Twin God-Grade Martial Souls, Shaking All Around

The next day, at the first light of dawn, the largest—and only relatively intact—wooden house in the center of the village was already packed with people. For this isolated, impoverished little village, the annual Martial Soul Awakening Ceremony was no less grand than its greatest festival. The air was thick with tension, anticipation, and the parents' cautious prayers.

The children stood in a crooked line, their little faces filled with unease and longing. Their parents gathered around the edges, craning their necks with eager eyes.

Su Yuntao, the deacon from the Nuoding City Martial Soul Branch Hall, wore a practiced smile, though a trace of exhaustion and indifference lay hidden deep in his eyes. Year after year, awakening Martial Souls for children in these remote villages was mostly just going through the motions for him. The chances of a Soul Master appearing here were pitifully low.

"Martial Soul: sickle. No Soul Power. Next."

"Martial Soul: hoe. No Soul Power. Next."

"Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass. No Soul Power. Next."

Sure enough, child after child stepped forward full of hope, placed a hand on the blue crystal ball, then retreated in disappointment—or even tears—when no light appeared. Su Yuntao's voice remained steady and quick, as though he were reading from a dull list.

The line crept forward. Zhang Hu stood near the front, limping slightly. His feet were wrapped in torn cloth, and from time to time, he cast venomous glances at the lone figure at the end of the line—Ling Yun.

Ling Yun stood quietly at the very back. He had changed into a worn outfit that could barely be called clean, and the grime on his face had been washed away, revealing delicate but pale features. Unlike the nervous children around him, his gaze was exceptionally calm, carrying even a detached, appraising air as he studied Su Yuntao and the six black awakening stones, as if verifying the information in his memories.

At last, it was Zhang Hu's turn. He took a deep breath and walked to the center of the formation.

Golden light rose, and a warm aura spread through the air. Su Yuntao shouted, "Hold out your right hand."

Zhang Hu obeyed. At once, all the specks of light surged forth, and in an instant, a short blade with a faint cold gleam appeared in his palm.

"Martial Soul: short blade." Su Yuntao nodded. This counted as a fairly decent Martial Soul for the day. "Come test your Soul Power."

Nervously, Zhang Hu placed his hand on the crystal ball. A moment later, it emitted a faint glimmer.

"Innate Soul Power level one. You can cultivate. You count as a Soul Master." Su Yuntao's tone finally showed a slight fluctuation, though it remained calm. With level-one Soul Power, it would be difficult for Zhang Hu to achieve much in his lifetime.

But to Zhang Hu and the surrounding villagers, this was already an extraordinary event! A small commotion broke out. Zhang Hu's parents beamed with joy, while Zhang Hu puffed out his chest and cast a smug glance toward Ling Yun, as if saying: See? I've become a Soul Master. Just you wait!

Ling Yun did not even raise an eyelid.

"Next, Ling Yun." Su Yuntao frowned slightly when he read the name. Naturally, he had heard about this orphan and even felt some sympathy for him. But in the world of Soul Masters, sympathy was the most useless thing of all.

Ling Yun calmly stepped forward, his steady footsteps carrying him into the formation formed by the six black stones. Unlike the uneasy children before him, he even closed his eyes on his own initiative after coming to a stop, as if sensing something.

"Don't be afraid. Close your eyes and feel carefully." Su Yuntao recited the usual instructions as he poured his Soul Power into the formation.

The warm aura enveloped Ling Yun once more. But this time, it was completely different from before!

The instant Su Yuntao's Soul Power activated the formation's energy, Ling Yun deliberately loosened his suppression over the two forces within his body, attempting to guide them, to summon them!

Boom—!

An indescribably terrifying pressure erupted from Ling Yun like an ancient primordial beast that had slept for eternity suddenly awakening! No longer was it gentle golden light, but a dark golden pillar of light that seemed capable of tearing apart the heavens, shooting into the sky!

Faintly, a dragon's roar from some primordial wilderness shook the clouds. It was not loud, yet it carried a majesty and tyranny that struck straight into the depths of the soul, making everyone present tremble uncontrollably! High in the sky, an enormous draconic phantom whose full form could not be seen coiled overhead. Chaos Qi swirled around it, and every movement of its scales and claws seemed capable of ripping apart space. It was a power beyond the comprehension of mortal life—supreme, ancient, and noble to the utmost extreme!

Thud!

Su Yuntao, who bore the brunt of it, was directly overwhelmed by this sudden pressure that far exceeded the limits of his understanding. His Soul Power collapsed, his legs gave out, and he crumpled to the ground! His face was white as paper, his lips trembled, and his eyes were filled with extreme terror and disbelief. Pointing at Ling Yun, he made hoarse choking sounds, yet could not utter a single complete sentence!

What... what Martial Soul is this?! A dragon... a dragon-type Martial Soul? No! Impossible! What kind of dragon could possess such might?! Even a Titled Douluo's pressure would be no more than this, right?! Turbulent waves crashed through Su Yuntao's heart.

The watching villagers were even less able to withstand the pressure. Like wheat flattened by a gale, they fell to their knees in droves, shivering so badly they could not even raise their heads. Zhang Hu and his parents had long since been scared senseless. They lay limp on the ground, their trousers soaked.

Yet this was only the beginning!

Before anyone could recover from the earth-shaking phenomenon, another completely different but equally vast and boundless energy blossomed from Ling Yun's body!

A jade-green radiance filled with infinite vitality, gentle and holy, rippled outward from him like a warm tide. A begonia flower of exquisite beauty slowly emerged in his left palm, as though it had been meticulously carved from the finest jade. Its petals layered upon one another, crystalline and translucent, while the pistil at its center gave off a faint golden halo, noble as an emperor. Powerful life energy spread through the area, making everyone whose minds had nearly been torn apart by the terrifying Dragon Might feel as if parched earth had been blessed by sweet rain. An indescribable comfort flowed through their bodies, and even some old hidden injuries seemed to ease.

A Dark Golden Dragon Shadow coiled around his right hand, roaring at the heavens as an aura of destruction spread; a Jade Begonia swayed in his left hand, healing all things as the radiance of life flowed forth.

Two utterly opposing powers, both powerful to the extreme, somehow coexisted perfectly within a single young man!

"Twin... Twin Martial Souls!!" Su Yuntao practically screamed, his voice shrill and distorted. He scrambled to prop himself up, his eyes nearly bulging from their sockets as he stared fixedly at the unimaginable Martial Soul forms in Ling Yun's hands. "God-grade! They're absolutely god-grade Martial Souls! And there are two of them! How is this possible?! There has never been anything like this in the history of Douluo Continent!!"

The entire area fell deathly silent. A pin could have been heard dropping. Everyone seemed to have been frozen in place, staring blankly at the youth in the center of the formation as though gazing upon a god.

Ling Yun slowly opened his eyes. Feeling the two powerful forces surging violently within him yet responding as easily as his own limbs, a sense of security from holding his fate in his own hands rose in his heart. With a thought, he withdrew his Martial Souls. The terrifying Dragon Might and vast life aura immediately receded like a tide, all of it drawing back into his body.

He looked at Su Yuntao, who still sat limp on the ground in a daze, and asked in an incredibly calm voice, "Deacon, may I test my Soul Power now?"

Su Yuntao jolted awake and nearly crawled to the table. His hands shook violently as he picked up the blue crystal ball used to test Soul Power, holding it as though it were some peerless treasure. He respectfully offered it to Ling Yun, his voice carrying a sob and boundless reverence. "Y-Yes! My lord, please! Please!"

He had completely forgotten that the person before him was only a child. Before absolute talent and power, this Soul Grandmaster was as insignificant as an ant.

Ling Yun's expression remained unchanged as he gently pressed his hand against the crystal ball.

The next moment—

Boom!!!

The crystal ball seemed to transform into a genuine miniature sun! Blinding blue light erupted in an instant, devouring all surrounding light and bathing the entire area in azure! Its brilliance far surpassed the faint firefly-like glow from Zhang Hu's test, even exceeding the limit of "Innate Full Soul Power" as Su Yuntao understood it!

The light lasted for several breaths before gradually weakening. On the surface of the costly crystal ball, several fine cracks had actually appeared!

"Innate... Innate Soul Power level twenty!!" Su Yuntao's voice had completely changed, filled with incomprehensible shock and the excitement of witnessing history. "A level never recorded by Spirit Hall... A monster... no, a miracle! This is a miracle!"

Like wildfire sweeping across dry plains, the news instantly ignited the entire village and spread to the surrounding regions at astonishing speed.

Ling Yun ignored Su Yuntao, who had collapsed to the ground. He did not look at the villagers' faces as their former indifference and contempt instantly turned into extreme fear and fawning flattery, nor did he spare a glance for Zhang Hu's family, whose faces were ashen as if their parents had died.

He took from Su Yuntao a certification document whose ink was still wet, stamped with the seal of Spirit Hall and worded with extreme respect—even servility. It clearly stated:

Name: Ling Yun

Martial Souls: Chaos Dragon God (suspected god-grade), Nine-Heart Begonia Emperor (suspected god-grade)

Innate Soul Power: Level twenty

"Thank you, Deacon." Ling Yun carefully put away the document, gave a slight nod to the still-dazed Su Yuntao, then turned and walked away from the small village that had brought his former self endless pain and despair.

His steps were steady and resolute as he headed down the dirt road beyond the village, toward the vast world ahead.

The setting sun stretched his shadow longer and longer.

His destination: Suotuo City, Shrek Academy.

Tang San, we would meet very soon. Were you ready to welcome your nightmare?