The Sun Moon Empire, Coastal City.
This was a small city on the coast of the Sun Moon Empire, so small it was almost no more than a town.
And today was the day the Sun Moon Empire held free Martial Soul awakenings for children of the appropriate age.
Inside the Awakening Hall in Coastal City.
A line of boys and girls stood in the main hall, some twenty or thirty of them.
There was no helping it. This city was too small, and there weren't many children of the right age each year.
At the back of the line stood a boy.
He had blue hair and blue eyes. His clothes weren't expensive, but they were neat and clean.
Though he was clearly a boy, he could only be described as beautiful.
He was only six, yet his youthful face already showed hints of striking handsomeness.
"Xiao Chen, don't be nervous in a moment. Uncle Zhang believes in you!"
Beside him, a burly, broad-shouldered middle-aged man encouraged him in a carefree manner.
"Don't worry, Uncle Zhang. I won't let you down!"
The boy was named Mu Chen. As of today, he had been in the Douluo Continent for six years.
He was an orphan, with no parents from the time he was born. Uncle Zhang, standing beside him, had found him and raised him alongside the neighbors.
Uncle Zhang's name was Zhang Tao, and he ran a steamed bun shop.
His own circumstances weren't very good, but he had never let Mu Chen go hungry.
With Zhang Tao raising him and the owners of several nearby shops lending a hand, Mu Chen had grown up happily to this day.
After six years since his transmigration, he was finally about to gain a Martial Soul of his own.
Awakening the Martial Souls of twenty or thirty children didn't take very long. Soon, it was Mu Chen's turn.
The awakening results in Coastal City were bleak this year. Among the children ahead of Mu Chen, no more than a handful had awakened Soul Power.
And among those children who had awakened Innate Soul Power, only one had a level higher than five.
"Next."
The Soul Master in charge of the awakening spoke mechanically.
Under Zhang Tao's encouraging gaze, Mu Chen stepped forward.
He entered the Awakening Array that had been prepared in advance.
As Mu Chen watched expectantly, the Soul Master responsible for the Martial Soul awakening raised his right hand and held it above Mu Chen's head.
Mu Chen closed his eyes, feeling a warm current pour into his body from the crown of his head, then course through his limbs and bones.
Is this Soul Power?
Mu Chen carefully sensed it, feeling the current of Soul Power flowing through his meridians.
The warm currents eventually converged at his dantian. There, Mu Chen's Martial Soul lay dormant, on the verge of awakening.
As the warm currents continued to surge against it, the shackles there gradually loosened.
With the arrival of a strange sensation, two different energies appeared inside Mu Chen.
That's right, two entirely different energies.
Mu Chen was overjoyed. Didn't this mean he had Twin Martial Souls?
Everyone present except Uncle Zhang was a stranger, so Mu Chen certainly wouldn't expose his Twin Martial Souls.
He released the power that made him feel especially close to it first.
As Mu Chen guided it, a surge of energy erupted from his body in an instant.
The first thing to appear was the sound of waves surging and rolling.
A salty, fishy breeze drifted over.
Water vapor enveloped Mu Chen, and the phantom of the Ocean appeared behind him.
Having grown up by the sea, Mu Chen felt especially close to the Ocean's presence.
Just as he thought the Martial Soul awakening was complete, something strange happened in his left hand.
Blue light flickered across Mu Chen's left hand, and a blue Trident appeared in his grasp.
Mu Chen stared at the Trident, somewhat dazed.
He didn't know where it had come from, but he could feel that the Trident was one with him.
That being the case, the Trident could be considered the Ocean Martial Soul's companion weapon.
Seeing Mu Chen's Martial Soul, the Soul Master responsible for the awakening finally showed some interest, especially when he noticed the Trident in Mu Chen's left hand.
"Little friend, what's your Martial Soul? Is it the Trident in your hand?" The Soul Master in charge of the awakening was very curious. He had never seen a Martial Soul like this before. Did it even come with its own Ocean effects?
Mu Chen shook his head. "No, Uncle. My Martial Soul is the Ocean. This Trident can be considered a companion weapon."
The Soul Master's eyes lit up at once. He had never seen a Martial Soul with a companion weapon before. A Martial Soul like this was bound to be extraordinary.
He took out a deep-blue crystal ball and handed it to Mu Chen. "Come on, little friend. Let's test your Innate Soul Power."
Mu Chen raised his right hand and placed it on the crystal ball.
"Hum."
As if struck by a tremendous force, the crystal ball trembled for a moment.
Then blue light began to rapidly fill the crystal ball.
In the end, the light filled the entire crystal ball.
"Innate Full Soul Power!"
The Soul Master responsible for the Martial Soul awakening cried out in shock.
He knew all too well what kind of talent Innate Full Soul Power represented.
"Little friend, congratulations! You have Innate Full Soul Power. Work hard at your cultivation, and the country will nurture you!"
The Soul Master didn't say anything to recruit him. After all, he belonged to the Sun Moon Empire.
"Thank you, Uncle. I'll work hard!"
After briefly registering Mu Chen's information, the Soul Master left with a beaming face.
With an Innate Full Soul Power talent awakened, a promotion and a raise were just around the corner.
Mu Chen was delighted too. He had once hoped he might be lucky enough to awaken a Martial Soul with Soul Power, but he had never expected to awaken Twin Martial Souls, let alone Innate Full Soul Power.
Back at the steamed bun shop, Zhang Tao prepared a whole table of delicious dishes he usually couldn't bear to eat.
"Xiao Chen, Uncle Zhang is truly happy for you!"
As he spoke, Zhang Tao took a long swig of wine.
His voice carried a hint of a choked sob, as if his own child had awakened Innate Full Soul Power.
But the truth was, Zhang Tao had no children. His beloved had died long ago, and he had never looked for anyone else after that.
Now, he truly regarded Mu Chen as his own son.
"All right, Uncle Zhang. No need to get so emotional. It's a good thing my Martial Soul is strong. Once I grow stronger, I'll come back and take care of you, and help you open steamed bun shops all the way in Ming Capital!"
"Hahaha, good! Uncle Zhang will wait for that day!"
The two enjoyed a wonderful meal together, laughing and chatting.
After the meal, Mu Chen returned to his room.
He was extremely curious about what his Second Martial Soul would be.
After closing the doors and windows, he tried to circulate his Soul Power and draw out the other force within his body.
As his Soul Power stirred it, an aura brimming with killing intent surged out of Mu Chen.
His appearance changed as well.
His short, deep-blue hair turned white, and his blue eyes became an eerie blood red.
His once rather handsome face grew cold and stern.
Behind Mu Chen stood a blood-red figure.
It had eight arms growing from its back and a savage face, like an Asura returned from hell.
As soon as this Martial Soul was released, Mu Chen's entire bearing changed.
The killing intent around him nearly congealed into something tangible, as if Mu Chen had fought his way back from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.