Morning sunlight had barely risen when the quiet town became unusually lively.
Children dressed in clean clothes hurried through the streets while anxious parents followed closely behind.
Excited discussions echoed continuously near the center square, where several Spirit Hall attendants had already arrived before dawn.
Today was martial soul awakening day.
For ordinary civilians living at the bottom of the Douluo Continent, this was the single most important day in a child’s life.
A powerful martial soul could completely change one’s fate.
Lin Yuan walked calmly through the crowded streets while carrying a worn black coat over his shoulder.
Compared to the nervous excitement surrounding him, his expression remained unusually indifferent.
He already knew the result.
Or rather— He already knew what kind of path awaited him afterward.
“Lin Yuan!” A loud voice suddenly called out from behind.
Lin Yuan turned slightly and saw a fat boy running toward him clumsily through the snow-covered street.
“Wait for me!” The boy stopped beside him while gasping for breath.
His name was Zhao Hu, one of the few children in town who regularly interacted with Lin Yuan.
Or more accurately— One of the few who was not intimidated by him.
“You’re late,” Lin Yuan said calmly.
“That’s because my mother kept fixing my clothes,” Zhao Hu complained immediately.
“She said spirit masters can’t look sloppy.” Lin Yuan glanced at the wrinkled coat hanging loosely from Zhao Hu’s body.
“Seems she failed.” Zhao Hu stared blankly for a second before bursting into laughter.
“You actually made a joke?” Lin Yuan merely continued walking.
The fat boy quickly caught up beside him again.
“Do you think we’ll awaken powerful martial souls today?” Lin Yuan remained silent briefly before answering.
“Maybe.” Zhao Hu lowered his voice mysteriously.
“My father says our town once produced a Spirit Ancestor.” Lin Yuan almost smiled.
Every poor village on the Douluo Continent claimed some legendary spirit master had originated there generations ago.
Most stories were heavily exaggerated.
Still, no one cared.
Hope itself was precious enough.
Soon, the two arrived outside the Martial Soul Hall.
Calling it a hall was generous.
The building was old and relatively small compared to true Spirit Hall branches in larger cities.
Yet even so, everyone nearby still looked at it with instinctive reverence.
After all— Spirit Hall represented spirit masters.
And spirit masters represented power.
Several children had already gathered outside the entrance nervously.
Some looked excited.
Others frightened.
Lin Yuan’s gaze swept across them calmly.
Most would awaken ordinary martial souls.
Farm tools.
Weak beasts.
Common plants.
And among them, only a few might possess spirit power strong enough to cultivate.
That was reality.
The Douluo Continent’s hierarchy had always been cruel from the beginning.
A Spirit Hall attendant soon stepped outside.
“Children entering for awakening, come with me.” The crowd immediately became quiet.
Parents watched anxiously as the children followed the attendant inside.
The awakening room was larger than Lin Yuan expected.
A strange six-pointed formation had already been drawn across the floor while several black stones stood arranged around it.
At the center stood a middle-aged man wearing gray Spirit Hall robes.
A single white spirit ring floated quietly around his body.
Spirit Scholar.
The lowest level of spirit master.
Yet even that was enough to make the children stare with awe.
The man’s gaze swept across the room briefly.
“My name is Luo Cheng.
I will oversee your martial soul awakening today.” His voice remained calm and practiced.
Clearly, this was not his first awakening ceremony.
“Do not panic later regardless of what happens.
Stand in the center one at a time.” The children nodded nervously.
Luo Cheng quickly began the ceremony.
One child after another stepped into the formation.
Light appeared.
Martial souls emerged.
A sickle.
A broom.
A wooden stick.
Most awakenings ended in disappointment.
No spirit power.
No cultivation talent.
Just ordinary lives waiting ahead.
The atmosphere gradually became heavier.
Some children had already begun crying quietly after seeing the disappointment on their parents’ faces.
Lin Yuan watched silently from the back of the room.
Then— “Zhao Hu.” The fat boy beside him jumped nervously before stumbling toward the center formation.
Golden light rose around him.
A brown wolf appeared briefly behind his body before fading into his right hand.
Beast spirit.
Zhao Hu’s eyes widened excitedly.
Luo Cheng nodded slightly.
“Earth Wolf.
Decent potential.” The fat boy’s face turned red instantly.
Then the spirit power test began.
A faint glow appeared within the crystal sphere.
Level three spirit power.
Not high.
But enough to cultivate.
Zhao Hu nearly shouted from excitement while running back toward Lin Yuan afterward.
“I can become a spirit master!” Lin Yuan nodded slightly.
“Congratulations.” Before Zhao Hu could continue talking, Luo Cheng’s voice rang out again.
“Lin Yuan.” The room suddenly became quiet.
For some reason, many children instinctively glanced toward Lin Yuan at the same time.
Perhaps because he always felt different from others.
Too calm.
Too mature.
Lin Yuan walked forward quietly and stepped into the awakening formation.
Golden light surged upward instantly.
Then— Boom.
The entire room trembled slightly.
Several black stones cracked simultaneously.
Luo Cheng’s expression changed immediately.
An invisible pressure suddenly spread outward from the center formation.
Heavy.
Cold.
Oppressive.
The children nearby stumbled backward instinctively while panic appeared on their faces.
Even breathing became difficult momentarily.
Dark crimson rings slowly appeared behind Lin Yuan’s body.
Not spirit rings.
Something stranger.
Distorted halos formed entirely from pressure itself.
Then black chains flickered through the surrounding air like phantoms before vanishing instantly.
The atmosphere in the room became suffocating.
Luo Cheng’s pupils contracted violently.
“What…?” At the center of the formation, Lin Yuan slowly opened his eyes.
A strange force pulsed continuously inside his body.
Cold.
Violent.
Ancient.
For a brief moment, countless fragmented images flashed across his mind.
Mountains of corpses.
Endless blood.
A crimson sky.
And a giant black sword standing between heaven and earth.
The pressure around him intensified further.
Crack.
The awakening formation shattered beneath his feet.
Several children screamed in fear.
Luo Cheng reacted instantly and released his martial soul fully to stabilize the room.
“Control your spirit!” His voice echoed sharply.
Lin Yuan immediately focused.
The invisible pressure gradually weakened.
The distorted crimson halos behind him slowly faded.
Silence filled the hall afterward.
Everyone stared toward him with shock.
Luo Cheng’s breathing had become slightly uneven.
He had overseen awakenings for years.
But he had never seen a martial soul like this before.
“What is your martial soul?” he asked slowly.
Lin Yuan lowered his gaze briefly.
Then he answered calmly.
“Asura Prison.” The name caused confusion to appear on most faces.
No one had heard of such a martial soul before.
But Luo Cheng’s instincts screamed that this was absolutely not an ordinary spirit.
Especially the pressure earlier— It had even affected him slightly despite the gap in strength.
Luo Cheng quickly picked up the crystal sphere for spirit power testing.
“Place your hand here.” Lin Yuan obeyed quietly.
The moment his palm touched the crystal— Brilliant crimson light erupted instantly.
The crystal sphere illuminated the entire room.
Luo Cheng’s expression froze completely.
“Innate full spirit power…”