Nuoding City, Holy Soul Village
On a small hillside behind Holy Soul Village, a six-year-old child sat meditating and practicing. Though he was very young, his movements were surprisingly practiced, as if he already knew exactly what he was doing.
But his cultivation didn't seem to be going smoothly. Before long, sweat appeared on his forehead. "Just as I thought. It's the same as in my previous life. Looks like I'll have to wait until after my Martial Soul Awakening before I can continue cultivating the Mysterious Heaven Skill."
Then he took out a little hammer he'd stolen from home and shouted, "Clear Sky Nine Absolutes!" Gripping the hammer, he launched into a flurry of blows against the ground—left, right, up, down. He seemed ready to yell, "Watch out, I'll hammer you!" at the slightest provocation. He certainly had the air of a Northwest Hammer King.
"Chaotic Cloak!"
The little hammer spun rapidly in his hand, whipping the dust on the ground into the air.
"Cough, cough, cough."
He'd put in too much force, and the dust blew right into the little boy's face.
"Great Sumeru Hammer!"
The boy took out a bigger hammer. Needless to say, he'd stolen this one from home too.
He leaped into the air, raised the hammer, and then slammed it down hard against the ground.
The blow left a crater in the earth, and dust billowed everywhere, wrapping around him. The force behind it far surpassed that of his previous strike.
As the saying went: eighty with the big hammer, forty with the little one. The big hammer really did get better results.
When the dust finally settled, the six-year-old boy's appearance became clear.
His black hair was a messy tangle, like a chicken had scratched at it. He had a pancake-flat face, a pair of piggy eyes, and blue irises. His complexion was sallow, and his body was thin and small—a clear sign of long-term malnutrition. His appearance was utterly ordinary; toss him into a crowd and you'd never find him again. Despite being calculating and harboring deep grievances, he was very good at hiding it.
That's right. This boy was Tang San, a reincarnated person.
The difference was that he had been reborn from the future Great God King Tang San.
But the Great God King was feeling rather frustrated. When he had become a god, he'd already wiped out the greatest evil force on Douluo Continent—the Spirit Hall.
When he ascended to the Divine Realm, he'd left behind Shrek Academy on Douluo Continent, making it a mainstay in the fight against Evil Soul Masters.
During his tenure as God King, he had greatly promoted exchanges and progress between humans and soul beasts. He'd even arranged for his own son to mate with a soul beast, and had helped the Soul Beast Clan purge many of its rotten members.
And while serving as God King, he had become keenly aware of the hypocrisy, selfishness, and greed of the gods above. So, to ensure fairness and justice in the Divine Realm and help it progress from one success to another, from one triumph to another, I, God King Tang San, followed the principle of not avoiding relatives when recommending the worthy and appointed my family members to various positions in the Divine Realm.
Though it was difficult and exhausting, I, God King Tang San, always taught them: "You are members of the God King's family. As members of the God King's family, you should be prepared to endure hardship and toil."
I, Tang San, the pure and noble God King who was both the Asura God and the Sea God, had made so many contributions.
Why did I have to be reincarnated again?
Maybe the people of Douluo Continent had been suffering too much. Heaven was merciful, so it had decided to let me save them once more.
The people had suffered under the Spirit Hall for far too long!
In my previous life, I, Tang San, had been able to overthrow the Spirit Hall. In this life, the Spirit Hall would be nothing but a pack of stray dogs!
But my Xiao Wu...
Sigh. There was no helping it. I'd just have to make my Xiao Wu suffer once more.
Goodbye, my love.
Rise again, my love.
And my brother-in-law, Sky Azure Bull Python Daming, and my younger brother-in-law, Titan Giant Ape Erming.
Don't worry. After you sacrifice yourselves to me, I'll bring you back to life.
I became a god while living in a mountain village,
Then drifted across the rivers and seas, lamenting in vain.
If one day I achieve my lofty ambitions,
Everyone will praise Tang San as a true man.
In this life, I, Tang San, have returned!
"Xiaosan, what are you babbling about over there?"
The Great God King turned around and saw Old Jack, the village chief of Holy Soul Village.
You damn Old Jack, how dare you say I'm babbling? You've already earned yourself a death sentence.
That was what Tang San thought, but he couldn't say it aloud. He immediately put on a respectful expression and said, "Grandpa Jack, it's nothing. I'm just a little tired."
"By the way, Grandpa Jack, what brings you here?"
"Xiaosan, do you know why our village is called Holy Soul Village?"
[Isn't it because a Soul Saint came from here?]
But Tang San played along and asked, "Why, Grandpa Jack?"
"That's because a Soul Saint once came from our village. So we named the village after him."
As he spoke, Old Jack couldn't help puffing out his chest. Then he continued.
"That's also why we're lucky enough to have an independent work-study student spot in our village, thanks to that Soul Saint. You should know, other villages have to share a single spot between two villages."
Old Jack's face took on a proud look as he finished speaking.
But our Great God King Tang San was utterly unimpressed.
A Soul Saint? Hmph. For me, God King Tang San, even a Titled Douluo was a piece of cake. And a mere Soul Saint was nothing.
But the Great God King still had to play along with Old Jack, because for now he still depended on Old Jack's help.
"Grandpa Jack, what's a Soul Saint? Are they strong?"
"Of course! Soul Masters have the noblest profession on the continent, and a Soul Saint is even greater."
"So, Xiaosan, Master Su Yuntao from the Spirit Hall is coming to our Holy Soul Village tomorrow to perform Martial Soul Awakenings. I'll take you to get yours. You have to go, all right? You might even become a Soul Master."
But what was our Great God King thinking?
Su Yuntao—the guy who had called my Blue Silver Grass a Trash Martial Soul in my previous life. You've already earned yourself a death sentence!
Still, I had to go through the Martial Soul Awakening. I'd let that guy Su Yuntao experience the shock of Innate Full Soul Power once again.
"Don't worry, Grandpa Jack. I'll definitely go."
"Exactly. My dad..." As he spoke, Tang San lowered his head.
What was Tang Hao like at this point in time?
He was naturally still drowning in grief over the loss of his wife, spending every day drinking his sorrows away.
Six years of life and death, worlds apart.
I never thought of you.
And yet I couldn't forget you.
A lonely grave a thousand miles away—nowhere to share my grief.
My Ah Yin, where are you?
You know how it is.
"Hmph." Hearing Tang San mention his father made Old Jack's blood boil. Tang Hao was a grown man, yet he made little Xiaosan wash clothes and cook every day, and wait on him hand and foot.
"Don't worry, Xiaosan. I'll go talk to him myself."
"After all, I'm the dignified Old Jack, village chief of Holy Soul Village. Around here, in this place and that, in every aspect of village life, everyone still gives me some respect."
As he spoke, Old Jack took Tang San by the hand and led him toward Tang San's house.
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