Martial Soul Awakening!

Heaven Dou Empire, Langya City, Nanyang Village.

Inside a small military camp outside the village.

Four children who had just turned six stood before a burly soldier captain.

Faced with this adult radiating an air of slaughter, three of the children looked fearful.

Only the handsome boy at the very edge had clear, calm eyes and an unusual composure.

This made the soldier captain, Gasen, unable to resist giving him an extra look.

The boy's name was Zhuge Ming.

The reason he was calmer than the other three children was naturally because... he was a transmigrator!

One night six years ago, during a fierce thunderstorm, he had been playing Records of the Three Kingdoms on his computer.

Then his computer tower suddenly exploded... and he had transmigrated to Douluo Continent as a result.

In this life, his father had been an ordinary soldier of the Pelagi Kingdom and had died on the battlefield not long ago.

Now, he could only depend on each other with his mother and older sister.

The Pelagi Kingdom was a vassal state located in the southwestern corner of the Heaven Dou Empire.

Its southern border bordered the Star Luo Empire.

The Star Luo Empire frequently sent soldiers over to raid and harass it.

As for the Heaven Dou Empire, it had never cared much about this low-value border vassal state.

As long as the Star Luo Empire did not directly invade Pelagi, the Heaven Dou Empire turned a blind eye.

It even proactively sent soldiers over to train its troops.

Thus, the Star Luo Empire and the Pelagi Kingdom had military clashes year-round!

To replenish his forces, the King of Pelagi forcibly conscripted most civilian men within the kingdom.

As a result, many men died on the battlefield.

Even underage civilian boys were confined to the villages where they had been born.

Once they turned sixteen, or if an emergency arose, they would immediately be dragged into military camps as reserve soldiers.

For commoners born in this kingdom, the only chance to change their fate was their martial soul awakening at the age of six!

Only those who awakened martial souls with innate soul power had a chance to rise above others and enter a soul master academy!

They could even exempt all immediate family members within three generations from military service!

However, in such a poor little country constantly ravaged by war, the odds of awakening a martial soul with innate soul power were not much higher than the odds of Tang San being a good person...

Zhuge Ming, who had transmigrated here, naturally found this country's extremely harsh and cruel conscription system difficult to accept.

He hoped that, as a transmigrator, he could awaken a powerful martial soul and change the fate of himself and his family!

Gasen withdrew his gaze and said coldly to the four children:

"Today is the day you awaken your martial souls, and the day that will determine your future fate.

"Now, step forward one at a time. I will awaken your martial souls!"

Although they had expected it, the three children besides Zhuge Ming still could not help but feel nervous.

In their small border village, hardly anyone had awakened a martial soul with innate soul power over the years.

Therefore, the fate awaiting them was nearly foreseeable.

Men would be conscripted, while women would remain in the village to farm, even becoming tools for reproduction...

Whether male or female, their fates were utterly miserable!

Under Gasen's guidance, the first boy stepped into the prepared hexagram formation.

"Longspear martial soul! Appear—!!"

Gasen gave a low shout, and a black longspear surrounded by a halo abruptly appeared in his hand.

A yellow soul ring emerged around the spear!

Gasen's entire aura became increasingly fierce.

He was a one-ring soul master, an existence held in high esteem in such a poor little village!

All four children, including Zhuge Ming, could not help taking several steps back!

For Zhuge Ming, although it was not his first time seeing someone summon a martial soul,

it was the first time he had seen one that emitted such a startling aura.

After all, ever since they were born, they had not been allowed to leave the village's vicinity.

They had basically never seen a soul master with a soul ring release their martial soul from up close.

Now that he finally had, even as a transmigrator, he was still stunned.

It was like an ordinary man suddenly turning into a war god like Xiang Yu right before his eyes!

The visual and physical impact on him was immense!

When Gasen saw that Zhuge Ming also looked surprised, the corners of his mouth unconsciously curled upward.

Looks like you're not as mature and composed as I imagined, kid!

Gasen spread his large hand and poured energy into the awakening stone.

The boy standing within the hexagram formation involuntarily raised his right hand.

Specks of light surged from his palm and formed a small bluish-green blade of grass.

Gasen said indifferently:

"Blue Silver Grass martial soul. Useless martial soul. No innate soul power. Next."

Seeing the boy's face filled with disappointment, Gasen's eyes did not ripple in the slightest.

He had seen this situation far too many times and had long since grown numb to it.

Though he sometimes felt sorrow for these children's fates,

what else could he say? They had been unlucky enough to be born in this country, and they were commoners without privilege.

Who knew how long this misfortune would continue?

Who knew whether a wise ruler would emerge in this country and change such a cruel national policy...

Gasen did not dwell on it. He called for the next boy to enter the hexagram formation, then spoke again a moment later:

"Iron Hammer martial soul. Useless martial soul. No innate soul power. Next."

The one standing ahead of Zhuge Ming was the only girl among the four.

At this moment, she walked into the hexagram formation with an anxious expression.

Under Gasen's guidance, a tiny green-shelled turtle soon appeared in her right palm!

Gasen was immediately somewhat surprised.

A beast martial soul?

Though it was merely an ordinary turtle, it was quite rare for one to appear in such a small village!

Perhaps she had innate soul power?

Gasen immediately held the blue crystal ball in his hand before the girl.

The girl placed her hand on the crystal ball.

The crystal ball, which had shown no reaction when the two boys before her were tested, actually lit up with a faint glimmer of light!

Gasen's eyes suddenly brightened!

But after the light faded, he gradually calmed down and said gently to the girl:

"Though it's only half a rank of soul power, it's still far better than having none!

"Work hard. As long as you can cultivate to the soul master realm, you and your family will no longer need to perform military service, and you will be free to enter and leave the village!"

The girl immediately clenched her fists and jumped up in delight!

The other two boys, who had not tested any soul power, sighed enviously.

"The last one."

At Gasen's signal, Zhuge Ming stepped into the center of the hexagram formation.

Though he was an adult inside,

he could not help feeling nervous at a moment that would determine his fate!

I have to awaken a good martial soul... or at least possess innate soul power!

Otherwise, I'll have to test Yu Xiaogang's saying: "There are no useless martial souls, only useless soul masters"...

As Zhuge Ming watched the glowing hexagram formation, he felt as though he were bathing in sunlight, his entire body warm and comfortable.

Very quickly, this warm sensation gathered toward his left hand.

His left hand involuntarily lifted upward!

A dazzling golden light, brighter than anything before, burst from his palm!

A square, book-like object was rapidly taking shape...

Gasen's expression suddenly changed, and he could not help exclaiming:

"This... this is...?!"