Before anyone could recover from their shock, another faint sound stirred the silent arena.
Under the attention of every person present, a deep-black dragon pattern slowly appeared between Lu Xiaoyu's eyebrows, glowing faintly. Behind him, air rippled—then a massive black shadow emerged, taking form.
"Black Dragon?"
Gu Rong's eyes widened. The dragon's sinuous body coiled like living mist, its claws sharp and powerful, scales glinting with dark luster.
"Beast Martial Soul!" Gu Rong declared proudly.
Several elders whispered among themselves, their voices trembling with awe.
"Beast Martial Soul—excellent!"
"Hahaha! I dare say Xiaoyu's Black Dragon Martial Soul will suppress even the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon!"
Gu Rong puffed his chest like a proud grandfather, his laughter booming through the hall. The dark, oppressive aura reminded him faintly of Lu Yuan's own evil-tinged energy—but compared to Liu Erlong's Fire Dragon, this one exuded purer strength and dominance.
"Stop showing off and test his spirit power already," Chen Xin said quickly, stepping closer.
A powerful Martial Soul alone didn't guarantee a strong soul master; innate soul power determined whether the Martial Soul's potential could truly manifest.
"Right, right!" Gu Rong chuckled. "Xiaoyu, put your little hand on this glass orb."
He handed over a sky-blue crystal sphere, glowing softly.
Lu Xiaoyu nodded excitedly and pressed his palm against it.
The instant his skin touched the orb, the dragon mark at his brow blazed with dark light. Behind him, the Black Dragon released a resonant roar that shook the entire awakening platform.
Golden motes filled the air like fireflies, swirling around the dragon as if responding to its call. The glass orb shone so brilliantly it illuminated a full thirty-meter circle around them.
The light grew stronger—too strong to look at directly.
Chen Xin and Ning Fengzhi both felt their hearts jump.
Even Gu Rong's jaw slowly dropped. He had never seen the test sphere shine like this—not even when Lu Yuan himself awakened.
Such brightness could only mean one thing.
"Twentieth-level innate soul power!" Chen Xin exclaimed aloud, his voice echoing across the arena.
The gathered disciples gasped collectively.
"He actually has innate twentieth-level power?!"
"That's a level equal to Seraphim's god-class inheritance!"
None of them could have imagined this outcome—Lu Xiaoyu's Martial Soul power rivaled the continent's most divine spirits.
The Black Dragon's shadow gave another mighty roar, circling twice above Lu Xiaoyu before lowering its gaze upon Gu Rong.
A soul pressure thick as mountain air crashed down.
Gu Rong didn't dodge—he braced himself deliberately to gauge the true force of Lu Xiaoyu's aura.
And instantly regretted it.
The invisible blow struck his chest like a boulder. For a moment, he couldn't even breathe.
"Fengzhi, look!" Chen Xin's pupils constricted. "That old Bone's Martial Soul is actually being suppressed!"
It was the same kind of pressure he'd felt years ago—when Lu Yuan suppressed his own Sword Douluo Martial Soul without even meaning to.
Like father, like son.
What a terrifying lineage.
Ning Fengzhi exhaled slowly, a mix of astonishment and satisfaction softening his expression. "No wonder the Blue Lightning Tyrant clan wanted to steal the boy for themselves. With this talent, who wouldn't?"
Even if Lu Xiaoyu wasn't born from Rongrong, Fengzhi had quietly made up his mind—he would treat the boy as family. With Lu Yuan and Gu Rong both in the sect, plus Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's reputation, they could dominate the continent for decades to come.
"Unbelievable!" someone shouted.
"There really exists a child with twentieth-level innate spirit power!"
"That means he's already at Great Soul Master level—at only six years old?!"
Most of the disciples had reached great soul master rank only around age twelve. That meant Lu Xiaoyu was starting six years ahead of their best.
The crowd broke into hushed envy.
Ning Rongrong pouted, whispering, "Xiaoyu's already at twentieth level before even getting his first spirit ring… meanwhile I thought ninth level was impressive."
Across the platform, Zhu Zhuqing nodded in quiet awe. "Even from here, I can feel that dragon's pressure."
Xiao Wu, standing beside her, smiled faintly instead of being shocked. Having grown up among soul beasts, she had already heard from Da Ming that Lu Xiaoyu would awaken an extraordinary Martial Soul one day. Still, she hadn't expected it to match the Seraphim's level.
"Grandpa Bones!" Lu Xiaoyu turned with shining eyes. "You promised me a spirit bone!"
He held out his hand expectantly.
Gu Rong froze mid-laugh, looking like a man struck by lightning.
Ah… right.
He had promised that.
But giving just any low-grade bone would be an insult to this child's potential. Finding one worthy of his Black Dragon could take months!
"Ah—well…" Gu Rong rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "How about this—let Grandpa Bones take you to get your first spirit ring first, then we'll discuss the bone when we get back, alright?"
He shot a pleading glance at Ning Fengzhi. Maybe the sect leader's coffers could bail him out.
But before Fengzhi could respond, Chen Xin nudged him subtly, both sliding conveniently out of the hall. "We'll… handle some preparations. You two take your time."
Leaving Gu Rong to sweat bullets on his own.
Liu Erlong rushed forward, scooping her son into her arms with trembling hands. "You scared me half to death just now! That roar nearly made me faint!"
Lu Xiaoyu smiled sheepishly. With a breath, he retracted the Martial Soul, the black dragon and the brow mark fading out of sight.
"Sorry, Mom."
"It's fine." Tears welled in Erlong's eyes as she looked at him. "You're incredible, my son."
Gu Rong clapped his hands. "Alright, little feather. Grandpa will take you to hunt your spirit ring."
As he led Lu Xiaoyu down the steps, he was already thinking carefully about what beast would match the boy's attributes. By the time they returned, Lu Xiaoyu would be a Great Soul Master—and he'd make sure Chen Xin couldn't stop bragging about him.
From behind came Lu Yuan's voice, half-joking, half-serious. "Xiaoyu, remember—get yourself a skull spirit bone! The skull is the best one!"
Lu Xiaoyu spun around, his face darkening. "Dad, I'm your son, not your spare parts!"
A ripple of laughter ran through the crowd. Everyone caught on to the implication.
Even Liu Erlong's mouth twitched helplessly.
"Lu Xiaoyu!" she warned sharply, though her cheeks had turned pink. "Don't talk nonsense like that in front of people!"
She coughed into her hand and glared sideways at Lu Yuan.
"Lu Yuan, let me make this clear."
"Even if Xiaoyu gets a skull spirit bone, I'll watch him absorb it with my own eyes. You're not getting it!"
Gu Rong gave Lu Yuan a cold side-eye of agreement as he picked the boy up and walked away.
"This bastard," he muttered under his breath, "even dares to scheme over his own kid's bones."
After they left, Lu Yuan folded his arms, thinking with a sigh. "Where can I find a skull bone…"
Xiaoyu was learning to guard against his tricks now. Getting one that way seemed hopeless.
He had already asked Uncle Ning before, but between poor attribute matches and limits on bone age, none fit him properly.
Worry gnawed at his mind.
"Lu Yuan, you really have no shame," Liu Erlong scolded, rubbing her temple. "Your son awakens a godlike Martial Soul, and that's what you're thinking about?"
"Drinking helps me think," he said wisely, already uncorking a jar. "If I figure out this skull bone, I can guide the boy better."
He took a slow gulp, savoring it. Ever since his own skull bone had shattered from the backlash of his black fire, he had come to realize its unique value—it wasn't just defense, but clarity. It sharpened thought and stabilized control over his blade.
A treasure like that couldn't be left undone for long.
He looked toward the rising sun, faint smile curling his lips. "A good skull bone… I'll find it. Sooner or later."
--
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