Douluo Continent, Shrek City.
Early morning.
The annual Awakening Day had once again begun.
The streets teemed with people as countless parents held their children's hands and led them toward the central square to take part in the ceremony.
Every one of them hoped their child would awaken a powerful martial soul and possess Soul Power.
Perhaps they might even push open the gates of Shrek Academy and embark upon the lofty path to becoming an honored soul master.
"Next, Xia Ming!"
The clear roll call pierced through the clamorous crowd.
At the edge of the crowd, a black-haired youth took a deep breath and stepped forward.
He stood at the center of a hexagonal formation precisely constructed from six black stones.
He appeared calm on the surface, but only he knew that his heart was pounding like a drum in his chest.
It had been exactly six years since he had transmigrated into this world.
In his previous life, Xia Ming had merely been an ordinary college student among the countless masses of Blue Star.
One day, he had gotten into an unending online argument with a fanatical admirer of Tang San.
In his agitated state, he had failed to notice that a speeding Benz had come roaring toward him...
His final thought before his consciousness faded had been a ridiculous sense of unwillingness.
Yet when he opened his eyes again, the world had changed beyond recognition, and he had become an orphan in the era of the Peerless Tang Sect.
For a transmigrator, this era could be called the worst possible age.
Looking back ten thousand years, the path to godhood had not yet been completely monopolized by the God King Tang who sat high above in the God Realm.
Moreover, Spirit Hall had provided free martial soul awakenings for commoners.
Looking forward ten thousand years, the God Realm had drifted away without a trace, while the Spirit Pagoda had taken on the responsibility of making awakenings widely available.
Only the present was different. Above, gods had locked down the stairway to heaven.
Below, imperial nobles held power. If commoners wished to awaken martial souls, they had no choice but to pay a considerable price, and often had no avenue to seek help at all.
Fortunately, although Xia Ming was alone in this life, he had been born in Shrek City.
As the location of the continent's foremost academy, the city offered its children of eligible age one awakening opportunity every year on Awakening Day.
This had become an opportunity of utmost importance to him.
If he failed to seize even this chance, or if his martial soul proved mediocre and he possessed no Soul Power—
Then he would likely spend the rest of his life as an unremarkable ordinary man beneath the shadow of this enormous city.
As for attaching himself to the future Huo Gua?
Unless he had been born in the White Tiger Duke Mansion, by the time the other party arrived in Shrek City, he would already have soared into the heavens like a dragon.
How could a commoner orphan possibly hope to befriend someone so far beyond his reach?
"Don't be nervous. Relax; it will be over soon." A gentle voice pulled Xia Ming back from his thoughts.
The one presiding over the awakening was a middle-aged man dressed in a Shrek Academy teacher's uniform.
His features were refined, and his eyes carried a soothing power.
Xia Ming composed himself and nodded.
The teacher released a trace of Soul Power, and the six black stones on the ground suddenly lit up.
Pale golden radiance flowed like water, swiftly swallowing Xia Ming's figure.
Warmth.
An indescribable warm current rose from the Yongquan point beneath his feet, instantly coursing through his limbs and bones, as though he had been immersed in the spring of Life.
Then, guided by that warm current, some ancient seal deep within his body seemed to shatter with a resounding crash!
A primal, immense existence brimming with power roared awake from the deepest depths of his soul!
"Roar—!"
It was not a real roar, yet it felt as though a beast's cry that shook the soul had exploded beside everyone's ears.
Behind Xia Ming, dazzling golden light shot into the sky, condensing into the phantom of a majestic and extraordinary giant beast!
The beast resembled a male lion, yet was even more agile and ferocious. Its entire body was covered in thick fur that seemed forged from gold.
Pale golden flames burned within its pupils. With a single imperious glance, it unleashed the awe-inspiring might of the king of beasts.
At the same time, Xia Ming's body underwent visible changes.
His bones crackled softly as his body abruptly grew taller and broader.
Pale golden fur emerged across his exposed skin, while a deep, solid sense of strength filled every inch of his muscles.
"This... this is?!"
The Shrek Academy teacher, who had remained composed all along, now stared wide-eyed in utter shock, his voice trembling with excitement.
"The legendary Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff?! Quick! Child, hurry and test your Innate Soul Power!"
The surrounding clamor fell silent. Countless gazes immediately focused on Xia Ming, filled with shock and envy.
Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, Xia Ming steadily pressed his right hand against the blue crystal ball used to test Soul Power.
In an instant!
The crystal ball, which had previously only glimmered faintly, seemed as though a small sun had been cast into it!
An unprecedented blaze of scorching light, nearly enough to pierce everyone's eyes, erupted and illuminated the entire Awakening Hall as brightly as day!
"Innate Full Soul Power! It really is Innate Full Soul Power!" the assistant teacher responsible for recording cried out.
By now, the refined teacher had fully regained his composure, though his face was filled with heartfelt delight and solemnity.
He strode quickly to Xia Ming, his gaze burning.
"Child, don't be afraid. My name is Wang Yan, and I am a teacher at Shrek Academy. What is your name?"
Wang Yan? Xia Ming's heart stirred.
He was certainly no stranger to that name. In the original work, Wang Yan had been one of Huo Yuhao's most important guides at Shrek Academy.
As a theoretical master, the man was upright and generous, and his reputation far surpassed that of another teacher.
Meeting him here was somewhat unexpected, but on second thought, this was Shrek City. It was not impossible.
What stirred Xia Ming even more was the power now surging through his body.
Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff!
He knew better than anyone what terrifying potential this martial soul could display in the future.
It was an unparalleled Beast Lord that, during the era of Douluo Three, could make even Tang Wulin, already a Title Douluo, suffer a setback despite possessing only ten thousand years of cultivation!
Its strength was so tyrannical that after activating its domain, it could even contend head-on with Xiong Jun, the king of Dark-Gold Terrorclaw Bears, who had nearly five hundred thousand years of cultivation!
This was practically a stat monster designed with its feet!
And he, Xia Ming, a transmigrator who knew the course of the future, now held such a top-tier trump card in his hands!
Even though soul masters were generally weaker than top-tier soul beasts of the same rank before obtaining their Martial Soul Avatar—
With the extraordinary foundation of the Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff, he was confident that, with one soul ring, he could rival an ordinary Soul King in combat power!
By the time he had five soul rings, he would dare challenge an ordinary Title Douluo!
This was the absolute confidence belonging to the holder of a super martial soul.
His previous life had been mediocre. How could he be willing to remain ordinary in this one?
Since he had received such an opportunity and arrived in this great age of strife—
If he merely sought peace in some corner and watched the plot, filled with regret and injustice, repeat itself—
If he sat by and watched the God King Tang, seated high in the God Realm, toy with all living beings, would this transmigration not have been wasted?
In the blink of an eye, Xia Ming had already calmed his turbulent emotions.
He met Wang Yan's eager, appraising gaze. Standing tall, neither servile nor arrogant, he answered:
"Teacher Wang Yan, my name is Xia Ming. Xia as in summer, Ming as in inscribe."
"Xia Ming, a fine name." The admiration in Wang Yan's eyes deepened.
With such talent, yet able to remain calm at a moment like this, his temperament was clearly exceptional.
After a brief moment of thought, Wang Yan made his decision. "Xia Ming, wait nearby for now.
Once today's martial soul awakening ceremony has completely concluded, I will personally take you back to Shrek Academy.
We must carefully discuss your enrollment and cultivation."
"Yes! Thank you, Teacher Wang Yan!"
A sharp gleam flashed through Xia Ming's eyes. He forcibly suppressed the excitement that nearly burst from his chest and replied respectfully yet firmly.
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