NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2: Value
Morning.
After freshening up, Su Luoheng made his way to the front hall.
The excitement from last night still hadn't worn off, and he woke up bright and early, feeling wide awake.
"Mom, Dad."
"Oh, up so early today?"
Su Junran walked out of the kitchen, carrying a tray of food, just in time to see the little guy enter the front hall.
"Hehe, I just want to awaken my Martial Soul sooner~"
"Hurry and come eat. I was just about to ask your dad to go upstairs and wake you." A gentle voice came from the kitchen, and soon, a graceful woman walked out. She wore a light pink dress, her long, shiny black hair tied up, and her delicate features exuded elegance and warmth.
This was Su Luoheng's mother: Ye Lan.
Her beautiful appearance was in no way inferior to that of a young girl's, though it carried a touch of mature charm.
"Got it, Mom."
Su Luoheng answered, sat across the table, and grabbed a fried dough stick, devouring it hungrily.
"Slow down, no need to rush; awakening your Martial Soul won't be delayed by a few minutes." Ye Lan, well aware of her son's impatient nature, smiled helplessly as she handed over a freshly poured bowl of porridge.
At the same time, she shot a playful glare at Su Junran. "This is all your fault for telling him last night."
"How is that my fault?"
"Hm?"
"Alright, alright, it's my fault."
"Hmph~"
"Luoheng—"
"I know, Mom!"
"Good."
Watching her son pick up a spoon and eat slowly, Ye Lan nodded in satisfaction.
Su Junran, caught in the crossfire, spread his hands in resignation, exchanging a look with his son, then silently lowered his head to drink his porridge under Ye Lan's watchful gaze.
Perhaps this is what it means to know your place in the family hierarchy~
This little breakfast interaction added a touch of warmth to the family's joyful morning.
Soon after breakfast, the family set off for the Heavenly Soul Hall.
On the way, Su Junran explained to little Luoheng the details about Martial Soul awakening.
After Tang San destroyed the Spirit Hall, the responsibility of awakening Martial Souls naturally fell to the empires.
The former Spirit Halls established in various cities were repurposed by the empires, modified slightly, and continued to oversee Martial Soul awakenings. The Heavenly Soul Hall served as the soul master awakening facility in each city within the Heavenly Soul Empire.
Similar institutions included the Star Luo Hall, Dou Ling Hall, and Sun Moon Hall, belonging to the Star Luo Empire, Dou Ling Empire, and Sun Moon Empire, respectively.
All these Martial Soul awakening institutions were directly controlled by the state.
However, unlike the Spirit Hall's tradition of free awakenings, the empires did not inherit this practice.
Instead, they imposed an awakening fee.
Each empire had its own rates, and in the Heavenly Soul Empire, it cost one gold soul coin.
Frankly, this fee wasn't exorbitant. Even for a normal family without soul master backgrounds, it was affordable.
However, for poor families in remote areas...
They could only miss out on the chance to awaken their Martial Souls.
--
As they talked, the family soon arrived at the Heavenly Soul Hall.
"Brother Jun, Sister Lan."
"Sorry to trouble you, Mingxuan, waiting at the door like this."
"Brother Jun, don't mention it. It's my pleasure."
"....."
As soon as they entered, a figure in white robes approached warmly to greet them. He looked to be in his thirties and seemed familiar with the couple, judging by his tone.
This wasn't surprising.
Maple Leaf City wasn't that big of a place, and everyone knew who the soul masters were.
Moreover, Ye Lan was a four-ring Soul Ancestor.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Chen Mingxuan turned his attention to Su Luoheng, who stood beside them.
"This must be Luoheng, right?"
Ye Lan nodded with a smile and introduced Su Luo Heng. "Luoheng, this is Uncle Chen. He's in charge of the soul master awakenings at the Heavenly Soul Hall."
"Hello, Uncle Chen. My name is Su Luoheng." Su Luo Heng greeted respectfully.
"Haha, what a polite little guy."
Chen Mingxuan chuckled and then said, "Brother Jun, let's not waste any time. Let's get the child's Martial Soul awakened."
"Thanks for the trouble."
As they spoke, the three of them proceeded deeper into the Heavenly Soul Hall.
On either side were small cubicles, and through the windows, they could see many children gathered inside.
These were clearly the rooms designated for Martial Soul awakenings.
Soon, Chen Mingxuan led them to a room deeper inside, a more private awakening chamber, and introduced them, "Sister Lan, Brother Jun, this here is Master Cheng. He's had the experience of successfully awakening five innate level-eight soul power soul masters. This round of awakening is about to start, so bring Luo Heng in quickly."
"You're too kind, brother," Su Junran said with a smile.
"It's just a small matter. I hope Luo Heng can inherit the talent of his parents."
"Thank you for the kind words."
After exchanging a few more words, Chen Mingxuan quickly left.
---
Su Luo Heng followed his parents into the awakening chamber.
Master Cheng sat at the center of the room, with white hair and a white beard, appearing to be in his fifties.
He looked like a kind and gentle grandfather.
Inside, the children had already lined up according to the order they entered. There were nine children ahead, waiting for their Martial Souls to be awakened. About a minute later, five more children entered, and the guards at the door closed the chamber.
This was the rule of the Heavenly Soul Hall.
To maximize efficiency, each group consisted of fifteen children.
"Children, look over here. You're all about to awaken your Martial Souls."
"Stay relaxed throughout the process, and remember, with grandpa here, there's nothing to be afraid of."
---
Following the standard awakening procedure, Master Cheng began explaining the precautions to the children.
Most of the kids listened attentively, but Su Luoheng was an exception.
Since he had already been briefed by his father on the way, he wasn't particularly interested in listening again. Instead, he curiously observed the surroundings.
This awakening chamber was indeed more luxurious.
The attire of the children here was more refined and elegant, reflecting the differences in their family backgrounds.
After a moment, his eyes landed on the six black awakening stones in the center.
Su Luoheng suddenly remembered that according to the original story, Martial Soul awakening could be completed as long as there were awakening stones and a soul master.
So why was he here?
Thinking of this, he looked toward his father.
Understanding his son's unspoken question, Su Junran leaned in and explained softly, "A single awakening stone outside costs about fifty gold soul coins, whereas coming here only costs a few. For ordinary soul masters without the backing of a large clan or sect, the official awakening institutions are much more affordable."
"Are awakening stones really that rare?"
Su Junran smiled and asked in return, "What do you think?"
"Sigh…"
Without further elaboration, Su Luoheng understood his father's implication.
Awakening stones clearly weren't worth that price.
The inflated cost was purely for imperial profit.
Although the awakening fee per person wasn't high, combined annually, it amounted to a significant sum that the empire naturally wouldn't forgo—a steady, lucrative income stream handed to them on a silver platter.