Douluo Continent was vast and boundless, with countless races standing side by side and Soul Masters reigning supreme.
On the boundless sea east of the continent lay a mysterious island, cut off from the world—the Sea God Island.
The island was wrapped in gentle sea breezes year-round. Sunlight filtered through thin clouds, spilling over the shimmering sea and across the island's neatly arranged buildings.
Seahorse Holy City, one of the Sea God Island's central cities, was now immersed in a solemn atmosphere tinged with anticipation.
A long line wound along the city's main street, filled entirely with children who had turned six.
Today was the day of their annual Martial Soul Awakening.
Ye Qing stood near the middle of the line, his dark eyes fixed on the Awakening Platform up ahead, his palms slick with sweat.
After living in this world for six years, he understood better than anyone what Martial Soul Awakening meant.
It wasn't a simple ceremony. It was a chasm that divided one life from another.
On Douluo Continent, the only way to rise above one's station, escape mediocrity, become a revered Soul Master, and even reach the summit as a powerful figure was to rely on one's Martial Soul and Innate Soul Power.
Martial Souls were the root of all things. They could be tools, beasts, or manifestations of the elements, and their quality directly determined a Soul Master's strength.
Innate Soul Power, meanwhile, was the foundation of a Soul Master's cultivation. The higher one's Innate Soul Power, the faster one could start, and the more limitless one's future would be.
But the problem was that aside from top-tier figures like Bo Saixi, who possessed a God-Bestowed Martial Soul, or special forces like the Qian Family of Spirit Hall, who had inherited a god's legacy, the Martial Souls of most people were passed down entirely from their parents.
Commoner parents could only give birth to commoner children.
The commoners of Sea God Island had made their living by fishing for generations.
Their Martial Souls were nothing but fishing nets, ordinary sea fish, wooden oars, and other Trash Martial Souls.
Even if they had a trace of Innate Soul Power, it was pitifully low. They could only remain trapped on this island their entire lives, repeating their parents' way of life, with no hope of ever getting ahead.
There were exceptions now and then.
Take Ma Hongjun, far away on the mainland. His parents' Martial Souls were merely ordinary chickens, yet a Martial Soul Mutation transformed his into the powerful Beast Martial Soul, the Evil Fire Phoenix. He soared to the heavens, rising straight from commoner to prodigy.
But how slim were the odds of such a mutation?
Ye Qing chuckled bitterly to himself. The chances were hundreds, even thousands of times slimmer than winning five million in the lottery in his previous life.
What was more, Martial Soul Mutations didn't always take a turn for the better.
More often, they weakened a Martial Soul, or even turned it into a completely useless Trash Martial Soul.
Rather than defying fate, such mutations could send one's natural talent plummeting.
Just like Yu Xiaogang and Tang Yuehua.
Fortunately, though, he had transmigrated here. He had no so-called parents, and naturally wouldn't be affected by inheritance.
He just had no idea what kind of thing he would Awaken.
"It's your turn, child. Come on up."
The one in charge of the Martial Soul Awakening was a middle-aged Soul Master from Seahorse Holy City. He wore a plain purple Soul Master's robe and had a warm smile on his face.
He looked at Ye Qing with the usual kindness reserved for commoner children, though there was also a hint of barely perceptible indifference in his eyes.
In his view, this orphan with no parents would most likely Awaken an unremarkable Martial Soul, just like the other commoner children.
Ye Qing stepped forward, feeling faint waves of Soul Power beneath his feet.
Following the Awakener's earlier instructions, he slowly closed his eyes, straightened up, and waited quietly for the Awakener to channel his Soul Power.
A faint blue Soul Power shimmered at the middle-aged Awakener's fingertips. Gentle yet steady, it flowed toward Ye Qing's body. This was the crucial step in rousing his Martial Soul.
At first, Ye Qing felt only a warm force coursing through his limbs and body. He felt cozy all over, with no unusual sensations.
But the very next second, a violent tremor suddenly pulsed in his dantian, as if some being that had slept for billions of years were slowly awakening!
"Hm?"
The Awakener, who had been watching casually from below the platform, suddenly let out a surprised murmur, a flicker of astonishment in his eyes.
A wisp of exceedingly faint golden light began to glow around Ye Qing.
The light looked weak, yet carried an indescribable sense of holiness. Bit by bit, it drove away the ordinary Soul Power around him.
At first, it was only a faint glimmer, but within moments, the golden light grew visibly stronger, like golden clouds winding around Ye Qing and enveloping him.
The dazzling light made the onlookers squint. They couldn't help letting out soft gasps of amazement.
Under everyone's gaze, the golden light churned violently, gradually transforming into a blazing crimson glow, like burning flames.
A scorching heat spread out from Ye Qing. The cool sea breeze turned sweltering in an instant, and the islanders around him instinctively backed away, their faces full of shock.
This kind of phenomenon was definitely not something an ordinary Martial Soul could produce!
The crimson light grew denser, twisting and gathering in the air until at last, a majestic, sacred phantom slowly took shape—
It wore armor made of radiant feathers, stood tall and straight, and was wreathed in blazing flames. Six luminous wings unfurled behind it, radiating supreme majesty and holiness. It was an Angel Phantom!
An Angel Martial Soul!
Everyone present froze at the sight, as though they'd just witnessed something unbelievable.
"A-Angel Martial Soul?!"
It was a long time before the Awakener managed to speak. His voice trembled and came out hoarse, filled with disbelief. "How is this possible?!"
This was Sea God Island! A sacred land where generations had worshiped the Sea God and cultivated Sea God Soul Power!
The islanders' Martial Souls had always been related to the sea and its fish. There had never been an Angel Martial Soul—and there absolutely shouldn't be one here!
Didn't such a sacred Martial Soul exist only in legends, belonging to the inheritors of the Angel God on the far side of the continent?
How could it appear in an orphaned commoner from Sea God Island?!
Just as everyone was utterly stunned and unable to recover, a brilliant blue pillar of light suddenly burst through the heavens!
A vast and mighty force, seemingly containing the will of the entire ocean, descended from above. Space trembled faintly wherever it passed, and an incomparable divine pressure instantly enveloped the entire Sea God Island!
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