Six Years After Crossing Over to Douluo, the Martial Soul Awakening Finally Arrived

"Dong Jian, you eat so much. Your awakened Martial Soul won't be a rice bucket, will it?"

In front of the Iron Bamboo Village ancestral hall, more than a dozen six-year-old children stood in a line.

Zhao Hu, standing behind Dong Jian, deliberately raised his voice, making several children nearby burst into laughter.

"I don't think it'll be a rice bucket."

"It'll be a fat pig that does nothing but sleep!"

Zhao Hu thrust out both hands and shoved hard at Dong Jian's back.

Dong Jian had been on guard.

He moved his right foot half a step outward and lowered his waist slightly. Rather than resist Zhao Hu's force head-on, he turned aside the instant the other's palms touched him. Zhao Hu had pushed too hard, and his body immediately lost its balance.

"Ah!"

With a startled cry, he pitched out of the line and plunged headfirst into a mud puddle outside the ancestral hall, sending muddy water flying. The children who had been laughing fell silent at once. Dong Jian stood where he was and brushed nonexistent dust from his shoulder.

"I hope the Martial Soul you awaken works a little better than your brain."

"Dong Jian!"

Zhao Hu scrambled out of the puddle, his face flushed crimson. He brandished his fists and tried to charge at Dong Jian, but the village chief standing nearby stopped him with one hand.

"All of you, stop!"

The old village chief glared at Zhao Hu.

"The lord from Spirit Hall will be here any moment. Anyone who dares cause trouble today will be barred from the awakening ceremony!"

At those words, Zhao Hu stopped at once and glared viciously at Dong Jian.

"Just you wait."

"My dad's Martial Soul is a yellow dog, so I'll definitely awaken a Beast Martial Soul too."

"Once I become a Soul Master, we'll see if you still dare act so cocky!"

Dong Jian paid him no further attention.

He raised his head and looked at the black carriage gradually approaching the village entrance. A sword-shaped emblem was engraved on either side of it. When the villagers nearby saw the symbol, their expressions immediately turned respectful.

Spirit Hall.

In his sixth year after crossing over to the Douluo Continent, Dong Jian had finally waited until this day.

The carriage stopped in front of the ancestral hall.

A young man in his twenties pushed open the carriage door and stepped down.

He wore a fitted white outfit, with a fist-sized emblem bearing the character for "soul" embroidered on his chest. His short black hair was neatly groomed, a long sword hung at his waist, and his face held the detached coldness of a man going about official business.

He glanced at Iron Bamboo Village's dilapidated ancestral hall, then swept his gaze over the children waiting in line. His brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

A remote village.

A dozen or so ordinary children.

From experience, this would most likely be another awakening ceremony with nothing to show for it.

The old village chief hurried forward to greet him.

"Honored Lord Soul Master, the children are all here."

The young man gave a faint nod.

"My name is Su Yuntao, a rank twenty-six Soul Grandmaster."

"I am responsible for awakening the Martial Souls of Iron Bamboo Village's children who have come of age."

Su Yuntao.

Hearing the name, Dong Jian's eyes flickered.

Sure enough, it was him.

Since Su Yuntao had come to Iron Bamboo Village today, the Martial Soul Awakening ceremony in Holy Soul Village, not far from here, should also be taking place today.

In other words, Tang San was about to awaken Blue Silver Grass and the Clear Sky Hammer.

Innate Full Soul Power.

Twin Martial Souls.

Mysterious Heaven Skill.

Tang Sect Hidden Weapons.

And a Titled Douluo father lurking in the shadows, ready to act at any moment.

Dong Jian had to admit that, as the original protagonist of this era, Tang San's starting conditions truly could be called extravagant.

In comparison, there was Dong Jian himself.

No system.

No old grandpa to carry around.

No Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring gifted to him at the start.

In the full six years since he had crossed over, the only advantage he could be sure of was that he remembered some of the important plot of the Douluo Continent.

And only some of it.

As time passed, the plot he had read in his previous life had already begun to grow hazy.

He remembered that Tang San would enter Nuoding Academy.

He remembered the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, and Sea God Island.

But he couldn't possibly remember every detail of exactly when those opportunities would appear, where they were hidden, or what conditions were needed to obtain them.

Besides, this was no longer a story watched through a screen.

This was a world that truly existed.

The people here could bleed and die, and their original fates could also change because of his appearance.

Dong Jian had never considered kneeling before Tang San and clinging to his thigh to make it to the end.

Nor would he go out of his way to avoid an Immortal Herb or a Soul Bone just because Tang San had obtained it in the original plot.

Opportunities didn't have Tang San's name carved on them.

Whoever got one first owned it.

Of course, all of this rested on one crucial prerequisite.

He had to be qualified to become a Soul Master.

"Jian'er."

A deep voice came from behind him.

Dong Jian turned around.

His father, Dong Shan, stood outside the crowd.

He was tall and broad, but his left leg bent at an unnatural angle, and he always dragged it slightly when he walked.

In his youth, Dong Shan had been a rank twenty-seven Soul Grandmaster. Later, he was gravely injured during a Soul Hunting Operation. Not only was his left leg left crippled, but his Soul Power had never improved again. After that, he returned to Iron Bamboo Village and opened a smithy. He usually made farm tools for the villagers and occasionally helped repair carriages.

"Don't be nervous."

Dong Shan forced a smile.

"Even if you don't have any Soul Power, it's all right."

"Awaken a hammer or a pair of iron tongs and learn smithing from your dad. You'll still have enough to eat."

Dong Jian looked at his father's rough hands and didn't argue.

If this were a peaceful world, inheriting the smithy might not have been a bad choice. But he knew the Douluo Continent was destined for troubled times. Spirit Hall, the two great empires, the Upper Three Sects, the Clear Sky Sect, and the gods hidden in the shadows. A clash between these immense forces would be enough to crush an ordinary village with ease. Without strength, any so-called peace rested on the premise that others simply hadn't noticed you yet. Dong Jian was unwilling to entrust his fate and his family's to the so-called protagonist of the story.

He had to become a Soul Master.

And he couldn't be just an ordinary Soul Master.

"I understand, Dad."

Dong Jian nodded.

Just then, he suddenly felt a trace of warmth against his chest.

Dong Jian reached up and touched his collar without thinking.

A round black-and-white jade pendant hung beneath his clothes.

The pendant was only half the size of his palm.

Its left side was black as ink, while its right was smooth and white as snow. The two colors met in the middle, forming a naturally curved line.

It was the only thing his mother had left him.

In Dong Jian's memory, his mother had left Iron Bamboo Village when he was very young.

Everyone in the village said she had died in the Star Dou Great Forest.

But Dong Shan had never acknowledged that account.

Whenever Dong Jian pressed him, his father would simply smoke in silence, then tell him that he would understand when he grew up. Over the past six years, the pendant had never shown anything unusual. Yet when Su Yuntao approached the ancestral hall, it had actually grown faintly warm.

Dong Jian frowned.

Was it a coincidence?

"All children taking part in the awakening, follow me inside."

Su Yuntao's voice interrupted his thoughts.

The interior of the ancestral hall had already been cleared.

Six round, glossy black stones had been placed in the center of the floor, with a fist-sized blue crystal ball beside them.

Su Yuntao closed the ancestral hall's doors and swept his gaze over everyone.

"No matter what you see in a moment, don't be afraid."

With that, he took a token from inside his clothes.

Three rings of light, two white and one yellow, rose from beneath his feet. The Yellow Soul Ring on the outside pulsed faintly.

Su Yuntao's body changed rapidly. His black hair turned gray, the muscles in his arms swelled visibly, his nails grew sharp, and a green glow lit up his eyes.

"Lone Wolf, possess!"

Although they had been prepared, the children in the ancestral hall still cried out in surprise.

A few timid children even took two steps back.

Only Dong Jian remained where he was, carefully observing every change in Su Yuntao after his Martial Soul Possession.

Beast Martial Soul Possession.

It strengthened the muscles, bones, and senses.

A Soul Master's own body was the most direct vessel for a Beast Martial Soul in combat. This had something in common with the martial arts he had learned about in his previous life. No matter how great the force, the body still had to transmit it correctly. If one couldn't control one's center of gravity and the way one exerted force, even the strongest Martial Soul would only be flailing about.

Su Yuntao noticed Dong Jian's gaze and lingered on him for an extra moment.

But only for a moment.

"First one."

A small, thin boy nervously stepped into the formation made by the six black stones.

Su Yuntao thrust out his hands in quick succession, sending six faint streams of Soul Power into the Awakening Stones.

Golden specks of light rose from the stones, enveloping the boy.

"Hold out your right hand."

The boy did as he was told.

A rust-covered sickle appeared in his hand.

Su Yuntao's expression didn't change at all.

"Tool Martial Soul, sickle."

"Now test your Soul Power."

The boy placed his hand on the blue crystal ball.

The crystal showed no reaction.

"No Soul Power. You cannot become a Soul Master."

The boy walked out of the formation, his face full of disappointment.

The next few children fared much the same.

A hoe.

A sparrow.

A hemp rope.

Blue Silver Grass.

These Martial Souls were either very ordinary or had no Soul Power at all.

The impatience on Su Yuntao's face grew increasingly obvious.

To him, awakening Martial Souls in remote villages was simply a task he had to complete every year.

Children who could actually awaken Soul Power were one in a hundred.

Those with outstanding talent were rarer still.

"Next, Zhao Hu."

Hearing his name, Zhao Hu immediately puffed out his chest.

Before entering the formation, he deliberately looked back at Dong Jian.

"Watch closely."

"I'll definitely become a Soul Master."

Golden light enveloped Zhao Hu.

A moment later, the yellow silhouette of a beast appeared behind him.

It was an ordinary-sized yellow dog.

Zhao Hu's hands grew slightly thicker, and short canine teeth faintly emerged at the corners of his mouth.

"Beast Martial Soul, yellow dog."

Su Yuntao's attitude grew slightly more serious.

"Test your Soul Power."

Zhao Hu eagerly pressed his hand against the crystal ball.

A faint blue light appeared.

Though extremely faint, it was definitely there.

"Level-one Soul Power. You can become a Soul Master."

"I have Soul Power!"

Zhao Hu nearly jumped for joy.

Outside the ancestral hall, the grain merchant heard him and excitedly cupped his hands at the villagers around him, as though his son had already become somebody extraordinary.

Zhao Hu stepped out of the formation and immediately walked over to Dong Jian.

He lowered his voice, his face full of smugness.

"Did you see that?"

"I'm already a Soul Master."

"When you awaken your good-for-nothing Martial Soul, I'll make you kneel down and apologize."

Dong Jian glanced at him.

"Lord Su Yuntao only said you were qualified to become a Soul Master."

"He didn't say you were one already."

Zhao Hu's expression stiffened.

"Is there a difference?"

"The difference is that you still can't beat me."

"You!"

Zhao Hu was just about to lose his temper when Su Yuntao spoke impatiently.

"Don't waste time."

"The last one, Dong Jian."

Every gaze in the ancestral hall fell on Dong Jian.

Standing outside the window, Dong Shan clenched his fists without thinking.

The old village chief was somewhat nervous as well.

Dong Jian's earlier move that sent Zhao Hu tumbling into the mud had already shown quite a few villagers that he was special. If Dong Jian could also awaken Soul Power, Iron Bamboo Village would have two potential Soul Masters this year. Under everyone's gaze, Dong Jian slowly walked into the awakening formation.

Six black Awakening Stones lay at his feet.

Su Yuntao raised both hands.

Soul Power flowed into them.

The first Awakening Stone lit up.

The second.

The third.

When the sixth Awakening Stone lit up as well, golden light rose from all around, completely surrounding Dong Jian.

A warm force surged into his body.

Dong Jian could clearly feel that force moving through his limbs and bones, as though searching for something that had slumbered for a long time.

The black-and-white jade pendant against his chest grew hotter and hotter.

Soon, it was no longer merely warm, but hot enough to burn.

Dong Jian forced himself not to reach for it.

Deep in his consciousness, a strange sound suddenly rang out.

Huff-

Huff-

It sounded like someone snoring.

The sound was deep.

Each time it rang out, it was as though a massive boulder had crashed to the ground.

Dong Jian's vision went black.

He seemed to see a mountain shrouded in clouds and mist.

At its foot, a colossal creature lay with its back to him, fast asleep amid countless lush green bamboo groves.

"Martial Soul, come out!"

Su Yuntao shouted in a low voice.

The golden light abruptly contracted.

But just as everyone waited for the Martial Soul to appear, the light on all six Awakening Stones went out at once.

The entire ancestral hall plunged into darkness for a brief moment.

Zhao Hu froze, then burst out laughing.

"Hahaha!"

"He doesn't even have a Martial Soul!"

"I knew this good-for-nothing could never become a Soul Master!"

Dong Shan's expression changed slightly.

The old village chief also looked disappointed.

Su Yuntao frowned.

Did the awakening formation fail?

It shouldn't have.

Though these Awakening Stones had been used for years, they couldn't all have developed a problem at once.

He was about to inject Soul Power again when a faint cracking sound suddenly came from Dong Jian's chest.

Crack.

A tiny fissure appeared on the surface of the black-and-white jade pendant.

Immediately afterward, two beams of light, one black and one white, erupted from Dong Jian's body!

Boom!

The six black stones around the awakening formation trembled in unison.

The floor of the entire ancestral hall shook slightly with them.

Su Yuntao's expression changed.

Before he could react, the Lone Wolf Martial Soul attached to his body let out an uncontrollable whimper.

It wasn't a roar.

It was more like the instinctive fear felt when facing a superior Soul Beast.

Su Yuntao took half a step back.

"How is that possible?"

The black-and-white light continued to gather behind Dong Jian.

The silhouette of a beast gradually appeared.

It had no sharp fangs, nor wings vast enough to blot out the sky.

Unlike those powerful Beast Martial Souls, it didn't even radiate a suffocating, ferocious might.

Amid the black-and-white light, the round beast slowly sat up.

It raised a paw and rubbed its eyes.

Then, under everyone's astonished gazes, it gave a lazy yawn.

Su Yuntao stared fixedly at the Martial Soul behind Dong Jian. For the first time, the disdain on his face vanished completely.

"This kind of Martial Soul..."

"Why have I never seen it before?"

The black-and-white beast slowly opened its eyes.

Two points of golden light suddenly lit up the dim ancestral hall.

At the same time, deep in Dong Jian's consciousness, a muffled sound of a door opening came from the mountain shrouded in clouds and mist.

It was as though a palace sealed away for countless years had finally awakened at this moment.

Rumble-

An ancient stone stele slowly rose from the clouds and mist.

Four large golden characters gradually emerged on the stele.

Divine Dragon Secret Realm.