Biluo City, a city belonging to the Heaven Dou Empire, is named after its proximity to Biluo Gorge, a gathering place for poison-attribute soul beasts. It's a city built on barren mountains and harsh waters.
The city's only pillar industry is hunting soul beasts in Biluo Gorge, but because poison-attribute soul masters are not dominant on the Douluo Continent, and because medical and poison techniques are underdeveloped, the city's revenue cannot compare with cities near other large soul beast gathering places.
At midday, the Spirit Hall within Biluo City is already bustling with people.
Dozens of nobles and soul masters, along with their children, await the appointed time.
This season is autumn, the harvest season, and also the annual season for awakening martial souls on the Douluo Continent.
During this period, awakening soul masters belonging to the Spirit Hall, under the assignment of their superiors, go to each village where a Spirit Hall has been established to awaken the martial souls of children.
The residents of the city, however, go to the Spirit Hall within the city for their own awakening.
Although large families and nobles awaken their spirits internally, no one in Biluo City has yet reached this level.
According to Biluo City's custom, nobles and spirit master families would take their children to the Spirit Hall on a designated day for the hall's leader to perform the awakening.
This day was not only for spirit awakening but also for communication and exchange between families.
Families whose children awakened good spirits and high spirit power were considered superior, while those that didn't were ignored.
Many families would discuss cooperation and marriage alliances at this time.
This was an unwritten rule in Biluo City for hundreds of years.
Although it wasn't a formally named festival, its importance was in no way inferior.
This year, only fifteen children awakened their martial souls, a relatively small number.
However, dozens of nobles and soul masters were waiting here, far outnumbering the children.
The nobles and soul masters chatted casually, most focusing on the upcoming awakening, simply passing the time with polite small talk.
After about fifteen minutes, the local head of the Spirit Hall emerged.
He was an elderly man who appeared to be over eighty years old, his skin withered like an old tree, his eyes cloudy, looking like he was on his deathbed.
Yet, no one dared to underestimate him because of this.
No matter how old he was, he was still a member of the Spirit Hall, a Soul Emperor, a bishop who had been stationed in Biluo City for decades on the Pope's orders.
Even the city lord of Biluo City dared not show the slightest disrespect to this old man.
"It's that time of year again for awakening your Martial Soul..."
The old man looked up and glanced around at the faces around him, then unconsciously sighed.
His soul power surged slightly, and six soul rings—one white, two yellow, two purple, and one black—appeared on his body.
His aged hand had subtly risen, and a vine with the texture of rock emerged from his palm, slowly drooping to his feet.
"I am Yan Jun, Bishop of the Spirit Hall, Martial Soul: Rock Vine, Level 67 Control-type Battle Soul Master… Therefore, I will preside over this year's Martial Soul Awakening."
"Awakening children, step forward,"
the old man named Yan Jun said to himself, oblivious to the stares of others.
Following his command, children, already instructed, emerged from beside their elders and lined up orderly in front of the old man.
Seeing this, the old man nodded slightly, then waved to the side.
Upon receiving the order, several Soul Masters dressed in Spirit Hall uniforms immediately stepped forward and set up a proper awakening formation between the old man and the children.
"Children, step forward," Yan Jun said calmly.
He was ninety-four years old this year, a long life even for a Soul Master.
At this age, there were very few things that mattered to him.
At this point, he no longer cared about the names or origins of the children awakening their Martial Souls.
Apart from the Angel God and the Spirit Hall, there was almost nothing else in this world that he cared about.
He only cared about those blood relatives who were separated from him by countless generations. He no longer paid any attention to the opinions of others.
If it weren't for the fear of ruining relationships and leaving a mess for the Soul Master who was sent by the Spirit Hall to take over his position, he wouldn't even bother to come out and awaken the Martial Souls of these children.
With the old man's voice, the chubby boy at the front of the line stepped forward and entered the formation.
Yan Jun raised his hand, his Soul Power surged, and the formation beneath the chubby boy's feet glowed slightly, with specks of light rising and gradually entering his body.
Children from Soul Master families and noble families all knew what awakening a Martial Soul was, so they naturally didn't need anyone to remind them.
A moment later, the chubby boy involuntarily let out a hiss, his slightly rounded body began to shrink, and a pair of somewhat comical ears sprouted from his golden hair.
"Beast Martial Soul…how about testing his innate soul power?" Yan Jun flipped his right palm, and a crystal ball appeared in his hand.
The slightly rounded child took the crystal ball, his soul power surging into it, and the crystal ball emitted a faint glow.
"Innate soul power level two and a half…no, innate soul power level three…Martial Soul is a leopard cat?
But the quality seems a bit low…Anyway, he can still become a Soul Master."
Yan Jun took the crystal ball and waved to the rounded child.
The child, who had awakened the leopard cat martial soul, immediately stepped out of the awakening formation and ran to the crowd nearby.
A murmur of discussion followed.
"As expected, the second young master of the city lord still possesses the Leopard Cat Martial Soul, but his innate soul power is inferior to that of the city lord and the eldest young master.
Back then, the city lord had a full level four innate soul power, and although the eldest young master's innate soul power is not as high as the city lord's, it is still a full level three and a half.
Becoming a Soul Venerable in the future will almost certainly not be a problem."
"With the second young master's soul power around level three, it seems difficult for him to compare with the eldest young master in the future."
"Hey, who knows what the future holds?
A while ago, the eldest young master had his leg broken by the city lord for fighting over a woman, and he hasn't left the house lately. Who knows who will rise to power in the future."
"That's true..."
"Ahem, quiet." Hearing the noisy voices around him, Yan Jun coughed lightly, his voice penetrating the ears of everyone around him through the power of his soul power.
The slightly noisy scene immediately quieted down.
"Next child, come in."
As the next child entered the awakening array, Yan Jun, who had been somewhat lost in thought, paused slightly.
His previously cloudy eyes cleared, and even his deathly expression became slightly more serious.
Since turning fifty, Yan Jun had been awakening martial souls for over a thousand children in Biluo City.
However, before today, he had never seen such a special child.
(End of Chapter)