Innate Soul Power, Level 8.
This was the first time Su Yuntao had encountered an Innate Soul Power of Level 8 since he became a branch hall deacon in charge of Martial Soul awakenings. It was also the best result among all the children this year.
Su Yuntao was so excited he couldn't express it in words. He eagerly asked, hoping Zhou Sidong would say "yes."
Facing Su Yuntao's invitation, Zhou Sidong didn't immediately agree. Instead, he said, "Uncle, I can't decide on my own. By the way, my dad is waiting outside. Why don't you go find him? As long as he agrees, then I'll agree too."
Su Yuntao quickly realized his mistake. He slapped his forehead and forced a smile. "I almost forgot, he's still just a child."
With that, Su Yuntao took Zhou Sidong's small hand and walked out the door.
After discussing with Ma Xiunuo, the branch hall's head, Master Ma Xiunuo immediately found Zhou Sidong's father, Zhou Shijie, and explained the situation.
When Zhou Shijie learned that his son had awakened the Soul Devouring Spider Martial Soul, he couldn't help but look at Zhou Sidong with a surprised expression.
Zhou Shijie thought to himself, back then, it was truly a treasure found from a tomb. They had unexpectedly gained a son, and what he awakened was the rare Soul Devouring Spider Martial Soul, a type of demonic spider Martial Soul, with Innate Soul Power of eight levels.
While secretly sighing at his son's promising future, Zhou Shijie was also pondering, who exactly were this child's biological parents?
Why did they bury the child instead of letting him die? If it weren't for him and his wife passing by, he believed there would be no Zhou Sidong.
Zhou Shijie lovingly rubbed Zhou Sidong's little head and laughed, "Son! You really didn't embarrass your old man. I'll have your mom make you braised pork for dinner."
"Yay!" Zhou Sidong nodded with a smile; a child should have innocence.
"Dad needs to discuss some things with this uncle and grandpa. Wait for Dad outside for a bit," Zhou Shijie said, squatting down to face Zhou Sidong.
"Alright, Dad, come out soon. Don't let your son wait too long," Zhou Sidong winked mischievously.
"You little rascal," Zhou Shijie flicked his son's nose.
After watching his son leave the hall, Zhou Shijie suddenly became serious, and an aura of authority immediately spread out.
This surprised Su Yuntao and Ma Xiunuo, who were about to try and persuade Zhou Shijie.
"I'll handle this. No need for you two to worry."
With that, Zhou Shijie pulled a token from his pocket. The unique pattern on the token shocked Su Yuntao and Ma Xiunuo.
Both of them immediately said, "We didn't realize you were here, sir. Please forgive our lack of preparation."
As a former honorary blacksmith for the Martial Soul Hall, Zhou Shijie's forging skills were second only to the Godly Blacksmiths. He had forged many excellent weapons for the Martial Soul Hall and was highly regarded by the former Pope, Qian Xunji.
Later, he grew tired of the blacksmithing life and eventually resigned from the Martial Soul Hall, returning to his hometown, Notting City, with his wife, Yang Lixia.
This token was given to Zhou Shijie by his teacher before he left.
"I want you to keep what happened here today a secret."
Zhou Shijie stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes coldly fixed on Su Yuntao and Ma Xiunuo.
The Notting City branch was the lowest-level institution under the Martial Soul Hall's jurisdiction. Ma Xiunuo, the main person in charge, was already quite old, and his soul power had only reached the level of a Soul Grand Master.
Facing this high-ranking official from the Martial Soul Hall, neither of them dared to offend him.
After making a series of assurances, Zhou Shijie departed, watched by the two of them.
"I was scared to death! I never expected the owner of Zhou's Blacksmith Shop to have this kind of identity." Su Yuntao was drenched in a cold sweat.
Ma Xiunuo was equally frightened. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and instructed, "You and I must not mention this matter to anyone today, including your closest relatives."
"Not even Si-si?"
"Hey! You rascal!"
On the way home from the Notting City Martial Soul Branch Hall.
Zhou Sidong held his father's large hand tightly, and he could clearly feel that his father was uneasy.
Zhou Sidong wanted to ask something on the way, but in the end, he held back.
It was no wonder. He had been dug out of a grave by his foster parents, and he had awakened the Soul Devouring Spider (Spider Emperor) Martial Soul. He guessed that his father was probably pondering who was so cruel as to "bury alive" a child.
With complex emotions, Zhou Shijie led his son back home. Zhou's Blacksmith Shop was very unusually closed today.
As soon as they got home, Zhou Shijie went into the inner room with his wife, leaving Zhou Sidong alone in his room.
"Your foster father is really something else. If it weren't for him today, I reckon the high-level officials of the Martial Soul Hall would have known about you the next day, and our plan to intercept Tang San would have been delayed," Little Snow said with a smile as she turned into a ray of golden light and drilled out of Zhou Sidong's brow.
"Why would Father do this?" Zhou Sidong asked, puzzled.
"How would I know?" Little Snow spread her hands. Although she was the will of the Douluo Continent, she had exhausted almost all her power to reverse the flow of time by ten thousand years.
"Should we eavesdrop?" Little Snow suggested with a mischievous grin.
"..." Zhou Sidong was speechless. "Me eavesdropping on my parents? I must have nothing better to do. Anyway, my parents won't hurt me, that's for sure."
"Back to the main topic, back to the main topic." Little Snow laughed. "With your current physical condition, absorbing a thousand-year First Soul Ring would be a bit of a stretch. However, with my conditioning, absorbing a thousand-year First Soul Ring won't be a problem at all."
"Innate Full Soul Power, level twenty."
Zhou Sidong rubbed his chin, carefully considering. "So, I'll have to absorb two thousand-year Soul Rings in a row?"
"Mhm." Little Snow nodded. "Your current physical condition is really poor. Because you died prematurely, even though your mother infused your father's life essence into you to revive you, it's still difficult for you to absorb Soul Rings beyond your level."
"As the saying goes, 'to get, you must give.' Your soul strength is definitely stronger than those Title Douluo."
"My soul strength is stronger than a Title Douluo? Really?" Zhou Sidong asked, a hint of doubt in his voice—it was the first time he'd heard this.
"The reason is simple. When soul masters absorb a Ten-Thousand Year Soul Ring, they experience Soul Shock. This is a type of energy produced when a soul beast of ten thousand years or more is killed by a soul master, and its soul hasn't completely vanished yet. This energy impacts and even damages the cultivator's, or rather, the soul master's, spiritual world. Those with poor tolerance could easily become idiots."
Little Snow pointed at Zhou Sidong and said, "But you're lucky that your biological mother injected your father's life essence into your body. Your father was, after all, a Level 95 Title Douluo, and his Martial Soul was the god-level Six-Winged Angel. During the years your soul was dormant, your soul was nourished by Qian Xunji's life essence."
"Therefore, when your physical condition is suitable for absorbing a Ten-Thousand Year Soul Ring, the Soul Shock produced after the soul beast's death will naturally be non-existent for you. And this, is your advantage!"
(End of Chapter)