Martial Soul Awakening

On the outskirts of Nuoding City, in Fasinuo Province of the Heaven Dou Empire, stood Holy Soul Village. In a dilapidated thatched hut there, Jiang Huai lay on his bed, waiting for Village Chief Jack to come get him.

Jiang Huai had been a decent young man in the modern era. In his previous life on Blue Star, his family had been very poor. Their monthly income went toward his tuition, and they also had several younger sisters to support.

Jiang Huai had earned the money for high school by working odd jobs. He had also paid his own living expenses in college through hard work, but his father's wages were barely enough to support his three younger sisters, and he was already struggling to keep up.

After graduating from college, Jiang Huai went out to work. Once all three of his younger sisters had graduated from high school, he was finally able to relieve his family of the burden of their education.

One day, Jiang Huai went into a McDonald's by himself and bought a hamburger. Because of his family's circumstances, he hadn't tasted one until he was thirty-two.

Unfortunately, the hamburger had been laced with something that didn't belong in it. After eating it, Jiang Huai returned home, lay down on his bed, and never woke up.

The moment he opened his eyes, he realized he had been reincarnated. His soul had come to Douluo Continent, to a small village on the outskirts of Fasinuo Province in the Heaven Dou Empire. It had also entered the body of a child who had died not long before.

Village Chief Jack had taken him back to Holy Soul Village to raise him, and gathered the village's skilled craftsmen to build him a little thatched hut.

When Jiang Huai was learning to walk, the villagers began taking turns looking after him. In other words, he grew up eating meals provided by the whole village.

Jiang Huai was a good kid. Even when there was nothing to eat at home, he wouldn't go to someone else's house. As long as there was food in the house, he would cook for himself. He had a natural talent for cooking, and his food was delicious; he was skilled with a knife, too.

When Jiang Huai was five, he was so small that he nearly fell into the pot by accident.

Luckily, the young Tang San happened to be passing by and caught him. Otherwise, Jiang Huai would really have become pork stir-fried with green peppers.

That was how Jiang Huai and Tang San became best friends. Whenever Tang San gathered more wild ingredients than he needed, he would bring some over for Jiang Huai.

Jiang Huai was young and lived alone, so Tang San kindly gave him some wild vegetables.

Soon, they turned six. At home, Jiang Huai swung the wooden sword in his hands.

Jiang Huai had been a sword enthusiast in his previous life. Practicing swordsmanship every morning had also helped him sense something flowing through his body.

Tang San often cultivated the Mysterious Heaven Skill on a rock behind Holy Soul Village. After each session, he would see Jiang Huai practicing his sword outside his home, drenched in sweat.

That afternoon was Holy Soul Village's Martial Soul Awakening Day. Every child who had turned six had to awaken their Martial Soul with the help of Spirit Hall. The Heaven Dou Empire, Star Luo Empire, and Spirit Hall also conducted periodic counts of those who had awakened a Martial Soul and those who had not.

At three thirty in the afternoon, Village Chief Jack arrived outside Jiang Huai's home. He was advanced in years and often walked with a stoop.

Whenever Jiang Huai saw Jack while practicing his sword outside, he would go over and help the village chief home.

Hearing a knock at the door, Jiang Huai trotted over on his little legs and opened it.

"Grandpa Jack," Jiang Huai greeted him respectfully. Village Chief Jack beamed and patted him on the head.

Jiang Huai tidied up inside, changed into a new set of clothes, then shut the door and followed Village Chief Jack to Tang San's home.

When they reached Tang San's door, Jiang Huai stepped forward and knocked. A moment later, they heard a porcelain bowl shatter on the floor inside.

Before long, the door opened. A disheveled man with a scraggly beard and a foul stench about him stood there. Jiang Huai looked up at him and politely said, "Uncle Tang Hao."

That was because Tang Hao had carved the wooden sword Jiang Huai carried. Even at a young age, Jiang Huai had known how to brew alcohol from grain, and he often went up the mountain with Tang San to gather wild vegetables.

Usually, there weren't any branches of any size left on the mountain paths. But if you went to Jiang Huai's home, you'd find branches piled all over the place. Every morning, when he didn't have his wooden sword, he used a branch as one.

Once, Tang Hao had happened to try some of the "8+1" Jiang Huai had brewed from grain. After one sip, Tang Hao felt as though all the liquor he'd drunk over the past few years had been for nothing.

Village Chief Jack stepped over to Jiang Huai, patted him on the head, and smiled at him. Then he looked up at Tang Hao, his expression turning displeased. "Where's San? I've come to take him to awaken his Martial Soul."

At that, Tang Hao's body trembled. He thought of the scene where Ah Yin, the Blue Silver Emperor, had sacrificed herself. Though he was a Titled Douluo, he was afraid—afraid that his son would awaken Blue Silver Grass and have no Soul Power.

Tang Hao snapped, "He's not going! What use is a Martial Soul? Instead of wasting time awakening one, he might as well make me a few more meals."

Jack's face instantly reddened with anger. "What do you know? A Martial Soul is an indispensable part of who we are. If San awakens a Martial Soul with Soul Power, we can send him to a Soul Master Academy. Once he graduates, he'll be someone important!"

Tang Hao hesitated, unsure whether to let Tang San go. Just then, Jiang Huai spoke up. "Uncle Tang Hao, take him along. What if he awakens a powerful Martial Soul? And even if it isn't powerful, there's no harm in trying, right?"

Tang Hao wavered. "You're right. Then go to the hill behind the village. San goes there to train every day."

After speaking, Tang Hao shut the door. He closed it gently so as not to startle Jiang Huai, but he still used some force at the very end.

Just then, Tang San came back and saw Village Chief Jack cursing outside his home. He also noticed Jiang Huai standing there, and hurried down to ask, "A-Huai, what happened?"

Jiang Huai looked over. "You're finally back. Come on, let's go awaken our Martial Souls."

Tang San asked in confusion, "W-what Martial Soul?"

Jiang Huai didn't bother explaining. He simply grabbed Tang San and ran toward the Spirit Hall in the village. Behind them, Jack waved with a smile. "Wait for me, children!"

Jiang Huai and Tang San stopped to wait for Jack. Before long, the three of them were walking along side by side.

Soon, Village Chief Jack led them to a wooden building that was somewhat dilapidated and clearly neglected. Not long after Jiang Huai and the others arrived, villagers began bringing their own children of the appropriate age to the site.

Suddenly, something strange happened above the roof of the rundown building. Tang San and Jiang Huai looked up at the same time, though in different ways: Tang San used his Purple Demon Eye, while Jiang Huai could make out the newcomer with his naked eyes.

The newcomer wore a white robe embroidered with Spirit Hall's emblem, the character "Spirit." As soon as he landed, he looked at Jack and asked, "How many children in Holy Soul Village will awaken their Martial Souls this year?"

Jack cupped his hands and replied, "Lord Soul Master, eleven children in Holy Soul Village will awaken their Martial Souls this year."