Awakening, Mystic Thunder Tiger King

Heaven Dou Empire, Thunder Tiger Marquis Manor.

As a marquis manor in the empire's second tier, it was rather elegant, without any of the nobles' bad habits of extravagance and obsession with pomp.

"After six years of transmigrating, the day of my Martial Soul awakening is finally almost here."

Early that morning, in a courtyard of the Marquis Manor, Gu Ci lay on a recliner, listlessly reading about strange happenings across the continent. Tension was impossible to hide on his chubby little face.

Today was the day his Martial Soul would awaken. Whether he would become a dragon or a worm depended on this awakening.

"Perhaps my talent won't be too bad either."

Gu Ci sighed. As the only son of Marquis Thunder Tiger, a character who had never appeared in the original story, he was still somewhat uneasy.

The Gu Family's inherited Martial Soul, the Mystic Thunder Tiger, had mutated in Gu Ci's grandfather's generation. It had passed to Gu Ci's father, and only if it passed down to him could it truly be considered stable.

The Mystic Thunder Tiger, a high-grade Martial Soul born from mutation, was indeed quite formidable.

His father, Marquis Thunder Tiger Gu Xiao, was now over forty and already a level 72 Soul Saint.

His mother was likewise a level 65 Soul Emperor.

"Unless something unexpected happens, I should inherit the Mystic Thunder Tiger as well. My Innate Soul Power will probably be around level seven."

Gu Ci could accept that.

After all, he had a cheat.

The Gu Family was a newly risen noble house in the Heaven Dou Empire. By rights, they were not qualified to become marquises. They owed it all to one man.

The renowned Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo!

Gu Ci's grandfather and Dugu Bo had been childhood friends who grew up together. During a conflict with others, Gu Ci's grandfather had died protecting Dugu Bo's retreat.

Thus, Gu Xiao was nominally Dugu Bo's adopted son. Whether through leveraging that connection or because the Heaven Dou Empire wanted to win over Dugu Bo, Gu Xiao had been granted the title of Marquis as an exception.

Of duke, marquis, count, viscount, and baron, a marquis already held a respectable position in the Heaven Dou Empire.

"I never expected that in this life, Dugu Yan and I would be childhood sweethearts."

"I'll have to find a chance to visit Dugu Bo's Immortal Herb Garden someday. Otherwise, wouldn't I just be handing it over to Tang God King for free?"

As Gu Ci pondered this, a little girl with green hair and green eyes appeared behind him without him noticing.

The little girl tiptoed toward Gu Ci, who was lying on the recliner, then stretched out her chubby little hands and covered his eyes.

"Guess who I am?"

"Hmm, if I had to guess, it definitely isn't Yanyan."

"Tch, no fun at all. Come on, Grandpa is already with Uncle Gu. Let's go awaken our Martial Souls."

Using all her strength, the little girl dragged Gu Ci off the recliner and pulled him toward the Marquis Manor's reception hall.

There were no outsiders in the reception hall. Only a thin, bamboo-pole-like figure in dark green, a robust and vigorous man, and a beautiful woman whose charm had yet to fade were present.

These three were Dugu Bo and Gu Ci's parents.

"Grandpa, Uncle Gu, I brought Brother Gu Ci."

Dugu Yan tugged Gu Ci by the hand as she entered the room.

Seeing the two little ones arrive, Dugu Bo forced a faint smile onto his face.

"Since both children are here, let's awaken their Martial Souls directly."

With Dugu Bo present, the two did not need to go to a designated place for their awakenings.

"Greetings, Grandpa Dugu, Father, Mother."

"Mm, Little Ci is thoughtful."

Dugu Bo had a rather good impression of Gu Ci. He was polite and refined, unlike his own granddaughter, who was lawless and unruly—a genuine Demon Pill.

"Which of you two will go first?"

Dugu Bo arranged the array and infused it with Soul Power. Instantly, a soft white glow enveloped the entire hall.

"Grandpa Dugu, I'll go first."

Gu Ci was holding Dugu Yan's hand and could naturally feel that her palm was already sweaty.

This little girl looked like she feared neither heaven nor earth. How could she be so timid?

Gu Ci stood within the Awakening Array, carefully sensing his body's call toward his Martial Soul.

Gu Xiao stood to one side, somewhat nervous. The Mystic Thunder Tiger Martial Soul was a high-grade Martial Soul mutated from an ordinary one. Though he had inherited it, that did not mean this mutated Martial Soul could be passed down stably.

If his son's Martial Soul regressed, then knowing his son as he did, Gu Ci would definitely be unable to accept it.

"Don't worry. Ci'er has been exceptionally intelligent since childhood. He will naturally awaken a powerful Martial Soul."

Gu's Mother, Li Wanyue, offered a soft reassurance, though she herself was extremely nervous as well.

After all, they only had this one son. Naturally, they hoped he would awaken a powerful Martial Soul.

Whether he inherited Gu Xiao's Mystic Thunder Tiger or Li Wanyue's Eye Martial Soul, they only prayed that his Innate Soul Power would not be too low.

"Brother Gu Ci, you have to do your best!"

Dugu Yan cheered him on.

Gu Ci stood within the array, carefully sensing the changes in his body.

Suddenly, his entire body trembled as if struck by lightning, and a tiger's roar rang out in his mind.

The roar came from within him before resounding throughout the entire hall.

At the same time, crackling arcs of electricity emerged across Gu Ci's body, while a majestic tiger wreathed in blue lightning appeared behind him.

The tiger possessed an extraordinary aura, carrying the imposing might to dominate all beasts.

"Good, good, good!"

"As expected of my son. He really inherited the Mystic Thunder Tiger Martial Soul. Judging by that aura, he's even fiercer than I was back then."

The tiger behind Gu Ci had some subtle differences in appearance from Gu Xiao's Mystic Thunder Tiger Martial Soul.

"Not bad. The Mystic Thunder Tiger is an exceptionally powerful existence among high-grade Martial Souls. Test your Innate Soul Power."

Dugu Bo nodded. Back when he and Gu Ci's grandfather had roamed the continent together, his Jade Scale Snake Martial Soul had been slightly inferior to the Mystic Thunder Tiger before it evolved.

After all, the tiger was the king of beasts. Combined now with the Thunder Attribute, renowned for attack and speed, it was naturally one of the finest Assault-type Beast Martial Souls.

Not only was its strength tremendous, but its speed was equally impressive.

Gu Ci nodded and accepted the Soul Power Test Crystal from Dugu Bo. He injected a thread of Soul Power into it, instantly lighting up most of its interior.

"Judging by the brightness of the Soul Power Crystal, Ci'er's Innate Soul Power has reached level eight and a half. What a little genius!"

"What? Innate Soul Power at level eight and a half?"

Gu Xiao was astonished. When he had awakened level seven Soul Power, the quality of the Mystic Thunder Tiger had already made him nearly unmatched among those at the same rank. It had even given him the potential to reach the Soul Douluo realm in this lifetime.

Now that Gu Ci had awakened with an aptitude of level eight and a half, his Mystic Thunder Tiger Martial Soul had reached the quality of a Tiger King, barely entering the ranks of top-tier Martial Souls.

"My good son, your Martial Soul isn't the Mystic Thunder Tiger. It's the Mystic Thunder Tiger King!"

"If your Soul Power were a little higher, reaching level nine or above, it would be the Mystic Thunder Tiger Emperor."

"Still, even with Innate Soul Power at level eight and a half, my son is a genius!"

"My son Gu Ci has the potential to become a Titled Douluo!"

Upon hearing those words, Gu Ci's expression changed drastically.

"Father, you can't say that. You absolutely can't. We need to keep a low profile."

There had once been a talented young man surnamed Wang who had been cursed to death by his father's similar words.

Gu Ci did not want to die halfway through his journey before his ambitions had even begun.

"The Mystic Thunder Tiger King Martial Soul is pretty good too."

"Innate Soul Power at level eight and a half is acceptable as well. After all, how could there be so many people with Innate Full Soul Power in this era? Apart from geniuses with level nine Innate Soul Power, I'm considered part of the second tier."

"At least I haven't fallen too far behind at the starting stage. Once I consume Immortal Herbs, I naturally won't fear anyone else."