At the same time, in Heaven Dou City, a thousand miles away.
Within the Strength Clan's grounds.
The Strength Clan had once been one of the four single-attribute clans affiliated with the Clear Sky Sect. They excelled in strength, and their inherited Martial Soul was the Mighty Gorilla. Though it was not top-tier, it was still among the best of strength-type Martial Souls.
They were considered a major force in Heaven Dou City, living prosperous lives and enjoying high status.
Yet today, this grand residence, once filled with the ringing of hammers and the shouts of clan members, was terrifyingly silent.
A suffocating dread hung in the air.
Inside the clan's main hall, Titan—the white-haired old man built like a mountain—sat rigidly in the main seat like a stone statue that had lost its soul.
Those massive hands, which had once swung thousand-pound hammers and struck fear into enemies, now gripped the armrests involuntarily, his knuckles white from the force.
His equally towering son, Taino, stood to one side. The recklessness and confidence he usually wore were gone, replaced by a mournful expression tangled with fear, unwillingness, and choked sobs.
"Father..."
Taino's voice was dry and hoarse, thick with tears.
"I... I secretly asked around at several nearby places... The situation... was about the same. Out of more than ten children, only one awakened the clan's Martial Soul..."
"The Divine Decree... is real."
Taino said it as though he were breaking down.
"Martial Soul awakenings... really have become random. We... our bloodline... is useless now!"
As though confirming Taino's words, the voice of the Spirit King elder presiding over the awakening ceremony in the center of the hall rang out again and again in Titan's heart like a cold funeral bell. He was deliberately trying to keep his voice steady,