Call Me Dad! (Please Bookmark!!!)

"Mm."

"How much time has passed?"

"Five hundred years. Five hundred years..."

At the peak of Moon Gazing Mountain outside Moon Gazing Village, a soul that had slept for five hundred years finally awakened.

Recalling what he had gone through, Chen Ming could not help but sigh.

After transmigrating to Douluo Continent, he had not arrived at any of its major ten-thousand-year turning points, but rather a thousand years after the Sea God became a god.

By then, Shrek had already become a continental giant, the Tang Sect was at the height of its power, and the splendor of the seven deities felt like only yesterday. Chen Ming had awakened his Martial Soul—his soul itself, in other words, a spiritual body similar to the body within a Body Martial Soul. Chen Ming's Martial Soul was his own soul.

However, Evil Soul Masters had run rampant at the time, disrupting order across the entire continent. Because of his Martial Soul, Chen Ming had also been classified as an Evil Soul Master and repeatedly hunted by Shrek and the Tang Sect, leaving him with countless injuries to his origin. Even with Innate Full Soul Power, he had ultimately stopped at the rank of Titled Douluo.

Fortunately, thanks to the characteristics of his Martial Soul, he had abandoned his injured body and delved into the mysteries of his Martial Soul. After death, he successfully preserved his soul, making preparations in advance and locking away all his memories and consciousness to prevent their loss. A thousand years later, he had successfully reincarnated.

Life after life, after resolving the trouble of reincarnation, he had to face the Sea God's pursuit again. Finally, in his eighth life, Chen Ming erupted. He forcefully became a god, condensed a Demigod Position, and took advantage of Destruction being on duty to enter the God Realm under the pretext of further condensing a complete god position.

After entering the God Realm, he triggered the God of Time's god position and clashed with Tang San. In the end, he detonated the God of Time's god position, throwing the God Realm into chaos.

Chen Ming himself had taken the opportunity to reincarnate once more, his soul passing through the cleansing of the Gate of Reincarnation before being reborn.

"Although I needed to condense this body, I still waited five hundred years for this great era."

Chen Ming carefully recalled the scenes buried deep within his memories.

"Regardless of how my first eight lives affected Douluo Star, the ten-thousand-year juncture has arrived. The conflict between the Sun Moon and Douluo, as well as the contradiction between Soul Masters and soul beasts, have both reached their peak. Even without Huo Yuhao, this would inevitably be the time when the plane's internal fate churned most violently. Only in such an era will I have the chance to challenge the rank of God King."

In his previous life, Chen Ming had forcefully become a god. Even if he had fully condensed that god position, he would at most have become a Second-Rank God. The reason was simple: he lacked fate and faith.

"This time, I will succeed!"

"I must succeed!"

At the peak of Moon Gazing Mountain, a ball of light flickered between brightness and dimness, radiating a hazy glow.

"Five hundred years of Sun Moon Essence, along with the Life Gold I cut down from the Star Dou Great Forest last time—there won't be any problem using them to nurture a body."

After reincarnating again and again, Chen Ming had no intention of taking the conventional path in this ninth life. He intended to be born of heaven and earth, creating a perfect Innate Spiritual Body.

"Only because I consciously experienced reincarnation so many times, along with the research I did during those years after becoming a god, can I attempt this."

As Chen Ming muttered to himself, his soul entered the ball of light.

A jade-green speck of light within the sphere swiftly blossomed, its radiance in turn enveloping the ball of light.

The shape of the ball began to change.

As day and night alternated, the ball of light atop the mountain gradually developed a head and limbs from its initial spherical form, slowly transforming toward a human shape.

Ten months later.

The light drew inward, and a baby with a body like polished jade fell to the ground.

The baby did not cry. Instead, he stared in one direction with his round, rolling eyes. His large eyes seemed to shine; even from far away, one could sense those two lively gazes.

About two and a half hours later, an excited voice rang out.

"Hahaha, I made it up!"

"I should be the first person to climb Moon Gazing Mountain. The summit really is different, uh—"

The excited voice abruptly stopped.

A young man around twenty rubbed his eyes and looked toward the two tiny points of light brimming with spirit.

He cautiously stepped forward, only daring to confirm when he was about twenty meters from Chen Ming that it was a baby!

"Oh my heavens!"

Chen Dong was utterly shocked and hurried over to the baby.

Looking at the naked infant without even a swaddling cloth, Chen Dong was momentarily stunned by how heartless the child's parents were.

"Th-this... This child is so beautiful, with those big, dark eyes and such delicate features. Who could be so cruel as to abandon him here?"

He held Chen Ming up by pinching him with both hands, turning him over and examining him from every angle.

As if realizing something, Chen Dong hurriedly slapped that round little butt.

"Cry! Hurry up and cry!"

Chen Ming was on the verge of a complete mental breakdown.

Of course, he knew what Chen Dong was worried about. He could only cover his butt with his tiny hands while bawling loudly.

"Phew, that's good."

Chen Dong breathed a sigh of relief, then examined Chen Ming's condition.

"I can't see any congenital defects either."

Scratching his head, his eyes flickered with conflict. Finally, as he looked into Chen Ming's lively big eyes, he gritted his teeth and made a decision.

"Little fellow, I'll give you a chance."

Chen Dong held Chen Ming up in front of him and said solemnly, "I'll put you down in a moment. If you crawl toward me, I'll take you home and raise you. If you crawl toward the cliff, I won't force you. You can stay here, and I'll go down the mountain by myself."

After saying that, he placed Chen Ming on the ground facing him, then stepped back three paces.

Chen Ming: "..."

Without any hesitation, he immediately crawled forward.

"Ah, fate."

Chen Dong sighed emotionally. The burden in his heart lifted as well. He took off his outer garment, wrapped Chen Ming in it, and carried the little thing down the mountain.

Along the way, Chen Dong considered every possible explanation he could give his family. Every step he took felt rather heavy.

Six years later.

"Old Chen, Old Chen—"

"You little brat, don't call me that!"

Chen Dong wiped his face and reluctantly got up. Taking advantage of Chen Ming not paying attention, he grabbed the back of his collar and lifted him up.

"Call me Dad!"

Chen Ming did not comply, instead changing the subject.

"Today is the day for Martial Soul awakening. Hurry up and wash up. You need to take me to awaken my Martial Soul."

Chen Dong fell silent and put Chen Ming down.

"Little Ming, children on Douluo Continent can awaken their Martial Souls at the age of six, but they need a Soul Master to guide the awakening."

"Huh?"

Chen Ming put on an expression of confusion.

"You have to pay money to awaken a Martial Soul. Only for ten Gold Soul Coins will a Soul Master from town come and help with the awakening." Chen Dong gave a bitter smile. "I'm already twenty-six this year, and I still don't have a Martial Soul."

"I heard that the Sea God from ten thousand years ago also came from a small village. Back then, Martial Soul awakenings were free."

Chen Dong did not answer Chen Ming directly.

One Gold Soul Coin was enough to cover several months of living expenses for an ordinary family of three. Ten Gold Soul Coins were enough to feed a family of three for two or three years.

And awakening a Martial Soul did not necessarily mean one would have Soul Power.

Or, more realistically, awakening a Martial Soul basically never resulted in Soul Power!

Without even a stable means of awakening Martial Souls, the odds of producing a Golden Phoenix were naturally extremely low.

Using two or three years' worth of food money for a family of three on an awakening—if it failed, the family would likely have to tighten their belts for quite some time.

"Our family only has three Gold Soul Coins in total right now."

Chen Dong had actually been doing his best to save money over the past few years. Although Chen Ming ate far more than other children, he was still just a child. Chen Dong worked hard tending those few plots of land, enough to support them and save a little money, but only a little.

Three Gold Soul Coins were already the result of his utmost effort.

To be honest, Chen Dong felt that Chen Ming was a whole level more spiritually gifted than other children. In his heart, if Chen Ming truly awakened his Martial Soul, he would definitely have Soul Power.

But he simply could not come up with the money.

As for borrowing money...

Three nights ago, after Chen Ming had fallen asleep, he had visited more than ten households one after another. Unfortunately, there were truly many children in the village this year, each one appearing quite gifted. Their families were all preparing to take a chance, so he could not gather enough at all.

Left with no other choice, he could only make an agreement with several close families to pool their efforts over the next year and save ten Gold Soul Coins, allowing Chen Ming to awaken his Martial Soul when he turned seven.

"Little Ming, I've heard that even if someone with Soul Power fails to awaken at age six, they can still awaken on their own later. You've been smart since you were little, so you definitely have Soul Power. Even if you can't awaken this year, you'll awaken on your own sooner or later."

Chen Dong first used this "common sense" to soothe Chen Ming, then was about to mention saving money to let him awaken next year.

Chen Ming's voice interrupted him.

"Awaken on my own? So that's what this is called—awakening on my own!"

"What did you say?"

"I said I awakened my Martial Soul on my own."

Chen Ming stared at Chen Dong with his lively big eyes.

For a moment, the two simply stared at each other.

Chen Dong immediately understood that the brat had been acting all morning.

"You little rascal! When did this happen?"

"Last night."

As Chen Ming spoke, he raised his right hand, where faint blue fluorescence flickered in and out of sight.

"Soul Power! Little Ming, you really do have Soul Power!" Chen Dong cried excitedly.

"Old Chen, you said awakening a Martial Soul requires Soul Power to guide it. Since I have Soul Power now, does that mean I can help you awaken your Martial Soul?"

Chen Dong grew even more excited, his breathing quickening.

Chen Ming took a step back, his eyes shifting.

The moment he saw that, Chen Dong knew the brat was up to no good.

Chen Ming raised his little chin, as though he had been waiting for this exact moment.

"Call me Brother Ming. Call me Brother Ming, and I'll awaken yours."

Chen Dong's face darkened.