"Hmph." Golden Crocodile Douluo grunted at Qian Yu, then vanished in a flash and appeared in front of the Awakening Platform without looking back.
The Awakening Platform stood in the center of a hexagram formation made of six black stones. A flawless crystal ball was embedded in it.
Golden Crocodile Douluo forced a smile at Qian Renxue. "Xiao Xue, go stand in the center of the hexagram." Then he urged his Soul Power into motion.
The hexagram blazed with light.
"Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul." The instant Qian Renxue raised her small palm at the heart of the formation, searing golden radiance erupted from within her. Six angel wings, solid as reality, unfurled behind her, while holy white light wrapped her in a sacred pressure.
"Truly worthy of the Angel Clan's heir. She awakened a god-tier Martial Soul, the Six-Winged Angel." Thousand Jun Douluo congratulated Qian Daoliu.
Qian Daoliu wasn't surprised. With parents as talented as Qian Xunji and Bibi Dong, how could their child be anything less?
Staring at the dazzling Six-Winged Angel, Golden Crocodile Douluo froze for a moment. Then he came to his senses and continued, "Xiao Xue, put your hand on this crystal ball."
Qian Renxue did as Golden Crocodile Douluo asked.
"Ding, ding, ding." The crystal ball shifted from white to purple, then black, and finally red.
"Innate Full Soul Power?" Thousand Jun Douluo, the Sixth Worship, and Demon Subduing Douluo, the Seventh Worship, exchanged glances, both overjoyed.
Qian Daoliu remained perfectly composed, as if everything had gone according to plan.
Golden Crocodile Douluo's face was calm, revealing no joy or anger.
Jin Guang clenched his fists, teeth gritted as he watched Qian Renxue on the Awakening Platform.
Qian Yu remained calm. Familiar with the original story, he knew Qian Renxue's potential went far beyond this.
Sure enough, as time passed—
"Crack." The crystal ball shattered.
"More than Innate Full Soul Power?" Golden Crocodile Douluo stared in astonishment, then took an even more brilliant crystal ball from his Soul Tool.
"Xiao Xue, put your hand on it again." Golden Crocodile Douluo's expression was unreadable.
"Ding, ding, ding, ding." The crystal ball shifted from white to purple, then black, then red, and finally surged toward orange.
"Heavens! Level 20 Innate Full Soul Power!" Thousand Jun Douluo and Demon Subduing Douluo were utterly stunned.
"Oldest brother, you've got yourself a fine granddaughter." Golden Crocodile Douluo, now steadying his trembling hand, offered his congratulations to Qian Daoliu.
"Hahahaha!" Qian Daoliu burst into laughter.
Qian Renxue was overjoyed, too.
Jin Guang pressed his lips together and said nothing.
Qian Yu forced a smile and gave Qian Renxue a thumbs-up.
"Brother Qian Yu, you're next." With that, Qian Renxue stepped down from the Awakening Platform.
Unexpectedly, Golden Crocodile Douluo shot a vicious glare toward Qian Yu, then barked at Jin Guang.
"Next is Jin Guang."
"Grandpa Golden Crocodile, ladies first." Qian Renxue still tried to get Qian Yu a turn.
Qian Yu shook his head.
Qian Daoliu also chided Qian Renxue. "Xiao Xue."
"All right!" Jin Guang was ecstatic. Ignoring his pain, he shuffled forward, his entire body wrapped in bandages.
"Focus. Steady your mind," Golden Crocodile Douluo called out.
Golden Crocodile Douluo activated his Soul Power. Jin Guang stood at the center of the formation, and as he raised his tender little hand, a powerful, weighty surge of earth-and-gold Soul Power swept forth. The phantom head of a dark-golden crocodile appeared behind him. Its scales were forged like black iron, and its jaws gleamed with cold light. The moment the Golden Crocodile King Martial Soul took shape, fine cracks spread across the stone beneath them, and its pressure drew everyone's gaze.
"What a domineering Golden Crocodile King. Its Martial Soul quality even surpasses Second Worship's Golden Crocodile King." Thousand Jun Douluo continued his appraisal.
"Not bad." Feeling the extraordinary quality of his grandson's Golden Crocodile King, Golden Crocodile Douluo smiled.
"Could this be another genius with Innate Full Soul Power?" Demon Subduing Douluo muttered to himself.
His voice wasn't loud, but everyone present heard him clearly.
"Not bad." Even Qian Daoliu couldn't help admiring the quality of Jin Guang's Martial Soul. It was probably every bit as good as the continent's number-one Beast Martial Soul, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.
"Jin Guang, put your hand on the crystal ball." Hearing everyone's praise, Golden Crocodile Douluo gently urged Jin Guang.
Feeling the incomparably powerful Golden Crocodile King behind him, Jin Guang was thrilled. He hurriedly put his hand on the crystal ball.
"Innate Full Soul Power. Innate Full Soul Power." Jin Guang kept repeating to himself.
"Ding, ding, ding." The crystal ball changed from white to purple, then black, and finally surged toward red.
"Innate Full Soul Power?" Seeing how close the crystal ball was to turning bright red, Thousand Jun Douluo guessed uncertainly.
"Another one with Innate Full Soul Power? No wonder he's the grandson of a Super Douluo." Qian Yu couldn't help but marvel at the strength of Martial Soul inheritance on Douluo Continent. In ordinary circumstances, unless a Martial Soul underwent a mutation, the stronger the parent's Martial Soul, the stronger the one inherited by the next generation.
"Jin Guang, your Soul Power is level 9.5." At first, Golden Crocodile Douluo had thought Jin Guang's Innate Soul Power was level 10.
Only after carefully examining the crystal ball did he realize Jin Guang was just short of full Soul Power.
"Hmph." Golden Crocodile Douluo was a little displeased, but then he thought of the Golden Crocodile King's extraordinary quality.
He turned to Jin Guang and said kindly, "Go back and cultivate properly. Reach level 10 as soon as possible, and don't slack off."
"Hmph." Deeply moved, Jin Guang turned toward Qian Yu and gave him a provocative look.
"Hmph, what are you so smug about?" Qian Renxue muttered in annoyance.
Qian Yu shook his head slightly.
Will I even have a Martial Soul? Qian Yu wasn't sure.
"Next, Qian Yu!" Golden Crocodile Douluo called out his name.
"Good luck, Brother Qian Yu!"
"Mm." Qian Daoliu gave him an encouraging look.
Qian Yu stepped into the center of the Awakening Platform, feeling the wonder of the hexagram.
Golden Crocodile Douluo immediately released his immense Soul Power.
At six years old, Qian Yu underwent his Martial Soul Awakening. The hexagram formation in the Worship Hall branch rippled with pale golden light. Standing at its center, he raised his hand, and a sharp surge of metallic Soul Power burst forth. The phantom of a Desert Eagle took shape in his palm, its lines stark and cold, its gunmetal body gleaming with a dull silver sheen. A keen aura of power swirled faintly around the muzzle, its weapon-type Martial Soul's razor-sharp presence pressing in on everyone.
Everyone's gaze was drawn to Qian Yu's strange Martial Soul.
"What kind of Martial Soul is that?" Thousand Jun Douluo asked curiously, staring at Qian Yu's strange Martial Soul.
"Hmph, a pile of scrap metal." Golden Crocodile Douluo was well-traveled and knowledgeable. Looking at Qian Yu's ordinary-looking metal object, he dismissed it casually.
"Ah!" At first, Qian Daoliu hadn't believed it either. But even after searching through every memory, he couldn't identify this kind of Martial Soul.
Like Golden Crocodile Douluo, he could only assume Qian Yu's Martial Soul was a piece of scrap metal.
Qian Renxue clenched her fists, as if she wanted to rush over and hug Qian Yu.
"Desert Eagle?" Looking at the metal Martial Soul above his head, Qian Yu was overjoyed.
In his previous life, he'd been a special forces soldier, and he knew guns better than anything. The weapon before him was his favorite: a Desert Eagle, the king of close combat.
No one noticed Qian Yu's expression. Jin Guang watched him on the Awakening Platform with a smug look, while Golden Crocodile Douluo snorted. "Qian Yu, aren't you getting down?"
"Second Worship, I haven't tested my Soul Power yet." Qian Yu met Golden Crocodile Douluo's eyes without cowering.
Everyone was drawn to Qian Yu's words once more.
"You..." Golden Crocodile Douluo was about to reprimand him.
"Mm!" But under Qian Daoliu's gaze, he held his tongue.
"Hmph. Put your hand on the crystal ball," Golden Crocodile Douluo snapped.
Before you continue