"Full Innate Soul Power!!!"
Everyone showed stunned expressions. They looked at the testing orb in Tianyu's hand. The golden light radiating from it was so bright that it almost blinded everyone present.
Long Tianyu could feel his soul power still flowing into the orb.
Crack!
Cracks began to appear on the testing orb.
Long Tianyu quickly stopped the flow of soul power from his body to the orb.
The blinding golden light gradually dimmed, concealing the fine cracks on the orb in Tianyu's hand. No one noticed what had just happened—except Tianyu himself, who cleverly controlled the flow of his soul power.
Long Tianyu then returned the orb to Fu Zhen, who was still in shock.
Fu Zhen accepted it absentmindedly, then snapped out of it.
He looked at the orb in his hand with an expression he could barely hide. The fine cracks weren't visible to others, but as an experienced teacher, he sensed something unusual.
"His Soul Power Level... exceeds Level 10?" Fu Zhen muttered quietly, his voice barely audible.
The testing hall suddenly fell silent. All the other participants stared at Tianyu, some with admiration, others with clear envy on their faces. A few even swallowed nervously, realizing they had just witnessed the birth of a monster.
Although Long Tianyu was so happy inside he wanted to jump around, on the outside he only gave a small smile.
Unbeknownst to him, he had caught the attention of someone from the imperial family who was present to witness the awakening.
In the upper balcony of the hall, hidden behind a bluish-purple sheer curtain, a young girl dressed in formal attire layered with deep red silk observed everything with sharp eyes. Beside her stood an old man with a stern face, wearing a long robe of black and gold—one of the imperial family's personal guards.
The girl leaned forward slightly, her bright blue eyes sparkling with interest.
"I didn't expect to find such a rare gem among the stones... This world truly is full of surprises. His name is Long Tianyu, right?" she whispered softly. "This boy… is interesting."
The guard beside her turned. "Your Highness, shall I investigate him?"
The girl responded calmly.
"Investigate him. But do it discreetly. I want to know where he's from, his family background, and who his teacher is. Don't let him notice."
The old guard bowed. "Understood, Your Highness."
The girl returned her gaze downward, toward Long Tianyu, who was still seated.
"A child like that doesn't just appear out of nowhere… Especially with power strong enough to crack a testing orb," she thought. "If he's not from a great noble family… then he's hiding something much deeper."
Meanwhile, down below, the tests continued. The next participants seemed hesitant, as if reluctant to go after Tianyu's extraordinary display.
Fu Zhen tried to ease the tension with a small cough. "Alright… next test." His voice remained steady, though his eyes occasionally glanced at Tianyu, still processing what had just happened.
Long Tianyu returned to his seat, trying to keep his expression calm. But no matter how hard he tried, the joy still radiated from him.
He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm his racing heart. "I didn't expect the testing orb to crack just from channeling my soul power into it."
Time passed, and eventually all the children had finished awakening their Martial Souls.
Fu Zhen stood atop the altar, while the children who had awakened their Martial Souls sat in the prepared seats.
"Congratulations! All of you have awakened your Martial Souls! I know some of you feel sad, and others feel happy. Even so, I hope all of you continue to move forward and never give up. Your future is still long."
Some children who had sad expressions on their faces became spirited again after Fu Zhen's encouraging speech.
Soft clapping was heard, and the Awakening Ceremony officially came to a close.
Afterward, parents and guardians began picking up their children. Some wore joyful expressions, while others looked worried upon learning that their child had awakened a weak Martial Soul.
Long Tianyu went to meet his mother, who was waiting outside the City Hall.
He saw her standing under a tree. The middle-aged woman wore a simple deep blue outfit, but her modest appearance couldn't hide the beauty that still lingered, even in her middle age. Because she was a Spirit Master, her face looked younger than her actual age.
Her eyes were fixed on the hall with hope, and when she saw Tianyu walking out, her face lit up instantly.
"Mother!" Tianyu ran to her, and her warm embrace welcomed him.
"How did it go?" she asked gently.
Tianyu grinned. "I awakened a very powerful Martial Soul, Mom!"
Long Ruyin's eyes widened for a moment.
She gazed closely at Tianyu's face, reading the happiness and excitement in her son's eyes.
"I even got full innate soul power… maybe even more than that," Tianyu added.
For a moment, Long Ruyin fell silent. Her expression turned complicated—caught between surprise, pride, and worry. But she quickly took a deep breath and hugged Tianyu even tighter.
"My child… you're truly amazing."
Long Tianyu hugged her back tightly. He felt the warmth and comfort of his mother's embrace, as if all the worries in the world could vanish with that single hug.
But he could also sense that behind that warmth, his mother was hiding something.
"Mom… are you worried?" Tianyu asked softly, lifting his face to look at her.
Long Ruyin smiled, but the smile couldn't completely hide a faint unease. "I'm just afraid… great talent often draws unwanted attention. I'm afraid I won't be able to protect you properly."
Tianyu lowered his head for a moment, then nodded. "I understand, Mom. But I want to become strong. I want to protect you. I promise—I'll be careful."
Long Ruyin gently patted his head. "I know you're a smart boy. But promise me this—you must never hurt innocent people just to gain strength. I don't want you to become someone like that."
Tianyu smiled. "I promise, Mom."
They walked side by side, leaving the courtyard of the City Hall. The evening sunlight peeked through the trees, painting the narrow path in a soft golden hue. Behind them, the awakening hall slowly grew quiet.
Far from there, in a hidden chamber within the imperial palace, the first report on Long Tianyu had already reached the young girl who had observed him from the balcony.
Inside a room adorned with dragon paintings and imperial family emblems, the girl now sat behind a low jadewood table. In front of her, the elderly guard had returned and was kneeling.
"Your Highness, we have gathered all preliminary information," the guard said, handing over a small scroll.
The girl took it, opened it slowly, and read its contents in silence. Gradually, her brows began to furrow.
"An orphan?" she murmured. "His father died on a mission outside the village? No ties to a major family? No name among noble allies?"
She set the scroll on the table and stared at the guard with piercing eyes.
"Then... how can a mere commoner possess such powerful soul energy?"
The guard lowered his head even further. "We also investigated his mother's bloodline. But we found that she is just an ordinary level 36 Spirit Master."
The girl was silent for a while before finally smiling faintly.
"Interesting. The more mystery there is… the more worthy he becomes of attention."
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