A closer look would have revealed that the man bore some resemblance to both Yu Xiaolong and Yu Yuanzhen.
Using the Heavenly Mandate System's character appraisal, Yu Tianheng soon learned who the man was.
Yu Xiaogang.
He was the disgrace of the previous generation of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. His Martial Soul had undergone a malignant mutation during its awakening, leaving him with the Trash Martial Soul Luo Sanpao. His cultivation had stalled at level twenty-nine, and he had never managed to break through.
In his younger years, he and Spirit Hall's holy maiden, Bibi Dong, had shared a romantic encounter, but they had eventually broken up.
Others did not know the exact reason. They assumed Bibi Dong had looked down on Yu Xiaogang because his cultivation talent was too poor, and that was why they had parted ways.
But Yu Tianheng, who had read the original novel, knew that was not the truth at all.
They had broken up because Bibi Dong's master, Qian Xunji, had threatened Yu Xiaogang's life and demanded that Bibi Dong take the initiative to end their relationship.
Afterward, Qian Xunji had used a despicable method to force himself on Bibi Dong, leaving her pregnant. She had then given birth to Qian Renxue.
This had also caused Bibi Dong to turn dark and become the book's greatest villain.
She was later killed by the protagonist, Tang San, and all her efforts went up in smoke.
"Alas!" At the thought, Yu Tianheng could not help sighing.
What a fucking melodrama.
He had to admit that his uncle's fate was truly tragic. His first love had been perfectly fine, only to come to such an end.
And even now, he still did not know the truth and remained in the dark.
Pitiful! Tragic! Lamentable!
Unfortunately, Yu Tianheng had been born too late, or perhaps transmigrated at the wrong time. He had no way to change any of it.
By his reckoning, Bibi Dong's daughter, Qian Renxue, was already around ten years old.
Seeing his own nephew looking at him, Yu Xiaogang nodded and gave him a faint smile.
Because of his Martial Soul, he was often ridiculed by his clansmen. To prove himself, he had been forced to devote all his attention to researching Martial Soul Theory. As a result, he had spent these past years almost entirely cut off from the world, rarely going out and staying hidden away in one place to conduct his research.
If his own nephew Yu Tianheng were not about to awaken his Martial Soul today, Yu Xiaogang would not have shown himself at all.
Besides the elders, many clansmen of Yu Tianheng's generation had also come to watch the awakening ceremony.
Quite a few had already successfully awakened their Martial Souls.
The most famous among them was Yu Tianxin.
He was Yu Tianheng's older cousin, a year his senior. Two years ago, he had successfully awakened the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul, and his Innate Soul Power had reached level eight during testing, making him a rare genius.
Among the younger generation of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, none could match his talent.
His cultivation had now reached level fifteen, and he had already obtained his First Soul Ring.
Generally speaking, after a Soul Master awakened a Martial Soul, whether they could cultivate depended on their Innate Soul Power.
The higher their Innate Soul Power, the greater their cultivation talent. If they had no Innate Soul Power at all, they were no better than a cripple.
Innate Soul Power ranged from level one to ten. Soul Masters who awakened with level five Soul Power or above could generally be called outstanding, while those who awakened with Innate Full Soul Power could be called peerless geniuses. In the original Douluo Continent novel, there were only six Soul Masters with Innate Full Soul Power.
They were the original protagonist Tang San, the protagonist's party member Oscar, the heroine Xiao Wu, the book's greatest villain Bibi Dong, Feng Xiaotian, and Qian Renxue.
Aside from those people, the original novel hardly mentioned anyone else who could possess Innate Full Soul Power.
Yu Tianxin's level eight Innate Soul Power was already exceptionally good.
In the future, he would be qualified to strive for the rank of Soul Douluo or even Titled Douluo.
"Begin the awakening ceremony!"
On the raised platform, Yu Yuanzhen spoke.
An elder in charge of the awakening ceremony soon brought out the items needed to awaken a Martial Soul.
They were six black stones and a blue crystal ball.
The former were used for Martial Soul Awakening, and the latter for testing Innate Soul Power.
Both were extremely rare and expensive on the Douluo Continent. Generally, only major powers and great sects were qualified to possess them.
If commoners wanted to awaken their Martial Souls, they could only rely on Spirit Hall.
Although Spirit Hall was the greatest villainous power in the original novel, bluntly speaking, without it, Tang San would not even have been qualified to awaken his Martial Soul!
After the six black stones were arranged in a hexagon, Yu Yuanzhen said, "Tian Heng, calm yourself. Stand in the center of the Awakening Stones and try to awaken your Martial Soul."
Yu Tianheng took a deep breath and walked into the center of the Awakening Stones. He slowly raised both hands, palms facing each other, and began awakening his Martial Soul.
As he moved, a deep blue light shimmered around him. It was like the water of a tranquil lake, gentle at first, then gradually growing brighter until it resembled a ball of burning blue flame.
As a transmigrator who had read the original novel, Yu Tianheng already knew in his heart whether he could successfully awaken the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul.
In an instant, blue light burst forth like a bolt of lightning tearing across the sky, illuminating the entire square as brightly as day. Within the light, Yu Tianheng's body trembled slightly. His figure seemed to grow taller in an instant, his muscles tensed, and every inch of his skin radiated strength.
Immediately afterward, a deafening dragon roar erupted from his mouth, and the enormous phantom of a blue dragon slowly emerged behind him. The dragon's scales gleamed with a cold blue light, each one seemingly filled with boundless power. Its whiskers fluttered in the wind, and its majestic eyes gazed ahead, as though proclaiming the glory of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan to the world.
"He did it! Tian Heng awakened the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul!" The crowd burst into excited cheers.
On the raised platform, Yu Yuanzhen, the patriarch of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and Yu Tianheng's grandfather, also showed delight. His hands, which had remained clasped behind his back, tightened slightly.
"Very good! It seems the awakening went without a hitch. There was no Martial Soul Mutation."
"Now we just have to see how much Innate Soul Power Tian Heng has. The higher it is, the faster he'll cultivate and the greater his future achievements will be. When my Innate Soul Power was tested, it reached level nine. I wonder what Tian Heng's will be."
"I hope it meets my expectations!"
Yu Tianheng slowly opened his eyes, lightning crackling around him.
So this is the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Martial Soul. It really is extraordinary. Even without absorbing a Soul Ring, I can still feel its immense power.
I have to admit, the Martial Souls of this world really are wondrous. They're not the least bit inferior to the Martial Dao.
"Yu Tianheng, place your hand on this blue crystal ball to test your Innate Soul Power." The elder in charge of the test looked at him with concern, his voice carrying a hint of anticipation. Yu Tianheng took a deep breath and slowly reached out to touch the crystal ball.
In an instant, the blue crystal ball blazed with light, and a dazzling beam of blue shot into the sky. Its halo flickered and leaped as though cheering the birth of a genius. The surrounding disciples all looked astonished, and some could not help crying out in amazement.
"This is... Innate Full Soul Power!"