Origins and Awakening

"Because every night at ten, you appeared in the building across from mine, and every morning, you showed up in the alley diagonally across from my house right on time. If that wasn't stalking me, then what was it?"

Xiao Tianyang's words were sharp. He immediately continued, "And you called me here supposedly to talk about yourself, so why did you end up dragging me into it?"

Miao Zhenshan was left speechless by his words, unable to refute them.

Because everything Xiao Tianyang had said was true.

Besides, since he had asked that question, there was no point denying it. He nodded. "I was indeed following you. Aren't you curious why I did that?"

Xiao Tianyang answered directly, "That's exactly why I wanted to investigate your background."

Miao Zhenshan said, "Then I'll tell you now. Listen."

"Huh?"

Xiao Tianyang's expression stiffened. He had investigated for several days without finding even the slightest clue.

He had thought he would need to go through some setbacks before learning the truth. He did not expect the surprise to come so suddenly.

Miao Zhenshan ignored him. He walked to the window, putting on the air of a reclusive master as he said, "My name is real, and I truly am a teacher at this academy. You needn't doubt that."

"However, I have another identity. I am the inheritor of the Body Martial Soul School..."

Before he could finish, Miao Zhenshan heard a muffled groan.

A sense of danger surged through him. Almost instinctively, he spun around, raised his arm, and took up a defensive stance.

Pfft!

A thumb-thick orange-yellow beam struck the bracer on Miao Zhenshan's arm, making his expression change.

But he did not care about himself. An attack of that level could not possibly injure him.

What concerned him more was the person who had attacked him—Xiao Tianyang!

"This is... a second Martial Soul awakening?!"

Miao Zhenshan's face first showed shock, followed by delight, because he realized that he had not chosen the wrong person!

But where there was joy for one, there was misery for another.

Xiao Tianyang was not only in a terrible mood, but also in unbearable pain.

It felt as though his forehead had been split open with a blade, and someone was still stirring around inside the wound with the weapon. The pain was indescribable.

He had also seen the system notifications in his mind.

"Congratulations, Host, for completing the Side Quest, [No Love Without Reason]!"

"Reward obtained: Body Martial Soul ×1!"

"Ding!"

"Congratulations, Host Xiao Tianyang, for obtaining the Martial Soul Ancient Spirit Eyes!"

The mission had been completed so abruptly. Xiao Tianyang had thought Miao Zhenshan's background was something extraordinary that would require a lengthy explanation.

Yet it had been that simple. Just one sentence had completed his mission.

And the commotion from awakening a Martial Soul was way too great, wasn't it?

Was it afraid that nobody would know he had awakened another Martial Soul?

"You not only possess a Body Martial Soul, but you also have Twin Martial Souls and innate Full Spirit Power! Hahaha, I've truly found a treasure this time—a peerless genius!"

Miao Zhenshan was so excited that he could barely restrain himself, throwing his head back in laughter.

Even more exaggeratedly, the surrounding bookshelves, tables, and chairs trembled slightly from his laughter.

"Teacher Miao, control your emotions. Don't forget that I'm still here..."

Xiao Tianyang was pleased to hear himself praised like that, but the deafening laughter only made him feel worse. He could not help complaining.

His forehead already hurt badly enough, and now his ears were being tortured too. This was simply not letting him have an easy time!

Only then did Miao Zhenshan realize that he had lost control of his emotions, and he hurriedly calmed himself.

At that moment, Xiao Tianyang felt the pain fade away, replaced by relief.

His forehead still felt strange, but at least it no longer hurt.

Reaching up to touch it, Xiao Tianyang lowered his head and asked, "Teacher Miao, do you have a mirror here?"

"There's no need to look. You've awakened a second Martial Soul."

Miao Zhenshan said solemnly, "But it would be best if no third person learned of this. Do you understand?"

"But why didn't this Martial Soul awaken together with the other one when I underwent Spirit Awakening in the village?"

Xiao Tianyang knew the reason, but he still asked. It was also to conceal his true circumstances.

However, when he looked up at Miao Zhenshan, he froze on the spot.

A line of data had unexpectedly appeared in his mind.

Name: Miao Zhenshan

Identity: Sole inheritor of the Body Martial Soul School, teacher at Notting Academy

Strength: Rank 97 Titled Douluo

Soul Rings: Yellow, Purple, Purple, Black, Black, Black, Black, Black, Red

Xiao Tianyang truly did not know how to describe the scene before him.

But after glancing at the panel, he understood the reason behind it.

Martial Soul: Ancient Spirit Eyes [distinguish loyalty from treachery, discern good from evil, see through falsehood]

This should have originated from another mythological world. Its original name ought to have been the Heaven-Piercing Eye, but it seemed to have evolved after coming into his hands, becoming even stronger.

"Good thing Spirit Hall didn't discover you, or I would've suffered a huge loss!"

Miao Zhenshan did not notice the change in Xiao Tianyang's expression. After muttering to himself for a while, he said, "But it's all in the past now. You only need to remember what I said. Understood?"

Xiao Tianyang immediately nodded after coming back to his senses.

This was an absolute powerhouse!

He did not know why Miao Zhenshan had remained so inconspicuous in the first part, but no matter what, Xiao Tianyang had decided to cling to this powerful backer!

Never mind that Soul Ring Configuration—just his rank alone meant that if Miao Zhenshan chose to protect him, he would hardly need to fear even Spirit Hall!

Miao Zhenshan was also very satisfied with Xiao Tianyang. "You don't need to take me as your master, either. Our school does not care much for such formalities."

"Then what do you need me to do?"

Xiao Tianyang frowned. He did not believe Miao Zhenshan had no intentions toward him.

"I only hope that you can inherit this school after I die."

Miao Zhenshan looked somewhat forlorn. "As long as the Body Martial Soul is properly developed, its strength is generally greater than that of ordinary Soul Masters. But there are simply too few of us. Let me put it this way: in my generation, there is only me."

"How is that possible?"

Confusion appeared on Xiao Tianyang's face. "The continent is so vast. Even if Body Martial Souls are rare, it can't be this exaggerated, can it?"

"It isn't that there are too few. It's that they never get the chance."

Miao Zhenshan shook his head. "Spirit Hall now dominates the continent, and Spirit Awakenings everywhere are handled by them. Any promising seedlings are taken away on the spot. Cases like yours are far too rare."

Xiao Tianyang asked again, "But what about those discovered later on?"

Thinking of something even more helpless, Miao Zhenshan's entire demeanor slumped. "Body Martial Souls are powerful, but they also have a flaw. Once developed incorrectly, they not only shorten one's lifespan, but also leave permanent, incurable injuries."

"So by the time I find those people, they have either already formed their cultivation and cannot be changed, or they have already become cripples."

There was something Miao Zhenshan had not said.

He had once tried to save those injured Soul Masters, as well as those who had gone down the wrong path.

Unfortunately, after a string of failures, he chose to give up.

Miao Zhenshan was powerful, but he could not truly defy fate.