Li Zhaodi's excited voice rang out, finally bringing Liu Jun back to his senses.
"What? You can see? Your eyes really healed?"
"It seems... they have..."
Recognizing people by their voices, Li Zhaodi turned toward the sound and looked at her husband. She also saw someone else, whom she guessed was her son, since there were only two people around her.
"You're... Jun?"
"That's right, it's me." Liu Jun nodded excitedly.
"You're... Hao?"
"It's me, Mom." Liu Hao smiled and nodded too.
"This is wonderful! I really can see! My eyes really healed!"
Weeping with joy, Li Zhaodi hugged Liu Jun tightly. Her tears flowed without stopping as she poured out all the emotions that decades of darkness had kept bottled up.
At that moment, with her healing complete, the particles of solar energy gathered around her rapidly dispersed.
After roughly the time it took an incense stick to burn, Li Zhaodi finally calmed down.
Only then did Liu Hao speak. "Mom, remember what I said earlier? Not only would your eyes be healed this time, but you'd also awaken a powerful martial soul."
"A powerful martial soul?" Li Zhaodi was a little puzzled, but she did not doubt her son's words and simply waited quietly for him to continue.
"That's right, Mom. You were actually born with a powerful body martial soul: the Shadow-Devouring Divine Eyes. But this martial soul is special. During fetal development, it needs sufficient nourishment from the mother's soul power to fully form.
"Since you didn't receive any soul power nourishment in the womb, it failed to develop, leaving your eyes blind as well. I replenished the energy you lacked just now, so not only did your eyes recover, but your martial soul also resumed its development and awakened."
The system said, "You damned host. Shamelessly claiming this system's credit for yourself."
Liu Hao felt a little embarrassed, but he ignored the system's jab and continued, "Mom, try sensing your eyes and calling forth the martial soul there."
Although this was the first time she had heard of a body martial soul, Li Zhaodi chose to trust her son. She closed her eyes and quietly focused on sensing it.
A moment later, Li Zhaodi abruptly opened her eyes. Dark golden light swirled through her pupils, radiating an imposing presence.
Moreover, as the light in her eyes circulated faster, a pair of enormous eyes formed from dark golden energy gradually gathered above her head, shimmering with a mysterious, unfathomable glow.
"I can feel it! My martial soul really is a pair of eyes. It lets me see farther away," Li Zhaodi said excitedly.
That's it?
The corner of Liu Hao's mouth twitched, but he soon accepted it. It seemed that most people did not necessarily learn about their martial soul's abilities upon awakening it.
Never mind. System, tell me about the Shadow-Devouring Divine Eyes martial soul.
Shadow-Devouring Divine Eyes. Body martial soul. Divine grade. Can devour dark-attribute energy to strengthen the physique and increase soul power level. Mimicry training ground: the boundary between light and darkness.
Dark-attribute energy? The boundary between light and darkness? What do those two mean?
"You damned host, you're asking a few too many questions today. I'm tired. Explore the rest yourself."
Huh? You damned system, you're really brushing me off like that? Watch out, or I'll give you a bad review.
"You damned host, don't tell me you think I have a supervisor? Besides, where would you even leave me a bad review? Hah... ptui!"
...Goddammit, this damned system is really begging for a beating.
Helpless, Liu Hao could only share a few of his guesses with his mother and let her explore them on her own for now.
He then released his martial soul and displayed his nine soul rings, letting his parents see his current strength.
After that, he did not linger. He went out and headed straight for the Papal Palace.
After all, he could hardly wait to see that empress's breathtaking beauty with his own eyes.
Hehehe...
The Papal Palace stood in the heart of Spirit City, halfway up Papal Mountain. Countless guards lined the way.
But with Liu Hao's current strength, slipping past those guards was effortless.
In no time, he swept up the long flight of white jade steps and stopped before the entrance to the Papal Palace.
Of course, it was not because he could not simply barge in, nor because he feared Bibi Dong. He wanted this pope to see his sincerity.
As a graceful young man with gentlemanly manners, how could he barge straight into a beautiful lady's workplace? That would be terribly rude.
"Hm?! Who are you? How dare you trespass into the Papal Palace?"
The two knight guards at the entrance immediately grew wary at the figure that had suddenly appeared before them. Both released their martial souls and barked their questions in unison.
"Heh... gentlemen, I think your tone might be a little too heated. Wouldn't you agree?"
Liu Hao smiled faintly. As he spoke calmly, he circulated his soul power, and ring after ring began appearing beneath his feet.
Purple, purple, black, black, black, red! Red! Red! Red!
When the first five soul rings appeared, the two guards were deeply shocked, but not yet afraid. Although this configuration was incredibly powerful, even defying common sense, he was still only at the Soul King level-not enough to act outrageously at the Papal Palace.
But when red soul rings began appearing, the two guards started trembling all over, their eyes filled with fear and reverence. Even among Spirit Hall's highest-ranking figures, few possessed red soul rings.
And when all nine soul rings emerged, circling and pulsing beneath Liu Hao's feet as a surging, overwhelming aura spread outward-
The two guards' composure instantly crumbled. Their bodies collapsed limply to the ground, and they lost all ability to resist.
Just as the two guards were about to pass out, however, Liu Hao swiftly withdrew his soul rings into his body, and his powerful aura rapidly dissipated.
This also sent a signal to the nearby powerhouses, showing that he had not come looking for trouble.
After all, this was the Papal Palace. How could there not be Titled Douluos nearby?
Although he no longer feared trouble, he did not enjoy inviting unnecessary trouble either.
Sure enough, before the guards could get back to their feet, a golden figure appeared at the entrance.
"My friend, what brings you to the Papal Palace?"
That delicate voice, those effeminate features, the signature silver-white robe embroidered with golden chrysanthemum patterns, and that faint aura of a Titled Douluo-
Liu Hao recognized the newcomer at once: one of the Titled Douluos serving under Pope Bibi Dong, Ghost Douluo's longtime partner, Chrysanthemum Douluo-Yue Guan.
"I've come to join Spirit Hall."
Liu Hao wasted no words and stated his purpose directly.
Spirit Hall was not perfect, of course. Later, because of Bibi Dong's desire for revenge and the influence of the Rakshasa God's divine consciousness, it slaughtered many innocent Soul Masters. But at least Spirit Hall had worked for the welfare of commoners. Not only did it awaken martial souls for free, but it also indirectly pressured the two great empires into allocating funds for Spirit Hall to distribute gold soul coin subsidies to low-level Soul Masters as they competed for popular support.
As for why such a good deed-the gold soul coin subsidies funded by the two great empires-should be credited to Spirit Hall...
The situation after Spirit Hall's destruction made the answer clear.
There were no longer dedicated Soul Masters traveling to the countryside to awaken commoners' martial souls for free.
Nor were gold soul coin subsidies given unconditionally to low-level Soul Masters every month anymore.
Admittedly, Spirit Hall was not without villains who committed all manner of evil, and the two great empires were not without good people.
But after Liu Hao arrived in this world, it was Spirit Hall's subsidies that had kept him alive.
Spirit Hall has flaws? Then fix them.
Besides, Bibi Dong, Hu Liena, and Qian Renxue all have beauty on their side~
"Join Spirit Hall?"
Yue Guan froze for a moment, but a majestic female voice soon reached his ears through a voice transmission.
"Invite him in."
"Yes, Your Holiness."
After replying through a voice transmission, Yue Guan politely gestured for Liu Hao to enter and said with a smile, "Your Excellency, please follow me."
"Sorry for the trouble."
Liu Hao smiled and nodded in response.
Meanwhile, his anticipation of meeting the woman he had long been eager to see grew stronger still.
Before you continue