The Great Stage of Douluo, My Name is Qian Xunji

As the light faded, the elder looked toward the Martial Soul in Arthur's hand with anticipation.

It was not the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul he had imagined...

However...

The crowd stared at the two Martial Souls in Arthur's hands, their gazes dull and vacant. Twin... Twin Martial Souls.

Visible to all, two small Martial Souls floated above the blonde boy's hands: one was a golden, majestic shield, and the other was a greatsword that looked incredibly sharp.

Twin Martial Souls had been extremely rare since ancient times, and according to records, many had died from their bodies exploding during cultivation. The only living person with Twin Martial Souls today was the Martial Soul Hall elder—Bibi Dong!

Because of this, Martial Soul Hall was well aware of the advantages of Twin Martial Souls. Both Martial Souls could have Soul Rings attached, granting more Soul Skills than an ordinary person and far greater combat power. The Soul Power feedback from the Soul Rings could also boost cultivation, helping one break through even at the Title Douluo stage.

Moreover, judging by the quality of these two Martial Souls, it seemed Martial Soul Hall was about to produce another peerless genius!

Next was the test for Innate Soul Power, which, unsurprisingly, was Innate Full Soul Power.

Qian Xunji sighed. Unlike the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul, which had the backing of the Douluo world's lore and came with twenty levels of Soul Power at birth, Arthur's Holy Shield and Holy Sword, while high in quality, were still just Innate Full Soul Power.

The third to awaken their Martial Soul was Jing. Although Jing was still just a little girl with a cute bob haircut, the aura around her was cold, already foreshadowing the cold and arrogant queen she would become in the future.

Golden light spots emerged, and the same little golden figure appeared once more.

The elders were filled with anticipation for Jing due to the talent shown by Arthur and Xiang Yu earlier. Although the probability was low, what if? What if this girl was also a supreme genius? The future of Martial Soul Hall would be limitless!

The golden light vanished, and in Jing's hand appeared a blade reflecting golden light. Compared to a normal sword, this blade was exquisitely small and delicate, and its material was quite unique—it looked like a mirror, lacking the metallic feel of a standard blade.

Blazing Sun Divine Radiance Sword—this was Jing's Martial Soul.

"Alright, put your Martial Soul away and come over to test your Soul Power." Qian Xunji, whose eyes were aching from the blade's golden reflections, spoke up.

Jing reached out her small hand, and when she touched the crystal ball, it shone brilliantly. However, having experienced the precedents of Xiang Yu and Arthur, the surrounding elders were no longer surprised; instead, they were very calm, even feeling as if this was expected.

Qian Renxue, who was last in line, felt a bit nervous. After all, the performance of the three peers before her had been so perfect.

This put her under immense pressure. It could be said that even if her Innate Soul Power was level nine, she would still be a genius, but against the backdrop of the three companions before her, it would still be a disappointment.

Qian Xunji looked at the nervous girl before him and smiled. Knowing her Martial Soul, he had known the answer from the start. He soothingly patted the girl's head and said, "Don't be afraid. You grew up with them, so how could you be any worse than them? Believe in yourself, and believe in me, okay?"

Her brilliant blonde hair fell long before Qian Renxue, like golden light. Looking up at the face of the Pope, Qian Renxue took a deep breath, then nodded heavily, "Of course, Your Holiness!"

At the same time, looking at the sacred Six-Winged Angel behind Qian Xunji, she thought to herself, If only I could awaken the same Martial Soul as His Holiness.

The awakening ceremony began, and golden light spots enveloped Qian Renxue.

Those who had already abandoned the terrifying conjecture that all four children were the Pope's illegitimate children froze when they saw the Martial Soul in Qian Renxue's hand.

The blonde man and the blonde girl stood facing each other; behind the man was the sacred and beautiful Six-Winged Angel, and in the girl's hand was a miniature Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul.

At this moment, the scene fell into complete silence.

Unlike Xiang Yu, whose sturdy build and resolute face did not resemble Qian Xunji's—and given that Xiang Yu was a male Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul—the elders had suspected Xiang Yu might be the Pope's illegitimate child, but the feeling hadn't been as profound.

But Qian Renxue's features possessed the delicate and handsome quality typical of the Qian family. When she stood with Qian Xunji, it already gave people the feeling of a father and daughter. Now that both possessed the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul, it looked even more like a father and daughter.

The Soul Power test showed a very normal Innate level twenty Soul Power.

Qian Renxue looked at Qian Xunji with a conflicted expression, seemingly wanting to say something, but seeing the surrounding elders, she held back and did not speak in public.

Afterward, she cast strange glances between Qian Xunji, herself, and Xiang Yu, seemingly turning various conjectures over in her mind.

The surrounding elders did the same, their gazes darting back and forth between the three.

But hindered by the Pope's majesty, they could only swallow their inner thoughts, yet they became increasingly certain of their conjecture: these two children must be the Pope's!

Chapter 8: Martial Soul Awakening (Part 2)

Meanwhile, Inside Heaven Dou City, Heaven Dou Empire.

A green-haired little girl brought a silver-haired girl with a pair of deer antlers on her head to a free Martial Soul awakening branch of Martial Soul Hall.

Unlike the children brought by their parents to awaken their Martial Souls, the two girls were particularly eye-catching. Although they were still children, their skin was naturally delicate and fair, and their exquisite, beautiful features already heralded their future beauty.

The two were none other than Cai Wenji and Yao.

The trajectories of their growth were different from what Qian Xunji had expected, or rather, they had deviated significantly.

The adoptive family Qian Xunji had found for them was middle-class, well-fed, and clothed. They had some fertility issues, had no children of their own, and were very fond of children.

According to Qian Xunji's expectations, the two would grow up normally in this adoptive family, obtain a clean background, awaken their Martial Souls, and rely on their excellent talent to slowly grow, teaming up with other combat-type heroes in the Heaven Dou Empire to reap fame.

But man proposes, God disposes. The couple, who had been childless for ten years, unexpectedly became pregnant the second year after adopting Cai Wenji and Yao, and before long, they gave birth to a big, healthy boy. The status of the two girls immediately became awkward.

After all, with a biological child, what should be done with the adopted ones?

However, the family still had a conscience and continued to raise them, though the treatment was not as good as it was for their biological child.

The people Qian Xunji had arranged to protect them continued to observe, intending to reveal their identities and take the two children back to Martial Soul Hall if the couple truly intended to harm them.

Recently, Cai Wenji and Yao overheard the couple's conversation and made up their minds to run away.

It turned out that the couple, seeing the girls' outstanding looks, intended to offer them to nobles in the future in exchange for benefits.

Today, on the day of the Martial Soul awakening, they locked the two girls in the house. Cai Wenji and Yao pretended to be obedient and successfully climbed out the window to escape. After consulting with each other, they decided to awaken their Martial Souls first and then run away.

Although they are support soul masters, they were born in the Honor of Kings Canyon and naturally practice a form of magic, granting them unique abilities exclusive to themselves. Their skills are evolutions of these special abilities; after being adapted to the Douluo world, they became Self-Created Soul Skills, somewhat similar to the cultivation techniques of Tang San, yet far more profound.

In other words, as long as the two girls awaken their martial souls and obtain soul power, they can rely on their unique Self-Created Soul Skills to possess some means of self-preservation, even without soul rings.

Entering the main hall, the deacon of the Martial Soul Hall chased all the parents out, leaving only the children waiting to awaken their soul power.

"Alright, children, stand in five rows." The deacon was a chubby little old man with graying whiskers, looking quite kind and approachable.

With no parents to supervise them, it took the hundred-plus children a long time to get into line. Every child scrambled to get to the front to be the first to awaken their martial soul, but fortunately, the chubby little old man was skilled at managing these children, and eventually, he had them all behaving obediently.

Cai Wenji and Yao lined up one after the other, moving forward slowly until it was soon their turn.

Cai Wenji walked into the awakening array. As soul power was injected to activate the formation, the green-haired, short-legged little girl was enveloped by golden specks of light.

As the light slowly dissipated, the little girl with green hair opened her palm. A delicate and magnificent Hujia Qin, radiating a faint halo, appeared. The body of the instrument was engraved with golden magical runes, surrounded by blooming white flowers that exuded vitality. The entire instrument was woven from white, gold, and blue, with the blue sections sparkling like stars in the night sky—luxurious and beautiful. It looked more like an expensive work of art than a martial soul.

The little old man nodded with a smile; this martial soul looked extraordinary, and its quality was definitely not low. However, it did not look like an attack-type martial soul. Could it be an auxiliary-type tool martial soul similar to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda?

"Child, your martial soul is a tool martial soul, but it doesn't look like a weapon. There is a high probability that it is an auxiliary-type martial soul," the little old man said, explaining to the green-haired girl before him.

"Alright, use your mind to retract your martial soul and come over to test your soul power. If you don't have soul power, you can't become a soul master!"

Cai Wenji simply moved her mind, and the Hujia Qin was retracted smoothly, which surprised the little old man who had prepared to wait for a while.

The girl placed her small, delicate hand on the light blue crystal ball. A blue light ignited, reflecting on the faces of those around her until it filled the entire crystal ball.

"Innate Full Soul Power!"

Because there were many children waiting to awaken their martial souls behind her, the little old man, despite being excited by the appearance of a genius with Innate Full Soul Power, did not spend too much time explaining things to the girl. He simply had her stand behind him, intending to talk after the ceremony concluded and chat with the child's parents.

Yao, who was waiting behind, walked into the array consciously. That pair of deer antlers and her supple, long silver hair made Yao look exceptionally unique.

After the light vanished, the girl opened her palm, and a small, magnificent elk quietly emerged. The elk was surrounded by clouds and mist, its entire body pure white and flawless, sacred and beautiful. Pure white flowers bloomed on its white antlers, making it look like something not of this world.

Another high-quality martial soul, and she seemed to know the girl from before. Could they be disciples from some great clan? But he had never heard of any sect or clan whose martial souls were a deer and a zither! The little old man thought, feeling both pleasantly surprised and puzzled.

The sudden appearance of two high-quality martial souls, and the fact that the two children had come together, made it impossible not to be suspicious.

After all, the little old man had been responsible for awakening martial souls here for decades. Unless there was a mutation, the martial souls awakened by commoners were the same as their parents', and their soul power was always below level three.

Suddenly, two martial souls that looked quite extraordinary appeared; they were either mutated martial souls, or the children were not their parents' biological offspring.

Thinking a lot in his heart, the little old man still explained carefully, "Your martial soul is a deer, which is also a beast martial soul. In the future, you can develop into a power attack-type or agility attack-type soul master. Alright, retract your martial soul and test your innate soul power."

Just like Cai Wenji, she retracted her martial soul cleanly and reached her small hand toward the crystal ball. The light flared brilliantly: "Innate Full Soul Power!"

The little old man stared at the crystal ball in shock. How rare were geniuses with Innate Full Soul Power? How could two appear in a row, and both awakened by him?

At the same time, the little old man felt more and more that these two girls must come from those great powers.

Until the martial soul awakening ceremony was completely finished and the Martial Soul Hall personnel had registered the children's information, the doors of the main hall were opened.

The children's parents had long been anxious. As soon as the door opened, they swarmed in, found their children, and asked about the results of the awakening. Children who possessed soul power were taken by their parents to collect the certificates issued by the Martial Soul Hall and left happily, while parents whose children did not awaken soul power could only leave in disappointment with their children.

Cai Wenji and Yao took the opportunity to blend into the crowd and leave.

This made the little old man from the Martial Soul Hall even more convinced that these children came from a great power, so he specifically wrote a report and submitted it to report the situation of these two children.

Chapter 9: Tang San and Kai

South of Nuoding City, Fasinuo Province, Heaven Dou Empire, Holy Soul Village.

On this day, the people in the village were exceptionally excited. Those with children in their families woke up early, and after letting their children finish breakfast, they rushed to the locked wooden house in the center of the village—the branch of the Martial Soul Hall.

Because today was the day a soul master would come to the village to awaken the children's martial souls, anyone with common sense knew the importance of this day.

However, Old Jack did not wait at the door early as he had in previous years. After a long while, the villagers saw Old Jack walking from afar with two children. One child had short black hair, clean and simple; he was the child of the village's lazybones, Tang San. The other child had silver hair reaching his shoulders and an extremely refined face; he was Kai, the child adopted by Old Li in the village.

Tang San's father was a blacksmith. Although the profession of a blacksmith was lowly, it was easy enough to make a living. Unfortunately, the child's father was not ambitious; despite being the only blacksmith in the village, he was always drinking, rarely agreed to forge things for the villagers, and was extremely cold and unresponsive. Lazy, alcoholic, and reclusive, Tang San had to take care of himself at a young age, and the surrounding villagers felt quite sorry for the child.

Kai was an abandoned orphan. Old Li in the village was a loner and felt lonely, so when he saw the child, he had the idea to raise him as his own. Unfortunately, Old Li's health was truly poor, and in recent years, he had become so frail that he could barely walk, let alone take care of a child.

Therefore, both children were left to their own devices and needed Old Jack to come over and help.

Tang San and Kai were the last children to arrive.

The surrounding children did not pay them any mind, and the two were not familiar with each other either. Tang San usually spent his time either practicing or doing chores; as an adult with a mature mind, he did not want to mingle with these childish kids. Kai was even busier, hunting to support the family and taking care of his grandfather, and occasionally finding time to practice. The relationship between the two was limited to a nod when they met.

In fact, Tang San was extremely curious about this child named Kai. Tang San believed that Kai had secrets, especially after hearing that Kai was adopted by Old Li. He was even more convinced after seeing the traps Kai used to catch prey; they were very ingenious, and the traps were well-hidden. It wasn't difficult to catch ordinary small animals, but the village had never had a professional hunter. The villagers were very direct when catching animals on the mountain; no one knew such traps. How did this Kai know them? Did someone teach him in secret? Or was he like himself...

Tang San had tried to follow Kai, but he was discovered several times and had to give up.

Intuition told Tang San that this Kai was not simple.

The martial soul awakening ceremony began.

Kai and Tang San were the last children to awaken, one after the other.

Su Yuntao looked at Tang San with regret. Innate Full Soul Power! It was a pity that his martial soul was the trash martial soul, Blue Silver Grass; it was truly a shame.

Immediately, his gaze fell on the last child.