novelhk Chapter 16: "Useless" Dai Yuhao
Chapter 16: "Useless" Dai Yuhao
The problem of the soul not cooperating after Dai Yuhao merged with it really bothered him for several days.
He tried various communication methods suggested by Han Tianyi, but those big eyes remained unresponsive.
Unexpectedly, this thorny problem was easily solved after traveling back ten thousand years.
The next day, as dawn broke, the annual Martial Soul Awakening Day began at the White Tiger Duke's mansion.
All children who are six years of age or older, regardless of their social status, will gather today to undergo Martial Soul Awakening.
Dai Yuhao was taken to a secluded courtyard. The courtyard was small, with rammed earth on the ground and mottled old walls around it, which seemed somewhat out of place with the magnificent and exquisite other parts of the Duke's mansion.
When Dai Yuhao arrived, several children were already standing in the yard.
He silently scanned the room; including himself, there were only eleven people in total.
Most of these children were dressed in simple clothes, and their eyes showed timidity and unease.
Clearly, they were all children of low-ranking guards, servants, or low-level servants in the manor.
True heirs of dukes or nobles have far better places and resources for awakening their potential, and would never appear here.
In the center of the courtyard stood a middle-aged man with a calm demeanor. He was a Soul Master guard from the Duke's mansion, specially assigned to oversee this awakening ceremony.
Dai Yuhao stood quietly among the children, trying to minimize his presence.
He kept his head down, observing everything around him discreetly from the corner of his eye.
Soon, his keen eyes spotted a familiar figure.
Not far away, in the shadow of an inconspicuous pillar, a woman dressed as a maid leaned against the wall seemingly casually, but her gaze seemed to be casually sweeping over the small courtyard.
is her!
Dai Yuhao felt a chill run down his spine. Although three years had passed, he would never admit his mistake!
This person was the maid who appeared three years ago during the ceremony to welcome Duke Dai Hao of the White Tiger, who covered her mother's mouth and forcibly took them away. She belonged to Duchess Zhu Yunqing!
Without a doubt, the only person she should pay attention to here is himself!
I'm afraid that once the results of my awakening come out, whether good or bad, they will be sent to Zhu Yunqing immediately!
"Next up, Dai Yuhao!"
The middle-aged guard's loud voice interrupted Dai Yuhao's thoughts.
The other ten children in the courtyard have already awakened, but only one of them has soul power, and that soul power is only level three.
Dai Yuhao slowly stepped forward and stopped in front of the Soul Master's guard.
The other party glanced at him with a calm expression, and six awakening stones flew out from his hand, forming a light golden light shield that enveloped Dai Yuhao!
A not-so-powerful external soul force slowly flowed into Dai Yuhao's body, attempting to awaken the dormant martial soul power within his bloodline.
Dai Yuhao could clearly feel that the Spirit Eye Martial Soul was about to manifest spontaneously, and the soul power within his body was also stirring.
He quietly clenched his fists at his sides, lowered his gaze, and his eyes suddenly became incredibly focused.
The powerful mental force acted like an invisible dam, instantly blocking the "impulse" of the martial soul's possession, while also firmly locking in the pure level eleven soul power within the body.
The Soul Master who presided over the awakening ceremony was not as strong as Dai Yuhao, a six-year-old child, in terms of spiritual power.
The light of the awakening array continued to flash, and the Soul Lord's guards continuously poured in soul power.
However, the expected martial spirit did not manifest on Dai Yuhao, nor did any signs of soul power fluctuations emanate from him.
"what?"
The middle-aged guard couldn't help but murmur in confusion. He had presided over the awakening ceremony for many years and had seen people with poor talent and weak martial souls, but he had never seen anyone who... had no reaction at all!
The common knowledge in Douluo Continent is that everyone has a martial soul; the only difference lies in the strength of the martial soul and whether or not one possesses soul power.
How come this young man can't even have his martial spirit drawn out?
He refused to believe it, frowned, and increased the output of his soul power.
However, no matter how much he tried to activate it, Dai Yuhao remained unchanged.
Ultimately, the Soul Master guard had no choice but to give up.
He slowly withdrew his soul power, and the light of the magic array went out.
He shook his head, his voice regaining its businesslike calm, and announced, "Dai Yuhao has neither a martial spirit nor soul power."
Under the shadow of the pillars, Zhu Yunqing's maid seemed to relax instantly upon hearing the result, her tense gaze instantly softening. She even subtly curled her lips, revealing an undisguised contempt.
She glanced one last time at Dai Yuhao, who seemed utterly devastated by the outcome, then turned and left quietly.
Dai Yuhao remained standing in the same spot until he felt the piercing gaze completely disappear before slowly raising his head.
There was no despair or sadness on his face, but rather a calmness, and even a hint of triumphant glint in the depths of his eyes.
Dai Yuhao deliberately did not display his martial spirit because of Leng Yaozhu's warning.
In her analysis, Duchess Zhu Yunqing paid excessive attention to the mother and son.
If Dai Yuhao is a genius with innate full soul power, it's uncertain whether he can see his father, Dai Hao. More likely, he will arouse Zhu Yunqing's suspicion and cause him to attack the mother and son!
Therefore, Dai Yuhao ultimately chose to hide his "talent" and disguise himself as a "useless" person without a martial spirit!
……
That afternoon, Dai Yuhao was meditating cross-legged on the hard bed in his dilapidated little house.
Suddenly, his brow furrowed slightly as a loud, violent kicking sound came from outside the courtyard!
His mental energy was released silently like mercury spilling onto the ground, and the identity of the intruder was instantly revealed to him.
"Dai Huabin..."
Dai Yuhao muttered to himself, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
He took a deep breath, straightened his simple clothes, then pushed open the equally dilapidated door and walked into the small courtyard outside.
Sure enough, the already dilapidated wooden door of the courtyard had been kicked open from the outside and was hanging crookedly on the door frame, creaking and groaning.
Five figures stood in front of the door, with Dai Huabin leading the way.
Three years have passed, and he is now taller and stronger than before, wearing luxurious brocade clothes, and his arrogance is even more pronounced.
At this moment, he stood with his arms crossed, chin held high, looking down at Dai Yuhao as he walked out of the house.
Upon seeing Dai Yuhao emerge, Dai Huabin's lips curled into an undisguised sneer, his voice brimming with superiority.
"I heard... you went to awaken your martial soul today too?"
He deliberately dragged out his words, his gaze sweeping over Dai Yuhao: "How did it go? Did you awaken nothing? Not even a useless martial soul?"
Dai Yuhao did not answer, but stood quietly in place, looking at him calmly, unaware of the other party's purpose.
Seeing that Dai Yuhao remained silent, Dai Huabin assumed that he had been hit where it hurt and dared not refute, which made him even more smug.
He took a small step forward, raised his chin higher, and spoke louder, with a hint of boastfulness.
"Hmph! He really is a piece of trash!"
"Last year, I awakened the White Tiger Martial Soul, a top-tier Martial Soul inherited from the Dai family, with innate soul power at level eight!"
"Now, my soul power has reached level ten!"
"I'm about to acquire my first spirit ring and become a true spirit master!"
"A piece of trash like you, who doesn't even have a martial spirit, will only ever be stuck in this wretched place, just like your lowly mother, a servant for life!"
Hearing Dai Huabin's harsh words, especially the last insult to 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 chilling rage, mixed with memories of past bullying, surged up in his heart like a venomous snake!
White Tiger Martial Soul?
Level 8 innate?
Level 10 Soul Power?
Dai Yuhao sneered inwardly. These assets that Dai Huabin could boast about were utterly insignificant in front of him, a one-ring Soul Master with innate full Soul Power who had successfully fused with the Thousand-Year Unyielding Soul Spirit!
He could release that purple millennium soul ring right now if he wanted to!
With his advanced spiritual power, a single "Soul Whip" would be enough to severely damage Dai Huabin and his followers, turning them into idiots!
This tempting thought of revenge rose and spread wildly in his mind like wildfire!
The forbearance of the past three years and the grievances suffered by the mother have all turned into this violent impulse!
Power surges at the fingertips, soul power flows through the meridians, and spiritual power boils in the mind!
However, Dai Yuhao's clenched fist suddenly loosened.
He exhaled a long breath, as if to expel all the surging anger and murderous intent in his chest with that breath.
The cold light that was about to burst forth in his eyes quickly subsided and settled, returning to a calm as deep as a pool.
Exposing your strength here might feel satisfying, but the consequences could be dire.
A small act of impatience can ruin a great plan!