The prosperity of Spirit City belonged only to Soul Masters and nobles.
In the inner city, the golden tiles and white jade of Spirit Hall gleamed brilliantly.
But in the outer city's commoner district, countless muddy, dilapidated places lay hidden.
Huimin Orphanage, in the south of the city, was an inconspicuous corner of this flourishing age.
Mottled earthen walls enclosed a cramped courtyard.
Large patches of plaster had long since fallen away, exposing the blackened bricks beneath.
Several low, mud-brick houses crowded together, seeming ready to collapse at any moment.
The children who lived here were orphans in Spirit City, with neither father nor mother.
The children taken in by the Martial Soul Hall Orphanage were, after all, only a tiny fraction.
Most orphans could only scrape by on charity in commoner orphanages like this one, struggling to survive.
In the open space in the middle of the courtyard, several seven- or eight-year-old boys stood in a circle.
They pointed at the girl huddled in the corner.
"Well, if it isn't our great genius, Ling Xi!"
The boy at the head of the group folded his arms, his face full of glee at her misfortune.
"Why are you hiding here by yourself, staring into space? Why aren't you off practicing your Soul Power?"
"Innate Soul Power level nine. How impressive!"
At his words, the boys around him immediately burst into laughter.
The girl huddled against the wall, her small body pressed tightly to the earthen bricks.
Her name was Ling Xi, and she had just turned six.
She was one of the orphans at this orphanage.
Her little face was exceptionally delicate; she should have been a lively, charming girl.
A few days earlier, at the Awakening ceremony held by Spirit Hall,
she had tested at Innate Soul Power level nine.
The result had stunned the entire orphanage.
Innate Soul Power level nine made her a gifted talent even among Spirit Hall's core disciples.
Ling Xi had always been the most sensible child at the orphanage, kindhearted and hardworking.
While the other children were still playing and running wild, she had already been studying hard, longing to change her fate.
She dreamed of leaving this decrepit orphanage one day and rising above the rest.
Fate's cruel jokes always came without warning.
Although her Innate Soul Power was as high as level nine, the martial soul she awakened was the lowest-ranked Blue Silver Grass.
Not every sprig of Blue Silver Grass was blessed with the same fortune as Tang San's.
If you weren't Tang San, Blue Silver Grass was practically another name for a Trash Martial Soul.
No attack, no defense, no support, and abysmal Soul Power affinity.
It was almost impossible to break through the Soul Scholar realm and become a true Soul Master.
This Blue Silver Grass had effectively sentenced her path as a Soul Master to death.
In just a few short days,
she had become the laughingstock of the entire orphanage.
The children who had only awakened Innate Soul Power levels three or four, but had ordinary martial souls like sickles and wild rabbits,
now rode roughshod over her, mocking her without restraint.
Even if their martial souls were quite ordinary, they could still cultivate step by step and become Soul Masters.
But she would most likely spend her whole life trapped in this orphanage, living a mediocre existence.
"Wang Hu, don't push it!"
Ling Xi abruptly raised her head, glaring at the boy in front with bloodshot eyes.
"Even if my martial soul is Blue Silver Grass, my Innate Soul Power is still higher than yours!"
"So what if it is?"
Wang Hu sneered and stepped forward, shoving Ling Xi hard and sending her sprawling to the ground.
"Blue Silver Grass with Innate Soul Power level nine is still trash!"
"You'll never become a Soul Master!"
"Think you're still the genius you used to be? You're just a piece of trash nobody wants!"
Ling Xi hit the ground, the gravel scraping her palm raw. She shuddered with pain.
She gritted her teeth and glared at Wang Hu, resentment and indignation in her eyes.
She wouldn't accept it!
She had worked so hard for so long, and finally tested at Innate Soul Power level nine. How could one sprig of Blue Silver Grass condemn her to hell?
Why?!
"What? Still don't accept it?"
Seeing her glare, Wang Hu grew even angrier. He raised his foot, ready to kick her.
"Don't you dare!"
Ling Xi shouted sharply, bracing herself against the ground as she tried to get up.
Her thin, slight body stood no chance against the strong, sturdy Wang Hu.
Just then, the orphanage matron came out of the house and shouted:
"What's all this ruckus? All of you, get back inside! Make trouble again, and you can forget about dinner!"
Wang Hu reluctantly lowered his foot and stuck his tongue out at Ling Xi.
He took off with the other boys, and before leaving, made sure to toss out one last insult.
"Trash is trash. You'll never turn your life around!"
The courtyard finally fell silent.
Bracing herself against the cold ground, Ling Xi slowly stood up.
The wound on her palm burned fiercely, but the despair and resentment in her heart hurt even more.
She brushed the dust off her clothes and didn't go back inside.
Instead, she went to the orphanage's back courtyard and hid beneath an old locust tree, its trunk cracked and peeling.
She could hold back no longer. Tears finally burst forth, and she began to sob quietly.
She didn't want to be trash.
She didn't want to spend her whole life trapped in this orphanage, or to spend it with people trampling her underfoot.
She wanted to become a Soul Master. She wanted to grow stronger. She wanted people to stop bullying her.
She wanted everyone who looked down on her to shut their mouths.
In that moment, she was willing to do anything to become stronger.
Even if it meant paying any price, even if it meant falling into the abyss, she wouldn't hesitate!
She leaned against the old locust tree and cried from the afternoon until dusk, then from dusk until the dead of night.
The moon climbed into the night sky, its cold light spilling down and illuminating her lonely figure.
The lights in the orphanage had gone out long ago. Everyone was asleep.
Only she remained, lost in endless darkness and despair.
The night wind swept past, lifting the fallen leaves and making them rustle.
A bone-deep chill struck her. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself.
Just then, a voice rang out behind her without warning,
breaking the silence of the deep night.
"Do you crave power?"
The voice was soft, yet carried a power that bewitched the heart, like a demon's whisper.
Ling Xi shuddered and spun around, warily looking toward the source of the voice.
Under the moonlight, a boy stood not far away.
He looked to be about her age.
He wore a white robe made of fine silk, finer than anything she had ever worn.
His face was so handsome he seemed almost otherworldly, with fair skin, refined features, and a high nose.
His dark eyes were deep and unfathomable as he gazed quietly at her.
He didn't look like a demon, but like an angel who had descended to the mortal world.
Ling Xi stared, stunned, and for a moment forgot how to react.
She simply gazed at the boy before her, forgetting to be wary, forgetting to be afraid.
She had never seen anyone so good-looking in her life.
"Who are you?"
Ling Xi finally came to her senses. She instinctively stepped back, clenched her fists, and asked warily,
"What do you want?"
The boy didn't answer her question. He simply walked slowly toward her.
His steps were unhurried. Fallen leaves crackled beneath his feet.
He stopped in front of her.
He was half a head taller than Ling Xi and looked down at her reddened eyes.
At the despair in her gaze, and her yearning for power.
"I'll ask you once more. Do you crave power?"
"Do you long to escape your fate and break free of the shackles of this Trash Martial Soul?"
"To become a true Soul Master, to rise above the rest, and make everyone who mocked you look up to you?"
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