Biluocheng, a city under the jurisdiction of the Heaven Dou Empire, takes its na from its proximity to Biluoxia, a canyon teeming with poisonous soul beasts. It is a city built amidst barren mountains and treacherous terrain.
The city's sole industry revolves around hunting soul beasts in Biluoxia. However, since poison-elent soul masters hold little advantage on the Douluo Continent, and dical and toxicological advancents on the continent are underdeveloped, the city's inco pales compared to those near other large soul beast habitats.
At high noon, the Spirit Hall within Biluocheng bustled with activity. Dozens of nobles and soul masters, accompanied by their children, awaited the appointed ti.
It was autumn—a season of harvest and also the annual season for awakening martial souls on the Douluo Continent. During this period, soul masters tasked with awakening martial souls under the Spirit Hall's authority would visit villages with Spirit Hall Deacon to help children awaken their martial souls. Residents of cities, however, would bring their children directly to the local Spirit Hall for the ceremony.
In Biluocheng, noble families and soul master clans lacked the capability for internal awakening ceremonies. According to local customs, these families would bring their children to the Spirit Hall on a designated day, where the hall's official would oversee the awakening. This day was not only a ti for martial soul awakenings but also an opportunity for inter-family connections and exchanges. Families whose children awakened powerful martial souls with high innate soul power would gain an edge, while those who failed to awaken anything noteworthy would be overlooked. Many families used this occasion to discuss alliances and marriages.
For centuries, this unwritten rule had been a tradition in Biluocheng. While not an official holiday, it was no less significant.
This year, only fifteen children were scheduled for martial soul awakening, a relatively low number. Yet the nobles and soul masters waiting here numbered several dozen—far more than the children.
The nobles and soul masters engaged in light conversation, but most of their attention was on the upcoming awakening. They exchanged pleasantries as a formality to pass the ti.
About half an hour later, the local Spirit Hall official appeared. He was an elderly man who looked over eighty years old, his skin as withered as ancient bark and his eyes clouded with age. He seed on the verge of death, yet no one dared to underestimate him.
Despite his frailty, he was a mber of the Spirit Hall—a Soul Emperor, no less, and a bishop stationed in Biluocheng by the Pope's decree for several decades.
Even the city lord of Biluocheng treated this elder with the utmost respect.
"It's that ti of year again—martial soul awakening," the elder muttered as he surveyed the crowd. His sigh carried a note of weariness. Soul power rippled faintly around him, and six soul rings appeared—one white, two yellow, two purple, and one black. His aged hand lifted slightly, and a vine, its texture like solid rock, erged from his palm and drooped to the ground.
"I am Yan Jun, Bishop of the Spirit Hall. My martial soul is the Rock Vine. A level sixty-seven control-type battle soul master… I will be overseeing this year's martial soul awakenings."
"Children, step forward."
Yan Jun spoke plainly, indifferent to the gazes of those around him. At his command, children instructed by their elders stepped out and ford an orderly line before him.
Seeing this, Yan Jun nodded slightly and gestured with a wave of his hand. Several soul masters in Spirit Hall uniforms imdiately stepped forward and began setting up a proper awakening array between the elder and the children.
"Children, step forward," Yan Jun said calmly.
At ninety-four years old, even by the standards of soul masters, Yan Jun was considered quite advanced in age.
At this stage of his life, few things truly mattered to him. He no longer cared about the nas or origins of the children undergoing martial soul awakening. Apart from the Angel God and the Spirit Hall, there was little left in this world that held any significance for him. For his distant blood relatives—separated by countless generations—he helped only when convenient. The opinions of others, he ignored entirely.
If not for the desire to avoid leaving a ss for the soul master assigned by the Spirit Hall to take over his position, Yan Jun wouldn't have even bothered to oversee the awakening ceremony for these children.
At his command, the chubby boy at the front of the line stepped forward and entered the array. Yan Jun raised his hand, soul power surging, and the array beneath the boy's feet began to glow faintly. Points of light erged and seeped into the boy's body.
Children from soul master families and noble households were already familiar with the process of martial soul awakening, so there was no need for reminders.
A mont later, the chubby boy let out an involuntary cry. His previously round figure began to tighten, and a pair of comical ears grew from his golden hair.
"A beast martial soul… Let's test your innate soul power," Yan Jun said as he flipped his right hand, causing a crystal ball to appear in his palm.
The slightly chubby boy took the crystal ball, and as he channeled his soul power into it, the ball emitted a faint glow.
"Innate soul power level two… no, level three. Martial soul is a leopard cat? But the quality seems a bit low… Regardless, it's enough to beco a soul master."
Yan Jun retrieved the crystal ball and waved his hand, signaling the boy to leave the awakening array. The child, now awakened to the leopard cat martial soul, quickly ran over to join the crowd. His departure was followed by a wave of murmured discussions.
"The second young master of the city lord's family awakened a leopard cat martial soul, as expected. But his innate soul power isn't as high as the city lord's or the eldest young master's.
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