Lord of Tides

"Roar—!"

The instant Jiang Lan's Martial Soul awakened, an azure light burst from within him. The phantom of the Lord of Tides · Starlight Ruth King appeared behind Jiang Lan, releasing a clear, resonant dragon's roar.

"Wh-what Martial Soul is that?! My Martial Soul is trembling... it's afraid!" Upon hearing the dragon's roar, the young woman presiding over the Martial Soul awakening ceremony could no longer maintain her Martial Soul Possession. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the ground, her face drained of color.

"M-mine too."

Several young women turned pale. The waves of fear and trembling emanating from their Martial Souls left them utterly shaken. The way they looked at Jiang Lan was as though they were facing some natural predator.

Along with the awakening of his Martial Soul, Jiang Lan's body underwent enormous changes. He grew noticeably taller, and his build became far more burly, stretching his poorly fitted T-shirt taut.

Jiang Lan's black hair instantly turned an icy blue that was nearly white. His originally dark eyes were tinged with crimson, yet the red within them was not murky at all. Instead, it was crystal clear and lustrous, like a pair of blood-red gemstones.

From his wrists to his palms, his hands became covered in indigo dragon scales. The scales on his fingers shifted in color from indigo to icy blue, while his fingernails thickened, sharpened, and curved into lethal dragon claws that gleamed with a chilling light beneath the sun.

A layer of translucent, azure webbing also grew between Jiang Lan's fingers.

A winding icy-blue horn slowly emerged from Jiang Lan's brow. Pure water elements swirled around him, while a long dragon tail covered in numerous fins silently grew behind him, swaying lightly and unconsciously at his back.

"Is this the power of a Martial Soul?" Jiang Lan looked at the changes in his body, his heart surging with excitement.

"This little brother's Martial Soul is actually a water-attributed dragon Martial Soul?!" Lian'er, the young woman called by that name, was somewhat astonished when she saw Jiang Lan's awakened water-attributed dragon Martial Soul.

"So it's a dragon Martial Soul. No wonder our Martial Souls are afraid."

"What a pity he's a boy."

The other young women looked at Jiang Lan with eyes full of regret.

Although a water-attributed dragon Martial Soul was powerful and rare, it was not enough for Skywater Academy to make an exception and admit a male student. (Note 1)

As for their Martial Souls being afraid of Jiang Lan's Martial Soul, they did not think much of it.

After all, their Martial Souls were either water birds or fish. It was perfectly normal for them to feel fear when facing a powerful Martial Soul like a water dragon, practically their natural predator.

"Enough, stop talking. Hurry up and test this little brother's Innate Soul Power. There are still people waiting behind him." The leading young woman cut off their discussion and urged them on.

By then, many residents of Skywater City had gathered by Tianshui Lake. They had all brought their children to awaken their Martial Souls.

"Little brother, use your mind to retract your Martial Soul, then place your hand here so we can test your Soul Power." Another young woman holding a Soul Power crystal ball said with a smile.

"Okay." Jiang Lan nodded. With a thought, he withdrew his Martial Soul into his body, then placed his hand on the blue crystal ball.

The moment his palm touched the blue crystal ball, he felt an extremely powerful suction force draw some kind of energy out from within his body.

The blue crystal ball gradually lit up. In the blink of an eye, it shone like a brilliant gemstone, giving off a faint blue halo that was indescribably beautiful.

"Innate... Innate Full Soul Power!" Several young women watching nearby cried out in shock.

Jiang Lan was not surprised in the slightest. His Martial Soul was the Lord of Tides · Starlight Ruth King. How could his Innate Soul Power possibly be below level ten?

"Sister Kehan, what should we do?" The young women all turned to the leading woman and asked.

Skywater Academy only accepted female water-attributed Soul Masters, but this was a water-attributed dragon Martial Soul with Innate Full Soul Power!

"Lian'er, return to the academy immediately and find the dean. The dean must decide this matter." After a brief moment of thought, the leading woman gave her orders.

"Yes!" Upon hearing this, Lian'er immediately turned and rushed toward Skywater Academy, located on the island in the center of Tianshui Lake.

"Little brother, what is your name?" Xu Kehan bent down slightly until she was eye level with Jiang Lan and asked.

"Jiang Lan," Jiang Lan answered.

"Little brother Jiang Lan, can you tell your sister the name of your Martial Soul?" Xu Kehan asked again.

"Lord of Tides." Jiang Lan thought for a moment before answering.

"What?!" Xu Kehan froze.

"My Martial Soul told me that its name is Lord of Tides."

"Lord of Tides..."

Lord of Tides?!

Wow... wasn't that Martial Soul name a little too exaggerated?

Although a Martial Soul's name did not necessarily mean anything, one could still often tell its strength from its name.

For example, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, the Ice Phoenix, the Sacred Angel, and so on.

Xu Kehan steadied herself and invited him with a smile. "Little brother, would you like to join Skywater Academy? Skywater Academy is the Soul Master Academy most skilled at training water-attributed Soul Masters. If you join us, you will definitely receive the best training. Becoming a Titled Douluo is within reach."

As for Skywater Academy's admission restriction of accepting only female Soul Masters?

What a joke!

With Innate Full Soul Power and a top-tier water-attributed dragon Martial Soul, as long as Jiang Lan did not perish midway, becoming a Titled Douluo was practically guaranteed. The only questions were how soon he would become one and how far he could progress within that realm.

Only an idiot would let a talent like that slip away.

Rules?

What the hell were mere rules in the face of such talent?

"But doesn't Skywater Academy only accept female Soul Masters?" Jiang Lan asked curiously.

"Everything has exceptions. Your talent is enough for the academy to make an exception," Xu Kehan replied with a smile.

"I'll join." Jiang Lan nodded.

Just as Xu Kehan had said, Skywater Academy was an unquestioned authority when it came to cultivating ice- and water-attributed Soul Masters.

"Alright, little brother Jiang Lan, stand beside your sisters for now. Once we've finished awakening the Martial Souls of Skywater City's residents, we'll take you to enroll." Xu Kehan smiled.

"Okay~" Jiang Lan obediently stepped out of the ritual formation and waited quietly at the side.

However, Jiang Lan did not have to wait long. A beautiful mature woman in an icy-blue court dress descended directly from the sky and landed gracefully beside Tianshui Lake. Her temperament was cold and exceptional, her figure alluring, and her features exquisitely beautiful. She asked:

"Where is the child with the water-attributed dragon Martial Soul and Innate Full Soul Power?"

"Dean, it's this child." Xu Kehan hurriedly guided Jiang Lan in front of the beautiful woman.

"Greetings, Dean," Jiang Lan said respectfully.

"Good child, release your Martial Soul and let Auntie have a look." The beautiful woman looked at Jiang Lan gently and spoke in a soft voice.

"Mm, okay!" Jiang Lan immediately released his Martial Soul.

The instant Jiang Lan released his Martial Soul, the beautiful woman's expression changed dramatically, her exquisite face filled with disbelief.

Her Martial Soul had actually sensed an intense suppression and fear!

How was that possible?!

She was an eight-ring Soul Douluo!

Not to mention that her Water-Congealing Flying Luan Martial Soul was a top-tier Martial Soul that did not lose to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.

Yet even so, her Martial Soul still instinctively felt fear and bloodline suppression in the presence of this child's Martial Soul.

This meant that Jiang Lan's Martial Soul possessed an extraordinarily noble bloodline, one that far surpassed her Water-Congealing Flying Luan Martial Soul. The gap between their bloodlines had reached a level where it could ignore the disparity in cultivation and exert bloodline suppression over her Martial Soul.

(Note 1: A dragon Martial Soul represents Martial Soul strength, while Innate Soul Power represents aptitude. Shui Bing'er's Water-Congealing Flying Luan Martial Soul is not inferior in quality to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. Moreover, even dragon Martial Souls vary in aptitude. It can only be said that as long as a dragon Martial Soul does not undergo a malignant mutation, it generally guarantees Innate Soul Power of level seven or eight. But for Skywater Academy, a dragon Martial Soul with level seven or eight Innate Soul Power was not enough for them to make an exception and admit a male student. Innate Full Soul Power, however, was different.)