Weird things often attract people's attention.
Ling Chang′e was no exception—she secretly admitted to herself that she was a bit like a curious dog. She liked people who were different from the norm, and this blond boy had certainly aroused her curiosity!
Her gaze was so obvious that the blond boy turned his head to look in her direction. His golden eyes shone as brightly as the sun, yet there was a trace of sadness in their clear depths. That sadness moved Ling Chang′e deeply, and she felt her eyes grow moist. Then, she quickly widened her eyes and looked away—this boy was so strange that it was hard for her to control the stir of emotions whenever she met his gaze.
He hadn't even awakened his martial soul yet, so it was unlikely that what she saw was a soul skill. Ling Chang′e could only attribute this odd effect to a rare pupil technique. There are very few secret manuals on practicing such techniques, and only a handful of people on the Douluo Continent possess the ability to do so. In this case, the young man clearly came from an extraordinary background.
(For context: Qian Renxue, a direct descendant of the Angel Clan, never had the conditions to practice pupil techniques—so there was no reason for the side branch of the Angel Clan to possess the secret manual for them.)
The blond boy looked at her with complex eyes, then turned his head away as Qian Daoliu stepped onto the hall's steps, standing before the disc and facing the group. Ling Chang′e's gaze fell upon Qian Daoliu, and his expression turned solemn—completely unlike his earlier relaxed, easy-going demeanor.
All eyes in the hall fixed on Qian Daoliu. His face had become serious, and golden soul power gently swirled around him.
"Test your martial spirit and spirit power according to the team rankings," Qian Daoliu instructed in a voice that was neither loud nor soft, but which echoed clearly throughout the palace. The group of young men exchanged glances for a moment, and then the blond young man in the lead stepped forward and approached Qian Daoliu. He nodded silently, not daring to meet Qian Daoliu's stern gaze.
Qian Daoliu shifted slightly to the side and said, "Place your hand on the soul tester—it will help awaken your martial soul."
(The soul tester, as its name suggests, is an instrument used to test martial souls, detect them, and then aid in their awakening.)
The blond boy obeyed and placed his hand on the device. Instantly, it emitted a dazzling light. Golden soul power surged into the boy's body, and a pair of golden wings sprouted from his back. At the moment the wings appeared, an emotionless voice resonated throughout the hall:
"Guardian Angel Martial Spirit, Innate Spirit Level 5. Next one."
Ling Chang′e was startled—the sound came directly from the soul tester. This instrument was so powerful that it not only tested a person's martial soul but also detected their innate soul power level. Such a function was extremely potent!
It must be said that the method by which angels awaken is completely different from that of ordinary people. It wasn't that the Spirit Hall didn't have advanced awakening methods; rather, those methods were not applied to ordinary individuals.
"Holy Angel Martial Spirit, Innate Spirit Level 5. Next one."
"Punishment Angel Martial Spirit, Innate Spirit Level 6. Next one."
…
Time passed so quickly that Ling Chang′e hardly had time to react. The blond young man with golden eyes then stepped up to Qian Daoliu's side and placed his hand on the soul measuring instrument.
As soon as his hand touched it, golden light burst forth, dazzling everyone's eyes. The light brightened every face in the hall, and all turned to observe the young man with expressions ranging from awe to perplexity. Under that brilliant golden light, his hair and eyes seemed even more radiant. A golden feather mark appeared on his forehead, and his clothes were enveloped in the golden glow. Unlike the others, he did not sprout wings from his back; instead, his entire body shimmered with the golden light.
The soul tester fell silent, and a sacred aura gently descended upon the hall.
Qian Daoliu's face turned stern, and his look toward the young man was one of both fervor and astonishment. Then the soul detector roared, and in the next moment, the round crystal ball spun rapidly. A cold voice then declared, "After detection, it is confirmed as a six-winged angel martial spirit—beyond the awakening range of this instrument. The instrument is ineffective; please assist in awakening."
(In other words, a God-given martial spirit cannot be awakened solely by instruments. The soul tester's role is to assist in awakening angel martial spirits, not those that are divinely granted. When it detects such a divine martial spirit, it issues a warning so that everyone is alerted.)
"Is that right?" murmured some of the onlookers.
"This martial spirit…"
"No, that isn't true."
The worshippers began discussing in hushed tones, their faces full of astonishment. The angel clan revered the direct bloodline because the martial spirit of the direct bloodline owner was the six-winged angel martial spirit—a foundation of the entire clan. For ten thousand years, the angel clan had been passed down, and in all that time there had never been a six-winged angel martial spirit in the clan's side branch. Yet, the seemingly impossible had occurred.
All eyes turned toward the blond boy with golden eyes. Observing the feather mark on his forehead, everyone was even more surprised; it appeared that a key clue to awakening the six-winged angel martial spirit manifested on the forehead.
"What is your name?"
Qian Daoliu's gaze swept over the crowd before resting calmly on the blond boy.
"Qian Junlin," the boy replied, neither humbly nor arrogantly, but with calm assurance. His golden eyes, as bright as the sun, reflected Qian Daoliu's figure.
"Very good," Qian Daoliu said as he teleported in front of him, patting his shoulder gently. "The six-winged angel spirit cannot be awakened by ordinary methods—it requires a specific awakening technique. In one hour, I will awaken your spirit at the angel statue outside the sacrificial hall."
A kind expression softened Qian Daoliu's features as he looked at the boy. Since he now possessed the six-winged angel spirit, his fate would change dramatically. The direct lineage of the angel family had an extremely weak ability to reproduce, with only one six-winged angel spirit per generation. Now that a six-winged angel spirit had appeared in the side branch, it was a joyous event for the angel family.
"Yes," Qian Junlin responded indifferently.
Observing the dramatic scene, Ling Chang′e frowned slightly—she could confidently say she had never heard of this person before. This was the six-winged angel spirit! If the Spirit Hall had another six-winged angel spirit in this generation besides Qian Renxue, it would not have suffered such losses. There must be something unusual about this unfamiliar six-winged angel spirit.
Ling Chang′e noted his calm demeanor and thought he appeared even more composed than she was. If her guess was correct, then this person might not be from this world. Yet, she hesitated. She wasn't sure whether to approach him, as she wanted to test his background without revealing her own.
After Qian Junlin's six-winged angel martial spirit had shocked the entire audience, Qian Daoliu left the sacrificial hall, entrusting the rest of the martial spirit awakening process to others. He was more concerned with Qian Junlin's martial soul awakening.
They were so busy that Ling Chang′e, though only a child, managed to find a moment. She stared at Qian Junlin, and once he had left the sacrificial hall, she hurriedly followed him on her short legs. She was determined to learn more about this intriguing young man.
Weird things often attract people's attention, and Ling Chang′e was no exception. She admitted to herself, almost like a dog chasing after something unusual, that she was fascinated by those who stood out from the crowd. This blond boy, with his mysterious aura, had certainly caught her eye.
Her look was so blatant that the blond boy eventually turned his head to look at her. His golden eyes shone like the sun, but within them lay a hint of sadness—a sadness that touched Ling Chang′e so deeply that her eyes welled up with tears. Then, she quickly averted her gaze, for his eyes stirred emotions in her that she found hard to control.
Since he hadn't even awakened his martial soul, it was unlikely that this effect was due to any soul skill; Ling Chang′e could only attribute it to a rare pupil technique. Such techniques were shrouded in secrecy, and very few on Douluo Continent had mastered them. In this case, the young man clearly possessed an extraordinary background.
The blond boy looked at Ling Chang′e with a complex expression, then turned away as Qian Daoliu advanced to the steps of the hall, standing before the disc. Ling Chang′e's gaze fell upon Qian Daoliu, and his expression became solemn—completely unlike the relaxed, easy-going look he had earlier.