But Lu Chen knew that gods truly existed in this world, and that some people really could become gods.
If he wanted to change the future and prevent Spirit Hall from meeting its eventual downfall, he had to possess enough power.
It was now the year 2637 of the Douluo Calendar.
It was also the year Tang San awakened his Martial Soul at the age of six.
In other words, he was the same age as Tang San.
The only difference was that one was in Spirit City, while the other was in Holy Soul Village.
One had been raised by Spirit Hall, while the other would stand against Spirit Hall in the future.
Lu Chen understood perfectly well that the two sides differed in more than just their ideals. They were bound by a blood feud that could never be reconciled.
Once the future conflict unfolded, the two sides were bound to face each other in a fight to the death.
Given that, he could hardly naively believe he would be able to stay out of it.
As for defecting from Spirit Hall?
Lu Chen had never entertained the thought.
After all, in his previous life, he had been a promising young man born under the red flag and raised in the spring breeze. He still had a basic sense of right and wrong.
They had saved him, raised him, and given him a chance to live. He couldn't eat Spirit Hall's food with one hand and turn around to smash its pot with the other.
He could never do something like that.
Besides, he didn't think he and those people from Shrek were cut from the same cloth.
Lu Chen admitted that the world of the Douluo Continent was far from perfect, and Spirit Hall had its share of problems.
But at least for the children in the orphanage, Spirit Hall had given them a second chance at life.
For commoners, Spirit Hall was also an organization whose benefits outweighed its drawbacks.
No one could deny that.
When Dean Grandma saw that Lu Chen hadn't said anything, she assumed he was nervous. She reached out and gently took his hand.
"Xiao Chen, let's go. The other children are ready too. Today, you'll all go to the Awakening Temple together."
Lu Chen nodded.
"All right."
He followed Dean Grandma out of the courtyard.
Several other six-year-old children were already waiting in front of the orphanage.
Some wore eager expressions, some nervously clutched the hems of their clothes, and others couldn't help whispering about what Martial Soul they might awaken.
Lu Chen joined the line, his expression still calm.
Dean Grandma counted the children and made sure no one was missing. Then, holding Lu Chen's hand, she led the children who were about to awaken their Martial Souls out of the orphanage.
They walked through the streets of Spirit City, heading toward the Awakening Temple.
Led by Dean Grandma, they soon arrived at the Awakening Temple in Spirit City.
Lu Chen looked up at the building before him.
The Awakening Temple was enormous, far more imposing and spacious than he had imagined.
Its tall entrance stood before them, with Spirit Hall personnel keeping order at the doors. Everyone coming and going followed the rules.
Lu Chen only looked for a moment before turning his gaze away.
After all, the original story never seemed to mention a temple in Spirit City specifically dedicated to Martial Soul Awakening.
But after thinking it over, Lu Chen didn't dwell on it.
After all, San Shao was just some hack who wrote books. What the hell did he know about the Douluo Continent?
Spirit City was the heart of Spirit Hall. How could there not be a dedicated place for children to awaken their Martial Souls?
If they had to make temporary arrangements every year, that would be what made no sense.
Dean Grandma led the orphanage children into the Awakening Temple, still holding Lu Chen's hand.
Once inside, Lu Chen saw that quite a few children had come to awaken their Martial Souls that day.
Several rows of children already stood in the spacious hall, with adults accompanying them nearby.
They all looked about the same age, mostly around six.
Yet it was easy to tell them apart from their clothes and expressions.
Most wore ordinary clothes and looked nervous, even a little timid.
Their clothes were clean, but not expensive. Like Lu Chen and the others, most seemed to have come from orphanages.
A smaller group of children, however, stood out.
They wore finer, more expensive clothes, and the elders or attendants beside them looked far more distinguished.
Most of those children held their heads high, their faces full of confidence and even a hint of undisguised superiority.
One glance was enough for Lu Chen to see that they looked down on orphans.
He was familiar with that look.
In any world, there were always people who judged others by their background, status, and clothes.
And this was the Douluo Continent, where the gap between Soul Masters and ordinary people was enormous.
Dean Grandma seemed to notice those looks too, but she said nothing. She simply led the children to the place assigned to the orphanage and quietly reassured them.
Lu Chen stood among the crowd, his expression calm.
He didn't care what these people thought.
The only thing that truly mattered today was the Martial Soul Awakening.
The person in charge of awakening the Martial Souls was a Cardinal from Spirit Hall.
He was a middle-aged man who looked fairly old, with a steady, weighty presence. His Cardinal's robes were impossible to miss.
Only after someone nearby quietly mentioned his identity did Lu Chen learn that the Cardinal held a high position and was also a level seventy-six Battle Soul Master.
Level seventy-six.
A Soul Saint.
Anywhere on the Douluo Continent, he would count as a genuine powerhouse.
Even in Spirit City, someone like him wasn't a common sight.
Having a level seventy-six Battle Soul Master oversee the children's Martial Soul Awakening showed just how seriously Spirit City took the matter.
The Cardinal stood beside the Awakening Array, his expression composed.
He had clearly done this many times before. His movements were practiced, and he said nothing unnecessary.
The awakenings began soon after.
One child after another stepped into the Awakening Array and completed their Martial Soul Awakening under the Cardinal's guidance.
The whole process went smoothly, without a single mishap.
After all, this was Spirit City.
And more than that, it was the Awakening Temple.
Even someone out of their mind wouldn't be stupid enough to attack the Awakening Temple in Spirit City.
That wouldn't be bravery. It would be suicide.
Lu Chen stood in line, quietly watching the children ahead of him complete their awakenings one by one.
The results were much as he had expected.
Almost all the children born and raised in Spirit City had Martial Souls, and their Innate Soul Power was generally quite high. Most were between level four and level seven.
They might not be true geniuses, but they were already well-positioned to become high-ranking Soul Masters.
Whenever a child awakened a decent Martial Soul and Soul Power, the elders behind them would smile with satisfaction, and the child would proudly puff out their chest.
By comparison, things went much worse for the orphans.
Most of the Martial Souls the children awakened were ordinary ones, like hoes, sickles, or Blue Silver Grass.
On the Douluo Continent, Martial Souls like these were generally called Trash Martial Souls.
More importantly, many of them had no Innate Soul Power. Even with a Martial Soul, they couldn't become Soul Masters.
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