Thunder Prison Qilin

Su Zhen felt more comfortable than ever as he was enveloped in light. He couldn't help letting out a soft moan.

As more and more motes of light poured into Su Zhen's body, yet his Martial Soul still failed to appear, the Soul Master couldn't help but increase his Soul Power output. Only after nearly half the Soul Power within him had been spent did Su Zhen finally react.

A violet-gold light radiated from Su Zhen's body, accompanied by deep, rumbling roars of beasts.

At that moment, dark clouds blanketed the sky above the Martial Soul Branch Hall, and purple-gold lightning churned through them like swimming dragons.

Boom!

A tremendous roar erupted from the clouds. The purple-gold lightning gathered into a sea of thunder, and a bolt as thick as a barrel came crashing down. It shattered the stone roof of the Martial Soul Branch Hall and struck Su Zhen directly. The raging thunder tried to tear him apart, but the purple-gold light around his body blocked it.

The light and thunder locked in a stalemate. The world suddenly fell silent, as if a century had passed—or perhaps only a second. Then the light and thunder shattered together, fragments of light and arcs of electricity swirling around Su Zhen.

"Aw—ooo!"

A beast's roar resounded through heaven and earth. It rang out like metal and stone, long and deafening, clear enough to pierce the clouds. It wasn't savage, yet carried an imposing pressure. Every beast that heard it

would bow its head and kneel.

"What is that? Quick, look! That's so cool!"

The children cried out in amazement.

Behind Su Zhen, amid the light and arcs of electricity, a beastly silhouette stood tall.

Its entire body was covered in purple-gold scales, each marked with streaks of lightning, and arcs of electricity occasionally crackled across them. It had a dragon's head and a lion's jaw, with eyes blazing with purple lightning. A single horn grew from its forehead like a lightning halberd, wrapped in thunderbolts. Its purple lightning mane bristled in the wind, flaring into sparks. Its dragon-deer body was ringed with muscles like coiling thunder serpents. Its four claws trod on lightning, leaving purple-gold thunder imprints wherever they landed. Its ox tail was covered in lightning scales, and each sweep summoned a thunderclap.

"This is... a Q-Qilin?"

The Soul Master was ashen with terror, so stunned he could barely speak. The moment this Martial Soul appeared, his Black Bear Martial Soul had been so frightened that it forcibly dispelled its possession. He could feel his Martial Soul trembling in fear and submission. The pressure radiating from that Martial Soul made it utterly impossible for him to use Martial Soul Possession.

"Ch-child, could you put your Martial Soul away first?"

Su Zhen followed the Soul Master's instructions and put his Martial Soul away.

"Child, what's your name? And what's your Martial Soul called?"

"Lord Soul Master, my name is Su Zhen, and my Martial Soul is the Thunder Prison Qilin."

"A Qilin—what a powerful Martial Soul. Come, child, let's measure your Soul Power. Just put your hand on this."

The Soul Master took a transparent crystal ball from his cloth bag. He hadn't brought it out earlier because he'd assumed a child with Innate Soul Power wouldn't appear in a small village like this. But Su Zhen's Martial Soul clearly came with a considerable amount of Soul Power.

The moment Su Zhen put his hand on it, the crystal ball blazed with dazzling light, filling it in an instant.

"Wonderful! Just wonderful! Innate Full Soul Power! I've exceeded this year's quota, and tomorrow I'll be a shoo-in for the post of head of the Suotuo City Martial Soul Branch Hall!"

The Soul Master was ecstatic. Su Zhen alone had helped him meet a year's worth of quotas.

"Lord Soul Master, what does Innate Full Soul Power mean?"

Su Zhen's little head was full of questions.

The Soul Master explained what Innate Full Soul Power meant to Su Zhen.

"Child, you don't have to call me Lord Soul Master. You can become a Soul Master too. My name is Shi Heng, and I'm a White-Clad Deacon of the Suotuo City Martial Soul Branch Hall, a thirty-second-level Power Attack System Soul Elder. Just call me Uncle Shi. By the way, child, are you willing to join Spirit Hall? With talent like yours, you'll surely receive the best resources there. You might even get to take a Titled Douluo as your master."

"Uncle Shi, where is Spirit Hall? And what's a Titled Douluo? Are they very powerful?"

Shi Heng gave Su Zhen a brief introduction to the ranks and powers of the Soul Master World.

"So if I join Spirit Hall, I'll become stronger, and once I'm stronger, I'll be able to earn lots and lots of money?"

"That's right, child. You could put it that way. Will you join?"

After Su Zhen gave him an enthusiastic yes, Shi Heng took him by the arm and turned to leave the hall.

"Uncle Shi, you haven't awakened the other children's Martial Souls yet."

"Oh, right. Then go wait outside for a while. I'll come find you once I've finished my work here."

Shi Heng paused and looked at the children who remained, agreeing to Su Zhen's small request.

"Okay."

Su Zhen pushed open the door and went outside. Shi Heng stayed behind to awaken the other children's Martial Souls. In truth, he hadn't wanted to awaken anyone else's Martial Soul; his mind was already filled with the performance and status Su Zhen would bring him. But he wouldn't lightly go against Su Zhen's wishes. With talent like his, Su Zhen would surely hold a high position after joining Spirit Hall. At the same time, Shi Heng hoped the remaining children might awaken talent like Su Zhen's.

When Su Zhen came out, he saw the village chief, Miles, waiting outside.

"Grandpa Village Chief!"

Su Zhen greeted Miles with a smile.

"Child, whose boy are you? How come I've never seen you in the village?"

Miles was puzzled when the child in front of him greeted him.

It was no wonder Miles hadn't recognized Su Zhen. His purple-gold hair now fell to his shoulders, and his skin was as fair as jade. He was much taller than before, and his already sturdy build had grown even stronger, every inch of him brimming with power.

"Grandpa Village Chief, don't you recognize me? It's me, Xiao Zhen!"

"Huh? Xiao Zhen? It really is you! How did you change so much?"

Miles hadn't believed him at first, but the boy was wearing the same roughspun clothes Su Zhen had worn before going inside, and his voice was Xiao Zhen's. So Miles accepted that this child really was Xiao Zhen.

"Grandpa Village Chief, I changed because I awakened a super-powerful Martial Soul."

Su Zhen showed Miles his Thunder Prison Qilin Martial Soul and told him about his Innate Full Soul Power.

"Ha ha ha! Good, good, good! At last, Hound Village will have its day!"

Miles was so excited that he even plucked several hairs from his goatee.

"Xiao Zhen, you and your big brother Xiao Ming really are the village's lucky stars. Are you going to study at Suotuo City's Junior Soul Master Academy? I'll give you the village's work-study spot for this year."

"Grandpa Village Chief, I already agreed to join Spirit Hall."

"That's right, Miles. Xiao Zhen will be joining Spirit Hall, so I'm afraid your work-study spot won't be needed."

Shi Heng came out after finishing the children's Martial Soul Awakenings.

"Lord Soul Master, how did the other children do? Is there anyone else who can become a Soul Master like Xiao Zhen?"

"Unfortunately, Miles, the other children awakened ordinary Martial Souls like dogs and deer. Not one of them has Innate Soul Power."

"Miles, is the Martial Soul Awakening over? How did it go? Where's Xiao Zhen?"

Su Changkong had finished his work and, figuring it was about time, had come over to check. But he couldn't find Su Zhen among the crowd.

"Changkong, this is Xiao Zhen. His appearance changed because of his Martial Soul Awakening. Your family sure is lucky. First Xiao Ming, and now Xiao Zhen—you've got two Soul Masters in your family."

Miles pointed to Su Zhen, who looked entirely different.

Su Changkong froze at those words, then burst into hearty laughter. Both his sons were Soul Masters! Now he'd have plenty to brag about in front of the villagers.

"Xiao Zhen, did you awaken a dog or a deer? How much Innate Soul Power do you have?"

Su Changkong laughed as he ruffled Su Zhen's hair.

"Dad, my Martial Soul is a Qil—"

Before Su Zhen could finish, Su Changkong suddenly shoved him aside. He crashed into a nearby tree trunk and passed out.

Boom!

A thunderous crash rang out. Where the crowd had been standing, a thick black pillar appeared, and a violent wave of air exploded, sweeping in every direction.

"Scoundrel, how dare you!"

A furious shout rang out from high above.

Billions of miles from Hound Village,

A vast, gloomy palace, dark red from end to end, stood there. Its interior was almost entirely empty, with only a sinister throne set at the far end.

A towering figure sat on the throne, resting his cheek on one hand. Dark red demonic patterns covered his entire body, and he wore armor etched with those same patterns. A dark red glow radiated from him, making his features impossible to discern.

He opened his eyes. His dark red pupils seized the soul, and a streak of dark red light flashed across them.