Martial Soul Awakening

The Heaven Dou Empire's noble title system was hereditary.

Ye Zhou's adoptive father in this world had been a baron. Now that he was dead, Ye Zhou naturally inherited the title.

But not every noble title came with territory. The Ye family's title was an honorary one.

"They're here." After tidying up a little, Ye Zhou pushed open the door and stepped outside.

Outside, a middle-aged man dressed as a soldier stood waiting with a slight bow.

"Lord Baron, I have been ordered to escort you to the Martial Soul Holy Hall for the awakening ceremony," the soldier said to Ye Zhou.

"All right, please lead the way."

"Yes." The soldier nodded and led Ye Zhou toward the Martial Soul Holy Hall.

Spirit Hall had branch halls in every city across the continent. The branches in the capitals of the two great empires held the highest rank and were called Martial Soul Holy Halls. Their hall masters were said to be Soul Fighting Luos above level eighty.

On this continent, Soul Fighting Luos were considered exceptionally powerful.

Along the way, Ye Zhou looked around with great curiosity, taking in the city.

Prosperous and majestic.

Its architectural style somewhat resembled medieval Europe.

About half an hour later, the two stopped before a castle-like building.

"Lord Baron, we have arrived at the Martial Soul Holy Hall. Please go inside and join the queue. The Lord Soul Masters inside will awaken your martial soul for you," the soldier said to Ye Zhou.

"All right, thank you for your trouble." Ye Zhou nodded.

"You flatter me. It is my duty. Then I shall take my leave." With that, the soldier turned and departed.

Looking at the building before him, Ye Zhou considered it for a moment before climbing the steps, passing the guards on either side, and walking inside.

Upon entering the main hall, he found it packed with people.

Without exception, they were all dressed lavishly, clearly not commoners.

Seeing that another person had arrived, a Spirit Hall attendant immediately came over to ask Ye Zhou's identity. After confirming it, he led Ye Zhou to join one of the queues.

"Hey, which family are you from?" The chubby boy in front of Ye Zhou turned around and asked.

"The Ye family."

"Which Ye family?"

"Baron Lieyan."

"Oh, never heard of it. My family is Baron Cisong's Xu family."

"I've never heard of that either."

"..."

At a loss for words, the chubby boy turned back around, while Ye Zhou shifted his gaze to the front of the queue.

There, a child stood within a circle formed by several glowing stones. A Spirit Hall deacon was circulating Soul Power to awaken his martial soul.

Soon, the child's martial soul was awakened. As he opened his right hand, a sickle engraved with lightning patterns slowly emerged.

Next, the Spirit Hall deacon handed him a Crystal Ball to test his Innate Soul Power.

The result was level three.

"Martial soul: Electric Scythe. Innate Soul Power: level three." As soon as the Spirit Hall deacon spoke, someone nearby immediately recorded the information.

The child who had awakened the Electric Scythe martial soul was delighted to hear that his Innate Soul Power was level three.

He was stronger than his father. His father had only been level two!

After that, the queue continued to move forward, and one child after another awakened their martial souls with the assistance of the Spirit Hall deacons.

Ye Zhou took the opportunity to carefully memorize these martial souls. He might encounter one of them someday.

Soon, it was the chubby boy's turn.

Like the children before him, he stepped into the circle surrounded by stones. Then, guided by the Soul Master's Soul Power, he opened his right hand, and the phantom of an elephant appeared behind him.

"Martial soul: White Elephant," the Spirit Hall deacon who had awakened it for him said flatly.

Clearly, he did not consider this martial soul particularly impressive.

"Test your Soul Power."

"Yes." The chubby boy took the Crystal Ball, which emitted a faint glimmer.

"Level two."

The chubby boy's face immediately fell.

His father's Innate Soul Power was level three, while his was only level two. He was done for—his father would scold him to death when he went outside.

"All right, next."

It was Ye Zhou's turn.

He stepped forward and stood within the circle.

"Close your eyes and relax your body."

"Yes," Ye Zhou replied, closing his eyes.

Then, as the Spirit Hall deacon activated his Soul Power, Ye Zhou felt a warm current envelop him. Vaguely, it seemed as though something was about to burst out from his right hand.

No, not just his right hand. His left hand too.

The feeling made Ye Zhou frown. He remembered that the children before him had only opened their right hands.

Thinking this, he raised his arm and slowly opened his right hand as well.

A scorching aura burst forth.

Immediately afterward, an icy aura emerged.

At last, under the shocked gaze of the Spirit Hall deacon, a long halberd appeared in Ye Zhou's grasp.

The halberd's shaft looked as though it had been forged from black iron. Its entire body was pitch-black and embedded with shattered star crystals that shimmered faintly as the angle shifted, like a river of stars winding through the darkness of the night sky.

The halberd head had two blades. The left blade was crimson gold, as though tempered in lava, its patterns flowing like solar flares. Its edge gleamed with blazing white sharpness, trailing tiny sparks whenever it moved. The right blade was silver-blue, as though carved from ice, with moon-phase engravings drifting across its surface. A pale frost mist condensed along its edge, and when it touched the air, it made faint cracking sounds like ice breaking.

This martial soul was clearly extraordinary!

The Spirit Hall deacon immediately took Ye Zhou's records from an attendant nearby.

Son of Baron Lieyan of the Heaven Dou Empire. His father's martial soul was a long halberd, while his mother's was a Jade Umbrella. Both had Innate Soul Power of level three.

He looked at the boy before him with suspicion and astonishment.

Had his martial soul... mutated?

"Child, test your Innate Soul Power." He returned the records to the attendant and handed Ye Zhou the Crystal Ball that many others had touched before, his voice somewhat excited.

Hearing this, Ye Zhou reached out and took the Crystal Ball. Instantly, it burst into dazzling light.

The light startled the surrounding queues and the Spirit Hall personnel awakening martial souls for them.

"This is... Innate Full Soul Power!" The Spirit Hall deacon in charge of the neighboring queue widened his eyes in disbelief.

"That's right, Innate Full Soul Power! And this martial soul is obviously a top-tier assault-type martial soul!"

The Spirit Hall deacon before Ye Zhou became even more excited. He immediately took back the Crystal Ball from Ye Zhou's hands, crouched down, placed both hands on his shoulders, and said, "Child, join our Spirit Hall. I will certainly petition the hall master to send you to Spirit Hall Academy."

"Huh?" Ye Zhou froze.

Join Spirit Hall?

Although many people on Douyin had said Spirit Hall was a good faction before he transmigrated, but... you were the losers! You would be destroyed by the protagonist in the future. If I joined you, wouldn't I be in danger too?

"I, um..."

"Mocha Steward."

Just as Ye Zhou was wondering how to politely refuse, a voice suddenly rang out. Looking toward it, he saw a middle-aged man dressed in a prince's robes striding over, followed by an elderly man with green hair, gray armor, and an expressionless face.

"Your Highness?"

"Greetings, Prince Xue Xing." Many people in the hall bowed to the newcomer.

Seeing this, those who did not recognize the middle-aged man, including the children, hurriedly bowed and greeted him as well.

"No need for such formalities. Mocha Steward, the royal family agreed to let Spirit Hall handle the awakenings of all nobles in Heaven Dou City this year, but please do not forget that nobles are nobles of the empire. Any talented children of noble families here should enter Heaven Dou Royal Academy, not Spirit Hall Academy," Prince Xue Xing said coldly.

Upon hearing this, the Spirit Hall deacon who had awakened Ye Zhou's martial soul instantly wore an ugly expression.