Spirit Hall

The black radiance surrounding Lu Mingfei lasted for roughly ten breaths.

It slowly withdrew, finally gathering in his palm and transforming into a thumb-sized black dragon tattoo.

It coiled across the back of his right hand, lifelike, as though it could come alive at any moment.

Su Yuntao suddenly came to his senses and practically lunged in front of Lu Mingfei. He shoved the crystal ball toward him, his voice turning sharp and piercing from excessive excitement. "Quick! Test your Soul Power!"

Lu Mingfei looked at the blue crystal ball in front of him. After hesitating for a moment, he placed both hands on it.

The instant his palms touched the crystal ball, he once again felt that surging power churning within his body, as though a slumbering giant dragon had awakened inside his veins.

He did not deliberately urge it on. He simply let that power flow naturally into the crystal ball.

Blue light flared.

It was not the overwhelming azure blue Tang San had produced, but a deep ocean blue that was almost black, like an undercurrent in the depths of a ten-thousand-meter-deep sea.

The crystal ball trembled violently, and cracks began spreading across its surface.

The radiance grew brighter and brighter until, at last, a crisp crack rang out.

The spirit stone used to test Soul Power could not withstand the impact and exploded directly into fragments.

The shards flew everywhere, but Su Yuntao seemed unable to feel any pain.

His entire body froze in place. He stared blankly at the shattered crystal ball on the ground, his pupils quivering violently.

"The crystal ball broke..." Su Yuntao murmured.

"This isn't Soul Power overflowing. His Soul Power exceeded the crystal ball's testing limit..."

Su Yuntao abruptly raised his head and looked at Lu Mingfei with an almost crazed expression. His voice suddenly rose several pitches.

"Level 20! At least Innate Level 20 Soul Power. No, it might be even higher. You were born at the level of a Soul Grandmaster!"

Su Yuntao's entire body trembled. He had presided over awakening ceremonies for six full years, and the best talent he had ever seen was merely Innate Level 2 Soul Power paired with a barely usable Beast Martial Soul.

Today, he had first encountered Tang San, who possessed Innate Full Soul Power. Although his Martial Soul was less than impressive, it was still enough to make him marvel at such heavenly talent.

But he had never imagined that Lu Mingfei, who had appeared last, would give him an even more explosive answer.

Innate Level 20 Soul Power. Black Dragon Martial Soul.

What did that mean?

It meant that Lu Mingfei had possessed Level 20 Soul Power from the moment he was born. Without any cultivation at all, he could immediately begin adding Soul Rings.

Throughout the entire history of the Douluo Continent, those whose Soul Power reached Level 10 or higher upon awakening were already geniuses as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

And those who reached Level 20...

Su Yuntao could not even remember such a precedent appearing in the records of Spirit Hall.

What was more, he possessed a top-tier dragon-type Martial Soul.

Lu Mingfei lowered his head and looked at the black dragon tattoo on the back of his right hand, his heart filled with complicated emotions.

Before transmigrating, he had read Douluo Continent. He knew the rules of this world, and he also knew what this setup meant.

Innate Level 20 Soul Power and the Black Dragon King Martial Soul would be the protagonist's template in any web novel.

But he was no protagonist. He was merely Lu Mingfei, a useless student who only knew how to play video games.

A miserable loser whose only possession was cowardice.

Lu Mingfei raised his head and met Su Yuntao's bloodshot eyes.

Su Yuntao's expression had completely changed. The carelessness from earlier was gone, replaced by an almost fanatical solemnity.

He took several deep breaths, struggling to calm himself, but he could not suppress the tremor in his voice.

"Lu Mingfei." Su Yuntao spoke each word distinctly. "Do you know what this means?"

Lu Mingfei thought for a moment before giving an unsurprising answer. "It means I'm pretty amazing?"

"Amazing?"

Su Yuntao's mouth fell open in astonishment. "This isn't merely a matter of you being pretty amazing! Innate Level 20 Soul Power and a Black Dragon Martial Soul—your talent, throughout all of Spirit Hall..."

"No, throughout the entire Douluo Continent, it ranks among the very best!"

"Do you know about the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?"

"Their most outstanding disciples possess only around Level 9 Soul Power upon awakening. Their Martial Soul is the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, a lesser dragon species at least one tier below your Black Dragon Martial Soul!"

"Do you know what this means?"

"It means your talent surpasses that of every member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan throughout its entire history!"

Lu Mingfei blinked. After remaining silent for a while, he asked a question that nearly made Su Yuntao spit blood.

"Then... can it make money?"

Su Yuntao: "..."

Old Jack anxiously stamped his feet beside them.

"Mingfei! Stop talking nonsense. Lord Su Yuntao, this child doesn't know any better. Please don't take it to heart!"

Su Yuntao rubbed his temples forcefully and let out a long breath. Then he crouched down, looked Lu Mingfei in the eyes, and spoke with unprecedented solemnity.

"Lu Mingfei, I am Su Yuntao, a deacon of Spirit Hall."

"Spirit Hall is the most powerful force on the Douluo Continent. There is no one stronger."

"The Seven Great Sects must bow their heads before us, and the two great empires pay tribute to Spirit Hall every year."

"Spirit Hall possesses the most complete Soul Master training system on the continent, ranging from primary Soul Master Academies to advanced Soul Master Academies."

"From ordinary deacons to red-robed cardinals, and then to His Holiness the Pope."

"The resources Spirit Hall can offer you are beyond comparison with those of any sect or academy."

He paused, his eyes burning as he stared at Lu Mingfei. "Moreover, Spirit Hall values top-tier talent far more than you can imagine."

"His Holiness the Pope places particular importance on young people with extraordinary talent. With talent as astonishing as yours, Spirit Hall will certainly devote every resource to nurturing you."

"I can tell you right now: as long as you join Spirit Hall, Spirit Hall will cover all your food, clothing, and daily expenses."

"You will enter Spirit Hall's finest academy and receive guidance from its best teachers."

"For any Soul Rings you need, Spirit Hall will send people to hunt the most suitable Soul Beasts for you."

"Whatever resources you require, Spirit Hall will provide without limit."

"You will not need to worry about anything. You will only need to do one thing... become stronger."

Lu Mingfei fell silent.

He was not hesitating over whether to join Spirit Hall.

In fact, he had already made his decision the instant Su Yuntao opened his mouth.

He had read Douluo Continent and knew that Spirit Hall was the villainous faction in the original story, destined to be destroyed by the protagonist, Tang San.

But so what?

He, Lu Mingfei, was not Tang San. He held no prejudice against Spirit Hall.

In his eyes, Spirit Hall in this world had only one label... the strongest force on the Douluo Continent.

His current goal was simple: become stronger as quickly as possible, strong enough to find Hui Liyi.

To become stronger, he needed resources.

To obtain resources, he needed backing.

And Spirit Hall was the strongest backing on the Douluo Continent.