The atmosphere inside the Worship Hall was, as always, quiet.
This was one of the most special places in Spirit Hall, and where the enshrined elders resided.
Ordinary Soul Masters had no right to set foot here. Even the higher-ups of Spirit Hall had to show due reverence when they came.
At the very moment the strange phenomenon appeared above the Awakening Temple, Qian Daoliu, who had been sitting with his eyes closed in the Worship Hall, suddenly opened them.
The next moment, Qian Daoliu's figure vanished from where he sat.
Without making a sound, he appeared outside the Worship Hall.
Qian Daoliu looked up.
Above Spirit City, a terrifying dragon-shaped phantom hung high in the sky.
Its bearing was sacred and majestic, and it radiated a remarkably unusual pressure. It was no ordinary Soul Beast, nor was it a common Martial Soul. It was a being from a higher plane.
Even Qian Daoliu's expression turned grave at the sight of the phantom.
He could clearly feel his own Martial Soul being suppressed.
This suppression did not come from Soul Power Level or mere presence. It came from something far more fundamental.
It was as if the phantom's very nature placed it above many Martial Souls.
As a Level 99 Peerless Douluo and the Great Enshrined of the Angel God, Qian Daoliu possessed the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul, one of the highest-ranking Martial Souls on the continent.
Yet even so, he could still feel that pressure.
He had no choice but to take it seriously.
"A god-level Martial Soul..."
He spoke quietly, his voice carrying a hint of mixed emotion.
A god-level Martial Soul had appeared in Spirit City again.
And judging by the pressure the phantom exuded, this Martial Soul was absolutely no ordinary one.
Just then, a golden figure hurried to Qian Daoliu's side.
The newcomer wore golden armor and radiated a powerful, solid aura. It was none other than the Second Worship of the Worship Hall, Golden Crocodile Douluo.
As soon as Golden Crocodile Douluo arrived, he too looked up at the enormous phantom above Spirit City.
He needed only one glance for his expression to darken.
He felt the suppression too.
And it was especially pronounced for his Martial Soul.
Golden Crocodile Douluo already possessed a powerful Beast Martial Soul, and he had cultivated to Level 98. Across the entire continent, few could overpower him in terms of Martial Souls.
Yet now, the phenomenon of a newly awakened Martial Soul alone had given him that very feeling.
It left him deeply uncomfortable.
Golden Crocodile Douluo said in a low voice, "Big brother, this aura..."
Qian Daoliu did not answer right away.
His gaze remained fixed on the phantom in the sky, his eyes deep and unreadable.
Only after a moment did Qian Daoliu speak. "Go to the Awakening Temple."
Golden Crocodile Douluo turned to look at him.
Qian Daoliu's voice was calm, yet left no room for argument.
"Go to the Awakening Temple at once and bring over the child who awakened a god-level Martial Soul."
Golden Crocodile Douluo did not hesitate.
Though he was displeased by the feeling of suppression, he understood that a child who had awakened a god-level Martial Soul could not be left to wander freely.
Especially not here in Spirit City.
Since the child had awakened in Spirit City, he had to be kept in Spirit Hall's hands.
Golden Crocodile Douluo nodded. "I'll go now."
As soon as the words left his mouth, he turned into a golden streak of light and shot toward the Awakening Temple.
Qian Daoliu remained outside the Worship Hall, watching as the phantom in the sky gradually trembled. He did not fully relax.
He had not expected such a commotion to erupt in Spirit City today.
God-level Martial Souls were rare to begin with.
And god-level Martial Souls capable of stirring up strange phenomena across all of Spirit City when they awakened were rarer still.
At that very moment, it was not only the powerful figures within Spirit City who sensed that aura.
Far away, on Sea God Island,
Great Enshrined Bo Saixi stood before the Sea God Hall. As if sensing something, she slowly raised her head.
Her gaze turned toward the continent. Though it lay an immense distance away, that unusual aura still stirred something in her heart.
"The aura of a god-level Martial Soul..."
Bo Saixi spoke softly.
As the Great Enshrined of Sea God Island, she was exceptionally sensitive to auras on the godly level.
Though this aura came neither from Sea God Island nor from the Sea God Inheritance, she could still sense how extraordinary it was.
More importantly, she could faintly tell that it came from Spirit City.
Bo Saixi fell silent for a moment, then let out a quiet sigh.
"Spirit City truly is blessed with outstanding people. Another god-level Martial Soul has appeared."
Her voice held surprise, along with a hint of mixed feelings.
On Douluo Continent, beings that could be called god-level Martial Souls were exceedingly rare.
As long as their owners did not die prematurely, anyone with a god-level Martial Soul had the potential to reach the pinnacle of the continent.
And this kind of genius had appeared in Spirit City.
For Spirit Hall, it was undoubtedly another tremendous asset.
Bo Saixi made no further move.
She merely gazed toward the continent in silence, then, after a moment, looked away.
Elsewhere, in the City of Slaughter,
a gloomy, oppressive aura shrouded the place. Slaughter and bloodshed seemed never to fade.
The King of Slaughter had also sensed the god-level Martial Soul aura from afar.
He raised his head, a flicker of interest crossing his blood-red eyes.
"Spirit City..."
He murmured the words.
The aura was indeed powerful—powerful enough to catch the attention of the true powerhouses at the pinnacle of the continent.
But the King of Slaughter soon lost interest.
To him, as long as that aura did not come to the City of Slaughter or interfere with his current state, whatever god-level Martial Soul appeared in Spirit City had little to do with him.
So he merely gave a dismissive snort.
Then he turned around, paid the distant aura no further mind, and continued fighting for control of his body.
Meanwhile, inside the Awakening Temple,
Lu Chen's consciousness remained immersed in that vast cosmos.
He watched as the dark-purple, cloud-like sphere of energy that he had become completely devoured the shattered, desolate planet.
The sensation was strange. It was like watching from the sidelines, yet also like experiencing everything firsthand.
He could feel the immense flow of energy, as well as the instinct that seemed to devour everything.
Once the planet had been entirely swallowed, Lu Chen's consciousness finally began to return.
The surrounding cosmic landscape gradually faded.
The endless darkness dispersed, the cold starlight receded, and everything seemed to be drawn back into the depths of his body.
Then Lu Chen found his consciousness in an unfamiliar space.
This was his Sea of Consciousness.
Above it, Leugocyte had already taken physical form and was hovering there in silence.
It was massive, sacred, and majestic, and its pressure was terrifying beyond measure.
Even though Lu Chen knew this was his own Martial Soul, he still could not help but feel shaken.
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