A Boy Amid Barren Mountains and Treacherous Waters

A Boy Amid Barren Mountains and Treacherous Waters

Biluo City was a city under the Heaven Dou Empire. It was named for its proximity to Bioluo Gorge, a gathering place for poison-attributed soul beasts, and had been built amid barren mountains and treacherous waters.

The city's only pillar industry was hunting soul beasts in Bioluo Gorge. However, poison-attributed soul masters held no advantage on Douluo Continent, and both medicine and poison arts were underdeveloped there. As a result, the city's profits could not compare to those of cities near other major soul beast gathering grounds.

At noon, Spirit Hall within Biluo City was already packed with people. Dozens of nobles and soul masters had brought their children to await the appointed time.

It was autumn, the season of harvest, and also the season when Martial Souls were awakened across Douluo Continent each year. During this period, awakening soul masters affiliated with Spirit Hall would, under orders from their superiors, travel to every village with a Spirit Hall to awaken the Martial Souls of children. Residents of cities, meanwhile, would go to the Spirit Hall in their own city for their awakenings.

Although great clans and major nobles conducted awakenings internally, no one in Biluo City had reached that level.

According to Biluo City's customs, nobles and soul master families would bring their children to Spirit Hall on a designated day and have the person in charge perform their awakenings. This day was not only for awakening Martial Souls, but also for communication and exchanges between the various families. Families whose children awakened good Martial Souls and high Soul Power stood above the rest, while families whose children failed to awaken good Martial Souls or Soul Power drew no attention. Many families discussed cooperation and marriage alliances at this time.

This had been an unwritten rule in Biluo City for hundreds of years. Though it was not a festival in name, it was no less important.

Only fifteen children were awakening their Martial Souls this year, making it a relatively small year. Yet the nobles and soul masters waiting here numbered several dozen, far outnumbering the children awaiting their awakenings.

The nobles and soul masters chatted casually, but most of their attention was on the upcoming awakenings. They merely exchanged polite words to pass the time.

About a quarter of an hour later, the person in charge of the local Spirit Hall emerged. He was an old man who looked to be over eighty. His skin was withered like an ancient tree, and his eyes were clouded. He appeared to be at death's door, yet no one dared look down on him because of it.

For no matter how old he was, he was still a member of Spirit Hall—a powerful Soul Emperor, a Bishop who had been stationed in Biluo City for decades under the Pope's orders.

Even the City Lord of Biluo City would not dare show the slightest neglect upon seeing this old man.

"It is time to awaken Martial Souls again..." The old man raised his head and looked around at the surrounding faces before sighing unconsciously. Soul Power stirred faintly around him as six Soul Rings—one white, two yellow, two purple, and one black—appeared around his body. At some point, his aged hand had lifted slightly, and a vine with the texture of stone emerged from his palm, slowly drooping to his feet.

"I am Yan Jun, Bishop of Spirit Hall. My Martial Soul is Rock Vine, and I am a level sixty-seven Control System Battle Soul Master... I will preside over this year's Martial Soul awakenings."

"Children undergoing awakening, step forward."

The old man named Yan Jun spoke to himself, unconcerned with the gazes of others. At his command, the children who had long been instructed slipped away from their elders and formed an orderly line before him.

Seeing this, the old man nodded slightly and waved to one side. Upon receiving the order, several soul masters in Spirit Hall uniforms immediately stepped forward and set up a proper Awakening Array between the old man and the children.

"Child, step forward," Yan Jun said flatly.

He was ninety-four this year, an advanced age even for a soul master.

At his age, there was little left that could catch his attention. By now, he no longer cared about the names or backgrounds of the children undergoing awakening.

Other than the Angel God and Spirit Hall, there was almost nothing in this world that he cared about. As for blood relatives separated by who knew how many generations, he only helped when he could. He cared even less about the gazes of others.

If not for his concern that he would spoil his relationships and leave a mess for the soul master Spirit Hall had arranged to take over for him, he would not even have bothered coming out to awaken the Martial Souls of these children.

At the old man's call, the chubby boy at the front of the line stepped forward and entered the array. Yan Jun raised a hand, and Soul Power surged. The array beneath the chubby boy's feet glimmered faintly as specks of light rose and gradually entered his body.

The children of soul master and noble families all knew what a Martial Soul awakening entailed, so naturally there was no need for anyone to remind them.

A moment later, the chubby boy let out an involuntary hiss. His somewhat round body began to contract, and a pair of rather comical ears grew from his golden hair.

"A beast Martial Soul... Let us test his Innate Soul Power." Yan Jun turned over his right hand, and a crystal ball appeared in his palm.

The slightly plump child took the crystal ball, pouring Soul Power into it. The crystal ball emitted a faint glow.

"Innate Soul Power of two and a half... No, Innate Soul Power of three... His Martial Soul is a Leopard Cat? But its quality seems a little low... No matter what, he can still become a soul master."

Yan Jun took back the crystal ball and waved at the plump child. The child who had awakened the Leopard Cat Martial Soul immediately left the Awakening Array and ran into the crowd to one side. A wave of discussion followed.

"The City Lord's second son really did awaken the Leopard Cat Martial Soul. But his Innate Soul Power is even lower than the City Lord's and the eldest young master's. Back then, the City Lord had Innate Soul Power of a full four levels. Although the eldest young master's Innate Soul Power was lower than the City Lord's, it was still a full three and a half levels. Becoming a Soul Elder in the future would hardly be a problem."

"With Soul Power around level three, the second young master will probably have a hard time comparing to the eldest young master in the future, won't he?"

"Heh, who can say what will happen in the future? Not long ago, the eldest young master fought the City Lord over a woman and had his leg broken by the City Lord. He has not left home these past few days. Who knows which one of them will rise to power later?"

"That is true..."

"Ahem, quiet." Hearing the clamor around him, Yan Jun gave a light cough. Empowered by Soul Power, his voice entered everyone's ears. The somewhat noisy hall immediately fell silent.

"Next child, come in."

As the next child entered the Awakening Array, Yan Jun, who had been somewhat lost in thought, froze slightly. His clouded eyes cleared, and even his expression, dead as a corpse's, became a little more serious.

Yan Jun had been awakening the Martial Souls of children in Biluo City since the age of fifty, numbering over a thousand in total. Yet before today, Yan Jun had never seen such a special child.

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