Seeing that most of the kids awakened trashy, useless spirits like grass, sickles, or hammers—and that even those with any spirit power at all were rare—Jiang Bai shook his head.
In this world, Spirit Awakening largely depended on one's parents.
If both parents had ordinary spirits, their descendants would likely inherit the same, unless a rare mutation occurred.
Looking up at the statue of Sea God Tang San standing proudly in the plaza, Jiang Bai couldn't count how many times he'd "marked his territory" on that statue's head.
It had infuriated the village chief, who was determined to find and punish the mischievous kid behind it with a thorough scolding!
After all, Tang San was a revered figure in Holy Spirit Village.
Besides Shrek Academy, only Holy Spirit Village had the honor of displaying the Sea God's statue.
The village chief felt proud just mentioning it to outsiders.
At the moment, Jiang Bai stood far at the back, pretending to be a model kid of the new era—waiting his turn patiently in line.
After all, everyone would get their turn to awaken a spirit. It didn't matter whether he went early or late!
As long as he hadn't awakened yet, he was a top-tier spirit in his mind!
But suddenly, Jiang Bai felt an irresistible force lifting him up.
"Village Chief! I need to wait in line!" Jiang Bai turned his head with a wry smile, only to see the village chief—the man who had raised him.
"You, waiting in line? Since when have you been so polite?" The chief eyed him suspiciously, wondering what scheme this mischievous kid was up to now.
Then, without hesitation, he grabbed Jiang Bai by the neck and dragged him to the center of the plaza.
"Hm? Anyone got a problem? Anyone object?" The crowd quickly parted, giving the village chief a clear path.
Who would dare disrespect the chief?
Jiang Bai sighed internally. Honestly, he hated special treatment!
But, alas, he had no choice but to accept it this time.
How tragic!
"Well, well, it's Xiao Bai! You've grown so much! Do you still remember me? I even held you when you were little!" came a charming voice from within the plaza.
The speaker had snow-white skin, and her black dress perfectly accentuated her curvaceous figure.
The village chief smiled warmly, patting Jiang Bai's head. "The kid's still young; how could he remember?"
"This is Soul Master Su Yunrou, responsible for Spirit Awakenings. You can just call her Sister Rou Rou!"
Su Yun… Rou?
"Sister Rou Rou? Are you related to Su Yuntao?" Jiang Bai asked.
Su Yunrou's soft smile blossomed on her beautiful face, exuding warmth and gentleness.
"Indeed, he's my ancestor!" Su Yunrou replied, leaving Jiang Bai a bit stunned. So, the Su family had basically become the exclusive Spirit Awakening soul masters of Holy Spirit Village?
"Come on, Xiao Bai, pay your respects to the Sea God. The Sea God's blessing will help you awaken a powerful spirit!"
The village chief always had the children performing the Awakening ceremony bow before the statue, hoping the Sea God's favor would bring them a strong spirit.
Jiang Bai glanced at the statue, then slowly bowed his head under the village chief's expectant gaze.
But.... "Ah, tui!"
He spat right at the statue's feet with disdain causing veins to pop on the village chief's forehead.
"You little rascal! How dare you disrespect the Sea God! Stand still! You better stop right there!"
The two began running in circles around the Sea God statue, the chief gasping for breath in frustration.
"Alright, alright!" Su Yunrou stepped in, pulling Jiang Bai close. He suddenly found himself enveloped in her soft embrace.
"He's just a kid. Let's get on with the awakening!"
With Sister Rou Rou's intervention, the chief begrudgingly gave up on punishing him, shooting him a glare.
"I'll deal with you later!"
Su Yunrou guided Jiang Bai to stand within a hexagram formation made of six black stones.
"Lone Wolf, possess me!"
With a shout, Su Yunrou's body began to glow as her Lone Wolf spirit took over, transforming her gentle figure into a fierce, yet strangely adorable, wolf-girl form.
But Jiang Bai had no time to focus on the wolf-girl. As soul power flowed into him, he could clearly feel a powerful force awakening within him.
Here it comes, here it comes! My martial soul is awakening!
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd and the village chief, a dazzling green light illuminated the sky, accompanied by the appearance of a small deer radiating a potent life force.
Wait, isn't this… Yao?
Jiang Bai immediately recognized his martial soul.
He had awakened Yao? No, wait—it's Yao's deer! Phew, that's a relief.
[ TL/N: Yao is a character from the 'Honor of Kings' also known as Yaria in the english version of the game. ]
This was better—he had a beast spirit: Yao's Deer!
However, in the next instant, Jiang Bai saw his martial soul undergo a transformation.
The blue-green spirit deer began to turn black, surrounded by a swirl of dark purple molecules, as the power of destruction enveloped it, fading it into the void.
"What the heck? My deer turned black?"
Jiang Bai was stunned. Why was his deer black?
But when he placed his right hand on the crystal ball, a streak of dark purple light descended from the sky, infused with an aura of destruction that left everyone present speechless.
No, they weren't shocked by the light itself—they couldn't understand that part. What shocked them was the crystal ball.
It was filled to the brim.
Innate full soul power!
Their humble Holy Spirit Village had produced yet another spirit master with innate full soul power!
The village chief's eyes gleamed as he looked at Jiang Bai. This kid had the potential to become a god!
"Sea God bless us! Sea God bless us!"
[ One Thought, God or Devil—Heart-Guarding Spirit Deer ]
Jiang Bai was baffled. Was this some kind of new skin? As expected, Yao's treatment was a cut above the rest!
While Jiang Bai was reveling in his good fortune, though…
Jiang Bai stared, completely bewildered, at the list of "Nine Destruction Trials."
A black-robed man with an air of cold arrogance stood before him, his voice carrying a weight of ancient authority.
"To make it brief, I am one of the five great gods of the Divine Realm—the God of Destruction, the one with the highest combat power."
"When you complete these Nine Divine Trials, I shall pass down to you the mantle of godhood."
"Child, strive with all your might!"
Jiang Bai glanced at the list, struggling to process the trials laid out before him:
1. First Destruction Trial: Defeat the Child of Fate.
2. Second Destruction Trial: Destroy the bond between Tang Wutong and the Child of Fate.
3. Third Destruction Trial: Establish the Temple of Life and the Temple of Destruction.
4. Fourth Destruction Trial: Annihilate the Ancient Golden Tree.
5. Fifth Destruction Trial: Obliterate the Valley of Emotions.
6. Sixth Destruction Trial: Exterminate the Clear Sky Clan.
7. Seventh Destruction Trial: Unite the entire Douluo Continent under one rule.
8. Eighth Destruction Trial: Destroy Shrek Academy and the Sea God Pavilion.
9. Ninth Destruction Trial: Kill Tang Hao and A Yin, seizing the core of Douluo Continent.
Jiang Bai's mind spun as he stared, wide-eyed, at the list. Was this… a joke?
Destroy Shrek Academy? Wipe out the Clear Sky Clan? Break up the famed Tang Wutong and her chosen one? It was a path that led directly against every pillar of this world's power!
"Wait," Jiang Bai stammered, looking up at the God of Destruction. "Isn't this… a bit extreme?"
The God of Destruction's expression remained unmoved, as though these trials were simply a matter of course. "Extreme? These are necessary steps to reshape the order of this world. To ascend, you must tread where none dare."
Jiang Bai swallowed hard. Great. He'd been handed not just a mission but an all-out challenge to every legendary figure in Douluo.
With a deep breath, Jiang Bai steeled himself. Alright. If the only way up is through chaos… then chaos it is.
Jiang Bai was still trying to wrap his head around the situation. Hold on… Isn't a divine inheritance supposed to come one trial at a time? Yet here was the God of Destruction, dumping the entire list on him all at once.
But that wasn't even the main issue.
The real issue was—
"Wait, bro! What if Tang San, the Sea God himself, doesn't play fair and comes down here to squash me before I even get started?"
The God of Destruction seemed unfazed by Jiang Bai's concerns, but a faint frown did cross his face.
He seemed to realize that Jiang Bai had some knowledge about the Divine Realm's inner workings.
Still, with Tang San currently holding the Divine Realm's core authority, meddling in the lower realm posed considerable risks.
"This place isn't safe to linger," the God of Destruction said finally, his voice echoing with an unspoken urgency. "I'll depart now—but if the time calls for it, I shall intervene."
Without another word, he vanished, leaving Jiang Bai standing alone, a mix of excitement and dread churning within him.
"Great." Jiang Bai thought with a sigh. It seems I'm stuck on a path straight to trouble… but at least I'm not entirely on my own.