Tang San Has Innate Full Soul Power, but What Did I Awaken?

"Divine Dragon Secret Realm?"

Dong Jian's consciousness floated amid the clouds and mist, his gaze fixed on the ancient stone stele rising from the mountaintop.

The four great golden characters seemed to contain some sort of extraordinary power.

With just one glance, he felt a stinging pain in his eyes, and the power within him that had yet to awaken began to tremble.

Before Dong Jian could make out the palace on the summit, a powerful pulling sensation suddenly seized him.

The next second, his consciousness returned to the ancestral hall.

"Awooo..."

The phantom of the Lone Wolf behind Su Yuntao lowered its body, letting out an uneasy growl.

Its legs bent slightly.

It was not a posture of readiness to attack.

It was more like an instinctive choice to submit in the face of some incomprehensible higher being.

Su Yuntao's expression changed.

Bloodline suppression did indeed exist between Martial Souls.

Weak canine Martial Souls could be affected to some degree when they encountered top-tier wolf, tiger, or dragon Martial Souls.

But he was already a rank-twenty-six Soul Grandmaster.

Dong Jian had not even obtained his First Soul Ring.

With such an obvious gap in Soul Power between them, how could his Lone Wolf Martial Soul be suppressed by a Martial Soul that had just awakened?

"What on earth is this?"

Su Yuntao took an instinctive step forward.

But when he saw the beast's silhouette within the black-and-white light clearly, the gravity on his face swiftly gave way to astonishment.

The beast was only a little over a meter tall.

Its body was round, its belly bulged slightly outward, and its limbs were short and thick. Two semicircular black ears sat atop its head.

Two patches of black fur covered the areas around its eyes, making it look as though it had gone days and nights without a good sleep.

Aside from that, it did not seem much different from an ordinary bear-type Soul Beast.

It even looked more harmless and good-natured than an ordinary bear.

The black-and-white Soul Beast sat down behind Dong Jian and raised a paw to rub its belly.

Then it actually lowered its head and fixed its gaze on an Awakening Stone on the floor.

"What's it going to do?"

No sooner had Zhao Hu spoken than the black-and-white Soul Beast reached out a paw and picked up the Awakening Stone.

Then it opened its mouth.

Crunch!

It bit a corner clean off the black stone.

The ancestral hall instantly fell deathly silent.

Zhao Hu's mouth dropped open.

The old village chief's eyes went wide as he watched through the window.

Even Su Yuntao froze for several seconds.

Although those Awakening Stones were not truly valuable Soul Tools, they were much harder than ordinary rocks.

Yet this seemingly harmless black-and-white Soul Beast had bitten off a corner in a single bite?

The black-and-white Soul Beast chewed twice.

Apparently finding the taste unpleasant, it wrinkled its nose and casually tossed the rest of the stone onto the floor.

"Pfft."

A child standing in line nearby could not hold back a laugh.

The other children joined in.

"It actually eats stones!"

"What kind of bear is that?"

"Could it really be a glutton Martial Soul, just like Zhao Hu said?"

"I think it should be called a stone-eating bear."

Hearing the laughter around him, Zhao Hu finally recovered from his shock.

He wiped the muddy water off his face and immediately puffed out his chest.

"Dong Jian, I thought you'd awakened some amazing Martial Soul."

"So it's just a fat bear that only knows how to eat!"

"My Yellow Dog can at least chase prey."

"Can that fat bear of yours even run?"

Dong Jian ignored Zhao Hu.

From the moment the black-and-white Soul Beast fully manifested, a stream of information both strange and familiar had been pouring into his mind.

He could feel an unbreakable connection between himself and the black-and-white Soul Beast behind him.

It was not an ordinary Soul Beast.

Nor was it simply a projection of a Martial Soul.

Every breath, every blink, and even every slightly comical movement was perfectly synchronized with Dong Jian's consciousness.

As long as he wished it, he could make it merge with his body at any time.

More importantly, the black-and-white jade pendant had vanished.

Dong Jian looked down at his chest.

Only an empty cord remained beneath his clothes.

The jade pendant had shattered completely during the awakening, but the fragments had not fallen to the floor.

It was as though it had turned into two streams of energy, one black and one white, which had all merged into his Martial Soul.

The jade pendant his mother had left him was indeed connected to his Martial Soul.

"Quiet."

Su Yuntao finally came to his senses.

He walked over to the black-and-white Soul Beast and circled it, studying it from every side.

The longer he looked, the deeper his frown became.

"A bear-type Beast Martial Soul."

"Black-and-white fur."

"Hard teeth, with some biting strength."

"Its body structure favors defense and strength, but its limbs are relatively short. Speed should be an obvious weakness."

As Su Yuntao spoke, his tone gradually grew calm again.

Perhaps the anomaly with his Lone Wolf Martial Soul had only been caused by a malfunction in the awakening array.

As for Dong Jian's Martial Soul, although its appearance was unusual, its body structure did not resemble that of a top-tier Beast Martial Soul.

Truly powerful Beast Martial Souls usually had distinctive offensive features.

For example, the Evil Eye White Tiger's sharp claws and fangs, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's scales and lightning, or the Hell Spirit Cat's speed and razor-sharp claws.

But what about the black-and-white Soul Beast before him?

Its body was cumbersome.

Its claws were short.

It had no elemental attribute.

Nor did it have wings, horns, or any special organs.

The only thing that seemed worth noting was that it had relatively strong teeth.

Su Yuntao pondered for a moment before reaching a conclusion.

"It should be a rare bear-type Martial Soul."

"For now, we can call it the Black and White Bear."

The corner of Dong Jian's mouth twitched slightly.

Black and White Bear?

Although what the man said did not seem wrong, somehow the name felt like it was missing something.

He looked at the round black-and-white Soul Beast behind him, and a name that could not have been more familiar surfaced in his mind.

A panda.

Moreover, judging from the "Divine Dragon Secret Realm" that had appeared in his consciousness earlier, this was probably no ordinary panda.

"Lord Soul Master."

The old village chief stood outside the window and asked cautiously:

"Is Dong Jian's Martial Soul powerful?"

Su Yuntao glanced at Dong Jian.

"It's impossible to say for now."

"But judging by its form, it should be a defensive Beast Martial Soul."

"If he can awaken Soul Power, he can develop it in a purely defensive direction in the future."

"But it lacks means of attack, and it's very slow."

"I'm afraid its growth potential won't be very high."

Hearing that its "growth potential wouldn't be very high," Zhao Hu looked even more smug.

He waved an arm that had grown somewhat thicker after his Yellow Dog Martial Soul had possessed him.

"Did you hear that?"

"Even the Lord Soul Master said your Martial Soul is no good."

"Even if you have Soul Power, you'll only be able to stand there and take a beating in the future."

Dong Jian turned his head.

"That's what you thought just now, too."

The smile froze on Zhao Hu's face.

He instinctively recalled plunging headfirst into the mud puddle.

"I wasn't ready just now!"

"Once I get my First Soul Ring, I'll definitely be able to beat you!"

"Wait until you find someone willing to take you hunting for a Soul Ring first."

With a single sentence, Dong Jian shut Zhao Hu up.

Having Soul Power alone was not enough to become a Soul Master.

One also had to cultivate through meditation, advance to rank ten, and then hunt a suitable Soul Beast.

Although Zhao Hu had awakened rank-one Soul Power, he had no Soul Master elders in his family.

There was no telling how many years he would have to wait to obtain his First Soul Ring.

Su Yuntao glanced at the two of them but did not intervene.

The squabbles between children were of no importance to him.

He was more concerned with whether Dong Jian had Soul Power at all.

That abnormal awakening had already cost him an Awakening Stone.

If Dong Jian did not even have Soul Power, this assignment would truly be a heavy loss.

"Withdraw your Martial Soul."

Su Yuntao pointed to the blue crystal ball nearby.

"Then test your Soul Power."

Dong Jian concentrated.

The black-and-white panda phantom behind him blinked.

It seemed somewhat reluctant, even raising a paw and gesturing twice at Dong Jian.

Although Dong Jian could hear no sound, he somehow understood what it meant.

You haven't eaten enough?

His face darkened.

My Martial Soul doesn't really think about nothing but eating, does it?

Dong Jian tried issuing a command in his mind.

Come back.

The black-and-white panda finally stood up.

It waddled behind Dong Jian, its whole body transforming into two streams of light, one black and one white, which merged into him.

Boom!

A heavy force instantly bore down on Dong Jian's entire body.

His feet sank sharply downward.

The hard stone floor gave a dull thud, and two shallow footprints actually appeared.

Dong Jian nearly fell straight to his knees.

So heavy!

The Martial Soul had not disappeared.

Instead, it had completed its first possession.

Dong Jian could feel that his weight had at least doubled.

His bones, muscles, and skin had all been strengthened, but his body had become unusually sluggish.

He merely tried to raise his arm, yet the movement was a beat slower than usual.

Su Yuntao had noticed it too.

"Sure enough, it's a defense-type Beast Martial Soul."

"After possession, it increases body weight and physical strength."

"What a pity."

"If you can't solve the problem of speed, no matter how strong your defense is, you'll just be a sitting duck."

Dong Jian did not argue.

Su Yuntao's assessment was not entirely wrong.

The panda Martial Soul had indeed placed a heavy burden on his body.

An ordinary six-year-old might even have been crushed under his own weight the instant his Martial Soul possessed him.

But Dong Jian was not disappointed.

On the contrary, he was a little excited.

More weight meant a more stable center of gravity.

The heavier his body was, the more force his charge would carry.

If he could learn to control that weight, the so-called clumsiness might well become an advantage.

Although he had never truly practiced any profound martial arts in his previous life, he understood one fundamental principle.

Strength came from the ground.

Without a firm footing, even the strongest punch was nothing but an empty form.

This Martial Soul might not be suited to chasing enemies down with speed.

But as long as he could get an enemy to come to him-

Dong Jian glanced at Zhao Hu.

For some reason, Zhao Hu felt a chill down his back.

"That's enough."

Su Yuntao held the blue crystal ball out in front of Dong Jian.

"Put your right hand on it."

Outside the ancestral hall, Dong Shan was holding his breath.

No matter how special a Martial Soul was, without Soul Power, one still could not become a Soul Master.

The old village chief was also leaning anxiously against the window.

The children whose awakenings had failed earlier had gathered in a circle, their eyes all fixed on Dong Jian.

Zhao Hu folded his arms and kept muttering under his breath:

"No Soul Power."

"He definitely has no Soul Power."

Dong Jian raised his right hand and slowly pressed it against the surface of the crystal ball.

It was icy cold to the touch.

The next second, a pulling force came from inside the crystal.

The power that had just awakened within Dong Jian surged down his arm and into the crystal ball.

Buzz!

Blue light suddenly flared.

The light swiftly filled most of the crystal ball.

Su Yuntao's gaze sharpened.

"Level six?"

A child with level-six Innate Soul Power had actually appeared in a remote village?

Although it could not compare to Innate Full Soul Power, level-six Soul Power could already be considered excellent.

With proper training, he would at least have a chance of becoming a Soul Elder in the future, perhaps even a Soul Ancestor.

The old village chief froze for a moment, then his face lit up with excitement.

"Level-six Soul Power!"

"Our Iron Bamboo Village has produced a Soul Master genius too!"

Dong Shan's tense body slowly relaxed.

He did not look overly excited, but his eyes had already reddened slightly.

Level-six Soul Power.

It meant Dong Jian would not have to struggle among the lowest-ranked Soul Masters as he had.

As long as his son received training at an academy, he would surely go further than him.

Zhao Hu's expression, meanwhile, turned exceptionally ugly.

He only had level-one Soul Power.

Yet Dong Jian had level six.

A full sixfold difference!

"That's impossible!"

Zhao Hu pointed at the crystal ball and shouted:

"His Martial Soul is just a fat bear!"

"What gives him the right to have level-six Soul Power?"

Su Yuntao shot him a cold glance.

"A Martial Soul's appearance doesn't entirely determine its Soul Power Level."

"Your Yellow Dog Martial Soul isn't any stronger than an ordinary house dog, either."

Zhao Hu's face instantly turned the color of pig liver.

Dong Jian, however, did not smile.

Level-six Soul Power was indeed good.

But he remembered that Tang San had Innate Full Soul Power.

Bibi Dong, Qian Renxue, and some other top geniuses likewise had talents far above level six.

If he wanted to rely on level-six Soul Power to snatch Tang San's opportunities, or even defeat Tang San, it was clearly nowhere near enough.

Besides, when he had entered the Divine Dragon Secret Realm just now, he had distinctly sensed another power within his body.

The test crystal had only drawn out the Soul Power that could flow freely through his meridians.

Another portion of the energy had sunk deep into his body.

Or rather, it had been absorbed by the Divine Dragon Secret Realm.

Dong Jian was about to examine it more closely when rapid hoofbeats suddenly sounded outside the ancestral hall.

"Lord Yuntao!"

A young man, also wearing a Spirit Hall uniform, came running from the village entrance.

He did not even have time to wait for the old village chief to open the door, shouting through the window instead:

"The awakening ceremony in Holy Soul Village has ended!"

Su Yuntao frowned.

"What were the results?"

The young man took a couple of breaths, shock still lingering in his eyes.

"A child with Soul Power appeared in Holy Soul Village."

"His Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass."

Zhao Hu could not help laughing out loud.

"Blue Silver Grass?"

"Isn't that the most useless Trash Martial Soul?"

Su Yuntao also looked disappointed.

"There's no need to make a special report about Blue Silver Grass."

"No!"

The young man hurriedly shook his head.

"Although that child awakened Blue Silver Grass, he has-"

"Innate Full Soul Power!"

The ancestral hall fell silent in an instant.

Su Yuntao spun around.

"What did you say?"

"Innate Full Soul Power?"

"Are you sure there was nothing wrong with the test crystal?"

The young man nodded.

"We tested him three times."

"Every time, it showed Innate Full Soul Power."

"The child's name is Tang San. He's the son of Tang Hao, the blacksmith in Holy Soul Village."

Tang San.

Dong Jian slowly narrowed his eyes.

Just as he had expected.

Even though he had transmigrated to this world, the result of Tang San's awakening had not changed.

Blue Silver Grass.

Innate Full Soul Power.

And the Clear Sky Hammer that he had not revealed in public.

The story of the original protagonist had officially begun.

The children around him were still discussing it.

Zhao Hu seemed to have finally found a chance to save face.

He looked at Dong Jian and said in a mocking tone:

"Did you hear that?"

"Even if he has Blue Silver Grass, he has Innate Full Soul Power."

"You're only level six. What are you so smug about?"

Dong Jian gave him an indifferent glance.

"Tang San is the one with Innate Full Soul Power."

"What does that have to do with you?"

"At least I have a Beast Martial Soul too!"

Zhao Hu puffed out his chest.

"It'll definitely be stronger than Blue Silver Grass in the future."

Dong Jian could not be bothered to argue with him anymore.

Tang San's awakening of Innate Full Soul Power meant Su Yuntao would soon report to the Spirit Hall Branch in Nuoding City.

Tang San would also enter Nuoding Academy using Holy Soul Village's work-study student quota.

Dong Jian had to secure his own admission as soon as possible.

Only by entering Nuoding Academy could he gain access to knowledge about Soul Masters and observe Tang San and Yu Xiaogang ahead of time.

But before that, there was one thing he had to confirm.

Dong Jian looked at the crystal ball.

The blue light still remained at the level-six mark.

But inside the crystal ball, an extremely faint trace of black-and-white light was slowly rotating.

The two forces chased each other, finally forming a tiny ring.

No one noticed it.

No one except Dong Jian.

The instant the black-and-white ring fully formed, a pulling force came from the depths of the Divine Dragon Secret Realm.

The blue light inside the test crystal suddenly flickered violently.

Su Yuntao had just been about to take back the crystal ball when his hand abruptly stopped.

"What's going on?"

The blue crystal ball began to tremble.

The light, which had been at level six, did not rise any further. Instead, as if squeezed by some force, it kept contracting inside the crystal.

Crack!

A crisp sound rang out.

Su Yuntao's pupils contracted.

A tiny crack had appeared on the surface of the crystal ball.

A second followed.

Then a third.

Fine cracks spread rapidly across the entire surface of the crystal, with Dong Jian's palm at their center.

The children in the ancestral hall all backed away.

Zhao Hu went so far as to hide directly behind Su Yuntao.

"It's going to explode!"

"Shut up!"

Su Yuntao barked and immediately reached out to seize Dong Jian's wrist.

"Get your hand away, now!"

Dong Jian tried to pull his hand back.

But the testing crystal seemed to have stuck to his body. No matter what he did, he couldn't separate them.

The palace in the Divine Dragon Secret Realm rumbled once more.

The stone doors slowly opened a crack.

A ray of emerald light shone from behind the doors.

A line of unfamiliar text appeared in Dong Jian's consciousness.

The first level of the Divine Dragon Secret Realm was about to open.

Condition for opening: complete Martial Soul Awakening.

Current awakening progress: ninety percent.

Ninety percent?

Dong Jian's heart jolted.

Could it be that the panda Martial Soul that appeared just now hasn't truly finished awakening?

More and more cracks spread across the crystal ball.

Black and white Soul Power surged continuously along Dong Jian's arm.

The surprise on Su Yuntao's face gradually turned to horror.

He had performed Martial Soul Awakening for hundreds of children, but he had never encountered anything like this.

Level-six Innate Soul Power couldn't possibly crack the testing crystal.

Even Innate Full Soul Power could only make the crystal ball light up completely.

Unless-

The level-six Soul Power revealed by the test wasn't Dong Jian's true Innate Soul Power at all.

Su Yuntao stared fixedly at the black and white light swirling inside the crystal ball.

"Dong Jian."

"Your Martial Soul Awakening..."

"I'm afraid it isn't over yet!"

As soon as he spoke, the crystal ball shattered with a boom.

Countless blue fragments flew in all directions.

The panda Martial Soul appeared behind Dong Jian once more.

This time, it was no longer sitting lazily on the ground.

The black and white panda slowly rose to its full height.

Its figure, originally just over a meter tall, swelled rapidly. Behind it, a slender emerald phantom shot into the sky.

The phantom was hidden among the clouds and mist.

Only a pair of golden eyes could be dimly seen.

And the dragon-shaped silhouette coiled behind the panda.

Deep within Dong Jian's consciousness, the stone doors of the Divine Dragon Secret Realm opened completely.

The voice sleeping within the palace rang out clearly for the first time.

"Black and white are yin and yang."

"The Iron Eater holds heaven and earth in check."

"Carry Qi within the body, enter the Dao through martial arts."

"Inheritor of the Divine Dragon."

"The first trial begins!"

Boom!

A violent blast of air erupted with Dong Jian at its center.

Su Yuntao raised his arms in front of him to block it, retreating several steps in succession.

Dong Jian stood at the center of the shattered awakening formation and slowly opened his eyes.

His left eye was pitch-black.

His right eye was like jade.

And beneath his feet, a circular pattern formed of black and white Soul Power was slowly rotating.

As Su Yuntao watched the scene before him, a thought suddenly arose in his mind-one even he couldn't believe.

This plump-looking bear Martial Soul-

Perhaps it wasn't an ordinary Martial Soul at all.

It might even be a top-tier Beast Martial Soul that had never been recorded by Spirit Hall.

At the same time, inside the first great hall of the Divine Dragon Secret Realm.

Nine wooden stakes slowly rose from the ground.

On the stone stele at the very center, only one sentence was written.

Only by standing firm for six hours may one take the first step.