Doggie Is Actually a Genius!

Cold North Village's Martial Soul Hall branch was a stone house, its roof blanketed in thick snow and long icicles hanging from the eaves.

The only thing setting it apart from the other houses in the village was the faded flag hanging above its entrance, bearing the blurred six-winged angel emblem of Martial Soul Hall.

Above the doorway was also a wooden plaque carved with the words Martial Soul Hall Cold North Village Branch.

By the time Lin Wan and Doggie arrived, more than a dozen children had already gathered inside. With Lin Wan, Doggie, and the others who arrived afterward, there were around twenty in total.

These twenty-odd children were nearly all the children in Cold North Village due to awaken their martial souls this year.

A man in a plain white robe stood in the center of the hall.

The fabric of his robe was clearly much finer than the villagers' coarse linen. Pale silver patterns symbolizing frost and snow were embroidered along the cuffs and collar. Though the robe was somewhat old, it had been washed spotless and was free of dust.

Lin Wan knew this man. He was An Xi, a deacon from Frost City's Martial Soul Hall. He was also the one who had come to Cold North Village to awaken martial souls in previous years.

However, he looked somewhat impatient at the moment, while old Drus stood beside him, bowing and scraping as he spoke.

After carefully counting the children present, old Drus respectfully said to An Xi, "They're all here. All of this year's children have arrived."

An Xi nodded at old Drus. "Since everyone is here, let the children go in. You can wait outside."

Once inside the hall, An Xi took several stones and a crystal ball from his pocket.

"My name is An Xi, a level thirty-one Soul Elder. My martial soul is the Frostbird."

He introduced himself to Lin Wan and the others, then took a step forward.

The moment his foot landed, an icy, powerful aura erupted from his body.

The air in the hall seemed to freeze instantly as the temperature plummeted. A thin layer of white frost even formed on the walls at a visible speed.

The twenty-odd children instinctively wrapped their arms around themselves and backed away, their eyes filled with awe and fear.

Blue light lit up An Xi's eyes. His golden hair stirred without wind, while wisps of cold air swirled around him.

Behind him, the shadow of a massive bird appeared, formed entirely from crystalline ice and with a wingspan of nearly two meters.

The bird was lifelike, every feather gleaming with a cold light. Its sharp, icy eyes looked down upon everyone, and with each slight flap of its wings, tiny ice crystals drifted down.

Martial Soul Possession!

Lin Wan stared at An Xi, his eyes full of envy.

This was the power of a soul master—transcendent, capable of wielding elemental power. Seeing it with his own eyes was hundreds, even thousands of times more awe-inspiring than any written description.

An Xi did not maintain his Martial Soul Possession for long. After all, it consumed soul power as well.

The icy bird phantom behind him slowly dissipated after appearing only briefly, but its overwhelming pressure and the fallen temperature in the hall had deeply intimidated every child present.

He withdrew his aura and returned to calmness. Pointing at the black formation on the ground, he said in the same even tone:

"Line up. One at a time. Stand in the center of the formation and don't move around."

The awakening began.

An Xi extended his hand, his long fingers glowing with a faint white radiance. It was the light of his soul power.

With a flick of his fingers, six concentrated streams of soul power shot precisely into the six black stones surrounding the formation.

Buzz—!

The six black stones instantly lit up, giving off a faint glow.

The first child was a skinny little boy, who looked especially nervous beneath the faint light.

His body trembled violently. A moment later, the phantom of a rusted woodcutter's axe, clearly a miniature version, shakily appeared in his hand.

An Xi expressionlessly picked up a fist-sized blue crystal ball from beside him, its interior seeming to hold swirling mist. "Put your hand on it."

The boy tremblingly pressed his hand against the crystal ball, but it showed no reaction, as lifeless as a dead object.

"No soul power. Next." An Xi's voice did not rise or fall.

The second child awakened an ice flower commonly found in Frost City.

The crystal ball still showed no reaction.

The third awakened a sparsely feathered ice chicken.

The fourth, a twisted fire poker covered in wooden thorns...

The fifth, a pitted gray stone...

As one child after another completed their awakening, An Xi's expression became increasingly impassive.

The atmosphere in the hall grew more and more oppressive, more and more heavy.

Lin Wan stood in the middle of the line, while Doggie was ahead of him.

Watching child after child show no soul power, Lin Wan grew increasingly nervous. He clenched his fists and forced himself to calm down.

"Next." A hint of weariness had entered An Xi's voice.

It was Doggie's turn.

He glanced at Lin Wan, then grinned foolishly as he stepped into the center of the faintly glowing formation.

The faint light enveloped him.

The formation's light seemed somewhat brighter than before.

Doggie's body suddenly stiffened, as though a power carrying an icy aura had been awakened within him.

He let out a muffled groan. His small body began to tremble violently, and veins faintly surfaced beneath his exposed skin.

The surrounding temperature seemed to drop a little further, while the ice crystals condensed in the air appeared to grow denser.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, a blurry beastly shadow began to appear over his right hand.

It was a sturdy young bear covered from head to toe in thick white fur.

Ice Bear!

The instant the Ice Bear martial soul took shape, An Xi's usually placid eyes lit up.

He knew this martial soul. Around Frost City, ice-element beast martial souls were not exceedingly rare.

But the Ice Bear was definitely a high-grade martial soul among them, one with immense strength and considerable potential.

"Good, very good!"

For the first time, warmth entered An Xi's voice. "Child, place your hand on the crystal ball. Focus and feel the power inside your body."

Doggie was a little bewildered by An Xi's reaction, but he obediently and cautiously pressed his little frostbitten hand against the crystal ball.

An Xi's heart rose into his throat.

Lin Wan held his breath as well. He knew the crucial moment had arrived.

The instant Doggie's palm touched the crystal ball, the dark crystal gave off a gentle golden light.

The steady, dazzling glow coated Doggie's little face and An Xi's delighted expression in a layer of golden radiance.

"Innate soul power level seven!"

An Xi's voice trembled with undisguised excitement. "Good! Very good! Child, what is your name? Would you be willing to join Martial Soul Hall? Martial Soul Hall can give you the best training and help you become a powerful soul master!"

His gaze upon Doggie was filled with the delight of discovering an uncut gem.

Innate soul power level seven, along with an Ice Bear martial soul—he was absolutely a promising seedling worthy of vigorous training.

After awakening martial souls for decades, he had finally encountered a good prospect.