"My precious boy~"
"This year, you'll turn six and awaken your Martial Soul. Are you ready?"
In Suotuo City, inside an old, dilapidated house.
Flender, wearing a single-lens monocle, spoke to the boy before him.
No matter how the boy felt, he was certainly excited.
The boy was named Fu Wen. Six years ago, Flender had found him abandoned by the roadside.
Seeing the poor child with no one to claim him, Flender had taken pity on him. He had no son of his own, so he simply adopted him.
Flender had also chosen his name.
There was something else Flender didn't know: Fu Wen wasn't actually from this world. He was a transmigrator from Huaxia, back on Earth.
By coincidence, his name in his previous life had also been Fu Wen.
Perhaps it was all a twist of fate.
"Dad, I'm ready."
Fu Wen's expression was calm, but his eyes still held a hint of anticipation and unease.
He was excited because, despite being a transmigrator, he hadn't gotten a system in the past six years.
Could his Martial Soul Awakening be his golden finger? Would he awaken a powerful Martial Soul, or perhaps Innate Full Soul Power?
He was also uneasy about the awakening. He feared he might not awaken a good Martial Soul—or might not have any Soul Power at all. Then he'd be done for.
He had no intention of being an ordinary person sheltered in the arms of a Soul Saint powerhouse.
He was a transmigrator. Of course he wanted to become strong, defeat all comers, roam the world, and live free beneath the heavens.
Flender was a seasoned old hand. At a glance, he saw Huang Fei's little worries.
He stepped forward to reassure him. "Don't worry. You're my son. Even if your Martial Soul is no good, or you don't have any Soul Power at all, I'm here. You'll have food and clothes for the rest of your life."
Fu Wen rolled his eyes and grumbled, "You're so broke you can hear the coins rattling in your pockets, and you're promising me a life of plenty? You're a Seven-Ring Soul Sage and the dean of Shrek Academy, for heaven's sake. If you'd just put in a little effort, would we still be living here after six years? We'd have moved into a luxurious mansion by now."
He knew the original story, and after six years of firsthand experience, he'd had his fill of this hard life.
A Seven-Ring Soul Sage! In this world—especially in the era of the first Douluo story—Titled Douluo rarely showed themselves, and Soul Douluo were hardly ever seen. That made a Seven-Ring Soul Sage the strongest combat force around!
All he had to do was lift a finger. He wouldn't even need to earn money himself; a whole crowd would come running to hand it over, curry favor, and beg for protection. Money would pour in by the handful.
Here in Suotuo City, Flender, a Soul Sage, was practically an emperor in his own domain.
Cultivation was important, of course, but money mattered too.
Of the four essentials—wealth, companions, cultivation methods, and a place to practice—wealth came first.
The resources needed for cultivation all depended on money!
"Ahem. Don't bring that up. Your father just doesn't want to be shackled by rules and regulations. I'd rather live freely. Anyway, enough about that. Hurry and stand in the formation. I'll awaken your Martial Soul myself."
Flender's face reddened as his son exposed his shortcomings, and he immediately waved him off.
He promptly turned their attention back to the Martial Soul Awakening.
Fu Wen couldn't be bothered to say more and obediently stood in the formation.
Flender's playful expression vanished, replaced by a solemn one.
After all, Martial Soul Awakening was a sacred moment.
He raised a hand, and seven Awakening Stones of different colors appeared. Supported by Soul Power, they floated in orderly fashion around Fu Wen.
Then the hexagram formation lit up.
At that moment, Fu Wen closed his eyes. He felt a torrent surging out from deep within his body, fierce and unstoppable.
With a boom!
A terrifying blast of energy burst from within him.
It sent Flender, a Seven-Ring Soul Sage, staggering backward.
"What terrifying Soul Power! What's happening?!"
"Why is the Martial Soul Awakening causing such a commotion?!"
Flender steadied himself. His pupils contracted, his face filled with shock and confusion.
He'd awakened the Martial Souls of many children over the years, but nothing like this had ever happened.
For it to happen to Fu Wen could only mean one thing: this Martial Soul was extraordinary!
He looked at Fu Wen, who stood motionless inside the formation with his eyes closed, as if frozen in place.
The next second, waves surged up from the ground.
The entire formation was swallowed by the waters. They didn't flow away, but circled around Fu Wen, enveloping him.
"Could his Martial Soul be water itself?" Flender was dumbfounded.
After all, Fu Wen was a child he'd found. He had no idea what Martial Soul the boy might have.
He didn't know what Martial Souls Fu Wen's real parents had, either.
At the same time, Fu Wen's consciousness was pulled into an unfamiliar space.
There were mountains and water all around.
Before him stood the enormous phantom of a colossal crocodile that stretched from heaven to earth, staring down at him.
The instant their eyes met, Fu Wen felt just how insignificant he was.
The next second, a memory inheritance appeared.
This place was called the Inheritance Space.
The colossal crocodile towering before him was the China Divine Crocodile!
The ancestor of all crocodiles!
And the China Divine Crocodile possessed an innate divine ability.
It was the Death Roll!
Once he used it, he and the Divine Crocodile would enter a state where they couldn't be targeted by any form of energy attack or non-energy attack.
Enemies of any rank would be unable to harm him. It was an invincible state that completely ignored differences in rank.
He would then bite down hard on his prey's head and roll wildly across the ground, stopping only when the prey was dead.
However, if the difference between their Soul Power Levels or overall strength was too great, he still wouldn't be able to kill them.
Moreover, for now he could only use it once a day. Afterward, he would enter a brief weakened state.
So unless it was absolutely necessary, he must never use it. This was his trump card for staying alive.
If he couldn't kill his prey, then he'd be the one to die.
Besides that, he also received the China Divine Crocodile's inheritance cultivation art.
It was called the Innate Divine Crocodile Art!
In short, it allowed him to cultivate and strengthen his Soul Power, body, and soul all at once.
It combined a cultivation method with a fighting art.
And in the later stages of cultivation, it could raise the age of his Soul Rings!
That was the most crucial part!
The Innate Divine Crocodile Art came with a divine position starting at the Supreme God King level. As long as he steadily cultivated to the peak of level ninety-nine, becoming a Peerless Douluo, he could begin the inheritance ceremony. He wouldn't need to pass a single trial; he could inherit the Supreme God King position directly, with no pain or trouble!
This divine position had no limit to its growth!
And it wasn't under the jurisdiction of any Divine Realm. He could roam freely beyond the heavens!
He'd also enjoy all sorts of benefits, including eternal youth, immortality, and indestructibility!
After the inherited memories had been passed on,
Fu Wen's consciousness was sent out of the Inheritance Space.
At the same time, a colossal crocodile phantom emerged from the vortex of water beneath him, floating behind his back.
It was the China Divine Crocodile!
"That's a crocodile!"
"Your Martial Soul is actually a crocodile!"
The instant Flender met the China Divine Crocodile's gaze, he felt his own Martial Soul tremble with fear.
It was the crushing of a superior's status over an inferior's!
This crocodile was enormous, its divine might vast and boundless. It was unquestionably a Martial Soul of the highest order!
What he didn't know was that, in this world, the China Divine Crocodile belonged to the transcendent-god-level Martial Soul sequence!
"Good. Very good!"
"You've only just awakened your Martial Soul. Maintaining its form will take a heavy toll on you."
"Just will it back inside your body, and it'll return."
"Come on, Xiao Wen. Hold out your hand. Let's test your Soul Power."
Flender was delighted. He picked up a blue crystal ball, held it out in front of Fu Wen, and spoke.
Before you continue