Martial Soul Awakening

The girl looked about seven years old. She had long hair that shifted from gold to purple, delicate features, and bright eyes. She was Xu Tianming's older sister, Xu Tianzhen.

Xu Tianzhen was only a year older than Xu Tianming, yet she always liked to act like an older sister.

"Tianming, hurry up and call me Sister."

Xu Tianzhen leaned close to Xu Tianming and said with a beaming smile. Xu Tianming glanced at her.

"Xu Tianzhen."

"It's Sister!"

"Xu Tianzhen."

"If you still won't say it, I'm going to get mad!"

"Xu Tianzhen."

Xu Tianzhen's smile gradually vanished. This contest had begun when Xu Tianming first learned how to speak.

She had tried everything—gentle coaxing, pestering, threats, bribes, and even offering up her favorite snacks—but Xu Tianming had never yielded.

Whenever she asked Xu Tianming to call her Sister, he would expressionlessly call her by her full name. Over time, the two of them had truly become locked in a standoff.

Xu Tianzhen puffed out her cheeks in anger.

"You'll call me Sister sooner or later!"

"I won't."

"You... you're going to make me mad!"

Xu Tianzhen gave a soft huff and turned her head away, but she could not help sneaking glances at him. Today was the day Xu Tianming would awaken his Martial Soul, so naturally, she could not truly leave.

The person presiding over the awakening ceremony was a consecrated elder from the War Prince's Residence, surnamed Liu.

He was an elderly man with white hair and beard, dressed in a gray Soul Engineer robe. A Level-Eight Soul Engineer badge hung on his chest.

Though he was of noble status and formidable strength, his attitude toward Xu Tianming was exceptionally kind. A gentle smile remained on his face throughout.

"Seventh Prince, there is no need to be nervous."

Liu Consecrated Elder walked to the side of the hexagram formation and said softly, "In a moment, simply stand at the center of the formation, place your hand on the awakening stone, clear your mind, and sense the power within your body."

"Thank you for your trouble, Liu Consecrated Elder."

Xu Tianming nodded.

A trace of approval flashed through Liu Consecrated Elder's eyes.

Although the Seventh Prince was young, he was far steadier than children his age. Even before such an important event as Martial Soul awakening, he did not show the slightest panic.

Xu Tianming walked into the center of the hexagram formation. Liu Consecrated Elder stood before him and slowly released his Martial Soul.

A dense current of Soul Power spread from his body, gentle and steady like an invisible hand guiding the energy within the formation.

Six awakening stones lit up at once. Faint white light flowed along the formation's patterns before finally converging upon Xu Tianming.

"Seventh Brother's talent is so outstanding. He should awaken a very powerful Martial Soul, right?"

Among the crowd, Xu Tianming's third brother moved close to Xu Tianran and asked in a lowered voice.

Xu Tianran's gaze rested on the center of the formation, a gentle smile appearing on his face.

"With Little Brother's talent, awakening one of our imperial family's three inherited Martial Souls should not be a problem."

The Sun Moon Empire's imperial family had three inherited Martial Souls: the Purple Radiant Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon, the sun, and the moon.

Xu Tianran had awakened the Purple Radiant Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon, the imperial family's strongest Martial Soul. Xu Tianzhen had awakened the Sun Martial Soul, while this third brother of his had awakened the Sun Martial Soul as well.

As for the other brothers present, some had inherited one of the imperial family's three great Martial Souls, while others had awakened Martial Souls completely unrelated to the imperial lineage.

There were even imperial descendants who awakened useless Martial Souls and possessed zero Innate Soul Power.

Noble blood did not guarantee the inheritance of a powerful Martial Soul. Martial Soul awakening and Innate Soul Power ultimately depended on one's own luck.

And to contend for the throne, the most basic qualification was possessing one of the imperial family's three inherited Martial Souls.

Xu Tianran's gaze shifted slightly.

He had learned through certain channels that the current Crown Prince, Xu He, seemed not to have awakened one of the imperial family's three great Martial Souls.

At that thought, he subconsciously glanced at his father.

Xu Mo's expression remained calm, his gaze fixed on Xu Tianming the entire time. No one could tell what he was thinking.

Just then, the light within the formation suddenly intensified. Xu Tianming closed his eyes and felt a warm energy enter his body.

That energy flowed through his meridians before ultimately gathering deep within his chest. The Golden Dragon King's Divine Core, which had lain dormant within him for so long, seemed to have been drawn by something.

Boom!

A vast golden divine power erupted.

Within the Divine Core, immense power surged like a slumbering giant dragon awakening. It instantly fused into every part of Xu Tianming's body. His blood boiled, his meridians trembled, and his bones and muscles rapidly strengthened beneath the baptism of divine power.

The next instant, a golden sun slowly rose behind Xu Tianming.

That sun shone brilliantly, as though a true blazing sun had descended upon the great hall. Golden light spread in every direction, terrifying heat sweeping outward as the surrounding air began to distort.

The soul tool crystals in the hall flickered violently, while the hexagram formation on the floor let out an overwhelmed hum.

Everyone instinctively raised their hands to shield their eyes.

"Wow, it's so bright! So hot!"

Xu Tianzhen could not help crying out. She had also awakened the Sun Martial Soul, so she naturally understood what kind of phenomenon would appear when it awakened.

Yet when she had awakened her Martial Soul, the spectacle had been nowhere near as astonishing as Xu Tianming's.

"Is this also the Sun Martial Soul?"

Xu Tianzhen stared at the scorching golden sun, her eyes full of shock. As the radiance gradually receded, Xu Tianming opened his eyes. Golden flames seemed to burn within his red pupils.

A shrunken sun floated above his palm, slowly revolving. Its blazing light fell over him, illuminating his handsome face.

Xu Tianming felt the surging power within his body and already had his answer. His Martial Soul truly was the sun, but it was no ordinary Sun Martial Soul.

The Golden Dragon King's Bloodline had taken effect the instant his Martial Soul awakened, causing his Sun Martial Soul to undergo a transformation on an entirely different level.

The Sun Martial Souls of the other imperial descendants could at most be considered close to Ultimate Fire.

But his sun possessed true Ultimate Fire and Ultimate Light. Moreover, amid that scorching, radiant power, Xu Tianming sensed a third attribute.

That power was tyrannical, brimming with an aura of destruction and ruin, as though it could annihilate all things in the world.

"Destruction..."

Xu Tianming murmured inwardly.

Well, damn.

His Martial Soul alone actually possessed some of the attributes of all three inherited Martial Souls of the Sun Moon Empire's imperial family.

Perhaps this was related to the Golden Dragon King's power.

In the original fate, Wang Qiuer's Golden Dragon Martial Soul had been able to absorb Xu Tianzhen's solar power, thereby becoming even stronger.

The Golden Dragon King and the sun had always been compatible powers. Now that the Golden Dragon King's Divine Core had acknowledged him as its master, it was only natural for his Sun Martial Soul to transform as a result.

As for why he could withstand the Golden Dragon King's Divine Core without needing to seal it like Tang Wulin, the reason was simple.

He was the legitimate Second-Generation Golden Dragon King.

Through the power of the Star Core, he had rightfully received the Golden Dragon King's Divine Core. The Divine Core had long acknowledged his existence; it had not parasitized his body with the intention of destroying its host.

He was not Tang Wulin. When the Golden Dragon King gave Tang Wulin the Divine Core, it had intended to kill him. Even if the Silver Dragon King stood before him at this moment, Xu Tianming would still be able to tell her with complete confidence:

He was the Golden Dragon King, not some ordinary person who had merely inherited the Golden Dragon King's Bloodline.