Contract Shackles

After the pale golden runes shattered, pale golden starlight fell like a gentle drizzle, then gradually faded into the boundless darkness.

"Oh? I see." A low voice murmured, "So-called awakening is nothing more than a shackle in the form of a contract, imposed on living beings by the consciousness of this world."

"Interesting. Very interesting."

Back in reality.

Duke Molong's expression was grave.

He could clearly feel that Xia Linyuan seemed to have become a bottomless vortex of energy, constantly drawing in the surrounding energy of heaven and earth.

He wanted to stop the awakening ritual, but he simply couldn't sever his Soul Power connection to the Awakening Stone!

Duke Molong's face paled. In this situation, if Xia Linyuan showed even the slightest sign of abnormal behavior, the elders and guests lying in wait in the ancestral hall would strike him down at once!

At the thought of Xia Linyuan dying horribly at the elders' hands, Duke Molong closed his eyes helplessly.

Linyuan, my child...

Suddenly, a cold, despairing aura spread through every corner of the ancestral hall, causing the temperature to drop several degrees.

The aura was so cold and despairing that even Duke Molong, a Soul Douluo, couldn't help shivering.

Duke Molong abruptly opened his eyes and stared at Xia Linyuan before him in disbelief.

Behind Xia Linyuan hovered an enormous black silhouette. Its outline suggested it was neither entirely human nor beast.

Xia Linyuan glanced around and smiled. "So this is my Martial Soul? It seems pretty good."

His tone sounded quite interested, but his impassive face showed not the slightest hint of anything related to "interest."

Seeing that Xia Linyuan showed no signs of anything unusual, Duke Molong breathed a sigh of relief. But in the next moment, as if sensing something, he suddenly roared, "Back off!"

At his furious command, countless writhing black shapes in the shadows of the corners quietly retreated.

With a subtle glance to either side, Xia Linyuan sneered inwardly. You know what's good for you.

If they really attacked him, he wouldn't mind destroying them all. At worst, he would erase their very existence from the Douluo World.

"Linyuan, how do you feel? Is anything bothering you?" Duke Molong asked worriedly, too concerned to examine what sort of Martial Soul Xia Linyuan had awakened.

Xia Linyuan shook his head. "I don't feel anything special."

So-called Martial Souls were nothing more than a way to form a contract with a "soul" through the so-called awakening ritual. Once someone made a contract with a "soul," the contract bound them.

Those bound by a contract were subject to restrictions much like Spirit Masters, who had to absorb a Spirit Ring every ten levels to break through to the next stage. Their potential for growth was also severely limited.

He had just shattered the contract, so he naturally couldn't make one with a "soul."

The reason he had a Martial Soul was that he had created a similar contract himself, using inversion to turn part of his power into a "Martial Soul."

Since it was his own power, he naturally felt no discomfort.

However, because his existence force was insufficient, he hadn't yet been able to fully turn his power into a "Martial Soul."

Hearing Xia Linyuan say he felt fine still didn't reassure Duke Molong. He turned him this way and that, carefully checking him over before finally relaxing.

"Linyuan, if you feel even the slightest bit unwell, you must tell your father, understand?"

"I understand."

After confirming again and again that nothing was wrong with Xia Linyuan, Duke Molong finally remembered to ask about his Martial Soul.

Those creatures embodied destruction and devouring. Like locusts, they left not a blade of grass standing wherever they went. But Xia Linyuan's Martial Soul gave him a sense of destruction and nothingness. At last, he could be certain Xia Linyuan wasn't one of the creatures from that place.

Although Xia Linyuan's Martial Soul was full of coldness and despair, it lacked the bloody aura found only in Evil Spirit Masters. It should be a dark-type Martial Soul, so there was no need to worry that he would become an Evil Spirit Master.

Duke Molong took out a crystal ball and held it out to Xia Linyuan. "Linyuan, put your hands on this. Father will measure your Innate Soul Power."

Xia Linyuan placed both hands on the crystal ball.

One second, two seconds...

Nothing happened.

Had he failed to awaken Soul Power?

Just as Duke Molong was starting to feel disappointed—

Oh?

Xia Linyuan's slightly raised eyes flicked up. He lowered the outward fluctuations of his Abyssal Power until they were about the same as Soul Power, then channeled it into the crystal ball.

Brilliant blue light shone like stars at night, dazzling to behold.

"Crack—"

A crisp sound rang clearly in Duke Molong's ears.

Staring at the incongruous crack in the smooth crystal ball, Duke Molong's eyes widened in disbelief.

Hadn't nothing happened just a moment ago? How had this happened? This was a Soul Power testing crystal capable of measuring up to level thirty! It had actually cracked just like that!

Could this be the legendary divine gift of Soul Power—Innate Level 20 Soul Power? But even that shouldn't have been enough to damage the testing crystal, should it?

Duke Molong wasn't the only one left dazed. The elders and guests lying in wait nearby were just as stunned.

What on earth was going on?

This was downright bizarre.

The Duchess, who had been pacing back and forth in front of the courtyard gate, nearly fainted from excitement when she saw Xia Linyuan walk out unharmed.

"Linyuan!"

The Duchess pulled Xia Linyuan into her arms and began sobbing.

Knowing why the Duchess was crying, Xia Linyuan patted her shoulder and gently comforted her. "Don't cry, Mom. It was just a little Martial Soul Awakening ritual. Linyuan's a big boy now. He isn't scared."

The Duchess thought Xia Linyuan didn't know he had just come close to death. She quickly wiped away her tears, not wanting him to notice anything was wrong.

"What Martial Soul did Linyuan awaken?" the Duchess asked.

"A black shadow," Xia Linyuan answered with a faint smile.

A black shadow? The Duchess looked at Duke Molong, somewhat confused. "Qing, what kind of Martial Soul does Linyuan have?"

Duke Molong smiled bitterly. "It should be a dark-type Martial Soul related to shadows. I can't tell exactly what it is either."

"Then..." the Duchess asked in a trembling voice, "what about that matter?"

Duke Molong affectionately stroked his wife's smooth hair and said softly, "Don't worry, dear. Linyuan has nothing to do with the things from that place."