Martial Soul Awakening

Heaven Dou Empire, Skywater City.

The sun rose, painting the sky with morning clouds.

By the shore of Tianshui Lake, a child of about six years old—with black hair, black eyes, and a fair, delicate, and cute appearance—was staring at his reflection on the water, questioning his existence.

Seriously, man, where did you bring me? Is this even still in the country?

Looking at the childish face reflected in the water, Jiang Lan could barely hold it together.

No, he had just stayed up late to grind his daily tasks in Seer using the PVE god-tier pet, Lord of Tides · Starlight Ruth King. How did he suddenly transmigrate and turn into a little kid after closing his eyes and opening them again?

Is this, is this even right?

And since when did transmigration become so casual?

Do you just grab anyone and transmigrate them?

This is human trafficking, hey!

At the very least, you should have waited for me to save a little girl who was running blindly into traffic and about to be hit by a truck, letting me complete my good deeds before sending me off.

Relying on self-deprecating humor to suppress the panic of being thrown into a strange place, Jiang Lan forced himself to calm down.

Taking a few deep breaths, Jiang Lan lowered his head to look at his wrinkled, ill-fitting modern T-shirt and black shorts, muttering to himself:

It looks like I transmigrated with my physical body, not my soul. If it were soul transmigration, that would be a major plot hole.

Jiang Lan tightened his loose waistband, reached out to pat the dust off his bottom, and stood up from the shore, his gaze darting around uncontrollably.

What met his eyes was a collection of classical European-style buildings, and most of the pedestrians on the street were beautiful young women.

What was most peculiar was that their hair was actually colorful.

Of course, saying it was colorful wasn't entirely accurate.

Their hair colors were mostly blue and white.

The anime world didn't lie to me. Not only is the hair colorful, but even the passersby are prettier than the beauties on social media. Jiang Lan looked around at the city's architecture and the pedestrians, unable to help but sigh.

Speaking of which, where is my golden finger? Jiang Lan fell into deep thought.

Is the system there?

System master?

System daddy?

I'd even accept a system that doesn't give me a furnace or a cheat code, just give me a cat system!

...

Damn it! Jiang Lan's face darkened, channeling his inner frustration.

Space-Time Administration, what have you done? Without a system, how am I supposed to dominate another world?

Damn it, you're making a kid survive hardcore in another world without any hacks.

This is such a scam!

Kids, guess if I can survive a week in this other world?

Just as Jiang Lan was contemplating life, several graceful figures suddenly appeared on the surface of Tianshui Lake.

They wore form-fitting blue dresses that accentuated their curvaceous figures. Their features were exquisite and pretty, each beautiful in her own unique way rather than being cookie-cutter.

They moved with agility, their toes lightly touching the shimmering water as if walking on flat ground, covering the distance from the lake island to the shore in just a few breaths.

"Oh! What a cute little brother, are you waiting here specifically for us?" Among the group, a younger girl saw Jiang Lan standing by the shore, approached him with great familiarity, reached out to pinch his cheeks, and asked with a giggle.

"Yeah." Jiang Lan snapped out of it, looking at the overly familiar girl with a subtle expression on his face.

This woman was actually speaking Chinese!

What the hell kind of world is this?

Is the whole world speaking Chinese now?

Although he didn't know what was going on, Jiang Lan subconsciously followed her lead and responded.

"Alright, Lian'er, stop teasing him and help this little brother awaken his Martial Soul. I wonder if we can recruit some good seedlings this year." The leading girl sighed.

"Who told us that Skywater Academy's enrollment requirements are so harsh?"

The enrollment requirements for Skywater Academy were the strictest among the Five Elements Academies; besides having a water-attribute Martial Soul, one had to be female and a beauty.

Due to these harsh conditions, Skywater Academy had very few students.

Therefore, every year, Skywater Academy provided free Martial Soul awakenings for the residents of Skywater City and nearby villages to recruit suitable students.

Martial Soul, Soul Master, Skywater Academy... Jiang Lan remained calm on the surface, but his heart was in turmoil.

Good heavens, could this be the Douluo Continent, known as the floor tile of fantasy novels?!

But as a physical transmigrator, could he really awaken a Martial Soul?

"Little brother, stand inside." The girls chatted while laying out the Martial Soul awakening ritual on the ground.

Hearing this, Jiang Lan stood into the ritual with a well-behaved expression.

"Martial Soul, possess!"

Before the leading girl finished speaking, a water-blue light ignited at the center of her brow. Her body did not undergo significant changes, save for a few pale blue scales appearing at the corners of her eyes, adding a touch of bewitching beauty to her appearance.

"Close your eyes and feel carefully," the girl presiding over the Martial Soul awakening ceremony said while channeling her Soul Power into the ritual array.

Suddenly, a layer of golden radiance erupted from the array, forming a pale golden light barrier that enveloped Jiang Lan.

"Roar—!"

Jiang Lan closed his eyes, and a resounding dragon roar echoed from the depths of his consciousness.

Jiang Lan's consciousness appeared in a blank space, with a vast blue sea beneath his feet.

Beneath the surface, a massive shadow swam through the water.

"Splash!"

The next moment, the waves surged.

A colossal figure burst from the sea, spreading its wings to soar!

It was a dragon of immense majesty and divinity!

Its body was the color of the deep sea, its indigo scales resembling polished obsidian, shimmering with a cold, metallic luster.

Its face was ferocious, its crimson vertical pupils sharp as blades, and its slightly parted jaws revealed dense, pointed teeth, with a single ice-blue horn pointing straight toward the heavens.

Water-blue fin-like manes grew along the sides of its neck, swaying gently with the air currents like seaweed, their tips adorned with a faint touch of red.

Two long, slender dragon whiskers grew from the corners of its mouth, covered in mysterious patterns and tipped with the same hint of red.

At the corners of its mouth, flames formed from water elements surged continuously, adding to its fierce demeanor.

Its limbs were thick and filled with a sense of power, its ice-blade-like claws gleaming with a cold light, as if they could easily tear the sky apart. A long, slender dragon tail lashed behind it, its fan-like tail fin fluttering in the wind.

Most striking of all were the wings on its back.

The wing membranes were a translucent ice-blue, surrounded by swirling water-blue water elements, marked with wave-like patterns that resembled frozen currents.

The moment Jiang Lan laid eyes on this dragon, he understood.

This was his Martial Soul—Lord of Tides · Starlight Ruth King!

His cheat had arrived.