Douluo Continent, outskirts of Star Net City.
Starlight dappled the silver moon, and a profound silence draped over the earth along with the mist-like moonlight. All was still.
It was a beautiful night, with a beautiful moon.
On a lush green hillside, a small figure knelt powerlessly, seemingly praying to the starry sky.
It was a child in tattered clothes, with short black hair and a sallow, sickly complexion. Those large, sapphire-like eyes were dim and lifeless. He gazed at the magnificent stars, tears brimming in his eyes.
It was hard to believe that a five-year-old could harbor an emotion as heavy as "wanting to die."
At that moment, a spatial rift was silently torn open, and a young man stepped out.
The youth was exceptionally handsome and elegant, with pale blue hair draped loosely behind him. He possessed an indescribable, ethereal temperament, and his gaze was so clear it seemed to reflect the entire universe.
Most striking, however, was a vertical eye shimmering with a mysterious, diamond-like light on his forehead. Yet, that eye was covered in cracks, looking as if it might shatter at any moment.
"..."
His expression dimmed significantly; he almost didn't dare to look at the child. He knew this child all too well—he was the protagonist of this era, and his own past self.
The Child of Destiny of this age, who could arguably be called the final hope of the Douluo Continent.
Huo Yuhao.
No, at this moment, he was still called Dai Yuhao, and he was at the absolute lowest point of his life.
"This timeline is five years old... there's still time!"
The Emotion God King brushed a hand over his face. His handsome features vanished, replaced by the face of an ordinary middle-aged man. He walked toward Huo Yuhao, ignoring the child's hostile and confused gaze, and flashed a wide smile.
"Hello there, little guy. My name is... Baili Du."
One year later, outskirts of Star Net City.
"Come, little Yuhao. Place your hand on it, and let's begin your Martial Soul awakening ceremony."
The speaker was a middle-aged man around thirty. He had short black hair and an unremarkable appearance, save for his eyes, which shone brightly like suns.
Standing before him was a six-year-old child wearing a white robe. Though not high-quality, it was very clean.
It was young Huo Yuhao.
A year had passed, and the once-starving child had changed immensely. His face was no longer sallow but exquisitely refined—so much so that one might not realize he was a boy without a closer look. His skin possessed the fair clarity expected of a child his age, and he had grown taller. Compared to a year ago, it was a world of difference.
Since the Martial Soul Hall was destroyed ten thousand years ago by the "impartial" and "pure" Sea God/Asura God Tang San, the original three empires of the Douluo Continent had not continued its welfare benefits. In this miserable era, awakening a Martial Soul cost money—and a lot of it: ten gold soul coins.
It wouldn't be until ten thousand years later that the Spirit Transmission Pagoda, founded by Huo Yuhao, would take up the mantle of the Martial Soul Hall to provide free mass awakenings for commoners.
Twenty thousand years later, the energy levels and technology of Douluo Star would be advanced enough that awakening a Martial Soul would be a minor task; one could simply buy a device and do it at home.
Comparing them horizontally, Huo Yuhao's current era was indeed terrible. As for why it was so miserable, one would have to ask a certain Mr. Tang.
Of course, there was another way: the great clans and sects of the continent held their own internal awakening ceremonies. For Huo Yuhao and his mother, the only "advantage" of being in the Duke's Mansion was the chance to piggyback on the clan's welfare for a free awakening.
But in Baili Du's memory, after he awakened his Spirit Eye at age six, the Duke's "good wife" had used every excuse to exploit them, forcing them to work off the ten gold soul coin fee.
The purchasing power of ten gold soul coins in this era was massive. Much of the hardship Huo Yuhao faced as a child was because he and his mother had to perform backbreaking labor to repay that debt.
Fortunately, he had returned. His mother and his younger self would not have to pay that price again.
Little Yuhao nodded obediently and gently placed his tender hand on the crystal ball. He immediately felt the soul power inside his body find an opening, surging into the ball frantically.
A blinding white light erupted instantly, followed by a sharp crack as the crystal ball shattered!
Baili Du's eyes lit up.
Clearly, this wasn't just Level 10 Innate Full Soul Power.
It was Innate Level 20! A God-level talent.
Golden light flickered within those large blue eyes. Unsurprisingly, it was still Huo Yuhao's signature Spirit Eye. Furthermore, Baili Du could see deep within the pupils the rippling of profound nine-colored waves, likely related to the power of emotions.
But... what if there was more?
Young Yuhao suddenly looked up and let out a roar.
"...Ah!"
His small body gradually lengthened, and deep blue scales began to sprout on his skin. Human characteristics and aura slowly faded, replaced by the traits of a Dragon.
"Roar!"
The dragon's cry wasn't thunderous, but it carried an indescribable deterrent force. The clear sky turned dark instantly, as if the sun had been eclipsed.
Then, his Martial Soul appeared.
A deep blue halo flooded outward from Huo Yuhao's body, masking his figure within the radiance. The entire yard seemed to be transported to a misty water kingdom. Ripples danced across the surface; though an illusion, it was overwhelmingly realistic.
A massive form splashed through the water, leaping out from the illusory surface.
The dragon's head was soft in contour yet majestic, topped with four elegant horns crackling with faint, deep purple lightning. Its eyes were ice-blue vertical slits, appearing as if ground from eternal permafrost—sharp and cold. Its fangs were a translucent white, emitting a chilly mist with every breath.
Its hundred-meter-long body twisted, revealing clawed hind legs and a whip-like pointed tail that carved a massive arc. The powerful physique shimmered with a brilliant, deep blue glassy luster. From its head and back down to its tail, blue glass-like scales stood on end, and four pairs of wings—eight in total—extended at equal intervals.
It was neither purely a Western dragon nor an Eastern dragon, and it looked nothing like the native dragon species of the Douluo plane. Yet, the figure of this dragon was incredibly solemn and grand.
The dragon opened its maw wide, letting out a thunderous roar. Even the air became humid, with lightning snakes dancing within as if a storm were imminent.
As everyone knows, the birth of famous emperors and generals is usually accompanied by celestial phenomena—red light filling a room, or dragons and phoenixes appearing.
The same applied to the Douluo Continent. A Martial Soul awakening that could alter the weather naturally meant that the soul was extraordinary.
Standing to the side, Baili Du narrowed his eyes, watching the awakening Huo Yuhao with interest and a satisfied nod.
Ultimate Water plus Ultimate Thunder, and... a very nice combination. Once he fuses with Skydream, he'll be able to turn water into ice.
His own essence blood and the Dragon God's marrow hadn't gone to waste; it resulted in a Twin Martial Soul! And both were God-level!
Well, obviously. It was the essence blood of two God Kings; if he couldn't produce a new Martial Soul, that would be the problem.
In the current Huo Yuhao, not a trace of the White Tiger lineage could be felt. In its place was a different trait—The Dragon!
Furthermore, it was a Dragon of a quality no lower than the Nine Great Dragon Kings, with a grade very close to the Golden Dragon King or Silver Dragon King.
Of course, he could have fashioned a different God-level martial soul—like the God of Emotions—but considering the destiny between Huo Yuhao and Qiu'er, he chose to use his own origin lineage and a bit of the Dragon God's marrow to completely replace the boy's original bloodline while cleansing his marrow.
Since they were essentially the same person, the bloodlines merged with seamless fluidity. As for that drop of Dragon God marrow...
Thinking of this, a crafty, mischievous smile played across Baili Du's face.
He wondered what kind of expression a certain "second-generation Dragon God" who had also traveled back to this era would make when he realized his "Uncle-in-law" suddenly possessed the Dragon God's bloodline.