Douluo Continent, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
Today was the annual grand event. Everyone was busy, each attending to their duties as they prepared for the Martial Soul Awakening ceremony for the children of age.
Yu Xuan had barely slept a wink all night, not from excitement, but from worry-deep worry.
He and Yu Xiaogang were twins, which meant he might awaken a second Luo Sanpao.
Early that morning, he donned a set of purple ceremonial robes and followed Yu Yuanzhen to the awakening hall with Yu Xiaogang.
The elders on both sides of the hall had long been waiting.
Besides the elders, six or seven children stood in the middle of the hall. They too had come to awaken their Martial Souls.
"Clan leader."
Upon seeing the arrivals, the elders on both sides greeted them.
Yu Yuanzhen smiled and raised a hand, signaling that there was no need for ceremony.
"Both of the clan leader's sons have reached the age to awaken their Martial Souls. As the saying goes, a tiger father has no dog sons. These two children's talents certainly won't be lacking."
"Exactly! Especially Yu Xiaogang. I heard that when he was four, he wrote a tribute titled 'My Titled Douluo Father.' With such intelligence, his talent is bound to be exceptional."
"This year's batch of clan disciples will have it hard. I'm afraid the radiance of these two brothers will overshadow them."
The elders conversed quietly in twos and threes, their murmurs filling the hall.
Hearing the elders' discussion, Yu Xiaogang held his head high and puffed out his chest, his chin raised slightly and his face full of pride. Clearly, their flattery had made him forget himself, leaving him ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth.
He looked at his elder brother beside him and saw that he was wearing a bitter expression, his brows slightly furrowed. Lowering his voice, he asked, "Big brother, why aren't you happy? Don't you want to awaken a powerful Martial Soul?"
Yu Xuan said, "Are you happy?"
"Of course. Today is the big day that will decide our destinies. As the clan leader's sons, our talents are bound to be a cut above the rest."
Yu Xiaogang smiled crookedly, clearly brimming with confidence in the coming Martial Soul Awakening, certain he would awaken a powerful Martial Soul.
He also added in his heart, Big brother hasn't been as smart as me since we were little. He couldn't write 'My Titled Douluo Father,' so my talent is even better than his!
Yu Xuan had no idea what the boy was thinking. He sighed softly, not wanting to waste his breath on him.
Once you awaken Luo Sanpao, you'll know how bitter your fate is.
"You two go stand with them for now. In a moment, listen to the officiant's instructions and awaken your Martial Souls in turn."
Yu Yuanzhen raised a hand, gesturing for the two to join the other disciples, then climbed the steps alone and sat in the seat of honor.
Yu Xuan and Yu Xiaogang walked among the children waiting to awaken their Martial Souls. With an arrogant look, Yu Xiaogang shoved one child aside and squeezed his way to the front of the line.
Seeing that he was the clan leader's son, the direct descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan clenched his fists, angry but afraid to speak.
The officiant responsible for awakening Martial Souls was named Yu Luohe, an elder of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Also known as the officiating elder, he was usually responsible for presiding over the clan's various ceremonies.
He watched the scene in silence, his brows slightly furrowed. Without saying anything more about it, he asked in a deep voice, "Which of you will go first?"
"Big brother, do you want to be the first to awaken your Martial Soul?" Yu Xiaogang looked at his elder brother behind him.
Yu Xuan shook his head. "You go ahead. I'm in no hurry."
"Then I don't want to go first either. The real main character always makes his entrance later!" Yu Xiaogang held his head high and puffed out his chest, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.
Yu Xuan: "..."
As the two spoke, a rosy-cheeked, slightly plump boy stepped forward. At the officiant's indication, he entered the awakening formation laid out with six black stones.
A moment later, the boy awakened a giant dragon covered in blue-violet scales.
"Yu Xiaofeng, Martial Soul: Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, Innate Soul Power: level five."
Next, the direct descendants entered the awakening formation one after another, awakening their Martial Souls and testing their Innate Soul Power in turn.
"Yu Xiaotian, Martial Soul: Golden Earth Dragon, Innate Soul Power: level four."
"Yu Lin, Martial Soul: Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, Innate Soul Power: level six."
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's bloodline was unstable, so Martial Soul Mutations did occur.
However, the mutated dragon-type Martial Souls had either the fire or light attribute, perhaps because those two attributes were relatively close to lightning.
The Golden Earth Dragon, for example, was a sub-dragon Martial Soul with the light attribute.
"It's the same as ever this year. None of these children are much good. The highest is Yu Lin alone at innate level six; the others are all at innate level four or five."
"It looks like we'll have to rely on the clan leader's two sons to uphold appearances. Only they have any hope of awakening Soul Power above level seven."
"Look, Xiaogang is going up!"
Seeing that the children's Innate Soul Power was less than ideal, the elders could not help feeling a little disappointed. Just then, Yu Xiaogang hurried toward the awakening formation, and someone immediately called out a reminder.
"Xiaogang, you must awaken high Innate Soul Power and really make us proud! This year, we're counting on you to set an example for the disciples!"
"Can he awaken it?"
"Xiaogang has been clever since he was little. He can definitely do it!"
The elders' faces were full of anticipation, their gazes all fixed on Yu Xiaogang as they waited for him to awaken his Martial Soul.
The moment Yu Xiaogang stepped into the awakening formation, he noticed the gazes coming from every direction.
Seeing this, he held his head high and puffed out his chest, looking pleased with himself.
Yu Xiaogang thoroughly enjoyed being the focus of everyone's attention. At this moment, he felt he had become the center of the entire world.
"Ahem, Yu Xiaogang, concentrate. I'm going to awaken your Martial Soul now." The officiating elder cleared his throat softly, reminding him not to let his attention wander.
"Oh, all right," Yu Xiaogang said gravely, coming back to his senses.
The officiating elder immediately injected a trace of Soul Power into the awakening formation. The six black stones around it trembled slightly, and golden specks of light instantly began floating within the formation.
The scattered golden specks of light were not particularly dense. They streamed into Yu Xiaogang's body.
Yu Xiaogang's heart stirred. He could feel it coming.
He could feel his Martial Soul awakening.
Show yourself, my Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon. Open your eyes upon your descent into this world!
As if sensing Yu Xiaogang's intentions, the phantom of a giant dragon shining with golden light appeared behind him.
The officiating elder stared at the giant dragon behind him, his expression freezing.
"This doesn't seem to be a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon... It's the Golden Sacred Dragon from the clan's records."
The elders seated on both sides of the hall also examined the giant dragon behind Yu Xiaogang.
"Oh, it looks like a beneficial mutation. Xiaogang's prospects are boundless!"
"Just as I said! I watched Xiaogang grow up. He's been extraordinarily quick-witted since childhood, and his talent is definitely of the highest order!"
"Clan leader, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan has a worthy successor."
The elders praised him one after another, and some even cupped their hands slightly to congratulate Yu Yuanzhen.
Yu Yuanzhen smiled and waved a hand, but inwardly, he began to wonder.
Why hasn't Yu Xiaogang's Martial Soul taken its final form yet? Something doesn't feel quite right.
Am I overthinking it?