Li Nezha

Heaven Dou Empire, Nine Treasures City.

At the city gates, a boy of about six stood to one side, staring unblinkingly at the crowds pouring in from outside.

His hair was tied into two round buns that looked like little bells. Though his face still bore the innocence of childhood, his sword-like brows already showed a hint of sharpness. His star-bright eyes were clear, and his nose was straight.

His features had yet to fully develop, but the makings of a handsome face were already apparent.

"Zha'er, didn't I tell you to wait at home?"

A man and a woman stepped briskly out of the crowd. The woman spotted him at once and hurriedly waved and called out.

The boy immediately ran over, looked up, and smiled. "I was worried about you two, Mom and Dad."

The man beside her laughed, reached out to ruffle his hair, and teased, "If you ask me, you weren't worried about us. You just wanted to awaken your martial soul sooner, didn't you?"

"No way, Dad!"

The boy denied it, but his gaze flickered slightly.

His surname was Li, and his given name was Nezha. His father was an outer disciple of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, but he himself was a transmigrator.

In his previous life, he had been an ordinary person. While watching the Douluo II anime, Little Scumbag's outrageous antics had infuriated him so much that he suffered a heart attack. When he opened his eyes again, he had arrived in this world.

At first, his blood had boiled with excitement. He had imagined punching Tang San, kicking Shrek Academy aside, and marching triumphantly toward becoming the next God King.

Reality, however, soon clubbed him over the head.

His father, Li Jing, had an ordinary spear martial soul and level-three innate soul power. Now in his thirties, he had only reached level thirty-three, with two yellow soul rings and one purple. A Soul King was probably the most he could hope to become in this lifetime.

His mother, Yin Shiniang, had a piece of red cloth for her martial soul and level-two innate soul power. Even now, she was only a Soul Grandmaster.

Unless something unexpected happened, he would most likely inherit one of his parents' martial souls.

With such ordinary martial souls, level five was the absolute ceiling for innate soul power, unless his martial soul mutated. But mutations were something one could only stumble upon, not seek out, so Nezha held little hope.

That was why he had long since made up his mind.

If he awakened an ordinary martial soul shortly, he would settle down safely in Nine Treasures City and never go anywhere else.

Although the conservative Heaven Dou Empire had stripped the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect of its former status as the nation's protector sect, even a starved camel was bigger than a horse. The sect still had plenty of top-tier experts, so keeping him safe for a lifetime would not be difficult.

But if his martial soul underwent a beneficial mutation and his innate soul power reached level eight or higher, he would have to make some careful plans.

As the saying went, the God King's throne changed hands in turn, and this year it would come to his house.

Giving Little Scumbag a crushing blow head-on was hardly out of the question.

"All right, stop teasing our son."

Yin Shiniang mercilessly pulled the rug out from under him. "When you awakened your martial soul, you were so excited you didn't sleep all night."

With his wife exposing his embarrassing past to his face, Li Jing rubbed his head helplessly and smiled. "Let's go. We'll head to the Nine Treasures Hall first and awaken our son's martial soul."

The so-called Nine Treasures Hall was actually a large building in the center of Nine Treasures City. Every day, disciples of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect came down to awaken the martial souls of the city's six-year-old children.

By then, a group of children of the right age had already gathered outside the Nine Treasures Hall. Most were nervous and excited, but they had formed a line and were waiting quietly.

Without saying much more to his parents, Nezha walked straight over and deftly took his place at the back of the line.

Over the past few years, he had come to watch other people awaken their martial souls whenever he had time. He already knew the procedure by heart.

Today, it was finally his turn.

Before long, a sudden whistle of rushing air came from the sky. A figure approached from the distance and landed before the children. He was a middle-aged man with a pair of wings on his back, clearly belonging to a flying beast martial soul.

Five glowing rings floated around him-two yellow, two purple, and one black. He was actually an expert who had reached the rank of Soul King.

"Greetings, honored Soul King."

Everyone nearby, whether spectators or children awaiting their martial soul awakening, bowed respectfully in greeting.

"All right, no need for idle chatter. You adults can wait outside." Su Yuntian swept a dispassionate glance over them, his tone brisk and direct.

He turned, pushed open the hall doors, and led the children into the Awakening Hall.

The hall was spacious and open, its four walls engraved with intricate soul-tool patterns. A stretch of smooth bluestone flooring occupied the center, and the ceiling soared high overhead. Glazed, jewel-colored light could faintly be seen flowing across the dome.

"All right, children, don't be nervous." Su Yuntian turned around, his gaze passing over their young faces. "My name is Su Yuntian. I'm from the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, a level-fifty-two agility-type Battle Soul King. My martial soul is the cat owl. Next, I'll perform your martial soul awakenings one at a time."

At the back of the crowd, Nezha's brows twitched slightly when he heard that name.

Su Yuntian? He instinctively thought of someone else-Blind Douluo Su Yuntao. But this man's martial soul was a cat owl. It did not match at all.

On second thought, however, ten thousand years had passed. Changes in martial soul inheritance were perfectly normal. A lone wolf turning into a cat owl was not necessarily impossible.

While Nezha's thoughts wandered, the awakening ceremony had already begun.

Su Yuntian took a cloth pouch from his waist and poured out six jet-black, round stones. Then he took out a crystal ball that was deep blue throughout.

He arranged the six black stones into a hexagon on the floor, his movements practiced and steady, then motioned for the first child to stand within the formation.

"Don't be afraid. Close your eyes and feel carefully."

Su Yuntian stood before the child, his voice low and even. He slowly channeled his soul power, and five soul rings rose from beneath his feet once more, blazing with light.

"Cat owl, possess!"

With that low shout, a pair of enormous black wings abruptly unfurled from his back. Dark-blue veins could faintly be seen pulsing between the wing bones. His fingers curled and transformed into sharp talons, while his legs took on the powerful build of a bird's.

His pupils narrowed into vertical slits, deep and cold. Simply standing there, he resembled a blade drawn from its sheath, exuding the fierce aura unique to avian soul beasts.

This was beast martial soul possession.

Several stifled cries immediately rang out in the hall. Not only the sheltered children, but even Nezha, who had prepared himself for this, could not help his pupils contracting.

The ways soul masters used their martial souls were truly wondrous.

"Children, this is my martial soul, the cat owl."

Su Yuntian's voice emerged from his possessed form with a low resonance. "If any of you awaken a beast martial soul, you'll be able to gain abilities like mine in the future."

He folded his wings, though his talons and slit pupils remained. His gaze settled on the child before him, and his tone carried unquestionable authority:

"Come, child. Hold out your right hand."

The boy instinctively extended his right hand. Instantly, countless motes of light streamed from the six stones and surrounded him.

A longsword slowly materialized in his hand.

"Oh, a sword! That counts as a decent power attack-type tool martial soul. Come, let me test whether you have soul power. As long as you do, you'll be able to become a Battle Soul Master!" Su Yuntian said with a nod.

"Sir, what should I do?" the little boy asked.

"Withdraw your martial soul with your mind. In the future, you'll also summon it with your mind when you want to use it. Then we'll test your innate soul power!" With that, Su Yuntian held the crystal ball out before the boy.

The boy withdrew his martial soul and placed his hand on the ball. Instantly, the crystal ball shone with light.

"Level-five innate soul power. Not bad. Cultivate diligently, and you have a chance of becoming a Soul Emperor someday." Su Yuntian nodded in satisfaction. "All right, child, stand to one side for now. I'll take you back to the sect afterward."

"Yes!"

The little boy was beside himself with excitement. The people of Nine Treasures City had lived under the protection of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect for generations. Joining it was their dream.

Su Yuntian raised his head and continued, "Now, next!"

After that, all sorts of scenes played out one after another. Almost everyone had innate soul power, but most were only at level one or two. Only those whose innate soul power reached level three qualified to join the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.

"Martial soul: blue silver grass. Innate soul power: level one."

"Martial soul: wooden stick. Innate soul power: level two."

"Martial soul: sunflower. Innate soul power: level one."

"Martial soul: black bear. A decent beast martial soul. Unfortunately, your innate soul power is only level two."