Golden Dragon, Ancestor of Power

Douluo Continent.

Sun Moon Federation, Shrek City.

The eighty-one-story Heavenly Spirit Pagoda at the headquarters of the Spirit Transmission Pagoda, known as the "Pillar Supporting the Heavens," stood majestically in the heart of the city.

The silver-white octagonal tower pierced through the clouds, its spire vanishing into the firmament.

Sunlight spilled across the dense spirit guidance runes covering the tower's surface, refracting a solemn radiance that made one's heart tremble.

The grand plaza in front of the tower was already teeming with people. The annual Spirit Awakening Day had arrived as scheduled.

For ordinary people, this would be the day that changed their destiny.

Awakening a powerful martial soul and possessing spirit power meant one could embark on the path of a spirit master, drawing a line between themselves and the common folk from that moment on.

Leaping over the dragon gate happened in the blink of an eye.

The hopes and anxieties of countless families were all condensed into this single day.

Fang Lin stood in the queue for the Spirit Transmission Orphanage, lazily stifling a yawn.

His frame was slightly thin, and his height was nothing remarkable among his peers, but his eyes were exceptionally clear, revealing a composure that belied his age.

It had been exactly six years since Fang Lin transmigrated to the Douluo Continent.

This was the best of times, and the worst of times...

The Dragon King era, where the Sun Moon Federation had unified the Douluo Continent.

Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect possessed deep foundations, the Spirit Transmission Pagoda was at the height of its power, the Holy Spirit Cult moved in the shadows, and the Abyss Plane watched like a tiger eyeing its prey...

The God King's world-shaking grand plan, the Dragon King's world-shaking wisdom!

The heroes of this world were truly as numerous as crucian carp crossing a river!

"Finally, this day has come."

Fang Lin whispered in his heart, a flicker of anticipation in his eyes. "I hope my martial soul is decent..."

Of course, he had already made other plans in his mind.

"If... I awaken a trash martial soul like Blue Silver Grass or a wooden stick..."

"Then I'll run away as soon as possible, find some remote little town to lie flat in, stay far away from the protagonist group and all the gods fighting, and live out the rest of my life in peace."

Fang Lin silently prepared for the worst-case scenario in his heart.

Transmigrators aren't always protagonists; in the novels he read in his past life, there were no shortage of examples where one transmigrated into a loser.

Rather than complaining about heaven and others, it was better to prepare an exit strategy early.

He only had one life, and he had no interest in gambling his own existence on so-called "protagonist halo."

On the high platform, a figure appeared first.

It was a middle-aged man wearing magnificent robes, his face dignified, his gaze like torches, carrying an air of looking down upon the world in every gesture.

The Pagoda Master of the Spirit Transmission Pagoda, Qiangu Dongfeng.

Following him, two more figures appeared in succession.

A stunning woman in a red dress, her figure tall and her temperament cold and elegant, a sharp edge revealed between her brows.

The fiery red dress outlined her slender frame, her skin as fair as jade, her long, loose hair cascading over her shoulders—she was breathtakingly beautiful.

She swept her gaze over the crowd below without expression, as cold and detached as if she were looking at a landscape.

Everyone's gaze was involuntarily drawn to her, yet they dared not look for long.

The Deputy Pagoda Master of the Spirit Transmission Pagoda, Heavenly Phoenix Douluo, Leng Yaozhu.

An elderly man with the bearing of a celestial being, his white beard flowing, his plain robes making him look like a master from beyond the world.

He wore a smile, his gaze deep as if he could see through the human heart, yet as if he were looking at nothing at all.

The Deputy Pagoda Master of the Spirit Transmission Pagoda, Illusion Brain Douluo, Han Tianyi.

The three Pagoda Masters appeared one after another, their vast auras like an invisible wall, instantly pressing the plaza into silence.

The originally noisy human voices were suppressed by an invisible pressure; even the wind seemed to pause for a moment.

Countless gazes turned toward the high platform in unison—awe, worship, curiosity; all sorts of emotions surged silently in this stillness.

Qiangu Dongfeng's dignified gaze swept across the entire venue, and he spoke indifferently: "The spirit awakening ceremony begins now."

A few sparse words, yet they revealed the unquestionable aura of a superior.

To highlight the Spirit Transmission Pagoda's emphasis on spirit masters, the headquarters held a grand awakening celebration every year.

This year was naturally no exception; the plaza was a surging sea of people.

Thousands of families had traveled from all over the Federation, just to accompany their six-year-old children to the awakening ceremony.

Some were full of anticipation, some whispered prayers, and others turned pale from nervousness.

As the awakening ceremony began, the children lined up one by one to walk onto the awakening platform.

The square was a cacophony of noise, with cheers and discussions weaving together into a lively, bustling prelude.

"Next, Fang Lin!"

A Spirit Master glanced at the list in his hand and called out loudly.

"Here."

Fang Lin responded and stepped onto the awakening platform.

The Spirit Master, named Su Tao, was one of the deacons from the Spirit Transmission Pagoda responsible for the awakening ceremony.

He wore a grey robe with the Spirit Transmission Pagoda emblem embroidered on his chest, and his kind face gave off a rather approachable vibe.

Su Tao looked at the thin, frail boy before him, a smile appearing on his face as he spoke in a gentle tone, "Come here, little one, let Uncle take a look."

"Uncle, the way you talk makes you sound like a bad guy," Fang Lin blinked, saying with a serious expression.

Su Tao was left speechless, unable to laugh or cry, "Little one, don't worry, I really am not a bad guy."

"Look, there are so many people here; if I were a bad guy, I would have been kicked out long ago."

He sized Fang Lin up; the boy was lean, his clothes worn and faded, clearly from an orphanage.

His eyes were exceptionally clear, revealing a calmness that didn't match his age.

While other children were usually nervous and at a loss when they stepped onto the stage, this child was composed and even had the presence of mind to crack a joke.

Seeing this, Su Tao felt a slight stir in his heart, This child has a good temperament; I hope he gets a good result...

"Alright, thank you for the trouble, Uncle." Fang Lin nodded politely.

Su Tao reined in his smile, his expression becoming focused.

He raised his hand, slowly channeling his gentle soul power into the hexagram array at the center of the awakening platform.

"Hum..."

In that instant, the air suddenly turned viscous.

White light rose up like a warm tide, surging from the hexagram array to envelop Fang Lin completely.

He felt as if something within his body was being awakened.

A gentle, warm current flowed from his dantian, coursing through his limbs and bones, leaving his entire body feeling comfortable.

It was a sensation he had never experienced before, as if every inch of his skin and every bone in his body were cheering.

"This is...?"

On the viewing platform, Qiangu Dongfeng suddenly sat up straight, his gaze fixed on the awakening platform.

He had only been glancing casually; after all, while there were many promising seedlings on awakening day each year, very few truly caught his eye.

Yet, in that brief moment, he had clearly sensed an unusual fluctuation of energy.

Leng Yaozhu's beautiful eyes brightened, her red lips parting slightly as she spoke in a cold, clear voice, "This aura...?"

"Interesting."

Han Tianyi picked up his teacup for a sip, then set it down slowly, a flash of sharp light passing through his eyes.

"ROAR—!"

An overbearing dragon roar suddenly resounded across the heavens and earth.

Dazzling golden light shot into the sky!

Fang Lin kept his eyes tightly shut as a giant golden dragon slowly manifested behind him, its wings unfurling as it raised its head to roar in fury.

The dragon's body looked as if it were cast from gold, its scales shimmering brilliantly, each one etched with mysterious patterns that emitted a blinding luster.

Its blood-red vertical pupils overlooked the surroundings, cold and arrogant, carrying an overwhelming sense of pressure.

The terrifying dragon might spread like a tide, causing the Spirit Masters present to feel a palpitation in their hearts.

Those with weaker cultivation even took a step back involuntarily.

The entire square fell into instant, dead silence.

Everyone looked up at that golden light, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

"This... this is... the Golden Dragon!" Su Tao's pupils constricted, his voice trembling slightly.

He had presided over martial soul awakenings for many years and had seen countless souls, both strong and weak, but he had never seen such an astonishing phenomenon.

The Golden Dragon—that was a legendary martial soul of ultimate strength!

Su Tao felt a secret joy in his heart, It's in the bag, it's in the bag; my awakening performance record for this year will be number one again.

However, at this moment, Fang Lin on the awakening platform was stunned.

Unlike the shock of the others, his heart felt as if the sky were collapsing.

The Golden Dragon, a martial soul of ultimate strength.

The most orthodox bloodline successor of the Golden Dragon King, known as the ancestor of power, capable of breaking ten thousand laws with a single force!

If this were back in the first era, he would be an existence as overbearing as "I don't eat beef," someone who could walk sideways without anyone daring to stop him.

Even in the era of Douluo Dalu II, this would be considered a top-tier martial soul.

What a pity... this is the era of Douluo Dalu III.

In this age, beast martial souls are completely suppressed by the Golden Dragon King, elemental types are held firmly in check by the Silver Dragon King, and tool martial souls are suppressed by divine artifacts.

A Golden Dragon? It was nothing more than a stray dog on the side of the road.

The corners of Fang Lin's mouth twitched slightly, his mood becoming incredibly complicated in an instant.

Was this not pushing him straight into a pit of fire?

"Come, let's test your soul power."

Su Tao did not dare to be negligent, taking out a crystal-clear orb.

Hearing this, Fang Lin gently placed his right hand upon it.

"Hum!"

The crystal ball trembled slightly, then erupted with a brilliant, dazzling azure radiance!

In an instant, the surroundings felt as if they had sunk into the deep sea, enveloped by a pure and dense azure light.

"Innate full soul power... level ten!"

Su Tao's voice rose a notch, a flicker of excitement flashing in his eyes.

Innate full soul power was synonymous with genius in any era.

Moreover, this was an innate full soul power possessed by someone with a Golden Dragon martial soul!