Nine Treasures City, Martial Soul Awakening Hall.
Rather than a Martial Soul Awakening Room, it was more like a whole Martial Soul Awakening Hall.
The Nine Treasures Glazed Sect was fabulously wealthy, and this awakening hall was almost as large as a Soul Fighting Arena in a small city.
The hall was packed with people, bustling with excitement, because today was the free awakening day held once every three months.
This was a benefit for the city's residents, established by its economic powerhouse, the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect, to win the people's hearts.
Any resident with household registration in Nine Treasures City and a child of the appropriate age could visit one of the city's several Martial Soul Awakening Rooms every three months and receive a free Martial Soul Awakening.
Of course, this came with a price.
Children with ordinary talent could go wherever they pleased; the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect wouldn't impose many restrictions.
But if a child awakened a decent Martial Soul and possessed exceptional talent, they would have to join the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect.
From where Lin Yuan stood at the back of the crowd, this wasn't a bad deal.
After transmigrating to the Peerless Tang Sect era, a time when the Spirit Hall no longer existed, even if you awakened a top-tier Martial Soul, no one would help you hunt Soul Beasts.
Hire people to hunt Soul Beasts with your stipend?
Dream on. That might have been possible in Douluo I, but in Douluo II, inflation had driven the value of a Gold Soul Coin so low that Soul Masters wouldn't hunt a Hundred-Year Soul Beast for less than fifty years' worth of pay.
And that was for the weakest kind. Without joining a major power, your talent would go to waste completely.
Looking at the sea of people ahead, Lin Yuan knew that besides today being the free awakening day, there was also...
"Today's Martial Soul Awakening is officially beginning. Will the first child to awaken their Martial Soul please come up onstage?"
The awakening Soul Master onstage called out loudly. On ordinary days, there was no preliminary act to get the crowd excited.
Usually, they simply announced that the Martial Soul Awakening had begun, then got right to it.
As soon as he finished speaking, the bustling crowd fell silent.
Everyone couldn't help looking toward the entrance to the awakening hall. A short-haired girl of about six appeared there.
She wasn't especially beautiful, but a quiet, composed spirit shone between her brows.
She wore a crisp white shirt and trousers, and the little freckles on her face lent her a playful, endearing charm.
"She's so calm in front of so many people at that age. Ning Tian's pretty impressive," Lin Yuan said with a smile, rubbing his chin.
That's right. The only reason so many people had gathered here today was that the little princess of the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect would be awakening her Martial Soul.
Since they were already offering free Martial Soul Awakenings to the city's residents, they might as well go all the way.
Let the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect's young disciples awaken alongside commoners, showing off the sect's approachable image.
That also confirmed the timeline he was in. Lao Huo probably hadn't awakened his Martial Soul yet.
Judging by everything, Ning Tian was older than Lao Huo in the original story.
Since he'd come to this world, Lin Yuan naturally wanted to try to achieve godhood and eternal life.
He'd given up on the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, but he had to at least give Electrolux a try, right?
Worst case, he could do what other Douluo fanfic protagonists did: fake his death, wait ten thousand years for the Divine Realm to disappear, then become a god.
If that didn't work, he could just become a Titled Douluo, or even a Limit Douluo, and serve as the Spirit Pagoda's first Pagoda Master, living in glory in the mortal world for three or five hundred years.
And if that still didn't work, he could be a Soul Master gentleman with a dog on a leash and an eagle on his arm, and comfortably spend his whole life with a wife and children gathered around the hearth.
As for how many wives... Don't worry about it.
At least, with his foreknowledge of the plot, he could always turn danger into good fortune.
He'd live a happy life, while Lao Huo went off to be Tang Shenwang's dog. We'd all have a bright future.
"All right, young miss. Please come up," the awakening Soul Master onstage said, addressing Ning Tian with great care.
Only then did Lin Yuan notice how tense the girl looked. She walked toward the stage with stiff movements.
So this was her first time facing a scene like this. That earlier composure had been completely feigned.
"Ning Tian, good luck! I hope you awaken the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Martial Soul!"
A girl about her age, wearing a little red dress, called out to Ning Tian loudly enough for everyone to hear.
Without a doubt, she had to be Wu Feng.
Wu Feng's antics made everyone present laugh, especially the adults, who were charmed by the girl's adorable appearance.
Ning Tian's cheeks flushed slightly. Wu Feng's outburst had clearly made her even more embarrassed.
Watching Ning Tian, Lin Yuan couldn't help sighing. "As expected of a child from a great family. She can still keep her expression under control in a situation like this."
"If it were me up there, I definitely wouldn't do as well. I know I couldn't keep a straight face."
Someone who seemed to be one of Wu Feng's elders pulled her back, lest she make Ning Tian even more flustered.
"May I awaken my Martial Soul now?" Ning Tian asked the awakening Soul Master.
Her voice was calm and composed, showing none of the embarrassment she'd felt just moments earlier.
"Of course, young miss. Please step into the formation." The awakening Soul Master bowed respectfully to Ning Tian.
As the hexagram formation beneath her feet lit up, Ning Tian awakened the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Martial Soul, just as expected.
Her Innate Soul Power was an impressive level nine and a half. She could be called the most talented disciple the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect had seen in hundreds of years.
But what a pity. In the end, it was still the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Martial Soul.
Even with such high Soul Power, her Martial Soul still couldn't make that final leap.
For her entire life, she could only become a Soul Saint. She could never reach the level of a Titled Douluo, or even a Soul Douluo.
Ning Tian showed no happiness at her talent. Instead, she walked off the awakening platform, looking dejected.
After Ning Tian left, the audience visibly shrank by a third. Sure enough, those people had come to see her Martial Soul Awakening.
Ning Tian went backstage, where a tall, refined middle-aged man had been waiting with a smile.
"Congratulations, Ning Tian, my child. You haven't let your father down," the man said, applauding.
Seeing him like this, Ning Tian couldn't help feeling even more dejected.
"But I still didn't awaken the Eight Treasures Glazed Pagoda Martial Soul."
"Don't lose heart." Ning Tian's father, Ning Zhiyuan, gently patted her head.
"You're already the most talented person the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect has seen in hundreds of years. You'll have another chance in the future."
Truthfully, Ning Zhiyuan didn't hold out much hope for Ning Tian either. The Nine Treasures Glazed Sect had even had Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Soul Masters with Innate Full Soul Power before.
And yet even that exceptionally gifted predecessor hadn't managed to evolve the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect's Martial Soul into the Eight Treasures Glazed Pagoda.
Even so, Ning Zhiyuan had made up his mind.
Even if it took everything he had in this life, he would find a way for Ning Tian to advance further.
"Ning Tian, you did so well!" Wu Feng slipped in and congratulated Ning Tian with a smile.
She hugged Ning Tian affectionately, nuzzling her cheek.