Gao Nianzhen took a deep breath.
Her hands moved swiftly through a series of seals. Six beams of golden light shot from her fingertips and struck the six black stones on the ground with pinpoint accuracy.
A soft hum rang out.
A pale golden barrier instantly rose, enclosing Xue Yao in its center.
Xue Yao closed his eyes.
He felt warm all over, as comfortable as soaking in a hot spring in the middle of winter.
An unfamiliar force coursed through his body, following his blood vessels and meridians before surging into the palm of his right hand.
"It's coming."
Xue Yao's heart stirred.
The hall fell utterly silent. Xue Lang and Gao Nianzhen held their breaths, staring fixedly at their son in the center of the formation.
The next moment.
The golden light slowly faded.
The barrier disappeared.
The hall had produced neither the White Swan, the signature Martial Soul of the Farack royal family, nor the Golden Lion Gao Nianzhen had always been proud of.
A small beast appeared out of thin air.
It wasn't attached to Xue Yao's body. Instead, it beat its little wings and fluttered around his head.
The little creature looked incredibly imposing.
It had the head of an eagle, with an exceptionally sharp gaze, but its body was shaped like a lion's and looked sturdy.
A pair of broad wings sprouted from its back.
Its most eye-catching feature was its feathers. Its entire body was covered in black and white.
Sunlight streamed through the hall's windows, falling right on its body.
Its black-and-white feathers shimmered with layer upon layer of dazzling, multicolored light. It looked unbelievably cool.
Seated on the throne, Xue Lang's hand jerked.
He knocked over the teacup beside him. It hit the ground with a sharp crack and shattered into pieces.
He didn't even spare the shards a glance, jumping straight to his feet.
"Th-this... is this the legendary Griffin?!"
Xue Lang was dumbfounded.
Gao Nianzhen was just as stunned.
The Swan and Golden Lion had combined—and actually mutated into a Griffin?
Still, it made sense. She could indeed sense the auras of both the Swan and Golden Lion on the Griffin.
It took a long while before Gao Nianzhen finally sucked in a sharp breath.
"An External Beast Martial Soul!"
Her voice brimmed with shock and rose involuntarily.
Ordinary Beast Martial Souls manifested in an attached state when awakened, like her Golden Lion.
When she used her Martial Soul, she could let the Golden Lion attach to her and enhance her physical abilities.
But her son's was different.
It was a completely independent being.
It flew around out in the open as boldly as you please, looking just like a real Soul Beast.
External Beast Martial Souls were extraordinarily rare across the entire Douluo Continent. Only one had ever been heard of, from ancient times to the present.
Gao Nianzhen and Xue Lang exchanged a glance, both seeing the worry in the other's eyes.
After all, the last Soul Master with an External Beast Martial Soul had left a terrible reputation behind.
Meanwhile.
Xue Yao stood in the center of the formation, completely oblivious to what his parents were saying.
He stared blankly at the little beast flying around before him, his thoughts already swept up in a storm.
He recognized it.
How could this be some Mutated Martial Soul?
It was unmistakably the Little Griffin he'd just caught in the game Kingdom of Locke before he crossed over!
Even its rare black-and-white, colorful plumage was exactly the same—not the slightest bit different.
"Come here, little one."
Xue Yao silently called out in his mind.
The Little Griffin seemed to understand. It immediately folded its wings.
It landed steadily on Xue Yao's shoulder and rubbed its fluffy head against his cheek.
A feeling of shared blood surged through him in an instant.
Xue Yao closed his eyes and focused on sensing it.
He immediately discerned the core attribute of this Martial Soul.
Pure Wing Element.
Translated into the system of the Douluo Continent, that meant an absolutely pure wind attribute.
Without a trace of impurity.
No raging fire, no gentle water—only the most extreme, purest wind.
That meant he would possess unmatched potential in speed and aerial combat.
"Yao'er! Quickly!"
Gao Nianzhen's voice interrupted Xue Yao's thoughts.
Unable to suppress her excitement, she strode forward, holding a completely transparent blue crystal ball.
It was a tool specifically used to test Innate Soul Power.
"Put your hand on it and let's test your Soul Power!"
Gao Nianzhen held the crystal ball out to Xue Yao. Her hands trembled slightly.
After all, their impression of the last person with an External Beast Martial Soul had been all too profound.
Xue Yao nodded.
He raised his plump little hand and gently placed it on the surface of the blue crystal ball.
The instant he touched it.
A pinpoint of light, smaller than a grain of rice, appeared inside the crystal ball.
The next moment.
"Boom!"
Without the slightest warning.
Blue light erupted in an instant!
The crystal ball was like a little sun being set alight. A blinding blue glow suddenly burst forth.
Every corner of the hall was illuminated by the intense blue light.
The glow inside the crystal ball filled every last gap, shining so brightly that no one could open their eyes.
Xue Lang leapt straight down from the steps.
He stared fixedly at the dazzling crystal ball, his mouth hanging open and his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
"Innate... Innate..."
Xue Lang swallowed, stammering as he spoke.
"Innate Full Soul Power!"
Gao Nianzhen finished the sentence for him. She looked at her son as if he were a monster.
Level ten!
That was the highest level an ordinary person could reach when awakening a Martial Soul on the Douluo Continent.
All Xue Yao had to do was hunt a Soul Beast and obtain a Soul Ring, and he could immediately become a true Soul Master!
Those with Innate Full Soul Power were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns across the entire continent.
They were all peerless geniuses coveted by every major faction!
"Hahaha! Excellent! Wonderful!"
Xue Lang came back to his senses, slapped his thigh, and burst into laughter.
"My Farack Kingdom is going to produce a true dragon!"
Gao Nianzhen scooped Xue Yao into her arms and planted two hearty kisses on his cheeks.
"Good boy! I knew you were a genius!"
The couple danced around in excitement inside the hall.
Cradled in their arms, Xue Yao wore a sweet, obedient smile.
But his heart was already pounding wildly.
Innate Full Soul Power?
Level ten?
What was that?
It was nothing more than an appetizer!
No one else knew the Little Griffin's true potential, but he knew it like the back of his hand.
It was a pet from Kingdom of Locke. And what was the game's core mechanic?
Evolution!
The Black and White Colorful Little Griffin was only at its weakest, juvenile stage.
According to the information from the mobile game in his previous life.
Above the Little Griffin lay more advanced forms.
It could evolve into a Holy Griffin.
And with another breakthrough, it could evolve into a Royal Griffin.
If... if he could find the right resources in this real world and completely unlock the ultimate evolution chain from the browser game?
Xue Yao took a deep breath. Four characters sprang into his mind.
[Heavenly Might Griffin]!
A total of 810 points in racial stats.
In the stat-inflated world of the browser game, you could call me a pretty face and I wouldn't argue. But here on the Douluo Continent, what would you have to call me?
That was the true power of a god.
At the thought, Xue Yao's blood began to boil.
Before you continue