"Alright, I'll give you a chance!"
"But remember, child, becoming a soul master is important, but life's beauty doesn't lie solely in that path."
Matthew Nuo spoke with concern, fearing that if Yun Feng failed to awaken his martial soul again, he might do something reckless in despair. Yun Feng, understanding his intentions, simply nodded and sincerely expressed his gratitude.
Soon, Matthew Nuo led Yun Feng to a room at the far end of the corridor. The moment Yun Feng entered, he felt something unique—his soul power seemed to resonate rhythmically with an unseen force in the room.
The spacious room was over 200 square meters, with six fist-sized black stones embedded in the walls. Yun Feng immediately recognized these as the same type of stones used by Su Yuntao during the awakening ceremony in Holy Spirit Village, likely the source of the resonance he felt.
The floor bore a large emblem resembling a token, with a long sword etched vertically, its tip pointing toward the entrance. Yun Feng also noticed that the same symbol adorned the Spirit Hall's exterior.
Matthew Nuo, noticing Yun Feng's gaze on the floor design, smiled. "This is one of the lowest-ranked Spirit Halls, known as a sub-branch. Every small city across the continent has one like this.
"Higher-ranked Spirit Halls exist in major cities, like Snow City, which houses a main Spirit Hall. Above that are branch halls, and higher still, the Spirit Temples found only in the capitals of the two great empires.
"At the pinnacle lies the Pope's Hall in Spirit City, the most revered location of our Spirit Hall. Beyond that is the legendary Douluo Hall, accessible only to soul masters at the Douluo rank or higher. Entering the Douluo Hall is the highest honor for any registered soul master."
Yun Feng nodded, his understanding of Spirit Hall's structure previously limited to what he'd read in novels.
"Alright, Yun Feng, step into the center here," Matthew Nuo instructed with a serious tone, pointing to the spot surrounded by the six black stones.
Without hesitation, Yun Feng stepped into position and allowed himself to feel the energies at play. Once Yun Feng was in place, Matthew Nuo released his soul power to activate the stones' guiding ability.
Golden light began to flow gently into Yun Feng's body, guided by Matthew Nuo's soul power. Yun Feng smiled faintly—during his previous awakening, there had only been faint specks of golden light, nothing like this. When Tang San awakened, the entire room had been filled with golden brilliance.
While Yun Feng's current awakening wasn't as dramatic as Tang San's, it was far more substantial than before. Yun Feng could feel his incomplete martial soul beginning to take shape.
"Child, what's your martial soul? Quickly, summon it!" Matthew Nuo's voice carried excitement, his intuition telling him that this must be a top-tier martial soul, and the accompanying soul power would surely be remarkable.
Yun Feng smiled at Matthew Nuo's enthusiasm. With a thought, his martial soul manifested.
Behind Yun Feng, the image of a young dragon emerged. Its majestic form instantly captured Matthew Nuo's gaze.
Matthew Nuo froze, his breath catching in his throat. "A dragon? But... it doesn't look like any dragon I've seen before. Yet the word 'dragon' instinctively comes to mind."
Yun Feng turned to observe his martial soul, realizing why he had initially failed to awaken. Unlike the Western dragons familiar to this world, his martial soul resembled the dragons of his previous life's totems.
In that moment, Yun Feng understood why he had been devoid of soul power before—the martial soul had absorbed it all for its growth. Even now, the dragon remained in its juvenile form. Without the Heaven-Suppressing Monument allowing Yun Feng to draw power from Tang San and Tang Hao, this awakening might have failed again.
Despite its immature state, the aura emanating from the dragon was undeniably imposing.
"A dragon... truly a dragon! Quickly, test your soul power!" Matthew Nuo handed Yun Feng a crystal ball, his excitement evident.
Taking the crystal ball without hesitation, Yun Feng placed his left hand on it. A strong suction immediately pulled at his soul power, drawing it into the ball.
The crystal ball radiated a brilliant light, causing Matthew Nuo to break into a wide grin. "Innate Level 9 Soul Power! Child, you are invincible!"
Yun Feng was momentarily stunned. He had anticipated an innate soul power of around Level 4 or 5, but Level 9 exceeded all expectations.
If only the Heaven-Suppressing Monument weren't temporarily inactive, Yun Feng would have pushed himself even further. However, this awakening resolved one of his most pressing concerns. Without a martial soul, advancing to Level 10 and obtaining a soul ring would have been impossible, leaving him stuck.
Now, Yun Feng was determined to hide his true capabilities. The Heaven-Suppressing Monument marked anyone with hostility toward him, meaning Yun Feng's abilities could easily be misconstrued. If Spirit Hall discovered that he could indirectly create evil soul masters, his fate would be sealed.
Until he achieved overwhelming power, Yun Feng resolved to keep a low profile. Tang Hao was one thing, but even Tang San, with his mastery of hidden weapons, could potentially kill him in his current state.
Steady growth was the safest path forward. As for the impact of his presence on the story's timeline? Yun Feng couldn't care less.
"Destiny is called destiny because it defies description and observation," Yun Feng thought with a smirk. "Now that I have far better innate talent than Tang San, perhaps it's time for the protagonist t
o change."
What would the future hold? Let destiny decide.