1: Bro, I Awakened the World-Annihilating Black Lotus, and You Say I'm a Spirit Master of Evil?

In a remote village outside Shrek City, six-year-old Lu Jing looked at the long line ahead of him, his childish face filled with worry and anticipation.

It had been six years since he transmigrated to the Douluo Continent. The moment that would decide his fate had finally arrived.

As long as he awakened a decent martial soul and Innate Soul Power, he was confident he could carve out a place for himself in this chaotic age on the verge of war. After all, even Huo Yuhao, who had only Level One Innate Soul Power, could grow into the Emotion God who stood above the nine heavens. Since he knew so much, there was no reason he could not do the same.

Of course, that was only if he could seize all those opportunities for himself. Otherwise, he would still be finished.

As time passed, it was nearly evening by the time his turn came for Spirit Awakening.

The one conducting it was a young man dressed in lavish clothes, accompanied by a sweet-looking young woman. They looked noble and clearly came from distinguished backgrounds.

"My name is Bei Bei, and I'm a disciple of Shrek Academy. If you awaken a good martial soul and Innate Soul Power, would you be willing to join Shrek Academy?"

Looking at the boy before him, Bei Bei showed no impatience. Instead, he smiled and spoke gently.

"Yes! Of course I would!"

For someone like him right now, as long as they could help him awaken his martial soul, joining Shrek Academy was nothing. Even if they told him to join the Holy Spirit Cult, it would not be that big a problem. After all, this was no longer ten thousand years ago, when Spirit Hall existed and martial souls could be awakened for free.

To put it bluntly, he was poor and had no backing. Otherwise, why would he need to be so humble?

"That'll do!"

Bei Bei nodded in satisfaction. Then, under Tang Ya's and the surrounding villagers' watchful gazes, he began Lu Jing's Spirit Awakening.

As Bei Bei poured in his Soul Power, a brilliant golden light shone from Lu Jing's body.

Very soon, the golden light faded, replaced by darkness black as ink.

It was a black lotus, its entire form condensed from the purest aura of annihilating chaos. Its blackness was unfathomable, as though it could devour all light. Its petals overlapped layer upon layer, each one seemingly forged from black crystal, with dark golden Dao patterns flowing along their edges. Yet it also radiated a bone-chilling aura of deathly silence and destruction.

The lotus platform was covered in ancient, profound runes of annihilation. These runes had not been inscribed afterward; they had been born alongside the black lotus, manifestations of the laws of chaotic destruction.

At times, the runes faded, making the black lotus appear ancient and unadorned. At other times, they shone brightly, and the destructive ripples they emitted caused the surrounding space itself to ripple, as though it could collapse at any moment.

At the heart of the lotus burned an eternal flame of black annihilation. The black flame was utterly silent, yet it possessed the terrifying power to burn away everything, including time and space. Deep within its core, countless worlds could vaguely be seen cycling through birth and destruction. This was the manifestation of the chaotic destructive essence contained within the World-Annihilating Black Lotus.

The instant the golden light vanished, the pitch-black lotus floated above Lu Jing's palm, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze.

The smile on Bei Bei's face stiffened. His outstretched hand stopped in midair, and a trace of shock and suspicion flashed through his eyes—he had never seen such a bizarre martial soul before. The destructive aura within that pure darkness even made his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul stir restlessly.

Tang Ya covered her mouth, her sweet face full of astonishment. Even her breathing grew lighter. The villagers were utterly silent as well. The anticipation in their eyes had been completely replaced by shock, and they looked at the black lotus as though it were some savage beast.

The silence lasted for three breaths before someone in the back of the crowd suddenly shrieked, "Spirit Master of Evil! That's the martial soul of a Spirit Master of Evil!"

Like a thunderclap exploding from flat ground, the villagers instantly erupted.

The words "Spirit Master of Evil" were like poisoned needles, viciously piercing everyone's hearts—who had not heard the tales of Spirit Masters of Evil slaughtering living beings? Those demons who nourished their martial souls through slaughter had always been synonymous with disaster.

"Kill him! We can't let a Spirit Master of Evil bring ruin upon the village!" An elderly man with a wrinkled face roared as he leaned on his cane, vicious light bursting from his clouded eyes.

"Master Bei Bei, Master Tang Ya, hurry and do something!"

Someone shouted at Bei Bei and Tang Ya, "There's clearly something wrong with this brat! Keeping him alive will only bring disaster!"

"That's right! Get rid of him! We can't take that gamble!"

Roars of rage and fear rose one after another. The villagers gripped hoes and sickles as they advanced step by step, looking at Lu Jing as if he were already a corpse.

They did not care whether the child really was a Spirit Master of Evil. They only knew that if he truly was one, this remote village would be the first to suffer.

Lu Jing's entire body shook, and all color drained from his childish face. He instinctively clenched his fists, the black lotus trembling slightly with his movements as he retorted, "I'm not a Spirit Master of Evil! This is the World-Annihilating Black Lotus, it's—"

"World-annihilating?"

A burly man cut him off, spittle flying as he shouted angrily, "You're talking about annihilating the world, and you still dare say you're not a Spirit Master of Evil? I think you're a spy sent by Spirit Masters of Evil!"

"Exactly! He must be here to harm us!"

Lu Jing trembled with rage, his chest heaving violently as his furious gaze swept over the savage faces around him.

He knew better than anyone that in this era, once one was branded a "Spirit Master of Evil," there were only two paths: be hunted to death, or truly defect to the Holy Spirit Cult. Both were dead ends!

At that moment, Bei Bei moved.

His eyes narrowed as blue light surged around him. His Soul Power erupted without restraint, and he threw a punch at Lu Jing's face with the roar of a dragon. He could not take that gamble. Shrek's duty was to protect others. Even if the other party was only a child, as long as there was the slightest threat, he had to act.

Lu Jing's pupils contracted sharply. At the brink of life and death, his body's instincts overwhelmed his fear. He suddenly swung his right hand, sending the World-Annihilating Black Lotus toward the incoming fist.

Bang!

The instant fist and lotus collided, a terrifying shockwave exploded outward. Bei Bei felt as though his fist had struck a chunk of black iron containing destructive power, numbing his entire arm. Lu Jing, meanwhile, was like someone struck by a boulder, sent flying backward before crashing hard onto the ground.

Although he was not seriously injured, he did not dare hesitate or linger. He hurriedly scrambled to his feet, the World-Annihilating Black Lotus spinning behind him as the black aura it emitted forced back the villagers approaching him.

He glanced at Bei Bei, who was closing in step by step, and at the villagers whose eyes were filled with killing intent. Gritting his teeth, he turned and sprinted toward the dark forest beyond the village—the Star Dou Great Forest was the only refuge he could think of.

"Don't let him get away!"

"Chase him!"

The shouts rang out behind him. Lu Jing did not dare look back. His small figure staggered through the twilight, the World-Annihilating Black Lotus in his palm emitting a faint dark glow that illuminated his face, streaked with tears and resolve.

He knew that from this moment onward, his path was destined to be paved with blood and fire amid suspicion and pursuit.