Ao Zhan did not think he lacked a Martial Soul.
A Martial Soul was mainly inherited, and Ao Zhan had no biological parents, so in theory, he should not have one.
But he had a system.
The Ultimate War God System had told him he had a Martial Soul, one it had created to suit him. It had promised he would be satisfied.
Of course, that was not what Ao Zhan looked forward to most. What truly excited him was the system's promise that his Alien Energy had not vanished.
But it would only tell him where his vast Alien Energy had gone after he awakened his Martial Soul.
After all, Ao Zhan's Alien Energy had reached fifteen Black Holes!
If he could get that power back, he would be invincible throughout the Douluo Universe!
"My Alien Energy!"
Ao Zhan clenched his fists, too excited for words.
Once he reclaimed his Alien Energy, nobody in the Douluo Universe could tell him what to do.
When Qian Renxue brought Ao Zhan to the place where they would awaken their Martial Souls, he discovered it was the Worship Hall.
The Seven Great Elders and the current Pope, Qian Xunji, had been waiting for some time. They smiled when Ao Zhan and Qian Renxue arrived.
"You're finally here. We've been waiting ages," Azure Luan said with a chuckle.
Qian Renxue puffed out her cheeks. "Only because Brother Zhan went off to fight someone again. Otherwise, we'd have been here ages ago."
The Seven Great Elders and Qian Xunji burst out laughing. They had no trouble believing her.
Ever since Ao Zhan had arrived, he had either been fighting or on his way to a fight. He had beaten up every child here, including the elders' descendants—apart from Qian Renxue.
Being Qian Renxue's playmate had its perks, but it also brought plenty of trouble.
The children of Spirit Hall who were green with envy were one source. The elders' descendants were another.
Compared with those jealous children, the elders' descendants had looked down on him even more at first.
They came from distinguished families and were proud to a fault. Ao Zhan, meanwhile, was a newcomer with no background, yet he was close to Qian Renxue.
To them, it was like a penniless boy courting a wealthy heiress—a toad dreaming of eating swan meat.
But there was a way to change their minds: strength.
The elders' descendants had been taught by the elders and had soaked in medicinal baths since childhood to strengthen their bodies. Even so, Ao Zhan had dealt with them easily.
He had no Alien Energy and had not yet awakened his Martial Soul, but they could not match his combat experience or fighting technique. His stamina was frightening, too, and the longer he fought, the more energetic he became.
So he had knocked them down one by one. When they realized they could not beat him alone, they resorted to ganging up on him.
But his fighting technique was too refined. No matter how many faced him, he still won. The elders' descendants admitted defeat and privately called him the Little War God.
The elders were not angry. Their descendants had always been so arrogant that neither scolding nor punishment got through to them. Day after day, they walked around with their noses in the air.
But after Ao Zhan had dealt with them, they learned that there was always someone stronger. From then on, they trained hard to improve themselves, and the elders were naturally pleased.
"Xiao Zhan, it's good to have some fire in you while you're young, but you should know when to hold back. It wouldn't do to seriously injure someone," Azure Luan said kindly.
Ao Zhan had beaten up many children from Spirit Hall, most of them disciples or descendants of its elders.
Those children would become pillars of Spirit Hall someday, so Azure Luan hoped Ao Zhan would show them some mercy.
Ao Zhan nodded. "I understand, Grandpa Azure Luan."
Calling Azure Luan "Grandpa" did not bother him. He had been eighteen when he crossed into another world in his first life, and although he had spent a hundred thousand years in the Super Beast Armed World, he had only been conscious for a few days of it.
So he saw nothing wrong with treating them as his elders, especially when they had treated him so well.
"All right, all right. Let the youngsters settle their own affairs. Xiao Zhan knows his limits."
Qian Daoliu stepped into the awakening array, which had long been prepared, and addressed Qian Renxue and Ao Zhan. "Which of you will go first?"
"I will."
Qian Renxue raised her little hand and ran over.
"Good. Xue'er, hold out your right hand."
Qian Daoliu smiled kindly and took Qian Renxue's outstretched hand. He then channeled his Soul Power into the six-pointed-star array beneath their feet.
Hum—
Countless particles of light rose from the array and entered Qian Renxue's body.
Qian Renxue closed her eyes. Dazzling, holy golden light shimmered around her, and her blond hair floated in the air. She looked utterly divine.
Then a breathtakingly beautiful Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul appeared behind her.
No one was surprised to see it.
She was the granddaughter of Spirit Hall's current Grand Elder and the daughter of its current Pope. It would have been stranger if her Martial Soul had not been a Six-Winged Angel.
"Come, Xue'er. Let's test your Innate Soul Power."
Qian Daoliu took a crystal ball used to measure Innate Soul Power from his Soul Tool and motioned for Qian Renxue to place her hand on it.
Now everyone held their breath.
If her Innate Soul Power was low—or if she had none at all—then even with a Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul, Qian Renxue could not become a Soul Master or carry the Qian Clan's legacy.
Qian Renxue placed her hand on the ball. Brilliant light erupted from it.
"Level twenty! Her Innate Soul Power is level twenty!"
"Hahaha! Big brother, even you never achieved that!"
The elders' faces flushed with excitement.
Qian Daoliu was just as thrilled. Qian Renxue had reached level twenty Innate Soul Power! Not one Pope or Grand Elder in the Qian Clan's history had ever achieved such a thing.
It was as though the Angel God herself had answered their prayers!
Only after Qian Daoliu's excitement had settled did he turn to Ao Zhan.
"Xiao Zhan, come here."
Qian Renxue stepped out, and Ao Zhan entered the array. Qian Daoliu channeled Soul Power into it.
Ao Zhan closed his eyes. He felt an endless surge of power welling up within him.
Hum—
Dazzling azure light burst forth and enveloped Ao Zhan. Immense life energy surged within it.
"Roar—!"
Terrifying draconic pressure descended without warning. Across the Douluo Continent, everyone who possessed a beast Martial Soul felt their heart tremble.
In the Saintess Palace, Bibi Dong steadied her churning blood and stared toward the Worship Hall in alarm.
"What's going on? Are Qian Daoliu and the others up to something again?!"
Deep beneath the Lake of Life, several colossal creatures opened their eyes in terror.
Inside the Worship Hall, the elders hurriedly circulated their Soul Power to resist. Even the Angel God Statue flickered unsteadily, as though frightened by the draconic pressure.
But Qian Daoliu and the others did not notice. Ao Zhan held all their attention.
The dazzling azure light seemed to hold boundless life energy. Bathed in its glow, Golden Crocodile and the others felt warm and wonderfully comfortable.
When the light faded, a majestic azure divine dragon appeared behind Ao Zhan.
It looked nothing like any dragon Qian Daoliu and the others knew.
Its head resembled a camel's, its horns a deer's, its eyes a rabbit's, its ears an ox's, its belly a mythical clam's, and its scales a fish's.
Its body was long and slender as a snake's. Long whiskers drifted beside its snout, and each of its four feet bore five claws.
It looked both majestic and sacred.
Ao Zhan looked at his Martial Soul and smiled. He knew what it was.
One of the Four Symbols of Heaven from myth and legend, the Eastern Holy Beast—Azure Dragon!
It was also the power he had gained in the Super Beast Armed World.