Martial Soul Awakening

Three years later.

Ye Qifeng had already lived at the Orphanage for four years.

He had grown to a little over a meter tall. Although much of the baby fat had yet to fade from his face, leaving it round and adorable, he looked as delicate as carved jade.

His figure had also begun to slowly reveal the outlines of a handsome young boy.

He always exuded a unique aura, gentle and soft, as though he possessed some magical charm that made people unable to resist drawing close to him.

Hu Liena was exactly like that.

She especially liked the aura around Ye Qifeng.

Whenever she was close to Ye Qifeng, her mood became exceptionally good, and she found herself somewhat captivated by it.

Thus, Hu Liena spent all day wanting to stay with Ye Qifeng and no longer followed her brother Xie Yue around everywhere.

Xie Yue, who utterly doted on his younger sister, had been quite jealous for a long time and once harbored considerable resentment toward Ye Qifeng.

However, the steady Xie Yue never showed it.

Ever since their father and mother had died in an accident, Hu Liena had become everything to Xie Yue, who was like a father to her.

For his sister, he was willing to give anything, even his life.

So, a little discomfort was nothing.

In his heart, all that mattered was that his sister could be happy.

Besides, he rather liked Ye Qifeng, that delicate little fellow.

Ye Qifeng possessed an indescribable temperament. He was quiet, peaceful, and clean, yet also clever and quick-witted. In particular, his ability to remember every book after reading it once made Xie Yue, Yan, and even Hu Liena immensely envious.

Xie Yue had also noticed Hu Liena's changes.

Over the three years she had spent with Ye Qifeng, his sister had clearly become much more cheerful and optimistic. She was no longer the timid, weak, and introverted little girl she had once been.

He had originally worried that her personality might be too weak and that she would suffer for it in the future.

Now, that concern was gone as well.

As a result, Xie Yue's resentment toward Ye Qifeng was no longer so deep, and eventually, he simply let things be.

However, whenever Hu Liena came to see Ye Qifeng, Xie Yue and Yan would always eagerly follow her over to play with him.

Today.

It was once again the annual day of Martial Soul Awakening.

Hu Liena, who had just turned six, was about to welcome the most important moment of her life—

the Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony.

Early in the morning.

The Dean and teachers at the Orphanage had already begun bustling about.

They prepared a new set of clothes for every child who had turned six and was ready to take part in the Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony.

At that moment, Hu Liena had also changed into a brand-new pink-and-yellow dress.

"Xiao Feng, does it look good?"

She stood before Ye Qifeng, spun around with a bright smile, and cast him a look.

"It looks good. Nana is naturally beautiful. Anyone could tell that she'll grow into a beauty."

Ye Qifeng praised her sincerely and nodded in response.

At his words, Hu Liena's smile became even more radiant.

In Ye Qifeng's eyes.

Six-year-old Hu Liena was indeed beautiful, with delicate features. Her pinkish-purple eyes were bright and lovely, her neck slender, and her short pink-and-gold hair casually draped beside her ears, giving her an indescribable beauty.

Though still so young, she already had a graceful figure and every sign of becoming a great beauty.

Before long.

Xie Yue and Yan also arrived at the Orphanage.

The two of them had undergone the Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony last year, causing quite a stir at the time.

Both had awakened top-tier Martial Souls.

Xie Yue's Martial Soul was the Tool Martial Soul Moon Blade, inherited from his father, while Yan's was a rather special Beast Martial Soul, the Flame Lord.

Moreover, both possessed Innate Level Nine Soul Power.

Their talents were both exceptional, among the very best—geniuses among geniuses.

Not only had they caught the attention of two Title Douluo elders and been accepted as disciples, but they had also directly enrolled in the Elite Class of the Martial Soul Hall Advanced Academy, receiving intensive cultivation with vast resources from Spirit Hall.

With two super geniuses appearing all at once, Dean Li Qing and the Orphanage teachers had been overjoyed.

Over the following year, Ye Qifeng constantly heard them praising the two boys.

After entering Spirit Hall Academy, Xie Yue and Yan had moved out of the Orphanage. They ate and lived at the academy and returned to the Orphanage roughly once a week.

Today was Hu Liena's Martial Soul Awakening day, so the two had come to the Orphanage as well.

"Brother, Yan. Why are you here? Don't you have classes?"

Upon seeing Xie Yue and Yan arrive, Hu Liena hurried over to Xie Yue, took his hand, and asked affectionately.

"How could your brother miss Nana's Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony?" Xie Yue stroked Hu Liena's head, his tone full of affection.

"Haha. Don't worry, Nana. Xie Yue and I already took leave. We came to accompany you today."

Yan spoke up at that moment.

"Oh, right. Qifeng, these are books I borrowed from Spirit Hall Academy. Take them and read them."

Xie Yue took several books from his robe and handed them to Ye Qifeng.

"Oh, right, I have a few too. I almost forgot." Yan also took out several books.

"I thought you only had eyes for Nana and had forgotten I even existed. Thanks!"

Ye Qifeng smiled and naturally accepted the books from them. It was already the third or fourth time they had helped him borrow books.

"No need to be polite."

Yan casually gave Ye Qifeng a heavy pat on the shoulder, making his body slump as he could not help baring his teeth in pain.

Ye Qifeng loved reading. After finishing all the books in the Dean's collection, he had no other way to obtain more and had been rather troubled by it. Xie Yue and the others knew this, so whenever they returned after enrolling at Spirit Hall Academy, they would borrow several books from the academy library and bring them back.

"Brother, can you tell me what Martial Soul Awakening is like?"

Hu Liena blinked her eyes and asked Xie Yue.

When Xie Yue and Yan awakened their Martial Souls, she had been too young to leave the Orphanage for long, so she had not been there.

"Alright, I'll explain it briefly."

Xie Yue lovingly stroked Hu Liena's hair and said,

"The Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony is conducted by a designated Martial Soul Hall Inspection Deacon, usually someone with the cultivation of a Soul Grandmaster or above."

"However, because Spirit City is the holy land of Spirit Masters across the continent, the ceremony will be personally conducted by a Spirit Douluo-level Platinum Bishop."

"And since the Orphanage is located in the West District, it will be held at the West District Spirit Temple."

"There will be a special formation for the ceremony. You only need to stand in the center, and the bishop will infuse Soul Power into the formation to help awaken your Martial Soul."

"Afterward, you'll test your Innate Soul Power with a Soul Testing Crystal."

"As long as you possess Innate Soul Power, you can become a Spirit Master."

"Then Spirit Hall will issue a Spirit Master Certificate, and with that certificate, you can enroll in Spirit Hall Academy."

"The ceremony is actually quite simple. You don't need to be afraid when the time comes. Just follow the instructions of the people conducting it."

"So that's how it is. I wonder what my Martial Soul will be? It would be wonderful if I could become a Spirit Master like Brother and Yan."

Hu Liena's pinkish-purple eyes gleamed, full of both anticipation and nervousness.

"Don't worry, Nana. You'll definitely become a Spirit Master. Maybe your talent will even be greater than your brother's."

Ye Qifeng said with a mysterious smile.

"Really? That would be wonderful! Then I could attend the same academy as Brother, right?"

Hu Liena asked happily.

"You definitely can."

Ye Qifeng gave her a certain look.

"Qifeng is right. Nana, you don't need to worry. Martial Souls are usually inherited from one's parents. We're brother and sister. Since your brother can become a Spirit Master, you can definitely become one too. Brother believes in you."

Xie Yue spoke with certainty, filled with confidence.

"Right, right, right."

Yan chimed in from the side.

At that moment, the Dean's call for everyone to gather came from downstairs.

The group quickly went downstairs.

Including Hu Liena, there were more than twenty six-year-old children at the Orphanage taking part in the Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony that day.

Led by the Dean and several teachers, they headed to the West District Spirit Temple, two blocks away.

Ye Qifeng was only four and could not go with them.

He could only see the three of them off at the Orphanage gate, watching Hu Liena leave as she repeatedly looked back with reluctance in her eyes. They probably would not see each other for some time.

Though it was somewhat regrettable that he could not witness Hu Liena awaken her Martial Soul in person.

He was not worried in the slightest.

After all, Hu Liena was about to awaken the top-tier Martial Soul Demon Fox, along with Innate Full Soul Power.

And before long, she would be accepted as a disciple by the Holy Maiden Bibi Dong.