Yu Xiaogang held his head high, basking in the glory of everyone's attention as he stepped into the formation that would decide his fate.
He believed he would awaken the purest Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul and, with Innate Full Soul Power, rule over the entire clan!
As Third Elder Yu Qingming poured Soul Power into the formation, light enveloped Yu Xiaogang.
A powerful surge of Soul Power spread out from Yu Xiaogang, making everyone present feel a chill in their hearts.
"What a powerful surge of Soul Power! Th-this is definitely a sign that a top-tier Martial Soul is about to appear!" One elder couldn't contain his excitement and leaped to his feet, his face flushed red.
"As expected of the clan leader's son. With an aura like that, his Innate Soul Power could well reach level seven!"
At last, a satisfied smile appeared on Yu Yuanzhen's usually stern face, his eyes filled with anticipation.
It was as if he could already see the future hope of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
However, just as everyone expected a mighty Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon to appear, the dazzling golden light suddenly drew back.
As the light faded, a strange, round, purple creature appeared behind Yu Xiaogang.
It looked like a dog, but had the build of a pig. Its body was over one and a half meters long and around.
Its fur was pale purple all over. Two little ears drooped, and it had large, deep-blue eyes with a gentle gaze. Its four legs were short and thick, and a lump bulged from the top of its head.
It had nothing whatsoever to do with words like powerful or majestic.
Pfft.
A faint sound, like a fart, came from the purple creature's rear.
The entire hall fell into deathly silence.
Everyone's expressions froze. Their anticipation and excitement from a moment ago gave way to bewilderment and confusion.
The smug smile on Yu Xiaogang's face froze, too.
He snapped his eyes open and turned around in disbelief. When he saw the purple, pig-like Martial Soul behind him, he felt as if he'd been struck by lightning.
"N-no... impossible..." Yu Xiaogang's lips began to tremble. All the color drained from his face, leaving him deathly pale. "My Martial Soul... how could it be this thing? Where's my Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon?"
He frantically urged the Soul Power within him, trying to summon it again. But no matter how hard he tried, the little purple thing behind him let out another pfft.
"Ha..." Someone couldn't hold back and let out a quiet snicker.
That laugh was like a switch, setting off the entire hall.
"What kind of Martial Soul is that? A pig?"
"The clan leader's son awakened a pig? Hahaha, this is killing me!"
"It's even funnier than Yu Hong's egg! At least that egg looked pretty!"
Laughter and jeers rose one after another, several times louder than when they had mocked Yu Hong.
After all, the huge contrast between Yu Xiaogang's status and the Martial Soul he'd awakened was simply too dramatic.
Yu Xiaogang's body began to tremble violently. Shame, rage, resentment... all kinds of emotions surged through him, making his vision swim.
He glared venomously at the laughing children around him, his eyes practically devouring them alive.
"Silence!" Yu Yuanzhen slammed a hand on the armrest, letting out a furious roar.
His face was ashen, and disappointment and fury nearly burst from his eyes.
Beside him, Yu Luomian kept his head bowed, though his shoulders shook uncontrollably. He was clearly struggling to hold back his laughter.
Third Elder Yu Qingming looked terribly awkward, too. He stared at the purple creature and hesitated for a long while before finally managing, "G-go... go test your Soul Power."
Yu Xiaogang walked over to the crystal ball in a daze. He didn't even dare look at his Martial Soul again.
He placed his trembling palm on it, still clinging to one last shred of hope.
Maybe... maybe his Innate Soul Power would be full?
But reality dealt him another heavy blow.
The light that rose from the crystal ball was almost identical to the light from Yu Hong's test.
Yu Qingming drew a deep breath and announced with the difficulty of someone passing a death sentence, "Yu Xiaogang, Martial Soul... a Mutated Martial Soul, the Pig-Dog Martial Soul. Innate Soul Power... level 0.5."
"Boom—!"
If the hall had only been laughing before, now it was in an uproar.
Seeing this, Yu Hong could barely contain himself. He'd thought Yu Xiaogang would really awaken the Golden Sacred Dragon Martial Soul.
In a daze, Yu Xiaogang walked toward the exit. He couldn't accept what had happened.
Seeing Yu Xiaogang like this, Yu Hong recalled how he'd acted earlier and couldn't help smiling.
As Yu Xiaogang passed Yu Hong, Yu Hong suddenly said, "If I were you, I'd have bashed my head in and died already."
Yu Xiaogang came to an abrupt halt.
Those words stabbed into his already battered pride like a sharp knife.
Yu Xiaogang slowly turned around. His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at Yu Hong, his chest heaving violently.
"What did you say?" Yu Xiaogang forced the words through clenched teeth, his anger barely contained.
Yu Hong shrugged, a faint smile on his face, and repeated unhurriedly, "I said, if I were you, I'd have bashed my head in and died already. What, can't you hear?"
"Yu Hong! You're asking for death!" Yu Xiaogang erupted. He grabbed Yu Hong by the collar and yanked him close. "You're a good-for-nothing, and you dare mock me? If you've got the guts, come outside and fight me one-on-one!"
Yu Hong glanced down at the hand clutching his collar, then looked up at Yu Xiaogang's twisted face. His smile grew even brighter.
"One-on-one? Sure."
Yu Xiaogang hadn't expected Yu Hong to agree so readily. He paused, then sneered. "Good! You've got guts! Don't come crying for your mother later!"
"We'll see who cries." Yu Hong gently pried Yu Xiaogang's hand away, straightened his collar, and headed for the exit first.
The scene caused a commotion among the children watching.
"A fight! Yu Xiaogang and Yu Hong are going to fight!"
"Hurry, let's watch! Two good-for-nothings pecking at each other!"
"Hahaha, what an exciting day!"
The children swarmed toward the exit. Even some who had been waiting to awaken their Martial Souls forgot all about it and ran over to watch.
At the far end of the hall, Yu Yuanzhen's face grew even darker.
He had wanted to speak up and stop them, but seeing Yu Xiaogang's dazed and furious state, he ultimately said nothing.
Perhaps it was better to let the boy vent.
In the open space outside the main hall, Yu Hong and Yu Xiaogang stood facing each other, with a ring of onlooking children around them.
"Yu Xiaogang, go for it! Beat that good-for-nothing to a pulp!"
"Yu Hong, you too! Show that Pig-Dog Martial Soul what you can do!"
"Two level 0.5s fighting—how long will this take?"
The children's taunts rose one after another, but neither boy paid them any mind.
Yu Xiaogang rolled his wrists, his eyes full of malice.
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