Ch.8: Innate Full Soul Power
The air was a storm of energy and light.
The awakening hall trembled as twin pressures expanded outward — two overlapping domains clashing, devouring, then stabilizing in a strange, perfect equilibrium.
Cracks spread along the marble floor. The protective formation around the children flickered, failing to contain the force radiating from the boy at its center.
Parents in the viewing stands, most low-ranked Spirit Masters themselves, reacted instantly.
Their soul power flared into shimmering shields as they pulled their children behind them. Even so, their faces turned pale, breathing ragged under the invisible weight pressing on them.
A few minutes passed before the two opposing auras began to subside, as if restrained by some unseen command.
The destructive intensity ebbed away, leaving behind a faint hum — a constant, steady pressure that filled the air like sunlight on skin.
Ever-present, but no longer crushing.
Lu Sheng, breathing heavily, slowly turned his gaze toward the remnants of the awakening array.
The golden humanoid figure and the obsidian dragon projection hovered faintly above his shoulders, flickering in rhythm with his heartbeat.
He stared, awe-struck.
He hadn't even processed what he was seeing, only that his entire being resonated with those two presences — like they had been waiting for him all along.
'Is this what it feels like to resonate with your martial spirits?'
Then, a shadow fell over his head.
He turned.
Standing behind him was City Lord Zhou Ming.
His expression was calm, but the weight in his presence could silence storms.
Soul power flowed around him like a quiet tide, forming an invisible veil that sealed the entire platform.
Beyond that barrier, Lady Li Xueya was already at work, her delicate fingers weaving thin silver threads of energy through the air, erasing all traces of martial spirit aura and pressure from leaking beyond the hall.
Lu Sheng's mouth fell slightly open.
"Such intricate and precise soul power use."
He was too stunned to speak further.
He felt awe and surprise at that display.
After all, he hadn't even seen someone do such delicate control outside of their body even in all the Soul Land books.
Though he had forgotten many of the plot details, and this being an alternate version of that world couldn't be denied, no matter how inexperienced he was, he could tell what he'd just witnessed — control of that level wasn't something ordinary Spirit Douluos could perform casually.
He didn't understand why they were doing it, though.
'It's like… they're afraid someone outside might sense it,' he thought. 'As if spies were waiting to snatch me the moment word got out.'
He chuckled at his own thoughts.
'But that makes no sense. This city is practically their own territory. Who could possibly interfere here?'
As his gaze met Zhou Ming's, the City Lord smiled faintly, his calm eyes hiding something unreadable.
"Alright, Sheng'er," Zhou Ming said gently, his voice carrying quiet authority. "That's enough."
"Call your spirits back."
The boy blinked, still dazed, but nodded.
At his silent thought, the golden humanoid spirit dissolved into a rain of light, and the black dragon faded like mist — the twin auras vanishing into his body. The pressure instantly lifted.
The hall exhaled as one.
A few children stumbled, released from the oppressive weight.
Parents lowered their shields, their faces still pale but relieved.
Zhou Yueling, on the dais, watched with a sharp, unreadable expression.
Her dark eyes burned, locked on her disciple.
The spark of excitement from moments ago had grown into something fiercer — curiosity laced with ambition.
Her fists, still clenched, relaxed slightly, but her lips curved into a faint, almost predatory smile.
'Alright. My disciple… you're no longer just an obligation,' she thought.
Mo Jun, the Spirit Elder, recovered his composure with the discipline of a man for whom work was life.
This much incident couldn't faze him; he didn't forget his duty.
Stepping forward with a soul power testing orb in hand, he prepared to measure Lu Sheng's innate soul power.
But before he could speak, Zhou Ming's voice cut through the hall, calm but authoritative.
"No need. The innate soul power is level 9."
Mo Jun froze, then nodded respectfully.
Zhou Ming turned toward the waiting line of children and parents. His tone remained serene, as if nothing extraordinary had just happened.
"Awakening continues. Mo Jun, proceed with the next child," Zhou Ming added, his tone leaving no room for discussion.
"Understood, City Lord," Mo Jun replied, gesturing for the next child to step forward. But the atmosphere had shifted.
The other children hesitated, their earlier confidence replaced by uncertainty.
Who could follow that?
Lu Sheng stepped back, his heart still racing.
He avoided looking at the dais, afraid of what he'd see in Zhou Yueling's eyes. Instead, he focused on the floor, the cracks radiating from where he'd stood.
'Did I do that?' His mind spun.
'Twin spirits. Deoxys and Rayquaza. And those mutation coupons… they really made those beasts much more menacing than the originals, didn't they?'
The order restored normalcy like a spell. The staff moved quietly to reset the array, the nervous whispers fading under the weight of routine.
But everyone knew, nothing about what they had just seen was normal.
...
As the ceremony resumed, Zhou Yueling descended from the dais, her steps graceful but deliberate.
The crowd parted instinctively, her aura commanding silence.
She stopped in front of Lu Sheng, her height at 1.85 meters towering over his small frame.
Up close, her beauty was almost overwhelming — sharp features softened by the morning light, her black hair catching faint silver glints.
But her eyes were what held him: sharp, measuring, and now, undeniably interested.
"Disciple," she said, her voice low but clear. "You've surprised me."
Lu Sheng's throat went dry.
He bowed slightly, a habit drilled into him by years in the manor.
"Master," he managed, his voice quieter than he'd hoped.
Her lips twitched, not quite a smile. "Don't shrink now. Not after that display."
She tilted her head, studying him like a puzzle. "Those spirits… they're extraordinary."
He forced a neutral expression, years of keeping his reincarnator status secret guiding his response.
"Thank you, Master."
She raised an eyebrow, unconvinced but not pressing. "We'll talk later. For now, stay here. You're not done."
Before he could respond, she turned and returned to the dais, her skirt swaying slightly with each step.
Lu Sheng's shoulders sagged, relief mixing with curiosity for what she had for him.
As the ceremony continued, the other children's awakenings felt like an afterthought.
A hammer spirit here, a torch spirit there — decent, but nothing compared to the spectacle Lu Sheng had unleashed.
He stood at the edge of the formation, trying to blend into the background, but the whispers followed him.
"Twin spirits…" "Divine-tier…" "The City Lord's disciple…"
But the person in question was lost in a world of his own.
His mind drifted to the Game interface which kept changing in front of him.
Proficiency Panel. Sign-In Function. Easy mode.
Or even the so-called status window the being who reincarnated him had told them about.
He hadn't had time to explore any of them yet.
{20 mutation coupons used!}
{Following mutations are triggered:}
[2x Shiny Gene Modification]
[2x Royal Gene Modification]
[2x Ancient Gene Modification]
[2x Mystery Gene Modification]
[2x Trait Creation Gene Modification]
[10x Growth Potential Extension Gene Modification]
First of all, he swiped off the previously stacking notifications, focusing on the thing called status window.
{STATUS}
[Name: Lu Sheng]
[Soul Power: 10]
[Martial Spirit: Rayquaza, Deoxys]
[Trait: (Synchronized with Martial Spirits)]
[Bloodline: (Synchronized with Martial Spirits), Human]
[Physique: None]
[Special Talent: None]
[Skills: Appraisal]
[Unclaimed Reward: Genius-level innate talent (Host's Choice)]
"That's good, and as expected my innate soul power is actually 10. They just recorded it less for whatever reason they have."
Looking at his status, he realized something.
"Hm?" The status window provided by the ROB-like being was integrated by the system into its own status interface, solving the two-window error for him.
'That's convenient,' Lu Sheng thought as a new system interface appeared in front of him.
{Sign-In Function Activated.}
{Daily Sign-In Reward: Python Guide (Beginner to Advanced).}
A soft chime interrupted his thoughts. The translucent screen flickered back into view, visible only to him.
"..."
Though having a sign-in function was good, he would have preferred if the rewards aligned with the world he was in.
{Ding! Would you like to take out your reward?}
'No! Why would I suddenly want a book with an unknown language in my hand when I am under the watch of three monster-like people!'
He thought, glancing at the dais.
Zhou Yueling was watching him again, her expression unreadable.
He willed the screen to dismiss, and it vanished with a soft chime.
As the ceremony wound down, Zhou Ming and Li Xueya descended from the dais, their presence drawing every eye.
The City Lord's voice was calm but carried an edge. "Lu Sheng," he said, "come with us."
He nodded, following the couple and Zhou Yueling out of the hall.
The crowd parted, their whispers trailing him like shadows.
Outside, the morning sun bathed Qinglong City in golden light.
The manor loomed ahead, its spires casting long shadows.
Zhou Ming stopped, turning to face Lu Sheng. "Your martial spirits," he said, his voice low. "They're extraordinary. But they'll also make you a target. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Grandpa Zhou." Lu Sheng nodded. "I know. When outside, I'll only try to summon my martial spirits when it's absolutely necessary."
He said with conviction in his voice, causing the small frown on the face of the old couple to relax, replacing it with a gentle smile.
"Good child." Li Xueya's gentle smile softened the moment.
"You've done well, Sheng'er. Your parents would be proud." Her words were kind, but they carried a weight Lu Sheng couldn't place.
Zhou Yueling stepped forward, her gaze sharp. "From today, your training begins in earnest. No more leniency. If you're to be my disciple, you'll meet my standards."
Lu Sheng met her eyes, a spark of defiance flickering in his chest. "I'll keep up, Master."
Her smile returned, faint but genuine. "Good. I expect nothing less."