Chapter 40 Awakening?

"Perhaps..."
Elder Yi transformed back into a wisp of grey gaseous energy. That recent burst of exertion had worn him out considerably, and he truly needed a solid period of rest now. "I wonder what that deity residing in the God Realm would make of this."
...
"Bang...!"
In the eyes of the spectators outside, Huo Yuhao had merely raised a finger slightly and pointed it at Wang Dong, obviously unleashing that strange attack previously used against Xie Huanyue.
Even a three-ringed soul master gifted with spiritual resistance had been unable to withstand it, so Wang Dong currently stood with even less of a chance.
This match seemed to have its outcome already decided.
Yet, just the next second—before the referee could assume Wang Dong was about to be eliminated—both youths threw their heads back amidst a wave of intense spiritual fluctuations and collapsed simultaneously, losing consciousness together.
"Huh?"
The referee, who had just been about to step forward, suddenly halted. Left somewhat at a loss by the two figures on the ground, he had no idea how to declare the verdict next.
After all, his own rank was only around the sixth ring, and his accomplishments in spiritual power were virtually negligible. Asking him to judge the outcome of a clash on the spiritual plane between these two...
Well, that was truly asking a bit too much of him.
Fortunately, the next second saw Du Weilun, possessed of eight soul rings, appear instantly in the arena. He released his spiritual power to investigate the condition of each youth in turn:
"Huo Yuhao's spiritual power is slightly overdrawn, resulting in a temporary faint with the possibility of waking up shortly. Wang Dong's spiritual sea has suffered damage, and his spiritual power has fallen into chaos; he is eliminated immediately."
"Do the remaining members of both teams wish to continue the match?"
The four individuals lingering at the edge of the arena exchanged distant glances. In the end, the two members on Wang Dong's side simultaneously took a step back.
Two defense-type soul masters fighting two assault-type soul masters...
Without even a single offensive technique, how were they supposed to fight? Just stand there taking beatings until the opponent's soul power ran out?
What was more, the formidable heavyweight from the opposing side was still present on the field. Should he wake up later on, the situation would truly turn into a father beating his son.
"Very well."
Du Weilun nodded and delivered the academy's ruling: "This match is won by Huo Yuhao's team. They successfully advance!"
Everyone exchanged glances, apparently catching the look of astonishment in each other's eyes.
After all, in all previous freshman tournaments, no single-ringed soul master had ever forcefully carved a path all the way into the top eight with such an unstoppable momentum.
Furthermore, this individual's first soul ring was still a ten-year white ring, and nearly all of his battles had essentially been fought three against one. Such a performance could be considered entirely unprecedented in the academy's history.
"Elder Xuan, what do you think...?"
Seeing the match concluded, Wang 言 tentatively spoke up.
"Spit!"
Elder Xuan curled his lip and spat out a bone. "Hmph! What do I think? I see it with my own eyes! Is this what you called a combat power approaching that of a four-ringed soul master?"
"From where I'm standing, he couldn't even steadily take down a two-ringed opponent whose spiritual power had undergone slight mutations. That previous match against Xie Huanyue was probably only won because he caught the other guy when his guard was down mentally."
"Possessing stronger spiritual power than an ordinary soul elder yet fighting to such a wretched state—truly a rare sight in this world!"
He had been enticed to rush over, brimming with excitement after listening to Wang Yan's glowing praise, only to arrive and discover not only that Tang Sect secret techniques had been leaked, but also that he was looking at a substandard product entirely devoid of the formidable strength he had imagined.
If not for the fact that the kid still possessed a shred of competence, he would have turned around and left right then and there.
"But... he is a body-type martial soul!"
Wang Yan was momentarily at a loss for words. Not knowing the true situation on the field, he could only offer his reasons dryly:
"Winning against a two-ringed soul master is still a victory. To achieve this while possessing merely a ten-year soul ring—isn't that also a sign of transcendent combat power? If he manages to successfully undergo an awakening in the future—"
"Indeed~ A body-type martial soul."
Xuanzi heavily gulped down a mouthful of wine, interrupting him. A trace of disappointment lingered in his eyes, directed either at Huo Yuhao or at Wang Yan, a scholar specializing in the study of martial souls.
"To think you are someone who has plowed deep fields in this domain for so long. Did it never cross your mind how an unrooted, backgroundless single-ringed soul master could possess such formidable physical and spiritual power?"
"Conversely, given this level of strength, how could his soul ring possibly be limited to a ten-year tier?"
In an instant.
Wang Yan's expression froze on his face. "Are you saying he has already undergone an awakening once?"
It certainly seemed to fit...
Various signs indicated that Huo Yuhao's surge in strength should have occurred after absorbing his soul ring. If a coincidence had triggered his awakening through the soul ring, that explanation might hold some water.
Yet, if that were the case, why did Huo Yuhao's eyes look nothing at all like those of someone post-awakening?
Could it be?
A certain possibility flashing through his mind, Wang Yan's body shuddered once more.
"Figured it out?"
Xuanzi let out a drunken hiccup, his tone laden with regret. "This kid has likely already wasted a single opportunity for awakening. His martial soul advancement failed, and it merely subtly improved his physique. His potential is probably nearing exhaustion."
"Not only that, but a ten-year soul ring wasted a skill slot and a ring position, while spiritual-attribute spirit beasts are exceptionally rare and hard to find, making his path of cultivation in this attribute all the more rugged... Not even mentioning nine rings, what probability do you think he has of smoothly reaching seven rings?"
Having mapped out the upper limit of Huo Yuhao's life growth, Xuanzi swayed as he stood up, preparing to leave.
"Remember to give that kid a message: Tang San is not only the founding ancestor of the Tang Sect, but also the primordial saint of Shrek. We will absolutely never tolerate the unauthorized outflow of that person's secret techniques. Either he joins the Tang Sect, or he swears by his martial soul never to use them again!"
Even with the rule prohibiting the leakage of Tang Sect martial arts laid out so clearly, how could things still turn out like this...
Xuanzi shook his head in disappointment and secret dark dismay.
'The Sect Master of this generation should be called Tang Ya, right? To think she ultimately failed the ancestor's expectations and threw away the principles and pride the Tang Sect ought to uphold. For a Tang Sect like this, its destruction would only be in the natural order of things.'
"Elder Xuan!"
Wang Yan, who had stood frozen for a long while, suddenly cried out, still wishing to fight for Huo Yuhao one last time. He truly did not wish to see a genius who might possess an infinite future discarded by the academy.
"Stepping from a single ring to rival three."
Wang Yan's voice trembled slightly. "Does the awakening of a body-type martial soul truly possess such immense capability?"
Hearing this, a flash of bewilderment crossed Elder Xuan's eyes.
Yet it was immediately overwritten by a semblance of self-assured understanding: "Of course!"
Seeming afraid that Wang Yan still remained unconvinced, he abruptly flashed his own nine soul rings, a presence far surpassing ordinary Titled Douluo released and retracted in an instant.
"Did you see clearly? Even my eighth soul ring can only barely accommodate a black ring of around eighty thousand years. Yet the Sect Master of the Body Sect, Di Tian's—no, someone of the same rank as me from the Body Sect, Poison Douluo, was able to attach a hundred-year—no, a hundred-thousand-year soul ring right at his seventh ring."
Xuanzi was evidently quite satisfied with his logical and well-founded deduction, even finding the mood to pat Wang Yan's shoulder with his grease-stained hand.
"How about it? Do you understand now just how important the awakening of a body-type martial soul is?"
"..."
Wang Yan stood frozen in place for a long time, finally turning to leave amidst a heavy sigh.