Inspection Corps

"Interesting."

She withdrew her finger. "Your Martial Soul has such strong self-awareness right after awakening. It seems to be of an even higher order than I imagined.

"Lu Mingfei, I am Huang Fei, deputy commander of Spirit Hall's Inspection Corps. His Holiness the Pope sent me to bring you to Spirit Hall. From today onward, I'll be fully responsible for your training."

Lu Mingfei blinked and asked tentatively:

"Um... Lady Huang Fei, may I ask how His Holiness the Pope heard about me?"

Huang Fei stood and said calmly:

"Su Yuntao's report reached Spirit Hall while His Holiness the Pope happened to be in the council chamber.

"Your awakening records...

"Black Dragon King Martial Soul, Innate Level 20 Soul Power...

"When they were read aloud, everyone present fell silent. His Holiness the Pope said only four words: 'Bring him to me.'"

Everyone had fallen silent.

Lu Mingfei didn't know who sat in Spirit Hall's council chamber, but he could guess they were important figures who could make all of Douluo Continent tremble with a stamp of their feet.

If he could silence all of them, his start in this world really was absurd.

"Then..." Lu Mingfei asked, "do I have to leave with you right now?"

"Do you have anything to pack?"

Huang Fei glanced around Old Jack's shabby mud-brick house as though inspecting a beggar's den.

Lu Mingfei shook his head. "Nothing."

He turned and walked up to Old Jack.

The wrinkled old man looked at him with reddened eyes. His lips moved several times, but he couldn't get a word out.

Lu Mingfei was silent for a few seconds. Then he spread his arms and gave Old Jack a tight hug.

"Uncle Jack."

His voice was soft, as if he were talking about something trivial. "When I've made something of myself, I'll come back and build you a big house."

Old Jack finally broke down, tears streaming down his face. He gave Lu Mingfei's back a firm pat and choked out:

"Good boy, good boy... Take care of yourself out there. Don't bring shame on our Holy Soul Village..."

Huang Fei didn't rush them. She simply waited in silence.

Her gaze moved between Lu Mingfei and Old Jack, and a barely perceptible softness flickered in her eyes.

It vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving her cold expression unchanged.

"Let's go," Huang Fei said.

Lu Mingfei let go of Old Jack and took one last look at the little village where he had spent six years. Then he turned and followed Huang Fei down the road out of Holy Soul Village.

He walked without hesitation and never looked back.

Because he knew that, from today on, a new chapter of his life was beginning.

Everything in Holy Soul Village would become part of his past.

The road ahead lay in Spirit Hall, in the vast world he was about to enter.

As they left the village, Lu Mingfei saw Tang San standing outside his family's smithy, hammer in hand, watching him thoughtfully.

Their eyes met for a moment.

Lu Mingfei smiled at Tang San.

Tang San gave a slight nod. Then they both looked away as if nothing had happened.

What Lu Mingfei didn't know was that after he and Huang Fei left Holy Soul Village, Tang San sat alone beneath the smithy's eaves for a long time.

He looked at the Blue Silver Grass in his hand.

Its green vines spread their leaves in the sunlight, looking utterly harmless.

Tang San gently brushed a finger over a leaf and murmured, "Black Dragon King... I never expected a Martial Soul of that caliber to awaken in this little village.

"But that dragon's power gives me a strange feeling..."

He frowned, then shook his head, buried his doubts, and went back to forging.

The journey from Holy Soul Village to Spirit Hall's headquarters took several days by carriage.

Huang Fei procured an imposing black carriage.

The cabin was spacious and comfortable, with soft animal-hide cushions and a small incense burner. An unfamiliar incense gave off a sweet, refreshing scent.

Lu Mingfei had enjoyed nothing like it since arriving on Douluo Continent.

As soon as he climbed in, he curled up on a hide cushion and refused to budge, like a kitten that had found its nest.

Huang Fei sat across from him, resting with her eyes closed.

Lu Mingfei stole a few glances at her.

She really was beautiful.

Her features looked sculpted, and her skin was fair and smooth.

Long purple hair fell over her shoulders, lending her a cool, mature elegance.

But he noticed a deep scar on her right hand, running from the web between her thumb and forefinger to her wrist, as if a sharp blade had cut her.

That scar told him she was no mere ornament. She was a formidable fighter who had carved her way through bloodshed.

"Had your fill?"

Huang Fei spoke suddenly, her eyes still closed.

Lu Mingfei jolted so hard he nearly rolled off the cushion. He quickly looked away and said sheepishly:

"I was just... curious."

"About what?"

"How strong you are."

Huang Fei opened her eyes and looked at him. Her gaze held a hint of scrutiny, as though she were looking at someone who had no idea how vast the world was.

"There's no point telling you. At your age, you might not even understand what Soul Power Levels mean."

She took a thin booklet from inside her robes and tossed it in front of Lu Mingfei. "This is Spirit Hall's Basic Knowledge of Soul Masters. Finish it before we arrive. Someone will test you when we get there.

"Fail, and your benefits will be cut in half."

Lu Mingfei picked up the booklet and opened it. The densely packed writing on the first page made him feel as though he were back in a high school classroom.

He had never liked reading. He'd thought being transported to another world meant escaping schoolwork, but apparently Spirit Hall had its own version.

Still, he knew Huang Fei wasn't joking. This was his entrance exam, and failing it really would cost him half his benefits.

So he dutifully opened the booklet and began reading from the first page.

Basic Knowledge of Soul Masters wasn't long, but it was packed with practical information.

It explained the ranks of Soul Masters in detail...

Soul Scholar, Soul Master, Soul Grandmaster, Soul Elder, Soul Ancestor, Soul King, Soul Emperor, Soul Sage, Soul Douluo, and Titled Douluo.

Ten major ranks, each divided into ten levels.

It also explained the categories of Martial Souls.

Beast Martial Souls and Tool Martial Souls.

And the ages indicated by the colors of Soul Rings.

White Ten-Year Soul Rings.

Yellow Hundred-Year Soul Rings.

Purple Millennium Soul Rings.

Black Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings.

Red Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings.

Lu Mingfei read with growing interest.

He had read about all this in novels, but reading about something was different from living it.

Now that he had truly arrived in this world, this knowledge was no longer just entertainment. It was essential to his survival.

The carriage rocked along for two days.