Soul Power, Rank Three!

"Soul Power test complete. Innate Soul Power-rank three!"

Spirit Hall, the soul testing hall.

The hall was spacious and solemn, and the entire place was silent.

Everyone's eyes turned in unison to the nine-year-old boy in the center of the hall.

The boy wore the robes of Spirit Hall's Holy Son, white with gilded patterns. He was tall and slender, with a fair face and a smoldering look in his eyes...

Judging by his looks alone, he was definitely a handsome young man. In his previous life, girls who saw him walking down the street would have been unable to resist calling him a handsome guy.

His identity was even more fucking impressive: Bibi Dong's beloved son, Qian Renxue's biological younger brother, and Spirit Hall's Holy Son. Both his looks and his background were undeniably top-tier.

But...

"Is this the price of being the protagonist?"

Qian Lingye stared at the blood-red words "rank three" on the screen, the corner of his mouth twitching.

The eighth time.

The previous times, Qian Lingye had still clung to a sliver of hope.

This time, he could finally confirm that he really was a good-for-nothing.

According to the usual plot, it was time for the mockery.

"Ah, haha, what lovely weather today."

"Huh? Is this machine broken? Why is it displaying gibberish?"

"Your Highness, please don't take it to heart. This lousy machine's brain has gone haywire. It should've been replaced ages ago."

"Right, right, the machine's broken. Last time my dog took a piss on it, it showed rank three too..."

The deacons conducting the Soul Power test laughed awkwardly.

Hearing them, Qian Lingye's mouth twitched even harder.

These assholes... They might as well have cursed me out.

Qian Lingye walked out of the hall and sighed up at the sky.

This is so fucking hard.

He had read so many stories about transmigrating to Douluo. Although his background wasn't too bad and neither of his parents was dead, he felt his situation was the most awkward of all.

On one hand, he was Spirit Hall's Holy Son and the Pope's son. On the other, he was the Qian Family's only male descendant.

If he could cultivate, even a little, he wouldn't ask for Twin Martial Souls or anything, nor for full Innate Soul Power. An ordinary Martial Soul would do. The Qian Family would definitely value him and raise him to become the next Angel God.

With how damn powerful the Qian Family was, they could pile enough medicine into him to make him a god.

Unfortunately, his Soul Power was too low. He couldn't awaken a Martial Soul at all, which meant the Qian Family still focused its efforts on Qian Renxue.

Of course, Qian Lingye had never complained about that, nor had he ever hated Qian Renxue.

After all, putting himself in their shoes, even if he were at the helm of the Qian Family, he couldn't possibly give the family's resources to a good-for-nothing.

Besides, Qian Renxue treated him extremely well. She had always looked out for him since they were little.

No matter who bullied him, Qian Renxue would always help him bully them right back.

As time went on, no one in all of Spirit City dared laugh at him anymore.

Over the years, Qian Renxue had been carrying out secret missions away from home, but she had continued to send all kinds of heavenly treasures back. They were all treasures that could help nourish his Soul Power.

He had come for another test this time because he had taken an herb Qian Renxue had just sent back.

Compared with Qian Renxue, the person Qian Lingye actually felt most sorry toward was his own mother, Bibi Dong.

Given what a sorry state he was in, he might have felt a little better if Bibi Dong had treated him worse. But she treated him so well that he felt guilty.

She had never said a single word against him, nor had she ever urged him to cultivate. She let him have his way in everything.

Other people's sons were all successful. Once they grew up, they could stand up for their mothers.

He alone had accomplished nothing.

At most, he could wash Bibi Dong's feet or give her a back massage.

It was only because Bibi Dong was the Pope that nobody dared talk out of turn. Otherwise, people would have been making snide remarks about her long ago.

"Ah, screw it. Time to go home."

Qian Lingye sighed.

Just then.

[Sizzle...]

The sound of an electrical short rang out.

Wait, what's going on?

[System activating...]

Qian Lingye froze. That sound, that feeling, this whole style...

Fuck, it's finally here!

[Ding! Congratulations, host. The Great Old One System has been successfully activated!]

[Binding host... binding successful!]

[Host: Qian Lingye]

[Soul Power Level: 0]

[Number of tokens: 0]

[Number of Soul Skills: 0]

[Number of summoned beasts: 0]

Qian Lingye: ...

What the hell is this?

Why is my system so lousy? All four stats are zero. Isn't that the same as I am now?

"System, explain what you're good for. How do I get stronger?"

[This system was custom-made to suit your fate. It is one of a kind.]

[Because you possess a Heavenly Fiend fate, you cannot cultivate through conventional means.]

[Therefore, you must collect seven tokens that carry the sources of the Seven Deadly Sins and draw power from them.]

[Each token you collect will greatly increase your strength! You will also receive one chance to draw a prize!]

Qian Lingye thought for a moment, then said, "I get it. I'm still me, and I'm still a cultivation good-for-nothing. That hasn't changed."

"But I can indirectly increase my strength by collecting tokens, right?"

[Yes. Every token is a supreme treasure of heaven and earth and extremely difficult to collect. You will need wisdom and courage!]

With that confirmation, Qian Lingye finally breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as he could get stronger, that was enough.

Whatever he had to do, at least it gave him something to look forward to.

At that thought, Qian Lingye felt a little excited.

"System, what's the first token?"

[Main quest: Lava Crystal Core]

[Lava Crystal Core: Located deep within a subterranean volcano in the heart of the Star Dou Great Forest, it is a core formed by the accumulation of volcanic power over a million years. Violent and scorching hot, it belongs to wrath, one of the Seven Deadly Sins!]

"The heart of the Star Dou Great Forest..."

Qian Lingye frowned. Sure enough, treasures like that couldn't just grow by the roadside.

The Star Dou Great Forest was the largest gathering place for Soul Beasts on the entire continent.

Its heart was even more dangerous. Thousand-Year Soul Beasts roamed everywhere, Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts were as common as dogs, and even Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts held sway there.

With his current strength, there was no way he could go looking for it himself.

[Ding! Beginner's gift pack delivered. One free prize draw has been granted!]

[Use it?]

Qian Lingye didn't even think about it. "Of course."

The moment he spoke, a prize wheel appeared before his eyes, flashing like a revolving lantern. It was covered with all kinds of monster cards, and quite a few of the figures were familiar to him.

This had to be the system's prize draw function.

So the prizes were all sorts of monsters.

The wheel spun rapidly before the pointer finally stopped on a tall, heavily built crimson figure.

It was a humanoid monster as large as a hill, its entire body covered in thick stone armor that made it look like a stack of small hills.

A magma pattern radiated across its chest like a spiderweb, and its head was encased in armor riddled with stone pores.

Gol... Golza?

Qian Lingye recognized him at a glance.

Isn't that the beginner village monster from the first episode of Ultraman Tiga?

An Ultraman monster coming to the Douluo Continent...

This style is completely insane!

[Ding! Congratulations, host. You drew the super-ancient monster Golza! He can be summoned at any time.]

The moment the notification sounded, Golza's card transformed into a stream of light and flew into Qian Lingye's body.