Outside the Awakening Hall at the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters.
"Little friend, did you come alone? Where are your parents?"
Qian Jue blinked innocently. A trace of hesitation flickered in his azure eyes, and then he took out his identification papers and said:
"Uncle, I'm an orphan. My parents died of illness a long time ago."
The staff member was at a loss for words, wishing he could slap himself. This was Shrek City, after all. Even an ordinary family wouldn't send a child to a Martial Soul Awakening in old clothes covered in patches.
He gave an awkward smile, took the boy's identification papers, and softened his tone.
"Hello, little Qian Jue. I'm Su Jiangtao, and I'll be handling your Martial Soul Awakening today."
"Thank you, Uncle."
Qian Jue followed Su Jiangtao into the Awakening Room and stood where he was directed, behind a six-pointed star formation. Su Jiangtao immediately used Martial Soul Possession, and four Martial Souls—two yellow and two purple—floated around him.
Qian Jue furrowed his brows. Why did that Martial Soul look like a Lone Wolf?
Then Su Jiangtao took a somewhat antiquated crystal ball from his storage ring and carefully set it on the table.
"This is an Awakening Crystal passed down from my ancestors. They say my first ancestor once used it to awaken the Martial Soul of a deity."
"Most children who undergo their awakening ceremony with this crystal awaken excellent Martial Souls. It's very reliable." His voice sounded almost boastful.
So he was Brother Tao's descendant. My apologies, my apologies.
Qian Jue stepped into the center of the formation and placed his hand on the legendary crystal ball.
As Su Jiangtao poured in his Martial Soul energy, it instantly burst into dazzling light.
The next moment, Qian Jue opened his right hand, and a long staff covered in fine dragon scales appeared in his grasp. A lifelike divine dragon was carved into each end.
A super Martial Soul—the Coiling Dragon Staff.
This was a sure thing!
Qian Jue could faintly sense the proud, righteous soul of the Heaven-Awakening Holy Golden Dragon, quietly coiled within the Coiling Dragon Staff.
A dragon-kind oddity born of heaven and earth, immune to the bloodline suppression of the Golden Dragon King and Silver Dragon King. The sky was the limit.
Su Jiangtao watched in amazement, his mouth hanging open. He hadn't expected Qian Jue to awaken the hereditary Martial Soul of the Spirit Pagoda's Qiangu Clan.
Could this child be related to the Qiangu Clan?
But in the next instant, something strange happened.
The lights in the entire Awakening Room suddenly dimmed. Outside, a gale sprang up, and even the crystal ball passed down through Su Jiangtao's family inexplicably developed a crack.
Time and space froze.
Qian Jue heard the soul of the Heaven-Awakening Holy Golden Dragon within his Martial Soul let out a mournful cry.
Then his Coiling Dragon Staff began to change. Its fine dragon scales were no longer a plain gold and gray. Brilliant nine-colored light burst forth.
"At last... at last, I've been reunited with you!"
Within the Coiling Dragon Staff, a faint divine consciousness watched Qian Jue, who looked bewildered outside.
In his previous life, he had been too weak. He had watched his beloved white moonlight die in his arms, her soul disintegrating, her life and existence extinguished.
After that great battle, the Dragon God inherited Qian Jue's dying wish, conquering new lands and making the dragon race the greatest in the universe.
Rather than wait quietly for reincarnation, the Dragon God had chosen to race against time, gathering the faith of the divine realm and the might of thirty-two God Kings in an attempt to forge a God Star and ascend to a higher dimension, so he could reverse the tragedy.
Alas, he had still failed. In the end, consumed by despair, he took his own life.
After more than a hundred thousand years, he had finally sensed that Qian Jue had successfully reincarnated. He had decisively split off a soul to reincarnate as well, injecting his source soul into the staff.
The Dragon God Soul licked his lips and completely devoured the Break Evil Dragon's soul, taking its place.
"Accept my gift. In this life, you don't have to suffer as you did in your last one."
In human terms, he was Qian Jue's cheat-code grandpa.
With that, the Dragon God Soul gradually fell silent.
His main soul had already been reincarnated. This fragment needed to retain some of its strength to protect Qian Jue.
Outside, the brief commotion had also passed. Qian Jue and Su Jiangtao both noticed the Coiling Dragon Staff's transformation.
Before, the Coiling Dragon Staff had given off an air of righteous grandeur and imposing might.
But now, judging by its colors, it looked more like... a magical girl's wand?
And yet, why did it feel so divine?
"Th-this... did your Martial Soul undergo a mutation?"
Moreover, Qian Jue, who had been sallow and gaunt, now looked like an entirely different person. His skin was tender and smooth, as if it would break at a touch.
Su Jiangtao frowned. Martial Soul Mutations could be beneficial or harmful. Judging by these changes, this one should be beneficial, right?
"Let's test your Soul Power first."
Qian Jue nodded and lowered his gaze to the nine-colored Coiling Dragon Staff in his hand. An inexplicable sense of familiarity stirred in his heart.
This aura... it felt familiar.
Never mind that for now. He'd test his Soul Power. He was sure to have Innate Full Soul Power, at least...
Qian Jue placed his hand on the cracked crystal ball. It instantly erupted with a powerful wave of Soul Power, and the barely visible crack rapidly widened.
"Th-this... seems to be beyond Innate Full Soul Power!"
Su Jiangtao stepped forward, took hold of Qian Jue's wrist, and checked his Soul Power by channeling his own into him.
"I-Innate Level Twenty...?!"
This was beyond Su Jiangtao's understanding. His family had been awakening people's Martial Souls for generations, and they had never once encountered someone with Innate Level Twenty.
Qian Jue's little face showed his confusion. Was his talent really this good in this life?
No, no one had ever been born with Level Twenty Soul Power. Even Qian Renxue's extra ten levels had been bestowed by the Angel God.
Could it be because he was the reincarnation of the Dragon God King?
Meanwhile, Su Jiangtao was too excited to speak.
He had a feeling he might surpass his first ancestor and become another member of the Su Family whose name deserved its own page in the family tree.
This crystal ball passed down from his ancestors really was reliable!
"Crack."
A crisp sound rang out, and the crystal ball passed down for ten thousand years shattered before their stunned eyes.
Qian Jue scratched his cheek and asked awkwardly, "Um... do I need to pay for it?"
Elsewhere, at Sea God Pavilion.
Yun Ming and Ya Li sat close together on a bench on the island, admiring the moonlit shores of Sea God Lake.
Seeing Long Yeyue hurrying past, Yun Ming stepped forward and greeted her. "Sister Yue."
Long Yeyue nodded, with no intention of stopping.
But Yun Ming called after her.
"Sister Yue, when will you bring Elder Bei's grandson over to meet Na'er? Ever since she saw him once, that girl's been pestering us every day to see him again."
"They're both around the same age, and Na'er's only two or three years older than him. I'm sure they'll get along wonderfully."
Long Yeyue retorted irritably, "That kid's useless! His father had mediocre talent. What kind of good Martial Soul could the boy possibly awaken?"
"That boy isn't good enough for Na'er."
Concern showed on Ya Li's face. She gently counseled, "It doesn't matter if a child's talent is a little lacking. We can give him more resources. What matters is whether he has a kind heart, isn't it?"
At the mention of Qian Jue, a trace of evasion crossed Long Yeyue's gaze before she replied:
"He's not feeling well right now. You can see him another day."
"Is he sick? I can go check on the child." Ya Li's brows knitted together, her voice gentle.
"It's nothing serious. I accidentally knocked him over, and he got scalded by some rice porridge."
Ya Li felt her heart jolt. Usually gentle with others, she rarely spoke with such intensity.
"A child's body is so delicate. Sister Yue, how could you be so careless when looking after him?"
Long Yeyue felt a little flustered under Ya Li's reproach, but she quickly resumed her usual air of seniority.
"I've looked after Qian Jue for years. He won't come to any harm from a little injury or illness. You don't have children, so you don't know how to raise them."
Then Long Yeyue left without another word.
Ya Li clutched the hem of her skirt. Long Yeyue's words had just now pricked her in the heart like a needle. Had she said that on purpose? Did she know Ya Li couldn't have children...
"Brother Yun, why don't we take Xiao Qian in next time and have him live with us? Sister Yue really doesn't know how to look after a child."
Yun Ming put an arm around his wife's shoulders and said helplessly, "You know what Sister Yue's like. She's stubborn and extreme. Besides, that child's the bloodline left behind by Elder Bei and an outsider."
"In any case, once Xiao Qian's grown up, the academy can make it up to him with resources."
"I believe Elder Bei's descendants won't lack for talent. Shrek's future ultimately belongs to the young people."
A miserable childhood? A shameful past?
None of that mattered. Once you stepped through Shrek's doors, the glory of ten thousand years would eventually seep into you, and you'd submit from the bottom of your heart.
That was where Yun Ming's confidence lay.