Lin Mo studied the changes in Su Yuntao with interest. This was his first time witnessing a Soul Master's Martial Soul Possession and Soul Rings firsthand since transmigrating to the Douluo Continent.
"Who wants to awaken their Martial Soul first?"
Su Yuntao surveyed the children, who had been frightened out of their wits by the commotion of his Martial Soul Possession, and felt helpless.
Every time he underwent Martial Soul Possession, he gave the children waiting to awaken their Martial Souls quite a fright.
"Then I'll go first."
Before Su Yuntao could explain the changes in his body to everyone, Lin Mo had already strode forward and reached the center of the Martial Soul Awakening formation.
"Good lad. Well done. Stand steady," Su Yuntao said, a hint of surprise in his voice as he placed his wolf claw on Lin Mo's right shoulder.
He could not help giving Lin Mo another look. Not only did this child appear somewhat sturdier than the others his age, but he also seemed more composed.
Then, a faint green light emanated from Su Yuntao, split into six beams, and shot into the black Awakening Stones beneath Lin Mo's feet.
As Soul Power poured into them, the surfaces of the six black Awakening Stones erupted with a hazy golden radiance, forming a pale golden dome of light around Lin Mo.
Countless golden motes drifted out of the stones and entered Lin Mo's body, which began trembling uncontrollably.
"Focus on the changes inside your body!"
Su Yuntao reminded him from the side, a hint of delight in his words. The number of motes appearing within the golden dome had somewhat exceeded his expectations.
This meant Lin Mo might very well awaken a Martial Soul of decent quality.
If he could bring a child of extraordinary potential into Spirit Hall, his superiors would not only reward him handsomely, but it would also greatly benefit his future promotion.
This was also why, despite having reached level twenty-six at such a young age, he had volunteered for the task of traveling between villages to awaken children's Martial Souls.
Lin Mo felt warm all over. As the golden light poured into him, a current of warmth emerged within his body, roaming through every part of him before finally gathering in his hands.
Under Su Yuntao's expectant gaze, red light flashed. Once he saw clearly what had appeared in Lin Mo's arms, he was immediately filled with disappointment.
"How could it be an egg?" Su Yuntao scratched his head in confusion.
Moreover, judging by its appearance, this egg clearly could not serve as food the way other Food System Soul Masters' Martial Souls did.
He could also tell as much from the impressions emanating from this egg, which were entirely different from those of the food-type Martial Souls he had seen before.
An egg-shaped Martial Soul that was not even a food-type Martial Soul-what use was that? Su Yuntao was immediately puzzled.
Could this be another trash Martial Soul like the Blue Silver Grass next door, neither pleasing to the eye nor useful?
Still, the small measure of kindness in his heart stopped him from voicing the hurtful words that followed.
In contrast to Su Yuntao's confusion, Lin Mo's reaction beside him was the complete opposite.
Lin Mo's breath abruptly caught, and his heart pounded wildly, almost leaping out of his chest!
His eyes grew hot as he reached out with a trembling hand to touch the warm "egg Martial Soul" in his arms.
"Finally... I've finally found you..."
The heavy boulder that had hung over his heart for three long years came crashing down at that moment, replaced by an almost ecstatic sense of relief and excitement.
The joy of recovering what he had lost washed over his reason like a tide, making him want to laugh aloud, yet also hug the egg tightly and have a good, hard cry.
To vent the emotions that had built up in his heart over so many years.
The next moment, Lin Mo focused on the egg in his hands. Soon, a panel visible only to him formed before his eyes.
[Martial Soul: Charmander (Pokémon Egg, unhatched)] [Hatching requirement: Level-ten Soul Power]
The panel's contents were very brief, consisting of just two short lines.
Before Lin Mo could discern anything more, Su Yuntao's call pulled his thoughts back to reality.
"Come test your Soul Power!"
Su Yuntao brought over the blue crystal ball that had already been prepared nearby and placed it before Lin Mo, who obligingly pressed his left hand against it.
Immediately, a powerful suction burst from the blue crystal ball. Soon, its surface erupted with a dazzling blue light.
At the sight, Su Yuntao was overjoyed and cried out, "You actually have level-six innate Soul Power! Good lad, would you be willing to join our Spirit Hall?"
"Join Spirit Hall?"
After hesitating for a moment, Lin Mo said, "Grandmaster Su Yuntao, could you let me think it over?
"This... isn't something I can decide on my own. I need to discuss it with Grandpa Village Chief."
"I was too hasty."
Su Yuntao shifted his gaze away from the egg in Lin Mo's hands, then quickly took paper and a pen from the bundle beside him. With a few swift strokes, he wrote out a Martial Soul certificate for Lin Mo and signed his name on it.
"This is your Spirit Hall certificate. If you want to join Spirit Hall, just take this certificate to Spirit Hall in Nuoding City!"
"Mm." Lin Mo nodded and accepted it. "Thank you, Grandmaster Su!"
Then, at Su Yuntao's gesture, Lin Mo carried the Charmander egg in his arms to the end of the line under the other children's curious gazes.
Su Yuntao, meanwhile, began conducting the Martial Soul Awakening ceremony for the other children with excitement in his heart.
At the end of the line, Lin Mo simply concentrated again, but this time, his attention fell not on the Charmander Pokémon Egg, but on himself.
A panel slowly appeared before him once more, this time with somewhat more text.
[Name: Lin Mo] [Age: Six] [Soul Power: Lv6 (shared)] [Martial Soul: Heart (blood)] [Evolution requirements: Unknown]
Twin Martial Souls... they're actually twin Martial Souls!
Lin Mo's pupils abruptly contracted, and his heart began pounding wildly again. A shudder shot through his entire body like an electric current.
Twin Martial Souls! One of the greatest talents on the Douluo Continent! Now I have them too!
Sure enough, the unusual sensation during the Martial Soul Awakening ceremony had not been his imagination. Just like Tang San, he had also awakened twin Martial Souls.
However, unlike Tang San's Blue Silver Grass and Clear Sky Hammer, the twin Martial Souls he had awakened were a Charmander in its Pokémon Egg state and a heart body Martial Soul that came with blood.
Level-six innate Soul Power, combined with the supreme talent of twin Martial Souls, was enough for him to carve out a place of his own on this Douluo Star.
Lin Mo looked down at the Pokémon Egg in his arms again, his gaze softening somewhat. His fingertips gently stroked the shell, as though he were touching a dear friend he had not seen in years.
The slightly warmer Pokémon Egg in his arms also trembled gently, as though responding to Lin Mo's call.
As long as it wasn't lost. Sure enough, I could only find it again when I awakened my Martial Soul.
I've found it again. I've found it again...!
Charmander's return had put to rest the heart demon that had troubled him for so long. Now, he only needed to cultivate his Soul Power Level to ten to see his old companion again.
Lin Mo suddenly felt tears welling in his eyes.
Compared with the Pokémon world he had transmigrated to the first time, Lin Mo was more satisfied with the Douluo Plane he had transmigrated to the second time.
After all, having read the Douluo trilogy thoroughly, he could hardly have been more familiar with the events that took place on the Douluo Continent.
As for why it was only a trilogy... that was because there was truly only so much he could take.
Unlike in the Pokémon world, where reaching the pinnacle of the world could only bring fame and power, on Douluo Star, if one could cultivate to the ultimate limit, becoming a god truly could grant eternal life.