Dugu Feng was equally eager for his Spirit Awakening. His predecessor's talent must have been extraordinary, otherwise the poison wouldn't have erupted so early.
As he anticipated, time passed quickly. A year and a half later, Dugu Feng turned six years old.
That morning.
Dugu Feng finished his meditation and changed into a brand new gray robe, cinched tightly at the waist with a two-finger-wide green belt.
His upright posture resembled an adult's, far more imposing than Old Snake's.
Standing before the bronze mirror, the most striking feature was his slightly melancholic gaze, with jade-green pupils that occasionally flashed with light.
He felt that he truly was the young master of the Dugu family—a Soul Master with a Blue Phosphorous Serpent Beast Spirit, a Douluo Continent cultivator accustomed to the torment of poison eruptions and hardened in spirit.
Even if given the chance to return to being an ordinary person, he couldn't go back now.
The only discomfort was the oppressive atmosphere in the Dugu household.
While the chatterbox Old Snake often brought joy, his so-called father remained cold-faced, casting a pall over the entire family.
Damn, are your facial muscles hibernating? Never changes expression.
Dugu Feng mentally complained about his nominal father.
His eyes shifted to the reflection of his head—a strand of green hair stood out conspicuously among his black locks, trailing down his temple to frame his face, adding a touch of handsomeness.
But no more than this. Any more green and it wouldn't look good.
The Core Pearl must evolve now.
Through voracious eating and toxin absorption over this past year and a half, the energy within his Core Pearl had reached capacity.
Yet the pearl's transformation hadn't occurred.
It must be lacking Soul Power.
With Spirit Awakening, the Core Pearl would surely evolve.
Turning, he walked out where Old Snake and Little Snake already waited at the door.
"Young Master, come with me. The clan leader awaits you at the ancestral hall!"
Dugu Feng nodded and followed.
Beside him, Little Snake appeared leaner though hardly taller, now completely outgrown by Dugu Feng.
Little Snake's alert eyes and hands concealed in sleeves suggested readiness to strike at any moment.
He'd become a Great Soul Master now—a 21st rank Great Soul Master. His Azure Phosphorus Violet Venom had entered its second stage of mastery, deliverable through his hands swift as blades.
By Little Snake's own words, he'd become formidable—capable of secretly poisoning even a Soul Expert, bringing him one step closer to his dream.
Dugu Feng silently hoped Little Snake could endure when his poison erupted.
Even with his Core Pearl cheat, the pain was excruciating—one could only imagine the suffering of other clan members!
As these thoughts crossed his mind, the trio entered the ancestral hall.
The Spirit Awakening would be conducted here.
With the Dugu family's influence, there was no need to visit Spirit Hall for awakening.
Seeing his father Dugu Shuo again, Dugu Feng noticed he'd aged further—who knew how much longer he could last?
Though he felt no affection for Dugu Shuo, he understood the clan's vast cultivation resources depended crucially on the leader's strength.
Over these two years, he'd realized the Dugu family was far more complex than imagined.
He hoped his nominal father could hold on a while longer—until he could find an opportunity to reveal the Soul Bone's effects.
The Martial Souls haven't awakened yet, so it's too early to discuss these matters. One must still be cautious when dealing with Dugu Shuo.
Dugu Shuo was already at the center of the ancestral hall, arranging six black stones into a hexagon.
Dugu Feng stepped inside without hesitation.
The hall fell into silence. Before Dugu Feng could even see how Dugu Shuo operated, a layer of golden mist had already risen from the six black stones, forming a pale golden barrier that enveloped him entirely.
The golden light, warm like the heat of a Core Pearl, filled him with an indescribable comfort.
The warm energy continuously seeped into his body, guiding his bloodline.
Finally, a surge of energy rushed toward his forehead, where a diamond-shaped green scale appeared between his brows—the mark of the Azure Phosphorus Serpent Spirit.
Seeing this, Dugu Shuo exhaled imperceptibly in relief. The Martial Soul was flawless—the Azure Phosphorus Serpent Spirit.
Next was testing his Innate Soul Power. Dugu Shuo grew tense; this was crucial for the family's future.
His eyes locked onto Dugu Feng:
"Feng'er, place your hand on this crystal ball!"
As he spoke, he produced a blue crystal orb.
Without hesitation, Dugu Feng closed his eyes and placed his right hand on it.
The blue crystal ball was translucent, emitting a faint azure glow. But the moment Dugu Feng's hand touched it—
A dazzling radiance erupted.
The entire ancestral hall was bathed in blue light.
"Innate Full Soul Power!"
"Innate Full Soul Power!!"
"Innate Full Soul Power!!!"
Three exclamations of varying intensity rang out. Even Dugu Shuo couldn't suppress a soft gasp, his eyes gleaming.
"Patriarch, this must be kept secret. Feng'er is undoubtedly the hope for our Poison Cultivation Lineage's revival!" Old Snake said gravely.
A rare smile appeared on Dugu Shuo's usually gloomy face—no easy feat.
He nodded in satisfaction. "Only the four of us are present here, so there's no risk of leaks. When Feng'er enrolls in the academy, we'll declare his Innate Soul Power as level eight.
A genius with level eight Innate Soul Power—that's something our Dugu family can still produce!"
Dugu Shuo spoke with confidence, subtly including Old Snake and Little Snake as insiders, a clear move to win their loyalty.
"Feng'er, you have one month to familiarize yourself with Soul Power cultivation. After that, Old Snake will take you to Sunset Forest to hunt a Spirit Beast!" Dugu Shuo turned back to Dugu Feng.
"Yes, Father!"
Dugu Feng's face was flushed—partly from the lingering warmth of the golden energy, partly from excitement.
Innate Full Soul Power! Poisoned at four years old—indeed, the greater the talent, the earlier the affliction. But this still exceeded his wildest expectations.
After all, there were only a handful of individuals in the entire Douluo Continent with Innate Full Soul Power.
Oscar, Feng Xiaotian, and of course, Qian Renxue with her innate twenty-level Soul Power. Then there was Tang San, that fraud with his so-called Innate Full Soul Power, which was actually just internal energy cultivated through the Mysterious Heaven Technique.
Innate Full Soul Power meant no bottlenecks all the way to Titled Douluo.
And soon, he would obtain his first Spirit Ring and his first Soul Skill.
For the first time, Dugu Feng could truly envision his future.
At that moment, Dugu Shuo flicked his wrist, revealing two pale gray snake eggs in his palm. The eggs were tiny, no larger than a pinky finger, their gray shells speckled with jade-like flecks.
Though it wasn't obvious, Dugu Feng, who had been consuming Snake Gallbladders for a long time, had exceptionally sharp eyes and keenly noticed it.
The reason he recognized these as snake eggs at first glance was because the two eggs were fused together, completely different from chicken eggs or those of other birds.
"Feng'er, let me test you. Do you know which type of snake these eggs belong to?" Dugu Shuo's tone was uncharacteristically gentle—this was the prized jewel of the Dugu family.
"Nine-Section Jadeite!" Dugu Feng blurted out without hesitation.
The jade-like speckles on the snake eggs were the unique markings of the Nine-Section Jadeite.
"Well done. These two Nine-Section Jadeites are about to hatch. Take them for protection—you already know the methods for taming snake companions. How far they develop will depend on you!"
"Thank you, Father!"
A hint of joy flashed across Dugu Feng's face as he accepted them. For members of the Dugu family, snake companions were part of their strength, capable of enhancing their combat abilities.
Holding the Nine-Section Jadeite eggs in his hands, he noticed the shells were slightly soft. Giving them a gentle squeeze, he tucked them securely into his pocket, keeping them close to his body.