The First of the Five Innate Flags, the Mysterious Origin Water-Controlling Flag Descends

Sea God Island, Sea Horse Holy City.

A street paved with pristine white boulders was filled with a long, orderly queue of people.

Sunlight filtered through the faint halo of Sea God divine power that blanketed the island, casting a warm, gentle glow upon the unique, ocean-styled architecture lining the street and the faces of those filled with piety and hope.

Within the line, a black-haired boy of about six years old stood out.

His name was Li Qing, and he had arrived in the Douluo Continent six years ago by accident, discovered by residents near Sea God Island.

Unlike his peers, who were whispering to one another out of excitement or nervousness, his eyes held a complex emotion far beyond his years—a mixture of deep anxiety and burning anticipation.

As someone who had arrived in this world by chance, he understood its cruel rules better than anyone.

Martial Soul and Soul Power; these two terms would determine the trajectory of a person's entire life.

The strong could soar through the nine heavens and be revered by thousands.

The weak, however, might only live a life of mediocrity or struggle merely to survive.

If I awaken a trash Martial Soul, or suffer a malignant mutation like that Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang or the Moon Pavilion Master Tang Yuehua, then my life will truly be over.

Li Qing's heart hammered like a drum as his gaze remained locked on the temporary awakening platform ahead.

On the stage, a man dressed in the robes of a Sea Soul Master was gently guiding the children through the awakening ceremony.

He was one of the seven Sacred Pillar Guardians of Sea God Island, the highly esteemed Seahorse Douluo.

The fact that a Title Douluo would personally awaken the children's Martial Souls showed just how much importance Sea God Island placed on nurturing the next generation.

Time slipped away amidst the anxiety.

From the front of the line came constant cheers of surprise or relief.

It had to be said that the bloodline of the Sea God Island residents was truly exceptional.

Because they had lived here for generations, nourished by the grace of the Sea God, and because most of their parents were Soul Masters, the genetic factors made the probability of the children awakening Soul Power extremely high.

The dozen or so children before Li Qing had all successfully awakened Soul Power, with the lowest at rank three and the highest reaching rank seven, causing a small stir.

Seeing this, the pressure in Li Qing's heart grew even heavier.

In such an environment, if he were an outlier, the sense of disparity would be unbearable.

"Next, Li Qing." Seahorse Douluo's gentle voice arrived, brushing past like a sea breeze, yet it made Li Qing's entire body stiffen.

It's finally my turn!

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his churning thoughts, and began to pray frantically in his heart: Jade Emperor protect me! Tathagata Buddha reveal yourself! Guanyin Bodhisattva have mercy! Three Pure Ones above! Whether you are an Eastern god or a Western god, any passing mighty beings, please, for the sake of how difficult it was for me to transmigrate, give me a decent Martial Soul! I don't ask for top-tier goods like the Clear Sky Hammer or the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, just a regular Martial Soul that can cultivate will do! Please, just don't let it be a hoe, a sickle, or something like that...

Carrying this string of near-gibberish prayers and a heart that felt like it was about to jump out of his throat, Li Qing walked onto the awakening platform with somewhat stiff steps.

Seahorse Douluo looked at the child who was clearly overly nervous, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes.

He had seen too many children like this, and he comforted him gently: "Child, relax, close your eyes, and carefully feel the power within your body. Lord Sea God will protect his people."

As he spoke, Seahorse Douluo extended his right hand, and a gentle yet majestic stream of Soul Power slowly flowed into Li Qing's body.

This power was warm and vast, as inclusive as the ocean, instantly dispelling the stiffness and some of the tension in Li Qing's body.

Li Qing closed his eyes as instructed and focused his mind.

At first, there was no special sensation within his body, only the gentle Soul Power of Seahorse Douluo flowing through him.

But gradually, he felt his lower dantian begin to heat up, as if something dormant was being awakened.

An indescribable tremor came from the depths of his bloodline, growing stronger and stronger!

Suddenly, not outside his body, but within his sea of consciousness, it was as if the world were being created; endless water vapor and profound light surged forth!

Following that, the phantom of a banner shifted from blurry to clear, slowly condensing into shape.

The flagpole of this banner was a mysterious black, neither gold nor wood; it felt warm to the touch, yet gave one a sense of being as heavy as a mountain and eternal.

The banner itself was a deep, extreme blue, as if the essence of the entire ocean had been condensed into it. Looking closely, countless fine, profound runes seemed to be slowly circulating on the surface, at times like surging waves, at others like a gentle drizzle, containing the infinite laws of water.

What was even more shocking was that the moment the banner appeared, the sound of vast tides seemed to echo in Li Qing's sea of consciousness, as if there were whispers from ancient gods.

Around the banner, a hazy halo of water mist automatically condensed. These mists were not static but evolved into various visions: at times like clouds and rosy dawn, at others like a heavenly river flowing backward. Vaguely, a phantom of a green dragon seemed to coil and chant within the mist, radiating a supreme majesty that governed all waters and anchored the universe!

What... what kind of Martial Soul is this? Li Qing's mind was completely captivated by this majestic and mysterious banner.

He had never seen a description of a similar Martial Soul in any records of the Douluo Continent.

It was neither a tool soul, nor a beast soul, nor a body soul; instead, it was more like... a phantom of a treasure containing the laws of heaven and earth?

Meanwhile, in the outside world.

When Seahorse Douluo's Soul Power guided the power within Li Qing to its peak, a sudden change occurred!

A gentle yet incomparably majestic blue pillar of light shot into the sky from Li Qing without warning!

Within the pillar of light, water vapor swirled, and mysterious runes flickered faintly.

Although there was no powerful energy shockwave, every Soul Master present with a water-attribute Martial Soul, including Seahorse Douluo, felt an indescribable tremor and awe from the depths of their souls at this moment!

It was as if they had encountered the King of Water, and they could not help but want to prostrate themselves in worship.

"This is?!" The gentleness on Seahorse Douluo's face was instantly replaced by shock.

As the pinnacle existence among Sea Soul Masters, his perception of water-attribute energy was the sharpest of all.

From this pillar of light, he sensed an aura of such extreme purity that it even surpassed the laws of water contained within the divine power of the Sea God!

Although this aura was still very faint, like a young seedling, its essence was of a level so high it was simply unheard of.

The light gradually receded, eventually condensing above the palm of Li Qing's right hand into a small flag about a foot tall.

The flagpole was a mysterious black, the flag surface a deep blue, with water light flowing across it and runes faintly appearing; although it was merely a phantom, it radiated a profound artistic conception that calmed the spirit and commanded the allegiance of all waters.

The area around the Awakening Platform fell silent in an instant, everyone stunned by this unprecedented Martial Soul phenomenon, their gazes fixed collectively on the tiny flag in Li Qing's palm.

Li Qing opened his eyes, looking somewhat bewildered at the phantom flag hovering above his palm.

This is the Mysterious Origin Water-Controlling Flag, one of the Five Innate Banners of the Primordial Era!