Sensing the giant dragon's phantom behind him and hearing the presiding elder's words, Yu Xiaogang raised his chin even higher, his expression growing more smug.
Oh, so it wasn't a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.
It was the Golden Sacred Dragon, even rarer according to the clan's records!
"Answer my call, my Golden Sacred Dragon! Let out your first dragon roar and shake heaven and earth!"
Yu Xiaogang roared at the top of his lungs, using all his strength.
"Crack-"
But what answered him was the crisp sound of something shattering.
The golden dragon's phantom broke apart like a mirror, turning into specks of light that scattered and vanished.
Yu Xiaogang was abruptly struck by the backlash. His eyes went wide, and he spat out a mist of blood before collapsing on the spot.
"Pfft-"
A strange little sound echoed through the great hall.
Amid the specks of light from the shattered dragon, a cloud of purple mist suddenly billowed out, and a strange creature fell from it.
The creature had purple fur, a fat head, pig ears, a plump, sturdy body, and short limbs. Two little balls dangled between its hind legs.
After landing, it sniffed the air, let out two luoluo calls, and nuzzled Yu Xiaogang's little arm.
The whole hall erupted!
"Wh-what kind of Martial Soul is that? How did Xiaogang's Martial Soul mutate in reverse?"
"That Martial Soul looks like a dog. No, it's so fat, it looks more like a pig!"
"Sigh, what on earth did Yu Xiaogang awaken?"
Everyone spoke at once, and the scene descended into a pot of boiling porridge.
Yu Yuanzhen frowned deeply and took a long look at the strange Martial Soul. "Yu Luohe, test his Innate Soul Power," he said in a deep voice.
"Yes."
Yu Luohe came back to his senses, picked up the crystal ball, and stepped forward, gesturing for Yu Xiaogang to place his hand on it.
Yu Xiaogang weakly raised a hand.
Yu Yuanzhen stared intently at Yu Xiaogang's palm on the crystal ball, silently holding out hope.
Although the Martial Soul Mutation had been disappointing, what if his Innate Soul Power was high?
That was his last hope now.
Unfortunately, there was no such luck. The instant Yu Xiaogang touched the crystal ball, it lit up.
But only with a tiny glimmer.
"Innate Soul Power, level 0.5!"
The presiding elder Yu Luohe's voice was like a sentence being passed, crashing heavily into Yu Xiaogang's heart.
"No!" Yu Xiaogang's breathing turned ragged, his heart went cold as dead ashes, and all the strength seemed to drain from his body in an instant.
At that moment, he finally understood that the fall from heaven to hell often took only an instant.
"Sigh, I never expected Yu Xiaogang's talent to be so poor. And here I had such high hopes for him."
"Yu Xiaogang's talent is actually this abysmal. He awakened a Trash Martial Soul that's neither pig nor dog."
"Shameful, truly shameful. Yu Xiaogang is the clan leader's son, too. When he goes out into the world, he'll be disgracing our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."
In an instant, all the elders' praise turned to criticism, their words full of malice toward Yu Xiaogang.
Yu Yuanzhen looked at Yu Xiaogang with a complicated expression, his heart full of dejection and disappointment.
Hearing his clansmen berate him, Yu Xiaogang buried his head low, unable to muster the courage to raise it for a long time.
"Yu Xiaogang, step down for now. Yu Xuan, come up," Yu Luohe said.
Yu Xuan was the last person who had yet to awaken.
Everyone's gaze turned to him, but they did not hold out much hope.
Yu Xiaogang had awakened a fat-headed, big-eared Trash Martial Soul. Yu Xuan was his twin, so his talent was probably no better.
When Yu Xiaogang heard the presiding elder call on his elder brother to awaken his Martial Soul, a different feeling suddenly welled up in his heart. He hurriedly lowered his head and stepped down.
He wanted to see what Martial Soul his elder brother would awaken. If it was Luo Sanpao too, then the brothers would at least be in the same boat, and he would not have to bear the pressure of the entire clan alone.
Yu Xuan took a deep breath and stepped onto the awakening array.
Yu Luohe raised his hand and infused a trace of Soul Power into the array. It activated, sending countless tiny golden specks of light drifting out.
Yu Xuan immediately felt warm all over, as though wrapped in a blanket on a winter morning-only even more comfortable.
The warmth seeped into his body, and Yu Xuan felt as though a scorching force was about to surge out from within him. He did not suppress it, letting it pour forth.
Above the awakening array, crimson-gold flames suddenly soared into the sky!
Within the fiery light stood the figure of a giant dragon bathed in flames. Its scales were crimson, its eyes fierce and furious, and its imposing might was enough to seize one's heart.
"Th-this... how is this possible?!"
Yu Xiaogang was the first to speak. He could hardly believe his elder brother was so damn impressive even when awakening a Martial Soul. Little flames had quietly caught on his fine clothes, but he remained completely unaware, staring blankly at the fire dragon's phantom.
The hall erupted in an instant.
"That looks like... a fire dragon?"
"It's no ordinary fire dragon. Look at the color of those flames. It gives me a most extraordinary feeling."
"Indeed. Xiaoxuan caused such a huge commotion just by awakening his Martial Soul. This fire dragon might be of an even higher grade than the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon."
Discussion broke out among the crowd below, but their eyes remained fixed on the fire dragon, afraid it would burst apart like the Golden Sacred Dragon just now.
Yu Yuanzhen, seated in the place of honor, was especially tense. Cold sweat had even begun to bead on his forehead.
Yu Xiaogang was already ruined. Nothing could go wrong with his other son!
Fire Dragon King... my Martial Soul is actually the Fire Dragon King?
Those words appeared in Yu Xuan's mind. His pupils trembled slightly as he raised his head and met the Fire Dragon King's gaze.
It seemed to respond to him, turning into a streak of light and returning to his body.
"Phew~"
Yu Yuanzhen let out a huge sigh of relief. Only when he came back to his senses did he notice that his back was drenched in cold sweat.
Why!!
Why didn't elder brother's Martial Soul shatter? Why didn't it turn into a red-haired pig!
Resentment welled up in Yu Xiaogang's heart, and his eyes filled with tears. They were twins, so why was his elder brother's talent so much greater than his?!
It hurts, it hurts so much! Why does my body burn so badly?!
Yu Xiaogang instinctively looked down at his clothes and trousers, only to realize that he was on fire.
He had been too close to his elder brother just now and had been caught by the flames that burst out when he awakened his Martial Soul!
"Ah!! I'm on fire! Help me!" Yu Xiaogang cried out to the crowd.
Yu Yuanzhen froze for a moment before realizing that Yu Xiaogang was on fire.
Yu Luohe frowned slightly, hurried over to him, and stripped off his clothes and trousers in one motion.
He stripped them off so hastily that his underwear came off with them.
Yu Xiaogang's little body was instantly naked, exposed to everyone's gaze.
Having his clothes and trousers burned off because someone awakened a Martial Soul was a first in history.
Everyone looked at Yu Xiaogang with mocking expressions. Although they should not have made fun of a six-year-old brat, some still could not hold back and burst out laughing.
"Wah... sob, sob..."
Yu Xiaogang had already felt upset because his elder brother had awakened a powerful Martial Soul. Now, as mocking gazes fell on him from all over the hall, he was even more overwhelmed by shame and anger.
He felt like a clown. Tears burst from his eyes, and he could no longer care about anything else. He fled the great hall like a madman!
"Xiaogang, you don't have a stitch of clothing on! Where are you going?!" Yu Yuanzhen's pupils shook violently as he roared in anger.