Martial Soul Grey Wolf?!

Shrek City!

South of the city, the City Defense Office!

On the bustling streets, the City Defense Office felt like a restricted zone. As people approached, they would instinctively slow their pace, casting looks of awe before hurrying away, not daring to linger.

But at this moment, a six-year-old child walked over. He was tall and thin, with neat white hair, sword-like brows, and star-bright eyes. Though he hadn't fully grown into his features yet, one could already see the foundation of a handsome man.

He was dressed very simply in a white shirt and black trousers. Without any excess decoration, he gave off a very refreshing impression.

Those black eyes held a maturity that transcended his age; if one looked closely, they would find a sense of indifference hidden within that maturity.

It was as if he had already seen through the future and held no expectations for it, showing none of the youthful vigor typical of his age.

The child raised his head and looked at the gates of the City Defense Office:

"Today is my sixth birthday. I can finally awaken my Martial Soul. But there's nothing to look forward to; it should be the same as my old man's, the Gale Demon Wolf Martial Soul, with Soul Power likely between rank four and rank six."

"With this kind of talent, if I were in the era of the first Douluo, I might have had a chance to rise by snatching away immortal herbs, but this is the era of the Peerless Tang Sect."

"Inside the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, there are Jade Phosphorus Seven Absolute Flowers on the outside and a pile of 100,000-year-old immortal herbs on the inside. An ordinary person going there is just asking to be served as a meal."

"Sigh! I can't see a future. I'll just stay in Shrek City, join Shrek Academy if I get the chance, and apply to stay on as a teacher after graduation."

"As a descendant of the Shenfeng Lineage of the Four Elements Academy, my ancestors also invested capital and contributed to Shrek Academy; they bled for Shrek Academy. It's only natural for me to loaf around and wait for death in the academy."

"That little scoundrel in the sky... no, God King Tang, keeps his eyes on Douluo Continent, his own backyard, every single day. He certainly wouldn't watch Shrek Academy run into trouble, so Shrek Academy is the safest place."

This child with an overly mature mindset was named Feng Tianyu.

For a six-year-old to have such mature thoughts, it was because he was not a local, but a transmigrator from Blue Star.

Having transmigrated for six years, he knew this was Douluo Continent and that it was the era of the Peerless Tang Sect. But even though he was well-versed in the plot, it was still very difficult to get ahead in this era of the second Douluo.

An important reason was that on Douluo Continent, the Martial Soul awakened and the Innate Soul Power basically determined a person's future ceiling.

As a descendant of the Shenfeng Lineage, Feng Tianyu possessed the inherited Gale Demon Wolf Martial Soul, which was a mid-to-high-tier Martial Soul, with awakened Soul Power generally between rank four and rank six.

In short, while he had talent, it wasn't very high.

Without a system falling from the sky, unless his Martial Soul could mutate—just like his ancestor Feng Xiaotian did, mutating from a Gale Demon Wolf Martial Soul into a Gale Two-Headed Wolf Martial Soul—it would be very difficult to stand out on Douluo Continent. That was why Feng Tianyu had that indifferent gaze, as if he had seen through the future yet was powerless to change it.

Feng Tianyu continued forward until he reached the gates of the City Defense Office, where two City Defense soldiers clad in armor and wielding weapons stepped forward to block him.

Seeing that Feng Tianyu was just a child, they didn't make things difficult for him, merely urging him to leave quickly.

"City Defense Office, unauthorized personnel are not allowed near!"

"Little one, this is no place for you!"

A sharp, murderous aura of war rushed toward him; the two soldiers standing guard at the City Defense Office had clearly seen blood.

After being stopped, Feng Tianyu steadied his mind and looked at the two soldiers, speaking in a crisp voice:

"I am here to apply for a Martial Soul awakening."

The two soldiers exchanged a glance. Their City Defense Office did indeed have this benefit; any member of the City Defense force could have their descendants awaken their Martial Souls for free at the office.

This was a tangible benefit!

Ever since the destruction of Martial Soul Hall, the good old days of free Martial Soul awakening for children had vanished.

As a rare mineral, the Awakening Stone was firmly controlled by major sects, families, the imperial court, nobles... the upper echelons. Even some ordinary Soul Masters had no chance to obtain an Awakening Stone.

One of the two soldiers softened his tone; after all, if Feng Tianyu could come to the City Defense Office to apply for an awakening, he was, without a doubt, the descendant of a City Defense soldier.

"Child, what is your name? Where is your father? Why didn't your father bring you here to awaken your Martial Soul?"

Feng Tianyu lowered his eyes slightly:

"My name is Feng Tianyu. My father sacrificed himself; he encountered an Evil Soul Master while on a mission three years ago..."

As soon as these words were spoken, the soldier who had asked the question froze, his face full of regret, as if he wished he could slap himself.

At this moment, the other soldier crouched down in front of Feng Tianyu, his tiger-like eyes filled with sympathy:

"Tianyu, your father was a good man, a hero, a martyr!"

"What about your mother? Such a big event as a Martial Soul awakening, how could there be no parent present!"

Feng Tianyu lowered his eyes even further:

"After Father sacrificed himself, Mother was depressed, and she passed away a year ago. Now, I am all alone."

While speaking, Feng Tianyu took two small booklets from his chest; one was an enlistment certificate, and the other was a martyr's certificate.

"Uncle, these are my father's enlistment certificate and martyr's certificate. Can I go in and apply for my Martial Soul awakening now?"

The soldier who had just asked felt a suffocating grip on his heart. The expression on his face twitched slightly, and he cursed himself inwardly for being a beast.

A descendant of the City Defense force who had lost both his father and mother had come to the City Defense Office to apply for an awakening, only to have his wounds reopened twice by the two brothers.

It was likely that after these two soldiers went home, they wouldn't be able to sleep well tonight.

They should have realized it sooner; if his parents were still alive, how could they have let Feng Tianyu come alone to awaken his Martial Soul?

The soldier who had just crouched down stood up and said to his companion:

"Brother, you stand guard for a moment. I'm taking Tianyu inside to awaken his Martial Soul."

With those words, he didn't even bother to carefully inspect the enlistment papers and martyr's certificate in Feng Tianyu's hands before leading him into the City Defense Office.

The interior space here was vast, but since there were few people around at the moment, it appeared quite empty.

The City Defense Office was responsible for a series of tasks, including the recruitment of new City Defense soldiers, the retirement of veterans, and the distribution of military pay.

It was an extremely important stronghold for the City Defense within Shrek City!

After the soldier led Feng Tianyu into the main hall, he turned left, walked to the end of a corridor, and knocked on a door at the very end.

Only after a voice from inside called out, "Come in," did the soldier push the door open and lead Feng Tianyu inside.

"Elder Ling, this child's name is Feng Tianyu. He is the descendant of one of our City Defense soldiers and has come today to apply for a Martial Soul awakening."

Upon entering the room, Feng Tianyu did not glance around wildly, not wanting to leave a bad impression, though his peripheral vision still swept forward toward the figure known as Elder Ling.

Elder Ling appeared to be in his sixties or seventies; his hair and beard were already gray, and his face was etched with the deep wrinkles of time.

His frame was gaunt, and he wore a crisp, black combat uniform. His left sleeve hung empty, and he exuded an aura of iron and blood characteristic of a veteran soldier.

Feng Tianyu guessed that this was an old soldier of the City Defense who, due to his age and the disability of his left arm, had been transferred to a desk job.

Elder Ling frowned slightly as he stood up:

"Feng Tianyu, surname Feng..."

He then looked at the soldier:

"You may head back now. I will awaken the child's Martial Soul myself."

Hearing this, the soldier gave Feng Tianyu a reassuring look before exiting the room and pulling the door shut behind him.

Elder Ling walked slowly to Feng Tianyu's side, reached out with his remaining right hand to take the enlistment papers and martyr's certificate, flipped through them, and let out a deep sigh:

"It really is him. Feng Zheng'en, a genius who graduated from the Shrek Outer Court. While he didn't meet the standards for the Inner Court, he was still quite outstanding among the Outer Court students."

"After he joined our City Defense, the higher-ups thought very highly of him. It's a pity that three years ago... sigh, it is truly a tragedy."

"Three years have passed in the blink of an eye, and now his son has come to awaken his Martial Soul."

Elder Ling returned the documents to Feng Tianyu. His previously stern expression softened, and a smile touched the corners of his mouth:

"Tianyu, keep your father's enlistment papers and martyr's certificate safe. According to our City Defense benefits:"

"With the enlistment papers, you can have your Martial Soul awakened for free. With the martyr's certificate, you are entitled to have your first Soul Ring hunted at the maximum possible age limit. This is enough to set you firmly on the path of a Soul Master."

"I will awaken your Martial Soul today. Once you reach level ten soul power, come find me to submit your application, and I will arrange for people to hunt your first Soul Ring."

"Cultivate well in the future, for your father's sake as well. When you graduate from the Soul Master Academy, if you need a job, the doors of the Shrek City Defense will always be open to you."

"Your father was once one of us, and I hope you will be too."

Feng Tianyu tucked the two small booklets back into his chest pocket, his voice dropping to a lower tone:

"Yes, Elder Ling. I will remember that."

"Thank you for your guidance, Elder Ling. I will give it serious consideration."

Feng Tianyu felt deeply grateful toward the parents of this life. Although his father had sacrificed himself three years ago, the legacy he left behind was enough to carry him through the most awkward period—awakening his Martial Soul and obtaining his first Soul Ring—allowing him to successfully become a Soul Master.

His mother had also endured great hardship. After receiving the devastating news of her husband's death, she had remained despondent and grew increasingly frail, yet she still summoned every ounce of her strength every day to raise him well.

She taught him to read and write, instructed him in the knowledge of Soul Masters and Soul Beasts, and prepared delicious meals for him daily, often buying Soul Beast meat and various rare medicinal herbs to create nourishing medicinal diets to strengthen his body.

His mother lived a life of exhaustion, and her longing for her husband eventually led her to pass away a year ago.

Meanwhile, Elder Ling wiped his remaining hand across his waist and pulled six pitch-black stones from his storage Soul Tool—these were the Awakening Stones.

He placed the six stones on the floor, arranging them into a hexagram pattern.

Then, he let out a sharp shout:

"Martial Soul Possession!"

Screech!

A piercing eagle cry erupted from Elder Ling's body. A brilliant, dazzling golden light enveloped him, making him appear as if he were cast in gold.

Behind Elder Ling, the golden light condensed into the phantom of a Golden Feather Divine Eagle covered in golden plumage. Its sharp, chilling aura seemed capable of tearing through the air, causing a series of sonic booms.

Two yellow, two purple, and three black—the optimal configuration of seven Soul Rings—rose one after another from beneath Elder Ling's feet.

Standing not far in front of Elder Ling, Feng Tianyu felt the hair on his body stand on end. That sharp, piercing aura felt as if a blade were pressed against his throat.

Noticing Feng Tianyu's discomfort, Elder Ling chuckled and comforted him:

"Don't be nervous. I won't hurt you."

"This is my Martial Soul, the Golden Feather Divine Eagle. Because it is a metal-attribute Martial Soul, the aura it emits is quite sharp."

"Tianyu, step into the Awakening Array. I will awaken your Martial Soul now."

Feng Tianyu's eyes were filled with awe. An old man responsible for awakening Martial Souls was actually a Soul Saint-level powerhouse; the Shrek City Defense truly was full of hidden talents.

He then stepped into the Awakening Array. Although he guessed that the Martial Soul he would awaken was likely the Gale Demon Wolf, he still couldn't help but feel nervous.

This was the true charm of the Douluo Continent!

Different martial souls, paired with different spirit rings, grant spirit masters infinite possibilities!

Elder Ling raised his right hand, transformed into an eagle's claw, and placed it above the Awakening Array, channeling a surging torrent of spirit power into it.

Transformed by the Awakening Array, an incredibly warm energy seeped through every inch of Feng Tianyu's skin, merging into his body.

It flowed through his meridians, gathering and surging toward his dantian.

Feng Tianyu felt immensely comfortable, the sensation akin to soaking in a hot spring.

Soon, that warm energy poured into his dantian, and with a faint, crisp sound, it shattered a shackle within his body, causing a power nurtured deep inside him to erupt.

Feng Tianyu's body trembled, and his handsome little face immediately furrowed; how could he feel the energy inside his dantian becoming so manic and somewhat uncontrollable?

The next instant, a grey light erupted from his body. Instead of spreading outward, the grey light rapidly condensed before him, eventually forming a wolf-like creature standing on its hind legs.

Staring at the wolf-like creature, Feng Tianyu widened his eyes, utterly dumbfounded!

Grey...

Grey Wolf?!

The wolf-like creature wore an orange hat with a yellow patch on its head, a yellow bib tied around its neck, its two ears drooping, and a tail flicking back and forth behind it; it was not very tall, standing only about a meter high.

Even without seeing its face, just by looking at its back, Feng Tianyu recognized it as Grey Wolf.

What is going on??

As a descendant of the Shenfeng Lineage, he hadn't awakened the Gale Demon Wolf martial soul, but had instead awakened Grey Wolf!!

This was something Feng Tianyu had never expected...