The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's grounds.
Yu Xiaochuan watched the clansmen his age undergo their Martial Soul Awakening ceremony, a little nervous.
His turn would come soon.
He wondered what Martial Soul he would awaken.
Would it be the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul, like his father in this life, or the Jade Ruler Martial Soul, like his mother?
Whatever Martial Soul it was, he had to have Soul Power!
Even with the tiniest trace of Soul Power, Yu Xiaochuan was confident he could defy heaven and change his fate with his thorough knowledge of the original story.
Of course, innate full Soul Power would be even better. He wouldn't turn down twin Martial Souls, either!
An astonishing dragon's roar rang out.
"Excellent! As expected of my grandson! Innate level-nine Soul Power! Our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan will have another Titled Douluo!"
The burly old man burst into hearty laughter as he watched the crystal ball glow.
It wasn't for Yu Xiaochuan, but for the boy ahead of him-Yu Tianheng, the eldest grandson of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's patriarch.
"It's all thanks to you helping me awaken my Martial Soul, Grandpa, that I could awaken innate level-nine Soul Power."
Delight showed on Yu Tianheng's face.
Even a child like him knew what innate level-nine Soul Power meant.
With another Martial Soul, it might have been uncertain. But with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul and innate level-nine Soul Power, becoming a Titled Douluo was practically guaranteed as long as he didn't slack off in his future cultivation.
"Uncle!"
Yu Tianheng turned to Yu Xiaogang beside him, looking at him eagerly for praise.
"Not bad. My nephew Tian Heng has innate level-nine Soul Power-the makings of a Titled Douluo!"
Yu Xiaogang calmly praised Yu Tianheng.
Yu Xiaogang was very fond of this nephew who idolized him. Now that he had seen the boy's excellent talent, he certainly wouldn't be stingy with his praise.
"But remember, there are no trash Martial Souls, only trash Soul Masters. Nephew Tian Heng, you mustn't neglect your cultivation in the future."
"Yes! I'll remember!"
Yu Tianheng nodded vigorously.
Many of the children looked at Yu Tianheng with envy.
The adults did too, wishing Yu Tianheng were their own child.
Yu Xiaochuan's face was also filled with envy.
Ah, as expected of a direct descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan patriarch's line. His talent really is good.
He himself could only be considered a branch-family descendant.
Although they belonged to the same Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, their blood ties were already so distant that even marrying into the patriarch's line would be fine.
Several more children awakened their Martial Souls under the old patriarch's guidance.
Quite a few awakened the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul. Their innate Soul Power wasn't as high as Yu Tianheng's, but all of them awakened Soul Power.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's bloodline really was no joke.
Even Yu Xiaogang, known as the shame of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, had innate half-level Soul Power.
Having Soul Power put one above the vast majority of commoners.
Soon, it was Yu Xiaochuan's turn. Although he was last in line, there weren't many people, so his turn came quickly.
He was benefiting from Yu Tianheng's good fortune, too. Otherwise, the patriarch of the illustrious Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan wouldn't have come to preside over the Martial Soul Awakening ceremony.
Yu Xiaochuan clenched his fists nervously and swallowed. The moment that would decide his fate was coming.
The old patriarch said nothing. With a wave of his hand, he sent out six streams of Soul Power, pouring them into six obsidian-like Martial Soul Awakening Soul Tools.
Specks of golden light merged into Yu Xiaochuan's body, and he felt a power hidden within him being stirred.
It flowed out through his right palm.
A light as verdant as jade gathered in Yu Xiaochuan's palm, and a large green caterpillar appeared.
Its back was green, its belly white, and it had a red, Y-shaped antenna on its head. Its suction-cupped prolegs clung to Yu Xiaochuan's palm.
"Th-this is... Caterpie?!!!"
Yu Xiaochuan had never imagined that his Martial Soul would be neither the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon nor the Jade Ruler, but Caterpie.
And like Yu Xiaogang's, it was an external beast Martial Soul.
He stared at the Caterpie in his hand with bewildered eyes.
Huh? My Martial Soul is Caterpie?
"Awo-"
Caterpie gave an affectionate cry.
Yu Xiaochuan came back to his senses and stroked Caterpie's head with a finger, feeling no fear of insects whatsoever.
The sense of being connected by blood, along with their linked minds, left him with no aversion to Caterpie at all.
Besides, this was Caterpie-the Caterpie that was a baby Rayquaza!
After his bewilderment came wild joy.
In his previous life, Caterpie being a baby Rayquaza had only been a meme.
But on the Douluo Continent, the Caterpie he had awakened as a descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan undoubtedly possessed a dragon bloodline!
Just as Yu Xiaogang's Luo Sanpao had the potential to evolve into the Golden Sacred Dragon, his Caterpie also had the possibility of evolving into Rayquaza!
Whispers rose around him.
The Caterpie in Yu Xiaochuan's hand caused quite a stir, no less than when Yu Tianheng had awakened innate level-nine Soul Power just now.
Most of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's descendants looked at Yu Xiaochuan with pity, thinking he was another Yu Xiaogang.
"Since you call it Caterpie, child, then Caterpie it is! An external beast Martial Soul like Xiaogang's..."
The old patriarch frowned at the Caterpie in Yu Xiaochuan's hand, his expression looking rather unpleasant.
With Yu Xiaogang as a cautionary example, he felt this child's innate Soul Power wouldn't be much better.
Still, he held out the crystal ball used to test Soul Power.
"Since things have come to this, let's test your Soul Power as well!"
"Recall your Caterpie first. You can do it with a thought. Then place your palm on the crystal ball."
"All right."
Yu Xiaochuan nodded. As the thought of recalling Caterpie arose in his mind, Caterpie turned into a streak of verdant light and returned to his body.
This was much more convenient than a Poké Ball.
Then he reached out with his right hand and placed it on the crystal ball. A faint glimmer lit up.
"Innate half-level Soul Power."
The old patriarch wasn't surprised in the slightest. He felt a certainty of I knew it.
His son Yu Xiaogang had possessed this same innate Soul Power and this same kind of external beast Martial Soul back then. He hadn't expected another one to appear now.
Only, what Yu Xiaogang had awakened back then was a fat dog, which he had named Luo Sanpao.
Now, what Yu Xiaochuan had awakened was a fat caterpillar.
"Uh..."
A look of astonishment appeared on Yu Xiaogang's stiff face.
He hadn't expected that, upon returning to the clan to accompany his favorite nephew for his Martial Soul Awakening, he would encounter this.
Among the same group of children awakening their Martial Souls, one had actually awakened an external beast Martial Soul just like his, and even had innate half-level Soul Power.
Looking at this child was practically like seeing his younger self.
But why was this child smiling so happily?
How could anyone still smile after learning they had innate half-level Soul Power?
That Martial Soul was undoubtedly a trash Martial Soul, and one even more useless than his Luo Sanpao.
Compared with a dog, a bug was undoubtedly more useless.
Seeing this child's Martial Soul, Yu Xiaogang actually felt somewhat comforted, as though he wasn't the most useless one.
It felt like someone who had always ranked dead last suddenly becoming second to last, with someone behind him to take the bottom spot.