Bishop Zhang opened his mouth, but no words came out.
If he really reported this to the Pope, wouldn't she send troops to Frost Extreme City the very next day?
Shen Yinshuang's eyes reddened. She swept Luo Yun into her arms and hugged him tightly.
Luo Yun was squeezed so hard by his mother that he could barely breathe. His little face was buried in her soft clothes as he mumbled, "Mother, I haven't had breakfast yet."
Shen Yinshuang froze, then couldn't help laughing. Tears fell from her eyes, too.
Luo Shang sighed and beckoned toward the doorway. "Someone, bring the meal."
Then he turned to look at Luo Yun, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. "Add three bowls of rice."
At the sight of this,
Bishop Zhang sighed softly and bowed respectfully.
"Your Highness, King Frost Extreme, I won't report this to Spirit Hall. But there are no walls without cracks, so what happens next will depend on you..."
Luo Shang nodded. The other man had already shown him, King Frost Extreme, a great deal of respect by doing this much.
"Sorry for the trouble, Bishop Zhang."
"You're too kind, Your Highness. Now we should test the young master's Innate Soul Power."
As he spoke, Bishop Zhang took a crystal-clear ball from his robes. It was about the size of a fist and gave off a gentle luster.
"Little master, come here. Place both hands on it." Bishop Zhang managed a smile.
"Try to channel the Soul Power inside your body into it."
Luo Yun looked at the crystal ball, then glanced back at his father.
Luo Shang gave a slight nod.
Luo Yun walked over, held out both little hands, and slapped them onto the crystal ball.
Hum!
The crystal ball lit up violently.
It didn't gradually grow brighter. A blinding light erupted from it in an instant, turning the entire hall white.
Bishop Zhang's smile froze on his face.
Shen Yinshuang instinctively raised a hand to shield her eyes.
Crack!
A sharp snap rang out.
A fissure appeared in the crystal ball.
Then came several more cracks, spreading like a spiderweb.
The next second, the entire crystal ball shattered in Luo Yun's hands, breaking into a pile of shards. The glittering fragments clinked onto the tiled floor and scattered everywhere.
The hall suddenly fell silent.
Luo Yun lowered his head to look at his two empty little hands, blinked, then looked up at Bishop Zhang with an innocent expression.
"...It broke," Luo Yun said softly, sounding a little uncertain and sheepish.
Bishop Zhang stood there with his mouth open and his eyes wide as copper bells. He stared at the pile of shards on the floor for a full five seconds before suddenly sucking in a sharp breath.
Bishop Zhang's voice trembled slightly.
"This, this..."
"This crystal ball can only test up to level nineteen! If it broke, that means...the young master's Innate Soul Power is above level nineteen?!"
"Could it be...could it be Innate Level 20 Soul Power?!"
The guards in the hall drew breath in startled gasps, one after another.
Innate Full Soul Power was level ten.
What did Innate Level 20 Soul Power even mean?
It had never appeared in the understanding of ordinary Soul Masters!
Luo Shang's fingers stopped on the armrest, his expression complicated.
Of course he was pleased.
What father wouldn't hope his son was a heaven-sent genius?
But more than anything, he was worried.
He knew the way Spirit Hall operated all too well.
That woman Bibi Dong destroyed anything she couldn't get her hands on.
A six-year-old with Innate Level 20 Soul Power, Twin Martial Souls, and the inheritances of two deities...
Once that news got out, the entire continent would be shaken.
What would Spirit Hall do?
Send people to "protect" him? Or attack outright?
Luo Shang slowly raised his head and looked at Bishop Zhang.
Bishop Zhang was crouching on the floor, picking up the shards, his hands trembling as he muttered, "In thirty years of awakening Martial Souls, this old man's never seen a crystal ball explode. Never once..."
Just then, he felt someone's gaze on him.
Bishop Zhang's hand froze.
He slowly raised his head and met Luo Shang's eyes. They were so calm they seemed almost devoid of emotion.
There was no killing intent in that gaze. It even held a hint of calm.
But a chill ran down Bishop Zhang's spine, and every hair on his body stood on end.
He'd spent most of his life in Spirit Hall. He knew that look all too well.
If he were King Frost Extreme, he wouldn't let an outsider walk out of this hall alive today, either.
Bishop Zhang's lips twitched into a bitter smile.
He carefully set the shards in his hand on the floor, then stood up and brushed the dust from his knees.
He'd accepted his fate.
And it was worth it.
To witness the awakening of a genius like this with his own eyes—dying in Frost Ridge City wouldn't be a bad deal.
"Your Highness, King Frost Extreme." Bishop Zhang bowed deeply, his voice settling into a calm tone. "This old man saw nothing today. The crystal ball was old and poorly maintained. It broke on its own."
Luo Shang looked at him and remained silent for a moment.
Then he rose, walked over to Bishop Zhang, and patted him on the shoulder.
"Bishop Zhang, you've worked hard." Luo Shang's tone was mild, as if he were discussing something perfectly ordinary. "My residence is in need of a guest retainer. Would you be willing to stay here for a while?"
"I couldn't ask for more." Bishop Zhang smiled bitterly.
Luo Shang nodded and called toward the doorway. "Someone, take Bishop Zhang to rest. Treat him well, and don't neglect him."
Two guards entered and respectfully took their places on either side of Bishop Zhang.
Bishop Zhang took one last look at Luo Yun.
Luo Yun was crouching on the floor, poking at the crystal shards with his finger, looking curious.
"Little master," Bishop Zhang suddenly said, "this old man has one piece of advice for you."
Luo Yun looked up.
Bishop Zhang gazed at him seriously and said, one word at a time, "If you become a god someday, don't forget that this old man awakened your Martial Soul."
Luo Yun was taken aback, then grinned. "Of course I won't forget."
Bishop Zhang smiled, and as he smiled, his eyes grew red.
He turned and followed the guards out of the hall.
The doors of the hall slowly closed behind him, shutting out the snow and wind.
Bishop Zhang walked down the corridor with light steps.
At that moment, he seemed to have aged many years.
He suddenly remembered his younger days, when he'd been full of ambition and dreamed of leaving his mark on the continent.
But reality had worn down his edges. He'd become a smooth, worldly middle-aged man, drifting through life in Spirit Hall, awakening Martial Souls for others, writing reports, and collecting his pay.
He hadn't expected Heaven to give him such a surprise today.
"Worth it." Bishop Zhang muttered it again, then laughed at himself.
Inside the hall,
Luo Yun was still playing with the shards on the floor when Shen Yinshuang picked him up.
"Isn't that dirty?" Shen Yinshuang scolded him as she wiped his hands with a handkerchief.
"Mother, I really didn't break that crystal ball," Luo Yun insisted.
"I know, I know. It just wanted to break all by itself." Shen Yinshuang said irritably.
Luo Shang stood to the side, watching mother and son bicker. He was silent for a few moments, then suddenly spoke. "Xiao Yun."
Luo Yun looked up at his father.
Luo Shang crouched down to meet his son's eyes and said seriously, "Don't tell anyone what happened today."
Before you continue