The awakening array activated, and a golden light instantly enveloped Yu Xiaogang.
A dragon's roar echoed through the great hall. Behind him, a massive dragon figure seemed to take shape. All the beast soul masters present, including those with the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus soul, vaguely felt a sense of oppression.
"This is…" Yu Luomian said in surprise.
"Could it be?" Yu Luotang murmured, suspicious.
Yu Yuanzhen stood up excitedly. He realized what was happening faster than the other elders in the sect.
Yu Xiaomen, watching from below, saw the giant dragon shadow slowly becoming solid behind Yu Xiaogang. The joy he had just felt after awakening his top-tier talent vanished instantly.
Ha ha… hahahaha…
I can feel it — it's a dragon, a Golden Holy Dragon, it's coming out…
Yu Xiaogang's heart surged with excitement. He lifted his head and opened his eyes, where golden dragons seemed to be soaring within.
My soul beast — the Golden Holy Dragon! Ha ha ha, my soul beast — the Golden Holy Dragon…
From today on, I will be the second soul master with a Golden Holy Dragon soul beast recorded in the history of the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus sect. My legend begins now. I will make the entire continent praise my name — Dragon God Douluo Yu Xiaogang — for ten thousand years to come.
The wonderful feeling made Yu Xiaogang close his eyes and immerse himself fully in the joy of soul beast awakening.
Suddenly, something strange happened. Usually, a soul beast forms fully in one go, but the giant dragon's shadow remained hazy, unable to fully solidify into a proper soul beast.
Everyone was stunned, their eyes wide in disbelief. Yu Xiaogang also sensed something was wrong. He opened his eyes and stared at the unclear Golden Holy Dragon behind him, bewildered.
Suddenly, the dragon's shadow let out a mournful cry and began to leak, to dissipate sideways.
"My Golden Holy Dragon, my Golden Holy Dragon, no—" Yu Xiaogang frantically tried to grasp the dissolving shadow.
"What… what exactly is happening?" one disciple from the sect asked.
"This is bad. The soul beast is undergoing mutation," Yu Yuanzhen said gravely.
Everyone present stiffened at those words. Soul beast mutations could be either good or bad, but if Yu Xiaogang's soul beast was truly a Golden Holy Dragon, there was only one possible outcome — a malignant mutation. After all, among known human soul beasts, none surpassed the Golden Holy Dragon in strength.
Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang panicked. He broke down, shouting, "No! My Golden Holy Dragon, don't leave me! How can I live without you?"
Finally, the Golden Holy Dragon completely dissolved. In its place appeared a purple, fat, hideously ugly creature. It looked like a dog, but as fat as a pig.
The little creature immediately formed a faint connection with Yu Xiaogang. It affectionately rubbed against his pant leg, making "loo loo loo" pig-like grunting sounds.
Yu Xiaogang lowered his head, hiding his expression.
Silence fell over the scene, broken only by the pig-like grunts of the little beast.
After all, Yu Xiaogang was still the sect master's son, and Yu Yuanzhen's influence remained strong. No one dared openly mock his soul beast at the moment. Yet many scrutinizing glances fixed on Yu Xiaogang made him feel like needles pricked his back.
"Still…" Yu Yuanzhen's voice broke the silence, "let's test the innate soul power first. After all, the soul beast's strength isn't judged by appearance alone." He hoped there was still a chance to salvage his son.
Hearing this, Yu Xiaogang suddenly lifted his head and shouted at the awakening master, "Yes, test my innate soul power quickly, now!"
The awakening master nodded, placing a crystal orb in front of Yu Xiaogang. "Young master, please."
Yu Xiaogang anxiously pressed his hand on the crystal orb, which emitted a faint, almost imperceptible glow.
Everyone was stunned again.
Seconds ticked by. Suddenly, in anger, Yu Xiaogang smashed the crystal orb to pieces on the ground. He roared, "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! The crystal orb must be faulty! It must be!"
Yu Yuanzhen's face darkened. He said to the awakening master, "Get another crystal orb for Xiaogang."
"Yes!" The awakening master produced another crystal orb.
This time, Yu Xiaogang hurriedly pressed his hand down again. The glow was just as faint and barely detectable.
Again, another crystal orb was smashed to bits. Yu Xiaogang yelled, "Try another one!"
When the third crystal orb produced the same result, Yu Xiaogang was about to smash it as well, but Yu Luomian sharply scolded him: "Yu Xiaogang, no matter how much you refuse to accept it, you cannot change the fact that your soul beast has undergone a reverse mutation into a worthless soul beast. This isn't something you can alter by destroying sect property!"
Yu Yuanzhen stroked his face with one hand and motioned to the awakening master with the other. In pain, he said, "Announce the result."
The awakening master nodded and said, "Innate soul power…" He took a magnifying glass from his sleeve and examined the crystal orb for a long time. "Zero point… 0.5 level. Yes, innate soul power level 0.5, Sect Master."
Murmurs broke out among the crowd.
"What? He only has 0.5 level innate soul power?"
"What kind of soul beast is that? It looks neither like a dog nor a pig, and the Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus mutated into this thing?"
As more people whispered, their words grew bolder:
"Our Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus turned into this? Impossible! But Yu Xiaogang is indeed the sect master's own son… could it be…"
"The sect master's bloodline is so excellent. Even Yu Xiaomen, born from the servant Yun Niang, has innate soul power of 9.5 level. Yu Xiaogang only has 0.5 level soul power. Doesn't that say something?"
"0.5? That must be the awakening master's doing."
"I don't believe our mighty Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus would awaken into such a pig-dog thing."
"I've been flattering Yu Xiaogang all these years for nothing!"
The taunts pierced Yu Xiaogang's ears like sharp needles stabbing his heart, causing unbearable pain. Suddenly, he looked up at Yu Xiaomen.
Yu Xiaomen said nothing but stared back at him. Their eyes met, and Yu Xiaomen's face showed a meaningful expression.
The mockery — it must be mockery — this bastard is mocking me!
Yu Xiaogang could endure mockery from the entire sect, but not from this lowly bastard — the illegitimate child of a servant!
Why? Why does he have a Blue Lightning Tyrannosaurus soul beast with 9.5 level innate soul power, while I only have 0.5 level and awakened this pig-dog thing?
Yu Xiaogang instantly collapsed—
"Ahhhhhhh—"
He screamed and cried, overwhelmed by grief. Three monkey-like cries escaped him, tears soaking his clothes, then—
He ran away.