"Grandpa, come quick! Look at what's happened to Brother Qian Yu!" Qian Renxue cried, clutching the unconscious Qian Yu in her arms and calling for Qian Daoliu.
"Let Grandpa have a look." Qian Daoliu was flustered too. He hurried over and used his spiritual power to examine Qian Yu.
As his spiritual power entered Qian Yu's body, Qian Yu's brows gradually relaxed. The hidden eye on his forehead slowly opened.
"A Second Martial Soul?" Qian Daoliu exclaimed in shock.
Just then, the other elders from the Worship Hall rushed over as well.
"Big Brother, what happened here? Did you get robbed?" Thousand Jun Douluo started teasing from a distance.
When he came closer, he saw Qian Daoliu frowning and realized he'd said the wrong thing. He hurriedly looked at Qian Yu, who was lying there.
"What happened to Qian Yu? He's got an extra eye on his forehead." Thousand Jun Douluo changed the subject, getting straight to the point.
"Let me have a look." Golden Crocodile Douluo was drawn over by Thousand Jun Douluo's words too.
As his spiritual power entered Qian Yu's body, the eye on his forehead opened faster.
"Vmmm, vmmm, vmmm." Qian Yu's forehead eye opened completely. Just then, he let out a muffled groan, and the Soul Power in his body began to drain away.
"A Second Martial Soul?" Golden Crocodile Douluo asked Qian Daoliu, still unable to believe it.
When Qian Daoliu nodded, Golden Crocodile Douluo drew in a sharp breath.
"An eye-type Martial Soul? A Body Martial Soul?" Golden Crocodile Douluo ransacked his memories and finally found records concerning this kind of Martial Soul.
"Second Brother, you know about this kind of Martial Soul?" Hearing that Golden Crocodile Douluo had information about it,
Qian Daoliu hurriedly asked him.
"A Body Martial Soul is a special kind of Martial Soul that takes a Soul Master's own organs, limbs, or even entire body as its Martial Soul. It is neither a traditional Beast Martial Soul that possesses the body nor a weapon Martial Soul that leaves the body. Rather, the Martial Soul is the person, and the person is the Martial Soul." Golden Crocodile Douluo didn't keep them in suspense. He told them everything he knew.
"What? Such a wondrous Martial Soul really exists in this world?" Thousand Jun Douluo couldn't help marveling at the wonders of creation.
"So, Xiao Yu's been blessed by disaster and has fully awakened his Second Martial Soul. He's become a Twin Martial Souls wielder, just like that person next door." Thousand Jun Douluo continued.
"It's hard to say. Twin Martial Souls are both a blessing and a curse. The previous wielders of Twin Martial Souls all met tragic ends." Golden Crocodile Douluo shook his head at that.
"Ah, Grandpa, please save Brother Xiao Yu!" Qian Renxue had never seen anything like this. At once, tears streamed down her face.
"All right, all right. Xiao Yu needs to rest. Xiao Xue, stay here. Everyone else, leave." Qian Daoliu had no solution for the time being, so he could only send the others away.
He had Qian Renxue stay with him by Qian Yu's side so they could keep a close eye on his condition.
Once everyone had left, Qian Daoliu gently released Soul Power to nourish Qian Yu's body. Before long, Qian Yu woke up.
Qian Yu only felt pain throughout his body, while his mind was in a muddle and his head throbbed. Fortunately, he had once been a special forces ace and didn't let it show.
"Brother Xiao Yu, you're awake! How are you feeling?" Seeing Qian Yu regain consciousness, Qian Renxue hurried over to ask.
"Xiao Xue, Grandpa, I'm fine now." As he spoke, Qian Yu tried to endure the pain and sit up.
But Qian Daoliu saw that Qian Yu was forcing himself, and pressed him down, telling him to rest properly.
And so, several days passed.
Qian Yu felt that his Soul Power hadn't increased, but otherwise there was nothing wrong.
At first, Qian Yu didn't think much of it either. He assumed his body was simply depleted and that his Soul Power was being used to nourish it.
But as the first month passed, not only did Qian Yu's Soul Power fail to increase, it fell by one level, dropping to level 19.
That sent Qian Yu into a panic. The hatred he held for the giant hammer and his regret over his missing younger siblings kept assailing his mind.
It finally caught Qian Daoliu's attention.
"Xiao Yu, your Soul Power?" Qian Daoliu noticed something was wrong and hurried over to examine his body.
"Strange. Nothing seems wrong." Qian Daoliu frowned, but even after examining him for a long while, he found nothing unusual.
"Grandpa, could you keep this a secret for me? I don't want Xiao Xue to worry." Qian Yu pulled his hand back and pleaded with Qian Daoliu.
"All right." Qian Daoliu knew how his granddaughter felt about Qian Yu, and finally agreed. "For now, I'll tell her you've been sent out on a mission. Focus on taking care of your health."
Qian Daoliu arranged for Qian Yu to stay in a house in Spirit City.
Half a year passed. Qian Yu's Soul Power fell to level 18, and he responded by intensifying his training. When a hundred weighted laps weren't enough, he increased it to two hundred.
At first, Qian Renxue believed Qian Daoliu's explanation. But as time passed, she gradually grew suspicious.
Time flew by. A year later, Qian Yu's Soul Power had dropped to level 17.
Day after day, Qian Yu intensified his training and suffered nightmares.
Qian Renxue seemed to have guessed what was going on too. She ran to confront Qian Daoliu. "Grandpa, is something wrong with Brother Qian Yu?"
Tears glistened in Qian Renxue's eyes as she knelt before Qian Daoliu.
"You silly girl, how many times have I told you? Xiao Yu went out on a mission. Here, this is the letter he sent you." Qian Daoliu took out the thick letter Qian Yu had prepared long ago. It contained the next part of the story he'd told Qian Renxue.
Qian Renxue took the thick letter from Qian Daoliu and slowly opened it. The densely packed words made it feel as though Brother Qian Yu were right there beside her, telling her the story.
Qian Renxue slowly rose to her feet without saying a word.
Qian Daoliu turned away, and the tears at the corners of his eyes evaporated in an instant.
"Xiao Yu, how are you holding up?"
And so, another three years passed. Qian Yu turned twelve, and his Soul Power fell to level 10. It couldn't sink any lower.
Throughout those three years, Qian Yu trained day after day. His body gradually developed distinct muscle lines, and he had a beauty that set him apart from others.
But his Soul Power hadn't advanced in the slightest.
On this day, Qian Yu finally made up his mind. He would leave Spirit City and seek the opportunity that would let him defy fate and change his life. He knew the Worship Hall was safe. Even if he remained at level 10 for the rest of his life, Grandpa and Xiao Xue would support him. But he wasn't willing to accept that. He still had the grudge of his family's annihilation to avenge, and his younger siblings to find.
He had to grow stronger. He had to take revenge. He had to find his younger siblings.
That day, for once, he didn't rest.
He changed his clothes, covered his face, and went to the Worship Hall. No one stopped him.
He came before Qian Daoliu.
He kowtowed three times, hard.
"Grandpa, I'm leaving." Qian Yu said nothing else.
He kept striking his forehead against the ground until it was stained bright red.
Qian Daoliu didn't stop him either. Tears already filled his eyes, and his Soul Power couldn't evaporate them fast enough to keep them from falling.
"Good child, make sure you come back to visit Grandpa often." Qian Daoliu looked at the young man before him, now already 1.8 meters tall. In his eyes, Qian Yu seemed to overlap with the son he'd lost many years ago.
Thinking of his life, it truly had been tragic: losing his son in middle age, and facing an uncertain future for his grandson in old age.
"Go see Xiao Xue." Qian Daoliu composed himself and spoke slowly.
"But looking like this..." Qian Yu hesitated. He wanted to see Qian Renxue too—the girl who had been by his side throughout his childhood and helped him escape his bleak life.
"Don't worry. I'll keep you hidden." Qian Daoliu seemed to see what was troubling Qian Yu and continued.
From a distance, Qian Daoliu led Qian Yu to the edge of Qian Renxue's courtyard, concealing their auras.
Inside the courtyard, Qian Renxue was now 1.7 meters tall, with a head of golden hair. Elegant and tall, she was a peerlessly beautiful young woman, training with weights.
It was as if doing so could bring her a little closer to her Brother Qian Yu.
"Ah." Looking at his granddaughter like this, Qian Daoliu let out a quiet sigh.
"Xiao Xue." Tears glistened in Qian Yu's eyes as he murmured softly. In the end, he slowly took a letter from his arms and handed it to Qian Daoliu. "Grandpa, please give this to Xiao Xue for me."
"Brother Xiao Yu?" Qian Renxue turned around. Their eyes met. Qian Yu could see Qian Renxue, but she couldn't see him. The two of them gazed at each other across the distance.
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