the process, as he had already surpassed the concept of a martial soul.

Aerin was also permitted to acquire one. Her manifestation took the form of an elf with wings – an elf angel!

The Spirit Ancestor raised an eyebrow slightly but remained silent.

Meanwhile, his thoughts raced.

'What is the connection between Saint Grey and Alan Benson? Our leader has been seeking an audience with him for a considerable time, yet he has never appeared.'

'Saint Grey also walks a unique path, one never before witnessed in the vastness of reality.'

Ultimately, he resolved to pose the question directly to Grey.

"Oh. He is my disciple."

"Your disciple?" The Spirit Ancestor expressed a momentary frown, which quickly softened.

He did, in fact, recall hearing something to that effect.

It turned out that Alan was Saint Grey's disciple.

"This master of yours, Saint Grey, how formidable is he?" the Spirit Ancestor inquired.

"I'm not certain. But my master can defeat anyone without difficulty. Even you," Grey responded, blinking.

"Oh, is that so."

"Yep." Grey gave a nod.

Shortly thereafter, Alissa approached him.

"Grey." She called out.

"Yeah?" Grey asked.

"D-Did you see my dragon?" Alissa inquired, a look of distress crossing her face.

"I did?" Grey looked at her, perplexed. "Doesn't it resemble mine?"

"Is that all?" Alissa's expression became as rigid as ice.