"I'm ready!"
Paimon nodded vigorously, her eyes once again filled with determination.
This time, she had to win!
Buzz~
Salas released his soul power to activate the array. Specks of starlight began to flicker around Paimon.
At first, it was only a few points, but they quickly multiplied. Within seconds, Paimon looked as if she were surrounded by a galaxy, transformed into a tiny figure of light.
Faced with such a sight, both Xue Qinghe and Salas were visibly shocked.
Their thoughts, surprisingly, were the same.
"As expected of someone favored by the gods. The scale of her Martial Soul awakening is this grand…"
"As expected of that person's companion… Even Her Holiness the Pope, with twin Martial Souls, never had such a phenomenon during awakening…"
"Paimon, are you alright?"
Seeing this, Aether called out anxiously.
If he had known it would be like this, he would've never agreed to let her awaken. This scene was terrifying no matter how you looked at it.
"I-I'm fine! Just feel kinda hot… but there's definitely some power inside me~"
Paimon's voice came through, and Aether finally let out a breath of relief.
"…Miss Paimon, focus on sensing the power inside your body. Try to guide it out," Salas instructed, straining to channel soul power into the array. Sweat beaded on his forehead.
He felt that If he didn't go all out, he wouldn't be able to support Paimon's awakening. He had no choice but to give it everything he had.
The light Inside the array grew brighter and denser. The starlight fell like a meteor shower upon Paimon—one dot, then two, then countless more converged on her.
Buzz~
Suddenly, Salas felt his soul power being drained like a bursting dam—he wasn't releasing it anymore, it was being sucked out of him.
The awakening array had turned into a bottomless pit, greedily absorbing every drop of his energy.
"L-Lord, help me!"
Salas, feeling his soul nearly ripped out, turned to Aether with great effort and cried out.
Even draining all his Spirit Douluo-level soul power wouldn't be enough to support this awakening. His consciousness began to fade. This wasn't just about energy anymore.
He had a grim premonition—when his power was exhausted, his life would be next.
"Little Paimon, are you okay?" Seeing things go wrong, Aether yanked Salas back, who was already collapsing, and began channeling elemental energy into the array himself. "Paimon!"
"Whoa! I see so many stars—and a moon!"
As soon as Paimon spoke, the starlight surrounding the array seemed to respond, scattering outward.
At the center, a moon-like planetary body slowly began to form.
The array continued operating. Salas, now freed from its pull, slumped ungracefully to the side, eyes wide with shock, along with Xue Qinghe and Yu Keke.
"Are you feeling anything strange?" Aether asked with a frown.
"Nope, just feel super warm."
Paimon's voice came from within the glow.
"Maybe we should stop?"
This phenomenon was simply too bizarre. Aether feared she might be harmed.
"I'm so close—I can feel it, just a little more…"
Paimon sounded unwilling to give up.
Hearing that, Aether hesitated, then kept channeling power.
He summoned all types of elemental energy from his surroundings and poured them furiously into the array.
"Your Highness, will Brother and Paimon be okay?"
Yu Keke clasped her hands to her chest, face filled with worry.
"They'll be fine. Not with someone like him there…"
BOOM~!
Before Xue Qinghe could finish, a sun appeared inside the array.
It was as if a blazing sun had risen right before them. The moment it appeared, they were struck by a searing wave of heat.
"Aaah! Traveler, it's so hot in here!"
Paimon's voice echoed from inside the array—clearly she was feeling the intense heat from the phenomenon.
"Miss Paimon! Can you sense your Martial Soul yet?!"
Salas, alarmed by the development, shouted in desperation.
Paimon's awakening had already gone far beyond his understanding.
"Ugh… no! I'm just really hot. I can't take it anymore, Traveler—"
"Hm?"
Just as Aether tried to stop the energy flow, he realized—his hand was stuck.
A powerful suction was locking his hand in place, but it wasn't coming from the array.
It was the stars, moon, and sun around Paimon that were pulling on him.
As if unwilling to let external energy escape, the light around Paimon surged once more. Then—
Crack!
A spatial rift tore open in the nebula.
And then another.
The sound of shattering glass echoed as one rift after another split open in the starfield. A black hole began to form in the center.
It grew rapidly, distorting the space around it.
The light-forged sun, moon, and stars were all pulled in.
"HRAGH!"
Aether roared, forcefully yanking his hand free. The energy sustaining the array abruptly halted. The black hole froze for a moment—then the array exploded into a frenzy.
"You guys, get out now!"
The awakening chamber was starting to shatter from the chaotic energy. Aether turned and shouted.
At the same time, a wave of force burst from his body, blasting the others out of the room.
"Brother! Paimon—!"
The trio crashed outside. Yu Keke tried to run back in, but Xue Qinghe stopped her.
"Keke, you can't go in now!"
"But Brother and Paimon are still inside!"
"With his strength, they'll be fine. If you go in, he'll have to protect you too. Let's wait outside, okay?"
Xue Qinghe's reasoning was clear. Even Salas, pale as a ghost and a Spirit Douluo, didn't dare go back inside.
"But…"
"Come on, we need to go. It's not safe here!"
Seeing the building beginning to collapse, Xue Qinghe dragged Yu Keke toward the exit. Salas stumbled alongside, shouting for the rest of the Spirit Hall members to evacuate.
RUMBLE—
The Spirit Hall sat in the bustling north district of Heaven Dou City. The tremors and noise soon drew the attention of citizens on the streets.
"Your Highness, what's going on?!"
City guards rushed over. Seeing Xue Qinghe and the others fleeing from the Spirit Hall, they immediately awaited orders.
"Maintain order and evacuate the surrounding crowd. The Spirit Hall… is about to collapse."
Before he could even finish, the massive structure of the Spirit Hall crumbled with a deafening crash, kicking up a storm of dust that blanketed the sky.
_
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