Hope for the Revival of the Fighting Dragon Clan!

There was no such thing as a free lunch.

The information stream had made the price clear as well—responsibility.

The prerequisite for Zhong Shenxiu obtaining all this was shouldering the responsibility of reviving the Fighting Dragon Clan. He needed to strengthen the Dragon Origin Realm, awaken the slumbering dragon race, and rebuild Fighting Dragon civilization.

Yet in a human-dominated world like Douluo Continent, that was practically equivalent to placing himself in opposition to all of human society.

The conflict between humans and Soul Beasts ran deep. The Spirit Pagoda's Soul Spirit system had eased those tensions to some extent, but if dragons—especially dragons powerful enough to threaten human rule—appeared on a large scale, they would inevitably draw the vigilance and hostility of the entire human world.

Not to mention, Douluo Continent itself had dragons.

Silver Dragon King Gu Yuena, Golden Dragon King Tang Wulin... would these beings come into conflict with the dragons of the Dragon Fighting World?

Zhong Shenxiu did not know.

At last, the information stream stopped pouring into him.

Zhong Shenxiu floated amid the starry sky, his eyes closed as he processed everything. His awareness had become clearer than ever before, and the exhaustion that had plagued his mind for nine years because of the dreams had vanished completely. He could sense something new within his body—a tiny, spinning point of golden light at his dantian. It was the entrance to the Dragon Origin Realm, as well as the embryonic form of his Dragon Origin Core.

He could also sense the changes in his Martial Soul. With a thought, the phantom behind him was no longer merely a Radiant Dragon. It now carried an indescribable majesty and antiquity.

Fine patterns like stars emerged across its scales, while four tiny runes seemed to spin in the depths of its dragon eyes—the marks representing the power of the Four Great God King Dragons.

"So, I wasn't dreaming."

Zhong Shenxiu opened his eyes and looked at the statues around him. "All of this is real."

He drifted before the statue of the East Sun King Dragon. This time, he did not reach out to touch it, merely gazing at it in silence. Over nine years of dreams, he had imagined countless times what these God King Dragons that protected the world would look like. Now, he finally saw them with his own eyes.

"You fought to the end to protect your world," he said quietly. "And now, you've placed your hopes in me."

The responsibility was heavy enough to make it hard to breathe.

Reviving a race and rebuilding a civilization—it sounded like the mission of a hero from some myth, yet it had fallen upon the shoulders of a nine-year-old orphan.

But at the same time, an unprecedented sense of power surged through him.

Nine years of fighting and slaughter in dreams had not been wasted. Those deaths and pains had transformed into battle instincts and experience. Now, he had gained the Dragon Origin Realm and the Myriad Creation Dragon God Martial Soul. The road ahead might be difficult, but at least he had direction and confidence.

And besides... he was not entirely alone.

The Twelve Star Dragons, the Four Great God King Dragons—these beings that had once protected the world would fight alongside him in the future.

"Revive the Fighting Dragon Clan."

Zhong Shenxiu repeated that responsibility. The confusion in his voice gradually turned into determination. "Then let's revive it."

In the real world, he had nothing to begin with—no family, no background, no attachments.

Since that was the case, why could he not choose the hardest yet most glorious path?

The starry space began to ripple, and the scenery around him gradually blurred.

Zhong Shenxiu knew it was time to "go back."

Before his awareness returned to reality, he gave the statues one last look.

"Wait until I become stronger," he said. "I'll awaken you."

Darkness swallowed his vision.

Zhong Shenxiu abruptly opened his eyes.

The Soul Guidance Train was still moving steadily, and the scenery outside had become a range of rolling mountains.

Sunlight streamed through the window and fell upon him, warm and comforting. The carriage was quiet, with only the faint hum of the train in motion.

He sat upright and sensed the changes within his body.

His Soul Power remained, still at the level of a sixteenth-rank Soul Master—his Soul Spirit had originally been an Earth Lizard with a trace of dragon bloodline, pooled together for him by the orphanage director and the staff. Now, it had transformed into an Earth Dragon Lizard.

At the same time, the nature of his Soul Power had changed. It was denser and more active, carrying a faint draconic might. At his dantian, that tiny golden point quietly rotated. It did not interfere with his Soul Power vortex, yet the two faintly resonated with each other.

As his thoughts sank into the point of light, he "saw" the Dragon Origin Realm.

It was a desolate land beneath a dark red sky. There was no sun, only several dim stars.

The earth was cracked and covered in fissures, with no vegetation or life in sight.

Only at the very center stood a ruined altar. Above it floated a fist-sized crystal that emitted a faint glow.

This was the Dragon Origin Realm as it currently was—a dying demi-plane desperately in need of energy to nourish it.

Zhong Shenxiu withdrew from his inner view and took a deep breath.

The information stream had mentioned that the Dragon Origin Realm could be repaired and expanded by absorbing natural spiritual energy, Soul Power, or other sources of energy.

The fastest method, however, was absorbing the life energy released when living beings died.

"Don't think about that yet."

Zhong Shenxiu shook his head. "The priority is to improve my strength, adapt to my new Martial Soul, and then... go to Eastsea Academy."

The train announcement sounded. "Dear passengers, Eastsea City Station is about to arrive. Passengers disembarking, please make preparations in advance..."

Zhong Shenxiu looked out the window. On the distant horizon, the outline of a modern city gradually came into view.

Skyscrapers stood in rows, Soul Guidance lights remained clearly visible even during the day, and flying Soul Tools occasionally streaked through the sky—this was Eastsea City, an important coastal city in the eastern Sun-Moon Federation, and the place where he would live for the next six years.

The train slowly entered the platform and came to a stop.

Zhong Shenxiu picked up his suitcase and followed the crowd off the train.

The station was enormous and bustling with people. Train schedules and advertisements scrolled across electronic displays, while safety notices played over the loudspeakers.

Zhong Shenxiu followed the signs toward the exit while sensing the atmosphere of the city.

The concentration of Soul Power was higher than in Dongshan City, and elemental energies of all kinds were active in the air—water element was especially abundant, naturally, given its proximity to the sea.

Among the pedestrians, he occasionally sensed the presence of Soul Masters. Most were not strong, but there were quite a few of them.

As he stepped out of the station, the sunlight was dazzling.

Zhong Shenxiu narrowed his eyes and looked at the city before him.

The streets were broad, with Soul Guidance vehicles flowing endlessly through them. The buildings on either side came in many styles, from ancient carved beams and painted rafters to modern glass curtain walls. In the distance stood several particularly towering structures—the Spirit Pagoda branch, the East Sea Soul Master Association, and the East Sea Grand Theater.

The entire city was thriving and full of vitality.

"It's a completely different world from the ruins in my dreams," Zhong Shenxiu murmured.

He opened the map—the orphanage had prepared it for him, and it marked the route from the station to Donghai Intermediate Soul Master Academy.

It was not far. He could take a Soul Guidance bus, only three stops away.

While waiting, Zhong Shenxiu noticed that the giant screen in the station plaza was broadcasting the news. Onscreen was a handsome boy who looked about his age, participating in some sort of test. The headline read: "Spirit Pagoda Young Genius Selection Tournament Launches in the East Sea Division."

"Spirit Pagoda..."

Zhong Shenxiu fell into thought. This organization held an extraordinary position in the Soul Master world. It controlled Soul Spirit technology and had nearly monopolized the advancement channels for Soul Masters. If he could enter the Spirit Pagoda system, obtaining resources would become much easier.

But on the other hand, the Spirit Pagoda's attitude toward Soul Beasts... if he wanted to revive the Fighting Dragon Clan in the future, the Spirit Pagoda would very likely become his enemy.

The bus arrived.

Zhong Shenxiu put away his thoughts, boarded, paid the fare, and found a window seat.

The vehicle started and passed through the city streets. He watched the scenery outside, but his mind was planning for the future.

First, report to Eastsea Academy and get settled.

Second, test the abilities of his new Martial Soul, cultivate the Dragon Origin Method, and raise his strength as quickly as possible.

Third, learn about the distribution of forces in Eastsea City and find ways to obtain resources—especially energy sources that could nourish the Dragon Origin Realm.

The bus reached the stop.

Zhong Shenxiu got off, and before him stood the gates of Donghai Intermediate Soul Master Academy.

The imposing metal gates bore the academy's emblem—a pattern of waves and a tornado, symbolizing Eastsea City's geographical features. The guard in the gatehouse checked his admission notice, then waved him through.

As Zhong Shenxiu entered the campus, his first impression was that it was huge.

Extremely huge.

Academic buildings, training grounds, dormitories, a library, laboratory buildings... all kinds of structures were arranged in an orderly fashion, covering at least ten times the area of Dongshan Primary Academy.