Douluo Dalu: The Path of Abyss

"No need to test. In all my years, I've never seen a child with Pear Blossom as their martial soul possess spirit power," Su Yuntao stated calmly. With a wave of his hand, he put away the six jade stones used for martial soul awakening. "Alright, children, you may leave."

"Uncle, Blue Silver Grass is also considered a useless martial soul, but you still tested his spirit power. Testing mine won't take long. Please, let me try as well," Ye Feng insisted.

Ye Feng had already awakened three martial souls—Xuanyuan Sword, Nine-Heart Mystical Tang, and Hell's Eye. While the exact grade of Hell's Eye was unclear, the quality of his other two martial souls gave him confidence.

One thing was certain: the innate spirit power of a soul master was directly proportional to the quality of their martial soul. Since one of Ye Feng's martial souls was Xuanyuan Sword, it was impossible for him to lack spirit power.

Su Yuntao glanced at Ye Feng, sensing something unusual about him—much like the feeling he had when Tang San awakened his twin martial souls. With a sigh, he relented.

"Fine. Testing your spirit power won't take long," Su Yuntao agreed, though his tone remained skeptical. He retrieved a blue crystal ball from his storage soul tool and handed it to Ye Feng. "Place your palm on the crystal ball, and it will automatically sense your spirit power level."

Ye Feng glanced briefly at Tang San before placing his hand on the crystal ball. The moment his palm made contact, an unfamiliar energy surged within him. Almost instantly, the crystal ball began to glow with a brilliant blue light.

The radiance grew stronger and stronger until the entire hall was bathed in dazzling light, so intense that it was painful to look at.

"This is..." Su Yuntao froze, his jaw slack.

Tang San, too, was stunned. The brilliance of Ye Feng's test far surpassed his own, despite his twin martial souls.

The crystal ball trembled violently, unable to withstand the overwhelming spirit power. Finally, with a sharp bang, it shattered into fragments.

Su Yuntao stood petrified. Tang San, equally shocked, stared at the black-haired boy beside him in disbelief.

"Uncle, what is my spirit power level?" Ye Feng asked curiously, tilting his head.

Su Yuntao snapped out of his stupor, his expression a mixture of amazement and confusion. "That... that was incredible. When the crystal ball emits light, it indicates spirit power. When Tang San tested earlier, the ball's brilliance confirmed innate full spirit power—level 10. But for you..." He took a deep breath. "The crystal ball's limit is level 20. Beyond that, it explodes. This means your innate spirit power is greater than level 20. You... you're a congenital Great Soul Master!"

"Level 20 spirit power?" Ye Feng raised his eyebrows slightly, his thoughts racing.

He recalled that Qian Renxue, the young prodigy of the Spirit Hall, also possessed innate level 20 spirit power when she awakened. Yet despite having three martial souls—including the Xuanyuan Sword and Nine-Heart Mystical Tang—his spirit power was only at level 20? Could it be that Hell's Eye was a weak martial soul?

Ye Feng suppressed his disappointment but couldn't help speculating further. Could his actual innate spirit power be higher than level 20? The system's usual dissatisfaction at his doubts was conspicuously absent, which only deepened his suspicion.

"Child!" Su Yuntao suddenly exclaimed, his tone urgent. "You must come with me to the Spirit Hall. With your talent, you will receive the best training at the Spirit Hall's Advanced Academy. When you graduate, you'll surely become a deacon at the very least."

Most people awakened martial souls without spirit power, dooming them to live ordinary lives. Even though Ye Feng's Pear Blossom martial soul appeared to be useless, his innate spirit power of level 20 made him an undeniable prodigy. With two spirit rings, he would already be a Great Soul Master. His potential was immeasurable.

However, Ye Feng smiled politely and shook his head. "The Spirit Hall's Academy? Is it in Nuoding City?"

"No," Su Yuntao replied, slightly taken aback. "The academy is in Spirit City, hundreds of kilometers from here."

"That's too far. I'm still young, and I don't want to leave home yet," Ye Feng responded, his tone gentle but firm.

Su Yuntao hesitated. He had initially been excited about recruiting Ye Feng, but the boy's apparent martial soul was still Pear Blossom. Even with level 20 spirit power, Su Yuntao doubted Ye Feng could achieve much in the long term. He sighed, choosing not to push further.

"Very well. If you change your mind, come find me in Nuoding City before the academy opens in three months," Su Yuntao said as he prepared to leave the Holy Soul Village.

Meanwhile, Ye Feng exchanged a brief conversation with his system. He knew the system was called the Supreme Chaos Subversion System and realized its purpose: to ensure his strength rivaled or surpassed Tang San, the chosen child of destiny. Thanks to the system, he had already received three martial souls, while Tang San had only two.

Ye Feng's decision to stay near Tang San wasn't random. He understood the trajectory of the future and knew following Tang San would provide invaluable opportunities. He was in no hurry to join the Spirit Hall. When the time came, he could join on his own terms, perhaps even earning glory during the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament.

For now, Ye Feng planned to lay low, cultivate his strength, and avoid unnecessary attention—especially from figures like Bibi Dong, whose interest could complicate his plans.

With his mind made up, Ye Feng smiled faintly and watched Su Yuntao leave. His journey was just beginning.