Although Yan Jun was now old and nearing death, in his youth he had been someone who roamed the continent. His mind wasn't as sharp as it once was, but the experience he had accumulated over the years still gave him keen insight.
The child in front of him wasn't just sturdier than any of the children he had awakened before; his aura was also markedly different.
Even though the boy wore a noble's fine clothes, Yan Jun could tell at a glance—this child was exceptionally well-built. His wrists and ankles were thick, his forearms and calves were filled with muscle, and his body was balanced and proportionate. There wasn't any sign of overtraining in any part of his body; everything was in harmony.
Clearly, this boy had maintained a powerful physique for his age, while also focusing on explosive strength training—something extremely rare for a child yet to awaken their martial spirit.
His short black hair was messy but neat, his eyes sharp and bright. Although he simply stood there, his posture wasn't that of an ordinary noble child—it was the stance of a battle-hardened soul master in training.
If you put this child into a crowd, Yan Jun might not have noticed him. But with the other children present, including the City Lord's son from before, the contrast made the difference glaringly obvious.
And, most importantly, while other children at this stage were silently praying to awaken a powerful martial spirit, this boy was confident. His eyes didn't reflect hope—they reflected certainty. He truly believed that he was destined to awaken an extraordinary martial spirit.
With most kids, Yan Jun would dismiss this kind of look as blind arrogance. But looking at this boy's well-trained body, Yan Jun couldn't help but take his confidence seriously.
It reminded him of the times in his younger days, wandering the continent and meeting disciples from prestigious sects—children raised in powerful clans, hardened by rigorous training from a young age. They, too, had eyes like this.
Faking maturity and true maturity were two completely different things. Some people were just born different, and after decades of awakening martial spirits, Yan Jun knew this truth well.
Some people became famous soul masters at rank 50. Others, despite reaching rank 60, remained unknown. Some, born from humble origins, rose to great heights; others, despite noble birth, amounted to nothing.
Same background, same talent, same martial spirit and soul power—yet some just left everyone else in the dust.
If it were 20 years ago, seeing a child like this, Yan Jun wouldn't have hesitated to take him as a disciple—if his awakening proved promising. Even ten years ago, he would've at least tried to forge a good relationship, hoping the boy might look after his descendants someday.
But… Yan Jun sighed inwardly. He was simply too old now. There was no point in getting involved.
At most, he had 8 to 10 years left to live. Even if this boy had innate full soul power, he'd only be at best a Soul Ancestor by then—far from fully grown. What good would that do him?
"What's your name, child?" Yan Jun asked calmly, though he sighed quietly in his heart.
"My name is Chen Ming, from the Emerald Scorpion Chen family," the boy replied, lifting his head with a gentle smile.
"Chen family, huh… Come, awaken your martial spirit," Yan Jun murmured, pausing briefly, as if something clicked in his memory. But he said nothing more and motioned for Chen Ming to step into the awakening formation.
Following the command, Chen Ming entered the array. As Yan Jun infused it with soul power, the formation lit up, glowing as points of light rose from the array and flowed into Chen Ming's body.
If the earlier awakening for the City Lord's son had produced a glow of "one," then Chen Ming's awakening produced three times as many light points. Even the bystanders, who understood little about soul master matters, could tell something was different.
A huge number of light points rose from the formation, flooding into Chen Ming. As time passed, a special power began to surge inside him.
The power gathered, rising, until suddenly—like shattering an invisible barrier—Chen Ming's body underwent a dramatic transformation.
With the tearing sound of fabric, a long, jade-green scorpion tail burst out from his spine. Emerald light surged from his core, enveloping his body.
His already impressive frame seemed to inflate like a balloon. His wrists and ankles grew even thicker, and a layer of metallic-looking, jade-green armor formed on his forearms, resembling heavy armored bracers.
Green light wrapped around the scorpion tail and his arms. As his soul power instinctively surged, a faint, sickly-sweet scent began to fill the air.
Although Yan Jun hadn't expected Chen Ming's awakening to cause such a spectacle, he was very familiar with the Chen family's Emerald Phosphorescent Scorpion martial spirit, famous for its potent poison. The moment he saw the green light burst forth, Yan Jun instinctively wrapped his soul power tightly around himself.
And it turned out to be a wise move.
In just moments, as the sickly-sweet scent spread through the air, the nearby children who were waiting their turn immediately began to feel the effects.
Some tried to lift their legs to flee but tripped over their own numbed limbs, falling to the ground and flailing wildly. Others were dragged down with them, causing a chaotic domino effect. The scene turned into a mess of kids stumbling and collapsing.
Panicked, the children began gasping for breath—drawing in even more of the poisonous scent. Their bodies started convulsing uncontrollably. Some thrashed wildly, others screamed in terror, making the situation even worse.
Seeing things spiral out of control, Yan Jun's face darkened. With a flick of his wrist, the Vine Martial Spirit, which had been standing like a cane, sprang to life. It transformed into soft tendrils that gently lifted the fallen children and began infusing them with soothing soul power.
"Where are the Chen family's adults? Get the antidote, now!" Yan Jun barked, turning toward the crowd.
Finally snapping out of their shock, the onlookers realized what had happened. After a brief commotion, a slightly thin man squeezed out of the crowd and rushed to the children. He pulled out a bead carved from some kind of wood.
As he infused it with soul power, the bead began to emit a refreshing fragrance, gradually cleansing the air of the poisonous scent. Under the effect of the bead, and with the help of Yan Jun's vine and soul power, the children slowly calmed down.
But Yan Jun's expression remained grim.
He knew very well: the bead the man used, while effective in quickly neutralizing the toxin, also carried a small amount of its own poison. Though its main effect was simply to cause drowsiness, for children without any soul power, even that could be hard to endure.