The Glory of the Church Lives On in a Northern Town! (Please Vote)

Outside Zhu Ziyang's home.

Zhu Ziyang's parents had arrived, along with the other children in the village who met the requirements for Martial Soul awakening and their parents.

"Dad, Mom." Zhu Ziyang took Jiang Nannan by the hand and walked over to his parents.

"Mm!" Zhu Ziyang's father, Zhu Changhe, was a handsome man with refined features. Seeing his son come out, he smiled and said, "Everyone's here. Children, get in the carriage."

"Yes!" The other seven children climbed into the Zhu family's carriage under their parents' expectant gazes.

"Village Chief, we're counting on you!" the seven children's parents respectfully said to Zhu Changhe.

"Don't worry. You can all head back now; we're setting off." Zhu Changhe was the village chief of Beihe Village and its strongest expert. Thirty-five years old this year, he was a Level 28 Soul Grandmaster. Nearing forty yet still only a Soul Grandmaster, he had no hope of ever becoming a Soul Ancestor in this lifetime. Zhu Changhe's Martial Soul was the Dimlight Scythe, an ordinary Tool Martial Soul that could barely be considered Light Attribute. Since his great-great-grandfather's generation, the Dimlight Scythe Martial Soul had been steadily passed down through the Zhu family for six generations. Zhu Ziyang was the seventh generation and had a fifty percent chance of inheriting it.

Why fifty percent?

Because his mother, Liang Ying, was also a Soul Master. Liang Ying was two years younger than Zhu Changhe, thirty-three this year, and a Level 25 Soul Grandmaster. Her Martial Soul was the Snow Dragon Lizard, a dragon-type Soul Beast with a thin trace of dragon bloodline. In terms of quality, the Snow Dragon Lizard Martial Soul was slightly better than the Dimlight Scythe Martial Soul, though not by much.

The other fifty percent chance for Zhu Ziyang's Martial Soul lay with the Snow Dragon Lizard Martial Soul.

Since they were both ordinary Martial Souls—one a Tool Martial Soul and the other a Beast Martial Soul—it did not matter much to Zhu Ziyang. As long as he could cultivate, an ordinary Martial Soul was fine. With all the knowledge in his head and in the library, there had to be a way hidden somewhere to let him soar.

Liang Ying led Zhu Ziyang and Jiang Nannan into the carriage compartment, while Zhu Changhe drove the carriage toward nearby Anyang City.

Beihe Village was located on the outskirts of Anyang City, only two or three li from the city's southern gate. Their destination this time, the City Lord's Mansion, was merely another four or five hundred meters beyond that.

They arrived in Anyang City after around fifteen minutes. In truth, the distance was close enough to walk, but Zhu Ziyang did not comment on his father's decision.

Many of the children were entering the city for the first time and stared curiously at everything outside, but Zhu Ziyang had visited Anyang City many times already.

It was nothing more than a small town.

That was Zhu Ziyang's impression of Anyang City.

Anyang City lay on the northern frontier of the Heaven Dou Empire. To its north was the outer forest of the Far North Ice Plain; to its south stretched a massive east-west mountain range known as the Northern Mountain Range. To the east, it was near Dragon City, the provincial capital of Zhenbei Province, while to the west was a north-south grand canyon. With difficult terrain on three sides, Anyang City's location was insignificant. Hardly anyone wished to come here, making it a city that might as well not exist.

Anyang City was not very large either. It was nominally a city, but in reality, it was only a slightly larger town with a population of around two hundred thousand. Its strongest expert was the city lord, Hong Zhen, who held the rank of baron in the Heaven Dou Empire and was a Level 42 Defense System Soul Ancestor.

The carriage arrived at the City Lord's Mansion.

Zhu Changhe was considered a notable figure in Anyang City. He was one of the deputy captains of the city guard, and more importantly, he was related to City Lord Hong Zhen. Hong Zhen's grandmother was the biological younger sister of Zhu Changhe's grandfather, meaning Hong Zhen and Zhu Changhe were cousins.

The gatekeeper of the City Lord's Mansion knew his place and took the carriage from him to park it. Zhu Changhe and Liang Ying led Zhu Ziyang, Jiang Nannan, and the other nine children into the City Lord's Mansion. Familiar with the route, they soon arrived at the hall used for Martial Soul awakenings and immediately spotted a burly man nearly two meters tall.

"Ha! Brother Changhe, you're here!" The burly man grinned broadly upon seeing Zhu Changhe, his voice deafening.

"Brother Hong!" Zhu Changhe replied with a smile. "We'll have to trouble you today!"

This burly man was none other than Anyang City's city lord, Baron Hong Zhen, a Level 42 Ice Plains Elephant Soul Ancestor.

He was the one awakening the Martial Souls of Zhu Ziyang and the others today. The city lord was personally overseeing the Martial Soul awakening ceremony, and it was free. To the children of Anyang City, this was undoubtedly an immense blessing. After all, throughout most of the Three Great Empires, it was pure fantasy for commoner children to awaken their Martial Souls for free. If commoners wanted to awaken their Martial Souls, they either had to sell themselves to the imperial military or to nobles. Otherwise, they could only pray to encounter a kindhearted high-level Soul Master willing to offer charity.

Martial Soul awakening had been completely monopolized by the noble class. How tragic!

Zhu Ziyang had read books on history and knew this tragic situation had formed ten thousand years ago, after the battle known as the Great Victory at Jialing Pass.

The official histories of the Three Great Empires all described that battle the same way: under the leadership of the great Sea God, His Highness the Blue Hao King, and Thousand Hands Douluo, the Imperial Allied Forces crushed Spirit Hall's evil ambition to unify the continent, won the final victory in the war, and safeguarded the continent's stability and peace.

After the battle, Spirit Hall's last Pope, Bibi Dong, died, while the Saintess Qian Renxue disappeared. The Church Era came to an end. Spirit Hall, which had provided free Martial Soul awakenings for all, was destroyed, and with it vanished the golden age of commoner Soul Masters.

The glory of the old church now needed a northern town to carry it on.

What irony!

"Brother Hong!"

"Uncle Hong!"

Liang Ying and Zhu Ziyang also stepped forward to greet Hong Zhen.

"Little Sister Ying is here too!" Hong Zhen replied to Liang Ying, then looked at Zhu Ziyang and laughed heartily. "Little Yang has reached the age to awaken his Martial Soul already? Time sure flies!"

"Indeed!" Zhu Changhe said with considerable emotion.

"Alright, enough nonsense. Let's begin!" Hong Zhen was a straightforward northern man who never dragged things out.

Under Zhu Changhe and Liang Ying's arrangements, the nine children formed a line. Zhu Ziyang stood first, followed by Jiang Nannan and the other children.

"Little Yang, come over here to Uncle!" Hong Zhen had long prepared everything. Once he saw the children were ready, he called for Zhu Ziyang, who stood at the front.

Zhu Ziyang did not hesitate and quickly walked toward Hong Zhen. His heartbeat could not help speeding up. To say he was not nervous would be a lie. This concerned his entire life. He truly did not want to be mediocre even after being reborn, especially in such a great era.

After only a few steps, he arrived before Hong Zhen. Under Hong Zhen's guidance, he stepped into a six-pointed star formed from six pitch-black stones.

He recognized those six black stones: Awakening Stones. They were an extremely important resource monopolized by imperial noble families and major powers, capable of carrying out the most effective method of Martial Soul awakening.

Once Zhu Ziyang was standing properly, Hong Zhen sent out six streams of Soul Power in succession. Each stream entered one of the six Awakening Stones with perfect accuracy. The next moment, the six Awakening Stones began to glow, then formed a light barrier that enclosed Zhu Ziyang within.

"Close your eyes. Calm your mind and focus. Feel carefully!" Hong Zhen instructed.

Zhu Ziyang had no choice but to obey. Without realizing it, he used the Lesser Light Breathing Technique. His emotions immediately settled, and his whole body gradually calmed. Vaguely, he sensed a power being drawn forth, ready to emerge from within his body. He immediately realized that it was his Martial Soul.

Thus, he instinctively extended his right hand. At that moment, Hong Zhen's instruction came as well. "Extend your right hand!"