After Dai Yuhao fused with the Spirit Soul, the lack of cooperation from the entity had troubled him for several days. He tried every communication method suggested by Han Tianyi, but the giant eyeball remained completely silent and unresponsive. Unexpectedly, after his transmigration back to 10,000 years ago, this difficult problem was solved with ease.
The next day, as the first light of dawn broke, the annual Spirit Awakening day at the White Tiger Duke's Mansion began. All children who had reached the age of 6, regardless of their social status, would gather on this day for their Spirit Awakening. Dai Yuhao was led to a small, remote courtyard. The area was not large, the ground consisted of packed earth, and the surroundings were covered in mottled old walls, making it seem out of place compared to the grandeur of the rest of the mansion.
When Dai Yuhao arrived, several children were already standing in the courtyard. He silently scanned the area and noticed that, including himself, there were only 11 people in total. Most of these children wore simple clothes, and their eyes were filled with timidity and unease. Clearly, they were the children of low-ranking guards, handymen, or the bottom-tier servants of the mansion. The true direct descendants of the Duke or noble children had much better awakening venues and resources; they would never appear in a place like this.
In the center of the courtyard stood a middle-aged man with a steady aura. He was a Spirit Elder guard of the Duke's Mansion, specifically sent to take charge of this awakening ceremony. Dai Yuhao stood quietly among the other children, trying his best to lower his presence. Keeping his head down, he used his peripheral vision to calmly observe everything around him.
Soon, his gaze caught a familiar figure. Not far away, in the shadow of an inconspicuous pillar, a woman dressed as a maid stood leaning against the wall. She seemed relaxed, yet her gaze swept over the small courtyard from time to time. It was her! Dai Yuhao's heart tightened. Although 3 years had passed, he would never mistake her. This person was the maid belonging to the Duchess, Zhu Yunqing. Three years ago, during the ceremony to welcome the Duke of White Tiger, Dai Hao, she had suddenly appeared, covered his mother's mouth, and forcibly taken them away.
Without a doubt, he was the only child here worth her attention. Most likely, as soon as his awakening results were revealed, whether they were good or bad, they would be sent to Zhu Yunqing immediately.
"Next, Dai Yuhao!"
The Spirit Elder guard's resonant voice rang out, interrupting Dai Yuhao's thoughts. The other 10 children in the courtyard had already finished their awakening. Only one of them possessed spirit power, but it was only at rank 3. Dai Yuhao stepped forward slowly and stopped in front of the Spirit Elder guard. The man glanced at him with a flat expression. Six awakening stones flew from his hand, forming a pale gold light shield that enveloped Dai Yuhao.
A weak external spirit power slowly flowed into Dai Yuhao's body, attempting to awaken the sleeping power within his bloodline. Dai Yuhao could clearly feel that his Spirit Eyes Martial Soul was almost manifesting spontaneously, and the spirit power within his body was becoming restless. His fists quietly clenched at his sides, his eyes lowered, and his gaze suddenly became incredibly steady. His powerful mental force acted like an invisible dam, instantly blocking the impulse of the Spirit possession while also firmly locking down the pure rank 11 spirit power in his body.
If it came down to pure mental force, this Spirit Elder presiding over the ceremony was not even equal to a 6 year old child like Dai Yuhao. The light of the awakening formation continued to flicker as the Spirit Elder guard continuously injected spirit power. However, the expected Spirit did not manifest on Dai Yuhao's body, nor did any sign of spirit power fluctuations emanate from him.
"Huh?"
The middle-aged guard couldn't help but let out a confused murmur. He had presided over awakening ceremonies for many years and had seen those with poor talent or weak Spirits, but he had never seen someone with absolutely no reaction. The common knowledge on the Douluo Continent was that everyone had a Spirit; the only difference lay in its strength and whether one possessed spirit power. How could the Spirit of the youth before him not even be drawn out?
Refusing to believe it, he frowned and increased the output of spirit power. Yet, no matter how much he pushed, there was still no change in Dai Yuhao. Ultimately, this Spirit Elder guard had no choice but to give up. He slowly withdrew his spirit power, and the light of the formation faded. He shook his head, his voice returning to a business-like calm as he announced, "Dai Yuhao: no Spirit, no spirit power."
In the shadow of the pillar, upon hearing this result, the tense gaze of Zhu Yunqing's maid seemed to instantly relax. Her lips even curled slightly in an almost imperceptible way, revealing a trace of undisguised contempt. She took one last look at Dai Yuhao, who seemed so crushed by the result that he couldn't lift his head, then turned and left silently.
Dai Yuhao remained standing where he was. Only when he felt that thorn-like gaze completely vanish did he slowly raise his head. There was no despair or sadness on his face; instead, it was entirely calm. In the depths of his eyes, the cool light of a successful plan flickered. Dai Yuhao had deliberately chosen not to show his Spirit because of Leng Yaozhu's warning. In her analysis, the Duchess, Zhu Yunqing, paid far too much attention to him and his mother.
If Dai Yuhao were a genius with Innate Full Spirit Power, whether he could even see his father, Dai Hao, would be one thing, but it would more likely trigger Zhu Yunqing's wariness, causing her to take action against them. Therefore, in the end, Dai Yuhao chose to hide his talent and disguise himself as trash with no Spirit.
That afternoon, Dai Yuhao was cultivating cross-legged on the hard board bed of his shabby little room. Suddenly, his brow furrowed slightly as the violent sound of a door being kicked open came from outside the courtyard. His mental force spread out silently like mercury spilling on the ground, and the identity of the intruder instantly entered his perception.
"Dai Huabin..."
Dai Yuhao whispered in his heart, a trace of coldness flashing in his eyes. He took a deep breath, tidied his simple cloth clothes, then pushed open the equally dilapidated door and walked out into the small courtyard. Sure enough, the already rickety wooden door of the small courtyard had been kicked open from the outside, hanging askew on its frame and letting out a creaking groan.
Five figures stood before the door, led by Dai Huabin. Three years had passed, and he was taller and stronger than before. He wore luxurious brocade clothes, and the arrogance in his features had grown even more pronounced. At this moment, he stood with his arms crossed and his chin tilted up, looking at Dai Yuhao with a condescending posture. Seeing Dai Yuhao come out, Dai Huabin's lips curled into an undisguised sneer, his voice full of superiority.
"I heard you also went for Spirit Awakening today? What was the result? Did you fail to awaken anything? Not even a trash Spirit?"
Dai Yuhao didn't answer. He just stood there quietly, looking at him with a calm gaze, unsure of the other's intent. Seeing Dai Yuhao remain silent, Dai Huabin thought he had hit a sore spot and that the boy didn't dare to talk back, making him even more smug. He took a small step forward, tilting his chin even higher, his voice becoming louder with a boastful tone.
"Hmph! Just as expected, a piece of trash! What I awakened last year was the White Tiger Spirit, the top-tier Spirit of the Dai family's legacy, with rank 8 innate spirit power! Now, my spirit power has already reached rank 10! I'm about to go obtain my first spirit ring and become a true Spirit Master! A trash like you who doesn't even have a Spirit can only huddle in this kind of dump for the rest of your life, just like your lowly mother—a servant forever!"
Hearing Dai Huabin's harsh words, especially that last insult toward his mother, Dai Yuhao's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly. His hands hanging at his sides quietly clenched into fists, his nails digging deep into his palms. A cold fury, mixed with memories of past bullying, surged up from the bottom of his heart like a venomous snake.
White Tiger Spirit? Rank 8 innate power? Rank 10 spirit power? Dai Yuhao sneered inwardly. These assets that Dai Huabin deemed worthy of boasting about were completely insignificant before him—a one-ring Spirit Master with Innate Full Spirit Power who had successfully fused with a 1,000 year unyielding soul spirit. If he wanted to, he could immediately release that purple 1,000 year spirit ring right now. With his high-level spirit communication realm mental force, a single Soul Lash would be enough to severely damage the minds of Dai Huabin and his lackeys, turning them into idiots.
This tempting thought of revenge rose and spread like wildfire in his mind. Three years of endurance and the grievances his mother had suffered all transformed into this violent impulse. Power surged at his fingertips, spirit power flowed through his meridians, and mental force boiled in his mind. However, Dai Yuhao's clenched fists suddenly relaxed. He let out a long breath, as if to completely expel all the churning fury and killing intent from his chest. The cold light that had nearly burst from his eyes quickly retracted and settled, turning back into a deep, pool-like calm. Exposing his strength here would be satisfying, but the consequences would be unimaginable. Lack of patience in small matters upsets great plans.
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