"No, it's… it's nothing…"
Xue Qinghe looked a bit awkward, then suddenly seemed to remember something and added, "Oh right, I came to ask if you two wanted breakfast?"
"Yes! Absolutely!"
Paimon's eyes lit up instantly. She had gone hungry the whole night.
"Alright, I'll have them bring it over."
Xue Qinghe smiled and signaled the guards outside to notify the kitchen.
Moments later, the table in the pavilion was filled with all kinds of pastries and drinks.
"Hehe, thanks, Qinghe! Waking up to food is the best!"
Paimon thanked him sincerely.
She and the Traveler often had to camp out in the wild, and waking up meant foraging for food on an empty stomach.
"No worries. If it's not enough, I'll have them make more."
Xue Qinghe gave a gentle smile. Helping them with food was probably all he could offer at this point.
After breakfast, seeing everyone at ease, Paimon turned to Xue Qinghe and asked,
"Qinghe, do you have any duties today?"
"Not really. Why, is there something you need?"
Xue Qinghe heard the implication—she clearly had something in mind.
"Hehe, well… I want to awaken my martial soul!"
Paimon scratched her head and shared the plan she'd come up with last night.
"Hmm? You want to awaken a martial soul? Are you serious?"
To Xue Qinghe, Paimon was clearly a being favored by the gods, with power so immense it was hard to fathom. Did she really need to awaken a martial soul?
"Yup, I'm going to awaken a martial soul," Paimon nodded resolutely.
"Uh… well, since I'm not busy, I can take you to the Spirit Hall for the ceremony?"
Xue Qinghe thought it over. He didn't understand why Paimon wanted to go through with it, but with nothing urgent at hand, he figured it wouldn't hurt to find out.
He was genuinely curious about what kind of martial soul someone like Paimon would awaken.
"Eh? Spirit Hall? What's that?"
"The Spirit Hall is the most revered place for all soul masters across the continent. Almost everyone goes there to perform their martial soul awakening ceremony."
Xue Qinghe explained patiently.
"Ooh~ sounds good! Where is it?"
"The main hall is in Spirit City, but the Spirit Hall has power and branches all across the continent—every city, even most villages, have local branches.
City branches are bigger and staffed regularly, while village branches are usually empty except when the central hall sends officials there at set times to help local children awaken their martial souls."
Xue Qinghe gave a general overview before continuing,
"Right now, we're in Heaven Dou City, and there's a local branch here—not far from us."
"Wow! So from what you're saying, Spirit Hall is like a huge kingdom, huh?"
Paimon was amazed.
"…Not quite. But in some ways, it's even more powerful than a kingdom."
The Spirit Hall spanned every nation, filled entirely with soul masters. In terms of raw power, neither kingdoms nor sects could compare—it was an overwhelming force.
"Ooh~ I see…"
If it was that powerful, why not just become a kingdom of its own?
Paimon didn't get it—and quickly lost interest in thinking about such things.
"Then let's go, Qinghe! Please take us to awaken our martial souls!"
"Alright. Brother, would you like to come too?"
Xue Qinghe glanced at Aether, a trace of curiosity in his eyes.
Was he planning to awaken his martial soul too?
"Mm. I'll go with Paimon. Keke, do you want to come?"
"M-Me? Can I?"
"Of course you can! Keke, once I awaken my martial soul, I'll protect you. No one will dare bully you then!"
Paimon crossed her arms with pride, completely confident about her upcoming awakening.
"Mm-hmm! Okay!"
Yu Keke nodded. Paimon's confidence seemed infectious—she also believed Paimon would awaken something incredible.
...
After a short journey, the group finally arrived at the Spirit Hall branch located in the northern part of Heaven Dou City.
Just as they approached the entrance, a luxuriously dressed elderly man came out to greet them. He hadn't arrived yet, but his voice rang out clearly in advance.
"Your Highness, I did not expect your esteemed arrival. Please forgive me for not welcoming you sooner!"
"You flatter me, Bishop."
Xue Qinghe exchanged a brief look with Salas, who gave a slight nod.
"Brother, this is Salas, the person in charge of the Spirit Hall branch in Heaven Dou City. He holds the rank of Platinum Bishop."
Xue Qinghe introduced him to Aether, but before he could finish, Salas stepped forward and respectfully cupped his hands.
"You must be the unparalleled powerhouse who defeated Sword Douluo at the auction, yes? Your name precedes you—your strength has earned my deepest respect. It is truly a great honor to meet you today."
"Uh… Hello."
Aether seemed a little unaccustomed to such warm praise.
"Hi there, mister! I'm Paimon, he's the Traveler, and she's Keke!"
Paimon, on the other hand, handled social interactions like a pro. Back in Teyvat, she'd done all the talking for the Traveler—this was second nature to her.
"Greetings, Miss Paimon. Miss Keke."
Salas respectfully greeted both girls.
The floating one was said to always accompany that man, and the fox-eared girl was at the center of the incident at the auction house.
Even if Paimon hadn't introduced them, their identities were already tied to that man. Word of the three had already spread within the Spirit Hall, and their appearances had been memorized by high-ranking soul masters.
Especially for those with strength at their level—offending such beings could get you killed before you even realized it.
"Ahem… We've come today to ask for Bishop Salas's assistance in awakening a martial soul."
Xue Qinghe cleared his throat and stated their purpose.
"Oh? As it happens, I'm free right now. Would you allow me the honor of performing the awakening for Miss Keke?"
Salas was momentarily surprised, then turned to look at Yu Keke.
Elder She Long had come by earlier to inform him that the young master would soon arrive with "that one." But he hadn't mentioned why, then quickly left.
So Salas had rushed to wait by the door.
Now that he understood the reason, he was glad he reacted quickly—offending that man would be a disaster.
"Ah? B-But I've already had my martial soul awakened…"
Yu Keke blinked in confusion, touching her fox ears.
Wasn't Paimon the one supposed to awaken? Why was it suddenly her?
"Ahem—my apologies! That was my mistake. May I ask who the awakening is for?"
Salas looked at Yu Keke's fluffy ears and instantly wanted to slap himself.
Such a distinct feature—how could he mistake her for the one needing awakening?!
It had to be someone else… perhaps they hadn't arrived yet.
"Mister! I'm the one who's going to awaken my martial soul…"
Paimon sighed helplessly from the side.
Seriously? What, am I not worthy of a martial soul or something?
_
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