Chapter 2: Awakening Spirit
Holy Emperor Village, Spirit Hall
The Spirit Hall of the Holy Emperor Village was crowded with parents bringing their six-year-old children to awaken their martial souls.
By the time Yu Feng and his father arrived, the awakening ceremony was about to begin. The children and their families were already entering the Spirit Hall.
"Oh, little Fenger is here too! So you've finally turned six," came a kind voice from behind them.
They turned around to see an elderly man, around 60 or 70 years old, with white hair and a kind smile. He was the village chief, Lin Wang, aged 64.
"Good morning, Chief Wang," Yu Lei said respectfully.
"Good morning, Grandpa Wang," Yu Feng added with a smile.
The father and son bowed slightly in respect.
"Senior Yu, there's no need to treat me so formally. I'm just a common villager, while you are a respected soul master," the old man said humbly.
Although Yu Lei and his wife lived a low-key life, everyone in the village knew their family had powerful soul masters. While the exact levels were unknown, they were deeply respected.
After a brief chat, it was time to begin. A young man, around 25 years old, approached while holding an exquisite wooden box.
He had a sharp, handsome face with black hair, dressed in a platinum-blue robe with golden patterns—clear symbols of his rank in the Spirit Hall. His expression was calm and dignified.
The village chief stepped forward.
"Soul Master, all the children who are eligible for awakening this year are gathered."
The Spirit Hall representative nodded silently and pushed open the doors of the Awakening Hall, stepping inside.
The interior was simple, resembling an ordinary house. Thirteen children stood nervously, excited and anxious about their awakening.
"My name is Jian Ping. I'm a level 28 Great Soul Master. I'll be conducting your martial soul awakening today," the young man introduced himself.
He began arranging the awakening formation while patiently explaining the basics.
"Martial Soul, possess!"
A shadowy black wolf emerged behind him, radiating a frightening aura. Two spirit rings appeared beneath him—one white, one yellow.
Some of the younger children grew frightened and began crying.
"This is my martial soul, the Dark Black Wolf. If any of you awaken a martial soul and possess soul power, you'll be eligible to join Spirit Hall."
Jian Ping then infused the formation with soul power and called out to the first child.
"Child, step forward!"
A nervous boy stepped into the formation. A black knife phantom materialized in his hand.
"Black knife. A weapon-type martial soul, not bad," Jian Ping thought.
He had the boy place his hand on a crystal ball to test soul power. The ball remained dim.
"You have no soul power. You cannot become a soul master," Jian Ping said calmly. "Next."
One by one, the children took their turns.
"Knife, no soul power."
"Iron sword, no soul power."
"Blue Silver Grass, no soul power."
After thirty minutes, the awakening of twelve children had been completed. Most had low-level martial souls and no soul power. Jian Ping had already lost hope for this village.
He turned his eyes toward the last child—Yu Feng—who stood a head taller than the others.
"One more. It'll likely be another ordinary awakening," Jian Ping thought. "But if even one child awakens with soul power, I'll receive three gold soul coins from Spirit Hall. That's a fortune for an ordinary villager."
"Child, come forward."
Yu Feng stepped into the awakening array.
Suddenly, the entire formation lit up with a dazzling golden light. A warm energy flowed through his body, gentle and comforting.
Yu Feng felt a powerful, mysterious force inside him trying to break free. At the same time, he felt another equally strong force—coming from his right hand.
"Twins...!" he realized. "I have twin martial souls!"
He quickly clenched his right fist, suppressing the second martial soul. He had a strange intuition—it was a sword, powerful and ominous, filled with death aura. It wasn't time to reveal that one.
Instead, he allowed the first martial soul to emerge.
The air trembled.
A blinding beam of light exploded from the circle, forcing everyone to cover their eyes. When the light faded, a terrifying presence stood in the formation.
A massive, decaying dragon emerged, wrapped in black storm clouds and flashing red lightning. Its dark scales were cracked, radiating death. Golden bolts flickered along its body like living thunder. The creature seemed half-guardian, half-cursed revenant—its eyes filled with sorrow and wrath, a relic of a forgotten age.
It roared.
The roar shook the heavens. Thunder cracked and storm clouds surged. Even the nearby villagers fell to the ground, trembling in fear.
Within the hall, Yu Feng's father instantly released his soul power to suppress the dragon's aura. His mother soon arrived and joined him to help.
Only after the dragon quieted down did the clouds fade and sunlight return.
"Wh-What... What is this martial soul... Is it... a dragon?" Jian Ping asked, his voice shaking.
Even after the dragon's aura had withdrawn, its presence still lingered like a storm that had passed but left devastation in its wake.
Yu Feng, standing in the center, was the only one smiling—partly in shock, mostly in excitement.
He knew what this spirit was.
It was the Lichdragon Fortissax.