In just half a year, he had learned to make out the patterns on every willow fluff drifting down from the trees a hundred meters away. Even the tracks of black ants crawling among the branches and leaves couldn't escape his eyes.
In the shadow beneath the attic, Bibi Dong stood in her black-and-red adjudicator's robe, quietly watching the small figure by the window. She had been there for nearly half an hour.
"Does he do this every day?"
A low voice came from behind her. Qian Daoliu approached at an unhurried pace and followed her gaze toward Tang San by the window. His eyes were full of mixed emotions.
"Ever since he could sit steadily at just over two years old, he hasn't missed a day." Bibi Dong gave a slight nod, her voice filled with unmistakable satisfaction and certainty. "Grand Pontiff, you've seen it too. The old ancestor's testament specifically designated this east-facing room and told us not to interfere with any of his habits. There was clearly a reason. He mastered this eye technique on his own. His eyesight is far beyond that of children his age, even sharper than that of some lower-ranked Soul Masters."
Qian Daoliu sighed as he gazed at the small figure, recalling the grandfather he had lost years ago. His voice grew more solemn. "The old ancestor never made a miscalculation in his life. The people he left behind can't be wrong. Give this child the highest level of resources reserved for the Spirit Hall's core direct descendants. Whatever books he wants to read, even rare volumes from the Elder Hall, bring them all to him if he asks. Our job is to follow the old ancestor's arrangements and mold him into exactly what the old ancestor envisioned."
Bibi Dong bowed in acknowledgment. Before leaving, she turned and gave a solemn order to the attendant guarding the attic. "Assign two more guards to him. They're only to protect his safety, not interfere with anything he does. Prepare his daily supply of morning dew and medicinal ingredients in advance. There must not be the slightest delay."
She knew all too well that this child was the most important piece on the board laid out by Ancestor Qian Chongguang.
And in Spirit City, Tang San wasn't the only "precocious genius" who was different from ordinary children.
Gui Mengguan was the same age as Tang San. With a pretty, feminine face that could rival the daughters of great clans, and a silver tongue that could charm anyone, he had every elder in the Spirit Hall wrapped around his little finger. He was a notorious little rascal. But only he knew that inside the body of a three-year-old child lived the soul of an ordinary office worker from the modern world.
He was just an ordinary fan who had watched the Douluo anime countless times and read a few fanfics. Forget cultivation methods fit for a Titled Douluo; he barely knew the basics of how Soul Power circulated through a Soul Master.
But he did have one thing going for him: in his previous life, he'd followed his mother, a yoga enthusiast, and learned a whole host of ways to train young children physically—core stability, balance exercises, flexibility stretches. They were all scientific methods that wouldn't hinder a child's development and could quickly improve their fitness.
So while other three-year-olds were still stumbling around and falling after a couple of steps, he could already climb walls and trees like a monkey, thanks to precise control of his core. He could cross a narrow stone ridge in the rock garden as steadily as if he were walking on flat ground. While other children played rough without knowing their own strength, he could easily dodge bigger kids' shoves with his flexibility, so much as an edge of his clothes never got touched.
Yue Guan and Gui Mei already spoiled him rotten. Seeing their little boy move with such agility at such a young age left them astounded. Gui Mei in particular, whenever he watched Gui Mengguan turn somersaults in the courtyard without wobbling once, would rub his chin and sigh to Yue Guan, "Our boy's got the perfect build for becoming a Soul Master! Once he awakens his Martial Soul at six, he'll be one of the best!"
Every time Gui Mengguan heard that, he could only grin and act cute, while inwardly screaming, Help! If it weren't for my yoga foundation, I'd have given myself away ages ago!
Oupai was a year younger than Tang San and the only direct grandson of Guang Ling Douluo. Guang Ling Douluo loved to play around and treasured his Glazed Bow above all else. He made Oupai a miniature wooden bow as soon as the boy could walk, thinking it was just a toy. He never expected what happened next to leave him completely dumbfounded.
In his previous life, Oupai had worked part-time as an archery instructor. He didn't know much else, but he knew the basics of archery inside and out: stance, technique, and coordinating his breathing. He understood that a child's bones hadn't fully developed and that he couldn't draw a bow with brute force. It was all about drawing from the core of his back and waist, keeping his posture correct and his breathing steady. Even with a toy wooden bow that had no Soul Power behind it, he could hit a target thirty paces away—and every arrow grazed the bull's-eye.
The first time he hit the target, Guang Ling Douluo leaped into the air, scooped him up, and spun him around several times. He bragged to everyone he met, "The Guang Clan's going to have a master archer! He can hit a target with a bow at two years old. Even I didn't have that kind of talent!"
From then on, Guang Ling Douluo kept him by his side every day, teaching him about bows and practicing his aim whenever he had the chance. Oupai could only grit his teeth and rely on what he'd learned in his previous life. Every time Guang Ling Douluo praised his talent, he'd silently repeat, Stop praising me, stop praising me! Keep it up and I'll give myself away. I don't even know how to circulate Soul Power!
Qian Gujue was also two years old and the direct grandson of Jiang Mo and Qianjun Douluo. Falling Devil Douluo had been obsessed with Tool Martial Souls his whole life and treasured his Coiling Dragon Staff above all else. He carved Qian Gujue a tiny stone lock the size of a palm, meant for the boy to play with. He never imagined the child would be able to lift it steadily over his head—and even swing it around a couple of times.
In his previous life, Qian Gujue had been a gym enthusiast who'd spent more than half a year training for strength. He knew all about generating force from his waist and legs instead of relying on his arms alone. He understood that children shouldn't lift heavy weights, so he used the right technique to distribute the load. When lifting the stone lock, he tightened his core, drove his waist with his legs, then channeled the force into his arms. It looked like "natural strength," but it was all technique.
Seeing his two-year-old grandson lift a stone lock heavier than his own body weight, Falling Devil Douluo grinned from ear to ear. Every day, he'd drag Qianjun Douluo over to boast. "Look at him! My grandson! He's born to train with a Tool Martial Soul! That strength, that understanding—he'll definitely surpass the two of us brothers one day!"
Every time Qian Gujue heard that, he could only give a sheepish laugh, sweating buckets inside. I'm done for! If this keeps up, and I awaken a Trash Martial Soul at six, won't those two make me train in Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer?
The strange feats of these children soon spread throughout the upper ranks of the Spirit Hall.
In the ten thousand years of Douluo Continent's history, nearly every top Soul Master had been gifted with exceptional bones and unusual intelligence from a young age. Ancestor Qian Chongguang had been even more extraordinary: he could read at two and recite the Soul Master Basic Principles in full by three, setting an unprecedented record on the continent.
So no one suspected anything else. They assumed the old ancestor was watching over them from beyond the grave, blessing the Spirit Hall with a steady stream of geniuses. Everyone was delighted.
In the end, with Golden Crocodile Douluo taking the lead, and after discussions with Qian Daoliu and Bibi Dong, the Spirit Hall established a special Genius Enlightenment Class within its core Soul Master Academy. Tang San, Gui Mengguan, Oupai, and Qian Gujue were brought together and taught by the Spirit Hall's most learned teachers. They would study reading, basic knowledge about Soul Masters, and fundamental exercises to strengthen their bodies. Given the best resources the entire continent could offer, they would have their foundations honed from childhood. Once they awakened their Martial Souls at six, they would enter the core training system directly.
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