Douluo Continent: God Descends

Chapter 11 Gemstone Martial Soul

The figure inside the bin stirred, and then Lu Xingchen, with slightly messy hair, nimbly climbed out of the trash can.

His white pajamas were fairly clean, except for a few specks of dust on the hem.

Faced with Cocolia's anger, he didn't offer any explanation. Instead, he quickly stepped forward, stretched out his small arms, and hugged Cocolia's leg tightly, his voice as soft and sweet as honey: "Cocolia Mommy, I was wrong. Please forgive me this time, okay?"

That soft, sweet voice, with the innocence unique to children, made Cocolia pause in her reprimand that was on the tip of her tongue.

She took a deep breath, her face stern, and was about to continue her lecture: "You child, if I don't..."

Before she could finish speaking, Lu Xingchen interrupted her.

He gently rubbed his little face against Cocolia's trouser leg, and when he tilted his head back, his large, clear eyes seemed to hold tiny starlight, but now they were deliberately veiled with moisture, making him look pitiful.

"Cocolia's mother is beautiful, gentle, generous, and kind-hearted. Please forgive me this time."

A string of praises came from the child's mouth, without the slightest deliberate flattery, but rather full of sincere dependence.

Cocolia looked at that tender little face so close to hers—fair skin, a small nose, and eyes that seemed to see right through her, staring at her without blinking. Her tense heartstrings instantly softened.

Moreover, she glanced at her watch and realized she had important matters to attend to today. If she dwelled on this matter too much, it might delay the subsequent preparations.

Using his "mind reader" ability, Lu Xingchen took in all of Cocolia's changes in expression and immediately seized the opportunity to press his advantage.

He tightened his grip on Cocolia's leg, gently shook her, and his voice softened further: "Cocolia, Mommy?"

That call, tinged with dependence and expectation, completely shattered Cocolia's last "defense line".

She sighed helplessly, reached out and ruffled Lu Xingchen's hair. The anger in her voice had long since dissipated, leaving only doting affection: "You child, I just can't do anything with you. I'll forgive you this time."

At this point, she leaned down slightly, her expression becoming more serious, and earnestly instructed, "But you absolutely mustn't sleep in the trash can again next time, understand? The trash can is dirty and full of bacteria. What if you get sick?"

"understood."

Lu Xingchen immediately nodded in agreement, a well-behaved smile on her face, but a fleeting, almost imperceptible cunning glint flashed in her eyes—yes, I understand, but I won't do it.

After all, this trash can is incredibly useful.

Moreover, only in the undisturbed trash can could he enter the Chaos Sea undisturbed to deal with those secret matters concerning sequence advancement and the path to godhood—secrets he could not tell anyone.

Seeing that he agreed so readily, Cocolia said no more, patted his head and said gently, "Go wash up and then have breakfast in the cafeteria."

At this point, she seemed to remember something, and her tone became more serious, "Today is the orphanage's annual 'open day.' Several wealthy people will be visiting, and they might even donate to our orphanage. You can't be naughty anymore."

After saying that, Cocolia turned and left the children's lounge—she still had to wake up the other children and check on the breakfast preparations in the cafeteria to ensure that today's "open day" would go smoothly.

However, just as Cocolia stepped out of the children's rest room, Lu Xingchen's clear voice called out from behind her: "Wait, Cocolia's mom."

She stopped at the sound and turned around to see Lu Xingchen raising his left hand.

In the sunlight, a pale white mark quietly appeared on the small palm of his hand. The mark's texture was as delicate as leaf veins, and as Lu Xingchen's thoughts flowed, it slowly condensed into a transparent gemstone.

The gemstone is crystal clear, without any impurities, and its surface reflects the morning light, as if a galaxy is sealed within it, radiating a soft halo in the child's palm.

"When I woke up this morning, I suddenly had this strange mark and stone on my hand. Do you know what it is?"

"This is... a Soul Imprint? And a Martial Soul?!"

Cocolia's voice was filled with undisguised shock. She quickly walked up to Lu Xingchen, pulled him into her arms, and frantically searched his body with her hands, as if trying to confirm that this was not an illusion.

"Haha, it tickles, Cocolia's mom." Lu Xingchen couldn't help but laugh when Cocolia's hand touched his waist, and his small body twisted slightly.

Cocolia then realized that her actions had been somewhat hasty, and quickly withdrew her hand, but still stared intently at the mark and gem in Lu Xingchen's palm, her tone full of worry:

"Xingchen, are you feeling unwell? Is there any pain anywhere in your body? Or do you feel dizzy or weak?"

The awakening of a martial spirit is a ritual that every child on the Douluo Continent experiences at the age of six. It requires the power of the awakening stone to stimulate the potential within the body. There has never been a case of awakening prematurely without any warning.

Cocolia was afraid that this sudden phenomenon would harm Lu Xingchen's body, and the urgency and worry in her eyes became more and more obvious.

"Huh? No."

Lu Xingchen shook his head: "In fact, after awakening this mark, I feel quite comfortable, like I'm soaking in warm water, my whole body is warm and cozy, and there's no discomfort at all."

Hearing this, Cocolia's heart eased slightly. She breathed a sigh of relief, reached out to brush away the stray hairs from Lu Xingchen's forehead, but her eyes still held a hint of seriousness.

"Star, do you remember how this mark appeared? Was it there when you woke up this morning, or did something special happen?"

Lu Xingchen lowered her eyes, pretending to recall something seriously, before raising her head and shaking it after a moment:

"I don't know. When I woke up this morning, I felt a sudden heat in my right hand, as if something was trying to come out of my palm. A little while later, this mark suddenly appeared, and then the gemstone floated up as well."

He deliberately concealed the connection between the Chaos Sea and the Sequence Advancement—this secret belonging to the "God's Path" was not something he could reveal to anyone at this moment.

"Did it awaken prematurely? But without the stimulation of an awakening stone, how could a martial soul awaken ahead of schedule?"

Cocolia frowned slightly, muttering to herself. She had worked at the orphanage for many years and witnessed countless children's martial spirit awakening ceremonies, but she had never heard of such a bizarre situation.

But then I thought about it again. The Douluo Continent is vast and boundless, full of extraordinary people and events. Every day, things that break the rules happen. Lu Xingchen only awakened his martial soul a year ahead of schedule. Perhaps it was just an isolated case and not something too strange.

After pondering for a moment, she temporarily put her doubts aside and focused her gaze back on the transparent gem.

"A gemstone-type martial soul?"

Looking at the clear gem, Cocolia muttered to herself, "Star, can you sense the soul power within your body?"

"I don't know, I just feel warm all over." Lu Xingchen shook his head again.

Cocolia patted his head and smiled, "It's okay, Mom will test you again later."

"Um."