Douluo Continent, Heaven Dou Empire, Fasinuo Province, Swift Village.
As its name suggested, most people in the village had ordinary swifts as their Martial Souls. Over the years, the highest innate Soul Power had only been rank three, and no one had ever broken through to Soul Ancestor in their lifetime.
The usually rather quiet village was much livelier than usual that day, all because it was the day of Martial Soul Awakening.
"Tianling, don't be nervous. Both your parents were Soul Masters with Soul Power. You'll definitely awaken innate Soul Power too and become a Soul Master."
"I know, Grandpa."
A grandfather and grandson talked as they made their way to the village's Spirit Hall.
The little boy had white hair and black eyes, with exquisitely delicate features like a porcelain doll, but his expression was icy. This was our protagonist, Yu Tianling.
Am I finally going to awaken my Martial Soul? I wonder what sort of Martial Soul I'll awaken. I hope I can awaken Father's Martial Soul. Only then will I be able to avenge them.
As Yu Tianling thought this, his thoughts returned to the day he was born.
In a cave ten li outside Swift Village.
"A Yu, take Xiao Ling and go. Yu Yuanzhen and the others want to kill me."
"What nonsense are you talking about? We're husband and wife. If we die, we die together. I just have one regret-we won't be able to watch Xiao Ling grow up!"
Yu Tianling had just woken up when he heard this exchange. He looked at the imposing man holding him and the woman beside him, whose face was full of tender affection.
I transmigrated?! But why does the name Yu Yuanzhen sound so familiar?
Moving hands that clearly belonged to a little child, Yu Tianling was utterly puzzled.
"A Xue, look how adorable our son is."
Watching his son wave his arms incessantly, the man's expression relaxed a little. He reached out a finger and kept teasing the child.
Yu Tianling moved his little hands, constantly blocking him.
"Xiao Ling, we hope you won't awaken a Martial Soul in the future. Just live an ordinary life like an ordinary person. That will be enough."
Seeing this, the woman took Yu Tianling and held him tightly, her words filled with reluctance to part.
"Yu Yuanzhen just wants to turn me into a breeding machine to produce more talented descendants for the clan!"
The man stepped forward and embraced the woman, his words brimming with hatred.
The three quietly savored these final peaceful moments together.
Martial Souls! Did I transmigrate into the world of Douluo Continent? And isn't Yu Yuanzhen the patriarch of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan? Then what's going on? Why does this scene look so much like what happened to Tang San's family?
Yu Tianling's mind was filled with confusion.
But before Yu Tianling could think any further, his weakness as a newborn caught up with him, and he fell into a deep sleep.
When he woke again, Yu Tianling was at the home of his maternal grandfather, the chief of Swift Village, while his parents were nowhere to be found.
Over the years, he had finally figured out what had happened to his parents. Presumably, his father had possessed exceptional talent but had married his mother, whose Martial Soul was an ordinary swift, displeasing the clan. They had then sent people to seize his father, but his father had fought back to the death.
Considering his grandfather's repeated bouts of sorrow afterward, the two had presumably already met with disaster.
At this thought, Yu Tianling could not help clenching his fists, filled with hatred for the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. If not for them, he should have been living a happy life with his family.
When Yu Tianling arrived at Spirit Hall, quite a few children from the village were standing outside, all waiting to awaken their Martial Souls. Nervousness was written across every face.
Soul Master was the noblest profession in this world.
Once they awakened their Martial Souls and were found to possess Soul Power, even if it was only rank one, it virtually meant they had crossed into a higher social class.
After all, even a mere One-Ring Soul Master could collect a monthly subsidy of one Gold Soul Coin from Spirit Hall, enough to cover several months of normal expenses for an ordinary family of three.
"Children, come on in."
After coming to the entrance and briefly speaking with the master in charge of the awakening, Village Chief Lin Qingze turned around and called to the children behind him.
Yu Tianling followed beside his grandfather. Looking at the man of around thirty speaking so amiably with his grandfather, he could not help feeling a little regretful that Blind Douluo was not the one helping him awaken his Martial Soul.
Since quite a few people in Swift Village awakened Soul Power every year, a Soul Master responsible for awakening Martial Souls was permanently stationed there. They therefore did not have to travel to the city's Spirit Hall for their awakenings, saving them considerable trouble.
"Xiao Ling, go on in. Grandpa will wait outside for you."
With that, Lin Qingze walked out and stood outside, waiting patiently.
The man watched Lin Qingze leave, his gaze full of respect. This was a Seven-Ring Soul Sage, though he did not know why such a person was willing to stay in this little village as its chief.
The man then turned his attention back to the twenty or thirty children before him, eagerly hoping some promising seedlings would appear. His colleagues previously stationed here had all reaped rich harvests, recruiting many promising seedlings into Spirit Hall each year and receiving generous rewards.
"Children, I'll awaken your Martial Souls one at a time shortly. There's no need to be afraid."
The man spoke gently to the children before him.
The twenty or thirty children lined up in order before the man. Yu Tianling stood at the very back, feeling a little apprehensive.
That damned Grandmaster's theory, claiming there are no trash Martial Souls, only trash Soul Masters-why haven't I ever seen him accept a disciple with a trash Martial Soul, then? If Tang San hadn't had innate full Soul Power and the Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul, Yu Xiaogang probably wouldn't have given him a second glance.
Across the Douluo World, if your Martial Soul was no good, you were destined for a lifetime of mediocrity.
"My name is Han Qinhu, a rank thirty-five Soul Elder, and I'll be your guide. I'll now begin awakening your Martial Souls. Whatever happens next, don't be afraid."
As he spoke, Han Qinhu opened his bundle on the table beside him, took out the Awakening Stones and a blue crystal ball for measuring Soul Power, and arranged a hexagon on the ground.
Han Qinhu shouted, "White Tiger, possess me!"
In an instant, three Soul Rings appeared, one white and two yellow.
An intense, pale light suddenly burst from his body. Han Qinhu stretched both arms out to his sides and thrust out his chest. The bones throughout his body crackled, and his muscles abruptly swelled, stretching his clothes taut.
His black hair turned white, and four faint lines appeared on his forehead: three horizontal and one vertical, forming the character for "king."
"Ah..."
Despite the warning, the sudden appearance of a tiger-man still frightened quite a few of the children present.
Yu Tianling, however, watched Han Qinhu curiously after his Martial Soul Possession. He felt that his possessed appearance was very similar to Dai Mubai's description in the novel.
Afterward, with Han Qinhu's reassurance, all the children present calmed down.
"Swift Martial Soul, no Soul Power. Next."
"Swift Martial Soul, rank-two innate Soul Power. Not bad. Go wait to the side for now."
"Sickle Martial Soul, rank-one innate Soul Power. Not bad. Next."
By noon, Yu Tianling was the only one who had yet to awaken his Martial Soul.
Han Qinhu looked expectantly at Lin Qingze's grandson, his heart full of anticipation. Although quite a few children with Soul Power had appeared in Swift Village that year, their innate Soul Power was too low. He had heard that someone with innate full Soul Power had appeared in Holy Soul Village the day before yesterday.
"Xiao Ling, right? Come, step forward and stand here."
Han Qinhu spoke as gently as possible to this most promising seedling.
The moment Yu Tianling took his position, Han Qinhu thrust out both hands, pouring Soul Power into the six Awakening Stones on the ground. Golden light immediately shone from them, enveloping Yu Tianling.
Yu Tianling felt warmth fill his entire body, as though he were in his mother's embrace.
The next instant, his right hand extended involuntarily, palm up, and light suddenly erupted.
"Roar!"
An enormous roar rang out from nowhere, and the circulation of Han Qinhu's Soul Power abruptly faltered.
This is in the bag!
That was what Han Qinhu thought.
"What kind of dragon is this?"
"Ancient Void Dragon!"