At noon, the sun hung high in the sky.
The Yang clan members had already gathered in full, men and women, old and young standing on both sides, their faces barely concealing their anticipation.
On the other side, several elders of the Niu family stood shoulder to shoulder, their gazes occasionally drifting toward the two chubby little boys standing in the center of the courtyard.
Before the blue stone platform at the center of the courtyard, Yang Xue stood in a plain martial outfit, her silver hair tied into a simple bun.
Although she did not release any visible Spirit Power, she naturally carried an imposing presence.
In front of her at this moment were several jade-white awakening stones.
With a light twist of her fingers, Spirit Power silently flowed into them, and the awakening stones immediately shimmered.
In an instant, a mysterious formation appeared above the stone platform.
After completing the formation, Yang Xue turned around and looked at the two round little fellows in front of her, a warm smile appearing on her lips as she spoke gently.
“You two little ones, who wants to try first?” As soon as her words fell, Niu Wenchuan took a small step forward with his short legs.
First, he properly bowed to Yang Xue, then turned around and raised his eyebrows smugly at Yang Chang’an, even deliberately twisting his chubby body.
“What else is there to say?
As the older brother, I’ll go first and show Chang’an how it’s done!” Niu Wenchuan patted his chest and strode directly into the center of the formation.
But the moment he stood still, his originally upright little body unconsciously tensed up.
His small hands clenched into fists, and all his earlier arrogance vanished without a trace, leaving only a face full of solemnity.
Seeing this, Yang Xue felt her heart soften.
She stepped forward and gently patted his tense back, saying with a hint of teasing, “Look at you.
Whether you awaken early or late makes no difference—it’s just about guiding out your Martial Soul.
No need to be so nervous.” Hearing this, the panic in Niu Wenchuan’s heart eased slightly.
He took a deep breath, then raised his head.
His small face was full of seriousness as he looked at Yang Xue with burning determination.
“Please, Grandmother Yang, begin!” Yang Xue nodded in satisfaction.
She then took two steps back, and Spirit Power surged around her.
With a wave of her hand, her power flowed like a gentle stream into the formation beneath her feet.
The awakening stones lit up instantly.
Soft light rose from the formation, enveloping Niu Wenchuan’s entire body as warm Spirit Power wrapped around him and slowly seeped into his limbs and bones.
The entire clan in the courtyard held their breath, their gazes locked tightly on the little boy at the center of the formation.
The elders of the Niu family leaned forward slightly, their eyes filled with expectation.
Time passed second by second.
Within the glowing light, Niu Wenchuan furrowed his brows slightly, his little face full of focus.
Suddenly, his whole body trembled.
Immediately after, a deep and powerful bovine roar echoed through the entire courtyard, shaking the leaves on the surrounding trees into rustling motion.
Along with that roar, his body began to transform dramatically.
His originally fair skin rapidly turned a deep black visible to the eye, while a layer of fine keratin emerged on its surface, resembling a hard armor.
A short, thick rhinoceros horn slowly protruded from his forehead, glimmering faintly with light.
His body also expanded by a full size; his once round figure became sturdy and solid, and his clenched little fist now carried a faint sense of overwhelming strength.
“Good, good!
This aura—at least innate level seven!
Just like I was back in the day!
As expected of my grandson!” Niu Yue was the first to react.
His eyes suddenly lit up as he burst into loud laughter, his voice full of undisguised pride.
Yang Xue walked to the edge of the formation and looked at Niu Wenchuan, who had already steadied his posture, and nodded in satisfaction.
“It is the Armored Earth Rhinoceros Martial Soul of your Niu family, without the slightest mutation, with a solid foundation.
Not bad.” As she spoke, she extended a finger and gently tapped Niu Wenchuan’s forehead.
A trace of Spirit Power probed lightly, sensing the innate Spirit Power fluctuations within his body.
After a moment, she withdrew her finger, turned around, and laughed aloud toward Niu Yue and the others whose eyes were filled with anticipation in the distance.
“This little calf has quite good talent, innate Spirit Power seven and a half.
If properly nurtured, a Spirit Douluo is within reach!” Upon hearing this, the two clans immediately erupted in an uproar.
Innate Spirit Power of seven and a half—this level of talent was considered top-tier across the entire Douluo Continent.
As long as he did not die prematurely, breaking through to Spirit Douluo was highly likely.
Niu Yue was even more overjoyed.
He strode over to Yang Wushuang’s side and slapped his shoulder heavily, his face full of unabashed pride as he shouted in a booming voice.
“How about it, Wushuang!
My grandson isn’t bad, right?
He hasn’t shamed our two clans!” Yang Wushuang looked at Niu Yue’s delighted expression and also smiled as he cupped his hands.
“Congratulations, Brother Niu.
Congratulations to the Niu family on gaining a fine seedling!” The other clan members also came forward one after another to congratulate the Niu family elders.
The members of the Niu family were all beaming with joy, the worries of the past days completely vanishing without a trace.
By this time, Niu Wenchuan had already withdrawn his Martial Soul and returned to his original chubby form, though his small face still carried a hint of lingering excitement.
He jumped down from the blue stone platform and ran quickly to Yang Chang’an’s side.
He raised his eyebrows proudly, lifting his little head high, as if to say, “How about it?
Impressive, right?” Seeing his smug expression, Yang Chang’an could not help but curl his lips into a smile.
He gave him a thumbs-up, showing an expression of “indeed impressive.” Seeing this, Niu Wenchuan grew even more pleased with himself, puffing out his little belly as if he was one step away from writing the words “I am the best” on his face.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Yang Chang’an took a deep breath and suppressed the waves in his heart before slowly stepping toward the center of the formation.
His steps were unhurried, but the tightly clenched little hands betrayed his inner nervousness.
Yang Xue looked at the child standing within the formation, her gaze full of warmth as she softly comforted him.
“Chang’an, relax.
It will only take a moment.
Just follow the guidance of the Spirit Power.
No need to rush.” Hearing this, Yang Chang’an nodded at her, the corners of his mouth lifting into a faint smile, though inwardly he could not help but feel a trace of wry bitterness.
He had always considered himself quite optimistic.
Having transmigrated to the Douluo Continent and lived with the Yang family for five years, he had long since adapted to everything here.
Yet when the moment of Martial Soul awakening truly arrived, he still could not suppress the tension in his heart.
He was a transmigrator who had read the novel detailing the Douluo Continent.
Naturally, he understood what Martial Soul awakening represented—it was the key to stepping onto the path of cultivation in this world, and the foundation that determined one’s future limits.
He had once secretly imagined whether he would, like the protagonists in the story, awaken an heaven-defying mutated Martial Soul, or perhaps possess the so-called “ultimate configuration” of that era—Twin Martial Souls, soaring all the way to the peak in a cheat-like rise.
But now, standing within the awakening formation and feeling the surging Spirit Power around him, that anticipation was mixed with a trace of unease.
“Get ready, your Great-Grandma is going to begin.”Yang Xue’s voice sounded at the right moment.
Yang Chang’an closed his eyes briefly.
When he opened them again, all traces of nervousness had vanished, leaving only focus.
“Great-Grandma, please.” Yang Xue said no more.
Her Spirit Power surged once again, pouring into the formation like a tidal wave.
The awakening stones lit up once more, this time with even more dazzling golden light that enveloped Yang Chang’an.
Warm Spirit Power slowly seeped into his body, flowing through his meridians and guiding the innate Spirit Power within him to merge with his Martial Soul.
The courtyard instantly fell silent, all eyes fixed on the youth at the center of the formation.
Yang Wushuang stood at the very front with his hands clasped behind his back.
He appeared calm on the surface, but his fingertips were already clenched tightly, and the tension in his eyes was no less than Niu Yue’s—if anything, even greater.
Among the children of this generation of the Yang family, Yang Chang’an had always been intelligent, steady, and highly perceptive.
The entire clan had placed great expectations on him.
Yang Chang’an only felt a warm flow throughout his body.
As the Spirit Power circulated, a powerful tremor suddenly arose deep within him.
Immediately after, an indestructible sharpness erupted from within his body.
That sharp intent carried an unstoppable momentum, as if it intended to break through his meridians and burst out of his body.
Almost instinctively, he raised his hand.
A flash of black light appeared in his palm, and a pitch-black long spear materialized out of thin air, landing steadily in his grasp.
The spear was as black as ink, emitting a cold and sinister glow.
The spear tip was extremely sharp, faintly glinting with a chilling light, and intricate patterns were carved along the shaft.
It was none other than the inherited Martial Soul of the Breaking Clan—the Soul Breaking Spear.
The moment he grasped it, the sharp intent within Yang Chang’an found its outlet, and the tension in his meridians eased considerably.
He lowered his head to look at the spear in his hand and let out a long breath of relief, the weight in his heart finally settling.
Thankfully, there was no failure or mutation gone wrong.
Yet a faint bitterness still rose within him.
He gently brushed his fingers across the cold spear shaft.
As expected, even after transmigrating to the Douluo Continent, he was not the chosen one.
There was no heaven-defying mutated Martial Soul, nor the long-desired Twin Martial Souls.
It was simply the orthodox Soul Breaking Spear—like countless other cultivators in this world, he would have to walk step by step forward.
At that moment, Yang Xue on the side lit up instantly upon seeing the Soul Breaking Spear.
She quickly stepped forward and grabbed Yang Chang’an’s arm, sensing the Spirit Power fluctuations within him.
The next instant, her body trembled slightly.
A brilliant smile spread across her face.
She turned sharply toward Yang Wushuang and the rest of the Yang clan in the distance and shouted with all her strength.
“Soul Breaking Spear Martial Soul, innate Spirit Power level nine!
Our Yang family has produced a prospect for a Title Douluo!” Innate Spirit Power level nine!
Yang Wushuang first froze for a moment, then reacted instantly.
He threw his head back and laughed heartily, his excitement and relief erupting at once, the gloom that had weighed on his heart completely swept away, his voice even carrying a faint tremor.
“Good!
Good!
Good!” He strode forward quickly, looking at Yang Chang’an within the formation, his eyes already brimming with tears.
At long last, the Yang family had produced a true talent—the future of the family was bright.