Inside the Body Sect's main hall.
A burly old man was hunched over a mountain of sect documents.
Golden Body Douluo, Jin Peng.
A 95th-rank Super Douluo, his Martial Soul was an extremely rare and powerful Body Martial Soul—the torso!
As the Body Sect's "chief steward," whenever Poison Busi, the hands-off sect master, went into seclusion or left to stir up trouble, Jin Peng alone shouldered every matter, great and small.
"What's with all this racket? Have you no manners?!"
Hearing the disciples outside making a ruckus without the slightest restraint, Elder Jin's brows instantly knitted into a deep frown.
He set down his vermilion brush and strode out of the main hall, his imposing presence carrying a weight that commanded respect.
"Elder Jin! Wonderful news!"
A duty disciple rushed into the side hall, barely able to contain his excitement.
"A young man has arrived outside. He says he's admired us for a long time and wants to join the Body Sect!"
"Most importantly... his Martial Soul is a Body Martial Soul!"
"Oh? A Body Martial Soul?!"
Elder Jin, who had been feeling somewhat irritated, sprang to his feet at once. His half-lidded, cloudy eyes suddenly flashed with a brilliant light.
"Hahahaha! The heavens favor our Body Sect! This is a rare find!"
Elder Jin's expression changed in an instant, his face creasing into a broad smile.
"Quick! Bring him in! Don't slight a future fellow disciple!"
A moment later.
Led by the disciple, Su Chen entered the main hall with Zhang Lexuan.
Elder Jin's gaze landed on Su Chen at once, sharp as a hawk's.
Robust vitality, excellent bone structure—he was indeed a top-tier prospect for a Body Martial Soul!
The more Elder Jin looked, the more pleased he became. He was just about to offer a few words of praise when his gaze inadvertently swept over the gentle woman behind Su Chen.
The next second, the smile on Elder Jin's face froze.
"Oh? Someone from Shrek Academy."
Elder Jin narrowed his eyes, a glint flashing through them.
He looked Zhang Lexuan up and down, the corners of his mouth curling into a meaningful smile.
"Zhang Lexuan... This old man has heard of you."
"The eldest sister of Shrek Inner Court, said to be the most talented disciple Shrek has seen in nearly three thousand years. At such a young age, you've already reached Soul Douluo rank."
At that, Elder Jin gave a soft snort and drew in his aura.
Although the Body Sect and Shrek Academy had long been at odds, he, Jin Peng, was a veteran whose name had been known for years. He wasn't about to lower himself to bully a young woman.
Besides, Zhang Lexuan was so close to this child. They must have a close relationship.
So he didn't ask any further questions.
Then his gaze passed over Zhang Lexuan and settled on you.
His previously stern expression softened at once, and his voice grew unusually gentle, even coaxing:
"Child, you said just now... that you'd awakened a Body Martial Soul?"
"Come, release it so this old man can have a look. If it's the real thing, I'll make sure you can walk tall throughout the Douluo Continent!"
Elder Jin's eyes were filled with anticipation.
Body Martial Souls were exceedingly rare. Every one of them was a treasure to the sect. If they really had found a promising talent, it would be a great achievement!
You nodded without hesitation.
With a thought, the air suddenly twisted!
Buzz—!
A crimson phantom abruptly appeared behind you!
King Crimson!
More precisely, it was an adult version of Su Chen, clad in crimson armor, with a strange, upright eye on his forehead.
Although it had yet to receive a Soul Ring, the domineering, uncanny aura rising from deep within the Martial Soul was impossible to conceal!
One glance was enough to leave Elder Jin staring in amazement!
"This... this is..."
As an old hand who had studied Body Martial Souls for many years, he could clearly sense the quality of this Martial Soul—top-tier! An absolutely top-tier Body Martial Soul!
An extraordinarily rare treasure!
It was even stranger than the sect master's Martial Soul!
Elder Jin's heart surged with joy, and even his beard trembled with excitement.
But then, as if he had remembered something, he quickly suppressed his excitement and asked tentatively:
"Child, tell this old man your name."
"Su Chen."
You slowly uttered the two words, neither humble nor arrogant.
"Su Chen... Su Chen..."
Elder Jin repeated the name to himself, the light in his eyes growing brighter and brighter.
He drew a deep breath, stared straight into your eyes, and asked the final crucial question:
"You... do you have another Martial Soul as well?"
Su Chen: "???"
You froze for a moment, a string of question marks appearing in your mind.
What the hell? Was this old man cheating?
Or had he read my script?
Though he grumbled inwardly, he obediently nodded.
"Yes."
"Hahahaha! Good! Excellent!"
Hearing the confirmation, Elder Jin finally couldn't hold back. He threw his head back and laughed, his booming voice sending the leaves around them rustling down.
It all matched!
The name matched, the top-tier Body Martial Soul matched, and the Twin Martial Souls matched too!
Several months earlier, before the sect master, Poison Busi, went into seclusion, he had observed the stars one night and given a special instruction: if they encountered a young man named Su Chen, they were to bring him back to the sect immediately!
The sect master had said that this boy was blessed with great fortune, the future hope of the Body Sect, and perhaps even the key to leading the Body Sect past Shrek!
Who would have thought they'd actually run into him today!
Talk about perfect timing!
Elder Jin gave a soft cough, breaking the silence.
This normally unsmiling Titled Douluo now wore a kindly smile, as though he were looking at a long-lost grandson.
"Child, from today onward, you're a member of the Body Sect! Welcome to our... uh, close-knit and loving family!"
When he said "close-knit and loving," even Elder Jin felt a little dishonest. The rough bunch in the Body Sect had little in common with those words.
"From now on, you can call me Elder Jin."
"Elder Jin."
Su Chen nodded slightly, his expression calm, as though he had expected all this.
The treatment he received afterward was practically fit for an emperor.
Every aspect of his food, clothing, lodging, and transportation was taken care of to the fullest—even the color of his bedsheets had been chosen by Elder Jin himself.
Such attentive care made Su Chen marvel: the Body Sect's reputation for sticking up for its own was indeed well deserved.
Once everything had been arranged, Elder Jin patted Su Chen on the shoulder and said earnestly:
"Child, make yourself at home here. If there's anything you don't understand, come ask me anytime. I've already informed the sect master. I expect the old man will..."
Boom—!
Before Elder Jin could finish, an overwhelming aura as vast as the sea engulfed the entire mountaintop!
A howling gale swept through, and the main doors were thrust open with a bang.
A dark-green figure descended like a meteor, landing right in front of Su Chen!
The newcomer was powerfully built, radiating a domineering presence that took one's breath away.
It was the Body Sect's sect master, Poison Busi, a 98th-rank Super Douluo!
Poison Busi stared fixedly at Su Chen's face. His eyes, usually cloudy, now blazed with a brilliance he had never shown before!
When he saw Su Chen's distinctive features and the heroic bearing that had yet to awaken but was already beginning to show, joy surged through him!
"Look at him! He looks so much like him!"
"That oppressive presence, that face... there's no mistaking it!"
Poison Busi trembled with excitement.
The dream he'd had a year ago, so vivid it had felt real, had actually been true!
In his dream, he had seen the Body Sect's future. He had seen a peerless prodigy who trampled Beast God Di Tian underfoot and beat up Niu Tian of the Clear Sky Sect!
A Gold-grade Second Awakening, ransacking Mingde Hall, Snow Empress sacrificing herself, a Limit Douluo at seventeen, condensing Three Soul Cores...
The man who would lead the Body Sect to its peak, even breaking through the shackles of the Divine Realm...
He was back! Everything was back!
The Body Sect's pride, this old man's precious disciple—at last, he had lived to see him!
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