Douluo Continent, Spirit City, the Worship Hall.
Late at night, in a quiet room.
"No, Mom and Dad, don't worry about me! Run..." A five- or six-year-old boy was having a nightmare.
In the dream, a man wielding a dark black hammer brought it crashing down toward where the boy stood. A man and a woman stood firmly in front of the boy, shielding him.
"Brother Qian Yu, you're having a nightmare again. Don't be afraid. Xiao Xue's here." Beside the boy lay a cute five- or six-year-old girl with a head of golden hair. She patted the boy's chest as she comforted him.
"Ugh, Qian Renxue, haven't I told you not to climb into my bed anymore?" The boy named Qian Yu hurriedly wiped the cold sweat beading across his forehead and the faint tears in the corners of his eyes, then shoved at Qian Renxue, trying to get her off the bed.
"Don't wanna, Brother Qian Yu! You still haven't told me Huo Yuhao's story from Peerless Douluo today." Qian Renxue clung stubbornly to Qian Yu's arm like a piece of sticky candy, refusing to let herself tumble off the bed.
"Fine, fine. I'll tell you right now. Let go of my arm."
"Yay!" Qian Renxue cheered.
"So, Huo Yuhao obtained a ten-year Spirit Ring..."
In his previous life, Qian Yu had been a special forces soldier and a fan of Douluo Continent. An accident during a mission had sent him hurtling into the world of Douluo Continent.
When he first arrived in Douluo Continent, Qian Yu had enjoyed four happy years. Back then, he had loving parents and adorable younger siblings. But when he was four, a black iron hammer had smashed his happy life to pieces.
Though his parents' protection had allowed him to survive the disaster, he had lost them for good. Worse, he had been separated from his younger siblings while unconscious. From then on, his life had been all about revenge and finding them.
Fortunately, Qian Daoliu had come across him and saved him, bringing him back to the Worship Hall. He gave him the name Qian Yu and promised to take him as a disciple once he awakened his Martial Soul, helping him avenge his parents and find his younger siblings. And that was how Qian Renxue had ended up pestering Qian Yu for stories.
The following morning, in Qian Yu's room.
Qian Renxue lay sprawled on top of Qian Yu in an intimate pose.
Qian Yu slowly opened his eyes and nudged Qian Renxue, who was lying on him. His eyes curved into a smile; there was no sign of the impatience he had shown the night before.
Then he gently moved Qian Renxue off himself, tucked her in, changed his clothes, washed up, and ran out the door.
On a path outside the Worship Hall.
Qian Yu's slight frame was weighed down with iron blocks. Covered in sweat, he was on his hundredth lap of the day.
Ever since arriving at the Worship Hall, he had made a daily routine of a hundred laps with weights, five hundred push-ups, and five hundred pull-ups.
"Stop."
Just as Qian Yu was about to finish his morning run, a group of five- or six-year-old children appeared from nowhere and surrounded him. Their leader was a pudgy little boy wearing a golden-yellow robe embroidered with crocodiles.
Qian Yu knew the boy. His name was Jin Guang, the second grandson of the Second Worship of the Worship Hall. Among the younger generation there, he respected no one but Qian Renxue.
Qian Yu hadn't wanted trouble and had no intention of stooping to a fight with these kids.
But just as he was about to squeeze through the crowd and leave, Jin Guang signaled to his friends. The group rushed forward, ready to pin Qian Yu down.
"You bastard, born with a father but no mother to raise you! I told you to stop—didn't you hear me?" As he spoke, Jin Guang swung a fist at Qian Yu.
"Hm?" When he heard someone curse his parents, Qian Yu's eyes turned red. A terrifying killing aura rose from his small body.
Qian Yu seized Jin Guang's descending arm and followed up with a punch that sent him flying more than ten meters.
"Boss?" Jin Guang's friends were so frightened by Qian Yu's terrifying burst of strength and murderous aura that they didn't dare approach. They could only run to Jin Guang and pretend to be concerned.
Jin Guang hit the ground hard, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
He was about to signal his underlings to gang up on Qian Yu when a graceful figure appeared.
"Jin Guang, what are you doing?"
"Brother Qian Yu, are you all right?" It was Qian Renxue. She hurried over and stood protectively in front of him.
Seeing Qian Renxue appear, Jin Guang's eyes blazed with even greater fury. But when he thought of her grandfather, Qian Daoliu, he could only snarl, "Qian Yu, you coward, always hiding behind a woman! Just you wait. Once I awaken my Martial Soul, I'll kill you!" With that, Jin Guang signaled for the others to carry him away and find a Soul Master healer.
"Xiao Xue, what are you doing here?" Seeing Qian Renxue protect him, Qian Yu finally regained a little of his reason, and his killing aura slowly faded.
"Brother Qian Yu, you're the one to talk! Did you forget that we're supposed to have our Martial Soul Awakening ceremony today?"
"Uh." Qian Yu slapped his forehead.
At Qian Renxue's reminder, Qian Yu finally remembered that today was the day he and Qian Renxue had arranged to awaken their Martial Souls at age six. Jin Guang was turning six as well.
"No wonder Jin Guang said that. He was planning to beat me with his Martial Soul."
"The Golden Crocodile King is the hereditary Martial Soul of the Second Worship's family. It's a top-tier Beast Martial Soul, and it once produced a level-98 Super Douluo. No wonder Jin Guang is so confident."
"I just wonder what Martial Soul I'll awaken." As he removed the weights from his body, Qian Yu headed with Qian Renxue to one of the Awakening Halls in the Worship Hall.
Inside the Awakening Hall, the Great Enshrined Qian Daoliu, the Second Worship Golden Crocodile Douluo, the Sixth Worship Thousand Jun Douluo, and the Seventh Worship Demon Subduing Douluo had already arrived.
"You're here." Thousand Jun Douluo was closest to the entrance and spotted Qian Renxue and Qian Yu first. Jin Guang, now wrapped in bandages, followed behind them.
After receiving careful treatment from a Soul Master healer, Jin Guang's body was no longer seriously hurt. But his bones and tendons had been knocked out of place, and the pain made every step agony.
"Hmph." Golden Crocodile Douluo grunted. Clearly, the fight between Jin Guang and Qian Yu hadn't escaped his spiritual perception.
"Second brother?" Qian Daoliu lightly chided Golden Crocodile Douluo. He, too, had sensed the fight between Qian Yu and Jin Guang early on, but he hadn't intervened.
He wanted to see what kind of surprise this little fellow he had brought back—who held himself to such impossibly high standards—could give him.
"Grandpa." Sensing the strange atmosphere in the Awakening Hall, Qian Renxue spoke up. "Good morning, Grandpas."
Qian Renxue made the most of her advantage, running enthusiastically over to Qian Daoliu before greeting all the Worships with a respectful bow.
"Good morning, Grandpas." Though his face twisted with pain, Jin Guang still forced a smile and greeted the Worships.
"Guang'er?" Golden Crocodile Douluo was about to lose his temper.
But Qian Daoliu stopped him.
"Everyone's here, so let's begin the Martial Soul Awakening ceremony."
"Qian Renxue, you go first."
"Second brother, you preside over the ceremony." Qian Daoliu gave Golden Crocodile Douluo no chance to lose his temper and began issuing instructions.
Before you continue