Martial Soul Awakening

Spirit Hall did not cling to the outdated notion that sect bloodlines were supreme. Its atmosphere was relatively inclusive, yet this was also why it produced the famously love-addled trio.

Bibi Dong, Qian Renxue, and Hu Liena.

Three peerlessly talented, breathtaking women, all ultimately trapped by love. They ruined their lives and, indirectly, buried Spirit Hall's vast legacy.

If such things had happened in the Upper Three Sects, they would have been expelled long ago.

The most typical examples were Tang Hao and Yu Xiaogang.

Tang Hao married a soul beast and placed Clear Sky Sect in peril. Even as the young sect master, he was expelled from the sect.

Yu Xiaogang was the son of Sect Master Yu Yuanzhen. His martial soul mutated into a pig, and he even wanted to marry his own cousin. Even with his thick skin, he felt too ashamed to remain in the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

But Zhang Fei saw things clearly: I've never opposed women being love-addled, as long as they're love-addled over me.

As the grandson of Serpent Spear Douluo, Zhang Fei's background had destined him, from birth, to belong to Spirit Hall's faction. There was no other choice.

Yet he knew Spirit Hall's fate.

Internally, Bibi Dong was consumed by resentment over her tragic experiences. Twisted and crazed, she wanted only to take revenge on the world and destroy the continent, personally burying Spirit Hall's foundations.

Externally, Tang San, that hypocritical bastard blessed with protagonist luck, blazed through every obstacle and rose rapidly, ultimately wiping out Spirit Hall completely.

Since Zhang Fei had been granted another life and could not change his stance, he would never sit around and wait for death.

To protect himself and rewrite Spirit Hall's tragic fate of destruction, he had to establish a firm footing within Spirit Hall and wield sufficient power and strength.

And Spirit Hall's thickest thigh was undoubtedly Qian Renxue.

From the moment he had fully recognized his circumstances, Zhang Fei had set his life creed: cling tightly to the little angel's thigh and change her taste in men!

He could not let that hypocritical bastard Tang San destroy everything again.

Zhang Fei took a deep breath and pushed open the door. Sunlight spilled across his youthful face.

Following the maid through the corridors, he soon arrived outside the study.

The maid stopped and respectfully knocked twice.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, Young Master Xiao Fei has arrived."

"Come in."

A gentle, clear voice came from within.

Zhang Fei pushed the door open and entered, while the maid softly shut it behind him.

He had visited this study countless times. It could not have been more familiar to him.

The shelves lining the walls were packed with dossiers and ancient books, while unfinished official documents lay spread across the desk.

The entire room exuded an air of nobility, exactly like Xue Qinghe herself.

Crown Prince Xue Qinghe sat behind the desk. She wore a moon-white crown prince's robe embroidered with gold, a jade belt around her waist, and had refined, handsome features.

Though she was only fifteen or sixteen, her seated posture was exceptionally steady. Her back was straight, as though she had undergone years of rigorous training.

Two elderly men stood at Xue Qinghe's side.

One was tall and thin, with a stern face, slightly prominent cheekbones, and a faint blue-violet gleam deep in his pupils. He was Zhang Fei's grandfather, Serpent Spear Douluo She Long.

The other was somewhat plump, with a round face and narrow eyes. At first glance, his appearance was rather unsettling, but when he saw Zhang Fei enter, he put on a smiling, Buddha-like expression.

He was Porcupinefish Douluo, whose real name was Ci Xue. His martial soul was the Bloodspike Pufferfish, and his soul power was rank ninety-three. He possessed potent poison, defense, and long-range attacks.

He and Serpent Spear Douluo were close friends and often acted together.

The two were Spirit Hall's specially assigned right-hand men beside Qian Renxue, tasked with assisting her.

Zhang Fei stopped before the desk and bowed. "Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince. Greetings, Grandpa. Greetings, Grandpa Ci."

He wore a plain light-blue short robe. After three years of pampering, his little face was especially fair and clean, though it still retained a trace of baby fat.

Yet his features were sharply defined, and there was a calmness between his brows that did not belong to a child.

His eyes in particular were pitch-black and bright, carrying an indescribable sense of steadiness.

As Serpent Spear Douluo looked at his grandson, the corners of his eyes curved unconsciously.

Xue Qinghe was also looking at Zhang Fei.

The child stood before her neither humble nor arrogant, clean and straightforward. Whether in personality or appearance, he perfectly matched her tastes.

When she had brought the child into the Crown Prince's Residence three years ago, she had only intended to do She Long a favor and conveniently arrange a place for the boy.

But unexpectedly, over the past three years, Zhang Fei had been far more worry-free than she had imagined.

He was sensible and obedient, neither noisy nor troublesome, never stirred up trouble, and disliked playing with other children his age. Every day, he quietly read and learned to write.

Moreover, he was extraordinarily intelligent. His grasp of knowledge far surpassed that of children his age, and the occasional questions he asked could even stump her.

Most importantly, the child was very good at making people happy. Whenever she was with him, she could always experience a rare sense of ease.

He had both made up for her unfortunate childhood and eased the pressure of her open and covert struggles at court.

Xue Qinghe walked around the desk and approached Zhang Fei, reaching out to pat his shoulder. "Xiao Fei, you are six years old now. It is time for your martial soul awakening. Ordinary families would go to a Spirit Hall branch, but since you belong to my Crown Prince's Residence, there is naturally no need for such trouble."

After saying that, she gave Serpent Spear Douluo a slight nod.

In truth, Zhang Fei knew this was entirely because of his special identity. If he awakened a martial soul like She Long's, it would be difficult to avoid suspicion.

She Long strode over to Zhang Fei's side, bent down, and patted his shoulder.

He took six awakening stones from his robes. With a casual wave of his hand, the six stones landed on the blue-brick floor, forming a neat hexagonal formation.

"Xiao Fei, stand in the center of the formation."

Zhang Fei obediently stepped into the formation and stood still.

She Long summoned his martial soul.

A blue-violet serpent spear nearly three meters long appeared out of thin air in his hand. Then, nine soul rings slowly rose from beneath his feet: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, purple, black, black, black, black.

The nine rings of light emerged one after another, and the soul power rippling outward made the air throughout the study suddenly feel much heavier.

Yet Zhang Fei, standing in the center of the formation, showed not the slightest hint of fear. His gaze remained calm.

Damn, is this the oppressive force of a Titled Douluo?

Xue Qinghe and Porcupinefish Douluo exchanged a glance, both with a flicker of approval in their eyes.

"Raise your right hand." She Long's voice deepened.

Zhang Fei did as instructed, raising his hand with his palm facing upward and his five fingers naturally spread.

Serpent Spear Douluo gathered a wisp of soul power and tapped lightly with his fingertip. A ray of blue light entered the center of the formation.

In an instant, the six awakening stones lit up simultaneously. Dense white light burst forth, enveloping Zhang Fei completely.

Zhang Fei closed his eyes.

He felt a gentle power moving through his body, filling him with warmth.

Then, guided by that warm energy, something within him seemed to shatter. All the warm currents rushed toward his right palm in an instant.

A scorching sensation came from his right hand, as if something was about to emerge from his palm.

Soon, a pitch-black spear condensed in his hand.

The spear was over two meters long, entirely black and gleaming. Fine arcs of electricity faintly coiled and flowed around its shaft, producing soft crackling sounds.

The spearhead was not the straight, tapered blade of an ordinary spear. Instead, it resembled a snake. Both edges of the blade followed the curves of the serpent's body, narrowing along its shape before finally forming a sharp, icy glint at the tip of its tongue.

The Eight-Foot Serpent Spear.

Zhang Fei recognized it at once. It was the famed long weapon wielded by Zhang Fei, the mighty general of the Three Kingdoms, whose name had echoed through history.

But before he could examine the spear in his hand, another unusual fluctuation came from behind him.

A phantom of an enormous golden python appeared behind him. Its entire body gleamed with brilliant gold, every scale seeming to have been cast from gilded metal and reflecting a cold metallic luster.

The python coiled into a ring, its head raised high. Its golden eyes looked down upon everyone in the room, its oppressive aura heavy and imposing.