"Mm, very good, young lady. Your name is Bibi Dong, right? Would you be willing to join Spirit Hall?"
When he encountered a talent like this, Murong Chayue naturally wanted to recruit her. Hearing his question, Bibi Dong smiled and nodded.
"Thank you, Grandpa. I'd be happy to join Spirit Hall."
When he heard Bibi Dong agree, Murong Chayue smiled.
"Good, good, good. Dong'er, wait over there for a moment."
Bibi Dong nodded and waited quietly to one side. Murong Chayue turned to Murong Huai and said with a smile:
"Huai'er, Grandpa will awaken your Martial Soul next."
Murong Huai nodded and stepped forward. Murong Chayue waved his hand, and several Awakening Stones flew out, surrounding Murong Huai and radiating a strange light that enveloped him.
Murong Huai held out his right hand. A stream of golden Soul Power flowed around him, then gathered in his palm. In an instant, a golden beam of light shot skyward, piercing through the roof of Spirit Hall and soaring into the clouds.
Next, a colossal golden figure appeared behind Murong Huai. It wore a long, gilded robe and held a longsword. Golden light shimmered around it, and it radiated boundless divinity, like an immortal descending into the mortal world, standing aloof from it all.
Then the figure turned entirely into golden streaks of light and merged with the longsword in its hand. The sword flew in a circle around them, seemingly tearing apart the surrounding space, before coming to rest in front of Murong Huai. It stood considerably taller than he did.
The sword was five feet and four inches long. Its entire blade shimmered with a crystalline luster like the Milky Way, and nine golden divine patterns faintly appeared along its spine. A miniature, swirling nebula was set into its guard, while nine golden bands wound around its hilt, which was nearly a foot long. Three strands of icy tassels dangled from its pommel.
As golden light flashed, a gilded scabbard appeared to hold the longsword. Seeing this, Murong Huai stood dumbstruck. He knew the sword's name:
Immortal Lord Nine-Arrival Sword!!!
But the Immortal Lord Nine-Arrival Sword was five feet and four inches long, nearly 1.8 meters. Murong Huai was less than 1.3 meters tall, even after awakening his Martial Soul. How was he supposed to use it?
Seeing Murong Huai's predicament, Murong Chayue offered some guidance:
"Huai'er, try channeling your Soul Power into your Martial Soul. See if you can change its size."
Hearing this, Murong Huai stretched out his hand. A stream of golden Soul Power flowed out and landed on the Immortal Lord Nine-Arrival Sword. The sword began to shrink until it was about a meter long, with a hilt one and a half centimeters thick—just right for Murong Huai.
Murong Huai took the Immortal Lord Nine-Arrival Sword in his hand and drew it slightly. A flash of cold light gleamed across the blade. Seeing this, Murong Chayue said:
"Mm, not bad. This must be a mutation of your mother's Nine Profound Sword. There's no doubt it's a powerful Martial Soul. It's a pity you didn't inherit the Demonic Flame Heavenly Dragon Martial Soul."
Murong Chayue felt a little regretful as he said this, but Murong Huai replied:
"Grandpa, I feel another force inside me. It seems like it hasn't emerged yet."
Murong Chayue froze when he heard this, then looked at Murong Huai.
"What? Huai'er, you mean..."
Murong Huai nodded.
"I think I might be like Dong'er and have another Martial Soul, but I don't know why it hasn't awakened."
Hearing this, Murong Chayue pondered for a moment before understanding. Murong Huai's Second Martial Soul had to be an extraordinarily powerful, top-tier Martial Soul. The Awakening Array couldn't provide enough Soul Power to awaken it.
"Huai'er, Grandpa will channel Soul Power into you now. Focus on the force inside you and guide it out."
Murong Huai nodded.
"Grandpa, I understand."
Murong Chayue pointed toward the Awakening Array. Streams of purplish-red Soul Power surged into it, and Murong Huai immediately felt the force within him grow clearer, though there was still no sign of it awakening.
"Grandpa, it seems like there still isn't enough Soul Power!"
What!
Murong Chayue was shocked. He had just poured in a tenth of his Soul Power, and it still hadn't been enough to awaken it. Seeing this, Murong Chayue stopped holding back and poured in his Soul Power with all his might. Murong Huai immediately felt that force stir awake.
"Ahhh!!!"
Suddenly, an unparalleled purple light shot into the sky, piercing the firmament and dyeing the entire heavens a terrifying shade of purple dusk. It enveloped the skies above all of Spirit City.
The Titled Douluo experts inside Spirit Hall immediately looked up in astonishment. Six figures flew out of the Worship Hall—the other six Offerings.
Three figures also flew out of the Pope Palace. They were none other than the current Pope, Qian Daoliu, and his two guardian elders, Xiongshi and Guangling. Qian Daoliu looked toward the golden figure at the head of the Offerings and bowed as he asked:
"Father, what is this?"
The golden figure stared at the scene with a grave expression. He was the current Grand Worship of Spirit Hall, the father of Pope Qian Daoliu, and the ninety-eighth-level Peak Douluo, Qian Pocheng. He shook his head.
"I don't know, but I can feel a power of Destruction within it that makes even my heart tremble!"
"Even you feel your heart tremble? This..."
Just then, a strange sight appeared in the sky. A figure materialized.
It was over ten thousand meters long, its body covered in enormous scales dozens of meters across that coursed with searing energy. Its four limbs were thick and powerful, and its purple-blood wings stretched nearly ten thousand meters wide.
It had nine enormous dragon heads on its neck. The central head was gray-black from head to toe and almost twice as large as the other eight. The aura of death shone from its eyes.
"Roar~"
All nine dragon heads opened their bloody maws and unleashed a terrifying roar. In an instant, an overwhelming pressure that no one could resist spread in every direction.
Everyone throughout Spirit City, without exception, was forced to the ground by that pressure. Even the superpowered experts among Spirit Hall's Offerings fell to their knees. Everyone else sprawled helplessly on the ground. Even the strongest among them, Qian Pocheng, knelt with both hands braced against the ground, utterly humiliated. Even the Angel's Light dimmed considerably.
But the pressure lasted for only a single breath before vanishing completely. All living beings felt as if they had been pardoned from death and greedily gulped in the air. Qian Daoliu and the others slowly rose to their feet.
"What terrifying power. Just one wave of pressure, and we couldn't resist at all. What in the world was that..."
Qian Pocheng, a man of vast experience, thought for a moment before realizing what it was. He spoke urgently:
"This is an awakening phenomenon. Someone awakened an extraordinary Martial Soul—an absolute top-tier prodigy! Who was awakening their Martial Soul at Spirit Hall today?"
Hearing this, the Fourth Offering, Golden Crocodile Douluo, recalled the power from earlier and said:
"Grand Worship, it seems today is the day the Third Offering's only grandson awakens his Martial Soul. That power just now seemed a little similar to the Third Offering's Demonic Flame Heavenly Dragon. Could it be..."
Hearing this, the others realized it too. The powers did seem somewhat similar. The resemblance wasn't strong, but it was there. Qian Pocheng immediately swept out his sleeve.
"To the Awakening Hall!"
"Yes!"
They all transformed into streaks of light and headed for the Awakening Hall, determined to discover who the master of that power was.
Before you continue