The Douluo Continent, southwestern Heaven Dou Empire.
Holy Soul Village!
A small village of more than three hundred households, clustered together in the wilderness.
It had been named after a Soul Saint of uncertain origins who had once come from there.
It lay in Fasinuo Province, south of Notting City.
Purple light spilled across the horizon as villagers made their way in twos and threes toward the fields outside the village.
They worked from sunrise to sunset.
The only child on the path stood out all the more.
He was five or six years old.
He wore coarse hemp clothes and had neat, short black hair. His bright, lively eyes were dark as ink, and his smile was utterly guileless.
At the moment, a square wooden box hung around his neck, filled with colorful candies.
Two gourds hung from his waist. Up close, one could catch a faint whiff of alcohol and the fresh, grassy scent of herbs.
Someone greeted him from far away.
"Xiao Qiu, what happened? Did you knock down another beehive?"
Ye Qiu turned back with a grin.
"Auntie, how are you so clever?"
"Enough! Quit flattering me. Those two bumps on your head are about to grow horns."
"Haha."
Scattered laughter rang out around them.
"Xiao Qiu, come over here!"
"Give your Aunt Zhang a couple of those honey pomelo candies. The sixth child at home loves them!"
"Coming, Aunt Zhang!"
Ye Qiu paid no mind to the villagers' teasing and cheerfully ran over to the rather burly Aunt Zhang.
He pulled out two candies and put them in Aunt Zhang's basket.
"Here you go. Remember to come by for a meal when you have time. It's no trouble to feed that little mouth of yours!"
Aunt Zhang laughed as she took out two copper coins and placed them in Ye Qiu's palm.
"Thanks, Aunt Zhang! Take care!"
Ye Qiu waved cheerfully at Aunt Zhang as she walked away.
Ever since he'd become able to support himself,
he rarely went to the villagers' homes to mooch meals anymore.
He greeted the villagers working in the fields and slowly headed back into the village.
Suddenly,
Ye Qiu's eyes lit up.
He waved toward a small hill beside the village.
"Hey! Xiao San, up early again to work out?"
A thin figure stood on the hill.
He looked about the same age as Ye Qiu.
The sun and the occasional blast of heat from the forge had left him especially dark-skinned. His clothes were plain but clean, and his short black hair was neat and tidy.
He was young, but his skills were enough to make even adults feel ashamed of themselves.
He swooped down from the hill,
light as a swallow, leaping through the air again and again. In the blink of an eye, he was about to reach level ground.
But at the last moment, Ye Qiu's voice distracted him.
His foot slipped, and he nearly fell.
Tang San immediately furrowed his brows and warily scanned his surroundings.
Only after confirming that no one had noticed how unusual he was
did he glare at Ye Qiu in annoyance.
"Ye Qiu, you're clearly younger than me. Stop calling me that!"
With that,
Tang San stopped showing off his footwork and, like a good boy, ran back toward the blacksmith's shop at home, feet firmly on the ground.
When it came to the village's little brats, Tang San had never wanted anything to do with them. He often kept them at a distance and played by himself.
"Xiao San, slow down or you'll fall! Uncle Haozi won't feel sorry for you!"
Ye Qiu wasn't offended. He smiled as he watched Tang San leave, and didn't forget to send greetings to his elders at home.
"Remember to say hello to Uncle Haozi for me. And don't forget to pay for that liquor you bought on credit!"
"..."
Tang San furrowed his brows.
Ignoring Ye Qiu's shouts, he continued running home.
"Tsk. Didn't the Mysterious Heaven Treasure Record teach him to be polite?"
Ye Qiu curled his lip.
Whenever he went to collect a debt, neither Tang San nor his father ever gave him a warm welcome.
Sometimes, Ye Qiu did want to call him Little Scumbag.
But he wasn't strong enough for that. He'd probably end up with a few Silent Sleeve Arrow shafts in his forehead.
"Xiao Qiu."
Just after he'd watched Tang San leave,
an elderly voice sounded by his ear.
With a smile on his childlike face, Ye Qiu looked toward the lanky old man in the distance.
He immediately ran over.
"Grandpa Jack, are you buying candy or liquor?"
"Haha. You little rascal."
The village chief, Old Jack, stroked his neatly groomed beard, looking full of energy.
He reached out and ruffled Ye Qiu's hair.
"I'll pass on the liquor. It's so watered down it might as well be horse piss. Only a drunkard like Tang Hao would like it. Just give me a few candies instead."
"Sure thing. Here you go!"
Ye Qiu's smile was bright and innocent.
He reached into the box and pulled out five candies, one caught between each pair of fingers, then handed them to Old Jack.
He carefully put away the money.
Only then did Ye Qiu raise his head to look at Old Jack again.
He asked with a smile:
"Grandpa Jack, did you come looking for me specifically? Was there something you wanted to tell me?"
"That's right. I came to tell you that the Martial Soul Awakening ceremony is in three days."
Old Jack smiled and put a lollipop in Ye Qiu's mouth. His eyes brimmed with hope—almost desperate hope.
It had been many years since the village had produced a Soul Master.
"In three days?"
Ye Qiu's expression shifted, and a hint of longing crept into his eyes.
"That's right. It'll be in the Spirit Hall at the center of the village. Be sure to come."
Old Jack nodded kindly.
"All right, come by for a meal sometime. I still have to tell the other children."
"Goodbye, Grandpa Jack!"
Ye Qiu rose onto his toes and waved.
Only when the road had grown quiet did Ye Qiu finish his morning's business, candy still in his mouth. He hugged the box and headed home.
A tiny wooden hut, empty and silent.
That was Ye Qiu's home.
He had no family, and his home was bare. That was what he'd been given when he came to this world.
He'd grown up eating meals provided by the villagers.
"Phew."
Lying on the cold, hard plank bed, Ye Qiu let out a long breath.
The Douluo Continent. Martial Soul Awakening.
Ye Qiu knew this world fairly well, so he naturally understood how important a Martial Soul was.
"I wonder what Martial Soul I'll awaken. Will it be a frog, just like my parents'?"
Ye Qiu muttered to himself, then quickly shook his head, looking disgusted.
"Hopefully not."
Maybe his bloodline would awaken into something powerful, with a high Innate Soul Power?
"Alas, I'm so sick of this ordinary, mediocre life."
A hint of melancholy appeared on Ye Qiu's face.
"If my Martial Soul really disappoints, I'll just see if I can live off a rich woman. Haha."
With that,
Ye Qiu himself burst out laughing.
Wanting to give them a warm home was only natural.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Under Old Jack's arrangements, many children of the right age gathered in the Spirit Hall at the center of the village.
The so-called Spirit Hall in Holy Soul Village was just a slightly larger wooden hut.
It kept the wind and rain out, and that was good enough.
With so many children gathered, this was a golden opportunity to sell candy.
Ye Qiu had the box hanging around his neck and was shouting his wares with all his might.
Tang San stood quietly in place.
Hearing Ye Qiu repeat the same three words over and over before stopping each time, he couldn't help feeling irritated.
"Hey, Xiao San. Want me to treat you to some candy?"
Ye Qiu smiled and approached Tang San, offering him a bright green lollipop.
"No, thanks."
Tang San shook his head coolly.
He had no interest in petty little favors between children.
"Fine."
Ye Qiu rolled his eyes.
He didn't have much of a grudge against Tang San at the moment, but sometimes, the boy really was annoying.
Before long,
after finishing a few small sales, Ye Qiu saw Old Jack greeting a young man with a beaming smile.
"Slurp, slurp..."
Tang San was standing right in front of Ye Qiu.
Hearing Ye Qiu suck on his candy behind him, he couldn't help furrowing his brows.
The young man wore the uniform of the Spirit Hall. He looked decent enough, but his eyes and brows carried an air of arrogance and superiority. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed Old Jack.
It was time to begin the day's main event: Martial Soul Awakening!
Wishing everyone a pleasant life!
Before you continue