Soul Awakening

In the blink of an eye, several days passed.

Soon, it was time for the annual Soul Awakening Ceremony.

On this day, Spirit City became exceptionally lively early in the morning.

At Spirit City's Central Square, because the city's Soul Awakening was to be held here, all the citizens of Spirit City had arrived long ago, packing the surrounding area so tightly that not even water could pass through.

Everyone eagerly wanted to see what Genius Soul Masters Spirit City would produce this year.

In the world of Douluo Continent, where Soul Masters reigned supreme, only Soul Masters were eternal stars!

"Xiao Mo, you'll be taking part in the Soul Awakening soon. Are you nervous?"

Elsewhere, on a street not far from the open area behind Spirit City's Central Square, Bibi Dong was escorting Su Mo there. She affectionately ruffled Su Mo's hair and asked with a smile.

"Mm... a little."

Su Mo held Bibi Dong's Jade Hand. After a moment of silence, he answered softly.

Although Su Mo was fully confident about the coming Soul Awakening, he still had to appear nervous and uneasy on the surface.

"Hehe, don't be nervous. Sister believes that you'll definitely awaken a powerful Martial Soul."

"No matter what anyone says to you later, don't take it to heart. They're all blind fools. Just use your Martial Soul to blind them when the time comes, understand?"

Seeing the "unease" on Su Mo's face, Bibi Dong smiled and crouched down. Her warm Jade Hands caressed his cheeks as she gently comforted and encouraged him.

"Mm, I understand, Dong'er Sister!"

Encouraged by Bibi Dong, Su Mo seemed to gain immense courage. He took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and spoke with a determined gaze.

"Haha, Xiao Mo is such a good boy!"

Seeing Su Mo's resolute expression, Bibi Dong could not help planting several hard kisses on him.

Led by Bibi Dong, Su Mo soon arrived at the open area behind Spirit City's Central Square.

Quite a few children who had come to undergo Soul Awakening had already gathered there.

Since these children knew one another, they stood together in groups of two or three, chatting among themselves.

Standing alone, Su Mo seemed somewhat out of place among the others.

However, Su Mo did not care. He had never intended to mingle with a bunch of brats anyway.

But when Su Mo chose a large tree and sat beneath it to wait,

after Bibi Dong left, the surrounding children could not help turning their eyes toward Su Mo. Waves of discussion rose and fell, inevitably reaching his ears.

"Hey! Do you know that guy sitting beneath the tree over there? I heard he was brought back by Her Ladyship, the Saintess Bibi Dong!"

"Tch! He was indeed brought back by Her Ladyship, the Saintess, but he's just a wandering beggar! There's an eighty or ninety percent chance he'll awaken some useless Martial Soul. He's practically lowering the rate of Soul Masters appearing during Spirit City's Soul Awakening!"

"Ah! He's just a beggar? Her Ladyship, the Saintess, brought back a beggar? I heard she even took him in as her little brother. He's so lucky! I want to be adopted by Her Ladyship, the Saintess, too! Wuwu!"

"Hmph! He just stepped in dog shit. Just wait until the Soul Awakening, when he gets knocked back to his true form!"

"What a bunch of people who only know envy, jealousy, and hatred!"

Not far away, hearing the envious, jealous, and resentful remarks around him, Su Mo leaned against the tree and pretended to doze with a blank expression, as though he had heard nothing. Inside, however, he was filled with disdain.

These people actually wanted to see him make a fool of himself during the Soul Awakening? They were dreaming!

Later would be the moment he shocked Spirit City!

As time passed, amid the expectations of countless people, Spirit City's annual Soul Awakening Ceremony was finally about to begin!

As the Soul Awakening Ceremony was about to start, a Red-Clothed Archbishop arrived at Spirit City's Central Square. He stepped onto the platform that had long been erected there and began delivering the opening address in a booming voice.

It was roughly a speech thanking heaven, thanking earth, thanking the Pope, thanking Spirit Hall, then reviewing the past, looking toward the future, and hoping Spirit Hall would achieve even greater glory!

After paying respects to Qian Xunji and the others seated in the guest stands built nearby, the Soul Awakening Ceremony officially began!

"Next, the Soul Awakening Ceremony officially begins! Those whose names I call, line up and come onto the stage one by one for your Soul Awakening!"

On the platform at Spirit City's Central Square, after explaining the rules, the Red-Clothed Archbishop hosting this Soul Awakening Ceremony took out a list and began loudly reading the names of those about to undergo Soul Awakening.

"Lin Ao, Xie Yurous, Su Xing, Bai Changtian, Xu Aoran..."

As the Red-Clothed Archbishop read out the names, the six-year-old boys and girls called in the open area behind Spirit City's Central Square all held their heads high and confidently lined up, heading toward the Central Square.

The first to undergo Soul Awakening was a boy named Lin Ao. Dressed in black, with short black hair, his face was full of arrogance.

After ascending the platform for Soul Awakening, Lin Ao did not even need instructions from the Red-Clothed Archbishop overseeing the ceremony. He walked straight into the Soul Awakening Array and closed his eyes.

Seeing that Lin Ao was ready, the Red-Clothed Archbishop conducting the Soul Awakening summoned his Martial Soul. With a low shout, he fired streams of Soul Power into the black stones on the ground that formed the Soul Awakening Array.

In an instant, countless golden motes began spilling forth, continuously flowing into Lin Ao's body.

Then, under the gaze of countless people around him, sensing that Lin Ao had absorbed as many golden motes as he could, the Red-Clothed Archbishop suddenly shouted, "Summon your Martial Soul!"

Whoosh!

At the Red-Clothed Archbishop's shout, Lin Ao instantly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them.

The next moment, a massive crimson tiger appeared behind Lin Ao, roaring toward the sky, baring its claws and fangs with imposing majesty.

"It's a Crimson Flame Tiger!"

Someone in the crowd loudly identified Lin Ao's Martial Soul.

"A Crimson Flame Tiger? Not bad. He should awaken at least level five Soul Power..."

Seeing that Lin Ao had awakened the Crimson Flame Tiger Martial Soul, the Red-Clothed Archbishop overseeing the Soul Awakening thought to himself as he took a crystal ball for testing Soul Power from his Storage Soul Tool and handed it to Lin Ao.

"Test your Soul Power!"

After taking the crystal ball, Lin Ao placed his hand upon it. In the next moment, dazzling blue light burst from the crystal ball.

Seeing the light blooming from the crystal ball, the Red-Clothed Archbishop overseeing the Soul Awakening immediately announced loudly, "Lin Ao, Innate level six Soul Power!"

What?! I only have Innate level six Soul Power?!

Upon hearing the Red-Clothed Archbishop's words, Lin Ao's face immediately became extremely unpleasant. He clenched his fists, his heart filled with unwillingness.

In Douluo Continent, although there was no clear classification for Martial Soul grades, Martial Souls were generally divided into four ranks according to the level of Innate Soul Power.

Innate level one to three Soul Power meant a low-grade Martial Soul; innate level four to six meant a mid-grade Martial Soul; innate level seven to nine meant a high-grade Martial Soul; and Innate Full Soul Power meant a top-grade Martial Soul!

Of course, this classification was not entirely accurate.

For example, even if a Clear Sky Hammer Soul Master did not possess Innate Full Soul Power after awakening his Martial Soul, the Clear Sky Hammer Spirit was still a top-grade Martial Soul.

In truth, a Martial Soul's grade depended more on the highest Innate Soul Power that had ever appeared for that type of Martial Soul.

Innate Soul Power, on the other hand, determined a Soul Master's cultivation talent more than anything else!

The highest Innate Soul Power ever seen for the Crimson Flame Tiger Martial Soul was level seven, making it a high-grade Martial Soul. Yet Lin Ao's Innate Soul Power was only level six, so naturally, he felt incomparably unwilling and disappointed.