"The Seraphic Flame Shield, huh… It really mutated! My son is amazing! "
Though Zhang Lingling still wasn't entirely satisfied with Han Feng's spirit being a shield, she never held back on praising her son. Even if his martial soul had been a completely useless one, she'd still sing its praises like it was heaven-sent!
All the more so now—because her precious boy's martial soul clearly carried the mark of her own Flame of the Crimson Sun.
Beside her, Han Dang let out a silent sigh…
Same shield-type martial soul, yet when it's mine, I'm just a punching bag. When it's our son's, he's a prodigy? This double standard is insane…
By contrast, Wang Xun seemed much calmer.
It's not even my kid—why get emotionally involved?
Besides, he couldn't make heads or tails of Han Feng's mutated martial soul. It seemed decent—definitely better than his own—but not something he'd call a top-tier spirit. At best, it was promising.
And they hadn't even tested his innate spirit power yet.
Sure, the shield looked like it had mutated for the better, but what if it just looked powerful?
Mutated martial souls were always judged by their innate spirit power. High innate power meant great potential. Low meant poor prospects. What if this fancy-looking shield was just for show?
While Han Feng was still in a daze, Wang Xun stepped forward, holding a crystal orb, and gently said, "Young Master Han, now we'll test your innate spirit power. Just channel your martial soul into this orb."
Han Feng snapped back to reality, nodded, and placed his hand on the crystal. The power of his martial soul flowed naturally from his palm into the sphere.
"Buzz!"
In an instant, the orb lit up like a lightbulb!
Even though Han Feng was prepared, the brightness still stunned him.
"My god! It's full of innate spirit power! "
Wang Xun reacted first, exclaiming in shock. He quickly cradled the glowing orb as though it were a treasure, his eyes shining as he looked at Han Feng.
If I take this child to Spirit Hall… what kind of rewards would they grant me!?
A mutated martial soul and full innate spirit power? This was a living treasure standing right in front of him!
What Wang Xun didn't realize was that Han Feng didn't actually have just full innate spirit power—his was Level 12!
But all Wang Xun knew was that if the orb shone fully, it meant full innate spirit power. Right now, it was glowing even brighter than the full mark—but since he'd never seen the real thing before, how could he possibly know?
"Child, would you be willing to join Spirit Hall? "
His heart burning with excitement at the thought of his potential rewards, Wang Xun grabbed Han Feng's hand and asked eagerly.
"Ahem!"
Before Han Feng could even reply, Han Dang cleared his throat twice. His large eyes fixed coldly on Wang Xun—but he didn't say a word.
Wang Xun froze.
How could I forget?! This isn't some backwoods kid with no background. His father's a Spirit Ancestor! I'm just a measly Grand Spirit Master—who am I to make such an offer?!
"I've overstepped! I'll take my leave at once! "
Wang Xun bowed hastily to Han Dang and turned to go.
"Take care. No need to see you out."
Han Dang nodded, dismissing him with a much colder tone than before.
Wang Xun was relieved—he felt like he'd just been granted a royal pardon—and rushed out of the Han household.
"Hmph! Shameless fool."
Now that Wang Xun was gone, Zhang Lingling's expression turned frosty. She snorted and muttered in disgust.
To be fair, if Han Feng joined Spirit Hall, with his full innate power and impressive spirit, he'd no doubt receive excellent treatment and have a bright future.
But to a mother who cherished her son above all else, the thought of her child leaving her side right after awakening his martial soul was unbearable.
And joining Spirit Hall meant competition. Competition meant battle. And with a shield-type martial soul… wouldn't that mean her son would be the one getting hit all the time?
There was no way Zhang Lingling would let her son join Spirit Hall.
Han Dang, standing beside her, clearly understood her feelings. In his opinion, Spirit Hall was indeed a good place. But first, his wife definitely wouldn't agree—and second… he wasn't sure he could bear to part with this little rascal either.
"Dad! Mom! I awakened my martial soul—it's a fusion of Crimson Flame and Blackscale Shield! "
Just then, Han Feng ran up to his parents with a bright grin, trying to curry favor.
Han Dang chuckled. A powerful, mutated martial soul and full innate power. As someone with experience, he knew—if his son worked hard enough, reaching the title of Douluo one day wasn't a dream.
Zhang Lingling, however, looked a bit disappointed. "Pity the shield is based on your father's."
Han Feng didn't mind at all. "So what? Didn't you say it yourself, Mom? Both Blackscale Shield and Crimson Flame have their strengths. Now I've got the best of both—what's there to complain about? "
His response surprised Han Dang a little. "Oh? So you've finally come around? That's what I've been saying! What's wrong with being a defense-type spirit master? One day, you'll be the most unshakable man on the continent! "
"Hehe…"
Han Feng just laughed sheepishly.
Not because he truly accepted his fate… but because he discovered he had more than one martial soul!
When his spirit awakened, he felt not only heat in his right hand but also a chill in his left. If he hadn't reacted quickly, he might've triggered a full fire-and-ice awakening on the spot!
Through his spiritual sense, Han Feng identified his second martial soul: Exquisite Ice—stronger than ordinary Ice or Refined Ice, but a bit weaker than Ultimate Ice. It was about on par with his Seraphic Flame Shield.
More importantly, Han Feng discovered something amazing—his twin spirits weren't mutually exclusive like Tang San's! He could use them simultaneously.
With a second spirit like this, why would he stress over having a shield? If things got serious, he could just whip out Exquisite Ice—a tank with damage? That's terrifying.
At that thought, Han Feng subtly pulled his left hand back.
This martial soul needed to be hidden. It was his trump card, his ultimate secret weapon.
He didn't plan to tell Han Dang or Zhang Lingling. Not because he didn't trust them, but because… well, his dad loved to show off. Tell him today, and by tomorrow, everyone at the Great Spirit Arena might know he had a second spirit!
And honestly…
Dragons give birth to dragons, phoenixes to phoenixes—but rats give birth to rats. According to everything Han Feng knew, on both his mother's and father's sides, going back three generations, no one had an ice-related spirit. How was he supposed to explain this Exquisite Ice?
Sure, you could chalk it up to a martial soul mutation. Like a cat and tiger somehow birthing a lion. But if a cat and a tiger had a kid and it came out a hammer… that's just weird.
Judging by his first martial soul, Han Feng was definitely their biological child. No doubt about that. But to keep the peace at home, he figured it was best not to mention the second one.
After all, as far as Han Feng was concerned, his dad loved his mom fiercely—but also with a hint of possessiveness. A man who'd get jealous over his own son? Could you be sure he wouldn't start overthinking things?
Han Feng once had a roommate whose girlfriend wasn't even allowed to have male relatives saved in her phone!
So yeah, he was genuinely worried his dad might be "that type."
Better keep observing for now.
After all, love is always selfish.
And if there really was someone out there capable of "pure selfless love," Han Feng wouldn't mind meeting this mythical "Simp Deity" in person—maybe even have a nice chat with his long-suffering wife…