The day after the competition, Heavenly Spirit City returned to its usual peace. Occasionally, people would mention the exciting match, but everything else was the same as before. Gan Family's barbecue restaurant became even more popular due to the competition. Gan Ling and Ning Tong, along with Ming Tian and the others, had gained more fame after winning.
Moreover, Ming Tian and the others often came to Gan Family for meals, so some people who wanted to see them would come over as well.
More people were discussing Ming Tian. What kind of power did the person standing on the stage with Zhan Ni at the end of the match possess to turn the tables and win? Although the final victory was closely related to Yuan Yun and Yuan Yu's Martial Soul Fusion Skill, some perceptive people understood that Ming Tian was the one who truly made a difference.
The attention on Ming Tian was mostly out of curiosity. No one envied or resented Ming Tian. Even Ling Ya, his opponent, didn't hold any grudges or cause trouble afterward. However, Yan Wei, after watching the match, began to suspect and resent Ming Tian. He started to pay more attention to and investigate this mysterious person who had appeared in his home and gotten close to his children.
While investigating Ming Tian, Yan Wei was also planning another matter, which was about Lordialla's request. That huge plan of Spirit Hall. As long as he completed it, he could become Spirit Hall's confidant, send his children to study at Spirit Hall, and even become the new city lord of Heavenly Spirit City!
Yan Wei became excited at the thought of this, and his face became terrifying. He looked at the various items he had collected over the years in his Yanling Auction House.
The Yanling Auction House wasn't as aboveboard as it seemed. Not all the auction items were auctioned through others. Some were entrusted to Yan Wei to auction, but he would secretly replace them with fake substitutes and pocket the real ones. For some people who came to entrust him with auctions and were alone, Yan Wei would consider killing them to take their goods. For those with powerful backgrounds, Yan Wei would try to curry favor and sell their items at high prices, and through this, he got to know many influential people in the Heaven Dou Empire.
He and his wife met this way. At that time, his wife was from the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, the adopted sister of Prince Xuexing. Because Prince Xuexing and his adopted sister had a disagreement, his adopted sister, Di'azi, left in anger and traveled the continent to Heavenly Spirit City. Because she lacked money, she came to Yanling Auction House to auction something. Yan Wei took a liking to her at first sight and helped her with the auction while also providing many favors. At that time, the exiled Di'azi had no fixed abode, and seeing Yan Wei's kindness and enthusiasm, she married him.
The two soon had children, Yan and Yan Qingwan. It was then that Di'azi told him that she was from the Heaven Dou Imperial Family. She was afraid that Prince Xuexing would find out about her whereabouts and bring her back. Yan Wei didn't want his wife to leave him, but he alone couldn't stand up to the Heaven Dou Imperial Family. At that moment, he thought of Spirit Hall and went to them for help for the first time.
It should have been able to keep his wife, but why…
Yan Wei recalled the painful past, memories flooding his mind, and angrily smashed the cup beside him.
"Yo, what's wrong? Who has angered Lord Yan Wei so much that he's so angry?"
A voice sounded from the side, and Lordialla appeared, coming to Yan Wei.
"Ah, Lord Lordialla, nothing's wrong. I just happened to think of something."
Yan Wei concealed his emotions, but this didn't escape Lordialla's suspicion.
Lordialla sneered and said:
"In a few days, Lord Qian Xunji will secretly arrive in Heavenly Spirit City, and the plan we discussed will begin soon. You should prepare to welcome Lord Qian Xunji."
Hearing the name Qian Xunji, Yan Wei was also stunned, first trembling and then turning to joy.
"Lord Qian Xunji? It's actually Lord Qian Xunji in person? Please rest assured, Lord Lordialla, I will make proper arrangements to ensure the smooth implementation of Lord Qian Xunji's plan this time."
Yan Wei said respectfully, with no displeasure at this moment. That was Qian Xunji! The son of Qian Daoliu, who was very likely to take Qian Daoliu's position. If he could get close to Qian Xunji, Yan Wei would surely be more successful in the future.
"By the way, regarding the boy named Ming Tian you mentioned to us."
"How is it? Has Lord found out anything?"
"No, this little guy seems to have appeared out of nowhere, but based on a time point you provided, I found something interesting."
"The village of the Holy Spirit Cult, which we Spirit Hall annihilated, is not far from Heavenly Spirit City. A child who appeared out of nowhere in Heavenly Spirit City, and the most bizarre thing that happened before this was the annihilation of the Holy Spirit Cult. Could these two things have some connection?"
"You mean…"
"A little guy with one ring at this age can't be without a background. The only possibility is that he is a remnant of the Holy Spirit Cult. Evil Soul Masters of the Holy Spirit Cult generally have extremely high talent, but because they are not tolerated by the world, no one will include them among normal Soul Masters, so they are naturally ignored."
"Sect Soul Masters and Evil Soul Masters both have extremely high talent. They are at level seven or eight when their Martial Souls awaken. It's normal to obtain a ring at the age of six or seven. There are no Sects near Heavenly Spirit City. Excluding Sect Soul Masters, there is only one possibility. That Ming Tian is very likely an Evil Soul Master!"
"Then how does Lord plan to handle it?"
Yan Wei was so impressed by Lordialla's analysis that he asked.
"Even if he's powerful, he's just a child with a Scorpion Martial Soul. When you take over Heavenly Spirit City, wouldn't you be able to deal with that little guy as you please?"
"Hahahaha, with Lord's assurance, Yan Wei is absolutely relieved! Yan Wei understands…"
"Achoo—"
Ming Tian sneezed, wiped his nose, and said, feeling a little unwell:
"Who's talking about me? There's definitely nothing good going on."
"Maybe it's Zhan Ni. You stole the show in the competition. Out of fourteen people, you made it to the end. It's hard not to be remembered. I say, you didn't expose your abilities, did you?"
Meng Qianji asked from the side, fiddling with a sphere, not knowing what he was doing.
"No, in the rain cloud at the time, no one noticed, and Yuan Yu, who turned into the rain cloud, was also unconscious."
"That's good. Be careful, and you'll last a thousand years. Sometimes, losing isn't a bad thing. Geniuses often die young."
"Master, I remember."
"But there's one thing I still want to remind you. Today, I followed Lordialla and found his behavior strange. He went to Yanling Auction House and then went to the ruins of your village. You've already started to arouse suspicion. Pay attention at Yan's house recently."
"Okay!"
"That's it, I'm done. I really don't know what you want the awakening sphere for. It's been two months, and you still want a Martial Soul awakening?"
Meng Qianji looked at Ming Tian strangely. Ming Tian had asked him to do this, and he didn't know what Ming Tian wanted to do.
"When Yan Qingwan's Martial Soul awakened that day, I was thinking about a question. I didn't have a Martial Soul awakening at the time, but I possessed the ability to devour. Mom said that this was formed by the fusion of her and Dad's abilities: the Dark Blue Silver's Devouring and the Silver Ying Beast's Replication. The combination of the two is the Devouring Martial Soul, or it can be said to devour and replicate the Martial Souls of others or Soul Beasts."
"But what is my real Martial Soul? I don't know, so I want to try."
Ming Tian said as he walked towards the awakening sphere. This was the first time he had truly performed a Martial Soul awakening.
He placed his hands on the awakening sphere and activated his soul power. The entire awakening sphere instantly emitted dark blue light, which even Meng Qianji was stunned by.
Then, Ming Tian felt that he was once again in the sea of consciousness, and a voice came.
"God's First Trial, Martial Soul Awakening Complete."
"Child, I am the God of Devouring. I was a Level One God in the God Realm, but I was not tolerated by the God Realm and was destroyed. I kept the last trace of my divine consciousness and came to Douluo Continent, parasitizing on a Blue Silver Grass, which is your mother, the Dark Blue Silver Emperor. Her ability comes from me. After she gave birth to you, I saw hope and wanted to use your body to occupy the position of your Martial Soul and revive myself. Unfortunately, my divine consciousness was exposed and discovered by the God Realm. They completely stripped me of the last trace of my divine consciousness, but my ability was left in your body. When your Martial Soul awakens, I will stimulate the last wisp of consciousness I left behind to occupy your Martial Soul. I am very sorry for occupying your Martial Soul, so I left this ability, which you can use when you are six years old. This ability is the source of your parents' abilities. As long as you have this ability, you can once again become the new God of Devouring and devour all things!"
"Now you have completed the first step, God's First Trial, and when the time is right, God's Second Trial will come soon."
"Child, inherit my ability and become the God of Devouring. Remember, the God position is the most powerful force, and you must not let others know."
With that, the last wisp of the God of Devouring's consciousness dissipated. Ming Tian opened his eyes and blinked curiously. Was it all real just now…
God of Devouring…