Chapter 67 Mathew's Past

The elders of the clan and the members of the minor families were watching the ceremony from afar.

Lady Rosaline began to call out the names of the youngsters one by one.

Each name was greeted with a hushed silence and then a collective gasp as the soul revelation ball revealed the number of soul pockets in their body.

"Jack Ice, Eight Soul Pockets! Extraordinary!"

"Haila, Three Soul Pockets! Below average!"

"Wintera, six Soul Pockets! Mediocre."

The crowd erupted into cheers and applause as each youngster's talent was revealed.

For some, it was a moment of great joy as they discovered they had more soul pockets than they had ever imagined, but for others, it was a moment of disappointment as they realized they had fewer soul pockets than they had hoped.

Evan was standing at the very back of the crowd, meticulously noting down the names of the youths who showed promise. He knew that these talented individuals would be valuable allies later on, and he wanted to ensure that he didn't forget a single one.

Suddenly, a pair of hands covered his eyes, blocking his view of the crowd. A mischievous voice spoke up, "Guess who?"

Evan grinned and replied, "Lirian, you can stop playing around."

Lirian pouted, removing his hands from Evan's eyes. "Ahh, you're no fun!"

Evan couldn't help but feel a twinge of fondness for his friend. After all, despite Lirian's tendency to be childish, he was always there for Evan when he needed him.

"Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be busy with your military work?" Evan asked, genuinely curious.

pαndα`noνɐ1--сoМ "I worked overtime last night so that I could be here for you today," Lirian replied with a grin. "This is the most important day of your life, and I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Evan's heart swelled with emotions. He was grateful to have him by his side on this important day.

"Frostweaver's boy, it's your turn."

Lady Rosaline's voice echoed through the hall as she called Mathew Frostweaver to the stage.

Evan's eyes were fixed on the young man, who stood in the front row.

Mathew's appearance was striking; he had a lean figure, tall and towering over most people his age. His raven-black hair fell in soft waves, framing his angular features. His dark eyes shone with a fierce intelligence that was hard to ignore, and his tanned skin seemed to glisten under the sun.

As Evan looked at him, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease wash over him. Mathew was the one he had to be most wary of. After all, the visions of his past life had shown him that Mathew was the one who would take his position as the crown prince of frost after his fall from grace.

'I am not going to let that happen,' Evan thought, his determination palpable.

Everyone in the Frost Lake Shrine was eager to see the limit of Mathew's talent.

When he was 15 years old, he was an intermediate-level first-step soul manipulator. Now that he was 16 years old, his cultivation level was a mystery, but there was no doubt that Mathew was endowed with the highest talent among his peers.

While talent assessment was the key to unearthing soul pockets, which made it easier to determine their location and unlock them, those under the age of 16 were not allowed to take the test as it could negatively affect their physical and spiritual development. Nevertheless, Mathew's natural aptitude was so great that he had opened several of them a year before he turned 16, and that too without using external support!

All eyes were on him as he made his way towards the soul revealer.

To know more about his potential enemy, Evan inspected Mathew.

Name: Mathew

Level: 7th Level of Soul Manifestation Realm

Attributes:

Strength: 45

Agility: 35

Stamina: 60

Soul Plate: None

As Evan scrutinized Mathew's attributes, his eyes widened with shock. The numbers on the paper didn't add up - Mathew was far more powerful than he was supposed to be at this point in his cultivation journey.

Evan's mind raced, trying to piece together the puzzle of how this could be possible.

After replaying the events of the previous day in his mind, Evan realized that his actions had set off a chain reaction. By defeating Jack and Eric, he had unwittingly caused the frostweavers to focus their resources on Mathew, leading to a sudden surge in his cultivation level!

Evan had also received Mathew's background when he inspected him. He decided to read it as he knew that gaining a better understanding of his enemy would give him the upper hand in their upcoming encounter.

[Background:

•Mathew was a poor boy who grew up in the slums of the empire's capital. When his mother fell ill with a mysterious disease, Mathew was forced to seek out a cure. Despite his best efforts, Mathew was unable to find a remedy that would help his mother. It was at this point that he was approached by Nicholas, the head of the Frostweavers. In exchange for the medicine Mathew needed to save his mother's life, Nicholas demanded that Mathew train to one day take the position of the crown prince of frost. For ten long years, Mathew endured grueling training and harsh treatment at the hands of Nicholas and the Frostweavers. He was constantly pushed to his limits, but he persevered, knowing that his mother's life was on the line. Finally, the time had come for Mathew to fulfill his part of the deal.]

As Evan uncovered more details about Mathew's past, a sense of understanding washed over him, and he couldn't help but feel empathetic towards the young boy who had to make such a tough decision to save his mother's life. He pictured the fear and desperation that must have consumed Mathew's heart, as he begged for a way out of his dire situation.

But as his thoughts turned to Nicholas, Evan's emotions took a sharp turn. The mere thought of that cunning man exploiting a young child's vulnerability for his personal gain made Evan's blood boil with anger.