Holy Soul Village

Heaven Dou Empire, Fasinuo Province, Holy Soul Village

Dawn slowly drew back the curtain, bringing another vibrant morning and fresh air to the world.

Mornings in Holy Soul Village were filled with a tranquil atmosphere.

On a large stone at the village entrance, a tan-skinned little boy was drenched in sweat.

"Four hundred ninety-seven!"

"Four hundred ninety-eight!"

"Four hundred ninety-nine!"

"Fi...ve...hundred!"

Phew—

The little boy, soaked through and gasping for breath, lay sprawled across the cool stone. Rolling onto his back, he finally noticed that an old man had appeared beside him at some point.

Leaning on a cane and bent at the waist, the old man watched him with a beaming smile.

"Ning Qiu, did you finally manage five hundred today?" the old man asked with a kindly smile.

"Yes, Grandpa Jack." The little boy named Ning Qiu nodded happily.

"Good child. Keep working hard. Grandpa believes you can become an honorable Soul Master!" Old Jack encouraged Ning Qiu.

"Mm, thank you, Grandpa Jack," Ning Qiu said politely.

"Little Village Chief, up so early to train again?"

A horse-drawn cart loaded with vegetables slowly passed through the village entrance.

"Yes. Good morning, Uncle." Ning Qiu greeted him politely.

"Honestly, Little Village Chief, you don't need to work so hard. What do people live for, if not to live? Soul Master? Is becoming a Soul Master really that easy? It's been ten years since Holy Soul Village produced a child capable of becoming a Soul Master. Even if you can't become one, we'll still elect you as the next village chief." The villager driving the cart spoke earnestly.

"Thank you, Uncle. But I still want to give it a try. Uncle, I'm going for a run."

In truth, Ning Qiu was not from this world. More precisely, his soul was not from this world.

In his previous life, Ning Qiu had been a law-abiding citizen in the twenty-first century on a planet called Earth. He had been hit by a car that ran a red light while crossing the street, and a millennial Nine-Planet Alignment had happened to occur, sending his soul across worlds to this plane.

Ning Qiu's background was tragic. Just like the authors of Douluo fanfiction from his previous life had written—yes, Ning Qiu's parents had both died.

Ning Qiu's mother had died from complications while giving birth to him. His father had been a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster, but he had not died in the belly of a soul beast. Instead, he had died in a noble's home.

Ning Qiu's father had been a guard. While fighting a thief who had secretly infiltrated the noble's home, he had been outmatched and killed by his opponent.

Of course, Ning Qiu had ultimately received a pension. As long as he lived frugally, he could make it safely to adulthood.

Over the past six years, Ning Qiu had never missed a day. Ever since he could walk, he had followed the knowledge from his previous life and diligently practiced push-ups, sit-ups, and other exercises every day. After several years of hard work, Ning Qiu had finally managed five hundred push-ups and developed an eight-pack!

Furthermore, in his spare time, Ning Qiu used knowledge from his previous life to help the villagers grow vegetables and raise fish. Greenhouse technology in particular had not only allowed Holy Soul Village's vegetables to sell better, but even enabled the village to sell out-of-season vegetables during winter.

Thanks to the techniques Ning Qiu had provided, Holy Soul Village's income had surged nearly tenfold. The villagers usually called Ning Qiu the Little Village Chief. Old Jack had also publicly stated more than once that he would hand over the position of village chief to Ning Qiu once he came of age.

However, since he had crossed into the Douluo Plane he had loved in his previous life, Ning Qiu still wanted to become an admired Soul Master.

Having known everything about Douluo, Ning Qiu understood that only with formidable strength could one earn others' respect in this world and enjoy a better quality of life.

"Fifteen laps!"

Ning Qiu panted heavily, sweat pouring down his face as he said joyfully, "I finally did it today too. Fifteen laps around the village, six kilometers in total!"

"Ning Qiu, running again?"

A somewhat childish voice rang out. Ning Qiu followed the sound and saw a little boy about his age, with the same healthy tan skin, walking toward him.

"Xiao San, did you go to Sunrise Peak to watch the sunrise again?" Ning Qiu greeted him with a smile.

"Mm. I'm nowhere near as diligent as you. I'm too lazy." The little boy nodded modestly.

"Xiao San, you're joking." A profound glint flickered through Ning Qiu's eyes.

Familiar with Douluo's storyline, Ning Qiu knew that the little boy he called Xiao San was Tang San, who would one day become the Asura God, the supreme god of the God Realm.

Ning Qiu knew perfectly well that Tang San was not lazy.

Every day, when dawn had only just broken, Tang San would rise and climb Sunrise Peak at the village entrance. Tang San claimed he liked watching the sunrise, but Ning Qiu was the only person in all of Holy Soul Village who knew that Tang San was secretly cultivating the Tang Sect's unique arts.

Ning Qiu had no idea what the authors of Douluo fanfiction in his previous life had been thinking when they believed that fawning over Tang San would earn them the Tang Sect's unique arts.

Tang San was extremely calculating. He had even concealed the awakening of a Clear Sky Hammer. He had never taught his so-called Tang Sect unique arts to the Shrek Seven Devils, nor to Xiao Wu. He had not even told his father, Tang Hao. How could he possibly teach them to an outsider Tang San could not trust?

Meeting Ning Qiu's gaze, Tang San felt a chill in his heart. For some reason, Ning Qiu's look just now gave him the illusion that he had been seen through, as though he were standing naked before the other boy.

"Xiao San, Ning Qiu, you're both here. Mm, good. Come with me!"

At some point, Old Jack had returned, leading six children toward them.

"Alright, Grandpa Jack!"

"Alright, Grandpa Jack!"

Ning Qiu and Tang San followed Old Jack to the center of the village.

Looking at the stone pillar in the small square bearing a handprint, Old Jack began his annual refrain, encouraging them, "Children, do you see that? This is the handprint left behind by the Soul Sage from our village. It is the glory of our village!"

Whoosh—

Just then, the sound of something cutting through the air rang out. Ning Qiu and Tang San both noticed it, their gazes turning in the same direction.

There, a figure leaped across the rooftops. Upon reaching the tallest building, the figure launched into the air and executed a beautiful one-hundred-eighty-degree flip. Finally, he landed steadily on the ground, light as a feather.

Familiar with Douluo's storyline, Ning Qiu knew that the young man in a white uniform, wearing a badge on his chest marked with three crossed swords, was Su Yuntao—the tool assigned to awaken martial souls in the Douluo Plane.

"Honored Battle Soul Master, we must trouble you again this time."

"My time is limited. Let's begin!"

"Children, this is Master Su Yuntao, a deacon from the Spirit Hall in Notting City. You must cooperate with him and awaken your martial souls. Grandpa will be waiting outside, hoping that one of you can become a Soul Master!"

"Alright, you say the same thing every year. Do you really think becoming a Soul Master is so easy?"

"That's right. Only the inheritors of the major sects can become Soul Masters easily."

As Su Yuntao and Old Jack chatted, the doors to the Spirit Hall branch had already been opened.

"Ning Qiu, why are you still standing there? Hurry inside!"

Seeing Ning Qiu standing motionlessly at the entrance, lost in thought, Old Jack gently patted his shoulder.

"Mm."

Ning Qiu nodded and entered the Spirit Hall branch. After waiting six years, he was finally going to awaken his martial soul!